METHOD TO CARRY OUT UNDERWATER HANDLING OPERATIONS AND DEVICE TO THIS END Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC B63C7/02 B63C7/10 

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to ship lifting and rescue operations in sea and inland waters. Method comprises positioning of positive floatability handling device (HD) underwater in vertical and horizontal planes above the object to be lifted. HD is downed onto lifter object and is arranged inside closed outline with additional centering of HD relative to object due to negative floatability. Object to be lifted is fixed at bottom and clamped by the devices simultaneously telescoping in pairs towards each other till contact with said object at its lower part. Said devices are arranged at HD bottom. Object to be lifted is moved out of contact with bottom. Ballasting is made and HD with object are lifted on to the surface and seized to proposed device. Fothering sail is applied along device bottom edge and all along device and object outer perimetres, device and object are towed. Handling device, closed along outer perimetre and furnished with object clamping device, comprises telescoping supports arranged in cantilever in planes located at α=50-80° to HD diametric plane to form thrust prism for object to be lifted with supports pulled out. Support edges have air feed nozzles to wash out bottom soil, as well as sets of pontoons arranged in symmetry about HD center of masses, said pontoons allowing air feed and discharge there in and out. HD is furnished with winches coupled with anchors fixed at bottom.

EFFECT: reliable positioning of HD.

6 cl, 2 dwg