US2641751A - Hydrophone casing - Google Patents

Description

J1me 1953 R. It MASON ETAL- 2,641,751

HYDROPHONE CASING Fifid llay 1; 1944 "fa 2Q In m? 2 3 u. w

FIG. I

INVENTORS RUSSELL I. MASON JOHN F. RIPKEN 8 Q Q Q HECTOR F. BERNIER, JR.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 9, 1953 ==UNITED HYDROPHONE CASING Russell I. Mason, New London, John F. Ripken,

Waterford, and Hector F. Bernier, Jr., Danielson, Conn., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application May 11, 1944, Serial No. 535,170

6 Claims. 1

cation, Serial No. 555,154, filed September 21,

This hydrophone within its casing, when in use, hangs below the buoy in listening position. Prior to being placed in service, the hydrophone, its casing and suspension cable are stowed in the bottom compartment of the buoy. However, when the buoy, which is launched by parachute, strikes the water, an impact operated release mechanism, the details of which form no part of the instant invention, functions to permit the hydrophone and its enclosing casing to drop out of the bottom compartment of the buoy and hang by the suspension cable.

A primary object oi this invention is to provide a new and improved means for stowing the hydrophone suspension cable in a compact manner within the buoy and in such a way that the cable will pay out easily and. without kinking when the hydrophone is released from the buoy.

Another object is to provide a new and improvedmeans for holding the hydrophone casing firmly within the buoy prior to release therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of applicants novel co'nstruction will become apparent from the detailed description to follow and from the accompanying drawings" which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention.

'In the drawings, s

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, of the hydrophone casing and suspen-" sion cable, as stowed in the bottom compartment for the upper end of the hydrophone casing; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of Fig. 2 of the lower cap of the hydrophone casing illustrating the ballast arrangement utilized.

.Referring now to the drawings, the lower end 1 of the buoy chamber is shown at Ill and together with a bulkhead I2, tacked or otherwise secured to the buoy casing, and frame 14 of the hydrophone release mechanism 24, comprises a com partment l6 within which are stowed a casing ll? of sound transparent material such as thin metallic sheathing enclosing the hydrophone II and suspension cable. 20. in place by a spring 22 of the impact operated release mechanism 24.

. The upper end of the cable 20 is secured to the.

buoy casing by threading it upwardly through a hole l2a in the bulkhead l2 and thereupon knotting it at l2b so as to prevent pulling back.

The construction of the hydrophone H per se forms no part of the present invention and has,

therefore been shown only generally in Figs. 3 and 5. One suitable type of hydrophone havingaj shell I3 of magnetostrictive material is described in application Serial No. 518,447, filed January.

means may be as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 to be later described, or tube 26 may be made as a part of the top cap member 30. The cable 20 leading 1 out of the hydrophone is brought out through one of the slots 28 and then wound in several layers upon the tube 26 which thus provides the support for the resulting coil, the diameter of the outermost layer preferably being substantially equal to the outer diameter of the casing 18. Slots 23 provide clearance for cable 20 when the end of tube 26 is brought into contact with the bulk head I2.

Sidewise motion of the hydrophone casing 18 while stored in compartment I6 is prevented in part by a boss 3| centrally located on the under surface of bulkhead l 2 over which the upper end of tube 26 can fit, and in part by a rounded boss 32 formed on a lower cap member 34 which fits into the open conforming end of coil spring 22.

Reference is now made to Figs. 3 and 4 which illustrate one arrangement for securing the lower end of cableifl inside the hydrophone casing and r the tube to the casing cap, forming a watertight seal or coupling to prevent water from getting inside of casing It. A shouldered bushing 36 is secured to the cap 30a of the hydrophone casing. Tube 26. in turn, is secured to bushing 36.

These are held resiliently stretch and slide over Through bushing 36 is a hole 88 which may be flared on its inner end. The diameter of hole 58 should be slightly less than the outside diameter of cable 20a.

In this modification, cable 290. consists of a center conductor 40, an insulating sheath 42 of rubber, a concentric sheath 44 of conducting material to serve as a second conductor, and an outer elastic insulating sheath 46 of rubber, shown turned back upon itself. Cable 20a is inserted in the undersized hole 38 for guidance to the illvterior of the casing 13 in the following manner:

The outer sheath 46 is turned back upon itself for a length of several inches, and the inner and outer conductors 40 sheath 42 are cut off. The outer sheath 46 is now turned right side out again and the empty portion put through the hole 38 in bushing 36. 'Tension is now applied to the sheath 46 causing it to the surface of the outer conductor 44. As sheath 46 stretches, its thickness, and hencethe diameter of cable 20a is reduced until the cable will pass'through the hole 38. After the cable has thus beenpulled through. the hole 38, tension upon the sheath 46 is relieved whereupon the latter will'snap back, expand and jam itself in the hole 38, thereby forming'both a good mechanical clamp on cable 20a and a waterproof seal.

As an additional measure of security, the outer sheath 46 may again be rolled. back upon itself as shown in Fig. 4 andsa wrapping of a few turns of wire 48soldered to the outer conductor 44. When sheath 46 is then again turned right side out-to cover the wire wrapping .48, a jamming de vice is formed which will function in the event of failure of the securing means previously described. If such securing means'fails, the cable 201: will be pulled through the hole 3t; until the bulge caused by the wrapping 48 seats itself in the flared end of hole 38.

An alternate embodiment for securing the cable within casing i8 is shown in Fig. to which reference is now made. In this particular embodiment, the upper cap 301) of easing I8 is provided with a boss 50 upon which the tube 25 is soldered or otherwise fixedly secured. Cable 201) is passed through an opening in the center of boss 50 and then tied in a knot 52 on the underside which prevents it The .cavityformed by this boss provides a suitable-recess for .the'knot. Waterproofing is ob tamed-bypartially filling the inside of tube 28 with any welLknown sealing compound 54.

In order to make the'hydrophone casing l8 hang vertically, the lower cap member 34 may be filled with:molten lead 56 as shownin Fig. 6. A small hole 58 through the cap and lead permits the hydrophone casing Hi to be tested with air pressure-for leaks after which the hole 58 may be closed by solder.

Opemtion When the buoy is launched by parachute, it floats down, the bottom end striking the water and causing the impact operated release mechani'sm 24 to'function whereupon the hydrophone ll audits enclosing casing l8 drops out of the bottom compartment l6 of the buoy. As casing l8 descends into the water, the coil of cable 20 will pay out layer by layer evenly and without kinking and will finally become taut as shown n Fig.2.

In conclusion it is to be understood that while the constructions shown and described are preferred embodiments of the invention, it will'be and 44 and innerinsulation from being pulled out. o

- pling between the eluding an open vertical said casing having a closure cap, a suspension cable in said chamber having one end secured to 'a portion of the chamber, a tube upstanding from the casing providing means on which the cable'is coiled, means projecting from the cap by which :the tube=isaffixed to the cap and through which'the'other end of the cable is guided to the interior of the casing, and elastic means tight around the cable and compressibly engaging in the projecting means to make a fluid tight couprojecting means and said cable. c

.2. In a. fluid tight casing releasably carried within .a-ohamber immersible in a fluid medium, a cable emerging from the casing and securedat its endremote fromthe casingtoa portion of the chamber, and-a fluid .sealfor thecable consisting of a bushing .having a hole through which the cable emerges, and an elastic sheath on the cable compressibly occupying .theihole.

3. In a fluid tight casing -releasably .carrled within. a chamber .immersible in a. fluid .medium, a cable emerging .from the casingand secured atits end remotefromthe casing to-aportionof the chamber, and a fiuid seal-for the-cableconsisting of a boss on the casing .having a..hole through which the cable emerges, a tube fixed on-the boss around part of thecable, and sealingcompound in the tube and on the .boss around said-cable closingthe hole.

4. Apparatus of the character described com prising a container having ahollow basemember and a smaller upper member extending upward from the said base member, said upper member having an open verticalrpassageway therein-communicating with the -inside-of said hollow base member,a cable extending from within said base member through said-passagewayand emerging through the open end thereof, the outeriportion ofsaid cable including aresilient material :having anouter'diameter which isnormally greater than the adjacent portion of said passageway, said resilient cable portion being held .in ..a stretched condition'by the adjacent walls of said passageway whereby-afluid-tight joint is formed.

5. A fluid-tight joint in a system including'ra hollow member which is to be completely .immersedin a fluid and a cable which is toextend between the inside and outside of said hollow member comprising .a hollow membenan-npening in said hollow member, a cable extending through'said opening, .the outer portion of said cable including a resilient material having an outer diameter which is normally greater than the adjacent portion of said opening, the said outer resilient portion of said cable being heldin a stretched condition by the walls of said openingwhereby a fluid tight joint results.

6. Apparatus of the character'described"comprlsing a container having a base portion and an upper portion extending upwardly from the top of said base portion, said upper portion inpassageway in the central portion thereof which communicates with the inside of the base portion of said container, said upper portion also including a pair of oppositely disposed vertical slots in the sides there- 01' extending downward from the open end of said passageway, a storage chamber, said container releasably disposed within said storage chamber, resilient means compressing said container against the upper portion of said chamber with the open end of said passageway in said upper portion of said container enclosed by the upper portion of said chamber, a. cable wound about the said upper portion of said container with one end thereof extending through both of said slots and connecting to the said chamber from within said passageway, the other end of said cable extending through one of said slots and communicating with the inside of said lower portion of the said container, means providing a 15 fluid seal between said cable and the walls of said passageway adjacent thereto, means fixedly anchoring said other end of said cable to said con- 10 Number 6 tainer, means anchoring the said one end of said cable to said chamber.

RUSSELL I. MASON. JOHN F. RIPKEN.

HECTOR F. BERNIER, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 806,730 Z011 Dec. 5, 1905 1,252,877 Barrett Jan. 8, 1918 1,292,755 Geraghty Jan. 28, 1919 1,427,560 Sperry Aug. 29, 1922 i 2,261,513 Donnerstog -1. Nov. 4, 1941 2,361,177 Chilowsky Oct. 24, 1944 2,396,960 Marple Mar, 19, 1946

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