Marine propulsion – Self-propelled vehicle having land and water propulsion means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-12
2001-11-20
Basinger, Sherman (Department: 3641)
Marine propulsion
Self-propelled vehicle having land and water propulsion means
C114S312000, C114S313000, C114S315000, C440S012660
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319079
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for locating man-made objects buried underground. More particularly, the present invention relates to an amphibious robot mine locator which is adapted for use in water-based and land-based environments to locate man objects such as mines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Military landings on a beach in war time face significant hazards and obstructions such as buried mines and other anti-landing craft traps. This hazards and obstructions are either located in shallow water near the beach or on the beach. Presently, military personnel, such as the U.S. Navy's Seals are dispatched prior to the landings to clear the shallow water and beach of the obstructions and hazards. However, there are great personal risk associated with the removal of these obstructions and hazards. For example, a mine may detonate when the mine is being de-activated, thus seriously injuring the individual attempting to de-activate the mine. In addition, there may be enemy troops in the general area of the landing site which could lead to the death or capture of the military personnel attempting to clear the landing site of land mines and other hazards.
In the past the military would use, for example, metal detectors to detect the presence of mines. New technologies including ground-penetrating radar, infrared imaging, X-ray backscatter techniques and thermal neutron activation are available for detection of antipersonnel mines and the like. However, there is still a need to use military personnel to locate and de-activate the mines which places these individuals at great risk.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop an apparatus which eliminates or substantially reduces the risk to military personnel task with locating and de-activating mines and other hazards prior to a landing of troops from ocean-going vessels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The amphibious robot mine locator which constitutes the present invention overcomes some of the deficiencies of the prior art including those mentioned above in that it comprises a highly effective yet modestly priced apparatus which may be used in water-based and land-based environments to locate man objects such as mines. In a water-based environment a diver controls movement of the amphibious robot mine locator. In a land-based environment movement of the amphibious robot mine locator is via remote control. Amphibious robot mine locator includes a pair of oppositely turning and oppositely pitched propellers which propel the amphibious robot mine locator through the water with a ruder being provided to control the direction of movement of amphibious robot mine locator as it travels through the water. There is also a control panel which includes the controls for allowing the diver to steer amphibious robot mine locator and control the depth of mine locator.
When amphibious robot mine locator switches to a land-based mode of operation, the propellers function as wheels rotating in the same direction to move amphibious robot mine locator along a programmed path to continue its search for mines and other obstacles and hazards. The amphibious robot mine locator also has a pair of air operated pulsating blisters which allow for essentially frictionless movement across the surface of the ground irregardless of the shape of the surface. Each blister has a contact surface located on its underside which is fabricated from a material which is flexible and has a hard surface that will not scratch, such as Teflon. The flexibility of the contact surface of each blister allows the blister to travel over irregular shaped objects such as rocks since the contact surface conforms to the shape of the irregular shaped object.
The amphibious robot mine locator includes a digital computer connected to the rudder to control the direction the rudder steers the amphibious robot mine locator when the amphibious robot mine locator is operating in said underwater environment. The digital computer is also connected to the pair of air operated pulsating blisters to control the direction the pair of air operated pulsating blisters steers the amphibious robot mine locator along the programmed path when the amphibious robot mine locator is operating on the ground-based environment.
A mine detector, which is connected to the digital computer, is adapted to detect the presence of mines and provide digital detection signals to the computer indicating each of the mines detected by the mine detector. A mine destructor, which is also connected to the digital computer and which is responsive to digital destruct signals provided by the digital computer, detonates each of the mines detected by the mine detector.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3434443 (1969-03-01), Estabrook
patent: 3442240 (1969-05-01), Wild et al.
patent: 3946696 (1976-03-01), Lubnow
patent: 4185326 (1980-01-01), Whittaker
patent: 4200922 (1980-04-01), Hagemann
patent: 4565487 (1986-01-01), Kroczynski
patent: 6044921 (2000-04-01), Lansberry
patent: 6174209 (2001-01-01), Cooper
patent: 34 30 498 C1 (1998-06-01), None
Basinger Sherman
Kalmbaugh David
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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