Mark VII Sediment Trap 

   Our standard time-series sediment trap is approximately 2 meters tall, 1 meter across and is contained within a titanium frame. The major components of a sediment trap are the cone, the collection cups, a rotation mechanism and a power supply. The baffle/cone assembly permits settling particles to fall into the trap, keeps them from being flushed out, and prevents hungry scavengers from getting in. The particles then settle into a sample cup which is attached to a plate located at the base of the cone. There are 13 (or 21) sample cups attached to the plate but only one cup is exposed to the collection cone at any particular time. The plate is geared to a stepper motor which rotates the plate at pre-determined intervals to enable a new cup to begin collecting material while sealing off the old cup. The stepping motor is connected to a timer-battery housing. A computer and battery are located in the housing to provide power to the stepper motor at the time intervals programmed into the computer.