Method and apparatus for collecting mineral aggregates from sea beds
US4070061A · kind A · utility
20Cited by
3References
48Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 9, 1976 |
| Grant date | Jan 24, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 9, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE02F7/065
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A dragged or self-propelled unit has drag shoes or other means to dislodge nodules from the sea bed into a duct which may be associated with nozzles to project fluid against the nodules. The duct increases substantially in cross-section, thereby slowing the velocity of a stream formed by the nodules, accompanying silt and water. The slowed nodules and silt are caused to follow divergent separate paths within the unit, the nodule path being relatively below the silt path, and the nodules are removed from the duct upstream of the final outlet by which silt and water depart the unit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.