Researchers Submit Patent Application, “Watercraft Immobilizing Apparatus and System”, for Approval (USPTO 20170183070)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Bioterrorism Week -- From Washington, D.C., NewsRx journalists report that a patent application by the inventor Gayton, Richard J. A. (Glen Gardner, NJ), filed on December 7, 2016, was made available online on July 6, 2017 (see also Patents).

No assignee for this patent application has been made.

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: "Maritime piracy (as well as acts of terrorism) targeting both commercial and non-commercial vessels has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. According to available data, there were approximately 400 reported pirate attacks globally in 2009, out of which about 150 vessels were boarded, over 50 vessels were hijacked, and over 100 vessels were fired upon; also, over 1,000 crew members were taken hostage with about 70 being injured and around 10 confirmed deaths. The comparative numbers for 2008 show about 300 reported incidents and about 40 vessels hijacked. The Gulf of Aden, a hot bed of piracy, was the site of about 120 attacks. Somali pirates have been identified as being responsible for over 200 acts of piracy in 2009, and their reach now extends more than 1,000 miles from the coast of Somalia. The percentage of successful hijackings in the Indian Ocean was about 25% of the vessels attacked through the last quarter of 2009. The over 50 successful hijackings in 2009 resulted in approximately $177 million in total ransoms paid to Somali pirates. In 2010, although there were fewer hijackings (about 44), total ransoms paid were higher, at about $238 million. The attacks continue to increase as have the average quantum of the ransoms paid.

"Pirates have proven that the use of high speed conventionally powered small watercraft is highly effective and very difficult to deter. Prior experience in the Gulf of Aden has shown that successful attacks are typically conducted during twilight hours, from astern of and on the port quarter of the targeted vessel. The increased military presence in the Gulf of Aden has effectively forced Somali pirates to extend and venture further out into the Indian Ocean where potential targets are afforded less protection. They have managed to do this by utilizing hijacked vessels as mother ships. This has enabled pirates to attack vessels up to 1000 miles off the coast of Somalia. Pirates usually favor vessels that are alone, slow moving and loaded, hence with low freeboards.

"It is the general policy of insurance companies to pay the very high ransoms demanded for hijacked international flag vessels, cargoes and crews. Indeed, the surge in activity off the east coast of Somalia has, as noted above, led to ransom payments in excess of $200M for this region alone. The total cost of piracy has recently been reported to be about $12 to 15 billion annually. Insurance companies have increased tenfold surcharges for sending a cargo shipment through the Gulf of Aden (according to Lloyds List, approximately 20,000 vessels transited the Gulf of Aden in 2009 alone). Single trip policies through the Gulf of Aden with a $3 million ransom clause, can cost around $30,000, with additional premiums for crew liability. The hike in insurance rates has caused many ship operators to plot routes south of Africa and the Cape of Good Hope, however this is not always cost effective when carrying time sensitive cargo. Lloyd's estimates the average increase in cost to sail this southerly route to be about $80,000 per trip.

"The current deterrents being utilized generally favor the use of armed guards/escorts or other lethal force. However, international authorities have been reluctant to recommend such danger prone and potentially lethal methods. Also, the cost of hiring a security escort to pass through the Gulf of Aden/Suez Canal can be as much as $100,000, depending on the ship's size and the value of its cargo. The costs associated with deployment of armed guards are increasing relative to the ever expanding need for protection. The further drawback of this type of protection is that the vessel is only protected while the guards are embarked. Armed resistance also triggers many other concerns.

"Therefore, there is an urgent need for a primary, stand-alone, passive, non-lethal and cost-effective marine vessel defense apparatus and system that can be deployed by the vessel's own crew to immobilize an attacking watercraft (whether detected or undetected) before it can reach the vessel."

As a supplement to the background information on this patent application, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventor's summary information for this patent application: "Generally speaking, the present invention is directed to embodiments of a new, non-lethal watercraft immobilizing apparatus and system that can be deployed from any marine vessel to defend against attacking engine powered watercraft. Improving over conventional net-deploying systems, embodiments of the present invention include a towed array of wires, SPECTRA lines, polymer or nylon lines ('tendril lines' or 'lines') at or below the water surface, which may be weighted for neutral buoyancy. The towed array of tendril lines can foul and immobilize propellers and engine cooling water intakes of attacking watercraft (whether or not detected). An arrangement of secondary and possibly tertiary tendril lines can also be deployed from the primary lines.

"The towed lines can be deployed from removable/replaceable cartridges (that can be disposed of after use or refurbished). The cartridges can be mounted on supports or outriggers positioned strategically about the assailable faces of the vessel.

"Banks of suspended, weighted, submersible dual rollers can be included to direct the tendril lines fed from the cartridges, which can be deployed and recovered manually or automatically by means of motors, for example. Each bank of rollers can feature secondary winches or davits at the extremities that can also be operated by motor. The winches or davits can hold the wire/line that deploys the weighted submersible dual rollers for each bank. The weighted dual rollers can be configured to place the towed array at or below the water surface adjacent to the cartridges.

"A main bank of rollers can be mounted off the vessel's transom (e.g., suspended not from outriggers but from the vessel's existing aft structures, such as, for example, the aft bulwark). Two transom outriggers (e.g., one at each extremity of the vessel), can each be configured to deploy its own bank of rollers. The weighted submersible dual rollers in the way of these two aft outriggers can be configured to be connectable to the extremities of the rollers of the main transom bank, effectively forming one unit. Deep fins can be situated at the outer extremities of these rollers to prevent the lines of the towed side arrays from fouling the vessel's own propeller(s).

"Additional outriggers can each be configured to deploy its own bank of rollers at the vessel's forward shoulders (e.g., on port and starboard sides). These banks can be similarly fitted with powered submersible dual rollers to effectively deploy side arrays to shield the vessel's sides. Each cartridge can administer multiple main lines and/or an array of tendril lines through the adjacent submersible roller(s). The ends of each of the main lines for each cartridge can be held in a submerged pattern by weighted spreader bars, which can be finned for improved stability.

"Alternatively, or in addition, two or more davits/outriggers (e.g., one at each extremity of the vessel at a forward position such as the focsle of the vessel, and/or one at each extremity of the vessel at an aft position such as the transom of the vessel) can be configured to deploy one or more drogues/foils/rudders (e.g., deep-finned, floated, and buoyant), which can be similar to paravanes, (hereinafter, 'paravanes'). The paravanes can be interconnected by a transverse submersible wire/chain that can support rollers. The paravanes can be towed from wires streamed from forward positions to prevent the paravanes and transverse submersible wire or chain from trailing aft of the transom. For example, in some embodiments, each paravane can be towed by one or more wire, chain or SPECTRA booms (hereinafter, 'floated booms'), which can be held in position from the vessel's stem by a traveling block, folding bowsprit, or hard connection to the hull of the vessel. Thus, each paravane and respective floated boom(s) can mutually hold each other in position. The side array of tendril lines can then be streamed from one or more of the floated booms. In some embodiments, when utilizing the optional hard connection to the hull of the vessel (e.g., port and/or starboard bow), the floated boom can be stored in a bight from the head of the foremast, which can provide protection that is simple and cost effective. Tendril lines of the main stern bank can then be fed through links of the interconnecting submersible wire/chain (or rollers supported by the interconnected wire/chain), which can hold the tendril lines in/on the water below (e.g., immediately below) the transom.

"Alternatively, or in addition, banks of storage rollers can be provided at the vessel's focsle (e.g., on port and starboard sides). These banks can be similarly powered to feed the tendril lines through floated booms (e.g., on port and starboard sides) to effectively deploy the side arrays and shield the vessel's sides. Each cartridge can be situated on one or more of the self-tensioning winches and can administer multiple main lines and/or an array of tendril lines through the adjacent floated booms. The ends of each of the main lines for each cartridge can be held in a submerged pattern by finned floats and/or spreader bars, which can also be finned for improved stability.

"In some embodiments, the paravanes can be configured to prevent the possibility of the lines of the towed side arrays from fouling the vessel's own propeller(s). The paravanes can be deep-finned, situated at or just below the sea or water surface (e.g., approximately 20 to 30 degrees abaft of the stem on both the port and starboard sides of the vessel). The floated booms can be fitted with eyes or rollers (which can include storage rollers) positioned at suitable intervals through which the tendril lines can be fed. The floated booms can feed the lines into the water forward of the storage positions of the lines.

"The floated booms, paravanes and tendril lines can be deployed and/or recovered by separate winches or davits. It should be appreciated that the floated boom and paravane assembly deployed from the stem of the vessel can dramatically increase the area of protection along the vessel's sides and can also provide protection of the bow of the vessel.

"The watercraft immobilizing apparatus and system according to embodiments of the present invention can be deployed remotely (e.g., from the vessel's bridge), and as quickly as the vessel's own speed through the water. The vessel does not have to reduce speed for deployment or recovery.

"It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a passive, non-lethal, easy-to-use, cost-effective defensive shield around a marine vessel to immobilize and thus repel attacking watercraft (whether or not such watercraft have been detected).

"Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

"The present invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims."

For additional information on this patent application, see: Gayton, Richard J. A. Watercraft Immobilizing Apparatus and System. Filed December 7, 2016 and posted July 6, 2017. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220170183070%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20170183070&RS=DN/20170183070

Keywords for this news article include: Patents.

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