Oct.

30, 1962

- L. A. MARETTI

3,060,854

UNDERWATER ROCKET

Filed Dec. 21, 1959

IN VEN TOR.

#75145 4.114 72122

3,060,854

Stats

Patented Oct. 30, 1962v

ll

3,060,854

UNDERWATER ROCKET
Louis A. Maretti, Carpentersville, Ill., assignor, by mesne
assignments, to Perma-Pier, Inc., Skokie, 111., a corpo
ration of Illinois

Filed Dec. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 860,859

2 Claims. (Cl. 102-345)
The present invention is concerned with a new and
novel device to provide a measure of safety for skin
divers heretofore not possible to attain, and more par
ticularly relates to a hand-held rocket, harmless to human

beings, but capable of diverting predatory ?sh away from

the vicinity of underwater swimmers, skin divers and

Positioned immediately to the rear of the propellant

charge 6 is a venturi 8 which ?ts snugly against the in
side wall of the body 2 and which contains one or more

small ori?ces 14. In my preferred embodiment I have

found that an ori?ce size of .090 to .111 inch was most

satisfactory, but it will be understood that my invention

is in no way limited to these details of construction.
Said venturi 8 is made of metal, plastic, wood or other
materials, and the space on the forward side of the ori?ce
14 is ?lled with a fast ignition powder 7, such as black
powder or the like, and said fast ignition powder 7 serves
to ignite the propellant charge 6 which, as it is converted
into an expanding gas through ignition, is exhausted

forceably through the ori?ce 14 and thus propels the

the like.
15 rocket through the water. Said fast ignition powder 7. is,
An important object of this invention is to provide an
however, ignited by means of a pull type igniter, shown
entirely new means of enabling skin divers to engage
in FIGURE 2, which consists of a suitable length of wire
in this sport without the attendant danger of attack from
12, coated with an ignition material such as red amorous
the various forms of dangerous ?sh found in ocean areas.
phosphorus and black copper oxide or the like. As the
Another object of this invention is to provide a hand
wire 12 is pulled in the manner hereinafter described, it
held rocket capable of being ?red underwater without
coacts with the metal ori?ce 14 which is coated with
danger to the operator.
'
a quantity of antimony sul?de and potassium sulfate to
Still another object of this invention is to provide an
create sparks which ignite thev fast ignition powder 7.
inexpensive and handy device for protective use against
It is most important to note that the coated wire 12 serves
25 also to continually clean out the ori?ce 14 which may
attacking or otherwise undesirable ?sh.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide
otherwise become clogged with products of combustion
a hand-held rocket capable of being ?red with great ac
as the rocket is initially ?red. Particularly in this respect,
curacy, and at a target a considerable distance from the
the device described herein represents an improvement
operator, thus providing a novel form of underwater rec
over the co-pending application of George E. Gross, Serial
reation. Moreover, an important object of the present
Number 811,952, ?led May 8, 1959 abandoned. As
invention is to provide a new and improved igniter and
shown in the drawings, the rearward facing end of the
propulsion means for a hand-held underwater rocket,
coated wire 12 is ?xedly attached to a plug 11. Said
simpler in construction and more dependable in its
plug 11 is ?tted securely into the end of the body 2, as

operation.

a cork ?ts a bottle, and the entire contents are thus

Other objects, features and advantages of the present

invention will be readily apparent from the following
detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in
which:

rendered waterproof. In addition, this makes it possible

to ?re the rocket, by simply removing the plug 11 which
has the effect of pulling the pull igniter 12 and starting

FIGURE 2 is an outer front elevation view of the

and exerting a sharp pulling motion, the cap is pulled

off, the rocket is ?red and ready for instantaneous

the chain reaction of ignition described above. In actual

use I have found it most convenient to hang the inven
FIGURE 1 is an outer side elevation view showing the 40 tion from a belt worn around my waist, by a lanyard
external features of the invention.
attached to the plug 11. Then, by grasping the rocket

present invention.
FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially

use, all of which requires but one hand for the complete

0n the line IIIIII of FIGURE 2, showing the internal

procedure. It will thus be seen that an underwater swim

mer can easily and quickly protect himself from under

details of construction.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view of an alternate em

water danger without interfering with his other activity.
bodiment of the invention showing another form of rota
One of the primary advantages of this invention is the
tion imparting means.
fact that the powder charges are of a magnitude such
50
According to the present invention, a substantially hol
as to be virtually harmless to human beings. Yet, my
low, cylindrical, pointed, waterproof body 2 of paper,
experiments have shown that the ?ash may produce
plastic or other suitable material, which may be of
an underwater disturbance which is amply su?icient to
any convenient length, but preferably ten inches or longer,
frighten sharks, barracuda, and any other ?sh or marine
is spirally wound with, for example, 1%: inch rope I
creature. The propellant charge is controlled by the
which is glued to said body as shown in FIGURE 1. In 55 venturi in such a way that the rocket may be hand
the alternative, ?ns, or various other stabilizing or ri?ing
held until release is desired without injury to the opera

means may also be employed to serve the same purpose.

tor, and the rocket may even be detonated in the hand

A ?ash powder 3 is positioned in the nose of the body

without serious danger or injury.

The full range of the rocket is, of course, dependent
upon the size of the propellant charge, but I have found

2 in an amount su?icient to produce the desired under

water detonation and ?ash.

A propellant charge 6 of suitable material, such as

ammonium nitrate, guanadine nitrate, or the like, is posi

that a su?icientrange is seventy-?ve to one hundred feet.

In any event, the effective range of the device may be

tioned toward the rear of the rocket, and is spaced from

shortened by the operator, by increasing the length of
said ?ash powder by a ballast 5 of sand, wax or other
time the rocket is held in the hand prior to its being
suitable material, through which is threaded a fuse mate 65 released.
rial 4 connecting said propellant charge with said ?ash
While any person can quite readily develop extreme,
powder. It will be noted that the ballast 5 is spaced
accuracy, it is known to be su?icient for such a ?ash to
from the ?ash powder 3 by a suitable wall or wad 13.
be placed anywhere in the general vicinity of an intruding
predatory ?sh, etc. in order to effectively frighten it away.
It will be further understood that when the propellant
charge 6 has been consumed in the manner hereinafter
Consequently, I have provided by my invention, a safe,
described, it will ignite the fuse 4 which in turn will cause
convenient, inexpensive and useful method and device for

the ?ash powder to ignite.

making the popular sport of skin diving, or any other

3,060,854

3
underwater pursuit, in?nitely more safe than it presently
exists.
It will, of course, be understood that modi?cations
and variations may be made without departing from the
scope of the novel concepts of the present invention; The
speci?c example of the invention set forth herein is
illustrative only, and various modi?cations in structure
will doubtless occur to those skilled in the art.
I claim as my invention:

1. A rocket for traveling in a liquid medium compris

ing in combination, a substantially tubular liquid-proof

4
and exhaustion of gases through said combination ignition
and venturi means and said tube means and subsequent

ignition of said ?ash powder said ?rst chamber.

2. A rocket for traveling in a liquid medium compris
ing in combination, a substantially tubular liquid-proof
casing closed at one end and open at the other, said

casing having rocket rotation imparting means associated

therewith and adapted to be manually grasped to provide
the sole launching and initial direction imparting impetus
to said rocket in said liquid medium, propellant means

located in said casing, wall means adjacent to said pro

pellant means and retaining said propellant means within
casing having rocket rotation imparting means associated
said casing, said wall means having a generally frusto
therewith and adapted to be manually grasped to provide
conical shape and being formed with a central bore, a
the sole launching and initial direction imparting impetus 15 combination ignition and venturi means located in said
to said rocket in said liquid medium a ?rst chamber in
bore of said wall means characterized as a cup-shaped
said rocket containing a ?ash powder, wall means de?ning
member having a small central ori?ce, said cup-shaped
with said casing said ?rst chamber, ballast means disposed
member having an open mouth extending into said
adjacent to said wall means, fuse means extending through
propellant means, and coated wire means cooperable with
said ballast means and said wall means into said ?ash
said cup-shaped member to produce ignition of the pro
powder propellant means located in said casing adjacent
pellant means and having one end extending through
to said ballast means and in ignition proximity to said
said ori?ce, sealing plug means for sealing the open end
fuse means, second wall means adjacent to said propellant
of said casing and ?xed to the other end of said coated
means and retaining said propellant means in proximity
wire means whereby removal of said plug means while
to said ballast means, said second wall means having a 25 said rocket is immersed within a liquid medium causes
casing closed at one end and open at the other, said

generally frusto-conical shape and being formed with a

ignition of said propellant and exhaustion of gases through

central bore, a combination ignition and venturi means

located in said bore of said second wall means character
ized as a cup-shaped member having a small central

said combination ignition and venturi means.

References ited in the ?le of this patent

UNITED STATES PATENTS

ori?ce, said cup-shaped member having an open mouth 30

extending into said propellant means, and coated wire
249,192
means cooperable with said cup-shaped member to ignite
1,901,852
said propellant means and having one end extending
2,170,815
through said ori?ce, tube means extending from said bore
2,389,782
in said second wall means, and surroundingly disposed to
2,519,123
said wire means, sealing plug means sealing said open
2,538,333
end of said casing and said tube means and ?xed to
2,588,184
the other end of said coated wire means whereby re
moval of said plug means while said rocket is immersed
within a liquid medium causes ignition of said propellant
4785A

Mallory ______________ __ Nov. 8, 1881

Stolfa et a1. __________ __ Mar. 14, 1933
Eroe ________________ __ Aug. 29, 1939
Jackson _____________ __ Nov. 27, 1945

Dwyer et a1 ___________ __ Aug. 15, 1950

Schermuly et al ________ __ Jan. 16, 1951
Walsh ________________ __ Mar. 4, 1952

FOREIGN PATENTS
Great Britain ________ __ Mar. 17, 1891