Modular seismic cable handling system with knockdown container

The method of manipulating cable on a deck on a vessel having a longitudinal axis, said vessel situated on a body of water, said deck having a cable storage area and a stern, comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a cable handling system, comprising:
• a floating cable puller for pulling cable, said floating cable puller suspended over said deck, said floating cable puller further comprising a trolley assembly for positioning said floating cable puller in various locations above or upon said deck, said floating cable puller having a cable passage therethrough, forming cable ingress and egress ports, said trolley assembly further comprising:
• motivation means for motivating said trolley assembly about said deck;
• control means for selectively controlling said motivation means and said floating cable puller;
• b. utilizing said control means for selectively positioning said floating cable puller to the general vicinity of said cable storage area, with said cable egress port pointed generally towards said cable storage area;
• c. threading a cable through said cable ingress port of said floating cable puller;
• d. initiating said floating cable puller, allowing said floating cable puller to pull said cable, urging said cable through said egress port into said cable storage area;
• e. piling said cable in said storage area;
• f. manipulating the position of said floating cable puller via said control means, selectively depositing cable in said cable storage area in a uniform pile;
• g. repeating steps e-f until the full length of cable has been placed into said cable storage area.

A cable handling system for retrieving or deploying cable to or from a body of water via a marine vessel having a longitudinal axis, a bow and stern, and a deck, comprising:

• a cable storage area provided upon said deck of said vessel, said cable storage area having first and second ends, said first end of said cable storage area situated in the vicinity of said stern of said vessel, said cable storage area further comprising first and second sidewalls, and a dividing wall situated therebetween, said dividing wall having a length, said dividing wall generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of said vessel;
• a floating cable puller for pulling cable, said floating cable puller supported over said deck, said floating cable puller further comprising a trolley assembly for positioning said floating cable puller in various locations above or upon said deck, said trolley assembly further comprising a trolley base, said trolley base slidingly engaged to said dividing wall in such a manner as to allow said trolley base to be supported by said dividing wall and be positioned along the length of said dividing wall, said trolley assembly further comprising:
• motivation means for motivating said trolley assembly along the length of said dividing wall;
• control means for selectively controlling said motivation means and said floating cable puller.

An intermodal shipping container which is convertible to a platform work surface forming a modular seismic cable handling system, the container comprising first and second ends, a bottom wall, and first and second sidewalls, each of said sidewalls having an upper edge and a lower edge, said lower edge of said sidewalls communicating with said bottom wall forming a floor surface, said intermodal shipping container further comprising:

• first and second top wall members communicating with said upper edges of said first and second sidewalls, respectively, said top wall members configured to selectively removably engage one another to form a unitary top wall, and be selectively disengaged, as desired;
• hinge means associated with said lower edge of said sidewalls, allowing said sidewalls to be hingedly manipulated by selectively disengaging said first and second top wall members, so as to pivot said first and second sidewalls to rest in general planar relationship with said bottom wall, forming a work platform having first and second sidewalls formed by said first and second top wall members, respectively;
• a dividing wall emanating from said floor surface of said bottom wall, said dividing wall having a length;
• a trolley assembly slidingly engaged to said dividing wall, so as to allow said trolley assembly to be slidingly motivated along the length of said dividing wall, said trolley assembly supporting a floating cable puller.

The method of converting a vessel to provide seismic cable handling capabilities, the vessel having a longitudinal axis, a bow, stern and a deck, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an intermodal shipping container which is convertible to a platform work surface forming a modular seismic cable handling system, the container comprising first and second ends, a bottom wall, and first and second sidewalls, each of said sidewalls having an upper edge and a lower edge, said lower edges of said sidewalls communicating with said bottom wall forming a floor surface, said intermodal shipping container further comprising:
• first and second top wall members communicating with said upper edges of said first and second sidewalls, respectively, said top wall members configured to selectively removably engage one another to form a unitary top wall, and be selectively disengaged, as desired;
• hinge means associated with said lower edges of said sidewalls, allowing said sidewalls to be hingedly manipulated by selectively disengaging said first and second top wall members, so as to pivot said first and second sidewalls to rest in general planar relationship with said bottom wall, forming a work platform having first and second sidewalls formed by said first and second top wall members, respectively;
• a dividing wall emanating from said floor surface of said bottom wall, said dividing wall having a length;
• a trolley assembly slidingly engaged to said dividing wall, so as to allow said trolley assembly to be slidingly motivated along the length of said dividing wall, said trolley assembly supporting a floating cable puller;
• b) transporting said intermodal shipping container to the vicinity of said vessel;
• c) loading said intermodal shipping container upon the deck of said vessel;
• d) positioning said intermodal shipping container upon the deck of said vessel such that said dividing wall of said intermodal shipping container is generally aligned with said longitudinal axis of said vessel, and said first end of said intermodal shipping container is situated generally adjacent to the stern of the vessel;
• e) hingedly manipulating said sidewalls of said intermodal shipping container by selectively disengaging said first and second top wall members, so as to pivot said first and second sidewalls to rest in general planar relationship with said bottom wall upon said deck of said vessel, forming a work platform having first and second sidewalls formed by said first and second top wall members, forming first and second cable bins divided by said dividing wall;
• f) positioning said trolley assembly along said dividing wall;
• g) utilizing said floating cable puller to pull seismic cable into said first cable bin;
• and
• h) utilizing said floating cable puller to pull seismic cable into said second cable bin.

The method of converting a vessel to provide seismic cable handling capabilities, the vessel having a longitudinal axis, a bow, stern and a deck, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an intermodal shipping container which is convertible to a platform work surface forming a modular seismic cable handling system, the container comprising first and second ends, a bottom wall, and first and second sidewalls, each of said sidewalls having an upper edge and a lower edge, said lower edges of said sidewalls communicating with said bottom wall forming a floor surface, said intermodal shipping container further comprising:
• a top wall having a length, said top wall further comprising latch means for disengaging said top wall along its length;
• hinge means associated with said lower edges of said sidewalls, allowing said sidewalls to be hingedly manipulated by selectively disengaging said latch means associated with said top wall, so as to pivot said first and second sidewalls to rest in general planar relationship with said bottom wall, forming a work platform having first and second sidewalls formed by first and second top wall members, respectively;
• a dividing wall emanating from said floor surface of said bottom wall, said dividing wall having a length;
• a trolley assembly slidingly engaged to said dividing wall, so as to allow said trolley assembly to be slidingly motivated along the length of said dividing wall, said trolley assembly supporting a floating cable puller;
• b) transporting said intermodal shipping container to the vicinity of said vessel;
• c) loading said intermodal shipping container upon the deck of said vessel;
• d) positioning said intermodal shipping container upon the deck of said vessel such that said dividing wall of said intermodal shipping container is generally aligned with said longitudinal axis of said vessel, and said first end of said intermodal shipping container is situated generally adjacent to the stern of the vessel;
• e) hingedly manipulating said sidewalls of said intermodal shipping container by selectively disengaging said latch means associated with said top wall, so as to pivot said first and second sidewalls to rest in general planar relationship with said bottom wall upon said deck of said vessel, forming a work platform having first and second sidewalls formed by first and second top wall members, forming first and second cable bins divided by said dividing wall;
• f) positioning said trolley assembly along said dividing wall;
• g) utilizing said floating cable puller to pull seismic cable into said first cable bin;
• and
• h) utilizing said floating cable puller to pull seismic cable into said second cable bin.

An intermodal shipping container which is convertible to a platform work surface forming a modular seismic cable handling system, the container comprising first and second ends, a bottom wall, and first and second sidewalls, each of said sidewalls having an upper edge and a lower edge, said lower edges of said sidewalls communicating with said bottom wall forming a floor surface, said intermodal shipping container further comprising:

• a top wall having a length, said top wall further comprising latch means for disengaging said top wall along its length;
• hinge means associated with said lower edges of said sidewalls, allowing said sidewalls to be hingedly manipulated by selectively disengaging said latch means associated with said top wall, so as to pivot said first and second sidewalls to rest in general planar relationship with bottom wall, forming a work platform having first and second sidewalls formed by said first and second top wall members, respectively;
• a dividing wall emanating from said floor surface of said bottom wall, said dividing wall having a length;
• a trolley assembly slidingly engaged to said dividing wall, so as to allow said trolley assembly to be slidingly motivated along the length of said dividing wall, said trolley assembly supporting a floating cable puller.