U.S. patent number 3,880,103 [Application Number 05/283,127] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-29 for tethered mine hunting system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy. Invention is credited to Howard R. Talkington.
United States Patent |
3,880,103 |
Talkington |
April 29, 1975 |
Tethered mine hunting system
Abstract
A tethered mine hunting system capable of aerial deployment
comprises a l module attached to an aircraft support vehicle by
primary tether and a submarine vehicle attached to said lift module
by secondary tether. The lift module and submarine vehicle are
configured so as to permit the submarine vehicle to be garaged
within the lift module during launch and recovery of the system. A
source of hydraulic motive power is located within the lift module
and is attached to the submarine vehicle via the secondary tether
so as to permit the submarine vehicle to have very low acoustic and
magnetic signatures. Additionally, the lift module contains other
support equipment and electroacoustic transducers.
Inventors: |
Talkington; Howard R. (La
Jolla, CA) |
Assignee: |
The United States of America as
represented by the Secretary of the Navy (Washington,
DC)
|
Family
ID: |
23084648 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/283,127 |
Filed: |
August 21, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
405/185 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63G
7/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B63G
7/02 (20060101); B63G 7/00 (20060101); B63g
008/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;114/16R,16.4,16.8,24R
;61/69R,69A ;37/54,56 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Feinberg; Samuel
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sciascia; Richard S. Johnson; Ervin
F. Skeer; William T.
Government Interests
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or
for the Government of the United States of America for governmental
purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An undersea tethered vehicle system comprising:
a support vehicle;
a primary tether connected to said support vehicle and extending
downwardly therefrom for conducting electrical currents and
supporting tensional forces therealong;
a lift module attached to the primary tether for support
thereby;
a submarine vehicle configured for retention within the lift
module;
a source of motive power housed within the lift module; and
a secondary tether connected between the submarine vehicle and the
lift module and effectively connected to said source of motive
power within the lift module for transmission of the motive power
therealong and effectively connected to the primary tether for
transmission of electrical currents therealong to permit the
submarine vehicle's movement into and out of the lift module and
within a predetermined range thereabout.
2. A tethered vehicle system according to claim 1 wherein the
support vehicle is an aircraft.
3. A tethered vehicle system according to claim 1 wherein the lift
module is enclosed on one end to minimize hydrodynamic interaction
between the retained submarine vehicle and the water during launch
and recovery of the system.
4. A tethered vehicle system according to claim 1 further
including
a winch housed within the lift module and effectively connected to
the source of motive power to obtain driving power therefrom and
having the secondary tether wound thereon for paying out and
reeling in the secondary tether in accordance with the movements of
the submarine vehicle.
5. A tethered vehicle system according to claim 1 wherein the
source of motive power includes a source of hydraulic power.
6. A tethered vehicle system according to claim 1 including an
auxiliary device releasably mounted on the submarine vehicle for
selective release therefrom to cooperate with investigated
submerged objects.
7. A tethered vehicle system according to claim 1 further including
a manipulator arm mounted on the submarine vehicle and effectively
connected to the source of motive power via the secondary tether
for contacting and performing work on objects within the vicinity
of the submarine vehicle.
8. A tethered vehicle system according to claim 7 further including
a tool carried by the manipulator arm.
9. A tethered vehicle system according to claim 8 further including
a television camera mounted on the submarine vehicle and connected
via the aforesaid primary and secondary tethers to the support
vehicle to provide personnel therein a view of areas adjacent the
submarine vehicle.
10. A tethered vehicle system according to claim 9 further
including a light source mounted on the submarine vehicle for
illumination of objects within the field of view of the television
camera.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to the fields of naval architecture and
marine engineering. More particularly, the invention pertains to
the field of remotely controlled submarine vehicles. In greater
particularity, the invention pertains to remotely controlled
submarine vehicles operating from a tethered control arrangement.
In still greater particularity, the invention pertains to a
tethered submarine vehicle having a lift module attached to the
support vehicle by means of a primary tether and a submarine
vehicle operating from, and attached to, the lift module by means
of a secondary tether.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In many marine activities, it is necessary to identify and recover,
or perform work on, objects which are located beneath the surface
of the sea. For example, the fields of archeology, geology,
petroleum production, and transcontinental communications have
taken men into the submarine environments which heretofore have
been little known outside the field of submarine warfare. In all of
these fields of endeavor, an object is located by means of
conventional detection and ranging equipment from the surface of
the water and divers are sent down to perform the necessary
inspection or work upon the object located. Quite obviously, such
operations are greatly influenced by the weather conditions and
water condition which will permit the employment of divers.
Experience has shown that such conditions as would permit the
optimum use of divers occur only approximately half of the time
even in temperate climate zones.
It has been proposed in the prior art to use small submersible
vehicles to replace the diver in such operations. However, such
submarine vehicles are expensive to operate and still require
considerable surface support in launch and recovery thereof. Too,
in mine hunting operations such vehicles ofttimes actuate the
detonating mechanism on the marine mine as the submarine vehicle
approaches the mine.
Another shortcoming of the prior art systems for locating
underwater objects has been the necessity of keeping a relatively
large-size surface ship deployed for extended periods of time.
Because of the crew requirements for such vessels and their large
fixed operating costs combined with their relatively slow speed,
the cost of such operations becomes prohibitive. If a rotary winged
aircraft or lighter than air aircraft could be employed in such
operations, the cost and time could be greatly improved. However,
heretofore submersible vehicles capable of remote operation have
not been able to withstand launch and recovery from a support
vehicle above the surface of the water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The system of the invention uses a low noise, low magnetic
signature, submarine vehicle operating from a tether. The submarine
vehicles's tether is attached to a lift module. The lift module, in
turn, contains a garage space for the submarine vehicle, a source
of motive power for the submarine vehicle and its attachments, and
auxiliary ranging and electroacoustic equipment. The lift module is
connected to a suitable aircraft support vehicle located above the
surface of the water by means of another tether arrangement.
STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an
improved tethered vehicle system.
Another object of this invention is to provide a tethered vehicle
system for submarine exploration and investigation from an aircraft
support vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tethered
submarine vehicle mine hunting system.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
tethered submarine mine hunting system employing a separate
submarine mine hunting vehicle and a lift module.
Another object of this invention is to provide a submersible
vehicle operating from a tether which has minimal electromagnetic
and acoustic signature.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
tethered mine hunting system employing a lift hydraulically powered
submarine vehicle operating from a tethered lift module.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
tethered vehicle mine hunting system employing a lift module
containing a propulsive power source for the tethered vehicle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
tethered mine hunting system operating from a lift module which
contains electroacoustic search transducers.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
tethered mine hunting system employing a hydraulically powered
submarine vehicle operating from a tether to a suitable support and
lift module which, in turn, is tethered to an aerial support
vehicle.
These and other objects of the invention will become more readily
apparent from the ensuing specification when taken with the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing the system according to the
invention being used in a mine hunting situation; and
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the various components
comprising the system of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1, an arrangement of the system of the invention
to be used in a mine hunting environment will be described. It
should be noted that although the system of the invention will be
described in connection with its application to the mine hunting
problem, other applications where the system of the invention may
be used will readily suggest themselves. A support vehicle, such as
rotary winged aircraft 11, having sufficient power and space
requirements for operating personnel is shown deployed above the
surface of the water. A lift module 12 is illustrated as being
connected to rotary wing aircraft 11 by means of a suitable primary
tether 13.
A submarine vehicle 14 is attached to lift module 12 by means of a
secondary tether 15. As illustrated, submarine vehicle 14 has a
television camera 16 mounted in its forward portion to photograph
and to transmit images back to the support vehicle by means of
tethers 15 and 13. Further, in waters where sufficient natural
illumination is not present the object being photographed by
television camera 16 may be illuminated by suitable light sources
17 which are also attached to the forward portion of submarine
vehicle 14 and directed in front thereof. No particular details are
shown for TV camera 16 or light source 17 as they may be
conventional prior art arrangements. For example, TV camera 16 may
be of the type manufactured by Hydro Products under the designation
"Model 125." Light sources 17 may be electrically powered by mains
carried in tethers 13 and 15 or battery powered. In some instances
where even further reduction in magnetic signature is required the
light sources 17 may be photochemically operated.
A suitable manipulator arm 18 is attached to submarine vehicle 14
for performing work and investigative assignments upon objects in
the near vicinity of submarine vehicle 14. Like TV camera 16, any
suitable prior art manipulator may be used in this environment in
dependence upon the particular work assignments encountered.
However, for purposes of illustrative completeness, it should be
noted that the manipulator arm described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,968
for "Linear Linkage Manipulator Arm" by Richard W. Uhrich et al.,
issued on Nov. 28, 1972, has proven satisfactory.
It will be observed that submarine vehicle 14 has motor 19 mounted
on either side thereof and a buoyancy chamber, designated at 20, on
the interior thereof to regulate propulsive movments and depths
about lift module 12. Although some latitude is permitted in
choosing motors 19 and buoyancy chamber 20 from designs of the
prior art for the provision of propulsive force and buoyancy for
submarine vehicle 14, it is highly desirable that such systems
exhibit very low acoustic and magnetic signature properties. For
this reason, the buoyancy chamber 20 and motor 19 are preferably of
the hydraulic control type such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
3,780,220 by Bruce R. Fugitt et al., for "Remote Control Underwater
Observation Vehicle" issued on Dec. 18, 1973.
If desired, submarine vehicle 14 may carry additional auxiliary
equipment as indicated generally at 21. Such auxiliary equipment
may include, for example, an explosive charge for providing
neutralization of marine mines or a sonar reflector having
identifiable conduction characteristics for marking objects
examined underwater to aid in their relocation. Also, although only
a single auxiliary equipment package 21 is illustrated, a plurality
of such packages may be carried by submarine vehicle 14, if
desired. Likewise, a variety of methods of release of the package
are possible. For example, the package may be extracted by
manipulator 18, released by a catch mechanism and allowed to drop,
or ejected. For purposes of completeness, the invention may be
considered as using the package shown and described in U.S. Pat.
No. 3,757,633 issued on Sept. 11, 1973 for "Visual Marker System"
to Paul K. Salzman et al.
A suitable tool 22 is shown carried on the distal end of
manipulator 18 for performing the desired work or investigative
action upon objects in the vicinity of submarine vehicle 14. Such a
tool may be, for example, an explosive type cable cutter to sever
anchoring cables for marine mines or other chains or cables
attached to the objects under investigation. Of course, if desired,
tool 22 may be a gripping, hand-like device to move or operate
underwater equipment. A variety of such engaging hands are known in
the prior art and choice between them is a matter of design within
the purview of one skilled in the art.
From the foregoing description it may be seen that submarine
vehicle 14 may be hydraulically operated and that tether 15 need
carry only small electrical currents necessary to operate TV camera
16 and lights 17. Because of the length of cable 13, it is
desirable that the hydraulic power source for manipulator 18,
motors 19, buoyancy chamber 20, and operational releases for
auxiliary package 21 be provided from lift module 12 rather than
from support vehicle 11. Further, to prevent entanglement of tether
15, it is desirable that suitable retractable storage be provided
for tether 15 within lift module 12. These functions are provided
by means of a suitable winch mechanism 25 and a hydraulic power
source 26 carried within lift module 12. The control of the
particular functions is provided by means of a conventional
solenoid operated hydraulic valve arrangement indicated generally
at 27. Such hydrualic power sources and valve arrangements are
common in the prior art and unnecessary for the understanding of
the invention and therefore are not described in greater detail
It will be observed that lift module 12 is enclosed on one end but
has provision for submarine vehicle 14 to enter the other end
thereof and to be garaged within its hull. This arrangement
protects submarine vehicle 14 and its associated equipment from
damage as lift module 12 passes through the air-water interface
during launch and recovery from support vehicle 11.
As shown, an electroacoustic transducer 23 is mounted on lift
module 12 and may be connected, via tether 13, to a conventional
search sonar located within the support vehicle. Again, sonar
systems of the type employing a remote transducer are common in the
prior art and a choice among them may be made by one versed in the
electroacoustic arts in dependence upon the particular design
parameters required.
It will also be noted that a second electroacoustic transducer,
indicated at 24, is mounted on lift module 12 and may be connected,
via tether 13, to other acoustic signal sources for providing the
desired acoustic signals within the water. For example, such
acoustic signals may provide an influence sweep for marine mines
or, optionally, a compressional wave communication system for
submarine vehicles operating in the vicinity. Likewise, such a
communication system may establish a communication link between a
plurality of support vehicles 11 without resort to electromagnetic
communications, an obvious advantage in some naval operations.
Referring to FIG. 2, the manner in which the various components
comprising the system interface with one another will now be
described. The major portions of the system such as support vehicle
11, lift module 12, and submarine vehicle 14 are indicated by
broken line boxes. The various interconnecting lines represent the
connections made via tethers 13 and 15.
As shown, a source of electrical power 31 is located within
aircraft 11 and may, if desired, comprise a portion of the
aircraft's electrical system. The sonar control system 32 is also
located within aircraft 11 and is connected by suitable electrical
connections to the sonar transducer 23 in lift module 12. Likewise,
acoustic signal source 33 is similarly connected to auxiliary
electroacoustic transducer 24. Acoustical signal source 33 may be
any conventional source of electrical analog signals to produce a
desired acoustic energy from transducer 24. For example, acoustical
signal source 33 may produce an electrical analog of acoustic
signatures to provide a countermeasure sweep for marine mines or,
conversely, acoustic signal source 33 may be the electronic portion
of a conventional compressional wave acoustic communication
system.
The next component part of the system of the invention indicated as
being housed within support vehicle 11 is the function control
mechanism 34. This function control mechanism comprises an
electrical switching and control arrangement having a plurality of
switching mechanisms each corresponding to a desired operational
function of submarine vehicle 14. Such operational functions
include the direction and magnitude of propelling force supplied by
motors 19, the operation of ballast chamber 20, and the operation
of manipulator arm 18. A wide variety of such input switching
devices is known in the prior art and choice between them is within
the purview of one skilled in the art in dependence upon the
particular function being controlled. Since such switches are well
known and conventional, further description thereof is not deemed
warranted.
A winch 35 is also located within support vehicle 11 and has tether
line 13 wound thereon. Of course, tether line 13 contains a tension
bearing member, indicated in FIG. 2 by a heavy broken line,
connecting winch 35 with lift module 12. The method of attachment
of this tension member to the submarine vehicle is likewise
conventional and therefore need not be described in detail for the
understanding of the invention.
A video readout 36 is also located within support vehicle 11 and is
connected to TV camera 16 through internal connections made within
lift module 12 so as to provide a visual indication of the object
field being photographed by television camera 16.
As previously noted, lift module 12, in addition to housing
submarine vehicle 14, houses sonar transducer 23 and auxiliary
transducer 24. As indicated above, these transducers are connected
to their appropriate signal sources within support vehicle 11 by
means of electrical connections contained in tether line 13. A
winch 25 is also contained within lift module 12. As indicated in
FIG. 2, winch 25 may be conveniently powered by a hydraulic motor
operating from a common hydraulic power source 26. The operation of
winch 25 as well as the various hydraulically controlled functions
on submarine vehicle 14 is controlled by means of valve mechanism
27.
Valve mechanism 27 is an assembly of a plurality of electrically
operated fluid valves which control the individual hydraulically
operated mechanisms on lift module 12 and submarine vehicle 14. The
use of hydraulic control in these applications provides submarine
vehicle 12 with a reduced electrical and magnetic signature thereby
permitting it to closely approach influence type mines.
As shown by FIG. 2, the previously described systems contained on
submarine vehicle 14, TV camera 16, lights 17, manipulator 18,
propulsion motors 19, buoyancy chamber 20, and auxiliary equipment
21 are all connected to their respective sources of power within
lift module 12 by a tether 15. Tether 15 is made neutrally buoyant
by conventional underwater cabling techniques so as to offer a
minimum of resistance and drag to submarine vehicle 14 as it moves
about lift module 12.
While the foregoing description will enable one versed in the
marine engineering and oceanographic instrumentation arts to make
and use the invention, the invention will be better understood with
reference to the following preferred mode of operation.
Preferred Mode Of Operation
Of course, the operation of the present system of the invention
begins with the submarine vehicle 14 within lift module 12 and
supported on support vehicle 11. As previously described, support
vehicle 11 may be any suitable vehicle which may be rapidly
deployed to an area and operate at relatively low speeds above the
surface thereof. Rotary wing aircraft, lighter than air aircraft,
and certain surface effect vehicles are completed and have proven
satisfactory in the operation of the system of the invention. When
the vehicle 11 is in the operational area, winch 35 is operated to
lower lift module 12 into the water by means of tether 13. Support
vehicle 11 then moves lift module 12 about the area in which search
and surveillance is being conducted while operating the sonar
system including sonar console 32 and sonar transducer 23. When an
object to be investigated has been encountered, support vehicle 11
maneuvers lift module 12 within a convenient operational range and
submarine vehicle 14 is caused to disengage and maneuver from lift
module 12.
During this operation, of course, winch 25 is operated so as to pay
out tether 15 and permit submarine vehicle 14 to approach the
desired object.
Referring to FIG. 1, a marine mine indicated at 41, supported on an
anchor chain 42 from an anchor 43 resting on the bottom, is being
investigated by submarine vehicle 14. Vehicle 14 may approach mine
41 and by means of manipulator arm 18 cause a suitable cutting tool
22 to engage and sever anchor chain 42 thereby separating buoyant
mine 41 from anchor 43. Mine 41 when it reaches the surface may be
detonated by a small arms fire or, alternatively, disarmed and
picked up by the surface vehicle.
Alternatively, the position of mine 41 may be marked by suitable
auxiliary equipment 21 comprising a sonar reflector or an acoustic
marker generator called a pinger. Also, auxiliary equipment 21 may
include an explosive charge which may be placed adjacent a mine of
the nonmoored or nonbuoyant type. In such instances, explosive
charge 21 may be detonated by a suitable timing mechanism.
Of course, other means of mine countermeasures may be employed if
mine 41 is of the acoustically detonated type. For example, an
acoustic signal may be generated by electroacoustic transducer 24
in response to signals supplied by acoustic signal source 33 to
detonate the mine as submarine vehicle 14 permits the mine
counter-measures operator to observe the effect of the various
acoustic signals on the mine. When the mine neutralization or
investigation operation has been completed, submarine vehicle 14
may be guided back to lift module 12 by means of propulsion motors
19 and winch 25 retracting tether line 15. When submarine vehicle
14 is garaged within lift module 12, winch 35 within support
vehicle 11 is operated so as to recover lift module 12 with
submarine vehicle 14 inside.
While the foregoing description of the invention pertains to mine
countermeasures, it will be readily apparent that other useful work
projects may be performed by the system of the invention. Such
fields of utilization include marine salvage, underwater geology
and archeology, and petroleum exploration for example.
The foregoing description taken together with the appended claims
constitutes a disclosure such as to enable a person skilled in the
marine engineering and naval architecture arts and having the
benefit of the teachings contained therein to make and use the
invention. Further, the structure herein described meets the
objects of invention, and generally constitutes a meritorious
advance in the art unobvious to such a skilled worker not having
the benefit of the teachings contained herein.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present
invention are possible in the light of the above teachings, and, it
is therefore understood that within the scope of the disclosed
inventive concept, the invention may be practiced otherwise than
specifically described.
* * * * *