Mining dredge having endless bucket conveyor and flexible guide train

A device for mining the ocean floor or the bottom of some other body of water for ore nodules, mineral soaps and ore sludge by extracting these deposits and conveying them upwardly to a ship or some other suitable carrier, the device comprising in combination:

• a drive unit adapted for mounting on board the ship;
• a receiving unit arranged for placement on the ocean floor;
• a guide train assembly extending between the drive unit and the receiving unit;
• an endless conveying train extending along the guide train assembly between the drive unit and the receiving unit and having descending and ascending conveying strands with conveying receptacles attached thereto;
• a drive drum on the drive unit and a reversing drum on the receiving unit guiding the upper and lower end portions of the conveying train;
• and
• means defined by the guide train assembly for guiding the descending and ascending strands of the conveying train therealong, so as to prevent interference between the strands;
• and wherein:
• the combined comveying train and guide train assembly is flexible, the conveying train and the guide train assembly having flexible, tension-transmitting conveying strands and guide strands, respectively;
• the guide strands of the guide train assembly, form a tensile link between the ship and the receiving unit, thereby determining the path of the conveying train between the receiving unit and the drive unit;
• and
• the receiving unit includes means for extracting deposits from the ocean floor into the conveying receptacles.