Self cleaning collection apparatus and method
AssigneeEda Kopa (Solwara) Limited
InventorRoland Berndt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self cleaning collecting apparatus and method are provided for the collection of seafloor material. The collecting apparatus, which operates on a seafloor, has a plurality of rotating discs in front of a slurry suction pipe with clearing members located between adjacent discs. Any oversize material lodged in the discs during collection is dislodged by the one or more clearing members and prevented from entering the slurry suction pipe, thus preventing blockages caused by oversize material congesting the slurry suction pipe.
Claims25
A collecting apparatus that operates on a seafloor, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of discs disposed in front of a slurry suction pipe;
- and
- one or more clearing members, each of the one or more clearing members being located at least partially between adjacent discs of the plurality of discs;
- wherein the one or more clearing members are arranged such that material over a predetermined size is passed over the top of the clearing members and plurality of discs such that it falls behind the collecting apparatus, and
- wherein the plurality of discs form a one-dimensional grille having a plurality of parallel slots extending across the discs disposed in front of the slurry suction pipe.
A method of preventing debris from blocking a slurry inlet, the method including rotating a plurality of discs relative to one or more clearing members such that debris lodged between respective adjacent discs is dislodged by the one or more clearing members and passed over the top of the clearing members and plurality of discs such that it falls behind the collecting apparatus, wherein the plurality of discs are arranged to form a one-dimensional grille of parallel slots extending across the discs disposed in front of a slurry suction pipe and the step of rotating the plurality of discs relative to one or more clearing members comprises dislodging debris lodged in the circumferential slots between adjacent discs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.