Transport means

Claim 2

A transport means for transporting a person along a mineral face in a mineral mine comprising an elongated member, means supporting said elongated member at least at its ends so that it extends along said mineral face, between said supporting means, without reverse bending, means for oscillating said elongated member in the direction of its length, a carriage for said person and a unidirectional holding device on said carriage by which it may hold onto said elongated member and thereby be moved through a passage along said mineral face by the oscillation of said member, said holding device including two members between which the elongated member passes without reverse bends and which are operative to permit relative movement between the elongated member and the holding device when the elongated member is oscillated in one direction and to prevent such relative movement when the elongated member is moved in the reverse direction.

Claim 3

A transport means as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holding means comprises a pair of members and a single member between which the elongated member passes, and means for selecting for operation with said single member one or the other of said pair of members, said single member and one of the pair of members, when selected, being operative to prevent relative movement between the elongated member and the holding means in one direction only and said single member and the other of said pair of members, when selected, being operative to prevent relative movement between the holding means and said elongated member in the opposite direction whereby the carriage can be caused to travel in either direction along said passage.

Claim 4

A transport means as claimed in claim 2 wherein said pair of members has an intermediate position in which relative movement between the elongated member and the holding means can take place in either direction whereby motion is not transmitted to the carriage in either direction when the elongated member is oscillated.

Claim 5

A transport means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said two members of the holding device are pulley wheels.

Claim 6

A transport means as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said members of the holding device includes a ratchet wheel which is held against rotation in one direction by a pawl.

Claim 7

A transport means as claimed in claim 2 wherein the unidirectional holding device includes a gate for positioning said selecting means in the selected position.

Claim 8

A transport means as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carriage is a sledge.

Claim 9

A transport means as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elongated member is a flexible cable.

Claim 10

A transport means as claimed in claim 1 wherein oscillatory movement is imparted to the elongated member by an eccentric mechanism.

Claim 11

A transport means as claimed in claim 1 wherein oscillatory movement is imparted to the elongated member by a vibratory device.

Claim 12

A transport means as claimed in claim 8 wherein tensioning means is incorporated in the flexible cable for the tensioning thereof.

Claim 13

A transport means as claimed in claim 1 wherein the unidirectional driving device incorporates an overrun device to allow the carriage to overrun the reverse movement of the elongated member whereby movement of the carriage is substantially continuous.

Claim 14

A transport means as claimed in claim 1 wherein shock absorber means is included in the unidirectional driving device to dampen or even-out the driving force imparted to the carriage.

Claim 15

A transport means for transporting a person along a mineral face in a mineral mine comprising an elongated member, means supporting said elongated member at least at its ends so that it extends along said mineral face, between said supporting means, without reverse bending, means for oscillating said elongated member in the direction of its length, a carriage for saiD person and a unidirectional holding device on said carriage by which it may hold onto said elongated member and thereby be moved through a passage along said mineral face, said holding device comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the carriage, a pair of pulley wheels mounted on said lever and a single pulley wheel also mounted on said lever, the elongated member passing between said pair of pulley wheels and said single pulley wheel without reverse bending of the elongated member, each of said pulley wheels of said pair having a toothed wheel fixed for rotation with it, said toothed wheels meshing one with the other, a pawl meshing with one of said toothed wheels to hold it against rotation in one direction and a gate for positioning said lever and thereby said pulley wheels so that the elongated member is held between the single pulley wheel and one or other of the pair of pulley wheels.

Claim 16

A transport means for transporting a person along a mineral face in a mineral mine comprising an elongated member, means supporting said elongated member at least at its ends so that it extends along said mineral face, between said supporting means, without reverse bending, means for oscillating said elongated member in the direction of its length, a carriage for saiD person and a unidirectional holding device on said carriage by which it may hold onto said elongated member and thereby be moved through a passage along said mineral face, said holding device comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the carriage, a pair of pulley wheels mounted on said lever and a single pulley wheel also mounted on said lever, the elongated member passing between said pair of pulley wheels and said single pulley wheel without reverse bending of the elongated member, each of said pulley wheels of said pair having a toothed wheel fixed for rotation with it, said toothed wheels meshing one with the other, a pawl meshing with one of said toothed wheels to hold it against rotation in one direction and a gate for positioning said lever and thereby said pulley wheels so that the elongated member is held between the single pulley wheel and one or other of the pair of pulley wheels.