Surface release dye marker
United States Patent 11 1 Pickens Apr. 1, 1975 SURFACE RELEASE DYE MARKER [21] Appl. No.: 446,034  
 3,703,782 2/1971 Brown 116/124 B Primary Examiner- S. Clement Swisher Assistant ExaminerDenis E. Corr Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard S. Sciascia; Ervin F. Johnston; William T. Skeer [57] ABSTRACT An ascent-actuated dye marker includes a cylindrical body having an open end and containing a water soluble dyestuff and a coil spring. A watertight plug closes the open end of said cylindrical body against the ejective force of the spring. The plug is held in place by an external clip which is resiliently biased to a position away from and clear of said body means. The resilient clip engages a retaining structure on said plug and is released therefrom when said plug is pressed within the cylindrical body member by water pressure occa&#39; sioned by the submergence of the dye marker.  
 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENIEB R 1 ms FIG.4  
 SURFACE RELEASE IDYE MARKER STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST I The invention described herein may be manufac tured 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.  
 FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains generally to the fields of marine engineering and oceanographic instrumentation. More particularly, this invention pertains to the recov cry of oceanographic instrument packages from the ocean. In still greater particularity, the invention pertains to a device for facilitating the recovery of oceanographic instrument packages from the surface of the water which were released from the ocean depths. By way of further characterization, this invention pertains to a dye marker which will release a marking dye into the water at a predetermined shallow depth on ascent, having remained closed and containing the dye material during descent through the same predetermined depth.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART In general, the marking of crash sites and other points of interest on the surface of the water by releasing dye materials is a fairly well understood and developed area of technology. However, heretofore, such dye markers have been released from the surface of airborne vehicles. Typical of such known arrangements are those shown in US. Pat. Nos. 2,965,029 issued to L. D. Jackson on Dec. 20, 1960 for Marine Marker, and 3,612,857 issued to David P. Beatty on Oct. 12, 1971 for Location Marker for Producing Illuminious Display. Likewise, devices of the prior art are extant which provide for water pressure release of optical markers. US. Pat. Nos. 2,803,838, issued to N. B. Wales, Jr. on Aug. 27, 1957 for Aircraft Crash Marking Device,&#34; and 3,049,091, issued on Aug. 14, 1962 to R. J. Carroll et al. for Release and Ejection Mechanism for Automatic Dye Marker System,&#34; are fairly characteristic of the known state-of-the-art for such release mechanisms. In general, these release mechanisms automatically actuate a dye marker release such that the location of aircraft wreckages or other device may be facilitated without manual actuation from the device to be marked.  
  It is also known to release marking dye solutions at great depths underwater to study the effects of ocean currents. Representative of such an arrangement is that shown in US. Pat. No. 3,670,692 issued on June 20, 1972 to David L. Jackson for Underwater Dye- Marker Release Mechanism. However, the release of a dye marker at the surface to mark the surface location of an object released from the ocean depths is remained a troublesome problem.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION container compressing the air bubble, the plug retaining clip is released to spring to a position free of plug engagement. Upon buoyant re-emergence the water pressure is removed from the plug, the plug returns to its original position and is expelled from the container by a means of a coiled spring contained therein.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the device of the invention mounted on a cylindrical container as a saddle;  
  FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative mounting arrangement for the device of the invention in which it is bolted fast to a container;  
  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device of the invention prior to mounting; and  
  FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of the device of the invention.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. I, the dye marker of the invention, indicated generally at 11, is shown mounted by means of encircling clamps l2 and 13 on a cylindrical package 14. Package 14 may be any known oceanographic instrument package. Customarily, such packages are comprised of a central, cylindrical, metallic shell housing the various instruments and a concentric cylinder made of syntactic foam. This syntactic foam provides the necessary buoyancy to return the oceanographic package to the surface but is capable of withstanding the pressures of deep ocean submergence without structural failure.  
  Referring to FIG. 2, an alternative mounting arrangement for dye marker 11 is illustrated. In this arrangement, dye marker lll is bolted on the end of the metallic inner container 15 by means of threaded fasteners 16 and 17 which secure a mounting strap 18 to the cover of the instrument package. Of course, both the mounting shown in FIG. 1 and that shown in FIG. 2 may be used on the same package, if desired.  
  Referring to FIG. 3, an enlarged view of the dye marker, free of its attached package and mounting hardware so as to provide a better view of the structural details, is shown. As seen, dye marker 1 1 has a cylindrical body=member 22 and a longitudinal clip 23 having a general J-shape in which the shorter curved end engages a depression within the end of a cylindrical plug 24.  
  Body member 22 is assembled to mounting strap 18 by means of clamps 25 and 27. It will be noted that clamp 25 also secures clip 23 to body member 22. Of course, if the bolted mounting arrangement of FIG. 2 is employed, mounting strap 18 will be provided with holes at the end portions thereof to receive the threaded fasteners. Other attachment arrangements may be employed, if desired, and in some developmental models plastic adhesive tape has been used with good success.  
  To facilitate assembly and surface transport of the marker 11, a safety retaining screw 28 is provided. Screw 28 passes through a hole in body member 22 and is threadably engaged by plug 24. Thus, plug 24 will not be accidently dislodged from body member 22.  
  Body member 22 may be made of any convenient metal and, in developmental models, satisfactory results have been obtained with using brass stock or tubing for this device. In such an arrangement, small length of brass tubing is sealed by means of a solderedon end plug, 29 better shown in FIG. 4, likewise, mounting strap 18 may also be made of brass.  
  Clamps and 27 are commercially available clamps made of stainless steel and designed primarily to provide compressional fit between resilient tubing and rigid internal fittings. Resilient clip 23 may be made of spring steel or other resilient material. Plug 24, like a body member 22, is also made of brass. Screw 28 is a commercially available steel screw, since, as will be more fully explained, is not subjected to the salt water environment.  
 Referring to FIG. 4, a longitudinal section of the dye marker of the invention reveals the internal construction. As shown, clip 23 is in the released position to which it springs from its tensioned position when plug 24 is driven within body member 22 by the external water pressure. A coil spring 31 is inserted into body member 22 and provides an ejective force by compressional engagement by plug 24. A wick 32 is made of any absorbent textile material and provides for a slow release of the dyestuff which is contained within body member 22. As shown, a bubble of gas is permitted to exist within a body member 22 to provide for compressibility such that end plug 24 may be forced within the body member 22. An O-ring type neoprene gasket 33 is contained in a circumferential groove extending about end plug 24 to assure that no dyestuff leaks from container 22 until release is intended.  
  The compressional strength of spring 31 determines the point at which the end plug 24 will be expelled from body member 22. This strength is chosen such that ejection will occur at about two fathoms depth. The depth of the depression in end of plug 24 and the length of cooperating portion of clip 23 are dimensioned such that release of clip 23 from its tensioned or cap engaging position to its relaxed position, illustrated in FIG. 4, does not occur until a depth substantially below the intended release depth has been obtained.  
  Obviously, other plug engagement constructions might be used, if desired. For example, plug 24 might carry a cylindrical stud to fit within a hole on an L- shaped clip. However, such an arrangement would have to be proven as satisfactory as that shown which has proven 100% reliable in actual use.  
  The foregoing description, while sufficient to enable one versed in the marine engineering and oceanographic instrumentation arts, to make the invention, will be better understood by reference to the following mode of operation.  
 MODE OF OPERATION The operation of the device commences with its assembly in which body member 22, mounting strap 18, and clip 23 are assembled by tightening clamp 25. Spring 3] is then inserted within body member 22 along with wick 32. Then, suitable dyestuff is poured within container 32. Any suitable material providing a surface marking may be used. However, in selection of materials, attention will, naturally, be given to the impact on the marine enviroment and a suitable, nontoxic, biodegradable material will be employed.  
  Gasket 33 is then placed within the groove in plug 24 and the plug inserted within the body member 22. Plug 24 is depressed within the body member 22 and clip 23 tensioned to its latching position and plug 24 released. Plug 24 is then rotated within body member 22 until the threaded hole therein aligns with the hole in body member 22 and set screw 28 is inserted.  
  The device is then attached to the instrument package by means of the mounting strap 18 as illustrated in either or both FIGS. 1 and 2.  
  Prior to placement within the water, set screw 28 is removed. As the instrument package is submerged, the water pressure forces the plug 24 within body member 22 and the release of clip 23 occurs. When the instrument package is released from the bottom, the ascent through areas of less pressure permit plug 24 to be moved by spring 31 and the expanding air bubble toward the open end of, and finally out of body member 22 such that it comes free at the desired depth. Of course, this opens body member 22 and the dyestuff contained therein and within wick 32 is released.  
  If recovery of plug 24 is desired, it may be attached by a light lanyard to clip 25 or 27. Normally, no recovery is contemplated and the brass plug sinks.  
  The foregoing description taken together with the appended claims constitute a disclosure such as to enable one versed in the oceanographic instrumentation and marine engineering arts to make and use the invention.  
 Further, the device meets the aforestated objects of the invention and constitutes a meritorious advance in the art unobvious to such workers benefit of these teachings.  
  Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings, and, it is therefore understood that within the scope of the disclosed inventive concept, the invention may be practiced otherwise than specifically described.  
 What is claimed is:  
  I. An ascent-actuated dye marker for locating the surface position of an object released beneath the sea comprising:  
 a body member having a closed end and a cylindrical cavity communicating with one end thereof; cylindrical plug means slidably received within the cylindrical cavity for effecting a watertight seal with said cylinder wall to thereby form a sealed compartment within said body member;  
 dye material contained within and partially filling said cavity;  
 resilient means located within said cylindrical cavity positioned to engage said plug means for urging said plug means out of said cylindrical cavity;  
 clip means attached at one end to the outer surface of said body means said clip means being made of resilient material and formed to have a relaxed position in which the other end of said clip means extends away from said body member, said other end carrying a plug engaging portion for providing a releasable retention of said plug within the cylindrical cavity of said body member when in a tensioned position alongside said body member; and  
 clip engaging means on the outer end of said plug means for engaging the other end of said clip means when the plug is at the outer end of the cylindrical cavity and the clip means is tensioned for releasing the plug means after it moves a predetermined distance within the cylindrical cavity, whereby the plug is held in place upon submergence until water pressure overcomes the ejective urging of said resilient means forcing said plug within said cylindrical cavity such that said clip assumes its relaxed position permitting said resilient means to expel the plug to release the dye material when the submergence water pressure is reduced.  
 2. An ascent-actuated dye marker according to claim 1 further including an elongate mounting strap attached to said body member and extending longitudinally beyond either end thereof for providing mounting attachment to facilitate securing said dye marker to the object.  
 3. An ascent-actuated dye marker according to claim 1 further including absorbent wick means disposed in the cylindrical cavity of said body member for controlling the release of said dye material contained therein.  
 4. An ascent-actuated dye marker according to claim 1 in which said body member is of a cylindrical shape.  
 5. An ascent-actuated dye marker according to claim 1 wherein said plug means includes:  
 a groove within the cylindrical wall of said plug means and extending circumferentially thereabout; and  
 a gasket fitted in said groove for cooperative engagement with the walls of the cylindrical cavity of said body means for effecting a watertight seal between said cylindrical plug means and said body member.  
 6. An ascent-actuated dye marker according to claim 1 further including:  
 a hole extending transversely through said body member to communicate with the cylindrical cavity therein and located closely adjacent to the open end thereof;  
 a threaded hole in the cylindrical wall of said cylindrical plug means and extending radially a predetermined distance therein; and  
 a lock screw extending through said hole in the body member and threadably received within said threaded hole in the cylindrical plug means.  
 7. An ascent-actuated dye marker according to claim 1 in which said resilient means is a coil spring configured to slidably fit within the cylindrical cavity of said body member and lie closely adjacent the internal wall thereof.  
 8. An ascent-actuated dye marker according to claim 1 in which said clip means is configured to be generally J-shaped such as that said other end thereof includes a bend having a short portion extending toward said one end thereof.  
 9. An ascent-actuated dye marker according to claim 1 in which said clip engaging means includes a cylindrical depression in the outer end of said cylindrical plug means for receiving the other end of said clip means.  
 10. An ascent-actuated dye marker according to claim 1 further including a flexible clamp encircling said body member and the one end of said clip means for providing a unitary mounting connection therebetween.