# US 2017/0283180 A1 · Helical conveyor for underwater seismic exploration

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- Number: US 2017/0283180 A1
- Document ID: US20170283180A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/088,060
- Filed: 2016-03-31
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31
- Assignees: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
- Applicants: Fairfield Industries, Inc.
- Inventors: Roger L. Fyffe; Etienne Marc
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170283180A1

## CPC

- G01V 1/3852: {to the seabed}
- B65G 33/02: for articles
- B65G 67/603: {using devices specially adapted for articles}
- G01V 1/3808: {Seismic data acquisition, e.g. survey design}
- G01V 2210/1427: Sea bed
- G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02)
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a helical conveyor for underwater seismic exploration. The system can include a case having a cylindrical portion. A cap is positioned adjacent to a first end of the case. A conveyor having a helix structure is provided within the case. The conveyor can receive an ocean bottom seismometer (“OBS”) unit at a first end of the conveyer and transport the OBS unit via the helix structure to a second end of the conveyor to provide the OBS unit on the seabed to acquire the seismic data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for acquiring seismic data from a seabed, comprising:
a case having a cylindrical portion;
a cap positioned adjacent to a first end of the case; and
a conveyor having a helix structure and provided within the case to receive an ocean bottom seismometer (“OBS”) unit at a first end of the conveyer and transport the OBS unit via the helix structure to a second end of the conveyor to provide the OBS unit on the seabed to acquire the seismic data, a first distance between the first end of the conveyor and the cap less than a second distance between the second end of the conveyor and the cap.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the case comprises:
an opening to allow the OBS unit to pass through the case.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the case comprises:
a first opening to receive the OBS unit at the first end of the conveyor; and
a second opening to remove the OBS unit from the second end of the conveyor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the case comprises:
a first opening configured to receive the OBS unit at the first end of the conveyor;
a first gate configured to close the first opening;
a second opening to remove the OBS unit from the second end of the conveyor; and
a second gate configured to obstruct the second opening.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first gate or the second gate are under mechanical tension.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first gate or the second gate are configured to open and closed along a vertical axis of the cylindrical portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a conical shape, and a base of the cap is coupled to the first end of the case.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
the conveyor including the helix structure with a center of the helix structure extending along an axis of the cylindrical portion of the case.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a plurality of portions coupled together to form the helix structure.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
the helix structure having a spiral pitch.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
a first fin extending from at least one of the cap or the case; and
a second fin extending from at least one of the cap or the case, the first fin separated from the second fin by a predetermined angle to control rotation of the case through an aqueous medium.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, comprising:
the first fin separated from the second fin by the predetermined angle to dampen rotation of the case when moved through the aqueous medium.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the first fin and the second fin are positioned to generate drag in the aqueous medium to control the rotation of the case.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined angle is between 70 and 110 degrees.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor is a first conveyor, comprising:
a second conveyor having a second helix structure and provided within the case, a third distance between a first end of the second conveyor and the cap greater than the first distance.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor is a first conveyor, comprising:
a second conveyor having a second helix structure and provided within the case; and
the case comprises one or more openings to allow one or more OBS units to pass through the case and onto at least one of the first conveyor or the second conveyor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor is a first conveyor and the helix structure is a first helix structure, comprising:
a second conveyor having a second helix structure, a third distance between a first end of the second conveyor and the cap greater than the first distance, and a fourth distance between a second end of the second conveyor and the cap greater than the second distance; and
wherein the first helix structure and the second helix structure comprise a same constant spiral pitch.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
a second cap coupled to a second end of the case opposite from the first end, the second cap comprising a ballast.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
a support structure provided in the case extending along an axis of the cylindrical portion of the case and through a center of the helix structure.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, comprising:
the support structure coupled to at least one of a first interior portion of the cap or a second interior portion of a second cap, the support structure configured to support the conveyor.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
a runner protruding from, and extending along, a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical portion of the case.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising:
a beacon positioned on the cap, the beacon comprising at least one of an acoustic transponder or a light source.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises an unpowered gravity conveyor.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor provides the OBS unit to an underwater vehicle comprising:
a capture appliance to receive the OBS unit via an opening at the second end of the conveyor; and
a deployment device to place the OBS unit on the seabed to acquire the seismic data.

### Claim 25

A system for acquiring seismic data from a seabed, comprising:
a case having a first portion that is hydrodynamic and a second portion to produce drag; and
a conveyor having a helix structure and provided within the case, the conveyor positioned to receive an ocean bottom seismometer (“OBS”) unit at a first end of the conveyer and transport the OBS unit via the helix structure to a second end of the conveyor.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the case comprises:
a first opening configured to receive the OBS unit at the first end of the conveyor; and
a second opening to remove the OBS unit from the second end of the conveyor, a first distance between the first opening and a cap of the case less than a second distance between the second opening and the cap.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the conveyor comprises a gravity conveyor that is unpowered.

### Claim 28

A system for acquiring seismic data from a seabed, comprising:
a case having a cylindrical portion;
a cap positioned adjacent to a first end of the case;
a conveyor having a helix structure and provided within the case, the conveyor configured to receive an ocean bottom seismometer (“OBS”) unit at a first end of the conveyer and transport the OBS unit via the helix structure to a second end of the conveyor;
an underwater vehicle comprising a capture appliance to receive the OBS unit via an opening at the second end of the conveyor; and
a deployment device of the underwater vehicle to place the OBS unit on the seabed to acquire the seismic data.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The system of claim 28, comprising:
the underwater vehicle configured to retrieve the OBS unit from the seabed.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The system of claim 28, comprising:
a first fin extending from at least one of the cap or the case; and
a second fin extending from at least one of the cap or the case, the first fin separated from the second fin by a predetermined angle to control rotation of the case through an aqueous medium.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The system of claim 30, wherein the first fin and the second fin are configured to generate drag in the aqueous medium to control the rotation of the case.

### Claim 32

A system for acquiring seismic data from a seabed, comprising:
a case having a cylindrical portion and one or more openings;
a cap positioned adjacent to a first end of the case;
a first conveyor having a helix structure and provided within the case, the first conveyor configured to receive one or more ocean bottom seismometer (“OBS”) units at a first end of the first conveyer and transport the one or more OBS units via the helix structure to a second end of the first conveyor;
an underwater vehicle comprising a retrieval device to retrieve an OBS unit connected to the seabed, the OBS unit storing seismic data acquired via the seabed; and
the underwater vehicle comprising a second conveyor to transfer the OBS unit retrieved from the seabed to the first conveyor in the case via the one or more openings of the case.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The system of claim 32, wherein the OBS unit is a first OBS unit, comprising:
a third conveyor having a helix structure and provided within the case;
the retrieval device configured to retrieve a second OBS unit connected to the seabed;
the second conveyor configured to transfer the second OBS unit retrieved from the seabed to the third conveyor in the case via the one or more openings of the case.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The system of claim 32, comprising:
a first fin extending from at least one of the cap or the case; and
a second fin extending from at least one of the cap or the case, the first fin separated from the second fin by a predetermined angle to control rotation of the case through an aqueous medium.