US3411595A

US3411595A - Hard formation ocean bottom sampling device

Info

Publication number: US3411595A
Application number: US649751A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andre M Rosfelder
Original assignee: Navy Usa
Current assignee: US Department of Navy
Priority date: 1967-06-28
Filing date: 1967-06-28
Publication date: 1968-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1985-11-19

Description

1968 A. M. ROSF'ELDE R HARD FORMATION OCEAN BOTTOM SAMPLING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1967 70m 82 34 INVENTOR.

ANDRE M. ROSFELDER JOSEPH H. GOLA/VT ATTORNEY NOV. 19, 1968 RQSFELDER 3,411,595

HARD FORMATION OCEAN BOTTOM SAMPLING DEVICE Filed June 28, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6

Ibo I52 I04 I 3 I40 Fig/0 Nov. 19, 1968 A. M. ROSFELDER HARD FORMATION OCEAN BOTTOM SAMPLING DEVICE Filed June 28 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 fwVillll I J. /AHWII'IIIIIII"'FIIIII 7 2 United States Patent 3,411,595 HARD FORMATION OCEAN BOTTOM SAMPLING DEVICE Andre M. Rosfelder, La Jolla, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed June 28, 1967, Ser. No. 649,751 12 Claims. (Cl. 175--6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to an ocean bottom sampling device and more particularly to a core sampling device for penetrating a hard formation ocean bottom and removing a core sample therefrom.

Description of the prior art Presently, there is a great interest being developed in the field of oceanography and in attempts to learn more about the makeup and consistency of the ocean bottom. However, it is already known that the soils at the ocean bo.tom vary considerably as does the earth that is above Water. As the different types of underwater soils became known various coring devices have been developed to retrieve undisturbed samples. Three such devices which have been developed to take core samples as illustrated by patents to Venghiattis, 3,313,357; Charlton et al., 3,295,616; and Piggot, 2,227,198. While each of these devices may work in certain types of soils, they have been found to be lacking in efficiency and effectiveness when a sample was desired in a hard formation. By hard formation it is meant soils such as shales, limestones, sandstones, etc.

The two major problems in taking core samples from a hard formation are (1) developing a sufficient driving force to cause penetration without the necessity of excessively large equipment and (2) developing sufficient force to cause removal of the sample. Venghiattis illustrates a core sampler which achieves bottom penetration from an explosive charge. However, as constructed the device does not fully utilize the power of the explosive charge and no provisions are made for pulling the core sample from the hard formation. Charlton et al. on the other hand, lacks an efficient means to create a force of penetration as they rely entirely on expendable weights which are generally insufficient to penetrate a hard formation or, if of sufficient weight, usually unacceptably large in size. Piggot illustrates an explosive charge for achieving penetration and attempts to efficiently use the explosive energy by streamlining his apparatus. However, he lacks any arrangement for effectively encouraging pullout from a hard formation.

3,41 1,595 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 Ice SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention solves the above disadvantages by providing an ocean bottom sampling device which is an effective and efficient apparatus for penetrating the ocean bottom and for removing itself therefrom. The apparatus comprises a sampling tube and a spring means connected to the sampling tube. In addition the device comprises a perforated barrel frame having an upper end and a lower end and a longitudinal bore, the bore opening through the lower end of the barrel; the perforated sampling tube telescopically disposed within the bore of the barrel frame, the tube having an upper end and a lower end; a sampling tube head for receiving a driving force to cause penetration of the sampling tube, the head being engaged to the barrel frame within the bore and having a bottom end connected to the upper end of the sampling tube; the spring means connected to the sampling tube for upwardly biasing the sampling tube after penetration of the tube in the ocean bottom; and a means for actuating the driving force.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ocean bottom sampling device which is capable of effective and efiicient penetration of the ocean bottom as well as pullout or removal from the ocean bottom.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ocean bottom sampling device which operates reliably in hard formations.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an ocean bottom sampling device which achieves penetration and pullout with relative ease and yet without sacrifice to its area ratio.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic partial section view of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a cut-away'partial section view illustrating a stand and a different lifting means from that shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the FIG. 1 embodiment just subsequent to the ignition of an explosive element;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic section view of the FIG. 1 embodiment illustrating my core sampling device after it has taken a core sample and just prior to being pulled out of the ocean bottom and returned to the surface;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic section view of the FIG. 1 embodiment illustrating my core sampling device returning to the surface;

FIG. 6 is an isometric partially sectional view of an expendable core cutter and the lower end of a sampling tube;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic electrical circuit of a preferred embodiment for a means for actuating the driving force;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic electrical circuit of another preferred embodiment of a means for actuating the driving force;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic partial section view of another preferred embodiment of an ocean bottom sampling device;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial section view of a portion of the FIG. 9 embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic section view of the FIG. 9 embodiment during operation;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic section view of the FIG. 11 embodiment during operation;

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic section view of FIG. 11 embodiment during operation;

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic section view of the FIG. 11 embodiment during operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings where like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment of my ocean bottom sampling device. The device comprises perforated barrel frame which may be cylindrical in shape having an upper end 12 and a lower end 14 with a longitudinal bore 16 extending from the lower end 14 to near the upper end 12. The barrel frame 10 may be made of any suitable material such as a non-corrosive steel. Along the body of the frame may be a multiple series of apertures indicated by the numeral 18. These apertures may be spaced along the barrel frame body preferably toward the lower end 14 so that any water which may be within the bore 16 of the barrel frame may be in communication with the external environmental water about the device. An upper portion 19 of the barrel frame may be constructed of a substantially solid section so as to act as a breech for an explosive element, the details of which will be discussed below.

Connected to the barrel frame for returning the sampling device to the ocean surface once it has completed its mission may be a lifting means which may be a float 20 as shown in FIG. 1, or a bail 22 and cable 24 as shown in FIG. 2; the cable 24 on the bail 22 may be connected by any suitable means such as by fastener 26 while the bail 22 may be connected to the barrel frame by any suitable means such as bolting or welding. The float 20 may be made of suitable buoyant material such as described in the Charlton patent wherein they suggest the material Inlyte (:a trade name of General Motors Corporation). The float also may be connected by any suitable means such as bolting to the perforated barrel frame 10, or by providing suction cups which may attach to the float and to the frame 10.

Slidably disposed within the bore 16 of the barrel frame 10 is a perforated sampling tube 30 having an upper end 32 and a lower end 34. The sampling tube may be made of any suitable material such as non-corrosive steel. The tube may be constructed in two sections, a bottom section 36 being tubular in shape without perforations while the upper section 38 may have perforations in the form of a multiple series of apertures which are indicated by numeral 40. The two

sections

36 and 38 may be threadedly connected as shown and designated by the numeral 42. The apertures 40 are for the purpose of com municating any water which may be within the interior 44 of the sampling tube with the external environmental water via the apertures 18 in the barrel frame 10.

Connected to the upper end of the sampling tube is a sampling tube head 48 having a top end 50 and a bottom end 52. The head may be sealably engaged to the barrel frame within the bore '16 such as by an O-ring 54 as shown. The head 48 is adapted to receive a driving force upon its top end 50 to cause penetration of the sampling tube by transmitting that driving force to the upper end 32 of the sampling tube. The top end 50 of the piston head may have an annular depression for the purpose of more efficiently receiving an explosive force, the details of which will be explained below.

A spring means such as a compression spring 60* is connected to the sampling tube andmay be disposed as shown in FIG. 1 about the sampling tube, one end of the compression spring being connected to the bottom end 52 of the head 48 while the other end may be connected to an abutment 62 formed integral with the barrel frame near the barrels lower end 14. As shown, the compression spring 60 occupies a space between the barrel frame 10 and the sampling tube 30 within the bore 16. As is now apparent, the compression spring contributes a major advantage to my device by being compressed as the head 48 is driven downward Within the barrel frame 10 thereby driving the sampling tube into the ocean bottom. By compressing the spring it becomes biased and upon dissipation of the driving force the spring will be urged to return to its unbiased position. By so returning to its unbiased position the spring will cause the head to be driven upward toward the upper end 12 of the barrel frame and thus will materially aid in removing the sampling tube from a hand formation ocean bottom.

The driving force to be received by the head 48 may be at high pressure caused by an explosion of an explosive element 64 embedded in the upper portion 19 of the barrel frame which, as mentioned, acts as a breech. A means for actuating the driving force that is received by the head may take the form of a combination comprising wires 66 wired to the explosive element 64 for connecting an explosion initiator which may be a battery 68, the battery in turn being connected to :a switch means such as a switch by a cable 72.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic circuit diagram of a preferred embodiment illustrating an explosive element which may be a squib 64a. Included within the circuity is a battery 68m and a mercury switch 70a. This switch as shown in the FIG. 1 embodiment may hang below the sampling device during descent, so located as to tilt upon reaching the ocean bottom; the tilting will cause the mercury to make contact and close the circuitry thereby firing the squib 64a. It is to be noted that an acceleration switch or any other type of impact switch may be used in place of the mercury switch. As a safety factor a normally open pressure switch 73a may be placed within the circuit, the pressure switch being normally open under atmospheric pressure but closing at some suitably higher pressure so that there is no chance of an explosion while the device is being handled upon shipboard. Closure will occur when the device descends to the depth at which the suitably higher pressure exists.

FIG. 8 is a circuit view of another preferred embo'diment illustrating an explosive element 6411 which may be a cartridge of any suitable explosive with a battery source 68b, mercury switch 70b and safety pressure switch 73b. Upon reaching the ocean bottom the tilting mercury switch closes the circuit causing a solenoid 74 to be activated to retract a latch 76 which in turn has been restraining a percussion pin 78; the percussion pin will then be biased to strike the charge 64b causing the desired explosion. The circuitry shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are well known in the art and any suitable combination of suitable elements may be used.

In FIG. 2 is still another actuator which includes a mercury switch means 70 mounted to the cable 24 and wired by wires 66' to the explosive element (not shown). The switch will remain vertical until the device comes to rest upon the ocean bottom and causes a slackening in the cable 24. The loss of tension in the cable allows the cable to form a catenary causing the switch to tilt so as to close internal contacts therein.

As a protection to the explosive element 64 it may be desirable to have a relatively small spacing 80 (FIG. 1) within the bore 16 between the upper portion 19 of the barrel frame and the top end 50 of the head remain sealed. The advantage of having such a spacing is that the charge 64 and battery 68 and respective wiring are protected from the normally harmful sea environment.

may be an expendable core cutter 82, FIGS. land 5, which is attached to the sampling tube 30 by friction engagement. The advantage of having an expendable core cutter is that it may be removed from the end of the sampling tube and remain embedded in the hard formation while allowing the tube to be withdrawn. In addition, if the core cutter 82 is made of a somewhat larger diameter than the sampling tube as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, less friction will be developed upon the sampling tube walls during removal since the hole that was dug upon penetration will be of a somewhat larger diameter than the tube.

Additionally, the lower end 34 of the sampling tube may also be slotted and grooved, such as by slots 84 and groove 86 shown in FIG. 5 so that the very end of the sampling tube may act as a core retainer. Experimentations have shown that the combination of slots and a groove causes the ends of the tube to be bent inwardly thereby effectively retaining a core sample; however, it is not completely understood how this happens though it is speculated that the bending is caused by the reaction to the driving force of penetration which, in turn, tends to heat the end of the tube sufficiently to act together with the strength weakening groove 86 and slots 84 to cause a bending of the tube after a core sample has been taken. Thus, a core sample is not damaged during the crucial penetration period.

The FIG. 1 embodiment may also include a torus shaped weight 88 which may be useful if the weight of the corer is deemed insufficient. The weight 88 may be connected to the barrel frame by a shearable cable 90 Which may pass through the

apertures

18 and 40 of the barrel frame and sampling tube respectively. Upon activation of the device the downward movement of the sampling tube 30 will cause the cable 90 to be sheared so that the weight 88 will not impose any burden upon the device in pulling itself out of the ocean bottom and returning itself to the ocean surface.

It may be desirable when a bail and cable lifting means are used as shown in the FIG. 2 embodiment to also provide a stand 92 comprising multiple legs mounted upon gimbals (not shown) and connected to a slidable band 94 about the barrel frame which is adapted to slide from a lower shoulder 96 to an upper shoulder 98. Upon lowering, the band 94 will be abutting the shoulder 96 until bottom contact is made at which time the band 94 will slide upward to the shoulder '98 While the stand 92 pivots upon its gimbals to keep the device in a relatively perpendicular position (relative to the ocean surface). Upon firing shoulder 96 will also limit recoil.

FIG. 9 is another embodiment of my invention comprising a barrel frame 100 having a perforation or opening 112 at its lower end and a perforation or opening 116 at its upper end 110; a sampling tube 102 having an upper end 122 and a lower end 124 both ends being perforated or open; a spring means 106; a sampling tube head 104; and a means for actuating the driving force. The barrel frame 100 has a longitudinal bore 108.

A lifting means may be included and comprise a bail 118 and a retrieving cable 120 suitably connected as described for the FIG. 1 embodiment. The sampling tube 102 is telescopically disposed within the bore 108 of the barrel frame. Connectedto the upper end 122 of the sampling tube and preferably integral with this end is the head 104 which is mounted for piston action within the barrel frame and is adaptedfto receive the driving force upon a top end 126. The spring means may be a compression spring 106 connected to the lower end of the barrel frame and disposed to extend downward therefrom such that the spring will contact the hard formation ocean bottom and be compressed while the sampling tube is penetrating the ocean bottom. As shown, the spring will be disposed about the sampling tube during penetration of the tube.

In addition to the elements already mentioned, a re- 6 movable and slidable end plate 130 may be added to the combination, the plate having an inner and

outer periphery

134 and 138, respectively, sealably engaged at its outer periphery to the barrel frame near the lower end 114 and at" its inner periphery to the sampling tube. This connection may be by any suitable means such as by friction fitting with an O-ring 132 within a groove in the outer periphery 138 of the end plate while an O-ring 136 may be placed within a groove within the inner periphery 134. The end plate as mentioned is removable and slidable and will be removed upon penetration of the sampling tube.

Formed between the sampling tube 102, the barrel frame (within the bore 108), the end plate and a bottom end 140 of the head 104 is a chamber. Being sealed, this chamber is to remain at a low pressure relative the environmental sea pressure during descent of the sampling device to the ocean bottom. A convenient pres sure would be atmospheric which would probably exist upon the vessel from which the device is lowered. Once the sealing elements are in place the pressure within the abovementioned chamber would remain at the initial pressure while the environmental sea pressure will rapidly in crease during descent of the device. It is this pressure dif ferential which is created which will provide the mechanism for a driving force to act upon the head 104 for driving the sampling tube.

The means for actuating the driving force may comprise a passageway 142 communicating the top 126 of the head with the environmental sea pressure and a valve 144 which is connected to the barrel frame 100 for selectively opening and closing the passageway.

FIG. 10 is an enlargement of the head 104 illustrating its scalable engagement with the barrel frame 100. As shown, the head comprises a large force bearing surface 126a and a small force bearing surface 126]). Each of the surface areas are sealably engaged to the barrel frame 100, the large surface may be sealed by an O-ring while the small surface may be sealed by an O-ring 152. During descent of the device the environmental ocean pressure will bear against the small surface 126b but will be counteracted by the ocean pressure also acting upon the bottom end 124 of the sampling tube which will be more than sufficient to keep the sampling tube in the place originally set upon shipboard. This occurs because the area upon which the pressure acts at the bottom end 124 of the sampling tube is greater than the area of the surface 126]). Thus, it may be said that the sampling tube is in a balanced condition. However, once the device nears the ocean bottom the valve 144 may be opened such as by the activation of a biased valve spring (not shown) after relieving a restraining force. As shown in FIG. 9, this force may be by a weight 156 that relieves the tension in wire 157 as the weight comes to rest upon the ocean bottom. Upon the valve opening the large surface 126a becomes subjected to the environmental sea pressure which immediately creates a pressure differential, a high pressure on the large surface 126 (126a and 126k) on the top of the head while a low pressure will exist upon the bottom end 140 of the head 104. This will cause the head to be forced downward until it abuts against and ejects the removable end plate 130 (a suitable fluid bumper as shown at 158 may be provided to prevent metal to metal contact) thereby causing the sampling tube to leave the bore of the barrel frame. The only connection between the tube and the frame will be by cable 121 which also connect to the bail 118. The spring 106 will continue downward with the sampling tube and will be compressed, one end abutting the end plate 130 while the other end of the spring abuts the hard bottom so that it becomes biased; the unbiasing of the spring helping to achieve a pullout of the sampling tube as already discussed for the FIG. 1 embodiment. It is to be noted that the use of a balanced sampling tube allows the use of a smaller valve 144 than would be needed if it had to withstand the pressure on the large surface 126a during descent.

It is to be understood that a buoyant material may be used in place of the bail and cable for FIG. 9 embodiment as is shown in the FIG. 1 embodiment without changing the inventive concept.

Expandable core shutter 160 may be provided as may a groove and slots in the bottom of the sampling tube 102 as already explained with regard to FIG. 6.

OPERATION Operation of my device is relatively simple and very reliable. The FIG. 1 embodiment is simply thrown over the side of a vessel for free fall to the ocean bottom or, in my FIG. 2 embodiment, by lowering my device by a winch. My device will descend to the ocean bottom until the switch means 70 is tilted to activate the explosive element 64, illustrated by FIG. 3. The explosive charge will cause a pressure to bear against the head 48 which in turn will transmit that pressure to the sampling tube 30 causing the tube to be driven into the ocean bottom. At the same time, the cable 90 is sheared and the weight 88 falls to the ocean bottom free of the sampling device. As the pressure is driving the sampling tube into the ocean bottom the reaction force is causing the float 20 and barrel frame 10 to be driven upwardly. The movement of the sampling tube downward will be facilitated by the apertures 40 since a certain amount of water will be contained in the interior 44 of the tube. This water by necessity will have to be removed if the full effect of the explosion is to be utilized; the water may exit simply by flowing through the apertures 40 into the bore 16 of the barrel frame and there be transferred through the apertures 18 in the barrel frame to the environmental sea. The eflicient use of the explosive force enables the use of a smaller amount of explosives for a given driving power.

FIG. 4 illustrates the sampling tube at its fully penetrated position which will mean that a core sample will now be within the lower portion 36 of the sampling tube and it will mean that the compression spring 60 has been. compressed. The compressed spring will tend to unbias itself by pulling the sampling tube out of the ocean bottom and by pulling the float and barrel frame downward. But it is to be noted that the float and barrel frame have been pushed upwardly by the initial explosive so that a jerk will occur when the spring becomes fully compressed; this jerking motion will also facilitate the removal of the sampling tube. With the float providing an upward force and the force of the compression spring acting to remove the sampling tube, retrieval becomes all the easier by leaving behind the expendable core cutter 82 embedded in the ocean bottom. An upward movement simply causes the sampling tube to slip away from the cutter 82. FIG. 5 illustrates my device as it returns to the surface.

The operation of my FIG. 9 embodiment is very similar to the operation of the FIG. 1 embodiment. During descent the valve 144 is closed and the device is as shown in FIG. 11. When the weight 156 reaches bottom and releases the tension in the wire 157, the valve 144 selectively opens to allow water and thereby the pressure of the environmental sea to communicate through passageway 142 to the large surface 126a thereby creating a pressure differential across the head 104. This pressure differential will cause the head to be driven downward toward the bottom end 114 of the barrel frame. The same force will be suflicient to cause it to remove the end plate 130 so as to continue to move downwardly as a unit; the end plate 130, the head 104 and the sampling tube 102, FIG. 12. The compression spring 106 will be disposed about the sampling tube with one end coming into abutment with the hard formation of the ocean bottom while the other end is brought downward by the force upon the head 104 so as to compress the spring during the penetration of the sampling tube, FIG. 13. At the same time, the cable 120 may be reeled in by a winch (not shown) upon a surface vessel while the spring has a tendency to go from its biased compressed position to an unbiased position contributing to the pullout force upon the tube.

In addition the expendable core cutter may operate as already described for the FIG. 1 embodiment to also help in removing the sampling tube from the hard formation ocean bottom. FIG. 14 illustrates my device as it returns to the surface.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. A hard formation ocean bottom penetration sampling apparatus comprising:

an elongated sampling tube having an upper end and a lower end; and

a spring means connected to the sampling tube for upwardly biasing the sampling tube after penetration of the tube into the ocean bottom.

2. A hard formation ocean bottom penetration sampling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including:

an expendable core cutter connected to the lower end of the sampling tube during penetration of the sampling tube and separated from the sampling tube upon removal of the tube from the ocean bottom;

a sampling tube head connected to the upper end of the sampling tube for receiving a driving force to cause penetration of the sampling tube; and wherein said spring means is a compression spring disposed about the sampling tube and having two ends, one end connected to the head, the other end connected to a frame.

3. A hard formation ocean bottom penetration sampling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including:

a sampling tube head connected to the upper end of the sampling tube for receiving a driving force to cause penetration of the sampling tube; and wherein said spring is a compression spring having two ends, one end connected to the sampling tube and the other end for contacting the ocean bottom during penetration of the sampling tube.

4. An ocean bottom penetration sampling device comprising in combination:

a perforated barrel frame having an upper end, a lower end, and a longitudinal bore opening through the lower end;

a perforated sampling tube telescopically disposed within the bore of the barrel frame and having an upper end and a lower end;

a sampling tube head for receivinga driving force to cause penetration of the sampling tube, the head being engaged to the barrel frame within the bore and having a bottom end connected to the upper end of the sampling tube;

a spring means connected to the sampling tube for upwardly biasing the sampling tube after penetration of the tube into the ocean bottom; and

a means for actuating the driving force.

5. An ocean bottom penetration sampling device as claimed in claim 4 including:

a removable and slidable end plate having an inner and outer periphery sealably connected at its outer periphery to the perforated barrel frame near the lower end and at its inner periphery to the sampling tube;

said sampling tube and said barrel frame being spaced so as to form a chamber therebetween and between the end plate and the bottom end of the head, said chamber to remain at a low pressure relative to the environmental sea pressure during descent of the sampling device to the ocean bottom, and wherein said means for actuating the driving force comprises:

a passageway communicating the environmental sea pressure and the head; and a valve connected to the sampling device for opening and closing said passageway whereby the driving force is actuated by opening said passageway to the environmental sea pressure. 6. An ocean bottom penetration sampling device as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said head comprises a large force bearing surface and a small force bearing surface each surface sealably engaging the barrel frame during the descent of the sampling device and the environmental sea pressure acting upon the small surface during descent and upon the large and the small surfaces during penetration of the sampling tube; and said passageway communicating with the large force bearing surface. 7. An ocean bottom penetration sampling device as claimed in claim 4 wherein:

the perforation of the barrel frame comprises an opening through its upper end, said opening communicating with the bore; and said spring means is a compression spring disposed about the sampling tube and having two ends, one end connected to the head, the other end connected to the barrel frame. 8. An ocean ibottom penetration sampling device as claimed in claim 4 wherein:

the means for causing the driving force when the force is pressure from an explosion comprising:

an explosion initiator connected to an explosive element for causing said element to explode; and a switch means connected to the explosion initiator for actuating the explosive initiator; and the upper end of said barrel frame being closed. 9. An ocean bottom penetration sampling device as claim in claim 8 wherein:

the perforation of said barrel frame is a multiple series of apertures; and

the perforation of said sampling tube is a multiple series of apertures, whereby said barrel and said tube are adapted to pass water through said apertures.

10. An ocean bottom penetration sampling device as claimed in claim 9 including:

an abutment connected to the barrel frame and disposed within the bore of the barrel; and wherein said spring means is a compression spring connected at one end to the bottom end of the piston head and at the other end to the abutment, said spring disposed about the sampling tube and within the barrel bore. 11. An ocean bottom penetration sampling device as claimed in claim 4 including:

an expendable core cutter connected to the lower end of the sampling tube during penetration of the sampling tube and separated from the sampling tube upon removal of the tube from the ocean bottom; and wherein the lower end of said sampling tube is slotted and bendable, whereby the reaction to the force of penetration bends the lower end of said sampling tube for retaining a core sample.

'12. An ocean bottom penetration sampling device as claimed in claim 4 including:

a lifting means connected to said barrel frame for returning said sampling device to the ocean surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,665,885 l/l954 Gignoux 1756 3,078,931 2/ 1963 Moore 17S5 3,295 ,6-16 l/ 1967 Charlton 1'75--5 3,299,969 1/ 1967 -Inderbitzen 175-5 3,301,336 1/1967 Mount 175-5 3,313,357 4/1967 Venghiatis 175--6 3,331,453 7/1967 Kermabon 175-6 NILE C. BYERS. JR., Primary Examiner.