The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 05, 1983
Filed:
Sep. 05, 1979
Erwin D Funk, Glen Falls, NY (US);
Kamyr, Inc., Glen Falls, NY (US);
Abstract
A method of recovering mineral nodules deposited on the ocean floor which comprises the steps of pumping a continuous flow of ocean water along a first confined path through an exchange position within the vicinity of the ocean floor where the mineral nodules to be recovered are deposited from an ocean water inlet position out of the aforesaid ocean vicinity and then upwardly to a discharge position on a surface vessel, confining ocean water within a second path within the aforesaid ocean vicinity, continuously flowing ocean water in the second path by pumping the same at a pumping position spaced down-stream from an exchange position therein, continuously moving from the ocean floor to a separating position within the aforesaid ocean vicinity a mixture containing deposited mineral nodules and smaller particles forming a part of the ocean floor on which the mineral nodules were deposited, continuously separating the mixture at the separating position so as to obtain a supply of separated mineral nodules within ocean water, continuously feeding the supply of separated mineral nodules to the second path at a feeding position upstream from the exchange position therein, and continuously exchanging between the exchange positions within the first and second paths successive incremental volumes of ocean water and mineral nodules from the second path to the first path with comparable successive incremental volumes of ocean water from the first path to the second path.