Buoy releasable from a submarine

• US 3,933,109 A
• Filed: 11/29/1973
• Issued: 01/20/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Etat Francais
• Original Assignee: Etat Francais
• Inventors: Delfosse, Gabriel M., Boisrayon, Gerard M., Martin, Gilbert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frankfort, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US05/420,161
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 114/16.5, 9/9, 9/8 R, 9/10, 9/8.3 R, 9/8.3 E
• US Class Current: 114/328
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 7/26 Means for indicating the location of underwater objects, e.g. sunken vessels means for searching for underwater objects B63C11/48; buoys in general B63B22/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/41 Capsules, chambers, water-tight boats or the like, detachable from the submarine

Abstract

A distress buoy releasable from a submarine comprising two hemispherical portions sealably joined to form a hollow spherical body mounting a radio transmitter with deployable antenna, a radar responder with antenna, a beacon light, a tape recorder containing information recorded over a time period before release, and electrical power cells. A ring of float members is secured to and surrounds the spherical body.

Claims

1. A distress buoy for a submarine adapted to be mounted in an open recess in the top of a structure on the outside of the hull of the submarine, and adapted to be released to float freely at the surface of the water, said buoy comprising a hollow central spherical body containing at least one electrical power source and signal generator means connected to said source, a ring of auxiliary solid float members, and means fixing said ring of float members to said central spherical body at the upper portion thereof, said float members being fixed to said body to be disposed against the same so that said auxiliary float members are closely bound to follow all the movements of said central spherical body, said auxiliary float members being constituted of spherical blocks of cellular material having diametral bores, said means for fixing the float members to said body comprising mounting plates fixed to the upper portion of said spherical body between adjacent auxiliary floats and shafts mounted in said bores and fixed to said plates, said mounting plates being fixed to the upper portion of said spherical body in diametral planes of said spherical body.

2. A distress buoy as claimed in claim 1 comprising tape recorder means in said spherical body for automatically recording continuous information concerning the operation of the submarine over a given time period prior to the release of the buoy, said recorder means having at least one track for further recording of an oral message from the submarine crew, a multi-conductor cable connecting said recorder means to the interior of the submarine and means for shearing the multi-conductor cable at the time of release of the buoy.

3. A distress buoy as claimed in claim 1 comprising pyrotechnically operated shackles releasably connecting said central body and the structure of the submarine.