Inventors:
Daniel W. French - Portsmouth RI
Theodore C. Gagliardi - Somerset MA
Steven L. Camara - Riverside RI
John J. Vaillancourt - Tiverton RI
David Nugent - Newport RI
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy - Washington DC
International Classification:
B63G 814
Abstract:
A ballast weight system for releasably attaching a ballast weight to an urwater vehicle is disclosed where the system comprises a ballast weight, a housing disposed about the ballast weight, a fairing connected to the ballast weight to facilitate a flush connection of the ballast weight to the underwater vehicle, and a bolt coupler where one end of the bolt receives a lanyard pin therethrough and the second end connects a spring loaded bolt connected to the ballast weight. A linear actuator is connected to the lanyard pin. The lanyard pin placed through the bolt maintains the spring loaded bolt in spring compression such that when the pin is removed, the spring compression propels the ballast weight away from the housing.