HYDRAULIC ELEVATION APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20100303560A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ross Guenther
• Original Assignee: Ross Guenther
• Inventors: GUENTHER, Ross
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 406/184
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 51/04 Conveying the articles in carriers having a cross-section approximating that of the pipe or tube; Tube mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/00 Transport specially adapted to underground conditions mine cars B61D; transport in general, loading unless specially adapted to underground conditions B65G

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.

Claims

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.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a loader for loading objects into the transport container.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the loader is operatively engaged with the transportation chamber and comprises an object storage and a channel configured to transfer objects from the storage through the channel into the transport container.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a guiding device configured to guide the transport container.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the guiding device is horizontally disposed within a bottom portion of a conveyor in operative communication with the transportation chamber and the transport container.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary chamber laterally disposed to the transportation chamber for transporting objects.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transportation chamber comprises a vertically disposed cavity.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fluid controller internally disposed within the transportation chamber and configured to engage the transport container and control the amount of fluid in the transportation chamber to elevate and lower the transport container within the transportation chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fluid controller comprises a lower chamber internally disposed within the transportation chamber, and a valve configured to control the amount of the fluid in the lower chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transport container comprises a moveable lid configured to seal the transport container.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transport container comprises a flotation device connected to an unsealed container.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a location device operatively connected with the transportation container to send, receive, or send and receive location information of the transport container to at least one of another location device and a monitoring station.

13. A method comprising:

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.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising loading objects or liquid into the transport container using a loader.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the loader operatively engaged with the transportation chamber and comprises an object storage and a channel configured to transfer objects from the storage through the channel into the transport container.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising a guiding device configured to guide the transport container.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the guiding device is horizontally disposed within a bottom portion of a conveyor in operative communication with the transportation chamber and the transport container.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising an auxiliary chamber laterally disposed to the transportation chamber.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the transportation chamber comprises a vertically disposed cavity.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising a fluid controller internally disposed within the transportation chamber and configured to engage the transport container and control the amount of fluid in the transportation chamber to elevate and lower the transport container within the transportation chamber.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the fluid controller comprises a lower chamber internally disposed within the transportation chamber, and a valve configured to control the amount of the fluid in the lower chamber.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the transport container comprises a moveable lid configured to seal the transport container.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the transport container comprises a flotation device connected to an unsealed container.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising a location device operatively connected with the transportation container to send, receive, or send and receive location information of the transport container to at least one of another location device and a monitoring station.

25. An apparatus comprising:

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.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the return chamber further comprises a control gate to regulate the downward movement of the transport container within the return chamber.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a loader for loading objects into the transport container.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the loader is operatively engaged with the return chamber and comprises an object storage and a channel configured to transfer objects from the storage through the channel into the transport container.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a guiding device configured to guide the transport container.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the guiding device is horizontally disposed within a bottom portion of a conveyor in operative communication with the return chamber, the transport container, and the delivery chamber.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising an auxiliary chamber laterally disposed to the delivery chamber or the return chamber.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the return chamber comprises a vertically disposed cavity.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a delivery device comprising a cavity laterally disposed to the return chamber, wherein the delivery device is configured to receive the transport container from the return chamber and wherein the delivery device is equipped to facilitate elevation of the transport container into the delivery chamber.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a fluid controller internally disposed within the delivery chamber, the return chamber, or both, and configured to control the amount of fluid in the chamber within which the fluid controller is disposed to elevate or lower the transport container.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the fluid controller comprises a lower chamber internally disposed within the chamber within which the fluid controller is disposed, and a valve configured to control the amount of the fluid in the lower chamber.

36. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the transport container comprises a moveable lid configured to seal the transport container.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the transport container comprises a flotation device connected to an unsealed container.

38. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a location device operatively connected with the transportation container to send, receive, or send and receive location information of the transport container to at least one of another location device and a monitoring station.

39. A method comprising:

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.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the return chamber further comprises a control gate to regulate the downward movement of the transport container within the return chamber.

41. A apparatus comprising:

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.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the location information includes longitudinal, latitudinal, or elevational position of the transport container within the transportation chamber.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the location device further includes:

a receiver for receiving a location request message including an identification code;

a processing device for storing an unique identification code, determining a location of the location device, comparing the received identification code with the unique identification code, and based on the comparison, generating a location signal; and

a transmitter for transmitting the location signal.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the processing device further includes a memory for storing the unique identification code.

45. The apparatus for claim 43, further comprising an emergency unit for generating an emergency signal for transmission to the monitoring station upon detection of an emergency situation.

46. A method comprising:

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.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the location information includes longitudinal, latitudinal, or elevational position of the transport container within the transportation chamber.

48. The method of claim 46, the exchanging of location information further comprises:

associating an unique identification code with the location device;

receiving at the location device a location request message including an identification code;

determining a location of the location device;

comparing the received identification code with the unique identification code;

generating a location signal, if the received identification code matches the unique identification code; and

transmitting the location signal.

49. The method of claim 46, further comprising generating an emergency signal for transmission to the monitoring station upon detection of an emergency situation.