Abstract: Self-propelled steerable apparatus for removing material, such as sludge, from the bottom surface of a liquid storage tank for disposition elsewhere comprises a support platform and a reversely rotatable motor-driven auger mounted below the support platform and cooperating therewith to define a space for receiving sludge when the rotatable auger is engaged with the surface. A motor-driven pump mounted on the support platform is operable to receive sludge from the auger and deliver it through a discharge hose to a remote location. Rotation of the auger delivers the sludge to the pump and propels the apparatus across the surface. A remotely controllable steering mechanism on the support platform has a tail wheel which engages the surface and steers the apparatus along a desired path. A winch-controlled back-haul cable is connected to the apparatus to periodically stop forward movement of the apparatus while the auger is still rotating so that the sludge can be more efficiently removed.

Abstract: A self-propelled, sludge cleaning machine including a sludge auger, a sludge pump, crawler tracks and hydraulic motors for propulsion, steering and pumping is assembled at a job-site and inserted into the storage tank through a top access opening. A tether line is connected between the cleaning machine and a control assembly temporarily installed near the access opening to sense tether line length and angle. A sludge discharge hose, hydraulic lines and an electric wire for an ultrasonic sludge-depth sensor on the machine extend outwardly through the access opening. The hose discharges sludge through a filter and into a sludge-collection tank on a first truck. The hydraulic lines are connected to a control valve assembly located on a second truck and controlled by a preprogrammed job-site computer located in the second truck. Length, angle and sludge-depth data from the sensors are fed to the job-site computer which provides a visual display showing cleaning machine position and sludge-depth.

Abstract: Dredging apparatus comprises a modular, submersible, vertically positionable crater sink mechanism operable to form a crater in a bed of material beneath a body of water. The crater sink mechanism comprises an elongated tubular housing closed at its upper end and having a dredged material intake opening at its lower end. An auger mounted in the material intake opening is rotatable by a reversible hydraulic drive motor and is axially positionable by a linear hydraulic motor. The inner end of the auger cooperates with the closed end of the tubular housing to define a mixing chamber. A clear water inlet port and a mixture outlet port on opposite sides of the tubular housing each communicate with the mixing chamber. The auger is rotatable in one direction to dig into and ingest material (fluidized by ambient water) through the material intake opening and transport it into the mixing chamber.

Abstract: A self-propelled, sludge cleaning machine including a sludge auger, a sludge pump, crawler tracks and hydraulic motors for propulsion, steering and pumping is assembled at a job-site and inserted into the storage tank through a top access opening. A tether line is connected between the cleaning machine and a control assembly temporarily installed near the access opening to sense tether line length and angle. A sludge discharge hose, hydraulic lines, and an electric wire for an ultrasonic sludge-depth sensor on the machine extend outwardly through the access opening. The hose discharges sludge through a filter and into a sludge-collection tank on a first truck. The hydraulic lines are connected to a control valve assembly located on a second truck and controlled by a preprogrammed job-site computer located in the second truck. Length, angle and sludge-depth data from the sensors are fed to the job-site computer which provides a visual display showing cleaning machine position and sludge-depth.

Abstract: The truck has an hydraulic pump for receiving dredged mixture of solids and water from a pumping site and delivering the mixture to the truck body. A fixed partition wall is mounted transversely in the body and divides the body into first and second open compartments. The first compartment receives the mixture from the pump means to enable solids to settle at the bottom of the first compartment and the water rises towards the top of the compartment. The second compartment receives the water which rises in the first compartment and the partition wall. Drain means are selectively operable to effect removal of substantially all water from the second compartment. A one-way valve is located between the first and second compartments and is operable when the body is tilted to permit residual water in the second compartment to flow into the first compartment to effect removal of remaining solid matter from the first compartment by washing it out of the tilted body via the open tailgate.

Abstract: Dredging apparatus comprises a modular, submersible, vertically positionable crater sink mechanism operable to form a crater in a bed of material beneath a body of water. The crater sink mechanism comprises an elongated tubular housing closed at its upper end and having a dredged material intake opening at its lower end. An auger mounted within the housing is rotatable by a reversible hydraulic drive motor and is axially positionable by a linear hydraulic motor. The inner end of the auger cooperates with the closed end of the tubular housing to define a mixing chamber. A clear water inlet port and a mixture outlet port on opposite sides of the tubular housing each communicate with the mixing chamber. The auger is rotatable in one direction to dig into and ingest material (fluidized by ambient water) through the material intake opening and transport it into the mixing chamber.

Abstract: A dump truck has a tiltable dump body with a tailgate at its rear end. A partition or weir mounted in the dump body and of lesser height than the walls of the dump body divides the dump body into front and rear compartments. A siphon is connected between the two compartments and extends over the partition. The rear compartment, having a discharge opening at its rear end which is closed by a tailgate, receives dredged material in the form of a mixture of water and sand (or silt) pumped thereinto through a supply conduit on the dump body. As the rear compartment is being filled with dredged material, gravity causes the sand (silt) to settle at the bottom and the water to rise to the top and spill over the partition into the front compartment. Some water also flows through the sipon into the front compartment.

Abstract: Dredging apparatus including a diver-operator controlled and hand-held dredge head which permits the diver to move about freely in the water bed being dredged, and provides for continuously dredging the mixture of water and solids from a first body of water and pumping the mixture to a second solids collecting body of water. Submersible, hydraulic dredge pumps are used in the bodies of water. The conveying water is continuously reused in a quasi-closed system by being returned to the immediate vicinity of the nozzle or alternatively being returned through a sleeve concentrically mounted around the nozzle. The returned water discharges downwardly to counterbalance the weight of the operator-held dredge. The second, solids collecting area may take the form of a truck body into which the solid material is dumped and the dredge water passes through into a filter tank from which it is pumped and returned to the dredge area for reuse in transporting additional solids.

Abstract: A loop circuit method and apparatus for dredging a first area water and in which the water being used to transport the solid material (the dredging water) is continuously routed around in a loop and used repeatedly to convey the solid material from the first area to a second, solids collecting area. The loop circuit may be either quasi-closed or completely closed depending on where the returning dredge water is discharged at the first area. An improved dredge head which may be operated by a diver and in which the returning dredge water is discharged adjacent the nozzle and acts to stir up the material in that location. Alternatively, the returning dredge water can be discharged directly in the nozzle of the dredge head and acts to help convey the material picked up by the nozzle, and this constitutes a completely closed circuit.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods use a portable submersible pump to mix and fluidize waste material (sludge, liquid and floating crust) in a septic tank, to then pump it into a truck-mounted holding tank to recirculate it in the holding tank during transport, and to discharge it at a disposal site. The apparatus comprises a truck-mounted holding tank having tank inlet and outlet ports, a portable hydraulically driven submersible pump detachably mounted on the truck, and a truck-mounted motor-driven hydraulic pump for operating the portable pump. Hydraulic fluid supply lines, wound on a truck-mounted reel, are connected between the hydraulic pump and the portable pump motor. A waste hose is wound on a truck-mounted reel, several hose sections are detachably mounted on the truck, and a portable, multi-position, manually-operable selector valve is detachably mounted on the truck. In operation, the portable pump is disposed alongside or in the septic tank and pumps a stream of pressurized fluid from the septic tank.

Abstract: Well point pumping apparatus and system of the portable type and which includes a power source, an enclosed tank, an impeller type water pump assembly in the tank which has its driven shaft arranged in a vertical direction so that water always positively is fed by gravity into the upwardly facing inlet eye of the pump, and a right angle gear unit drivingly connects the horizontal shaft of the power source with the vertical shaft of the impeller pump. The entire apparatus is mounted as an integral unit for being located closely adjacent the site to be dewatered. The apparatus includes a vacuum pump which is used to create a vacuum in the tank and thereby induce water to flow into the tank from the well points driven into the ground to be dewatered.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring and charging an electric storage battery comprises a battery charger for converting AC power from an AC source to DC power for charging the battery and further comprises a charge protector operable to continuously monitor battery terminal voltage and to connect and disconnect the battery charger from the AC source in accordance therewith to control charging of the battery. The charge protector comprises a relay which controls energization of the battery charger from the AC source, a control circuit for continuously monitoring battery terminal voltage and for operating the relay accordingly, and an indicator circuit operable to provide a visual display of battery terminal voltage and other conditions. The control circuit comprises an enabling circuit to allow initial connection of the battery charger to the AC source only if battery terminal voltage is within certain limits and of correct polarity.

Abstract: In-place underwater dredging apparatus for dredging solid material from an underwater area by pumping a mixture of water and solids from the area and discharging the mixture at a remote location to thereby clear and deepen the area. The apparatus includes an upstanding pipe having at its upper end a hydraulically driven pump with a discharge conduit for conducting said mixture to a remote location, auger screws extending generally laterally outwardly from the lower end of said upstanding pipe and delivering material at a selected rate to the upstanding pipe, and a variable speed hydraulic motor connected with and for rotating said auger screws. Thus the percentage of solids to water which is delivered is variable depending on variable conditions and circumstances. The pump draws the mixture from the auger screws and through the upstanding pipe and discharges it at a remote location.

Abstract: Sewerage pumping apparatus is provided for delivering sewerage collected by gravity in a wet well to a force main which supplies sewerage by force to a remotely located sewerage treatment plant. The sewerage pumping apparatus comprises a hydraulically driven submersible pump located in the wet well for supplying sewerage to the force main. Two trailer-mounted hydraulic pump units (main and standby) adjacent the wet well are alternatively operable to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to drive the submersible pump. Check valves prevent the operative pump unit from supplying hydraulic fluid to the inoperative pump unit. The main pump unit is driven by an electric motor energized from a nearby electric utility power line. The standby pump unit is driven by an internal combustion engine. Float switches sense the sewerage level in the wet well and regulate operation of the in-service pump unit (and submersible pump) accordingly.

Abstract: A well point pumping system including a series of well points installed in an area of the ground which is to be dewatered or dried out. This system and its apparatus include an enclosed tank which can be located closely adjacent the well points which are often in a dirty, wet and/or remote area which often has difficult access. Also, the dewatering areas may be located at different levels below the ground surface. Usually the apparatus is subjected to severe abuse from handling, being moved about or from other machinery in the area. Furthermore, it may be difficult to install or remove the apparatus. The present system and apparatus include an enclosed tank which is capable of withstanding abuse and which can be located in the dirty working area and remotely from its power source. The tank encloses an impeller type water pump assembly, and also encloses a vacuum pump and its drive motor which create the required vacuum in the tank to cause water to be inducted into the tank from the well points.

Abstract: A protective control system is provided for stopping an engine-driven pump when a fault condition such as low oil level, low oil pressure or high temperature occurs in the engine. The protective control system includes an electric battery, a solenoid valve regulating fuel (or air) flow to the engine and energizable from the battery, an electronic circuit energizable from the battery for controlling the solenoid valve, and fault-sensing switches for controlling the electronic circuit and shutting off the fuel supply to stop the engine upon occurrence of a fault. The electronic circuit includes a solid state voltage regulator device connected between the battery and the solenoid valve, and this device includes an adjustment terminal which is biased to control the power supply to the solenoid valve. The electronic circuit further includes a transistor which controls the bias on the adjustment terminal and the transistor, in turn, is responsive to operation of any one of the fault-responsive switches.

Abstract: Portable apparatus for supplying hot water to a diver's suit and which has a portable water pump that can be located closely adjacent a water source so as to minimize the lift required by the pump, a compressed air source that normally furnishes compressed air to the breathing apparatus of the diver and which is also used to drive the water pump by means of an air motor, a portable water heater having a source of fuel for heating the water is connected to the discharge side of the water pump for receiving cold water and heating it, the hot water is discharged from the heater and is mixed with cold water to the desired temperature and then furnished to the diver's suit. All of the components of the apparatus are portable and the entire system is flexible as to its location and set-up, there being no fixed apparatus or installations required.

Abstract: A submersible pump assembly having a volute casing in which a pump impeller is rotatably driven from a power source located outside the pump casing. The scroll-type casing has an axially directed inlet and tangential outlet. A drive shaft connects the power source with the radial flow impeller and a support bearing for the drive shaft is located at one side and centrally of the casing. The water inlet for the pump casing is located co-axially with the axis of the impeller at one side of the pump casing. The water flowing in an axial direction into the pump casing forms a vortex around the shaft bearing to create a minimum pressure zone around the bearing.

Abstract: A portable and lightweight suction dredge head which is held by a diver and is hand operated so as to be easily moved about in the working position. These heads are, for example of sizes from three inches to eight inches in intake diameter. The dredge head is used for excavating under water and is of the suction type wherein the material is conveyed away from a suction pipe from the dredge head. A jet digger may also be used with the dredge head.