Deep-sea ore collecting and hoisting apparatus

In combination:

• an apparatus for transporting ores from the bottom of a body of water to a level above the bottom of the body of water, said apparatus comprising a buoyant ore-collecting vessel for collecting ore transported from the bottom of the body of water, a flexible endless rope-like member disposable in use within the body of water with a portion thereof disposed along the bottom of the body of water and with portions extending upwardly from the bottom of the body of water to the level to which the ore is to be transported and with a portion thereof extending along the length of said buoyant ore-collecting vessel and passing over said buoyant ore collecting vessel, a plurality of baggy nets along the length of said flexible endless member for receiving ore therein and carrying the ore to the level to which the ore is to be transported as said flexible endless member is longitudinally advanced, drive means mounted on said ore-collecting vessel and cooperative with said flexible endless member for advancing said flexible endless member in a longitudinal direction thereof to transport ore contained within said baggy nets from the bottom of the body of water up to said buoyant ore-collecting vessel positioned within the body of water;
• and means for removing ore from within baggy nets transported up to said buoyant ore-collecting vessel and depositing the removed ore within said ore-collecting vessel;
• and
• an ore collecting and filling apparatus disposable in use on the bottom of the body of water for retrieving ore therefrom and for filling with ore said baggy nets along flexible endless member at the bottom of the body of water, said ore-collecting and filling apparatus comprising ore-retrieving means for retrieving ore from the bottom of the body of water and for filling said baggy nets with the retrieved ore, and guide means coactive with said flexible endless member for guiding said flexible endless member into position as it is advanced so that said ore-retrieving means can fill said baggy nets along said flexible endless member;
• wherein said apparatus for transporting ores from the bottom of a body of water further comprises:
• a second buoyant vessel having means for guiding said flexible endless member toward the bottom of the body of water, said second buoyant vessel being positioned in use ahead of said buoyant ore-collecting vessel with the portion of said flexible endless member extending along the length of said buoyant ore-collecting vessel further extending to said means for guiding of said second buoyant vessel and thereafter extending to said ore-collecting and filling apparatus, whereby the separation between the upwardly extending portions of said endless flexible member is substantially determined by a distance between said buoyant ore-collecting vessel and said second buoyant vessel;
• a winch disposable in use on the bottom of the body of water on which said ore collecting and filling apparatus is disposed, said winch having a cable connected in use to said ore-collecting and filling apparatus and being operable to let out and recover the cable;
• and a power and towing vessel for alternatively towing said winch along the bottom of the body of water while letting out the winch cable to position said winch on the bottom of the body of water away from said ore-collecting and filling apparatus, and thereafter powering the winch to recover the winch cable to progressively pull said ore-collecting and filling apparatus along the bottom of the body of water toward said winch to collect ore from the bottom of the body of water as it is pulled along.