Method of underwater trenching or dredging

Abstract

A method of underwater trenching including providing an apparatus having a floating platform having an opening therein, a frame placed on the floating platform, a guide pipe inserted through the tower, a steel coiled high-pressure flexible hose attached to a high-pressure water pump, and a power source. Positioning the apparatus such that the opening is positioned over an area of water in which the sand under the water needs to be trenched. Lowering the guide pipe until an end of the guide pipe reaches the sand under the water. Inserting the hose through the guide pipe. Activating the water pump to induce until the sand begins to come up from around the pipe underneath a surface of the water indicating a sinkhole has been formed. Removing the guide pipe to collapse the sink hole to create the trench.

Claims

1. A method of underwater trenching comprising: providing an apparatus having a floating platform with an opening therein, a frame placed on the floating platform over the opening, a guide pipe inserted through the frame, a steel coiled high-pressure flexible hose attached to a high-pressure water pump, and a power source; positioning the apparatus such that the opening is positioned over an area of water in which the sand under the water needs to be trenched; lowering the guide pipe until an end of the guide pipe reaches the sand under the water; inserting the hose through the guide pipe; activating the water pump to induce until the sand begins to come up from around the pipe underneath a surface of the water indicating a sinkhole has been formed; and removing the guide pipe to collapse the sink hole to create the trench.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustable length guide pipe to trench sand at various depths.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the guide pipe includes lateral openings to trench sand in various directions.

4. An apparatus designed for underwater trenching according to the method of claim 1 comprising: a floating platform having an opening therein; a frame placed on the floating platform; a guide pipe inserted through the tower; and a steel coiled high-pressure flexible hose attached to a high-pressure water pump; and a power source, wherein the apparatus is positioned over an area of water in which the sand under the water needs to be trenched, the guide pipe is lowered until an end of the guide pipe reaches the sand under the water, the hose is inserted though the guide pipe, the pump is activated until the sand begins to come up from around the pipe underneath a surface of the water indicating a sinkhole has been formed and removing the guide pipe to collapse the sink hole to create the trench.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an adjustable length guide pipe to trench sand at various depths.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the guide pipe includes lateral openings to trench sand in various directions.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0005] The drawings presented herein show illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. They do not illustrate all embodiments. Other embodiments may be used in addition to or instead of the illustrative embodiments. Details that may be apparent or unnecessary may be omitted to save space or for more effective illustration. Some embodiments may be practiced with additional components or steps and/or without all the components or steps that are illustrated. When the same numeral appears in different drawings, it refers to the same or like components or steps. The drawings are not intended to depict every feature of every implementation nor relative dimensions of the depicted elements and are not drawn to scale.

[0006] FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view of an apparatus of the present disclosure.

[0007] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a component of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 3 shows a side view of a component of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 4 shows a top perspective view of a component of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 5 shows a side view of components of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 6 shows a side view showing attachable sections of a guide pipe of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 7 shows a side view showing attached sections of a guide pipe of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the apparatus mounted on a catamaran of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 9 shows a side view of the apparatus of the present disclosure in operation.

[0015] FIG. 10 shows a top view of a trench resulting from use of the apparatus of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 11 shows a side view of a guide pipe with a lateral opening according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to clearly describe various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the subject matter of the present disclosure may be practiced without all of the specific details discussed below. In other instances, well-known features may not have been described so as not to obscure the disclosure with unnecessary detail regarding known features.

[0018] As used herein, the term and/or is to be interpreted broadly and is to be understood to refer to all or some of the elements. For example, at least one of (a) and/or (b) means the teaching pertains only to element (a), or only to element (b), or to both element (a) and element (b). In another example, at least one of (a), (b), and/or (c), means the teaching pertains to only element (a), or only to element (b), or only element (c), or to elements (a) and (b), elements (a) and (c), elements (b) and (c), or to all of (a), (b) and (c).

[0019] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an apparatus and method of underwater trenching or dredging 10. FIG. 1 shows components of a dredging apparatus 10. FIG. 1 shows apparatus 10 including a floating platform 12 and a frame 14 placed on the floating platform. An opening 16 is provided in platform 12, such that frame 14 is placed over such opening to gain egress to the water below. In some embodiments, opening 16 is approximately 3.75 inches in diameter.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2-5, frame 14 is constructed of a plurality of galvanized steel pipes 20 attached to a steel bracket 22 and a mounting to the platform 12 is bracket 24. Frame 14 includes multiple levels of pipes 20 and steel brackets 22, similar to a scaffold, such that the height of frame 14 can be adjusted to be higher or shorter.

[0021] In some embodiments, pipes 20 may a 3-inch zinc galvanized steel pipe with a length of 8 feet. Pipe 20 is welded to a steel bracket 22, as shown in FIG. 3. Steel bracket 22 may be 2 inches wide and an inch thick. In some embodiments, bracket 22 may be a 2 foot by 2-foot square. Mounting bracket 24 includes a plurality of drill holes 26 for attachment to platform 12. For example, mounting bracket 24 includes a inch opening for use of mounting bolts to attach with platform 12.

[0022] In some embodiments, mounting bracket 24 is mounted to platforms utilizing a brass nut that is inch thick, a zinc galvanized washer placed between two inch nuts. The zinc galvanized washer goes under the second nut, a rubber gasket is inch thick and goes on top of the mounting bracket. Brass bolts 6, of which there are four, are inches thick wherein the length varies depending on the thickness of the floating platform. The nuts, washer and gaskets are mounted on the bottom of the platform.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, a guiding sleeve, for example, a guide pipe 30 is inserted through the center of frame 14. Guide pipe 30 is approximately 3 inches in diameter and is 8 feet long. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, guide pipe 30 can include multiple attachable sections 30a. This allows for guide pipe 30 to be increased and/or decreased depending on the depth of the sand below the water. Guide pipe 30 may include a female threaded attachment 34 configured for engagement with a male threaded surface 36 of a section of guide pipe 30a to extend the length of guide pipe 30.

[0024] In some embodiments, frame 14 includes clamps 32 arranged along a length of frame 14 as shown in FIG. 8. Clamps 32 are utilized to restrict movement of pipe 30 during use as shown in FIG. 8 when the apparatus designed for underwater trenching is mounted on a catamaran, the clamps 32 will help hold the guide pipe 30 more securely when the 300 gallons per minute are coursing through the guide pipe 30. A high-pressure water pump 40 having a steel coiled high-pressure flexible hose 42 is configured for insertion through pipe 30. A power source, for example, a generator 44, is provided to actuate the water pump.

[0025] The high-pressure pump 40 can ideally handle 300 gallons per minute or 75 pounds of pressure through the guide pipe 30. The guide pipe 30 may also accommodate various accessories that can place or change the location of the sinkhole.

[0026] Due to the weight of the water, sand, and soil, the top of the sea bottom will stay in place. Pumping water downward at high levels of pressure creates a significant void or sinkhole. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, guide pipe 30 is inserted into the sand S at the desired depth on the ocean floor. Hose 42 is inserted into pipe 30 and is actuated. The pressure from the pump expands the sand S and creates a significant void or sinkhole.

[0027] The pump 40 is shut off when sand S or soil starts coming up from around the pipe 30 upwards. This indicates that the sinkhole has reached its maximum size. Once the pipe 30 is removed, the sinkhole collapses, as shown in FIG. 10, and finishes the dredging process without the need to transport soil and with minimal damage to any marine life. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11, guide pipe 30 may have a lateral opening such that the area to be dredged can be altered to the left or right in addition to directly below the apparatus.

[0028] Although the present invention has been described with reference to teaching, examples and preferred embodiments, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain its essential characteristics, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. Such equivalents are encompassed by the scope of the present invention.