Device and method for protecting towed underwater objects from fishing lines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9981718-B2
Application number	US-201615543214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 16, 2015
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A protective device configured to protect a line-cutting device mounted on a cable towed by a surface vessel comprises a blade holder comprising a blade, the blade being formed in the blade holder and being retractable into a slot about a transverse spring pin, wherein the protective device comprises a weighted body of hydrodynamic overall shape delimiting a transverse opening for the passage of the cable and an interior cavity in which the blade is arranged in such a way as to cut any line caught in the cavity, the protective device free to rotate about the cable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A protective device configured to protect a line-cutting device mounted on a cable towed by a surface vessel, said device comprising a blade holder comprising a blade, said blade being formed in said blade holder and being retractable into a slot about a transverse spring pin, wherein the protective device comprises a weighted body of hydrodynamic overall shape delimiting a transverse opening for the passage of the cable and an interior cavity in which said blade is arranged in such a way as to cut any line caught in the cavity, the protective device being free to rotate about the cable.

2. The protective device as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a transverse tube delimiting the transverse opening, said tube being designed to pivot freely about the towing cable.

3. The protective device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the interior cavity delimits an upper part and a lower part, the weighted body being configured to bring the lower part underneath the cable, under the effect of the hydrodynamic and/or hydrostatic forces applied to the protective device.

4. The protective device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shape of said body exhibits a hydrodynamic shape configured to keep the interior cavity in position underneath the cable.

5. The protective device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the shape of said body exhibits a hydrodynamic shape configured to allow the device to pass over a fairlead.

6. The protective device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said hydrodynamic shape is configured in such a way that the device lies itself down on a fairlead, substantially flat and on at least one face, when it is wound onto a winding support.

7. The protective device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein it is covered with elastic material over a chosen thickness of the device.

8. The protective device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the lower part comprises a bill-shaped extension inclined downward.

9. The protective device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the lower part has weight and the upper part buoyancy.

10. The protective device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the axis of the blade intersects the median axis of the cavity of the interior cavity toward the bottom and in that the blade passes through the lower part via a slot.

11. The protective device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the protective device has an ellipsoidal overall shape.

12. The protective device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the protective device has the overall shape of a fin cut to a taper.

13. The protective device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an anchor ring for blocking the protective device against translational movement along the towing cable, while leaving it free to pivot about the cable.

14. The protective device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein it is arranged at the tail of the cable.

Assignees

• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Ricard Michel

Classifications

• B63B21/66 Primary

  Equipment specially adapted for towing underwater objects or vessels, e.g. fairings for tow-cables ({paravanes for dragging fishing nets A01K73/02; } salvaging underwater vessels or objects B63C7/00; towed underwater vessels B63G8/42) · CPC title

• B63G8/42

  Towed underwater vessels · CPC title