Patent Grant
7182013
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 therefore.
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to remote retraction of umbilical cables which may be utilized in torpedo systems and, more particularly, to assemblies and methods for actively and remotely removing an umbilical cable from a torpedo, prior to launching the weapon from the launch tube.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Electrical umbilical cables are utilized to provide communications, power, and other functions to a torpedo in a launch tube. The electrical umbilical cable must be detached prior to launch of a torpedo. The United States Navy has previously launched torpedoes from surface ships via high-pressure air. However, it has been found desirable to provide an advanced surface launcher that eliminates the high-pressure air and instead utilizes readily available and highly reliable automotive air bag inflators as the energy source for launching torpedoes. In high-pressure air launching systems, a portion of the high-pressure air energy was used to mechanically detach the electrical umbilical from the weapon just prior to launch. With the elimination of the high-pressure air from the system, the prior art methods of umbilical cord retraction are no longer functional.
Previous efforts to solve problems related to the above are described by the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,130, issued Nov. 26, 1985, to D. W. McClain, discloses a quick-disconnect device for coupling segments of a diver's umbilical hoses includes separable rectangular bodies carrying complementary hose couplings spaced therealong. The bodies, which have nested rim and reduced portions, are biased toward separation by a rectangular, flat-type spring and releasable retained against separation by a retractable retaining pin extending diagonally therethrough and normally locked against retraction by partial rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,776, issued Apr. 11, 1977, to R. M. Beard, discloses a lock means for one end of a tension line for securing the tension line to a subsea installation and particularly for securing one end of an umbilical line carrying hydraulic and electrical control circuits to a subsea installation. The lock means is co-operable with a guide and locking cylindrical member secured to the subsea installation, the cylindrical member having a lock dog receiving recess, and a cylindrical locking device receivable within the cylindrical member and secured to the end of the tension line. The locking device includes a cylindrical housing having a lock dog port and a cylindrical chamber, an elongated annular or sleeve-like piston member within the housing and longitudinally slidable relative to the tension line. The piston member includes a cam surface to slidably engage lock dogs for lateral movement thereof through the lock dog port into locking engagement with the lock recess, a piston portion co-operable with a cylindrical chamber for unlocking the device under fluid pressure, and a piston extension having an upper end exposed through a window for mechanically unlocking the locking device. The piston member is normally biased into locked position by spring means, the locking device being normally non-releasing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,504, issued Mar. 31, 1981, to H. H. Hicks, discloses a cable release and latch for a security guard hinged to a window with a spring loaded plunger wedged into an outer frame thereof. An armored cable with a flexible inner cable is connected to the spring loaded plunger and extends to a foot treadle operator and shield which may be mounted on the floor inside the opening. Sufficient length of cable is provided to allow free movement of the guard about its hinges. The security guard may thereby be quickly and easily opened without a key by stepping on the foot treadle operator. If the armored cable is severed, the spring loaded plunger advances further into the keeper which retracts the flexible cable within the armored housing to prevent the manual operation of the latch without further dismantling of the cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,254, issued Nov. 17, 1981, to M. J. Prior, discloses a release mechanism for use with an underwater exploration device such as one used to release ballast from an ocean bottom seismograph which includes primary and secondary release actuating devices. Ballast weights are secured to the seismograph by cables which themselves are secured by levers held immobile by a removable pin. The pin can be removed by the primary release actuating device, a rotary solenoid with linkage arms which produces a linear stroke, or by the secondary release actuating device, a coil spring held in compression by means of an electroplatable wire around and under the head of the pin, or both, allowing the levers to pivot releasing the cables and ballast weight. The mechanical advantage of the levers is utilized to allow a relatively heavy ballast weight to be held while requiring a much smaller force to remove the pin allowing its release.
The above described systems do not provide an umbilical release mechanism suitable for use in retracting the cable prior to launching a torpedo including means for avoiding any possibility of entanglement with the fins and propellers. Consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate the present invention that addresses the above and other problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide a means to actively and remotely remove an umbilical cable from a vehicle, prior to launching the vehicle from a launch tube.
Another object of the present invention is to position the removed umbilical cord within the launch tube such that the fins, shroud, and propeller of the launched vehicle do not become entangled with the umbilical cable.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the descriptions given herein, and the appended claims. However, it will be understood that above listed objects and advantages of the invention are intended only as an aid in understanding various aspects of embodiments of the invention, are not intended to limit the invention in any way, and do not form a comprehensive list of objects, features, and advantages.
The present invention provides an umbilical cord retractor for use in retracting the umbilical cord from a vehicle within a launch tube prior to launch. The umbilical cord retractor comprises one or more elements such as, for instance, a guide arm mountable within the launch tube adjacent the vehicle, a slide mounted within the guide arm and slidable along a predetermined path formed by the guide arm, a biasing member attached to the slide for creating a biasing force to pull the slide away from the vehicle, and/or a locking member to hold the slide in position against a biasing force until the locking member is released. Other elements may comprise a linking member attached between the slide and the umbilical cord and/or an activator for releasing the locking member from the slide whereby the slide is pulled by the biasing member and the attached linking member then pulls the umbilical cord to a predetermined position with respect to the guide arm. The slide, linking member, biasing member, and/or other components, could be fabricated in one-piece construction for faster assembly, if desired.
The activator may comprise a solenoid in one embodiment. Likewise, in one embodiment, the locking member may comprise a pin insertable into a matching notch, hole, or groove in the slide. The pin may be angularly oriented with respect to the slide.
The biasing member may comprise any type of spring including metal, elastic, or other types of springs.
In operation, a method for retracting an umbilical cord from a vehicle within a launch tube prior to launching the vehicle may comprise one or more steps such as, for instance, attaching a slidable member to the umbilical cord by means of a linking member, biasing the slidable member, locking the slidable member in position within a guide arm, and/or releasing the slidable member to slide within the guide arm along a predetermined path whereby the linking member retracts the umbilical cord and pulls it to a predetermined position with respect to the guide arm.
In one embodiment, the step of locking may further comprise inserting a locking pin into the slidable member. The step of releasing may further comprise electrically activating a solenoid. The method may further comprise connecting the solenoid to a push-pull cable and connecting the locking pin to the push-pull cable.
A more complete understanding of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereto will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts and wherein:
Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly, to
In the armed state shown in
It is noted that retraction assembly 10 pulls umbilical cable 30 away from shroud 36 and fins 34, which may be significantly larger than shown in
Accordingly, the present invention provides for the remote and active removal of umbilical cable 30 from torpedo 32 positioned within torpedo tube 11. Various alternative designs may be incorporated into the invention. For instance, slide 22 may be locked by other means and/or push-pull cable may be activated in other ways. For example, a ball type lock may be used to replace the securing pin 20. Likewise, solenoid could be positioned closer to slide and directly in contact with securing pin 20. Additionally, a linear actuator or rotary solenoid may be used to actuate the push-pull cable.
Therefore, it will be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1418851 | Trenor | Jun 1922 | A |
| 3224335 | Witherspoon et al. | Dec 1965 | A |
| 3245319 | Kossan et al. | Apr 1966 | A |
| 3444779 | Buell et al. | May 1969 | A |
| 3593613 | Davis | Jul 1971 | A |
| 4092898 | Witherspoon | Jun 1978 | A |
| 6418870 | Lanowy et al. | Jul 2002 | B1 |
