Versatile submersible device for dredging or other underwater functions
OwnerGeorge W. Batchelderinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A watertight vertically elongated rigid shell or hull of a size small enough to be transportable over highways has a detachable snorkle extending from its top and contains a power source which may be used to drive pumps within the device and/or to drive mechanical devices, such as rotating blades, winches, belts, drills or propellers, which are located externally of the hull. The hull of the device is divided into upper and lower compartments, of which the lower compartment can be completely or partially flooded with water which acts as a ballast helping to stabilize the device and controlling submersion thereof and its submerged position.
Claims15
A submersible device comprising a hollow hull having at least one watertight partition to divide the hull into an upper watertight chamber and a lower chamber adapted to receive selected amounts of water as ballast and having a bottom wall,
- means in said upper chamber to generate power,
- a dredge pump within the lower chamber driven by power from said generating means,
- intake means connected to said pump and projecting through the bottom of the hull,
- an elongated discharge conduit connected to said pump and projecting externally of said hull,
- compressed air means in said upper chamber selectively controllable to discharge air under pressure into the upper part of the lower chamber and discharge water from the lower chamber to control the level of water in the lower chamber or to vent air from the lower chamber and admit water into the lower chamber, and thereby control the depth of submersion of the hull,
- a plurality of members located in spaced relation transversely of said hull actuable by said generating means and each operable to shift the position of said hull in a predetermined direction, and
- means for selectively controlling said hull shifting means to position said hull at desired location and relation to the submerged surface being dredged.
In combination in a submersible dredge,
- a hull having top, bottom and side walls and a partition spanning the hull to separate an upper and a lower chamber therein,
- means for maintaining a habitable atmosphere in said upper chamber,
- means for regulating the amount of water ballast within said lower chamber,
- a dredge pump in said lower chamber,
- intake and discharge conduits connected to said pump and opening exteriorly of said hull,
- a plurality of means for propelling said hull spaced peripherally thereof and each functioning to propel said hull in a selected lateral direction,
- means in said upper chamber for generating motive power for said pump, propelling means, and ballast regulating means, and
- means selectively controlling said power generating means, pump, propelling means and ballast regulating means whereby said ballast regulating means control the location of said hull with respect to the depth of submersion of said hull, and the clearance between the hull and the underwater surface to be dredged and, said propelling means control the direction and extent of movement of the hull as a dredging operation proceeds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.