Patent · US Expired

Underwater release mechanism

US4118060A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
3References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 14, 1977
Grant dateOct 3, 1978
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 14, 1997

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB66C1/34
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An underwater release mechanism, including a watertight pressure housing; a trip hook assembly attached to the outside of the pressure housing for holding a load and operable for releasing the load; a permanent magnet movably positioned inside the housing and having both poles adjacent a given wall of the housing for transmitting a magnetic force through the wall; a motor inside the housing for moving the permanent magnet from a first position to a second position; a keeper attached to the trip hook assembly and held adjacent the given wall of the housing by the magnetic force transmitted through the wall when the permanent magnet is in the first position for preventing the trip hook assembly from releasing the load, wherein the keeper is movable from the wall to enable the trip hook assembly to release the load when the permanent magnet is moved to the second position; and steel bolts extending through the wall from the poles of the permanent magnet when the permanent magnet is in the first position for contacting the keeper and transmitting the magnetic force to the keeper when the keeper is adjacent the wall.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.