Abstract: The invention relates to a device for attaching anchors, especially to sailing and motor boats and includes a strong, flat, flexible band which is comparatively thin in relation to its width and is attached to the anchor at one end and connected at its other end to a band magazine which comprises a reel built up of two rigidly interconnected end wall plates which are non-rotatably attachable to a convenient part of the boat. The wall plates are spaced apart from one another at a distance only slightly wider than the band width, and a rotatable sleeve which is mounted centrally on the end wall plates is rotatable by means of a crank or the like and is provided with an attachment for the band end.

Abstract: A compact towing system which is adapted to be mounted on a ship for towing an underwater towed body using faired tow cable is provided herein. It includes an improvement in the combination of the following inter-related elements: (a) a trucked gantry; (b) a lower saddle; (c) a winch drum; (d) a boom; (e) a pivotable deflection sheave mounted inside the boom; and (f) a fairlead sheave and saddle assembly. Such assembly is mounted on a driven carriage. The improvement comprises structure and controls for driving the trucked gantry in synchronism with the winch drum. The driving of the trucked gantry (a) fore and aft is so related to the winding and unwinding of cable from the winch drum (b) that, as the trucked gantry traverses between a forward stow position and an aft full cable-out position, a zero degree fleet angle is obtained and maintained between the tow cable and the winch drum.

Abstract: A ship is disclosed for seismic or geophysical exploration. The ship is provided with a pair of jibs which are supported between upper and lower decks for pivotal movement between a retracted position between the decks and an outwardly pivotted position extending laterally outward from the sides thereof. The jibs are each of a reinforced construction of triangular cross-section. A plurality of motor-driven reels are positioned at intervals along the length of each jib for reeling out and in a cable supporting a seismic exploration gun or other geophysical exploration device. A trolley mechanism is supported for movement longitudinally of each jib to carry seismic guns to and from the point of connection to the respective cables. Each jib includes a catwalk to permit access to the operating parts thereof during use.

Abstract: An improved fairlead reduces the problems associated with deploying and rieving a towing cable and its interconnected elongate instrumentation array. A pair of parallel rollers orthogonally disposed to a storage winch reel are spaced apart to present a smooth, protuberance-free surface to accommodate the elongate instrumentation array. A shell coaxially disposed about each of the cylinders is rotated to cover the smooth protuberance-free surfaces and present a pair of abrasion-resistant surfaces when the towing cable is reeled in or payed out. Since it is likely that the abrasion-resistant surface might be scored by the towing cable, rotating the abrasion-resistant surfaces out of the way to expose the protuberance-free accommodating surfaces when the array goes through the fairlead helps reduce the possibility of damage of the elongate instrumentation array during deployment and recovery.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for simulating an ocean environment for sonobuoys wh are being tested in a relatively calm body of water. A floating platform is towed through water to simulate a sea current, and a sonobuoy being tested is attached by a cable to the floating platform. A drum, driven by a reversible motor, winds and unwinds the cable to simulate wave action while the floating platform is being towed.

Abstract: Water ski tow rope apparatus includes a reel rotatably secured to a housing and the reel and housing have a slot through which water ski tow rope extends through the housing to be wound about the reel within the housing. The water ski tow rope is completely removed from the apparatus for use and for storage is completely disposed in the apparatus. The apparatus includes a well and tabs for holding both ends of the water ski tow rope.

Abstract: Water ski tow rope apparatus includes a housing through which the tow rope extends and in which is disposed a reel on which the tow rope is wound for storage purposes.

Abstract: A spring-biased reel on which a tow rope is wound, the reel being contained in a housing having means for being attached either to a boat towing a water skier, or a snowmobile towing a snow skier, and a spring-loaded clutch for disengaging the device from the boat or snowmobile in case of excessive towing force.

Abstract: A boat rope controller includes a framework comprising two substantially parallel support arms which are bolted to a mounting bracket secured to the rear transom of a power boat. A reel assembly including a gear is rotatably mounted near the center and between the two support arms and a guide pulley is rotatably mounted near the end of the support arms and aligned with the reel assembly. The gear of the reel assembly is selectively engaged by a ratchet control to allow rope to be fed-out from the reel over the guide pulley or to prevent rope from being fed-out from the reel. A service cover encloses the controller and a crank assembly is inserted through the service cover and one of the support arm to engage and manually rotate the reel assembly. A brake drum is attached to the reel assembly and a brake band is selectively actuated to engage the drum and stop the rotation of the reel assembly.

Abstract: A method for deploying towed instrumentation arrays from vessels having miple submerged hulls is disclosed. The method significantly reduces the possibility of the array abrading or fouling upon any submerged structure or part of the vessel.

Abstract: A control system for stabilizing a body suspended by a flexible line from a structure such as a ship, which is subject to uncontrolled oscillating movements, such as may be caused by wave motion, incorporates a winch (3) to which the line is attached, a pulley (4) over which the line (2) passes and from which the body is suspended, and a loop in the line between the winch and pulley, an accelerometer (28) being located adjacent the pulley, and the length of the loop being altered in controlled response to a stabilizing signal formed by combining signals derived from the accelerometer, and from the measured amplitude of oscillations of the loop length, and modified by a compensating signal to compensate for the effect of friction in the system.

Abstract: This system is for offshore operations and includes a boat having a towing and an anchor handling winch are respectively disposed on the boat deck so as to rotate about horizontal axis. In connection with an offshore rig using chain or cable attached to the anchor, the anchor winch on the boat is used to spool the pendant cable which is attached to the anchor end of the chain until the underwater buoy is brought on the boat deck. The towing cable on the other towing winch is then attached to the buoy cable to suspend the chain and anchor in the water while the pendant cable is disconnected from the buoy cable. The disconnected end of the pendant cable is then connected to a vertical spool on the boat deck and spooled onto the vertical spool from the horizontal anchor handling winch while the chain or cable is being retrieved by an apparatus on the rig.

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for handling a submerged load from a s. The submerged load is held by a cable which is attached to a cable recovery drum mounted in an anti-rolling cradle located on a turret affixed to the ship's surface. The device includes a straight beam which carries an appliance for straight-line haulage, for example, pairs of wheels equipped with resilient tires, the device being hinged about a transverse axis.

Abstract: A novel compound drum hoist is provided herein. It includes a first or outer cable-spooling drum rotatably and drivingly mounted on a first shaft. A second or inner cable-spooling drum is nested within the first drum, and is rotatably and drivingly mounted on a second shaft disposed at an angle of 90.degree..+-.30.degree., but preferably at a right angle to the first shaft. The inner drum is operable to be rotated while the outer drum is maintained stationary, thereby to spool faired cable onto the inner drum. Substantially simultaneously the outer drum is rotated along with the inner drum, thereby to spool faired cable onto the outer drum. Such hoist is thus suitably adapted to wind long lengths of cable with segmented fairings thereon without any significant risk of crushing the fairings.

Abstract: A water-ski towline winch assembly comprises a support member adapted to be mounted on a boat and an annular drum rotatably mounted on the support member. A handle is rotatably mounted on the support member to rotate the drum to selectively reel-in or reel-out the towline, via a stepped-down gear set. A plurality of slots are formed in the drum whereby floats secured on the towline may be positioned exteriorly of the drum in non-interfering relationship with the towline which is wrapped on the drum. A release mechanism is provided for permitting the gear set to free-wheel to troll out the towline. Two embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein with one of the embodiments (FIGS. 7-11) including a mounting bracket for vertical or horizontal securance to the hull of the boat and a support bracket attachable to the mounting bracket and having the winch assembly proper mounted thereon.

Abstract: Apparatus, such as a chute or boom, attached to the stern of a ship permits towed body to be launched and retrieved without damaging the hull of the ship. The chute includes a plurality of telescoping sections coupled to one another through a locking and release mechanism operated by a cable assembly. In a preferred embodiment, launch contemplates extension of the chute and activation of the cable assembly so that the chute telescopes open to a locked full extension. The towed body may then be released through the chute to its towing position. Retrieval involves first recapturing the towed body and drawing it up through the chute into the ship and then activating the cable assembly and retracting the chute so that the chute is telescopically folded back to its initial position with the towed body stowed in the chute ready for its next launch.

Abstract: A cable detecting system with a cable ship, a cable detector towed by said cable ship via a towing wire and said cable detector dredging the water bottom to find a buried cable, has been improved. When the cable detector detects a buried cable, and the cable is engaged with the cable detector, the towing wire between the cable ship and the cable detector is released either by drawing out a wire from the cable ship or by extending an auxiliary wire from the cable detector, thus, the cable detector stops just when a cable is detected, even when the cable ship continues to move by inertia, and no damage is caused to the cable. The presence of a cable is sensed either through a mechanical means which detects the cable by contact between the cable and the detector, or through electromagnetic means. The detection of a cable triggers the above release of the towing wire.

Abstract: A water skiing tow apparatus for storing and controlling the release of a towline comprising a reel, adapted to be held by a water skier, in combination with a towline and means for connecting one end of the towline to the reel and the opposite end of the towline to a boat. A pair of handles extend outwardly from a take-up structure of the reel, the take-up structure being rotatable about the handles and configured such that when the reel is rotated about the handles the line of action of a force applied by the towline to the reel at least once per revolution of the reel passes approximately through the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A system for deploying a vertical linear sensor array from a transiting vessel comprising a tubular deployment case closed at the bottom by a descent weight that is connected to a plurality of sensors packed in the case and connected in sequence by a cable of signal wires to a unit for creating drag in the descent of the deployment case and sensors, such as a collapsed parasol-type drogue or a buoyant body. Stacked over the telemetering unit is a cable dispenser open at the bottom and closed at the top by a nose weight. A substantial length of signal cable is coiled in the cable dispenser to pay out from the center with one end connected to the nose weight and the other connected to transmit sensor signals. A toroid core around the signal cable where it is being payed out inductively couples sensor signals to a signal line connected to an inner conductor of an armored cable.

Abstract: 13. A minesweeping system comprising a pair of floats, means for towing the loats of said pair in laterally spaced relationship, a hydrofoil shaped pressure plate, and suspension means for suspending said pressure plate from said pair of floats, said suspension means including shock absorber means for eliminating shock caused by wave action on said floats.

Abstract: A non-rotating axially-paying-out ski-rope bobbin comprises a molded-plastic body shaped to define a vertical-axis circumferentially-open annular space for receiving a ski-rope manually wound therein. A plurality of suction cups are fixed to the under face of the body for quickly and easily detachably fastening the bobbin to the rear deck of a motor boat. A bail-shaped element is swingable from a storage position in a plane close to and parallel to the plane of the suction cups, to an upright use position in which its crest overlies the bobbin adjacent its axis. A ski-rope guide is fixed to, or formed in, the crest of the bail-shaped element to change the vertical-conical over-edge rope-paying-out to a horizontal rearward paying-out. The guide is vertically open so that the rope, whose boat end is to be tied to the boat transom, will pull free from the bobbin when fully unwound therefrom.

Abstract: Off-shore oil field production equipment with a production platform anchored on the ground of the drilling site, comprising a column pivotally connected through a universal cardan joint coupling to a base anchored to the sea bed in connection with a remote-located floating gas flare for burning gas extracted from the oil, wherein said gas flare is carried by a floating structure coming up into the wind while being connected to a swivel head of the column by means of a pivoted holder.

Abstract: A mount is provided defining a portion for attachment to the rear surface of the transom of a boat and a reel is journaled from the mount. The reel includes a center hub portion and end flange structure at one end of the hub portion including inner and outer sides. The mount further includes anchor structure generally concentric with the axis of rotation of the reel and disposed on the outer side of the flange structure. The flange structure has an opening formed therethrough and an elongated flexible pull member is provided and has one end thereof passed through the opening from the inner side of the flange structure to the outer side thereof and anchored to the anchor structure for rotation of the pull member end relative to the anchor structure about the aforementioned axis.

Abstract: A cable wiper assembly for airborne sonar includes a housing suspended from a hoist used to rapidly raise and lower a sonar transducer at the end of a cable. The wiper assembly is interposed ahead of the cable-directing sheaves forming part of the hoist to strip away the sea water which adheres to the cable as it is pulled from the ocean. The housing includes a plurality of wiper stages, each of which consists of a washer-like rubber wiper whose internal diameter is just slightly smaller than the cable diameter and a spacer having substantial thickness interposed between wipers with a centrally located well on one side and a flat surface on the other. Radial passageways at the bottom of the wells direct water stripped away by the wipers to the outside of the spacers. The housing includes means clamping the wipers and spacers together and also radial ports for discharging the water flowing away from the spacers.

Abstract: The disclosure is a dual-role ski-rope retriever. In its vertical-axis position the reel is rotatable by a geared-down electric motor reversible for paying-out or winding-in the ski rope. The mounting structure also permits the spool to be swung into a horizontally and rearwardly pointed axis position which allows the paying-out of ski rope over and around the rear flange of the spool without its rotation. The rope can be wound-in manually when the spool is restored to its non-rotating detent-held vertical-axis position. The mounting structure is made easily and quickly removable (to discourage theft, vandalism and/or weather damage) by having laterally extending tabs on its flat sheet-metal base, which tabs are longitudinally slidably engageable under laterally positioned cleats fixed to the rear deck of a boat, and by an upwardly springable forwardly extending tongue centrally apertured to fit over a flat support-anchoring disc fixed to the deck.

Abstract: This invention deals with under water towing from a ship having a central ll, the side walls of which are provided with arcuate slideways on which a carriage may run. This carriage has a yoke from which it supports a first pulley over which the tow cable is passed in its run between the thing towed and a second pulley located inside the ship. The yoke is pivoted to the carriage on the same axis as that of the cable run between the first and second pulleys so that the first pulley position is maintained against ship's roll. The carriage moves on the slideways so that the cable run between the two pulleys stays of equal length as the swell of the sea lifts or lowers the ship relative to the thing towed. The whole carriage -- first pulley assembly can be drawn into a well-head frame which can be tilted to free the well-head from obstruction.

Abstract: The disclosure is a non-rotating ski-rope retriever having a reel-like drum molded of a tough and preferably smooth flexible plastic material. The drum is easily removable from a support adapted for semi-permanent attachment to the transom and/or the rear deck of a motor-boat, and is swingable from a vertical-axis position for easy manual winding-up of the ski rope to a paying-out position in which the axis is generally horizontally disposed but preferably with a downward and rearward inclination to lessen friction as the rope slides over the top edge of the drum. If the drum is made of flexible plastic material its rear flange will also flex to further reduce the friction as needed.

Abstract: A cable and reel handling system for reducing the size of deep towing deck handling equipment is provided. A single drum is used to receive the entire length of a flat tow cable, the drum having a width which is substantially limited to the width of the cable. The drum may be disposed horizontally, vertically or at intermediate angles for either over-the-stern or over-the-side deploying and reeling in. For over-the-stern deploying, the cable is passed through guide rollers and over a traction wheel.

Abstract: A rope connected to a chain cable by a connector is recovered using a chain cable lifter wheel. The connector is shaped to pass over the wheel, which has a groove for the rope. The wheel has pockets which can receive the connector and also receive chain cable links. Protuberances on the connector and stops in the pockets ensure correct seating of the connector in a pocket so as to ensure correct subsequent engagement of chain links with the pockets of the wheel.