Submersible painting apparatus

A remotely-controllable submersible apparatus for applying paint underwater to a submerged surface, the apparatus comprising a vehicle having a housing defining a chamber having an open side, a pressure-reducing device capable of continuously maintaining a reduced pressure inside the chamber relative to the pressure outside the chamber so as to cause the vehicle to adhere to the submerged surface with the open side of the chamber facing the submerged surface, a steerable driven wheel and at least one supporting wheel mounted so that the vehicle can be driven along the submerged surface with the open side of the chamber adjacent to the submerged surface, a remotely-operable steering device for steering the steerable wheel, a motor for driving at least the steerable wheel, and located at the rear of said vehicle an assembly for applying paint underwater to the submerged surface, the assembly comprising in combination a plurality of non-intermeshing vertically disposed rotary paint brushes each having an axial bore communicating with a feed pipe from a paint manifold, a separate hydraulic motor for independently driving each respective rotary pant brush, resilient suspension means for each hydraulic motor and its associated brush including an upper leaf spring means and a lower leaf spring means, a spring tensioning means connected to one end to said upper leaf spring means and at its other end to a manually adjustable eccentric cam shaft, and remotely-operable hydraulic means for moving the rotary paint brushes either into contact with or away from the submerged surface.