Ships – Towing or pushing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-22
2001-07-17
Avila, Stephen (Department: 3617)
Ships
Towing or pushing
C440S033000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260500
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates generally to seawater towing of marine surface vessels that are in distress.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Marine surface vessels in distress during seawater travel sometimes become immobile at some seawater location so as to require an external source of motive power for movement therefrom. The provision of such external motive power source for ship towing purposes, heretofore involved the use of tugboats through which transport of towing apparatus to some seawater location was performed in order to reliably carry out a towing mission on an emergency basis. However, tugboat transport involved substantial transit time following an emergency call from a marine vessel in distress. Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to reliably and more quickly perform a towing mission for a ship in distress, involving use of a motive power source externally of the ship at some remote seawater location in response to a distress call from such remote location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, components of an emergency ship towing system are selected to perform the towing mission and of a limited weight so as to accommodate safe and rapid transport by helicopter to a remote seawater location at which the towing system components are delivered and operationally assembled by personnel for reliable performance of the towing mission without delay. One of such towing system components, providing the external motive power source, is in the form of a preassmebled thrust unit having a gas turbine type of engine therein, according to one embodiment of the invention, to which a mixture of pressurized air and fuel is supplied through an elongated flexible hose for selective operation of the turbine engine under remote travel speed control. Such thrust unit also includes a rudder and stabilizer assembly through which travel direction and underwater depth control is exercised through elongated signal wiring attached with the flexible hose to an elongated towing cable extending therefrom. The foregoing described type of thrust unit when transported to the required seawater location by the helicopter is dropped through the air for immersion into the seawater adjacent to the ship in distress. The other components of the towing system simultaneously transported by the helicopter to the seawater location, are air dropped onto the deck of the ship in distress for prompt operational assembly thereon by shipboard personnel and attachment to the towing cable, flexible hose and signal wiring extending from the thrust unit immersed in the seawater. On-off control, and selective control over travel speed, direction and underwater depth of the thrust unit during performance of its towing travel operation is thereby effected under control of personnel on the ship through a control box component.
REFERENCES:
patent: 417755 (1889-12-01), Thayer
patent: 3522788 (1970-08-01), Montague, Jr.
patent: 3765355 (1973-10-01), Trowbridge
patent: 4843996 (1989-07-01), Darche
patent: 5261344 (1993-11-01), Pickett
patent: 5797343 (1998-08-01), Piene
Avila Stephen
Shuster Jacob
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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