Deepsea Ventures, Inc.

Ted W Christian

Robert M Donaldson

John P Latimer

Glen E Miller

Glenn E Miller

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.

Dredging apparatus including suction nozzles

To mechanically assist the suction action of a dredge head in dislodging particles embedded, e.g., on the ocean floor, a plurality of fingers extend downwardly from along the upper edge of an obliquely downwardly and forwardly facing nozzle opening. The fingers are resiliently connected to the nozzle and thus are capable of being bent downwardly so as to be juxtaposed across and thus temporarily block, the nozzle opening, whereby the intake of oversized particles is prevented.

Suction nozzle dredge head

Apparatus for directing flow of water passing an ocean floor dredge head into a downwardly direction, and deflecting water from directly impinging upon the dredge nozzle body. The invention comprises a dredge vehicle chassis from which is pivotally suspended a dredge nozzle body and a water-flow deflecting shield, forwardly of the nozzle. Both the nozzle body and the shield are substantially vertically elongated members suspended substantially by the top of each element from the vehicle chassis.

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Newport News, VA, United States of America

Ted W Christian