Towing device

• US 7,752,988 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales Holdings UK Plc (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales Holdings UK Plc (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Axford, Nigel
• Primary Examiner(s): Olson; Lars A
• Application Number:
  US11/570,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20080196651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 114/244, 114/245, 114/315, 114/330, 114/331, 114/332
• US Class Current: 114/245
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/66 Equipment specially adapted for towing underwater objects or vessels, e.g. fairings for tow-cables paravanes for dragging fishing nets A01K73/02; salvaging underwater vessels or objects B63C7/00; towed underwater vessels B63G8/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/42 Towed underwater vessels

Abstract

An apparatus for towing behind an underwater vehicle has a body and a yoke pivotally connected to the body at a pivot point and having a tether remote from the pivot point by which the apparatus us towed. The yoke has wings which generate a resultant force on the body when the apparatus is towed. By varying the orientation of the yoke relative to the body, the magnitude of the resultant force may be varied. The resultant force tends to reduce the displacement of the tether relative to the pivot point in at least one plane, thereby generating a force to counter the buoyancy of the apparatus, and so stabilize the apparatus when it is being towed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for towing behind an underwater vehicle having a body, comprising:

a U-shaped device having a towing point at the bottom of the U, said body being pivotally mounted to said U-shaped device at a pivot point remote from said towing point, said U-shaped device comprising at least one wing fixed relative to said towing point,

said wing being configured to generate a resultant force on the body, the orientation and magnitude of which is variable in dependence on the orientation of said U-shaped device relative of said body,

wherein the towing device has two arms which are adapted to extend on either side of the towed body, wherein the arms have connecting means for pivotably connecting the towing device to the body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the towed body has positive buoyancy.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wing is adapted to generate a resultant force which tends to oppose vertical displacement of the pivot point from the towing point.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the towed body has a stabilizing tail.

5. The towing device according to claim 2, wherein the wing has a planar surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wing is adapted to generate a resultant force which tends to oppose vertical displacement of the pivot point from the towing point.

7. The towing device of claim 6, wherein the device comprises the wing extending from each arm.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the connecting means for pivotably connecting the towing device to the body lie on an axis which runs through a center of gravity or center of buoyancy of the body.

9. The towing device according to claim 7, wherein the wing has a planar surface.

10. The towing device according to claim 6, wherein the wing has a planar surface.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means for pivotably connecting the towing device to the body lie on an axis which runs through a center of gravity or center of buoyancy of the body.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the towed body has a stabilizing tail.

13. The towing device according to claim 11, wherein the wing has a planar surface.

14. The towing device according to claim 1, wherein the wing has a planar surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the towed body has a stabilizing tail.

16. The towing device according to claim 1, wherein the wing has a planar surface.