US3559580A

US3559580A - Flooder assembly

Info

Publication number: US3559580A
Application number: US475631A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert J Lyon
Original assignee: US Department of Navy
Current assignee: US Department of Navy
Priority date: 1964-01-21
Filing date: 1965-07-27
Publication date: 1971-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-02

Abstract

A water activated battery initiated electrolytic timing device for controlling the delay period prior to flooding of a mine incorporating the flooding assembly. The electrolytic timer incorporates a valve actuation device for establishing fluid communication between a body of water external thereto and the interiormost chamber of the flooder assembly.

Description

O United States Patent 1 13,559,580

[72] lnventor Robert .1. Lyon [56] References Cited Silver p UNITED STATES PATENTS fl fi f 19 2.705.919 4/1955 Semon 102/10 la 2 1971' 3.205521 9/1965 Lyon 102/70.2x [7E5] Assignee The United States of America as represented FOREIGN PATENTS by the Secretary of Navy 265,134 8/1912 Germany IOZ/lO Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. Prima E v ry xam1ner-- erhn R. Pendegrass 1964 now Patent Attorneys-J. P. Dunlavey and J. O. Tresansky 3,205,321

ABSTRACT: A water activated battery initiated electrolytic [54] f W g D F gP timing device for controlling the delay period prior to flooding rawmg of a mine incorporating the flooding assembly. The elec- V [52] U.S. Cl .1 102/ 13 trolytic timer incorporates a valve actuation device for [51 Int. Cl F42b 22/22 establishing fluid communication between a body of water ex- [50] Field of Search 102/10. temal thereto and the interiormost chamber of the flooder asl3.70.2: ZOO/61.05

IO ,2 l 25 l6 semblyi PATENTEU FEB2 I97! SHEET 1 UF 2 INVENTOR Robert J. Lyon ATTORNEY I PATENTED m2 19m SHEET 2 OF 2 m m: m 8N 3w Wm 3w MN m E MQN QQN mum m8 m9 5 INVENTOP Robert J. Lyon ATTORNEY FLOODER ASSEMBLY This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 339.308. filed .Ian. 21. 1964. for. Miniature Electrolytic Timer with an Erodable Anode. issued as US. Pat. No. 3,205,321, on Sept. 7, I965.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention pertains to a novel flooder assembly and more particularly to a flooder assembly that is adapted to break a watertight seal in an underwater device such as a mine.

The flooder assemblies currently used. such for example as explosive devices and electrolytic plugs. have numerous disadvantages. The explosive devices are dangerous to handle and may necessitate the use of dry cells with a limited shelf life while the electrolytic plugs are highly inaccurate since their time delay is dependent on the salinity. temperature and pressure of the sea water in which they are used.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved flooder assembly.

It is another object of this invention to provide a more accurate flooder assembly.

It is further an object of this invention to provide a more accurate flooder assembly.

These and other objects will become more apparent from the following description of the annexed drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a sectional view of the flooder assembly;

FIG. 2 depicts a sectional view of the electrolytic timer used in the flooder assembly; and

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the assemblys electrical circuit.

Referring to FIG. 1, the flooder assembly comprises a cylindrical shell which is open at both ends and is divided into chambers 11 and 12 by a partition 13 having a bore 14 and

counter bores

15 and 16 which function as a passage between the two chambers. Chamber 12 has a series of circular apertures 25 extending around its circumferential wall to connect chamber 12 with the exterior of the housing. Chamber 12 is closed by an end plate 18 having apertures 19 and 21 for the insertion of an electrolytic timer 100 and a rotary switch 200 respectively. The timer 100 extends through aperture 19 into chamber 12 and is held in place by slotted plastic insert 20 located in bore 16. A plunger 101, extending through insert 20 located in bore A plunger 101, extending through insert 20, is operatively connected to timer 100, said plunger having an enlarged head 102 which is positioned in bore 14 and counter bore 15. An O-ring 24 engages the plunger head and counterbore 15 to form a fluid tight seal closing the passage between chambers 11 and 12. When the timer 100 actuates the plunger 101, the head is moved into chamber 1 1 whereby breaking the seal between the head and O-ring 24 and fluid flows from chamber 11 through bore 14 and the slots in insert 20 into chamber 12. The rotary switch 200, which contains a selector dial 208, extends into chamber 12 through aperture 21 and is secured to end plate 18 by nut 23 and washer 22. Chamber 11 contains a water activated battery 17 and its open outer end may be closed by a cover 28 to protect the battery from dust and moisture until the flooder assembly is placed in operation.

The flooder assembly is connected to a mine casing 50 by means of an insert 51 having

shoulders

52 and 53 and an annular groove 54. The insert is positioned in an aperture in the mine casing so that shoulder 53 abuts against the casing and it is sealed to the casing by any suitable means. An O-ring 31 is positioned between flanges 32 and 33 of the flooder assembly and the assembly is positioned in insert 51 so that flange 32 abuts against shoulder 52 of the insert. A retaining ring 55 is then snapped into groove 54 so that it abuts against flange 33 thereby forming a fluid-tight seal between the flooder assembly, Oring 31 and inset 51.

The timer 100, shown in FIG. 2, comprises a cylindrical shell 103 formed from a dielectric material, said shell having an electrolyte chamber 104 and a plunger housing 105. The plunger housing is connected to the chamber 104 by bore 106 and

counterbores

107 and 108. The plunger 101 has a shoulder 111. a slot 109 and an axial bore 112 which is adapted to hold an anode wire 113. The anode wire 113. which has a head 117 which is larger in diameter than bore 106. extends through bore 112,

counterbores

108 and 107. and bore 106 into chamber 105. An O-ring 114 engages plunger housing at counterbore 108 and anode 113 to form a fluid-tight seal between plunger housing 105 and counterbore 107. The distance between the O-ring 114 and the wall 118 of chamber 104 is chosen so that it is greater than the maximum distance plunger 101 travels so that there is no break in the fluid seal upon movement of the plunger.

In assembling the plunger assembly. the anode 113 is passed through bore 106 from the inside of chamber 104. O-ring 114 is placed in counterbore 108 and a washer 116 and a spring 115 are placed in the plunger housing 105 in proper order. The plunger 101 is then placed and held in the plunger housing 105 so that anode wire 113 extends through bore 112 into slot 109 where it is bent over to secure the plunger 101 as shown. The plunger compresses spring 115 against washer 116 holding O-ring 114 in counterbore 108 and upon releasing the plunger 101, spring 115 acts against shoulder 111 forcing the plunger outwardly until the head 117 of anode wire 113 abuts against wall 118 covering bore 106. The plunger head 102 in this position closes the passage between chambers 11 and 12 in FIG. 1.

The timer also includes cathode 119 sealed to cover 121 by any suitable means and leads 122 and 123, for connecting the cathode and anode respectively to an electric circuit.

The electrical circuit 207 of the flooder assembly is shown schematically in FIG. 3 and it includes timer 100, battery 17 and rotary switch 200, the terminals of said rotary switch hav ing a plurality of fixed

resistors

202, 203, 204, 205 and 206, each of mutually different resistance. connected thereto. Any one of the resistors may be selectively switched in a series connected relationship between the timer and battery by means of the dial 208 for switch 200 as shown in FIG. 1. The remainder of the circuit includes lead 122 connecting the cathode with the rotary switch 200, lead 123 connecting the anode to the positive terminal of the battery and lead 26 connecting the rotary switch to the negative terminal of the battery. The current in the circuit is dependent upon which series resistor is connected to the timer and battery by the rotary switch 200 upon positioning of the dial 208 and as hereinafter explained more fully the resistance of this selected resistor detennines the time delay of the flooder assembly.

In operation, dial 208 is set to place the proper resistor in the circuit and the flooder assembly is attached to the mine casing 50 by the means of insert 51. The dust cover 28 is removed and the mine is placed in the water. Sea water, flowing into chamber 11, activates battery 17 and the current from the battery causes the anode 113 to erode by plating on the cathode. When the anode erodes sufficiently, it permits passage of the remaining portion of the head 117 bore 106. contemporaneously with this action spring 115, which pushes against shoulder 111, moves plunger head 102 into chamber 11 thereby opening the passage between chambers 11 and 12. Sea water flows from compartment 11, through bore 14, counterbore 15, and the slots in insert 20, into chamber 12 and then into the mine through passages 25, said sea water sinking and disarming the mine. The total time for this operation is dependent upon the time it takes the anode to erode, which in turn is dependent upon the current in the circuit. Since the current in the circuit is dependent upon the value of the resistor placed in series with the timer and battery, the time delay of the flooder assembly may be selected by means of dial 208.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

l claim:

I, A mine flooder assembly of the character disclosed for extending into an aperture in a mine casing with a portion of the assembly located inside the mine casing and a portion extending outside of the mine easing, said flooder assembly comprising:

a housing;

a partition disposed to divide said housing into first and second open compartments, said first compartment normally being positioned within the mine casing and the opening in the second compartment normally being located for fluid communication with the outside of the mine casing;

a first fluid conductive passage disposed to extend through said partition for operatively connecting said first and second compartments;

an electrolytic tie timer actuated flooding valve device disposed in said first compartment, said electrolytic timer actuated flooding valve device disposed in said first compartment, said electrolytic timer actuated valve device comprising:

a second housing disposed within the second cm compartment of said first mentioned housing, said second housing being open at both ends and divided into a plunger housing and an electrolyte chamber,

cathode mounting means closing the open end of the electrolyte chamber,

a cathode disposed to project through said cathode mounting means into the electrolyte chamber,

second fluid conductive passage connecting said electrolyte chamber and said plunger housing,

an anode normally disposed in said electrolyte chamber and having a valve actuating portion extending through said second passage into the valve actuating plunger housing, said anode having an enlarged head on said valve actuating portion normally disposed in said electrolyte chamber,

a plunger having an enlarged head, said plunger being located in the plunger housing. said anode being connected to said plunger, and

a spring biasing said plunger housing for urging said plunger means out of the plunger housing so that the enlarged head of the anode abuts against the wall of the electrolyte chamber covering the passage between the plunger housing and the electrolyte chamber, the head of said plunger in this position being so disposed in said second passage as to engage a sealing element disposed therein to therewith a fluid-tight seal,

a water actuated battery means in said second compartment; and

electric circuit means connecting the anode and cathode of said electrolytic timer whereby upon activation of said battery an electric current flow is established to said timer to effect electrolytic erosion of said enlarged head on said anode and to maintain current flow until sufficient erosion renders the anode small enough to fit through the second passage whereupon the plunger is actuated by the spring urging the plunger head completely through said passage and out into said second compartment thereby rendering ineffective the seal between the plunger head and the first passage thereby establishing fluid communication between said first compartment, said second compartment and the interior of the mine casing.

Claims

1. A mine flooder assembly of the character disclosed for extending into an aperture in a mine casing with a portion of the assembly located inside the mine casing and a portion extending outside of the mine casing, said flooder assembly comprising: a housing; a partition disposed to divide said housing into first and second open compartments, said first compartment normally being positioned within the mine casing and the opening in the second compartment normally being located for fluid communication with the outside of the mine casing; a first fluid conductive passage disposed to extend through said partition for operatively connecting said first and second compartments; an electrolytic tie timer actuated flooding valve device disposed in said first compartment, said electrolytic timer actuated flooding valve device disposed in said first compartment, said electrolytic timer actuated valve device comprising: a second housing disposed within the second cm compartment of said first mentioned housing, said second housing being open at both ends and divided into a plunger housing and an electrolyte chamber, cathode mounting means closing the open end of the electrolyte chamber, a cathode disposed to project through said cathode mounting means into the electrolyte chamber, second fluid conductive passage connecting said electrolyte chamber and said plunger housing, an anode normally disposed in said electrolyte chamber and having a valve actuating portion extending through said second passage into the valve actuating plunger housing, said anode having an enlarged head on said valve actuating portion normally disposed in said electrolyte chamber, a plunger having an enlarged head, said plunger being located in the plunger housing, said anode being connected to said plunger, and a spring biasing said plunger housing for urging said plunger means out of the plunger housing so that the enlarged head of the anode abuts against the wall of the electrolyte chamber covering the passage between the plunger housing and the electrolyte chamber, the head of said plunger in this position being so disposed in said second passage as to engage a sealing element disposed therein to therewith a fluid-tight seal, a water actuated battery means in said second compartment; and electric circuit means connecting the anode and cathode of said electrolytic timer whereby upon activation of said battery an electric current flow is established to said timer to effect electrolytic erosion of said enlarged head on said anode and to maintain current flow until sufficient erosion renders the anode small enough to fit through The second passage whereupon the plunger is actuated by the spring urging the plunger head completely through said passage and out into said second compartment thereby rendering ineffective the seal between the plunger head and the first passage thereby establishing fluid communication between said first compartment, said second compartment and the interior of the mine casing.