NAVY CAPABILITIES 



33 



The new underwater salvage lift system. This newly de- 

 veloped concept greatly reduces the diver's efforts needed in 

 attaching lifting lines to a sunken object. 



Velocity power tools which utiHze the power from an ammunition-type 

 cartridge to drive threaded, soHd, and hollow studs into and through steel 

 plates have been used by divers since the late 1930's. An improved single- 

 stud velocity-powered driver was tested during Sealab II. The improve- 

 ments in this device generally related to an increase in its penetration 

 ability into various thicknesses of HY 80 steel plate. Other improvements, 

 however, enhanced diver operability and safety by better containing the 

 explosive gas energy. This last improvement reduced the shock on divers 

 to negligible proportions. 



The usefulness of magnets in ship salvage and other underwater work is 

 also being investigated. The general conclusions to date suggest that large 

 electromagnets will prove valuable in the salvage of ferrous cargoes from 

 sunken ships, where the repetitive nature of the operation greatly reduces 

 the requirement for divers and simplifies the attachment problem. Smaller 



