UNIT FOR MINING COBALT CRUSTS Russian patent published in 1994 - IPC

FIELD: mining industry; mining of cobalt crusts from bottom of world ocean. SUBSTANCE: unit includes body, ground receiving chambers and flexible suspension for connection with load lifting mechanism of service craft. Body is made hollow open lower face. Secured to body inner walls are brackets having ports. Installed under brackets are leaf springs interacting with ground receiving chambers. Unit body accommodates hollow shaft with racks attached to shaft middle part, and teeth of asymmetric shape are made in its lower part. Installed in shaft hollow is pile of square cross-section. Located in body hollow are gears with levers interacting with racks. Gears with levers are connected by means of flexible links with flexible suspension. Ground receiving chambers are arranged in lower part of body hollow and have asymmetric teeth attached to side face and interacting with teeth of hollow shaft. Chambers have receiving funnels and receiving valves. Bottom of chambers has spherical surface coated with abrasive material. Attached in upper part of chamber are half-axles found in bracket ports. EFFECT: higher efficiency. 5 dwg