Abstract:
A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE POSITION OF A MANEUVERABLE NAVAL STRUCTURE WHICH IS FLOATING UPON OR IMMERSED IN THE SEA SO THAT IT IS OVER A FIXED POSITION BY THE COMBINATION OF AN ULTRASONIC BEAM DIRECTED TO A RECEIVING APPARATUS WHICH GENERATES AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF BOTH THE DISTANCE AND THE DIRECTION WHICH THE BEAM RECEIVING MEANS IS OFF THE CENTER OF THE RECEIVED BEAM, WITH PROPULSIVE MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID STRUCTURE RESPONSIVE TO SAID SIGNAL TO ALIGN THE BEAM RECEIVING MEANS WITH THE RECEIVED BEAM.