Directional plotter for underwater searches

• US 5,167,072 A
• Filed: 04/16/1991
• Issued: 12/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eric Richardson
• Original Assignee: Eric Richardson
• Inventors: Richardson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FULTON, CHRISTOPHER W
• Application Number:
  US07/685,757
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 33/403, 33/431, 33/457, 33/15 D, 33/1 CC, 33/1 C, 33/1 G, 33/562, 235/61 NV, 235/88 R, 235/88 N, 235/83, 434/153, 434/111
• US Class Current: 33/1.0SD
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 1/0052 for air navigation or sea navigation

Abstract

A directional plotter for underwater searches, land searches, land orienting, or the like includes a pair of first and second relatively rotatable discs with the first disc including first, second and third concentric sets of compass degrees in radially adjacent relationship to each other. The second disc includes first, second and third sets of apertures associated with the first, second and third concentric sets of compass degrees. The two discs are relatively rotatable such that different search patterns can be established by rotating the discs relative to each other and viewing the required degrees for a particular search pattern through the associated apertures.

Claims

1. A directional plotter particularly adapted for searches comprising first and second relatively rotatable members, said first member including at least first and second relatively concentric sets of compass degrees, generally radially adjacent compass degrees of said first and second concentric sets of compass degrees being identical, said second member including at least first and second aperture means for viewing therethrough the compass degrees of the respective first and second concentric sets of compass degrees, said first aperture means being generally located one at each included angle area of a triangle, said second aperture means being generally located one at each included angle area of a polygon, and said first and second aperture means being constructed and arranged relative to the respective first and second concentric sets of compass degrees to define two different search patterns and at least two degrees thereof.

2. The directional plotter as defined in claim 1 wherein said first member includes a third set of compass degrees in relatively concentric relationship to said first and second concentric sets of compass degrees, compass degrees of said third set of compass degrees disposed generally radially adjacent to said first and second compass degrees being identical thereto, said second member includes third aperture means for viewing therethrough the compass degrees of said third set of compass degrees, and said third aperture means being constructed and arranged relative to said third concentric set of compass degrees to define a third different search pattern and at least two degrees thereof.

3. The directional plotter as defined in claim 2 wherein said third aperture means are located diametrically opposite from each other.

4. The directional plotter as defined in claim 3 wherein said triangle is generally an equilateral triangle.

5. The directional plotter as defined in claim 3 wherein said polygon is generally a square.

6. The directional plotter as defined in claim 3 wherein said triangle is generally an equilateral triangle, and said polygon is generally a square.

7. The directional plotter as defined in claim 1 wherein said triangle is generally an equilateral triangle.

8. The directional plotter as defined in claim 1 wherein said polygon is generally a square.

9. The directional plotter as defined in claim 1 wherein said triangle is generally an equilateral triangle, and said polygon is generally a square.

10. A directional plotter particularly adapted for searches comprising first and second relatively rotatable members, said first member including first, second and third relatively concentric sets of compass degrees, generally radially adjacent compass degrees of said first, second and third concentric sets of compass degrees being identical, said second member including first, second and third aperture means for viewing therethrough the compass degrees of the respective first, second and third concentric sets of compass degrees, said first, second and third aperture means being constructed and arranged to define three different search patterns and at least two degrees thereof, and the two degrees defined by one of said first, second and third aperture means differ from each other by 180 degrees.

11. The directional plotter as defined in claim 10 wherein the two degrees of another of said first, second and third aperture means differ from each other by 90 degrees.

12. The directional plotter as defied in claim 11 wherein the two degrees of a final one of said first, second and third aperture means differ from each other by 120 degrees.

13. The directional plotter as defined in claim 10 wherein the two degrees of another of said first, second and third aperture means differ from each other by 120 degrees.

14. A directional plotter particularly adapted for searches comprising first and second relatively rotatable members, said first member including first, second and third relatively concentric sets of compass degrees, generally radially adjacent compass degrees of said first, second and third concentric sets of compass degrees being identical, said second member including first, second and third aperture means for viewing therethrough the compass degrees of the respective first, second and third concentric sets of compass degrees, said first, second and third aperture means being constructed and arranged to define three different search patterns and at least two degrees thereof, and the two degrees defined by one of said first, second and third aperture means differ from each other by 90 degrees.

15. A directional plotter particularly adapted for searches comprising first and second relatively rotatable members, said first member including first, second and third relatively concentric sets of compass degrees, generally radially adjacent compass degrees of said first, second and third concentric sets of compass degrees being identical, said second member including first, second and third aperture means for viewing therethrough the compass degrees of the respective first, second and third concentric sets of compass degrees, said first, second and third aperture means being constructed and arranged to define three different search patterns and at least two degrees thereof, and the two degrees defined by one of said first, second and third aperture means differ from each other by 120 degrees.

16. A directional plotter particularly adapted for searches comprising first and second relatively rotatable members, said first member including at least first and second relative concentric sets of compass degrees, generally radially adjacent compass degrees of said first and second concentric sets of compass degrees being identical, said second member including at least first and second aperture means for viewing therethrough the compass degrees of the respective first and second concentric sets of compass degrees, said first aperture means being located diametrically opposite from each other, said second aperture means being generally located one at each included angle area of a triangle, and said first and second aperture means being constructed and arranged relative to the respective first and second concentric sets of compass degrees to define two different search patterns and at least two degrees thereof.

17. The directional plotter as defined in claim 16 wherein said triangle in generally an equilateral triangle.

18. The directional plotter as defined in claim 17 wherein said polygon is generally a square.

19. A directional plotter particularly adapted for searches comprising first and second relatively rotatable members, said first member including at least first and second relatively concentric sets of compass degrees, generally radially adjacent compass degrees of said first and second concentric sets of compass degrees being identical, said second member including at least first and second aperture means for viewing therethrough the compass degrees of the respective first and second concentric sets of compass degrees, said first aperture means being located diametrically opposite from each other, said second aperture means being generally located one at each included angle area of a polygon, and said first and second aperture means being constructed and arranged relative to the respective first and second concentric sets of compass degrees to define two different search patterns and at least two degrees thereof.