Apparatus for signal and data transmission for controlling and monitoring underwater pile drivers, cut-off equipment and similar work units

Abstract

Signals and data for controlling and monitoring underwater ramming and cutting-off machinery (1) or the like are transmitted from above the water surface to submerged underwater machinery (1) by transmission lines bound in an umbilical cable (4). These lines are very sensitive and are often destroyed after a short time already by rough offshore handling under the heavy load of the machinery. The proposed invention allows said lines to be taken away from the umbilical cable (4) and to ensure transmission through lines which are more carefully handled. For that purpose, the lines available in the umbilical cable (5) of the communication system of a remote controlled underwater vehicle (6) provided with a television camera which is indispensable for observing underwater operations are used. The umbilical cable (5) of the underwater vehicle (6) extends separately to the water surface and is handled in a substantially more careful manner. The connection (7) between the machinery (1) and the underwater vehicle (6) may be established at any moment, also under water. The connection (7) is established under water by means of the robot system (8) of the underwater vehicle (6).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.