US2717800A - Device for detecting and retrieving sunken logs - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 13, 1955 M. w. CHATTEN DEVICE FOR DETECTING AND RETRIEVING SUNKEN LOGS Filed April 20, 1953 United States Patent Ofiice 2,717,800

Patented Sept. 13, 1955 2,717,800 Figure 6 is a perspective view of the trigger mechanism employed in actuating my invention. DEVICE FOR D RETRIEVING Referring now to the drawings for the general arrangement of my invention it will be seen that it is of tubular Meredith W. Chatteii, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to construction, and includes an elongated lo -engaging mem- Franks Dredging Company, Long Beach, Calif., a partber L removably supported in a guide G by a hand line C. nership Guide G also functions as a probe in locating the posi- Application April 20, 1953, Serial No. 349,925 gg g g h surf the Water as W111 later 4 Claims. (Cl. 294-66) My invention includes a trigger mechanism T, which when actuated, permits a compressed spring S to expand My invention relates generally to the field of dredging, G. Downward movement of e ector E permits the logand more particularly to a device for detecting and reengaging member L to be directed into a sunken log, and trievmg logs lying at the bottom of a body of water Spring S may be returned to its compressed position by A dredge, as is well known, is employed in the removal means of a mechanism M. of bulk material from the bottom of a body of wate O My invention also includes an intermediately positioned form of dredge removes such material by means of the tubular member 10 that supports guide G on its lower hydraulic action of a circulating current of water, whereend portion. A tubular member 11, used principally as in water is circulated at a velocity sufiicient to pick up bulk a handle is mounted on the upwardly disposed end of material at the desired rate and direct it into the mouth of member 10 and the l0W r end of member 11 is situated the dredge for subsequent disposal. within member 10, providing a circular seat 11a for the Dredging is frequently carried out on stationary bodies upper end of spring S o a ut against as y best be Seen of water that have previously been used in logging operain Flgllre 4 The pp r end of guide G is positioned tions During logging operations, a certain percentage of Within the tubular member 11 to provide an annular stop the logs floated on the water sink before reaching their 2- destination and when the type of dredge above described Tubular members 10 and 11 are held together as n works on such Waters used for logging, these sunken logs integr all unit y a transversely disposed bolt Guide present a most troublesome problem Unless the sunken atfiXed t0 b lar member 10 by spot Welding, or logs are removed, they are carried up into the mouth of the like, located at Posltloll 10a le E includes a such sunken logs prior to the dredging operation i by of, which head is disposed within the confines of tubular no means simple. Normally waters on which logs are thethbel' The pp face 15a of h hea is at all times tively shallow. Over a period of years, such bodies of is of the helical p the PP end 17 of h h a uts water become jet black due to the tannic acid dissolved against the seat Head 15 y move longitudinally from the logs. Thus it is impossible to see sunken logs 1'11 tubular member 10, with the degree of upward movefrom above the surface of the water, despite the fact that ment thereof being determined by the Compression 011 they may lie only two or three feet below the surface there- P 111g Downward movement of head 15 is limited y the downwardly disposed face 15b thereof coming into The primary purpose in devising my present invention Contact h stop is to provide a device that may be utilized to detect the The sptmg-eohlpl'esslhg meehalllslh M includes a position of sunken lo as well as to retrieve same, bracket 19 mounted on tubular member 10, which bracket respective of the i of 11116 logs is provided with a transversely disposed pin 20 that piv- A major object of my invention 18 to provide a sunken Otauy Supports all elongated level 21 A light ln 22 log detecting and retrieving device of simple mechanical extends downwardly from one end of the e er 21 and structure that may be easily manipulated by a single man, has all e hook 23 mounted 1 h free end thereand one that is capable of functioning equally well in A tohgltudlhally disposed Slot 24 is f m In tu ushallow water, as well as in water of relatively great lat member 10 that extends p y from h lower ep edge thereof, WhlCh slot is of such width as to slidably Another object of my invention is to supply a devi e receive a substantially horizontal leg 23a forming a porat is compact, of sturdy construction, easily portable, and of hook Leg 236! extends inwardly I'HtO tubular may be fabricated from standard commercially available Thethber 10 a distance SIItfiCieHt t0 r v ly g g th materials at arelatively low cost. lower face 15b of the ejector head. With the head 15 A further object of my invention is to furnish a device 80 engaged, the lever 21 y be rotated to w he that is positive in operation, and one that permits the hook p y, and upward m n f h ad 15 and detection and recovery of sunken logs with the eXpendi- 6O h 23 r su ts in Compression of the spring S. ture of a minimum of time and effort. Spring S is normally maintained under compression by These and other objects and advantages of my invention the trigger mechanism T. In Figures 4 and 6 it will be will become apparent from the following description of a seen that the trigger mechanism includes an outwardly preferred form thereof, and from the drawing illustrating projecting lug 27 that supports a tram that form inwhich: pin 28. A substantially E-shaped plate 29 formed from Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention when in a rigid sheet metal material is supported at approximately use to detect sunken logs; the center thereof by the pin, 28. Member 29 includes Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sunken log as it is an upwardly disposed substantially horizontal leg 30, and being retrieved after detection; a somewhat longer downwardly disposed leg 31.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of my invention; The outer end portion of the longer leg 31 projects Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device; through'a slot 32 formed in the tubular member 10, and

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the lower may engage the under face 156 of the ejector head. The

head-engaging edge portion 33 of leg 31 is so tapered that the spring-loaded head tends to cause clockwise rotation of the plate 29. However, such rotation is prevented by the outwardly disposed end of leg 30 when it contacts the outer face of a bar 34 of a substantially rectangular cross section. The bar 34 is pivotally supported on a pin 35, and in Figure 6 it may be seen that pin 35 is fixedly supported on tubular member by a U-shaped mounting 36. Mounting 36 may be welded or otherwise afiixed to tubular member 10.

The log-engaging member L embodies an elongated shaft 40 having a pointed lower end 41, and is in effect a spear. A fin 42 formed of sheet metal extends outwardly from the shaft 40 and is of such thickness as to be slidable in a longitudinally extending slot 43 formed in the lower portion of the guide G. An opening 44 is formed in fin 42 through which the lower end of line C passes to be permanently affixed to the log-engaging member in a conventional manner.

The operation of my invention is extremely simple. Logs which have sunken to the floor of a body of water are located by first using my invention as a probe. As the guide G is moved about under the surface of the water W, it comes into contact with a sunken log, generally designated 50, whereby further movement of the device in a particular direction is prevented. By movement of my invention, while at the same time keeping the lower end of guide G thereof in contact with the sunken log, the approximate diameter of the log may be easily determined. A sunken log discovered by such a probing operation may be engaged by member L by placing the lower end of guide G against the exterior of the log at substantially the mid-point of its diameter and pulling upwardly on a light chain 51 such as copper sash chain, the lower end of which is attached to the outer end of bar 34, causing the inwardly disposed end portion of bar 34 to move downwardly to the extent that it no longer contacts the extremity of leg 30. The spring loading on head causes the E-shaped plate 29 (as shown in Figure 4) to pivot in a clockwise direction, to release head 15.

As spring S expands, the ejector E is moved downwardly to cause the log-engaging member L to be discharged from guide G with sufficient force that shaft 40 enters log 50, as shown in Figure 2. At the time the log is engaged by shaft 40, the lower end of guide G is in contact therewith. Shaft portion 41 is formed with spirals 41a for log-engaging purposes. After the extremity 41 of shaft 40 is embedded in log 50, the log may be brought to the water surface by the exertion of upward force on hand line C. The force exerted on line C to raise the log to the surface is normally relatively light, due to the slight differential in specific gravity of the sunken log from that of water. Shaft 40 of member L, as may best be seen in Figure 4, is disposed within the confines of guide G, but has a fin 42 that projects through slot 43. When the operator of the device holds the link C taut, the member L will be maintained in guide G until discharged therefrom by ejector E.

Shaft 40 may be removed from the log 50 after it has been retrieved and the shaft replaced in guide G (Figure 2) with the fin 42 slidably mounted in slot 43. Hook 23 is then placed in groove 24, with leg 23a engaging the under face of head 15. By manually rotating the lever 21 (Figure 4) in a counterclockwise direction, the ejector E is drawn upwardly until the leg 31 engages the under face of head 15. Bar 34 may then be pivoted by use of cable 51 to the position shown in Figure 6, in which position the spring loading on head 15 cannot cause movement of E-shaped plate 29. My invention is then ready for use once again in locating and retrieving another sunken log.

In dredging operations, a workman equipped with my invention usually operates in a small boat a considerable distance ahead of the dredge. After the sunken logs are t raised to the water surface, they are moved to a suitable location by conventional means. While not necessary, it s desirable to have more than one line C and log-retrieving member L in operation so that the probing for sunken lo gs may continue during the time a log is being retrieved and brought to the surface.

Although my invention as above described is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of my invention, and that I do not mean to be limited to the details of construction herein shown other than as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A device for detecting and retrieving sunken logs, which includes: rigid tube; an elongate log-engaging member formed with an outwardly projecting fin; a tubular guide coaxially mounted on the lower end portion of said tube and forming a stop at the junction therewith which guide is adapted to slidably receive said member: with said fin projecting through a longitudinal slot formed in said guide when said member is so received; an eiector slidably mounted in said tube and guide, which ejector is provided with a head that is at all times disposed in said tube and limits the extent of downward movement of said e ector by contacting said stop; a trigger pivotally supported on said guide, said trigger having a leg that may he so positioned to extend through an opening formed in said guide to removably engage said head and hold same in fixed position; trigger actuating means extending upwardly from said trigger from a position above the surface of the water in which said guide is submerged; a helical spring that is at all times in compression and d sposed in said tube, the upper end of which spring occupies a fixed position therein with the lower end thereof movably engaging said head, said lower spring end be ng adapted to assume either a first position where sa d trigger engages said head or a second position where said head is in contact with said stop; and a line extending upwardly from said fin to a position above said water surface, which line when taut holds said member completely within the confines of said guide to prevent entanglement of said member with underwater vegetatron when said guide is employed as a probe, with said line when slack serving as means to raise a sunken log to the water surface after said member is caused to engage same by placing the lower guide end in contact with said log, actuating said trigger to release said ejector and permit said spring to discharge sald member into said 2. A device for detecting and retrieving sunken logs, which includes: a rigid tube; an elongate log-engaging member formed with an outwardly projecting fin; a tubular guide coaxially mounted on the lower end portion of said tube and forming a stop at the junction therewith, which guide is adapted to slidably receive said member, with said fin projecting through a longitudinal slot formed in said guide when said member is so received; an ejector slidably mounted in said tube and guide, which ejector is provided with a head that is at all times disposed in said tube and limits the extent of downward movement of said ejector by contacting said stop; trigger means that removably engage said head to hold it in fixed position; means for actuating said trigger from above the surface of the water in which said guide is submerged; spring means that are at all times in compression and in engagement with said head, which means are under maximum. compression when said head is engsged by said trigger means and under lesser compression when said head is in contact with said step; and a line extending upwardly from said fin to a position above said water surface, which line when taut retains said member in a fully shielded position within the confines of said guide until such time as said trigger is actuated to permit head results in the return of said spring means to its 10 1506068 maximum compressed condition.

when discharged thereinto. 5

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Harris Feb. 10, 1903 Lange Aug. 26, 1924

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