Climbing Elevator

An elevator is a well known machine. However, in some cases, we want this ability to move vertically, but we do not want the permanent structure associated with it. Sometimes we want something, which could be mobile, for example mounted on a truck, or something semi-mobile, which could be erected and dismantled quickly. Also, we want the engine to be running on liquid fuel and to be in the cabin of such elevator.

Such elevator could be used to move animals to and from isolated pastures in mountains, to provide temporary access to a beach, etc.

To achieve this, we could imitate a sloth, moving vertically using just four limbs, i.e.:

· a tall “cage”, for example a sturdy triangular prism,

· a vertical “channel” in it for cabin movement,

· ladders on two opposite sides of the channel,

· a cabin in this “channel” with “grabbing limbs” – two or four “limbs” for each ladder.

The cabin climbs the “cage” grabbing the ladders. The safest “gait” of cabin’s climbing would be, when at any moment at least one “limb” holds each “ladder”.

An engine drives “limbs”. Since movement is reciprocating, efficient implementation would involve hydraulic transmission: an engine driving the hydraulic pump and hydraulic cylinders driving limbs.

To facilitate boarding, “bridges” should be added to the cage.

A tall cage next to a cliff needs to be temporarily connected to a cliff in a few places.

Alexander Liss 7/24/2019