APPARATUS TO EXTRACT NATURAL MINERALS FROM SEA BOTTOM Russian patent published in 1995 - IPC

FIELD: natural minerals submarine production. SUBSTANCE: apparatus has base, mounted on ship, and production bottom head, that are connected to each other by pipeline, made as pipe sections, mutually coupled by couplings, and flexible member, located outside pipeline and rigidly fixed on base and production head, that is also linked with couplings. Besides, apparatus has at least two flexible members, uniformly located around pipeline. Each member is made in the form of separate rope slings, connected to each other by links. Each link has longitudinal groove, using which it is moveably connected with coupling. In the case total area of cross-sections of rope slings is decreasing along length of pipeline from base to bottom head. Physical substance is that loadings are taken by members of pipeline separately, that is rope system takes only stretching loadings, and pipeline sections and couplings take loadings, caused by hydrostatic pressure. EFFECT: simplified design. 6 cl, 2 dwg