Method and apparatus for underwater operations

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gripping means further comprises means adapted to slidably receive vertically disposed guides, whereby said means to actuate said gripping means actuates said gripping means to a first position to slidably receive said guides, and to a second position so as to grip said guides to hold said chamber at a depth.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, said arms means comprising a pair of outwardly, retractably extensible arms and means to retractably extend said arms.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, said arms means comprising a pair of outwardly, retractably extensible arms and means to retractably extend said arms.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising means to pivotally interconnect each of said Arms to said chamber.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said means to pivotally interconnect each of said arms to said chamber comprises a vertically disposed hinge.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said means to pivotally interconnect each of said arms to said chamber comprises a pair of spaced, vertically disposed hinges.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gripping means comprises a pivotally hinged clamp.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said clamp comprises a pair of opposed clamp members.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein one of said clamp members is pivotally movable and the other of said clamp members is non-pivotally movable.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said means to actuate said gripping member comprises hydraulic power means, retractably extensible ram means connected from said hydraulic power means to said pivotally movable clamp member, and hydraulic power transmission conduit means interconnected from said power means to said retractably extensible ram means.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said clamp members have opposed clamp surfaces extending vertically for a length of from about 1/2 foot to about 3 feet.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising spring means disposed transversely to said clamp pivot hinge and one end thereof affixed to said pivotally movable clamp and the other end thereof affixed to said non-pivotally movable clamp so as to be expandably, affixedly held therebetween.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said gripping means comprises a pivotally hinged clamp, said clamp being slidably engageable with said guides in said first position and grippingly non-slidably engageable with said guides in said second position, and means to pivotally actuate said clamp.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a second pair of arms, one end thereof pivotally interconnected to and outwardly extensible from said chamber, each of said second pair of arms peripherally spaced from a respective arm of said first pair of arms, the outward end of each of said second arms being formed with means to pivotally interconnect with said respective first arm, and means to retractably extend said second arms.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 15, each of said second arms comprising a hydraulic cylinder one end thereof, slidably receiving one end of a ram, said ram being retractably extensible with said cylinder, the other end of said ram being pivotally interconnected to a respective first arm, the other end of said cylinder being pivotally interconnected to said chamber, and means to actuate said cylinder so as to retractably extend said arm.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means to proportionally, controllably retractably extend said first and second arms so that when said first pair of arms grippingly engages said guides, said means to actuate said first arms and means to actuate said second arms are actuated, said chamber is thereby horizontally positionable.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said arms are diametrically disposed one from the other, relative to said chamber.

Claim 20

In combination with a submergible chamber, a work arm assembly for performing work on equipment at an underwater work area, comprising in combination, a support base connectably mounted to said chamber, a support arm extending outwardly from said base, said base provided with means to receive one end of the support arm, a boom transversely disposed to, rotatably interconnected with, and pivotally mounted to the other end of said support arm at an intermediate point of said boom between the ends thereof, means to rotate said support arm and boom, manipulator means for engaging said equipment, said manipulator means being integrally connected at one end of said boom, means to actuate said manipulator means and means to pivot said boom about said support arm, said means to pivot said boom being connected to the other end of said boom, so that said manipulator means is posiTionable and engageable with said equipment so as to perform work thereon.

Claim 21

In combination with a submergible chamber, a work arm assembly for performing work on equipment at an underwater work area, comprising in combination, a support base connectably mounted to said chamber, a support arm extending outwardly from said base, said base provided with means to receive one end of the support arm, a boom transversely disposed to, rotatably interconnected with, and pivotally mounted to the other end of said support arm at an intermediate point of said boom between the ends thereof, means to rotate said support arm and boom, manipulator means for engaging said equipment, said manipulator means being integrally connected at one end of said boom, means to actuate said manipulator means and means to pivot said boom about said support arm, said means to pivot said boom being connected to the other end of said boom, so that said manipulator means is posiTionable and engageable with said equipment so as to perform work thereon.

Claim 22

The combination of claim 19, said manipulator means comprising a rotatable shaft, means to axially rotate said shaft attached to one end of said boom, said means to axially rotate said shaft having means to receive one end of said shaft, a manipulator member connected to the other end of said shaft so that said manipulator member is rotatable with said shaft.

Claim 23

The combination of claim 20, further comprising means to disconnectably connect said manipulator member to said shaft.

Claim 24

The combination of claim 20, wherein said manipulator member is a U-shaped pronged member engageable with a portion of said equipment and being formed with a shaft depending from said U-shaped position for axial rotation.

Claim 25

The combination of claim 19, said boom being retracably extensible so as to retractably extend said manipulator means, and means to retractably extend said boom.

Claim 26

The combination of claim 20, wherein said manipulator member comprises gripping means, means to actuate said gripping means from within said chamber, so as to actuate the gripping of said equipment.

Claim 27

In combination with a submergible chamber, a work arm assembly for performing work on equipment at an underwater work area, comprising in combination, a support base connectably mounted to said chamber, a support arm extending outwardly from said base, said base provided with means to receive one end of the support arm, a boom transversely disposed to, rotatably interconnected with, and pivotally mounted to the other end of said support arm, means to rotate said support arm and boom, manipulator means for engaging said equipment, said manipulator means being integrally connected at one end of said boom, means to actuate said manipulator means and means to pivot said boom about said support arm, said means to pivot said boom being connected to the other end of said boom, said means to pivot said boom comprising a pivot shaft in parallel disposition to said support arm, one end thereof pivotally interconnected to said other end of said boom, means to retractably extend said pivot shaft, and means formed on said boom to adaptably couple said boom to said one end of said pivot shaft, so as to permit arcuate travel of said boom in pivoting said boom about said support arm, so that said manipulator means is positionable and engageable with said equipment so as to perform work thereon.

Claim 28

In combination with a submergible chamber, a work arm assembly for performing work on equipment at an underwater work area, comprising in combination, a support base connectably mounted to said chamber, a support arm extending outwardly from said base, said base provided with means to receive one end of the support arm, a boom transversely disposed to, rotatably interconnected with, and pivotally mounted to the other end of said support arm, means to rotate said support arm and boom, manipulator means for engaging said equipment, said manipulator means being integrally connected at one end of said boom, means to actuate said manipulator means and means to pivot said boom about said support arm, said means to pivot said boom being connected to the other end of said boom, said means to pivot said boom comprising a pivot shaft in parallel disposition to said support arm, one end thereof pivotally interconnected to said other end of said boom, means to retractably extend said pivot shaft, and means formed on said boom to adaptably couple said boom to said one end of said pivot shaft, so as to permit arcuate travel of said boom in pivoting said boom about said support arm, so that said manipulator means is positionable and engageable with said equipment so as to perform work thereon.

Claim 29

The combination of claim 25, said chamber further comprising track means horizontally, circumfrentially disposed in relation to the central axis of said support arm, means to guidably engage within said track means, interconnecting means affixedly held to said guidably engageable means and to said means to retractably extend said pivot shaft, and means to affixedly mount said track means to said support base.

Claim 30

The combination of claim 19, further comprising actuation transmission conduit means extending from said means to actuate said manipulator means, in said chamber to said manipulator means.

Claim 31

The combination of claim 20, means to mount said means to rotate said support shaft on said support base.

Claim 32

The combination of claim 24, said gripping means comprising a pivotally hinged clamp adaptably engageable with a portion of said equipment.

Claim 33

The combination of claim 19, said support base further comprises means to disconnectably connect said support base to said chamber.

Claim 34

In combination with a submergible chamber, a work arm assembly for performing work on equipment at an underwater work area, comprising in combination, a support base connectably mounted to said chamber, a support arm extending outwardly from said base, said base provided with means to receive one end of the support arm, said support base further comprises means to disconnectably connect said support base to said chamber, said means to disconnectably connect said base comprising at least one bolt rotatably engageable mounted through said chambeR and a portion of the shank thereof protruding outwardly therefrom, a screw-threaded bore in said base to rotatably receive said protruding bolt shank, means to rotate said bolt from the inside of said chamber, so that said bolt may be rotatably disengaged from said bore thereby disconnecting said base, and further comprising a plurality of pre-calculated load-breakable, elongated elements, one end each thereof fixedly attached to said chamber and the other end each thereof fixedly attached to said disconnectable support base, a boom transversely disposed to, rotatably interconnected with, and pivotally mounted to the other end of said support arm, means to rotate said support arm and boom, manipulator means for engaging said equipment, said manipulator means being integrally connected at one end of said boom, means to actuate said manipulator means and means to pivot said boom about said support arm, said means to pivot said boom being connected to the other end of said boom, so that said manipulator means is positionable and engageable with said equipment so as to perform work thereon.

Claim 35

In combination with a submergible chamber, a work arm assembly for performing work on equipment at an underwater work area, comprising in combination, a support base connectably mounted to said chamber, a support arm extending outwardly from said base, said base provided with means to receive one end of the support arm, said support base further comprises means to disconnectably connect said support base to said chamber, said means to disconnectably connect said base comprising at least one bolt rotatably engageable mounted through said chambeR and a portion of the shank thereof protruding outwardly therefrom, a screw-threaded bore in said base to rotatably receive said protruding bolt shank, means to rotate said bolt from the inside of said chamber, so that said bolt may be rotatably disengaged from said bore thereby disconnecting said base, and further comprising a plurality of pre-calculated load-breakable, elongated elements, one end each thereof fixedly attached to said chamber and the other end each thereof fixedly attached to said disconnectable support base, a boom transversely disposed to, rotatably interconnected with, and pivotally mounted to the other end of said support arm, means to rotate said support arm and boom, manipulator means for engaging said equipment, said manipulator means being integrally connected at one end of said boom, means to actuate said manipulator means and means to pivot said boom about said support arm, said means to pivot said boom being connected to the other end of said boom, so that said manipulator means is positionable and engageable with said equipment so as to perform work thereon.

Claim 36

The combination of claim 31, further comprising at least three bolts rotatably, engageably mounted through said chamber, said bolts being spaced from and in parallel disposition to each other.

Claim 37

The combination of claim 32, the head of each of said bolts being formed with a means for rotation thereof.

Claim 38

In combination with a submergible chamber, a lift wire attachably connected to said chamber at the top thereof, blade means to sever said lift wire, said blade means being mounted to said chamber and being transversely disposed to said lift wire, means being mounted to said chamber to actuate said blade means to sever said lift wire so as to cut said wire and free said chamber therefrom, and means to provide a positive bouyancy to the freed chamber to permit bouyant return.

Claim 39

In combination with a submergible chamber, a lift wire attachably connected to said chamber at the top thereof, blade means to sever said lift wire, said blade means being mounted to said chamber and being transversely disposed to said lift wire, means being mounted to said chamber to actuate said blade means to sever said lift wire so as to cut said wire and free said chamber therefrom, and means to provide a positive bouyancy to the freed chamber to permit bouyant return.

Claim 40

The combination of claim 34, means to guide said blade means said means to actuate said blade means being controllable from within said chamber and actuation transmission conduit means interconnected from said means to actuate said blade means to said blade means, so that said actuated blade means is guidingly driven so as to sever said lift wire.

Claim 43

The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said gripping means comprises means to slidably receive a vertically disposed guide, whereby said means to actuate said gripping means actuates said gripping means to a first position to slidably receive said guide and to a second position so as to grip said guide.

Claim 44

The apparatus of claim 36, said arm means being outwardly extensible and means to retractably extend said arm means.

Claim 45

The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising means to pivotally interconnect said arm means to said chamber.

Claim 46

The apparatus of claim 36, said arm means comprising a pair of first arms pivotally interconnected to and outwardly extensible from said chamber, a pair of second arms pivotally interconnected to and outwardly extensible from said chamber, each of said secOnd pair of arms peripherally spaced from a respective arm of said first pair or arms, the outward end of each of said second arms being formed with means to pivotally interconnect said respective first arm, means to retractably extend said first arms and means to retractably extend said second arms.

Claim 47

The apparatus of claim 40, said means to retractably extend said first arms and said means to retractably extend said second arms, one each of said means comprising a hydraulic cylinder, a retractably extensible ram one end thereof slidably received in one end of said cylinder, hydraulic actuation means within said chamber, and hydraulic actuation transmission conduit means interconnected from said hydraulic actuation means to said hydraulic cylinder.

Claim 48

The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means to proportionally control said means to retractably extend said first arms and said means to retractably extend said second arms so that said chamber is controllably horizontally positionable.

Claim 49

The combination of claim 36, wherein said manipulator means comprises a rotatable extensible shaft, means to rotate said shaft, said means to rotate said shaft being integraly mounted to said end of said boom and said means to rotate extend said shaft having means to couple one end of said shaft thereto, a manipulator member connected to the other end of said shaft thereto, a manipulator member connected to the other end of said shaft, said manipulator member being adaptably formed to be engageable with a portion of said equipment.

Claim 50

The apparatus of claim 36, said work arm assembly comprising in combination, a support base connectably mounted to said chamber, a support arm extending outwardly from said base, said base provided with means to receive one end of the support arm, a boom transversely disposed to, rotatably interconnected with, and pivotally mounted to the other end of said support arm, means to rotate said support arm and said boom, manipulator means adaptably formed for engaging said equipment, said manipulator means being attachably connected at one end of said boom, and means to pivot said boom about said support arm, said means to pivot being connected to the other end of said boom.

Claim 51

The combination of claim 36, said means to pivot said boom comprising a pivot shaft in parallel disposition to said support shaft one end thereof pivotally interconnected to said end of said boom, means to retractably extend said shaft adaptably coupled to the other end of said shaft.

Claim 54

The apparatus of claim 46, further comprising actuation transmission conduit means extending from each of said actuating means to each of the respective positioning means.

Claim 59

In combination with a submergible chamber, a work arm assembly for performing work on equipment at an underwater work area, comprising in combination, a support base connectably mounted to said chamber, a support arm extending outwardly from said base, said base provided with means to receive one end of the support arm, said support base further comprises means to disconnectably connect said support base to said chamber, and further comprising a plurality of pre-calculated load-breakable, elongated elements, one end each thereof fixedly attached to said chamber and the other end each thereof fixedly attached to said disconnectable support base, a boom transversely disposed to, rotatably interconnected with, and pivotally mounted to the other end of said support arm, means to rotate said support arm and boom, manipulator means for engaging said equipment, said manipulator means being integrally connected at one end of said boom, means to actuate said manipulator means and means to pviot said boom about said support arm, said means to pivot said boom being connected to the other end of said boom, so that said manipulator means is positionable and engageable with said equipment so as to perform work thereon.

Claim 60

In combination with a submergible chamber, a work arm assembly for performing work on equipment at an underwater work area, comprising in combination, a support base connectably mounted to said chamber, a support arm extending outwardly from said base, said base provided with means to receive one end of the support arm, said support base further comprises means to disconnectably connect said support base to said chamber, and further comprising a plurality of pre-calculated load-breakable, elongated elements, one end each thereof fixedly attached to said chamber and the other end each thereof fixedly attached to said disconnectable support base, a boom transversely disposed to, rotatably interconnected with, and pivotally mounted to the other end of said support arm, means to rotate said support arm and boom, manipulator means for engaging said equipment, said manipulator means being integrally connected at one end of said boom, means to actuate said manipulator means and means to pviot said boom about said support arm, said means to pivot said boom being connected to the other end of said boom, so that said manipulator means is positionable and engageable with said equipment so as to perform work thereon.

Claim 63

The apparatus of claim 51, said means to actuate said severing means being controllable from within said chamber and actuation transmission conduit means interconnected from said means to actuate said severing means to said severing means.