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Title: Precise navigation buoy
Claims: We claim: 1. For use in resiliently mooring a buoy deployed on a water surface with said buoy subject to ambient forces and having a cable extending between said buoy and an anchor as said anchor descends toward the water floor, the improvement comprising: a drum with a portion of said cable wound on said drum, first means rotatably supporting said drum to enable said cable to unwind from drum in response to the descent of said anchor toward said floor, tensed resilient means having a force stored therein, second means operable for applying the force stored in said resilient means to said cable in opposition to said ambient forces, and third means carried by said anchor for engagement with said floor and automatically operated in response to said engagement to operate said operable second means for applying the force stored in said resilient means to said cable in opposition to ambient forces on said buoy, and in which said means rotatably supporting said drum include a shaft in said anchor rotatably supporting said drum in said anchor, and said resilient means comprises a power spring spirally wound about said shaft and having an inner radial end secured to said shaft and an outer radial end secured against movement relative said anchor whereby said spring is tensed in response to rotation of said shaft in one direction. 2. The improvement claimed in claim 1 in which said operable second means comprises pin means secured to said shaft against rotational movement relative said shaft and located at a position radially offset from said shaft and means for holding said pin means against rotation relative said anchor to hold said shaft against rotation. 3. The improvement claimed in claim 2 in which said pin means comprises one pin movable axially of said shaft and biased axially of said shaft in one axial direction, and said means for holding said pin means against rotation includes means for holding said one pin against movement in said one axial direction. 4. The improvement claimed in claim 3 in which said operable second means includes a radial wall secured to said drum and having a slot therein spaced radially of said shaft for receiving said pin in response to movement of said pin in said one axial direction. 5. The improvement claimed in claim 4 in which said anchor includes a bottom wall and said third means carried by said anchor for engagement with said floor includes an arm projecting from said bottom wall for movement transversely to said shaft axis in response to engagement with said floor for moving said means holding said pin against rotation and against movement in said one axial direction for enabling said one pin to move under said axial bias in said one axial direction for receipt in said one slot of said radial wall and for enabling rotation of said shaft with said drum. 6. In the improvement claimed in claim 5, a second pin secured to said shaft against rotational movement relative said shaft and biased axially of said shaft in said one axial direction, means for holding said second pin against rotation and against axial movement in said one direction and operated by said arm for enabling said second pin to move in said one axial direction subsequent to the movement of said one pin in said one axial direction, and a second slot in said radial wall for receiving said second pin. 7. In the improvement claimed in claim 6, a top wall for said anchor, a pair of tandemly arranged sheaves carried by said anchor with one of said sheaves located below said top wall for rotation about an axis parallel to said shaft and the other sheave being a fairlead sheave located above said top wall with said cable threaded around said sheaves between said drum and said buoy. 8. The improvement claimed in claim 5 in which said arm carries a plate for closing said bottom wall in response to engagement of said arm with said floor. 9. The improvement claimed in claim 8 in which said buoy has a bottom wall shaped in a prolate spheroid. 10. For use in resiliently mooring a buoy deployed on a water surface with said buoy subject to ambient forces and having a cable extending between said buoy and an anchor as said anchor descends toward the water floor, the improvement comprising: a drum with a portion of said cable wound on said drum, first means rotatably supporting said drum in said anchor to enable said cable to unwind from said drum in response to the descent of said anchor toward said floor, a spring having a shaft rotatable in one direction for tensing said spring to store a force in said spring, second means secured to said shaft at a position spaced radially outwardly of said shaft for rotation with said shaft and movable axially of said shaft, spring means for biasing said second means in said one axial direction, a wall secured to said drum having a passageway spaced radially of said shaft at a position corresponding to said second means for receiving said second means in response to movement in said one axial direction of said second means, means movable transverse to said axis and engaged with said second means for holding said second means and said shaft against rotation to hold said force in said spring and hold said second means against movement in said one axial direction, and means carried beneath said anchor for engagement with said floor to move said transversely movable means transverse to said axis to disengage said second means for enabling movement of said second means in said one axial direction and receipt in said passageway and for thereafter enabling the rotation of said shaft with said drum to apply the force stored in said spring in opposition to said ambient forces. 11. The improvement claimed in claim 10 in which said transversely movable means comprises a plunger arm extending beneath said anchor and having a pair of recesses therein with each recess having a wall, and said second means comprises a pair of pins, each having an end flange received in a respective recess and each having a respective recess for receiving a respective plunger arm recess wall. 12. The improvement claimed in claim 11 in which the wall of one plunger arm recess disengages from the respective pin recess subsequent to the disengagement of the other plunger arm recess wall from the other pin recess. 13. For use in resiliently tethering a buoy deployed on a water surface to an anchor on the water floor and having a cable secured thereto, the improvement comprising an anchor, a drum in said anchor with said cable wound on said drum and extending to said buoy, a shaft in said anchor rotatably supporting said drum, a tensed spring wound in a spiral having an inner radial end secured to said shaft for rotation therewith and an outer radially end secured against movement relative said anchor, and means connecting said shaft to said drum for resiliently biasing said drum and cable against movement of said buoy in a direction extending said cable, and in which said means connecting said shaft to said drum comprises a radial wall secured to said drum and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate slots therein, a pair of pins secured to said shaft for rotational movement with said shaft and movable axially of said shaft in one direction for receipt in a respective one of said slots, and spring means for moving said pins axially of said shaft in said one direction to engage each pin a respective slot. 14. The improvement claimed in claim 13 in holding means engaged with said pins for holding said pins disengaged from said slots and against rotation to hold said shaft against rotation, and means extending beneath said anchor for engagement with said water floor in response to the movement of said anchor toward said floor for operating said holding means to disengage said holding means from said pins and enable said spring means to engage each pin in a respective slot. 15. The improvement claimed in claim 14 in which said holding means is operated to disengage from said pins in sequence whereby one pin holds said shaft against rotation until the other shaft engages a respective slot. Other info: Inventors: Bennett, Derek J. (Thousand Oaks, CA, US) Bullen, Leslie G. (Westlake Village, CA, US) Application Number: 548552 Filing Date: 1975-02-10 Publication_date: 1976-06-29 Assignee: Bunker Ramo Corporation (Oak Brook, IL) Primary Class(es): 441/25 441/26 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Reger, Duane A. Assistant Examiner: O'Connor, Gregory W. Attorney: Devine; T., Arbuckle; F. M. |
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