US3628281A

US3628281A - Submarine with remotely controlled diving and surfacing means

Info

Publication number: US3628281A
Application number: US73447A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gary Horace Whitman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-09-18
Filing date: 1970-09-18
Publication date: 1971-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 1988-12-21

Abstract

A remote controlled toy submarine having neutral buoyancy. A closed tank in the hull of the vessel has separate fluid inflow ports and fluid outflow ports in its upper portion, and free fluid inflow and outflow ports in its lower portion. A remote control flexible line controls diving vanes on the hull and means to control the fluid outflow ports, to open the latter for diving and to close the latter for surfacing.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Gary Horace Whitman 68 Eaglewood Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Appl. No. 73,447

Filed Sept. 18, 1970 Patented Dec. 21,1971

SUBMARINE WITII REMOTELY CONTROLLED DIVING AND SURFACING MEANS 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

11.5. CI 46/94 Int. Cl A63h 23/00, A63h 23/04 Field of Search 46/94, 243 MV [56] References Cited 7 UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,091,895 6/1963 Stopek 46/94 X 3,466,798 9/1969 Speers et al 46/94 X Primary Examiner F. Barry Shay Attorney-Westell and Hanley ABSTRACT: A remote controlledl toy submarine having neutral buoyancy. A closed tank in "the hull of the vessel has separate fluid inflow ports and fluid outflow ports in its upper portion, and free fluid inflow and outflow ports in its lower portion. A remote control flexible line controls diving vanes on the hull and means to control the fluid outflow ports, to open the latter for diving and to close the latter for surfacing.

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I 'mm 1mm! Ml INVENTOR. GARY H. WHITMAN PATENT AGENTS SUBMARINIE WITH REMOTELY CONTROLLED DIVING AND SURF ACING MEANS This invention relates to a remote controlled toy submarine.

For realistic operation of a toy submarine it is desirable that it should be capable of submerging and surfacing, preferably by remote control which greatly increases the versatility of the vessel. Various devices have been proposed for such remote control but these involve the use of buoyant material for resurfacing of the vessel, which requires more complex apparatus for the diving operation to overcome the buoyancy.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a toy submarine of neutral buoyancy with simplified means for remotely controlling the operation of the vessel.

An example embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a submarine;

FIG. 2 is an enlargement of one of the ballast tanks of the device shown in FIG. I and showing the interrelationship between the tank and the movable planes when diving;

FIG. 3 is an enlargement similar to FIG. 2 showing the operation of the tank and planes when surfacing;

FIG. 4 is a simplified cross-sectional end view showing the operation of the ballast tanks when the submarine is surfaced and in a position of rest;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, further simplified, showing the operation of the ballast tanks when the submarine is submerging;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the operation of the ballast tanks when the submarine is surfacing; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional side view of the valve stem of the device.

In the drawings, FIG. 1, shows a toy submarine having a hull 10 with a prow 11, a stem 12, a keel 13, a deck 14 and a superstructure 15. Hull 10 is ellipsoidal in cross section, (see FIGS. 4 to 6) and encloses a chamber 16 having a plurality of apertures 17 opening from the upper portion of the chamber through the hull and a furtherplurality of apertures 18 opening from the lower portion of the chamber through the hull. Pairs of diving and surfacing planes 19 are pivotally mounted on hull 10 adjacent prow 11 and stem 12 respectively, each pair of planes being fixed on a transverse shaft 20 rotatably mounted through the hull. A crank arm 21 is fixed radially on each shaft 20 within chamber 16.

A pair of tanks are fixed to hull 10 within chamber 16 fore and aft of the center of gravity of the hull and of superstructure l5. Tanks 30 are centrally located in chamber 16 with the top of each tank abutting deck 14. Each tank 30 encloses a watertight and airtight chamber 31 with a series of apertures 32 opening from chamber 16 through the top of the tank and deck 14, and a further series of apertures 33 opening from the bottom of the tank into chamber 16. Each aperture 32 is closed by a one-way valve 34 seated on the aperture and hinged to open into chamber 31 of tank 30 but normally in closed position. A vertical cylinder 35 is located in one end of each tank 20 with a plurality of ports 36 opening from chamber 31 of the tank into a chamber 37 of the cylinder which is connected by a passage 38 opening from the top of the cylinder chamber through deck 14. A valve head 39 fixed on a stem moves vertically within cylinder 35 to open and close ports 36 and the valve head is urged upwardly into closing position by a compression spring 40 on a stem 41 hearing at one end against cylinder 35 and at the other end against valve head 39. Stem 41 is tubular and a rod 42 is movable axially within the stem through a ring 43 (FIG. 7). A head 44 is fixed on the upper, free end of rod 42 and will not pass through ring 43. Rod 42 projects downwardly through the bottom end of cylinder 35 and is pivotably connected at its free end with a connecting rod 45 the other end of the connecting rod being pivotably connected with one arm 46 of a bellcrank 47 which is pivotably mounted within chamber 16 by a pin 48 to a trunnion 49 fixed to keel I3 ofhull 10.

A remote control flexible line 50, looped to form a lead strand 51 and a return strand 52, enters chamber 16 of hull 10 through a pair of apertures 33 in prow 11 and passes over a number of guide pins 36 mounted on the hull within the chamber, looping over an end pin 35 mounted on the hull in the chamber adjacent stem 12. Lead strand 51 is connected with crank arms 21 of planes 20 and a second crank arm 56 of each crank 47. Lead strand 5! is so connected with

crank arms

21 and 46 that ports 36 of cylinder 35 are 1) open when planes 19 are in diving position (directed forwardly and downwardly), as seen FIG. 2 of the drawings and (2) closed when the planes are (a) in surfacing position (directed forwardly and upwardly), as seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings, or (b) in horizontal (neutral) position as seen in FIG. 1.

A buoyancy tank or sealed air chamber 60 centered in superstructure 15 keeps hull 10 upright while a pair of weight members 61 centrally located in hull 10 fore and aft of su perstructure 15 provide further balance and, together with the weight of the vessel itself, neutralize the buoyancy of air chamber 60.

In the operation of the device, the vessel rides at rest on the surface of the water when diving planes 19 are in a neutral (horizontal) position and ports 36 of cylinder 35 are closed, as seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings. In this position chambers 31 of tanks 30 are partially filled with water and the air above the water is trapped in the chamber to keep the vessel surfaced. To submerge the submarine an operator pulls the vessel forward by means of line 50 and at the same time moves

strands

51 and 52 in the direction of arrows 70, as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings, to move planes 19 into a diving position and lower valve head 39 to open ports 36 of each cylinder 35. The forward motion of the vessel causes hull 10 to submerge because of the angle of planes 19 with respect to the hull, and this causes the air in chamber 31 of each tank 20 to escape through

ports

36 and 38 in cylinder 35, the air escaping from chamber 31 being displaced by water entering freely into chamber 31 through ports 33 from chamber 16 of hull 10, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5. When all the air has escaped from tanks 20 the neutral buoyance of hull 10 keeps the vessel at a level below the surface of the water dependent upon the position of planes 19 and the velocity of movement of the vessel being pulled by cable 50.

To surface the submarine, lead strand 51 and return strand 52 of line 50 are moved in the direction of arrows 71, as seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings, while the: vessel is being towed through the water by cable 50. This movement of

strands

51 and 52 tilts planes l9 upwardly which raises the vessel as the water flows over the planes. The movement of the

strands

51 and 52 also allows spring 40 to move valve head 39 upward to close ports 36. When hull 10 breaks the surface of the water, gravity lowers the water surface in chambers 31 of tanks 30 and the resultant vacuum opens valves 34 allowing air to enter the chamber through ports 32, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6. When the volume of air in tanks 20 has reached an equilibrium with the volume of water in those tanks, valves 34 will close and the vessel will ride partly submerged as seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. In other words, with valves 33 closed and air trapped in chambers 16 of tanks 20 the vessel becomes buoyant and rides on the surface of the water. The construction of valve stem 41 enables planes 19 to move back into a. horizontal position by line 50 without reopening ports 36, head 14 on rod 42 bearing downwardly against ring 43 on the downward movement of the rod only when planes 19 are moved out of a horizontal position into a diving position.

Ports l7 and 18 in hull 10 allow both water and air to flow freely into and out of chamber 16 to maintain neutral buoyance in the vessel whether afloat or submerged.

As a matter of design, one or more planes 19 and one or more tanks 30 could be used in the device of the invention, while some or all

ports

32, 33 and 38 could open either into hull 10 or through the hull. Also, buoyancy tank 60 and weight members 61 could be of other shapes and locations, either within or outside hull l0.

lclaim:

1. A remote controlled toy submarine comprising:

a hull;

at least one means for diving and surfacing comprising a plane pivotably mounted on the hull;

balancing and neutral buoyancy means carried by the hull;

at least one closed tank located in at least a portion of the hull, said tank having an uppermost portion that is fluidtight, means located in the lower portion of the submarine for the free inflow and outflow of fluid from outside the hull into said tank, means located in the upper portion of the tank for permitting the inflow thereto of fluid in response to outflow of fluid at the lower means, and means located in the upper portion of the tank for permitting the outflow therefrom of fluid;

means to open and close the fluid outflow permitting means;

and

a remotely controllable flexible line, means connecting said line to said opening and closing means and to said diving means to actuate the plane and the fluid outflow permitting means in the tank whereby on pivoting the plane into a diving position the fluid outflow permitting means in the tank is opened and on moving the plane into a surfacing position the fluid outflow permitting means in the tank is closed.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the tank is mounted in the hull, said lower means including a plurality of apertures in both the upper and lower portions of said hull for the free inflow and outflow of fluid.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the fluid outflow permitting means in the tank comprises a port opening from the tank, said opening and closing means including a valve head movable within the tank and adapted to open and close the port.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 in which the valve head is slidable vertically in the tank and the connecting means comprises a valve stem connected at one end with the valve head and at the other end to a pivotable bellcrank connected to the line.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which each fluid inflow permitting means of the tank comprises a port having a normally closed one-way valve actuatable by fluid pressure externally of the tank to open into the tank.

6. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the hull carries a pair of said tanks located fore and aft respectively of the center of gravity of the hull.

7. A device as claimed in claim I in which the hull includes a deck, the fluid inflow permitting means and the fluid outflow permitting means opening opening upwardly through the deck.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the balancing and neutral buoyancy means comprises a sealed air tank located above the center of gravity of the hull and a pair of weights centrally located fore and aft respectively of the center of the gravity of the hull.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 in which the air tank is located in a superstructure of the hull.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which'at least one pair of said planes is fixed on a shaft rotatably mounted transversely on the hull, said connecting means including a crank arm fixed radially on the shaft, and the line being connected with the free end of the crank arm.

Claims

1. A remote controlled toy submarine comprising: a hull; at least one means for diving and surfacing comprising a plane pivotably mounted on the hull; balancing and neutral buoyancy means carried by the hull; at least one closed tank located in at least a portion of the hull, said tank having an uppermost portion that is fluidtight, means located in the lower portion of the submarine for the free inflow and outflow of fluid from outside the hull into said tank, means located in the upper portion of the tank for permitting the inflow thereto of fluid in response to outflow of fluid at the lower means, and means located in the upper portion of the tank for permitting the outflow therefrom of fluid; means to open and close the fluid outflow permitting means; and a remotely controllable flexible line, means connecting said line to said opening and closing means and to said diving means to actuate the plane and the fluid outflow permitting means in the tank whereby on pivoting the plane into a diving position the fluid outflow permitting means in the tank is opened and on moving the plane into a surfacing position the fluid outflow permitting means in the tank is closed.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the hull includes a deck, the fluid inflow permitting means and the fluid outflow permitting means opening opening upwardly through the deck.

10. A device as claimed in clAim 1 in which at least one pair of said planes is fixed on a shaft rotatably mounted transversely on the hull, said connecting means including a crank arm fixed radially on the shaft, and the line being connected with the free end of the crank arm.