Floatable apparatus for excavating and transporting excavated material

A floatable device for excavating and transporting excavated material, comprising:

• a nonfloating frame structure;
• a shovel comprising two shovel sections swingably supported directly on said frame structure for relative swinging movement toward and away from one another;
• at least two buoyant bodies having a predetermined buoyancy and being movably connected to said nonfloating frame structure at opposite ends thereof;
• operating means connected between said frame structure and said buoyant bodies for lowering said frame structure and said shovel as a unit relative to said buoyant bodies when an excavating operation is to be performed and for raising said unit relative to said buoyant bodies after the excavating operation has been completed and the shovel contains excavated material therein;
• drive means connected between said frame structure and said shovel sections for swinging said shovel sections relative to said frame structure, said drive means and said operating means being independently operable in relation to one another, and said drive means causing swinging of said shovel sections when said unit is in said lowered position for performing an excavating operation;
• and
• the buoyant capability of said buoyant bodies together being such that they carry the full load of the shovel and the frame structure in a stable floating condition.