US1374512A - Submarine grapple - Google Patents

Description

A. J. MAYNARD. SUBMARINE GRAPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11, 191-9.

Pa telited Apr. 12, 1921 2 SHEETSSHEET 1- A. J. MAYNARD.

SUBMARINIE GRAPPLE.

APPLICATION FlLED. DEC. 11, 1919 1-,$'?4,512. Patented Apr. 12 21.

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Jr Way/ara NORRIS PETERS. NC4. |-'ITNO.. WASHINGTON; D. C.

' AnMoND J. MAYNARD, or WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

sUBMARINE GRAPPLE.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 11, 1919. Serial No. 343,995.

T0 (ZZZ whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, ARMoND J. MAYNARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Grapples, of which the followmg is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in salvaging apparatus and it is the principal object of the invention to provide a novel form of submarine grapple ca able of housing an operator or diver and eing lowered into engagement with submerged objects,

whereby the same can be secured or connected thereto and then raised to the surface of the water; the device being of such construction'as to enable the lowering thereof to great depths without danger thereto by reason of the water pressure encountered at such depths.

Another and equally important ob ect of the invention is to provide a' form of protective housing for an operator and from. which the grappling means canbe effectually ac-.

tuated to engage the desired objects.v

The invention consists, furthermore, 1n the novel arrangements and combinations of the parts of the device, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claim, which are appended to this specification and which form an essential part thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the improved grappling device,

Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a top view of the same,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section therethrough, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail in elevation showing the arrangement of the grappling means.

In the embodiment illustrated the grapple carrying diving bell includes a housing 1 which is a one-piece structure except for the closure 4 thereof. This housing consists of a tapered hollow body compartment 2 formed of suitable material to resist water pressure at great depths and is provided at its upper end with a laterally and. outwardly extending integral flange 2 which supports an enlarged semi-spherical or dome shaped head 3. This flange 2 also forms an instrutherewith. lower end of an operating rod 15 extends ment board and is'equipped with suitable transparent inserts 18 through which the diver may view his surroundings as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The dome shaped head 3 has a manhole Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

formed in the top thereof to permit the I diver to enter the bell. and this manhole is closed by a suitable threaded closure 4 which is equipped with a handle 5to facilitate its insertion and removal. A pluralityof apertured lugs formed integral with" the upper portion of the head 3 and are engaged by chains 7 secured to a suitable coupling 8 with which the free end of a cable 9is connected. This cable 9 is connected to a suitable lifting ap- 5, three being .here shown, are I if paratus carried by a vessel and by means of which the diving be raised orlowered.

Formed integral with the lower end of the tapered body portion 2 are a pair of'laterally spaced depending plates 10 having grapple jaws 11 pivotally supported between them, said jaws being carried by longitudinally slotted shanks pivoted at 12 to said plates adjacent the junction of the jaws A pivot pin 14 carried by the bell or housing 1 may through the slots 13 in the shanks of the grapple jaws, said rod extending through an opening in the bottom of compartment 2 around which is arranged a packing 16 to form a fluidtight'connection where the rod passes through the housing. :If desired, a handle 17 may be and preferably is arranged on the inner or upper end of the operating rod 15 for operating the grapple.

A plurality of inwardly tapered openings are formed in the lateral flange 2 herein before described and serve to receive the trans parent inserts 18 providing the usual deadlights. Arranged adjacent certain of these deadlights 18 are the usual electrodes 19, which are engaged by electrical conductors 20, thereby affording the ordinary form of arc-light. It of course will be understood in this connection, that the conductors 20 are extended into engagement with a suitable source of electrical energy, not shown.

To facilitate the ascertaining of the water pressure encountered during the arranging or submerging of the device in a body of water, a pressure gage 21 is also arranged on the laterally disposed flange and of course has suitable connection -with the water.

Further, to enable the operator in thehousing to communicate with a person on the vessel to which the device is attached, I may and preferably do arrange therein the ordinary form of telephone 22, engaging electrical conductors 23 therewith, which in turn are extended into engagement with a similar device arranged on said vessel.

It will thus be seen that flange 2* which operates to offset the lower edge of the dome shaped head 3 from the upper end of the body ,2 also performs the function of aninstrument board carrying the articles above described.

In operation, the device is lowered into a body or" water to the desired depth and the operator, when the object desired has been reached, grasps the handle 17 and pulls the rod 15 upwardly, thus causing. the jaws of the grapples 11 to engage said object. He then signals the vessel by means of the telephone 22 in order that the diving bell and the object engaged by. the grapple may be raised. Necessary light will of course be supplied by the are-lamps 19, which as hereinbefore stated, are arranged adjacent certain of the deadlights 18 and in this way, the operator or diver will be enabled to properly position the device with relation to the object to be salvaged.

Also the device can be constructed more rigid than a form fitting metallic suit, thereby permitting an operator therein to be lowered to greater depths than is possible when such suits are used. In addition, the position of the grapple enables the operator to pick up submerged objects without any undue maneuvering of the device for position.

Manifestly, the construction shown is catapered toward its lower end and being slightly larger than the body of a man, a,

dome-shaped head carried by-the upper end or said body with an lnwardly extendlng flange connecting the lower edge of said head with the upper end OTE -S2I1(1 body 015- setting one from the other. and forming an instrument board, deadlights mounted in sald flange a manhole 1n the top of sald I Q n dome, suspenslon means connected with said dome, and a grapple carried by the lower end of said body and equipped with an operating rod extending into the body to a position convenient for actuation.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

ARMOND J. MAYNARD.

HEM

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