The Master's Dredging Company, Inc.

Strategic Weather Services

The Master&prime;s Dredging Company, Inc.

David M Penny

Kenneth F Knapp

Gerald S Harvey

Sam Campbell

Frederic D Fox

Steven A Beck

Frank deNoyelles

Stephen L Egbert

Stephen J Randtke

A system, method, and computer program product for weather and/or terrestrial vegetation-based water renovation and management forecasting are described herein. The system includes a water renovation and management forecast system that acts as an analysis engine, where the analysis engine executes a request for the evaluation of water. The system may also include a front end system that preferably provides a graphical user interface to the users of the present invention to access the water renovation and management forecast system. In addition, a database stores both past (i.e., history) and future (i.e., forecast) weather and/or terrestrial vegetation data that are used by the water renovation and management forecast system in the analysis of the water. Data in the database are passed in via the front end system, collected by the water renovation and management forecast system, or derived by the water renovation and management forecast system.

System, method, and computer program product for weather and terrestrial vegetation-based water renovation and management forecasting

An airboat having aquatic vegetation shredder includes an airboat having a buoyant hull and an aquatic vegetation shredding assembly supported on the hull. The airboat is driven by a propulsion assembly including a propeller that revolves in the air. These features cooperatively provide a low draft vessel that is capable of relatively higher forward speeds than other aquatic vegetation shredders and particularly effective in shallow water environments. Various alternative configurations of the shredding assembly are disclosed including upright and fore-and-aft shaft orientations for the cutting assembly and a drum and knife cutting assembly.

Airboat with aquatic vegetation shredding assembly

An aquatic shredder includes a watercraft and a pair of large, high speed propellers mounted at both the bow and stern ends of the watercraft. The propellers are configured to not only propel the watercraft through the water but also to chop vegetation at or near the water surface. Moreover, the bow propellers are similar in construction to the stern propellers so that they similarly effect comminution of the vegetation and propulsion of the watercraft. In particular, each pair of propellers extends completely across the width of the watercraft and projects laterally outward beyond the port and starboard sides of the watercraft. Each pair of propellers is preferably supported by a swingable frame that permits the user to raise and lower the propellers as desired. To enhance the cutting action of the propellers, the blades of the propellers may be provided with fore and aft extending knives.

Aquatic vegetation shredder having bow and stern mounted high speed, large chopping propellers

An aquatic vegetation shredder includes a double hull watercraft, with a space being defined between the hulls. The machine also includes an aquatic vegetation shredding assembly mounted to the watercraft adjacent the bow end, and a pair of propellers rotatably mounted to the watercraft adjacent the stem end. The propellers are configured to propel the watercraft through the water and draw water through the space defined between the hulls. Such a design causes the vegetation to be drawn toward the vegetation shredding assembly, while preventing the shredded vegetation from accumulating at the assembly; thereby eliminating the need for feeding devices for feeding the vegetation to the shredding assembly and discharge chutes for discharging the shredded vegetation away from the assembly. In addition, the propellers are operable to shred vegetation, thereby ensuring destruction of vegetation below the water surface and further commination of vegetation received from the shredding assembly. These features cooperatively provide a low displacement vessel that is particularly effective in shallow water environments.

Method of destroying aquatic vegetation

Aquatic vegetation shredder

An apparatus for destroying aquatic vegetation includes a vegetation shredder supported on a watercraft to project below the water surface so as to engage all portions of the plant proximate to the water surface. A feeder is positioned forwardly of the shredder to positively feed vegetation to the shredder as the watercraft moves in a forward direction. The apparatus further includes a framework defining a suction chamber below the water surface adjacent the submerged portion of the shredder, and an outlet spaced from the suction chamber and above the water surface. The framework and the shredder cooperate to define a sealed passageway extending between the suction chamber and the outlet. The shredder includes a rotatable element which sufficiently shreds the vegetation so that it may be discharged back into the body of water and creates a pumping action as it rotates that serves to draw vegetation toward the suction chamber, propel vegetation and water from the suction chamber through the passageway, and discharge the vegetation and water through the outlet. A side discharge chute is positioned to receive vegetation and water from the outlet and configured to direct the vegetation and water to one or both of the sides of the watercraft.

Growing community of inventors

Lawrence, KS, United States of America

David M Penny