Title of Invention

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RETRIEVING CABLE FROM WATER DURING MARINE OPERATIONS .

Abstract An apparatus for retrieving cable (20) from water during marine operations employing a floating vessel (38), comprises : a distributor (10) for distributing forces across all components of the cable while pulling the cable ; an adjuster (30) for automatically adjusting the pulling forces on the cable caused by movement of said vessel in the water; and a holding area on said vessel for said cable, said holding area comprising a cylindrical cage (40) whose outside perimeter has vertical slots (41) from a top edge (50) thereof and whose interior comprises a raceway path (46) and a smaller diameter cylinder (50) about the central point of said cylindrical cage.
Full Text BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for retrieving
cable from water during marine operations, particularly systems for deploying
and retrieving electrical and fiber optic cables. Most particularly, the invention
relates to marine seismic cable deployment and retrieval systems for use in
conjunction with a marine vessel.
2. Brief Description of Relevant Art
In many fields of endeavor, there is an on-going requirement to place
packages of sensing equipment of various types across the earth's surface and
on the seafloor. Such equipment is commonly intended to be used at one
location for a period of time and then transported to a different location for further
use. However, precisely deploying and later retrieving such equipment without
damaging the equipment can be difficult. Operations in water, especially oceans,
bays, and surf zones, can be especially problematic. The equipment commonly
sinks into muddy and sandy sea beds and tends to suffer stress damage when
removed.
Seismic cables can be especially difficult to handle because they are
typically made of multiple components such as electrical conductors, fiber optics,
and stress supporting members all bundled together and covered with a
protective jacketing material. Handling or pulling the cable causes these
components to slip and move with respect to one another. Tension applied to the
outer jacket pulls the jacketing material which then pulls on the inner
components of the cable. This distribution of stresses applies differing stress
values and elongation amounts to the different components of the cable. Even

cables where the stress members are embedded into the outer jacket have such
a stress distribution, although to a lesser degree. Propagation of stress through
a cable's components changes and deteriorates the components and
consequently reduces the cable's useful life.
In water, the platform or vessel used to deploy and retrieve the cables
often contributes due to the action of the water. Pulling cable up from a sea
bottom and through sea bottom material is stressful to equipment in the cable,
but simply pulling the cable through water is also stressful. Typically the cable
will be curved in the water, extending downwardly from a platform and curving to
a horizontal position along the sea bottom. The curve's length and shape will
depend on the rate of retrieval, the depth of the water, the amount of cable sunk
into the sea bottom, and the value of the applied pulling tension. The curve of the
cable inevitably causes portions of the cable to be pulled sideways through the
water, creating vortexes in the water, cable strumming, and drag on the cable,
and adding further to the stresses on the cable. Such pulling tensions can
exceed the strength of the cable, causing it to break. Similarly, tensions caused
by pulling of the cable due to heaving of the vessel on ocean waves and swells
can exceed the strength of the cable, causing it to suffer elongation damage and
even break. The cable strength is commonly only a tiny fraction of the applied
forces that potentially may be applied against the cable.
A need exists for apparatus and methods for deploying and recovering
cables that reduce the destructive forces against such cables, particularly when
the cables are distributed along a sea bed or in water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for retrieving
cable from the water during marine operations and is especially advantageous
for use with floating vessels. The invention may be utilized for deploying cable in
marine operations as well.
The present invention provides an apparatus for retrieving cable from
water during marine operations employing a floating vessel, said apparatus
comprising : a distributor for distributing forces across all components of the
cable while pulling said cable ; an adjuster for automatically adjusting the pulling
forces on the cable caused by movement of said vessel in the water: and a
holding area on said vessel for said cable, said holding area comprising a
cylindrical cage whose outside perimeter has vertical slots from a top edge
thereof and whose interior comprises a raceway path and a smaller diameter
cylinder about the central point of said cylindrical cage.
The present invention also provides a method for retrieving cable from
water in marine operations employing a floating vessel, while monitoring and
adjusting the pulling forces on said cable during said retrieval to reduce damage
to said cable from said forces during said retrieval, said method comprising :
pulling said cable with a pulling device that distributes pulling forces and
stresses among all of the cable components, and that employs a see-saw action
for adjusting said pulling forces to maintain said forces below the damage point
for said cable ; and depositing cable in a storage area on said vessel, said
storage area comprising a cylindrical cage having at least two vertical slots and a
central interior cylinder having a conical top and separated from an exterior
cylindrical cage wall by a raceway area for the cable and a conical cap with a

protruding arm rotatably mounted on the conical top for receiving and directing
cable into the raceway area.
This invention further provides an apparatus for retrieving and deploying
cable in marine operations, said apparatus comprising :
(a) pulley drum assembly comprising a pulling drum capable of pulling the
cable while distributing pulling forces across all components of the cable ;
(b) powered drive motor with regulatable torque drive for operating the pulling
drum and adjusting the forces such pulling exerts on the cable ,
(c) front-mounted damper arm with an adjustable tension range positioned
prior to the drum pulley assembly to dampen stress on the cable caused
by movement of water;
(d) storage system for said cable ; and
(e) means for delivering cable from the pulley drum assembly to the storage
system.
According to the method of the invention, the retrieval of the cable is
conducted while monitoring and adjusting the pulling forces on the cable so as to
reduce or prevent damage to the cable from such forces during the retrieval. A
pulling device that distributes pulling forces and stresses among the cable
components is used to pull the cable for its retrieval. The device may employ a
see-saw action, that is, a pulling and paying back of the cable, to maintain the
forces below the damage point for the cable.
A preferred embodiment comprises a pulling drum capable of pulling the
cable by wrapping the cable around the drum, thereby distributing pulling forces
across the components of the cable. The pulling drum may be powered by a
drive motor with a regulatable torque drive for adjusting the forces on the cable.

Alternatively, the drum may be powered by a clutching system or by a hydraulic
torque conversion system set to slip or stall at a selectable force value. Any
means for powering the drum may preferably allow payback of the cable to
lessen forces on the cable if needed to avoid damage to the cable. Preferably
the apparatus or system will also have a front-mounted damper arm with an
adjustable tension range positioned in front of the pulling drum to dampen stress
on the cable, particularly stress caused by the movement of the water
The retrieved cable is preferably stored in a storage area that will avoid
tangling or twisting of the cable. The storage area preferably includes a cage
within which the cable is stored, with the attachments preferably positioned or
stored on the outside of the cage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
Figure 1(a) is a schematic of the pulling drum and damper arm of one
embodiment of the system of the invention wherein the damper arm is in a raised
position.
Figure 1 (b) is a schematic of the pulling drum and damper arm of the
embodiment of the system of the invention of Figure 1(a) but with the damper
arm in a lowered position.
Figure 1 (c) shows a system for regulating drive torque.
Figure 2(a) is a side view of the cable storage assembly of one
embodiment of the system of the invention.
Figure 2(b) is an exploded side view of the cable storage assembly shown
in Figure 2(a).
Figure 2(c) is an exploded top view of the cable storage assembly shown
in Figure 2(a).
Figure 3 is a schematic of one embodiment of the system of the invention
in use for retrieving cable wherein the system comprises the pulling drum and
damper arm shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the cable storage assembly shown
in Figures 2(a) and 2(b) and a powered drum for carrying cable from the pulling
drum to the storage assembly.
Figure 4 is a schematic of one embodiment of the system of the invention
shown in Figure 3 but in use deploying cable.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
According to the invention, a pulling device is provided
that allows cable to be retrieved from water and sea
beds without damage or fouling from the pulling process

to either the cable components or attachments to the cable, even though such
attachments may be wider than the cable itself. Cable components may include, for
example, internal stress members, protective jackets, electrical and fiber optic
conductors and insulating layers. Attachments to the cable may include, for example,
sensor packages and other electrical or fiber optic equipment.
[0019] The pulling device distributes pulling forces and stresses among preferably all
of the cable components, most preferably substantially equally among all of the cable
components, including internal stress members of the cable and external jacketing
material.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment, referring to Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the pulling
device comprises a pulling drum 10, rotatably mounted on a preferably firm, stationary
or relatively level or horizontal mounting base plate 12, which is typically affixed to a
platform or marine vessel 38, as shown in FIG 3. As the pulling drum 10 is rotated,
the cable 20 is pulled up to accomplish the cable retrieval process. Sufficient
compressional forces to distribute pulling forces among all the cable components, and
sufficient frictional forces to retrieve the cable 20, can normally be achieved by
wrapping the cable 20 around drum 10 less than a full circumference, as shown in
FIGS 1(a) and 1(b), although cable 20 may be wrapped around drum 10 a plurality of
times. Because of the compressive force between the pulling drum 10 and the cable
20, the pulling forces on the cable will be transmitted internally within the cable to
each component of the cable, thereby substantially equalizing the pulling forces on
each component of the cable. Drive torque may be applied to the drum 10 by any
available means known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as electric motor,
shown schematically in FIG. 1(c), or hydraulic, or mechanical means, for example.
The cable tension may be monitored by monitoring the position of the damper arm or

the drive power applied to the drum, and the drive torque applied to the drum 10
regulated in response to the measured tension to control the force on the cable 20.
Alternatively, the drive torque may be regulated or adjusted through a clutching system
or hydraulic torque conversion system 59, shown schematically in FIG. 1 (c), that may
be set to slip or stall at a selected force value (i.e., an amount of force that should
preferably not be exceeded to ensure no damage to the cable, most preferably with a
margin for error built into the value). As shown in FIG. 1(c), clutching or hydraulic
conversion system 59 comprises motor 54 which applies power to drum 10 through
clutch or torque converter 56. The drive torque may be set to stall at a selected force
by drive torque control 58. In either case, if the tension or force on the cable 20
continues to exceed the selected force amount, the drive torque means will stall so that
drum 10 will initially discontinue forward rotation, and if stalling is not sufficient to
prevent further increases in the tension on the cable, the system will allow drum 10 to
rotate in the reverse direction, and the cable 20 to pay back out to lessen the tension or
force on the cable 20. As the extreme tensions relax, the system will resume retrieval
of the cable, i.e., the drum 10 will resume forward rotation. The swing of the damper
arm also functions to limit tension. In very high wave action, the alternate pulling in
and playing out of the cable according to the invention to prevent the maximum
applied tensions from being exceeded can produce a "see-saw" action.
[0021] Referring again to Figures 1(a) and (b), in a preferred embodiment of the
invention, a front mounted damper arm 30 is positioned in front of the pulling drum 10
and preferably substantially at the entry point of the cable from the water onto the
retrieval vehicle, which may be a boat or other floating vessel or platform. The
damper arm 30 performs a dampening function, to compensate for vessel movement, to
keep the tension on the cable 20 within a consistent range. With increasing pull force,

the damper arm 30 will tilt downwardly, to reduce or counteract the increasing tension
in the cable. The tension forces required to pull the damper arm 30 down increases
with the arm's travel distance. The tension range of damper arm 30 is preferably
adjustable so as to handle an assortment of cable tension requirements within the mid
point of the arm travel. Shock absorber 34, extending between damper arm 30 and
mast 36, and shock absorber 26, extending between damper arm 30 and base plate 12
(or vessel 38) function to substantially isolate cable 20 from sudden vessel movements.
Mast 36 may be attached to mounting base plate 12 or vessel 38, by standard
mounting means known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0022] The damper arm 30 is preferably mounted so that the damper arm 30 can
rotate about a rotation point 32 on mounting base 28, which is also rotationally
mounted on base plate 12 so that mounting base 28 can swivel horizontally.
Accordingly, damper arm 30 can provide a "following" action with respect to the cable
20. That is, the damper arm 30 preferably moves or swivels as the floating vessel
containing the damper arm 30 drifts in the water due to wind and water current forces,
so that the damper arm points in directional alignment with the deployed cable 20. The
damper arm 30 also preferably contains alignment; devices comprising rollers or
sheaves 22 and 24 to align any attachments or components attached to the cable with
the cable to aid the cable's passage through the roller system comprising drums (or
sheaves) 10 and 70.
[0023] A preferred embodiment of the invention further provides a storage system for
the retrieved cable (or for the cable prior to deployment). In one embodiment, the
storage system provides for the storage of the cable and any attachments to the cable in
a holding area, preferably or typically including a cage, with the attachments
preferably positioned or stored on the outside of the cage, for easy access if desired or

needed, with the cable storage being controlled so as to prevent fouling and tangling of
the cable and attachments with one another.
[0024] Referring to Figures 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c) for a preferred embodiment of such a
storage system, in which Figure 2(a) is an assembled view, Figure 2(b) is a side view
and Figure 2(c) is a top view. The storage system comprises a cage 40, preferably
substantially circular or oval, whose outside perimeter 42 has a plurality of vertical
slots 41 extending from the top edge of outside perimeter 42 at least part way down the
side of cage 40 so that the cable 20 may exit the cage through one slot 41 and re-enter
at another such slot. The slots enable a cable with one or more attachments 7 (as
shown in Figure 3) to be brought outside the cage 40 at the approximate location of the
attachment so that the attachment may be positioned or hung on the outside of the cage
40 and the cable then returned or allowed to re-enter the cage for continuation of the
cable storage process.
[0325] Inside cage 40 is another smaller cage 50, preferably also circular or oval, and
preferably centered on the same point as the cage 40, so that a raceway area or path 46,
shown more clearly in FIG. 2(c), is formed between outside perimeter 42 of cage 40
and cage 50. The top of cage 50 is preferably a cone 51 having a base or bottom
perimeter preferably substantially coextensive with the perimeter of cage 50. This
conical shape facilitates storage of the cable 20 by enabling the cable that is being
stored to slide down the cone 51 into the raceway area 46. Attached to the top of cone
51 is another, smaller cone, 53, preferably rotatably mounted on cone 51 and attached
or associated with a drive motor so that cone 53 can rotate on its central axis about the
top of cone 51. An arm 60 preferably protrudes from the cone 53 and is preferably
attached to cone 53 so that said arm 60 rotates with cone 53 to sweep around above
cone 51 to catch and move any suspended cable toward the cone 53 so that the cable

will be directed and deposited in the raceway area 46. Most preferably, the cable will
be deposited in layers in raceway area 46.
[0026] As shown more clearly in Figure 3, as cable 20 is being retrieved, cable 20
travels from drum 10 and around powered guide roller 70, from which cable 20 is
allowed to fall toward smaller cone 53. Cable 20 is caught by guide arm 60, which
sweeps cable 20 around smaller cone 53 and cone 51, so that cable 20 slides down
cone 51 and is deposited in a circular pattern within raceway 46 between outer cage 40
and inner cage 50. Guide roller 70 is supported above small cone 53 by support arm
62, as illustrated in a first side view in Figure 2(b) and in a second side view
(orthogonal to the first side view) in Figure 2(d). Support arm 62 is supported from
mounting base plate 12 or vessel 38, by any ordinary means known to those of
ordinary skill in the art.
[0027] In an alternative embodiment, arm 60 might have its own means for rotation
and be independent of any rotation of cone 53. In such embodiment, arm 60 would not
be attached directly to cone 53.
[0328] Referring to Figure 3, guide roller 70, comprising a powered drum, preferably
delivers the cable 20 from the pulling drum 10 and deposits the cable 20 vertically
above the peak of the cone 53 so that the rotating arm 60 will cause the cable 20 to be
deposited around the cage 50 in raceway 46. Depositing the cable 20 in this manner
allows the cable to lie down unstressed and to be deployed back out of the cage 40 in
the same manner and direction so as not to impart any residing twist into the cable
when so deployed. Thus, when the cable is pulled back out of the storage area, the
cable has no twist stresses that need to be removed during the re-deployment.
[0029] Preferably, the opening between cages 40 and 50 to raceway 46 will be
sufficiently narrow to inhibit the entry into raceway (pathway) 46 of any attachments

7 on cable 20. Preferably, perimeter wall 42 will have a lip 44 extending from the wall
42 which, in combination with the edge of cone 51, will serve to catch or stop the entry
of attachments 7 into raceway 46. Most preferably, such attachments 7 will bridge the
entry space into raceway 46 and the cable will be directed by lip 44 into raceway 46
while the attachments remain held above the raceway 46. The attachments 7 may then
be automatically or manually pulled to the outside of perimeter wall 42 where they will
preferably be positioned in a holding bracket (not shown). Preferably, a portion of
cable 20 associated with the attachment 7 will be pulled through a slot 41 to the outside
of perimeter wall 42, along with the attachment. After the attachment 7 is positioned
outside the perimeter wall 42, the associated cable may be returned manually or
automatically to pathway 46 via another slot 41. That is, the cable exits from the
raceway 46 with the attachment 7 via a slot 41, and returns back into raceway 46 by
way of another slot 41.
[0030] Referring to Figure 4, the cable 20 may be redeployed from storage cage 40
into the sea by running the cable from the raceway 46, up and out of the raceway 46,
back up and along cone 53 and over the drum 70, which may now be set or used in
either a freewheel or a powered mode. The cable may then be passed over any other
required supporting drums until reaching the area for deployment into the water.
[0031] Often for re-deployment, the weight of the cable and its drag in the water are
sufficient forces to pull the cable out of the raceway 46 and over the side of a floating
vessel transporting the cable. When such weight is not enough to effect the re-
deployment or it is desired to deliver excess cable into the water faster than can be
achieved by the vessel's forward speed alone, the drum or roller 70 may be powered to
pull the cable up and out of raceway 46.

[0032] The foregoing description of the invention is intended to be a description of
preferred embodiments. Various changes in the details of the described systems,
apparatuses and methods may be made without departing from the intended scope of
this invention as defined by the appended claims.

WE CLAIM :
1. An apparatus for retrieving cable from water during marine operations employing
a floating vessel, said apparatus comprising :
a distributor for distributing forces across all components of the cable while
pulling said cable ;
an adjuster for automatically adjusting the pulling forces on the cable caused by
movement of said vessel in the water; and
a holding area on said vessel for said cable, said holding area comprising a
cylindrical cage whose outside perimeter has vertical slots from a top edge thereof and
whose interior comprises a raceway path and a smaller diameter cylinder about the
central point of said cylindrical cage.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distributor and adjuster
employ a see-saw action in making the adjustments in the pulling forces.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distributor and adjuster
comprise a pulling drum powered through a hydraulic torque conversion system set to
slip or stall at a selectable force value, which if exceeded will allow payback out to
lessen forces on the cable.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distributor and adjuster
comprise a pulling drum powered through a hitching system set to slip or stall at a
selectable force value, which if exceeded will allow payback out to lessen forces on the
cable.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distributor and adjuster
comprise a powered pulling drum with regulatable drive torque that may be monitored
and adjusted to control the force on the cable.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distributor and adjuster
comprise a pulling drum and a clutching system.
7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distributor and adjuster
comprise a pulling drum and a torque conversion system.
8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pulling drum is powered by an
electric motor.
9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pulling drum is powered by a
mechanical motor.
10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pulling drum is powered by a
hydraulic motor.
11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, comprising a dampener for dampening
stress applied to the cable from movements of said vessel, at least one roller for leading
said cable to said pulling drum, and a guider for guiding said cable over said roller or
rollers.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said dampener and said guider
comprise a damper arm located in front of said pulling drum at the entry point of the
cable on said vessel.
13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said dampener keeps tension on
said cable constant.
14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said smaller cylinder is topped
with a cone whose base has the same diameter as said smaller cylinder.
15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said cone is capped with a
suspendably mounted smaller cone attached to a drive motor to rotate said smaller cone
on its axis.
16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, comprising an arm protruding from said
smaller cone for sweeping around and above said smaller cone to direct the cable to be
deposited around the cage in the raceway area.
17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, comprising a powered drum for delivering
the cable from said adjuster to said holding area.
18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said powered drum delivers the
cable to the peak of said smaller cone.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cable comprises attachments
and said cylindrical cage comprises a lip extending from its inner wall for holding said
cable attachments until the cable attachments fall outside said raceway.
20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said raceway is smaller in width
than the attachments to said cable.
21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said lip directs the cable to fall
into said raceway.
22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, comprising support brackets outside the
cylindrical cage for receiving and holding said attachments to said cable.
23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said attachments comprise
electrical, electronic, acoustic, or fiber optic instruments or materials.
24. A method for retrieving cable from water in marine operations employing a
floating vessel, while monitoring and adjusting the pulling forces on said cable during
said retrieval to reduce damage to said cable from said forces during said retrieval, said
method comprising :
pulling said cable with a pulling device that distributes pulling forces and stresses
among all of the cable components, and that employs a see-saw action for adjusting
said pulling forces to maintain said forces below the damage point for said cable ; and

depositing cable in a storage area on said vessel, said storage area comprising a
cylindrical cage having at least two vertical slots and a central interior cylinder having a
conical top and separated from an exterior cylindrical cage wall by a raceway area for
the cable and a conical cap with a protruding arm rotatably mounted on the conical top
for receiving and directing cable into the raceway area.
25. The method as claimed in claim 24, comprising delivering the cable from said
pulling device to said storage area using a powered drum.
26. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the cable comprises at least one
attachment of marine equipment, said method also comprising causing said attachment
to fall outside said raceway area while the cable attaching said attachment is directed
through said vertical slot into the raceway area.
27. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said pulling device comprises a
pulling drum and a front-mounted damper arm having an adjustable tension range at the
entry point of the cable on the vessel, and said method also comprises adjusting said
damper arm so as to keep tension constant on the cable during pulling.
28. An apparatus for retrieving and deploying cable in marine operations, said
apparatus comprising :

(a) pulley drum assembly comprising a pulling drum capable of pulling the cable
while distributing pulling forces across all components of the cable ;
(b) powered drive motor with regulatable torque drive for operating the pulling drum
and adjusting the forces such pulling exerts on the cable ;

(c) front-mounted damper arm with an adjustable tension range positioned prior to
the drum pulley assembly to dampen stress on the cable caused by movement
of water;
(d) storage system for said cable, comprising a cylindrical cage having a smaller
diameter cylinder about its central point and a raceway path in-between the
smaller diameter cylinder and the interior wall of the outer-part of the cylindrical
cage ; wherein said smaller diameter cylinder has a conical top capped with a
rotatably mounted cone ; and
(e) means for delivering cable from the pulley drum assembly to the storage system.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said tension exerted by said
damper arm on said cable is reduced by lowering said damper arm toward the cable.
30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said powered drive motor comprises a
hydraulic torque conversion system that slips or stalls at a selectable force value and
that allows payback beyond said selectable force value, simulating a see saw action
between the apparatus and the cable.
31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, comprising at least one slit in said exterior
wall.
32. A method for deploying cable employing the apparatus as claimed in claim 28,
wherein said means for delivering the cable to the storage system is a powered drum,
said method comprising deploying said cable using said powered drum and the cable's
own weight.

33. An apparatus for retrieving cable from water during marine operations employing
a floating-vessel, substantially as herein described, particularly with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
34. A method for retrieving cable from water in marine operations employing a
floating vessel, substantially as herein described, particularly with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
35. An apparatus for retrieving and deploying cable in marine operations,
substantially as herein described, particularly with reference to the accompanying
drawings.

An apparatus for retrieving cable (20) from water during marine operations
employing a floating vessel (38), comprises :
a distributor (10) for distributing forces across all components of the cable while
pulling the cable ;
an adjuster (30) for automatically adjusting the pulling forces on the cable
caused by movement of said vessel in the water; and
a holding area on said vessel for said cable, said holding area comprising a
cylindrical cage (40) whose outside perimeter has vertical slots (41) from a top edge
(50) thereof and whose interior comprises a raceway path (46) and a smaller diameter
cylinder (50) about the central point of said cylindrical cage.

Documents:

566-KOL-2004-FORM 27.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-abstract.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-assignment.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-claims.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-correspondence.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-description (complete).pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-drawings.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-examination report.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-form 1.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-form 18.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-form 2.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-form 3.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-form 5.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-gpa.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

566-kol-2004-granted-specification.pdf


Patent Number 227651
Indian Patent Application Number 566/KOL/2004
PG Journal Number 03/2009
Publication Date 16-Jan-2009
Grant Date 14-Jan-2009
Date of Filing 15-Sep-2004
Name of Patentee PGS AMERICAS,INC.
Applicant Address 738 HIGHWAY 6 SOUTH SUITE 500, HOUSTON, TEXAS
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 SCOTT GARY LEE 13723 LARKWAY DRIVE, SUGAR LAND, TEXAS 77478
PCT International Classification Number B66D 1/00
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 10/684,653 2003-10-14 U.S.A.