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. An outer collar attached to an external device
rotatably receives the inner collar and the encircled streamer in its
bore to allow the streamer to rotate freely within the outer collar
relative to the external device. The outer collar has an inner face
bounding and defining the shape of the bore. The inner face is tapered
from an intermediate position outward toward front and rear edges of the
outer collar to form a bore that is wider at the front and rear edges
than at the intermediate position. This flaring out of the bore provides
the streamer three degrees of angular freedom to position itself within
the bore. Roller bearings, such as ball bearings or pin bearings,
retained in recesses in the collar opening onto the inner face at the
intermediate position extend into the bore to provide a low-friction
bearing surface to the inner race. The ball bearings are retractable
against spring pressure to provide the streamer with two degrees of
lateral freedom to translate itself within the bore. In a typical
connection system, a single external device is connected to the streamer
by a pair of associated inner and outer collars.