Short range trapped miner locator

• US 4,491,971 A
• Filed: 03/08/1983
• Issued: 01/01/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
• Original Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
• Inventors: Church, Ronald H., Webb, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Application Number:
  US06/473,298
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 455/89, 455/95, 455/99, 455/100, 455/128, 455/129, 340/539, 340/636, 340/663
• US Class Current: 455/100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information

Abstract

A short range, low power, radio wave transmitter which acts as a miner locator. The transmitter is incorporated with the cap lamp circuitry for the miner. It utilizes the same self-contained power source and its wire connection thereto acts as the transmitter'"'"'s antenna. No action on the miner'"'"'s part is necessary in order to begin the transmission which may be on a specific identifying frequency for each miner. An electronic crowbar circuit may be used to conserve power for the transmitter by cutting off power to the cap lamp should the voltage across the self-contained power source fall below a preset level. This enables the transmitter to function for several days by reducing the load on the power source.

Claims

1. A personal locator transmitter in combination with a miner'"'"'s cap lamp comprising:

a common self-contained portable power source means to provide electrical power to both the transmitter and the miner'"'"'s cap lamp, said cap lamp being located in a miner'"'"'s cap adapted to be worn on the head of a miner, said power source means and said transmitter being located in a housing spaced from the miner'"'"'s cap and being adapted to be secured to the body of a miner;

said cap lamp being electrically connected to said power source means by a wire which provides power to the lamp and also functions as a transmitting antenna for the transmitter; and

said transmitter being a portable lower power transmitter having an oscillator and modulator circuit to output a high fixed frequency radio wave signal from said wire antenna.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said transmitter also comprises an electronic crowbar circuit to cut off electrical power to the cap lamp should the power output from the power source means fall below some preestablished level, said power available to the transmitted being increased as a result thereof.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said transmitter includes a silicon controlled rectified switch and diode chain for electrically cutting off power to said cap lamp should the power from the power source means fall below a preselected level;

said power available to the transmitter being increased as a result thereof.

4. The combination of claim 1 also including timing circuitry to amplitude modulate the radio signal from the transmitter.