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US 10,711,432 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for forming a trench in a sea floor
AssigneeSoil Machine Dynamics Limited
InventorsRoger Paul White, John Graeme Walker, Simon Vivian Ranulf Bateson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for forming a trench in a sea floor and/or displacing material on the sea floor is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a body and front skids mounted to the body for engaging the sea floor and supporting the body. The front skids are adjustable between a first mode, in which the front skids engage the sea floor, and a second mode, in which the front skids engage the sea floor adjacent the trench and at the trench walls.
Claims12
An apparatus for forming a trench and/or inserting material into a trench in a sea floor, the apparatus comprising:
- a body;
- at least one sea floor engaging device mounted to the body for engaging the sea floor and supporting the body;
- at least one material displacing device for displacing material on the sea floor as a result of movement of the apparatus along the sea floor, wherein at least one said material displacing device comprises a plurality of first material displacement members mounted to the body, and a plurality of second material displacement members mounted to the first material displacement members in a first mode of the material displacing device such that a lateral width of the apparatus in said first mode of the material displacing device is larger than the lateral width of the apparatus in a second mode of the material displacing device;
- and
- at least one trench cutting device supported by the body for cutting a trench in the sea floor;
- wherein at least one said material displacing device comprises a plurality of tines adapted to displace material on the sea floor, forwards of at least one said sea floor engaging device, laterally outwards of the apparatus, while at least one said trench cutting device is cutting a trench in the sea floor.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.