Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02270323 1999-04-28
TITLE: SURVEILLANCE BUOY
Note to the attention of the Commissioner of Patents: This
application is incomplete. This application is filed under the provisions of
the Patent Rule # 93. The sections relating to the Field of Invention;
Background of the Invention; Summary of the Invention; Description of
the Drawings; Abstract of the Disclosure; and a number of additional
claims will be added at a later date. The enclosed draft sketches will also
be replaced by CAD drawings at that time.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many
different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will be described in
details herein a specific embodiment, with the understanding that the
present disclosure is to be considered as an example of the principles of the
invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment
illustrated.
Referring firstly to FIG. 1, a partial cross-section view of the
surveillance buoy according to the preferred embodiment is illustrated
therein. For the clarity of the text, the surveillance buoy according to the
preferred embodiment is referred to herein as the surveillance buoy.
Before describing this surveillance buoy in detail, however, it is
deemed that certain general information should be reminded in order to
afford a clearer understanding of the features of the present invention.
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In aquaculture, a crop of mollusks usually takes several years to
reach maturity. A shellfish farmer must firstly collect or otherwise obtain
seeds (small mollusks), and plant the seeds in a sea bed where the water
currents transport sufficient nutrients for supporting the growth of the
animals. In most cases, a shellfish farmer must also obtain and maintain
a license for farming on a given site. For these reasons, a crop of mollusks
usually requires large investment, and must be protected against poaching.
The main purpose of the surveillance buoy of the present invention is to
monitor poaching activities on a mollusk farming site.
The surveillance buoy 20 comprises broadly, a floating caisson 22,
a mast 24 mounted on the caisson 22 and an anchor (not shown). The
buoy 20 is retained to the anchor by a mooring cable 26 as it is customary
with buoys.
The floating caisson 22 contains a mooring cable regulating system
28 for allowing the surveillance buoy 20 to move up and down with the
tides. This system will be explained in greater details when referring
particularly to FIGS. 4-6.
The mast 24 contains a surveillance unit 30, a window 32 that is
transparent to the sight of the surveillance unit 30 and an antenna 34 for
transmitting information collected by the surveillance unit 30 to a remote
receiver (not shown).
It will be appreciated by those knowledgeable in the art that a
number of peripheral equipment to operate to surveillance unit 30 and to
transmit information to the remote receiver has not been illustrated herein
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for being well known in the art, and for maintaining the clarity of the text
and the drawings. These equipment are for example, a microprocessor, a
transmitter, wiring, one or more batteries, a solar panel or other power
supply means and an optional a GPS receiver.
The mast 24 and window 32 are preferably cylindrical in shape.
The upper part 36 of the mast is preferably conical in shape and has a
vertical stem 38 extending upwardly. The conical shape 36 and the stem
38 are advantageous for preventing birds from perching on the mast 24 and
from eventually obscuring the window 32 by natural consequences.
The surveillance unit 30 is mounted on a turntable 40 and is
rotatable about the axis of the mast 24 by means of an electric motor 42
and gearing system 44.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the surveillance unit 30 comprises
a video camera 50 and an intruder-detection device 52. The intruder-
detection device 52 can be one of many types comprising; motion sensors,
heat sensors, sound detectors and light switches. The intruder-detection
device preferably has a range of operation of between about 500 to about
1000 feet, and has the ability to detect an approaching boat or swimmer.
In operation, when the intruder-detection device 52 is triggered, the
video camera 50 is oriented toward the intruder and several images are
taken and transmitted to the remote location for storage and for later use
for the identification of the intruder. The orienting and operation of the
video camera is effected by the microprocessor reading an encoder (not
shown) preferably mounted on the motor 42, as it is customary with
electro-mechanical systems.
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The video camera 50 is mounted on a dual-axis pendulum system
60 that provides a certain degree of stability to the camera against the
movement of the surveillance buoy 20 under the action of the waves. The
pendulum system 60 comprises a yoke member 62 that has a first pivot 64
which is mounted to the rotary table 40, and a first axis of rotation along
a plane of the rotary table.
A cylindrical casing 66 is rigidly affixed to the yoke 62. The casing
66 has a central axis which is perpendicular to the first axis of the first
pivot 64.
A cradle 68 is mounted to the casing 66 and is movable about the
central axis of the casing. The cradle 68 has a pair of rollers 70 set above
the casing 66 for movement of these rollers on an upper outside region of
the casing 66, and a series of five rollers 72 set inside the casing, for
movement against a lower internal region of the casing 66.
A weight 74 is also affixed to the cradle 68 below the central axis
of the casing 66 and below the axis of the first pivot 64 for maintaining the
vertical axis 76 of the cradle 68 in an upright alignment despite some of
the movements of the surveillance buoy 20.
A rotary joint 78 is also provided on the yoke member 62 for
guiding and supporting the control cable 79 to the camera 50 and to the
intruder-detection device 52.
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In use, during common wave actions, the dual-axis pendulum
system 60 provides for a substantial reduction in yawing of the
surveillance unit 30, and contributes greatly to the successful operation of
the surveillance buoy 20.
Referring back to FIG. 1, there is illustrated therein a rigid guide
tube 80 which also contributes to reducing the swaying of the surveillance
buoy 20 under the actions of the waves.
The rigid guide tube 80 is mounted through the ballast 82 of the
surveillance buoy and extends from below the ballast 82 along the
longitudinal axis of the mast 24 and is affixed to the mast at an
intermediary region inside the mast 24. The mooring cable 26 is threaded
through the rigid guide tube 80 and over a sheave 84 affixed above the
upper end of the tube 80, and down onto a cable reel 86. The rigid tube
80 maintains the mooring cable 26 straight inside the surveillance buoy.
The rigid tube 80 shifts the flexion point in the mooring cable 26 below
the buoy 20 and at a distance from the floatation level 88 of the buoy,
thereby providing greater stability to the buoy.
Referring now to FIGS. 4-6, with reference to FIG. 1, there is
illustrated therein another important feature of the surveillance buoy 20.
The cable reel 86 is connected to a gear train 90 and to one or more torsion
spring 92 for winding or unwinding the mooring cable 26 when the tide
falls or rises. The purpose of the gear train 90 is to provide a mechanical
advantage in the winding of the torsion spring 92 relative to the rotation
of the reel 86. The gear train 90 contains a toothed wheel 94 that is
connected to a terminal gear therein.
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A pawl member 96 is pivoted to the gear train support member 98
for engagement with the teeth of the toothed wheel 94, to selectively
prevent a rotation of the gear train 90.
The pawl member 96 is movable from a locking position to a
disengaged position by a telescoping actuator 100 which has a fixed end
102 pivotally connected to the caisson 22 of the surveillance buoy and a
movable end 104 pivotally connected to the pawl member 96. The
movable end 104 is telescopically mounted inside the fixed end 102 and
is urged away from the fixed end 102 by a spring 106 mounted inside the
fixed end 102. The movable end 104 has a slot 108 therein which has
dimensions and placement to receive the end of a plunger 110 extending
from a piston-type actuator 112.
The piston-type actuator 112 comprises a casing 114, a piston 116
mounted inside the casing 114 and sealed against the inside wall of the
casing in a manner that is common to hydraulic actuators. A float 118 is
attached to the lower side of the piston for acting on the piston. An
opening 120 through the lower side of the casing 114 extends into the
water below the buoy 20, for admitting water inside the casing.
In use, when the tide rises, water is forced through the opening 120
and into the casing 114, causing the float 118 to push the piston 116 and
the plunger 110 upward. The plunger 110 has a slanted end 122 to wedge
inside the slot 108 of the actuator 100, against an inside edge of the slot,
and to push the movable end 104 of the actuator inside the fixed end 102.
This movement causes the pawl member 96 to disengage from the toothed
wheel 94 thereby allowing the reel to give up more mooring cable, and at
the same time, to tightened the torsion spring 92.
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When the tide falls, the tension on the mooring cable 26 releases.
The torque of the torsion spring 92 causes the toothed wheel 94 to slide
over an inclined release finger 122 on the pawl member 96 and causes a
latch finger 124 to move away from the toothed wheel 94, thereby
allowing the gear train 90 to rotate in the direction represented by arrow
126, to take up the slack in the mooring cable 26 and to wind the mooring
cable on the reel 86.
It will be appreciated that the movement of the mooring cable 26
may be used as a source of power to recharge the batteries, using a dynamo
for example. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
various similar modifications, alternate constructions and equivalents may
be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the
invention. Therefore, the above description and the illustrations should not
be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
As to the manner of usage, operation and manufacturing of the
instant invention, the same should be apparent from the above description,
and accordingly no further discussion relative to these aspects is provided.
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