Union Miniere S.a.

Michel Giot

Vsevolod Obolensky

Jacques Deliege

Marc Lejeune

Luc Deconinck

Nodule dredge comprising one or more of the following: convergent wall device, e.g., 'horn member', for accelerating liquid flow through the apparatus; comb or grid-like collecting or lifting device that can lift nodules into accelerated flow without necessarily lifting an entire layer of silt, especially where silt is relatively loose; inclined surface to receive and raise nodules driven down stream by accelerated flow, while silt is removed; and collection chamber below nodule path defined by inclined surface, to receive nodules from inclined surface. Process comprising one or more of the following: accelerating a flow of water with a convergent wall device; mechanically lifting nodules into the accelerated flow; driving the nodules up an inclined surface and cleaning them, using the accelerated flow, while establishing the flow in a direction which will project water and dispersed silt upwardly and rearwardly downstream of the inclined surface; and introducing the nodules into a collection chamber having an entrance turned away from said direction of flow.

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Brussels, Belgium

Michel Giot