A seawater power source for providing pressurized seawater to hydraulic ts which utilize the pressurized seawater as their operating fluid. Included in the present invention is a diesel engine for driving a source of compressed air which, in turn, drives a first pump for withdrawing seawater from the ocean and transferring the seawater to a reservoir, and a second pump driven by the diesel engine for withdrawing seawater from the reservoir, pressurizing the seawater and supplying the pressurized seawater to the hydraulic tools. The present invention also includes a unique hose reel which facilitates the changing of tools by allowing an operator to change pressure and fluid flow rate while the seawater power source is operational.

A semiautomated machine (10) cuts a disk (60a) from the mouth side of sea urchin shells (60) for efficient extraction of gonads, the sea urchin reproductive organs, with minimal damage. The machine is capable of preserving intact the original five segmented star configuration. A conveyor (12) receives and retains sea urchins (60) with the mouth side of the sea urchin shells facing away from the conveyor. A cutter (15) is mounted over the conveyor at a cutting location (16). A relatively thin elongate cutting element (38) is spaced from the conveyor (12) and oriented generally transversely across the conveyor. An extended aligning plane (65,66) parallel to the conveyor is mounted on the opposite side of the elongate cutting element (38) from the conveyor (12) at the cutting location (16). The aligning plane (66) contacts the mouth side of the sea urchin shells and aligns and maintains orientation of the sea urchins with the mouth side of the sea urchin shells facing the aligning plane. The cutting element (38) is spaced a selected cutting distance from the aligning plane and cuts a disk of uniform thickness from the mouth side of sea urchin shells as they are transported by the conveyor (12) through the cutting location (16). The cutting distance and disk thickness is selected to expose the gonad lobes for removal without substantial injury. A spring system (72) spring loads the flexible conveyor surface for pressing the sea urchin shells against the aligning plane (66).

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for cutting submerged trees at an underwater logging site and for retrieving the cut trees. Once cut, each tree is retrieved to the water surface by an inflatable bag deployed from and inflated by the apparatus. The apparatus includes a control unit positioned on a surface vessel, such as a barge or large boat, and an underwater vessel connected together by an umbilical. Preferably the underwater vessel is a remotely controllable submersible including a grapple for releasably holding each tree to be cut, a saw, a gas supply connectable to a gas source located on the surface vessel, and an air bag deployment and inflation assembly for inflating the air bag and securely attaching it to the tree. The underwater vessel is initially loaded with a plurality of air bags which are stored in a magazine located in the interior of the vessel. The air bags are sequentially moved from the magazine on to an ejection track at a front end of the vessel disposed above the saw and grapple. Each air bag is secured to a cartridge for coupling the bag to the magazine and the ejection track and for holding a tree fastener. In its uninflated state, the air bag is contained within a tubular housing which is releasably connectable to the cartridge. The housing is ejected from the cartridge when the air bag is inflated and deployed.

A coping saw is provided having two spaced-apart rotary actuators supported by a frame. Two saw-blade sections extend between the two rotary actuators and are intended to singularly engage a work piece. The saw is adapted to contain a drive mechanism which is coupled to a first of the two rotary actuators for causing the saw-blade sections to move in at least one direction. At least one guide roller assembly is disposed each of the two saw-blade sections for providing stability and retaining said two-saw blade sections between said two rotary actuators.

A hand-held band saw is provided for one-hand operation. The band saw has a frame and a handle extending from a longitudinal edge of the frame at an acute angle and opposite an edge containing a throat for receiving the work piece. The orientation of the handle centers the mass of the saw below the hand and positions the cutting section of the blade in a vertical plane so it will engage a work piece at a preferred angle selected by the user.