Apparatus for coring subterranean formations under a body of water

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CORING THE SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION LYING UNDER THE BOTTOM OF A BODY OF WATER, COMPRISING, A CORING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELONGATED ELASTIC STEM AT LEAST THE LOWER PORTION OF WHICH IS HOLLOW TO FORM A CORE BARREL, A SONIC FREQUENCY ELASTIC WAVE GENERATOR ACOUSTICALLY COUPLED TO SAID STEM AND OPERABLE AT A LONGITUDINAL RESONANT FREQUENCY OF THE STEM TO ESTABLISH A LONGITUDINAL ELASTIC STANDING WAVE VIBRATION IN THE STEM TO CAUSE THE LOWER END THEREOF TO CUT THROUGH A SUBTERRANEAN FORMATION AND COLLECT A CORE OF SAME IN THE CORE BARREL, A FLEXIBLE CABLE CONNECTED TO THE CORING ASSEMBLY TO LOWER IT INTO POSITION TO CUT SUCH CORE AND TO RAISE IT WITH THE CORE TO THE SURFACE, A FLOAT ATTACHED TO THE CABLE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE CORING ASSEMBLY TO EXERT A BUOYANT FORCE ON THE CORING ASSEMBLY THAT IS LESS THAN THE FORCE REQUIRED TO KEEP THE ASSEMBLY FROM SINKING BUT SUFFICIENT TO HOLD THE CORE BARREL SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WHEN IT MOVES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BOTTOM OF A BODY OF WATER, A STAND, MEANS MOUNTING THE STAND ON THE STEM FOR LONGITUDINAL AND LIMITED PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE STEM, AND STOP MEANS LIMITING THE DOWNWARD LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE STAND RELATIVE TO THE STEM, SAID STAND HAVING AT LEAST THREE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING LEGS EXTENDING BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE CORE BARREL WHEN THE STAND IS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STOP MEANS TO ENGAGE THE BOTTOM BEFORE THE CORE BARREL DOES AND STABILIZE THE CORE BARREL AGAINST LATERAL MOVEMENT DURING THE CORING OPERATION.