Method and apparatus for remotely cutting broken underwater guidelines

A method for remotely cutting a broken guideline which extends from the top of an upright underwater guide post, comprising the steps of:

• lowering a cutting apparatus from the surface of the body of water to a location below the top of the guide post,
• the cutting apparatus comprising movable cutting means,
• slidably connecting the cutting apparatus to the guide post,
• raising the cutting apparatus along the guide post to a predetermined location on the guide post wherein the movable cutting means is in a plane immediately above the top of the guide post, and
• remotely actuating the cutting apparatus to cause the movable cutting means to move across the top of the guide post and sever the broken guide line immediately adjacent to the top of the guide post,
• the raising step including outwardly deflecting interfering portions of the broken guideline extending along the side of the guide post.

An apparatus for cutting a broken guideline which extends from the top of an upright underwater guide post, the guide post having an annular groove therein, the combination comprising:

• a frame;
• clamping means, coupled to said frame and receivable in the groove in the guide post, for releasably clamping said frame to the guide post;
• cutting means, coupled to said frame above said clamping means, for cutting the broken guideline from the guide post, said cutting means including a lowermost part;
• and
• remotely actuated power means, coupled to said cutting means, for actuating said cutting means to cut the guideline,
• said cutting means and said clamping means being spaced apart so that the lowermost part of said cutting means is immediately adjacent the top of the guide post when said clamping means is received in the groove in the guide post.

An apparatus for remotely cutting a broken guideline extending from the top of an upright underwater guide post, the combination comprising:

• a frame;
• movable cutting means coupled to said frame;
• clamping means, coupled to said frame, for slidably coupling said frame to the guide post;
• means, coupled to said cutting means, for remotely actuating said movable cutting means to move across the top of the guide post and sever the broken guideline immediately adjacent to the top of the guide post when said clamping means is in a predetermined location along the guide post;
• means, coupled to said frame, for lowering said clamping means from the surface of the body of water to a location below the top of the guide post and for raising said clamping means along the guide post to the predetermined location on the guide post;
• and
• means, coupled to said clamping means, for remotely actuating said clamping means into a slidably coupling engagement with the guide post when said clamping means is lowered below the top of the guide post.

An apparatus for remotely cutting a broken guideline extending from an underwater guide post, the combination comprising:

• a frame;
• clamping means, coupled to said frame, for releasably clamping said frame to the guide post in a predetermined location on the guide post;
• a pair of opposed cutting jaws pivotally coupled to said frame above said clamping means;
• and
• remotely actuated power means, coupled to said frame and engageable with said cutting jaws, for pivoting said cutting jaws across the longitudinal axis of the broken guideline to sever the guideline from the guide post.