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Hi Brent. My first designs always had the exterior wheel for opening the
hatch. I then moved to a socket on the outside, to reduce entanglement
danger, with a handle clamped to the outside. After many drawings/ideas I
finally did away with the whole idea of an outside mechanism. I just don't like
the idea of a shaft penetrating the hull, especially on the top. I will have a
shaft and seal on the bottom for the drop weight, but it will be isolated by a 2
inch ball valve with the bolt head inside the valve. If the hydraulic drop
mechanism fails, I'll be able to open the valve and rotate the bolt with a big
socket.
But about the hatch, I'm not sure how useful an exterior handle will be. I
think a better rescue device would be an exterior connection to pump air into
the hull, and some means of lifting the sub like an exterior means of blowing
the ballast tanks. Anyway, the hatch is almost done, so I'll stick with what
I've got for now. If a better plan comes along, it won't be hard at all to make
a new hatch. Frank D. Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year. |