# US 7,406,905 B2 · System for driving a wire loop cutting element > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,406,905 B2 - Document ID: US7406905B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/495,308 - Filed: 2006-07-28 - Published: 2008-01-31 - Granted: 2008-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2006-07-28 - Assignees: Oceaneering International, Inc. - Inventors: Kinton Lawler; John Davis; Michael Piecyk - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7406905B2 ## CPC - B26D 1/547: having a wire-like cutting member (endless wire B26D1/46; severing using a heated wire B26F3/12) - B23D 57/0061: {of devices for guiding or feeding saw wires} - B23D 57/0084: {specially adapted for sawing under water or at places accessible with difficulty} - Y10T 83/7239: With means to vary distance between pulley or sprocket axes - Y10T 83/9292: Wire tool - B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04) - B23D: PLANING; SLOTTING; SHEARING; BROACHING; SAWING; FILING; SCRAPING; LIKE OPERATIONS FOR WORKING METAL BY REMOVING MATERIAL, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (making toothed gears or the like B23F; cutting metal by applying heat locally B23K; arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract This invention is directed toward a system for driving a wire loop cutting element. More particularly, the disclosed invention employs a frame and pulleys to drive a wire loop cutting element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A subsea system for driving a wire loop cutting element, comprising: a. a frame comprising a lower plate comprising right and left arms defining a lower central gripping region, said frame further comprising a bracket connected to the lower plate, and an upper plate connected to the bracket, said upper plate comprising two pulley slots, a right arm comprising a first drive wheel axle opening, and a left arm opposite the right arm, comprising a second drive wheel axle opening, said right and left arms defining an upper central gripping region in substantial longitudinal alignment with the lower central gripping region; b. a first drive wheel axle rotatably mounted in the first drive wheel axle opening; c. a first drive wheel coupled to the first drive wheel axle; d. a second drive wheel axle rotatably mounted in the second drive wheel axle opening; e. a second drive wheel coupled to the second drive wheel axle; f. a first drive wheel motor attached to the frame and operatively coupled to the first drive wheel axle; g. a second drive wheel motor attached to the frame and operatively coupled to the second drive wheel axle; h. a clamping device attached to the frame and positioned such that it can clamp objects to be cut in a fixed position in the central gripping regions; i. a first pulley comprising a first pulley axle mounted in the first pulley slot; j. a second pulley comprising a second pulley axle mounted in the second pulley slot; and k. a pulley positioning system attached to the first and second pulleys for varying the separation distance between the first and second pulleys. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the pulley positioning system comprises: a. a threaded translation member operatively coupled to the first and second pulley axles such that rotation of the translation member is a first direction causes the separation distance between the first and second pulleys to increase, and rotation of the translation member in a second direction opposite the first direction, causes the separation distance between the first and second pulleys to decrease; and b. a hydraulically driven motor operatively coupled to the translation member, such that the motor can cause rotation of the translation member in the first direction or in the second direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the clamping device comprises: a. a first clamping arm comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end; b a second clamping arm comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end; c. a first clamping pad attached to the first end of the first clamping arm; d. a second clamping pad attached to the first end of the second clamping arm; and e. a hydraulically powered motor operatively coupled to the second ends of the first and second clamping arms. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a continuous loop wire cutting blade extending around the outer periphery of the first and second pulleys and the first and second drive wheels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the cutting blade comprises tungsten carbide cutting elements. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the cutting blade comprises a diamond wire. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a. a first idler wheel axle port in the upper plate right arm; b. a second idler wheel axle port in the upper plate left arm; c. a first idler wheel comprising a first idler wheel axle rotatably mounted in the first idler wheel axle port; and d. a second idler wheel comprising a second idler wheel axle rotatably mounted in the second idler wheel axle port. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising a continuous loop wire cutting blade extending around the outer periphery of the first and second pulleys and the first and second drive wheels, and further engaging the first and second idler wheels on the sides of the idler wheels facing the upper central gripping region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the cutting blade comprises tungsten carbide cutting elements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a buoyant member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the buoyant member is foam. ### Claim 12 A subsea system for driving a wire loop cutting element, comprising: a. a frame comprising a lower plate comprising right and left arms defining a lower central gripping region, said frame further comprising a bracket connected to the lower plate, and an upper plate connected to the bracket, said upper plate comprising two pulley slots, a right arm comprising a first drive wheel axle opening, and a left arm opposite the right arm, comprising a second drive wheel axle opening, said right and left arms defining an upper central gripping region in substantial longitudinal alignment with the lower central gripping region; b. a first drive wheel axle rotatably mounted in the first drive wheel axle opening; c. a first drive wheel coupled to the first drive wheel axle; d. a second drive wheel axle rotatably mounted in the second drive wheel axle opening; e. a second drive wheel coupled to the second drive wheel axle; f. a first drive wheel motor attached to the frame and operatively coupled to the first drive wheel axle; g. a second drive wheel motor attached to the frame and operatively coupled to the second drive wheel axle; h. a clamping device attached to the frame and positioned such that it can clamp objects to be cut in a fixed position in the central gripping regions; i. a first pulley comprising a first pulley axle mounted in the first pulley slot; j. a second pulley comprising a second pulley axle mounted in the second pulley slot; and k. a pulley positioning system comprising a threaded drive rod coupled to the first and second pulleys for varying the separation distance between the first and second pulleys. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising a continuous loop wire cutting blade extending around the outer periphery of the first and second pulleys and the first and second drive wheels. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the clamping device comprises: a. a first clamping arm comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end; b a second clamping arm comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end; c. a first clamping pad attached to the first end of the first clamping arm; d. a second clamping pad attached to the first end of the second clamping arm; and e. a hydraulically powered motor operatively coupled to the second ends of the first and second clamping arms. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising: a. a first idler wheel axle port in the upper plate right arm; b. a second idler wheel axle port in the upper plate left arm; c. a first idler wheel comprising a first idler wheel axle rotatably mounted in the first idler wheel axle port; and d. a second idler wheel comprising a second idler wheel axle rotatably mounted in the second idler wheel axle port. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, further comprising a continuous loop wire cutting blade extending around the outer periphery of the first and second pulleys and the first and second drive wheels, and further engaging the first and second idler wheels on the sides of the idler wheels facing the upper central gripping region. ### Claim 17 A subsea system for driving a wire loop cutting element, comprising: a. a frame comprising a lower plate comprising a buoyant member, right and left arms defining a lower central gripping region, said frame further comprising a bracket connected to the lower plate, and an upper plate connected to the bracket, said upper plate comprising two pulley slots, a right arm comprising a first drive wheel axle opening, and a left arm opposite the right arm, comprising a second drive wheel axle opening, said right and left arms defining an upper central gripping region in substantial longitudinal alignment with the lower central gripping region; b. a first drive wheel axle rotatably mounted in the first drive wheel axle opening; c. a first drive wheel coupled to the first drive wheel axle; d. a second drive wheel axle rotatably mounted in the second drive wheel axle opening; e. a second drive wheel coupled to the second drive wheel axle; f. a first drive wheel motor attached to the frame and operatively coupled to the first drive wheel axle; g. a second drive wheel motor attached to the frame and operatively coupled to the second drive wheel axle; h. a clamping device attached to the frame and positioned such that it can clamp objects to be cut in a fixed position in the central gripping regions, said clamping device comprising a first clamping arm on one side of the central gripping regions and a second clamping arm on the other side of the central gripping regions; i. a first pulley comprising a first pulley axle mounted in the first pulley slot; j. a second pulley comprising a second pulley axle mounted in the second pulley slot; and k. a pulley positioning system attached to the first and second pulleys for varying the separation distance between the first and second pulleys. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising a continuous loop wire cutting blade extending around the outer periphery of the first and second pulleys and the first and second drive wheels. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the pulley positioning system comprises: a. a threaded translation member operatively coupled to the first and second pulley axles such that rotation of the translation member is a first direction causes the separation distance between the first and second pulleys to increase, and rotation of the translation member is a second direction opposite the first direction, causes the separation distance between the first and second pulleys to decrease; and b. a hydraulically driven motor operatively coupled to the translation member, such that the motor can cause rotation of the translation member in the first direction or in the second direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising: a. a first clamping pad attached to the first clamping arm; and b. a second clamping pad attached to the second clamping arm.