Abstract: There is provided a hoist as for an ocean floor dredging operation, which is capable of providing hydraulic heavy lifting capacity, for raising or lowering the dredging means between a surface ship and the ocean floor, and further can routinely provide the ship heave compensation when lifting capacity is not required, for example during dredging operation, or if the raising or lowering of pipe during pipe deployment and retrieval operations is discontinued for any other reasons, such as extremely high seas. The pneumohydraulic system comprises a piston slidably sealably movable within a cylinder and dividing the cylinder into upper and lower portions; a pneumohydraulic accumulator for providing hydraulic fluid to each of the cylinder portions and the necessary valve means to open and close the necessary connections for filling and evacuating one of the cylinder portions with hydraulic fluid without rendering hydraulically inoperative the second portion of the cylinder.

Abstract: A system for supporting a long, heavy dredge pipe string from a moving surface vessel, with a minimum of stress being applied to the pipe. The system comprises a gimbaled platform, supported over a central well through a vessel by two horizontal axes perpendicular to each other. A carriage is supported from the platform on hydraulic piston rods. Pipe string support plates are movably secured to facing surfaces on the carriage and platform, arranged about central openings, to permit close-coupling of the two sets of support plates when transferring the pipe string. There is also provided a pair of lateral support members for the pipe string at the bottom of the well.

Abstract: This invention provides apparatus for supporting extremely heavy weights, such as a lengthy horizontal pipe string for ocean floor mining or dredging, from a downwardly facing horizontal ledge surface. The apparatus comprises a pair of support plates arranged evenly about the surface to be supported. Each plate is reciprocally movable toward and away from the object to be supported and is pivotably supported about two transverse horizontal axes. One axis preferably extends radially relative to the centerline of the surface to be supported.

Abstract: This invention provides means for supporting a hydraulic nozzle (of the type utilized, for example, to obtain valuable mineral ores from ocean depths) with a support surface in a manner so that the attitude of the support surface relative to the ocean floor remains constant. The means includes a system of pivotable, parallel levers or supports which interact during pivoting of the support surface to maintain the support surface in the same attitude.

Abstract: A liquid flow system which comprises means to screen long slender objects from a liquid flowing in a conduit. The screening means comprises a set of opposed, aligned, undulating surfaces, each having axes of curvature extending in at least two directions. In another embodiment there is a primary set of corrugated surfaces, with axes extending in a single direction transverse to the direction of fluid flow, and a secondary set of corrugated surfaces mounted on the primary set with axes transverse to the direction of fluid flow and transverse to the axes of the primary set. The undulating surfaces are preferably formed as primary corrugated plates with secondary corrugated plates transversely mounted on each primary corrugated plate. The primary corrugated plates can be moved apart to permit the removal of trapped debris.

Abstract: This invention provides means to screen long, slender objects from a flowing fluid, and more particularly provides means to clear jammed objects therefrom. The screening means comprises a set of opposed, aligned, undulating surfaces, preferably formed as corrugated plates, located within a conduit, that can be moved apart to permit the removal of trapped debris. The plates are so mounted as to be transversely movable relative to the conduit, and are each movable relative to the adjacent plates so as to permit increasing the separation between adjacent plates when the plates are moved to outside of the conduit. The liquid screening means of this invention can usefully be included in a suction type dredging device, between the inlet nozzle and the pump.

Abstract: There is provided a hoist, as for an ocean floor dredging operation, which is capable of providing hydraulic heavy lifting capacity, for raising or lowering the dredging means between a surface ship and the ocean floor, and further can routinely provide for ship heave compensation when lifting capacity is not required, for example during dredging operation, or if the raising or lowering of pipe during pipe deployment and retrieval operations is discontinued for any other reasons, such as extremely high seas. The pneumohydraulic system comprises a piston slidably sealably movable within a cylinder and dividing the cylinder into upper and lower portions; a pneumohydraulic accumulator for providing hydraulic fluid to each of the cylinder portions and the necessary valve means to open and close the necessary connection for filling and evacuating one of the cylinder portions with hydraulic fluid without rendering hydraulically inoperative the second portion of the cylinder.

Abstract: For screening oversized objects and especially long slender particles wherein the long dimension of the particle is aligned in the direction of flow through a fluid-flow conduit, there is provided a screen comprising a pair of opposing corrugated surfaces, the folds or corrugations on the opposing surfaces being substantially parallel, and separated by a distance, and having a wave length, determined by the size particle to be screened. Preferably, the corrugated surfaces are formed as two sets of a plurality of corrugated plates inserted within and extending along the direction of fluid-flow in a conduit, the sets being relatively movable between a position where the two sets are interleaved, and a position where the two are separated.

Abstract: This invention provides a system for supporting a long, heavy dredge pipe string from a moving surface vessel, with a minimum of stress being applied to the pipe. The system comprises a gimbaled platform, supported over a central well through a vessel by two horizontal axes perpendicular to each other. A carriage is supported from the platform on hydraulic piston rods. Pipe string support plates are movably secured to facing surfaces on the carriage and platform, arranged about central openings, to permit close-coupling of the two sets of support plates when transferring the pipe string. There is also provided a pair of lateral support members for the pipe string at the bottom of the well.

Abstract: This invention provides dredging means having means to screen long slender particles wherein the long dimension extends in the direction of flow through a fluid-flow conduit. The screening means comprises a pair of opposing corrugated surfaces, the folds or corrugations on the opposing surfaces being substantially parallel, and separated by a distance, and having a wave length, determined by the size particle to be screened. Preferably, the corrugated surfaces are formed as a plurality of corrugated plates inserted within and extending along the direction of fluid-flow in a conduit. The axis of curvature of the corrugations or folds extend perpendicular to the flow of the stream.

Abstract: There is provided a dredge vehicle supporting a dredge assembly for collecting ore particles from the ocean floor. The dredge assembly includes several nozzles extending forwardly of the supports for the vehicle, pump means for developing a suction flow into and through the nozzles and a screen to separate the ore particles from most of the water before feeding the ore into, e.g., an airlift system leading to a surface vessel. Preferably, an intake of clear water from above the vehicle is used to carry the ore to and up the airlift system.Advantageously, the water flows straight through the system and exhausts from the rear of the vehicle, and mud is cleared from the ore before bringing the ore to the surface.

Abstract: This invention provides apparatus for use on, for example, an ocean mining surface vessel, for transporting lengths of pipe from a horizontal storage rack to a main dredge line hoist, which vertically supports connected lengths of pipe from the ocean surface to the ocean floor. The apparatus includes a track between the storage rack and the dredge line support system, the track being supported at one end adjacent the storage rack and at the second end adjacent the main dredge line hoist. The main dredge line hoist being preferably supported on a platform which is pivotally connected to the vessel about at least two transverse axes. The track also preferably is segmented, the segment closest to the main dredge line hoist support being pivotable about two transverse axes relative to the pipe rack on the vessel. Preferably, the two segments of track can be connected through a vertical pivot and/or a horizontal pivot or about two horizontal pivots.

Abstract: A dredge vehicle having remote steering for moving on the ocean floor on a skid surface, or preferably a pair of runners. The steering is provided by a steering member extending downwardly below the bottom surface of the skid surface into the mud on the ocean floor, which can be moved so as to vary the resultant sideways force exerted against a surface of the member. The movement is provided by pivotally connecting the steering member to the dredge vehicle about a vertical axis. Specifically, the steering member can be rotated by an hydraulic cylinder. Preferably, the downwardly extending steering member is also vertically movably secured to the dredge vehicle so as to be able to be pushed upwardly and out of the way should the steering member strike against a submerged, hard-surfaced object. Preferably, at least a pair of pivotable steering members disposed in tandem are provided.

Abstract: This invention provides apparatus for supporting extremely heavy weights, such as a lengthy horizontal pipe string for ocean floor mining or dredging, from a downwardly facing horizontal ledge surface. The apparatus comprises a plurality of relatively narrow structurally independent support segments which are capable of reciprocal horizontal radial movement towards and away from the object to be supported. One end of each support segment is pivotally supported by a support platform, and the second end portion is floatingly supported by a biasing support element, e.g., an hydraulic jack. The hydraulic jacks supporting each of the support segments are preferably interconnected so as to permit an equalizing of the loading of all of the segments. The support surfaces are further provided with self-leveling means, specifically rocker plates for counterbalancing any minor inequalities in the support surfaces.

Abstract: Apparatus to direct the flow of water passing towards and alongside of a dredgehead (of the type, for example, utilized to obtain valuable mineral ores from the ocean depths) in a downwardly direction, so as to utilize the force of the water to assist the dredgehead in loosening and removing any particulate ore nodules from the ocean floor. The flow-directing means includes two transverse elements, one extending substantially longitudinally along the length of the dredgehead and the second transversely connecting the vertical element to the dredgehead.

Abstract: To limit the amount of solid particulate matter fed into an airlift pipeline from, especially, a suction nozzle device, the density of the suspension passing from the suction nozzle to the airlift system is measured. If the measured density is above a predetermined value, a proportion of the suspended solid material is removed prior to passing into the airlift pipe.The density of the moving suspension is determined by a radiation-type densitometer located upstream from the airlift pipe. The density can also be directly measured by a balance beam or weighing arrangement connected to a pivotable length of pipe. Where fine particles are present that are not to be considered in the densitometer measurement, a differential measurement can be obtained by a second measurement of the density of liquid from which the large particles have been screened.

Abstract: This invention provides dredge means for obtaining ore and other particular material from the ocean floor. The dredge head utilizes a combination of hydrodynamic, pumping, effects plus mechanical dislodging and carrying means. Specifically, the dredge head comprises a powered rotating drum having radially extending tines partially surrounded by a shroud. The shroud diverges from the drum surface, so that it is nearest the drum surface at its forward and lowermost end and farthest from the drum at its rearward and uppermost end. Particles of ore collected by the rotating drum are conveyed to means for carrying the ore to the ocean surface. The hydrodynamic effects of the dredge head include a venturi effect at the inlet, a centrifugal pumping effect and a so-called Magnus effect.

Abstract: A steerable ocean floor dredge vehicle is provided which is of the towed variety, or partially self-propelled. The vehicle is towed from a surface ship via a rigid length of pipe or tubing, connected to the dredge vehicle via a pivoting joint permitting pivotal movement about two transverse axes and preferably about a third axis, and a telescoping joint for providing movement along the direction of the axis of the towing line. Pivoting means connect from the sides of the dredge vehicle to the towing pipe at a point between the telescopic joint and the surface. The pivoting means comprise two flexible cables extending about rollers on the dredge vehicle, or hydraulic piston and cylinder combinations.

Abstract: A steerable ocean floor dredge vehicle is provided which is of the towed variety, or partially self-propelled. The vehicle is towed from a surface ship via a rigid length of pipe or tubing, connnected to the dredge vehicle via a pivoting joint permitting pivotal movement about two transverse axes and preferably about a third axis, and a telescoping joint for providing movement along the direction of the axis of the towing line. Two flexible cables are connected to the towing pipe between the telescopic joint and the surface, extending about rollers on the dredge vehicle and being wrapped about a winch powered by a remotely controllable, reversible servo motor.

Abstract: This invention provides a substantially flat plate hingedly connected to a substantially cylindrical pipe intended to be moved through the water in a generally longitudinal alignment, the plate extending behind the pipe during movement through the water. The hinged plate can be formed in modular sections, one or more plate sections being hingedly connected to a pipe section. Individual pipe sections are intended to be joined together to form a single longitudinally extending pipe, for example, for use as a dredge pipe in deep ocean dredging. The hinged plate can be directly connected to the main dredge pipe or the hinged plate can be connected to a substantially smaller diameter pipe which is in turn connected to the main pipe. The plate is preferably not less than two inches away from the outer surface of the main pipe. The plate is especially effective for the movement of substantially vertical pipe through water at speeds of up to about two knots.