ANDRE WILLIS OLIVIER
Pilots at Robin Ln, New Orleans, LA

6263823, Jul 24, 2001

Jun 25, 1999

9/344884

Andre W. Olivier - River Ridge LA

Input/Output, Inc. - Stafford TX

B63G 814

114245

A connection system for connecting external devices to specified locations on a marine seismic streamer. Inner collars are clamped to the cable at specified locations along its length. Each inner collar forms a circular race encircling the cable. A cuff attached to an external device is in the form of a C-shaped cylindrical ring with a circular inner surface. A gap in the ring interrupts the inner surface. A throat is formed in the ring by the gap, which extends the full length of the cuff across the ends of the C. The spacing between the ends of the C across the throat defines the width of the gap. The width of the gap is slightly larger than the diameter of the cable so that the cuff can be slipped over the cable through the throat. The width of the gap is smaller than the diameter of the circular race so that, when the cuff is slid into position on the race, the cuff cannot be removed radially from the race. The inner surface of the cuff rides on the race to allow the cable to rotate inside the cuff.

6525992, Feb 25, 2003

Apr 18, 2000

09/551832

Andre W. Olivier - River Ridge LA
Robert E. Rouquette - Kenner LA
Brien G. Rau - Gretna LA

Input/Output, Inc. - Stafford TX

G01V 138

367 17, 114245, 114331, 114332

A device for controlling the position of an underwater cable comprises a body, first and second actuators, and a pair of wings. The body is stationarily mountable to the underwater cable and the first and second actuators are disposed in the body. Each wing has an axis of rotation and the wings are coupled to the first and second actuators to control the depth and the horizontal position of the underwater cable in the water.

2011000, Jan 13, 2011

Sep 18, 2008

12/677461

Andre W. Olivier - River Ridge LA, US
Adam G. Kay - Harahan LA, US
Matthew W. Ip - Austin TX, US

ION GEOPHYSICAL CORPORATION - Houston TX

H02G 15/00, G01R 1/04

174 731, 324156

An underwater ocean bottom cable constructed of a series of axially aligned cable segments alternately arranged with sensor units. The sensor units include an outer housing with an interior cavity in which a sensor module is suspended by a cradle. Vanes on the sensor module protrude through axially elongated openings in the outer housing to dig into the seabed to provide good seismic coupling between the seabed and pressure sensors and motion sensors housed in the sensor module. The outer sensor housing is split into complementary portions that clamp firmly onto the ends of adjacent cable segments. Stress members, such as high modulus fiber ropes, extend out the ends of adjacent cable segments. Axial channels formed in the intervening outer sensor housing on opposite sides of the sensor module receive the stress members, which, along with the cradle, provide seismic isolation between the cable segments and the sensor modules.

5418757, May 23, 1995

Jun 7, 1994

8/255711

Brien G. Rau - New Orleans LA
Andre W. Olivier - New Orleans LA

The Laitram Corporation - Harahan LA

H04B 159

367 4

A battery operated system 20 responds to coded acoustic signals 15 for releasing a buoyed housing from an underwater anchor 21 to carry a retrieval line attached to a retrievable underwater object to the water surface. A novel tethering mechanism 26 is provided for attaching the housing to a line 25 tethered to the anchor and for releasing it in response to the coded acoustic signals. The tethering mechanism operates in two diverse modes. Thus the housing is released from its tether line thermally by battery power which melts an expandable wax body in a thermal actuator 36 to move an actuating member 37 through a line release stroke. However, the tether line is attached by a manually actuated latching mechanism 45, 47 provided for retethering the housing at a different location without draining battery power for resetting the latching mechanism. In one embodiment, the angle of the line leaving a latching compartment outwardly is restricted to prevent substantial changes in line orientation thereby to reduce fouling of the tether line in response to underwater currents. The tether line attaching mechanism comprises in separate embodiments either a set of line clamping cams or a latched set of levers, either of which releases the line in response to thermal movement of an actuating member.

5378864, Jan 3, 1995

Jun 9, 1993

8/074056

Andre W. Olivier - New Orleans LA
Oneil J. Williams - Metairie LA

The Laitram Corporation - Harahan LA

H01H 3900

200 6108

A general-purpose, pressure-sensitive electrical switch, having a frangible electrically conductive path that is irreversibly broken by an excessive applied pressure differential, The switch includes a pressure-deflectable diaphragm and an interior chamber. The diaphragm forms an interface between the internal chamber and the external environment. As the pressure differential across the diaphragm exceeds a specified level, the diaphragm deflects. The internal chamber can also be sealed with an internal pressure P. sub. 1 so that the diaphragm deflects for a specified absolute external pressure P. sub. 2. The force of the deflection is transmitted to brittle, inelastic structure within the switch through an intermediate load transmission element. The electrical path, which is along the brittle structure, terminates in a pair of externally-accessible terminals. The force of deflection stresses the brittle structure beyond its fracture stress level, causing it to break and opening the electrical path between the terminals.

5201128, Apr 13, 1993

Aug 23, 1991

7/749324

Andre W. Olivier - New Orleans LA
Walter L. Heston - Arabi LA

The Laitram Corporation - New Orleans LA

G01C 1718

33355R

A miniaturized electronic magnetic compass system, or the like, is mounted in a substantially cylindrical gimbal ring unit of about 0. 75 in diameter, and 1. 25 in length. Critical to the small size is the pendulum that positions the internal magnetic detector by gravity relative to the earth's surface. Thus, a pendulum formed of tungsten has its curved bottom surface formed of a central spherical surface and two flanking cylindrical surfaces meeting in two planes disposed at an angle intersecting with the pendulum axis of rotation. The mass of the detector is centered by resilient conductive spring plates bearing on gimbal pivot shafts, which also serve as electrical connectors for the detector. Thus, two separated shaft ends journalled in one gimbal ring, which is insulated to electrically isolate the shaft ends serve as two conductors. The gimbal system is damped in a perfluorocarbon oil.

5507243, Apr 16, 1996

Feb 23, 1994

8/200704

Oneil J. Williams - Metairie LA
Andre W. Olivier - New Orleans LA

The Laitram Corporation - Harahan LA

B63G 814

114245

A connector for attaching equipment to an underwater cable includes a cylindrical race having a plurality of sections pivotably connected by a hinge. The sections can pivot about the hinge to enable the race to be opened and detached from the cable. The hinge includes a plurality of sockets and a hinge pin rotatably received in the sockets. The hinge pin can preferably be retracted from the sockets to unlock the hinge and inserted into the sockets to lock the hinge. A retaining member prevents the hinge pin from falling out of the sockets when the hinge pin is retracted.

2004000, Jan 15, 2004

Dec 23, 2002

10/326289

Andre Olivier - River Ridge LA, US
Robert Rouquette - Kenner LA, US
Brien Rau - Gretna LA, US

Input/Output, Inc. - Stafford TX

G01V001/38

367/016000, 367/019000

The present invention provides an underwater cable arrangement includes an underwater cable having one or more external devices mounted on the cable. In one form of the invention, the external devices are powered primarily or entirely by inductive coupling between a coil disposed in the cable and a coil disposed in the external device. The invention also provides a variety of external devices capable of use with an underwater cable. The invention further provides a coil support arrangement for supporting a coil within an underwater cable in a manner protecting a core of the coil from damage.

2008021, Sep 4, 2008

Aug 7, 2006

11/462743

Andre W. Olivier - River Ridge LA, US

INPUT/OUTPUT, INC. - Stafford TX

G01V 1/38, B63H 25/00

367 17, 114248

A device and a method for laterally steering a streamer cable towed underwater behind a seismic survey vessel. The device includes a cable-steering assembly rotatably attached to a streamer cable. The assembly includes a body to which one or more wings are mounted. The wings are arranged to pivot about pivot axes. The assembly is ballasted so that the pivot axes of the wings are largely in a vertical plane. A conventional cable-leveling bird is converted to one version of a cable-steering device by ballasting to maintain the pivot axes of the bird's wings largely vertical. With an orientation sensor for sensing the orientation of the wings, the cable-steering device adjusts the angle of the wings to provide a sideward component of force to steer the streamer.

4853990, Aug 8, 1989

Feb 3, 1989

7/306910

William H. Elder - Mandeville LA
Ries B. Hansen - New Orleans LA
Andre W. Olivier - New Orleans LA

Mechanical Backrest, Inc. - Mandeville LA

A47C 2004, A61G 706

5 71

A person-raising device, designed for lifting a person in bed, rests atop a bed and is activated by a linear actuator comprising a dual-threaded lead screw and a small electric motor and gear reduction unit. The small electric motor and gear reduction unit drives the dual-threaded lead screw to raise a pair of support arms, which raises a person resting on the device. The lead screw is enclosed in a slotted tube; this decreases the chance of the lead screw coming into contact with a person using the device.