HYDRAULIC ELEVATION APPARATUS AND METHOD
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a transport container containing animate or inanimate objects, or a liquid; and
a transportation chamber for transporting the transport container in a fluid internally disposed within the transportation chamber,wherein the transport container is elevated by flotation and lowered by sinking in the fluid within the transportation chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The hydraulic transportation apparatus and method of the present invention incorporate a multiple chamber framework internally disposed preferably within at least one single shaft structure, which facilitates movement of object transport containers within the multiple chamber framework. Preferably, fluid elevation is employed to elevate and lower object transport containers and their contents within the multiple chamber framework. Each single shaft structure may be constructed from an existing rehabilitated shaft, or a newly drilled shaft. The present invention may be utilized in vertical or incline lifting environments, and an auxiliary hoist chamber may be incorporated into the multiple chamber framework for use as an alternative to, or in conjunction with, elevating objects by employing fluid elevation. The present invention may be employed in a variety of heavy lifting scenarios, including underground mining or in above ground lifting environments.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a transport container containing animate or inanimate objects, or a liquid; and a transportation chamber for transporting the transport container in a fluid internally disposed within the transportation chamber, wherein the transport container is elevated by flotation and lowered by sinking in the fluid within the transportation chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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transporting a transport container containing animate or inanimate objects, or a liquid in a fluid internally disposed within a transportation chamber, wherein the transport container is elevated by flotation and lowered by sinking in the fluid within the transportation chamber. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus comprising:
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a transport container containing animate or inanimate objects, or a liquid; a delivery chamber for elevating the transport container by flotation in a first fluid internally disposed within the delivery chamber; and a return chamber for lowering the transport container by sinking in a second fluid internally disposed within the return chamber. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method comprising:
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loading animate or inanimate objects, or a liquid into a transport container; elevating the transport container by flotation in a first fluid internally disposed within a delivery chamber; and lowering the transport container by sinking in a second fluid internally disposed within a return chamber. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A apparatus comprising:
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a transport container containing animate or inanimate objects, or a liquid; a transportation chamber for transporting the transport container therewithin; and a location device releasably secured with the transport container to exchange location information of the transport container with a monitoring station. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method comprising:
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transporting a transport container containing animate or inanimate objects, or a liquid within a within a transportation chamber; and exchanging location information of the transport container between a location device releasably secured with the transport container and a monitoring station. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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Specification