Apparatus for maneuvering on a submerged surface

• US 3,906,572 A
• Filed: 07/12/1973
• Issued: 09/23/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1965
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Russell Edward Winn
• Original Assignee: Russell Edward Winn
• Inventors: Winn, Russell Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/378,660
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 15/1.7,312R 114/222
• US Class Current: 15/1.7
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 59/10 using trolleys or the like driven along the surface

Abstract

A remotely controlled submerged electro-hydraulic cleaning system for removing growths from a ship'"'"''"'"'s hull is disclosed. The system basically comprises four sections including a cleaning unit, a control console and a power supply unit. The cleaning unit includes a device having rotating scrubbing brushes and reduced pressure holds the device against the ship while it is being driven along the submerged surface of the hull.

Claims

1. An apparatus capable of being driven along a submerged surface and cleaning said surface, comprising a chamber having an open side, supporting means for maintaining the open side of said chamber at a distance from said surface, said supporting means including wheel means, driving means connected to said wheel means for causing said chamber to move along said surface, pressure reducing means operably connected with said chamber for continuously maintaining a reduced pressure inside the chamber relative to the pressure outside the chamber, steering means mounted with said chamber for directionally moving said apparatus as it is driven along the submerged surface, said wheel means further including a wheel operably connected with said steering means and capable of being swivelled through an angle of at least 90*, and cleaning means comprising brush means mounted for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned, means to rotate said brush means so that when said brush means are compressed against said surface the bristles thereon rotate in a plane substantially parallel to said surface.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wheel is free to swivel through 360*.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the steering means comprises hydraulically operated steering rams.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a series of corrugations disposed about the edge of the chamber which bounds the open side and which edge is disposed in close proximity to the submerged surface.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the corrugations are continuous.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the open side is circular, the corrugations enclose a circular area, and the profile of the corrugations is sinusoidal.

7. An apparatus capable of being driven along a submerged surface and cleaning said surface, comprising a chamber having an open side, said chamber including a series of corrugations disposed about the edge of said chamber which bounds said open side and facing said submerged surface, supporting meanS for maintaining the open side of said chamber at a distance from said surface, said supporting means including wheel means, driving means connected to said wheel means for causing said chamber to move along said surface, pressure reducing means operably connected with said chamber for continuously maintaining a reduced pressure inside the chamber relative to the pressure outside the chamber, steering means including steering rams mounted with said chamber for directionally moving said apparatus as it is driven along the submerged surface, said wheel means further including a wheel operably connected with said steering rams and capable of being swivelled through an angle of at least 90*, and cleaning means comprising brush means for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned, means to rotate said brush so that when said brush means are compressed against said surface the bristles thereon rotate in a plane substantially parallel to said surface.