Method and system for manipulating an object located underwater

Details Method and system for manipulating an object located underwater Method and system for manipulating an object located underwater

2000-11-27

2002-09-03

Shackelford, Heather (Department: 3673)

Hydraulic and earth engineering

Marine structure or fabrication thereof

With anchoring of structure to marine floor

C405S222000, C405S224100, C405S191000, C114S044000, C114S051000, C114S244000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06443660

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to manipulating objects located proximate an underwater floor. By way of further particularity, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method of using the apparatus for salvage and recovery of fully or partially submerged objects. By way of further particularity, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for recovering fully or partially submerged objects from an underwater floor such as a seabed, lake, river, or marsh, especially in operations having delicate or difficult archeological retrieval characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are numerous patents in the field of underwater salvage and recovery systems and methods. As summarized below, these patents neither teach nor suggest use of a support foundation implanted or otherwise imbedded in an underwater floor such as a seabed or having a lifting frame with a series of slings that are suspended from the lifting frame in a cradle-like configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,745 issued to Beucher discloses a salvage apparatus that includes a drum container. The salvage apparatus
10
is taken by a diver from a surface craft to an object to be retrieved
12
from the ocean floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,109 issued to Jermyn, et al. discloses a salvage apparatus that includes a lift system
10
. The lift system
10
has a flotation unit
18
having connection means to provide appropriate points on a harness
20
to provide for attachment of tethers. Means for attaching to and lifting underwater salvage items are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,372 issued to Tausig discloses a salvage apparatus for delivering a heavy cable from the ocean's surface to an extended depth for attachment to an object to be salvaged. The apparatus
10
includes a buoyancy float
12
formed of a syntactic foam. The buoyancy float
12
further has a central longitudinal aperture
18
extended from a rounded top of the buoyancy float
12
to a substantially flat bottom of the buoyancy float
12
.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,801 issued to Gallaher, et al. discloses a hyjack platform with compensated dynamic response. An offshore platform structure is disclosed for temporarily using a jack-up rig. Pile sleeves
20
support a truss assembly, e.g. surface tower
28
. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,089 issued to Gallaher, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,250 issued to Smith, et al., each of which also disclose hyjack platforms and methods of use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,938 issued to Huguenun, et al. discloses a variable buoyancy float/ballast system having a float/ballast assembly
23
. A lower ballast portion
26
carries a fixed but adjustable ballast in modular increments. A floatation chamber
27
is attached to float/ballast assembly
23
. When chamber
27
is flooded, float/ballast assembly
23
sinks, and when filled with air, float/ballast assembly
23
rises. One or more mooring lines attach to float/ballast assembly
23
and to an object to be raised such as cage
20
.


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