SALVAGE- LIFT PADEYE . On occasion, it is desired to lift heavy- 

 objects from the sea floor. The capability to provide a lift point 

 from which 25 long-tons of steel may be raised vd.ll be provided 

 by the Salvage-Life PADEYE, Figure 4. The dimension across the 

 diagonal of the PADEYE is l8 inches. Initially, the PADEYE is 

 attached with 4 magnets to the plate to be lifted. Pour stud 

 driver barrels similar to, but heavier than, the barrels of the 

 Heavy-Duty Driver are screwed into place. Figure 4 shows one of 

 these in firing position. The 4 studs are fired into the plate 

 to be raised. Next, the expended barrels are removed. The 

 swiveled attachment bar remains in the center of the PADEYE. A 

 hole in the attachment bar will accept a 2-inch diameter line, 

 the other end of which is secured to a pontoon or other lifting 

 device. Development of the PADEYE is scheduled for completion in 

 February 1970. 



CABLE CUTTER MK 20 MOD . The Cable Cutter Mk 20 Mod is 

 shown in Figure 5- This cutter is approximately 10 inches long. 

 A guillotine-type blade in the cutter easily severes 1-inch di- 

 ameter plough steel cable. The propellant and cutter blade are 

 located in the midsection of the tool. As shown in Figure 5* 

 the Cable Cutter Mk 20 has a shipping bar in place. The shipping 

 bar is retained in place until the cable cutter is to be used. 

 If the cutter is fired accidently, the shipping bar will be 

 severed, but in this circumstance, the hardened cutter blade will 

 not shatter upon impact with the sinvil. In air, fragments from 

 a shattered cutter blade could injure personnel in the immediate 

 vicinity of the cutter. Figure 6 shows the cable cutter with the 

 shipping bar removed and a 1-inch diameter cable in place. The 

 Cable Cutter Mk 20 is discarded after use. This cutter has been 

 recommended for release to production by NOL and a fleet opera- 

 tional evaluation is about to begin. 



PYRONOL Cutter . A new and interesting method of cutting 

 recently has been revealed by NOL. Cutting is accomplished by 

 electrically igniting a metal slurry called PYRONOL. Figure 7 

 shows a view of a PYRONOL Cutter which has severed a 2-inch cable 

 under water. When loaded, this cutter assembly weighed 8 povinds 

 which is approximately half the expected weight of a mechanical 

 cutter that could do the same Job. PYRONOL is an exothermic 

 mixture of powdered nickel, aluminum, and ferric-oxide. When 

 ignited, this mixture achieves temperatures approaching 24O0°C. 

 A little fluorocarbon added to the metal slurry causes a pressure 

 buildup within the cylindrical section of the tool aind forces the 

 burning slurry mix to be ejected down through am especially con- 

 figured nozzle onto the cable. The cable is completely severed 

 in less than a second. To date, cutting work using PYRONOL has 

 been exploratory. An underwater electrical firing system and a 

 convenient arrangement for fastening the tool to the cable under 

 water are yet to be developed. In auidition, more test firings 

 and side effects studies will be reqviired at various underwater 



120 



