Automatic underwater painting of ships hull - has mobile unit held to hull by magnets as evacuated chamber has paint spray introduced

摘要

The unit automatically paints the undewater part of a ship's hull. It comprises a powered mobile chassis (1), its tyres (2, 3) being deflated at the required position. Electro-magnets (5, 6) hold the unit in place, a skirt (12, 13) around the open end of the chamber (10) being inflated to seal it from the water. The chamber is pumped dry (7) and, if necessary, the surface rinsed with clean water and dried with an airjet. The paint is sprayed into the chamber, and on completion the water re-enters, the magnets switched off and the unit moved.