Collapsible salvage drum and method

Claim 1

A salvage apparatus comprising: a flexible skirt which has the shape of a cylindrical tube with top and bottom ends; a pair of rigid circular plates, one of the plates being sealably mounted to the top end of the skirt and the other plate being sealably mounted to the bottom end of the skirt so that a bellows type container is formed; the lateral area of each plate substantially encompassing the lateral expanded area of the respective skirt end; first valve means being located in the bottom plate for selectively allowing the passage of water into or out of the container; second valve means being located in the top plate for selectively introducing pressurized air into the container; relief valve means being located through the container for relieving air from the container when the inside and outside differential pressure has exceeded a predetermined level, the relief valve means including a standpipe which is connected to the second valve means and which extends downwardly therefrom; a scuba regulator connected to the bottom of the standpipe; a pressurized air bottle mounted to the bottom of the bottom plate; and the scuba regulator being connected to the pressurized air bottle; a water pump connected to the bottom plate for selectively pumping water into the container; and third valve means located in the top plate for selectively allowing the passage of air out of the container.

Claim 4

A method of handling a submerged object with a bellows type container which has top and bottom plates encompassing a flexible skirt therebetween, the top plate having a relief valve and the bottom plate having a valve for opening and closing the passage of water comprising the steps of: descending the container in water to the object; attaching the container to the object; introducing air into the container until the top plate is buoyed up, and opening the valve in the bottom plate so that as the top plate is buoyed up water is drawn into the container to expand the skirt; introducing additional air into the container with the valve in the bottom plate open until the container is sufficiently deballasted that the object can be moved; and closing the valve in the bottom plate.

Claim 5

A method of handling a submerged object with a bellows type container which has top and bottom plates encompassing a flexible skirt therebetween, the top plate having a relief valve and the bottom plate having a valve for opening and closing the passage of water comprising the steps of: descending the container in water to the object; attaching the container to the object; introducing air into the container until the top plate is buoyed up, and opening the valve in the bottom plate so that as the top plate is buoyed up water is drawn into the container to expand the skirt; introducing additional air into the container with the valve in the bottom plate open until the container is sufficiently deballasted that the object can be moved; and closing the valve in the bottom plate.