United States Patent a 3,358,254 ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED RELEASE MECHANISM James W. Rupp, Woodland Hills, Calif., assignor to The Bendix Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 526,807 6 Claims. (Cl. 335-253) -This invention relates to release mechanisms, and more particularly to a device suitable for use as an underwater release device.

Certain types of underwater research and signalling devices incorporate instrumentation or control packages which are anchored to the ocean floor by means of a heavy weight and which must be retrived after a period of submersion. To effect such retrieval, it is necessary to have a release device which will operate reliably from a sonar signal, a timer or other means after several monthsof submersion in sea water at depths of many thousan'd'feet. Such devices should not present hazards or increase the hazards to personnel handling the instrumentation packages prior to launch. The instrument package and anchor assemblies both may be very heavy in air and are often connected by means of a fairly long flexible cable. Such an assembly is diflicult to handle at best, and personnel should not also be exposed to dangers resulting from premature release of the release mechanism. Explo' sive release devices have been proposed for this purpose, but these are subject to a general objection on grounds of safety.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a release device which will operate positively and reliably after immersion in sea water at great depths for periods exceeding one year.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an underwater release mechanism meeting the above objective which affords reasonable assurance that a premature release will not occur.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a release device meeting the above objectives and which, when actuated, permits the most expensive parts of itself to be retrieved in condition for re-use along with the associated instrument package,

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of my release mechanism in completely assembled form; and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the release mechanism of FIGURE 1 with the parts shown in their positions just subsequent to release.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, my release mechanism includes a housing 10 which is attached by means of bolts to instrument package 12, flotation means (not shown), and may include an electronic circuit, recording means and/ or other items not of immediate interest to the present disclosure except insofar as a source of electrical energy in the form of a battery 16 is included therein along with switch means 18. A pair of O-ring seal members 20 and 22 are included for the purpose of providing a watertight seal between the exteriors of housing 10 and instrument package 12 and their interiors. The battery 16 and switch 18 are connected through electrical leads 24 which pass through high pressure electrical feed-through connectors to a solenoid winding 26. Forming part of the housing 10 is a soft steel pole piece 28, and cooperating therewith is a soft steel armature which is axially movable within winding 26 and which is held in radial alignment by means of a pin 31 which projects into a groove 33. Armature 30 is also drilled to form an axial passageway 32 at its lower end, which carries a flange 34 acting as a retainer for one end of a spring 36. The opposite end of spring 36 rests against a flange forming part of housing 10 such that it tends to urge armature 30 away from pole piece 28. A seal 37 of flexible material, such as an oil-resistant synthetic rubber, is fastened between flange 34 and housing 10.

A large cylindrical channel 38 is formed in the lower end of housing 10 for receiving a mating plug member 40. Plug 40 includes a fitting 42 for receiving a cable attached to an anchor (not shown). A short axial passageway 44 is drilled into plug 40 in alignment with passageway 32, and extending into both of these passageways is a latch member 46 which is pinned to the armature 30 by means of a dowel pin 48. A slot 50 in latch member 46 permits a limited amount of travel of the armature 30 before the dowel pin 48 contacts the latch member. A second passageway 52 is drilled into plug 40 at an angle to passageway 44 and intersecting therewith. A boss 54 formed on housing 10 includes a passageway 56 in alignment with passageway 52. Positioned in these passageways is a release pin 58 which is wedged against latch member 46 by means of an adjustment member 60 threadedly engaged with the interior of passage 56 and with a lock nut 62. Release pin 58 and latch member 46 are formed so that there is a slight taper at their contacting surfaces which produces a wedging contact between them. A dowel pin 64 carried in plug 40 projects into a groove in release pin 58 for the purpose of controlling the radial alignment of pin 58 relative to latch 46.

A second boss 66 on the side of housing 10 carries a threaded plug 68 operative to close a conduit 70 communicating the interior of housing 10 with its outside. This conduit permits filling the interior of the mechanism with oil which, being in communication with the external sea water across flexible seal 37 and, through a conduit 72 in plug member 40, across an additional flexible seal 74, tends to equalize the pressure across the walls of housing 10.

FIGURE 2 shows the device of FIGURE 1 in an operational position wherein the release has just occurred, In understanding the operation of my release device it is useful to compare FIGURES 1 and 2. In FIGURE 1 the latch member 46 is urged downwardly against the release pin 58 by means of the spring 36 such that member 46 and pin 58 are in wedging contact, with release pin 58 extending into the passageway 56. Plug 40 is held in the position shown relative to housing 10 because the force tending to separate it caused by the flotation means attached to the instrument package 12 tends to cause release pin 58 to move inwardly, thereby wedging the release pin more tightly against latch member 46. Armature 30 is separated from pole piece 28 since the winding 26 is not energized.

When switch 18 is closed, which could result from responding to a sonar signal or a timer signal, the winding 26 is energized, creating a magnetic force urging armature 30 upwardly toward pole piece 28 and carrying dowel pin 48 upwardly in slot 50. After a limited amount of travel, the dowel pin contacts the upper part of slot 50 with some force, causing latch member 46 to break away from its wedging contact with release pin 58 and to move upwardly with the armature 30 until the armature contacts pole piece 28. This permits release pin 58 to move inwardly along passageway 52 as housing 10 and its associated members move upwardly until pin 58 clears passageway 56 in housing 10 entirely, at which point it is fully contained within the outside dimensions of plug member 40 (see FIGURE 2). Plug 40 is now free to separate entirely from housing 10 which rises along with the instrument package 12 because of the flotation attached to the instrument package, leaving plug member 40 and release pin 58 with the anchor.

Since the housing 10 and the parts contained therein constitute the most expensive parts of the release device, it will be appreciated that it is desirable to recover them. When these parts are recovered, it is a relatively simple and inexpensive matter to clean and inspect them; replace any parts found marginal as a result of the submersion; reassemble the device using a new plug member 40, a seal 74 and a release pin 58; test the completed assembly; and put it into service. i

While only a single embodiment has been shown and described herein, modifications may be made to suit requirements.

" I claim:

1. A release device comprising a housing having a large channel and a small channel intersecting therewith;

a plug slidable in said large channel including a first passageway axially aligned therein and a second passageway extending from the surface of saidv plug to said' first passageway at an angle with the axis of said P g;

a solenoid device in said housing including an armature movable relative to said housing, said armature including a passageway axially aligned with said first passageway;

a latch member having a tapered contact surface in said armature passageway extending into said first passageway; and

a release pin extending from said small channel through said second passageway having a tapered surface in wedgin'g contact with said tapered contact surface of said latch member such 'that'when said solenoid device is energized said latch member is moved away from said release pin, permitting said release pin to move inwardly and permitting said plug to separate from said housing.

2. A release device as set forth in claim 1 wherein lost motion means are provided between said armature and said latch. member such that when said solenoid is energized said armature achieves some velocity'before contacting said, latch member.

3. A release device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said lost motion means comprises aslot in said latch member and a dowel pin rnoyable relative to saidsl ot and effective to control radial alignment of said latch member.

4. A release device as set forth in claim 2 wherein meansare provided to control radial alignment of said release pin.

5. A release device as set forth in claim 1 wherein resilient means are interposed between said housing and said armature to urge "said latch member against said release p 6,. A release device asset forth in claim 1 wherein an adjustment screw is positioned in said small channel for controlling the position of said release pin and the pressure of. said release pin against said'la tch member.

No references cited.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primqry Exan iner G. HARRIS, Assistant Examiner.