Signals and indicators – Indicators – By location
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-31
2001-03-20
Hirshfeld, Andrew H. (Department: 2859)
Signals and indicators
Indicators
By location
C441S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202588
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to devices for marking the location of an article or a piece of cargo which has been dropped from a transport vehicle into a body of water. More specifically, the invention pertains to a marking apparatus which is useful, for example, in a firefighting application, where a large water carrying bucket is accidentally or intentionally dropped from a helicopter into a lake or pond. The invention may also be used advantageously to mark the location of an inboard or an outboard motor, or heavy water sport accessories, which have fallen off or from a water craft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes a variety of devices for marking the location of submerged objects, so they can later be retrieved and salvaged. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,370, a canister is attached to an object, such as a fishing pole. A buoyant canister cap is attached to a retrieval line, stored within the canister. A water reactive chemical is also stored within a portion of the canister. When the object is dropped into water, the chemical reacts with the water, producing a gas under pressure which forces the cap and the line out of the canister. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,206, a retrieve/marker for a fishing rod is disclosed. Water soluble glue is dissolved by immersion in the water, and a spring urges the release of a float and an attached tether line. A releasable float for locating and raising sunken objects is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,079. And, a rescue buoy apparatus is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,858. However, none of these prior art devices is specially adapted to facilitate the marking of an article or a piece of cargo which is being carried by or is attached to a vehicle, and then becomes separated from same over a body of water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus of present invention includes a housing in which a float and a tether line are stored. One end of the housing is attached to a vehicle, carrying an article or a piece of cargo. The vehicle may be an airplane, a helicopter, or a water craft.
Typically, the housing is attached to the vehicle by means of an activation cord or cable. Where the activation cable attaches to the housing, an operable locking element is provided in combination with a movable wall portion of the housing. The locking element is designed so that when sufficient pulling forces are applied to it by the cable, the element unlocks or breaks, allowing the movable wall portion of the housing to open.
An upper end of the tether line is attached to the float. A lower end of the line preferably passes through a lower wall of the housing, and is securely affixed to the article.
At such time as the vehicle and the article become separated over a body of water, the movable wall portion of the housing, is opened by pulling forces transmitted through the activation cable, thereby exposing the tether line and the float. As the housing and the article sink together, the float and the tether line are deployed. When the article comes to rest on the bottom, the tether line extends between the article and the float on the surface of the water, marking the spot of the article for later recovery and salvage.
By way of example, the apparatus of the present invention may be employed in firefighting applications. In rugged and remote terrains, helicopters are often used to transport water to inaccessible “hot spots.” A large water carrying bucket is suspended by a cable, depending from the underside of the helicopter. To fill up the bucket, the pilot hovers over a body of water, such as a lake or pond, and lowers the bucket into the water. Occasionally during this operation, the pilot has control problems, either from a gust of wind, or a sudden loss of power, and the bucket must be immediately detached from the helicopter to regain control. At other times, buckets are simply dropped from the helicopter by accident, over a body of water, when the pilot mistakenly actuates the drop mechanism. In either event, the bucket sinks immediately to the bottom of the lake or pond, and is very difficult if not impossible to locate and salvage later. The present invention may be used to mark the location of such submerged buckets.
The present invention may also be utilized in conjunction with relatively small water craft, powered by an outboard motor. Through vibration from operation, such motors have been known to become loosened from the boat's transom and fall into the lake or pond. Outboard motors have also been accidentally dropped into the water during installation and removal from the boat. In these instances, it is desirable to mark the location of the motor, so that it may quickly be recovered and salvaged.
Also, items resting on the deck of water craft, such as gear boxes and the like, could be fitted with the present marking apparatus to make recovery easy in the event they were washed overboard.
Also, the present invention may be used in connection with high-speed hydroplane water craft. These water craft have been known to break apart and quickly sink, as the result of a flip or other mishap. By attaching the present invention between the large inboard engine and the hull of the water craft, the engine may be located and salvaged.
It is an object therefore, of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive means for marking the location of articles, cargo, and engines, which are accidentally or intentionally dropped into a body of water.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a location marking apparatus for sunken articles which may quickly and easily be attached between a vehicle and the article or cargo carried by that vehicle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a marking apparatus for sunken articles which does not rely upon water soluble or water activated chemicals for deployment of its float and tether line.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the detailed description and the accompanying drawings to follow.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1549796 (1925-08-01), Parsons et al.
patent: 2243551 (1941-05-01), Daly
patent: 2572676 (1951-10-01), Swyers
patent: 3420206 (1969-01-01), Pelger, Sr.
patent: 3451079 (1969-06-01), Hagan
patent: 4540370 (1985-09-01), Hebert
patent: 4919452 (1990-04-01), Cimino
patent: 5000482 (1991-03-01), Cimino
patent: 5163858 (1992-11-01), Sumrall
Boutin, Dentino, Gibson, Di Giusto, Hodell & West
Hirshfeld Andrew H.
West R. Michael
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