Underwater mining apparatus
AssigneeRotech Holdings Limited
InventorsHector Fillipus Alexander Van Drentham Susman, Kenneth Roderick Stewart
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Abstract
There is provided an improved apparatus for recovery of sea-bed material. Known apparatus suffer from problems such as low recovery rate and capital cost. The invention, therefore, provides a recovery apparatus comprising a vehicle upon which are mounted a duct permitting communication between the sea-bed and a location remote therefrom, structure to introduce sea-bed material into the duct and structure to advance sea-bed material through the duct.
Claims35
Apparatus for recovery of material from a floor of a body of water, the apparatus providing a vehicle and a duct mounted on the vehicle and permitting communication between the floor and a location remote therefrom, in use, the vehicle having means for allowing movement of the vehicle, means to introduce material into the duct, and means to advance material through the duct, and wherein further the apparatus has non-return means within the duct which act to prevent movement of material upstream within the duct.
Apparatus as claimed in claimed 21, wherein the non-return means comprises at least a portion of a rotatable body having an external thread, the rotatable body being provided longitudinally within the duct, the rotatable body comprising an auger, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for steering the vehicle and at least one hydraulic motor for powering the means for steering the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.