[PSUBS-MAILIST] Seamagine Patent Perhaps Used for Challenger Sub

[Brent Hartwig <brenthartwig@hotmail.com>]

Grand Greetings SMMOM's   (Submadman (dis)Organization Members)    ;)'''

I had all most totally forgotten about the Seamagine's hatch sealing arrangement and corresponding patent. In the drawing figures 8 thru 10 you will notice a double O-ring seal arrangement for low pressure sealing when near the surface and then for high pressure sealing when at depth. This is what the Challenger's hatch sealing arrangement basically might be. Since if this was the case, I would think that the inner seal would be unusually hard for use on most subs, and so there would be a great benefit of being able to have a good soft seal near the surface with the outer soft O-ring.  In this arrangement the hatch and hatch land would go metal to metal at some point and the water at some point would just go over the outer seal, not extruding it and then stop at the inner hard seal, "hopefully".... Since going to full ocean depth is no picnic if you get it wrong.  At 37,000 feet your not going to get any design forgiveness.

I've been designing different inflatable pontoon systems for better surface stability and egress, as well as wave protection, less drag when submerged and emergency buoyancy, for a few years now.  Then I saw that Seamagine has a patent for just those sort of things. So it further assured me that I might have a good configuration for my K-250 and later subs.

From the Claims for the Seamagine patent number 6321676

"3. A sealable chamber comprising:

an interior;

an exterior;

a first section having a first end surface;

a second section having a second end surface, said first end surface adapted to engage said second end surface; and

a plurality of substantially concentrically arranged fluid barriers graduated to seal at different depth ranges, positioned between said first end surface and said second end surface, including a first fluid barrier rated for a first depth range and a second fluid barrier rated for a lower depth range than the first fluid barrier

wherein said plurality of fluid barriers comprises a low pressure fluid barrier, a high pressure fluid barrier, and at least one intermediate pressure fluid barrier, wherein said plurality of fluid barriers is ordered such that said low pressure fluid barrier is closer to the exterior of said chamber and said high pressure fluid barrier is closer to the interior of said chamber and said at least one intermediate fluid barrier is positioned between said low pressure fluid barrier and said high pressure fluid barrier."

http://www.google.com/patents?id=3gUHAAAAEBAJ&printsec=drawing&zoom=4&dq=6321676#PPA5,M1


http://www.google.com/patents?id=3gUHAAAAEBAJ&dq=6321676


http://www.seamagine.com/

Your resident imagineear   ;)'

Regards,
Szybowski