Maneuvering means for underwater salvage equipment

June 11, 1935.

E. J. ROMANO

2,004,133

MANEUVERING MEANS FOR UNDERWATER SALVAGE EQUIPMENT

Filed March 27, 1933

Sheets-Sheet 1

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June 11, 1935.

E. J. ROMANO

2,004,133

MANEUVERING MEANS FOR UNDERWATER SALVAGE EQUIPMENT

Filed March 27, 1933 _{4 S}h_eets-Sheet 2

<img file="US2004133A_D0002.tif" />

ATTORNEYS

June 11, 1935.

E. J. ROMANO

2,004,133

MANEUVERING MEANS FOR UNDERWATER SALVAGE EQUIPMENT

<img file="US2004133A_D0003.tif" />

ATTORNEYS

June 11, 1935.

E. J. ROMANO

2,004,133

MANEUVERING MEANS FOR UNDERWATER SALVAGE EQUIPMENT filed March 27, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4

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Patented June 11, 1935

2,004,133

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,004,133 MANEUVERING MEANS FOR UNDERWATER SALVAGE EQUIPMENT Eugene J. Romano, Seattle, Wash. Application March 27, 1933, Serial No. 663,030

Claims.

My present invention relates to the art of marine salvage equipment and more particularly to maneuvering means for under water salvage equipment.

'S The principal object of my present invention is the provision of maneuvering means which permit the exact placement of a diving bell even tho it may be far beneath the surface of the water.

A further object of my invention is to provide 10 means whereby, after the bell has been placed in its desired position, it may be revolved so that any arms or ports may face in the most desired direction.

Other and more specific objects will be appar16 ent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of an under water 20 diving chamber employing my maneuvering mechanism the same being shown partly in sections to better illustrate the construction.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 2 showing my maneuvering arrangement in plan view.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of one of the guide-supports On an anchor line for a maneuvering line.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view showing an end of the sheave support bar together with 30 one of the heads and one of the retaining clamps.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line 6—6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a sectional view along the line 7—7 of Figure 6.

Figures 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views along the lines 8—8 and 9—9, respectively, of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, 6 designates any desirable type of under water div40 ing chamber intended for marine salvage work. Disposed upon an annular ledge 8 which is preferably machined into the bell, is a movable ring gear 10. This gear may be held in position by any convenient means. It has been found in the 45 present instance that an over hanging ring as 12 which is secured to the bell by a plurality of stud bolts or cap screws 14 is a very convenient manner. The ring gear 12 is thus retained in position but still free to revolve about the bell.

In following out the principals of my invention it is necessary that the maneuvering ring, as ring gear 10, be provided with means for revolving it from inside: the diving compartment. To this end I have provided the spur gear 16 which is fixedly 55 secured to the revolvable shaft 18 which is ar(Cl. 61—69) ranged to extend thru the diving bell wall so that it may be controlled from the inside of the bell. It is necessary, of course, to guard against any leakage of water which at the great depth the chambers descend is considerable. Consequently, ,-5 I have provided at 20 a packing gland using some type of compressible packing which will prevent the ingress of water. Secured to the inner end of shaft 18 is any desirable control means. Under certain conditions this might be a hand wheel 10 fixedly secured to shaft i 8, or as I have illustrated, it may be a handle as 22 which is revolvably connected to shaft 18 thru a ratchet as 24 and a pawl member 26, adapted to revolve shaft 18 in either direction. The exact form of this control means 15 is relatively unimportant as various shaped diving chambers will necessarily require a different control means at this point.

Fixedly secured to ring 10 are a plurality of maneuvering lines as 28, 29, 30 and 31. The size 20 of these lines will depend somewhat upon what conditions the diving chamber is going to be used under. In the showing I have made wherein the diving chamber is provided with mechanical arms which will be required at times to lift consider- 25 able weight, it is desirable that these lines be relieved of the necessity of maintaining the weight of the diving chamber and for this purpose I have provided a heavy hoisting cable as 32. In some instances, tho, where such arms were not provided 30 it might be more desirable to slightly increase the size of the maneuvering lines and require them to handle the entire load of supporting the chamber.

Referring to Figure 1,1 have indicated the diving chamber 6 as about to work on a sunken hull 35 of a ship as S. In such an operation it is necessary to have some surface craft such as the barge B which will be equipped with suitable cranes and the like as indicated at C. Now one of the problems which confront marine salvage at any depth 40 below the surface is the possibility of rpugh water surface interferring with the salvage operations. To this end it has been found desirable to run out radially a number of anchors as 34, 35, 36, 37 and then to have anchor lines as 38, 40, 42, 44, con- 45 necting the anchors to the barge. In this manner the barge cannot be appreciably displaced from its desired position providing the anchors themselves are more or less equally spaced about a circle having the barge as its center and further 50 that three or more of the same are used.

The submarine vessel 6, with its bell portion 7 above the supporting ring 10, is suspended by the hoisting cable 32 within the ring or support 10, and the vessel may be raised or lowered by 55

2,004,133 use of the cable 32. In addition to the support afforded by the cable 32, the maneuvering lines 28, 29, 30 and 31, also aid in supporting the vessel. The maneuvering lines however are pri5 marily intended to move or maneuver the vessel in lateral directions, after the desired depth has been reached by the vessel. These maneuvering lines are secured to suitable appliances on the barge B, and each line extends a suitable distance 10 alongside an anchoring line to a sheave as 66, and from the sheave the maneuvering line extends at an angle to the anchoring line, inwardly toward and is fastened to the supporting ring !0. This angular extension of each of the maneuvering 15 lines provides for the lateral adjustment of the submarine vessel with relation to the ship S. With the four anchors and anchor lines located at the four points of the compass, the attendants on the barge, by suitable appliances, may pull 20 one maneuvering line and slack out on another line to move the diving bell or vessel, and when the desired location is reached, the four maneuvering lines are made taut to hold the submarine vessel in stationary position.. In such position 25 the central hoisting cable 32 may be perpendicular, or it may be swung to an angle to the perpendicular but in any event, the submarine vessel is held in stable position by means of the hoisting cable and the maneuvering lines in con30 nection with the anchoring lines and anchors.

The sheaves or guides 46 for the maneuvering lines are each mounted on a support, which, as best shown in Figure 4 comprises a bar 50 of suitable length which is provided with spaces heads 35 5f and 53. These heads have openings therethrough to accommodate the anchor line, as 39, and the supports may be shifted along the anchoring line to desired position with regard to the depth at which the submarine vessel is to operate. By means of a lower clamp 52 and an upper clamp 54, fixed to the anchor line below and above the support, the support is held in place on the anchor line, and it is free to turn or swing on the anchor line. The sheave 46 through which ⁴⁵ the maneuvering line passes is offset from the head 53 of the support, at the inner side of the anchoring line, and this position of the sheave and of its support 50 at the inner side of the anchoring line is maintained by the use of a ⁵⁰ weight 56 that is suspended from the head 51, at the innerside of the anchor line. Thus, regardless of any twisting or turning movement of the anchor line 38. the support 58 for the guide sheave 46 remains in required position, and the sheave ⁵⁵ as indicated changes the direction of the maneuvering line 28 passing therethrough. .

It is believed it will be apparent from Figure 1 that in operation the sheave 46 should be placed sufficiently far down the anchor line so that the ⁶⁰ lower part of the maneuvering line will not be operating at a very great angle with the Ocean floor. This increases the ease of maneuvering and prevents swaying which might otherwise occur if the maneuvering lines extended upwardly ⁶⁵ at a very sharp angle.

Method o f operation

In operating a diving chamber the heavy cable 32 is secured thereto and forms the main line ⁷⁰ for lowering or hoisting the diving chamber 6. Then as the chamber is approaching its desired position of use, the slack is taken up on the various maneuvering lines, the operator by. means of some appropriate signaling devices such as ⁷⁵ telegraph or telephone communicates with the barge and informs them which cable to tighten up on or slack off from so· as to bring him in proper operating position. It will be understood that the greater number of maneuvering cables employed providing they are equally spaced about a 5 circle the greater the ease of maneuvering. It has normally been found most convenient to use about four such lines, three could be used and of course a greater number would only add to the ease of maneuvering. It is essential however that 10 sheaves 46 be spaced well around the circle having the seat of operation as its center. As soon as the operator has the diving chamber 6 in proper position he can then revolve the chamber with respect to his cable set up, by use of, as illustrated, 15 the handle 22 which will thru shaft 18 and gear 16, revolve the bell itself with respect to the maneuvering cables and as the maneuvering cables are substantially fixed he can then place the bell so as to face any way he desires. 20

While I have shown a gear ring 10 mounted on the submarine vessel as a support to which the maneuvering lines are attached, and a spur· gear for co-action with the ring in turning the vessel, it will be understood that other suitable 25 means may be employed under some conditions for accomplishing this purpose, without departing from the principles of my invention.