Hydraulic thrust producing implement

A submersible thrust producing implement for use in combination with an excavator, the excavator being of the type having a boom and a stick with an attachment end on the stick for attaching the implement and a hydraulic stick cylinder mounted along the stick, which boom and stick can be extended and retracted to selectively submerge the attachment end to a predetermined location in a body of water, and having a hydraulic power system for actuating the boom, the stick, the stick cylinder, and the implement, the implement comprising:

• (a) a housing;
• b) a propeller mounted on the housing for rotation about a first axis;
• (c) a first hydraulic motor mounted within the housing and capable of being operatively connected to the hydraulic power system and operatively connected to the propeller for driving the propeller to produce a current of water away from the housing sufficient to produce a predetermined thrusting force;
• (d) a propeller nozzle connected to the housing and having a casing projecting away from the housing along the first axis such that the propeller is located within the casing in order to protect the propeller and to enhance the thrusting force produced by the propeller;
• and
• (e) a rotary mount connected to the housing so that the housing can rotate about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, to control the direction of the thrusting force in a first plane, the rotary mount being equipped with a second hydraulic motor capable of being operatively connected to the hydraulic power system, and the rotary mount also having a first pivotal connection to the attachment end of the stick and a second pivotal connection to the stick cylinder in order that the housing may be rotated about a third axis perpendicular to both the first axis and the second axis by actuating the stick cylinder in order to control the direction of the thrusting force in a second plane.