Self-powered, submersible dredge apparatus

A dredge apparatus for removing accumulated bottom sediment from the bottom surface of a body of water, said apparatus comprising:

• a drive unit including drive means thereon structured and disposed to drivingly engage the bottom surface of the body of water,
• a housing movable attached to an upper portion of said drive unit and including an interior compartment and an exterior operator control portion including an operator's seat and operating controls,
• a dredge unit movably attached to an end of said housing and extending therefrom, said dredge unit being movable between a raised position and a lowered, operable position,
• said dredge unit including a dredge assembly attached to a free distal end thereof and including an open mouth portion structured and disposed to be at least partially submerged below a water surface level of the body of water such that when said dredge unit is in said lowered, operable position, the bottom sediment is force fed into said open mouth as said drive unit moves the apparatus and attached dredge unit along the bottom surface in a forward direction in relation to the position of said housing and attached dredge unit,
• pump means attached to said dredge unit including an intake disposed in fluid communication with said open mouth structured and disposed to intake a mixture of the bottom sediment and water being force fed into said open mouth, and an output structured and disposed to subsequently discharge said mixture forcefully therefrom,
• a discharge chute rotatably attached to and extending upwardly from said output of said pump means and terminating at an upper free distal end in spaced relation above said drive unit, said distal end of said discharge chute being structured and disposed to evenly disperse and distribute the discharge of said mixture throughout a range of at least 30 feet in radius,
• power means within said compartment of said housing, structured to operatively engage said drive means and said dredge unit for operation thereof,
• control means at said control portion for operatively controlling said power means, thereby facilitating operative control of said drive means and said dredge unit,
• rotation means interconnected between said drive unit and said housing and structured for controlled, adjusted rotation of said housing and said dredge unit about an arc of 360.degree. relative to said drive unit, and
• vertical adjustment means interconnected between said drive unit and said housing and structured to facilitate controlled vertical adjustment of said housing relative to said drive unit throughout a predetermined range of height.