Conveyance device

A conveyance device suitable for traveling along a surface, the conveyance device including:

• two outer gripping members and an inner gripping member located between the two outer gripping members, each gripping member being displaceable between:
• a circumferentially expanded position, wherein an outer perimeter of the gripping member is displaced away from a center of the member, so as to, in use, abut at least part of the surface;
• and
• a circumferentially contracted position, wherein an outer perimeter of the gripping member is displaced towards the center of the member, so as to be spaced apart from the surface;
• and
• propulsion members provided between adjacent gripping members, each propulsion member having two opposite ends, and being displaceable between:
• a longitudinally extended position, wherein the ends are displaced away from one another;
• and
• a longitudinally contracted position, wherein the ends are displaced towards one another;
• the propulsion members and the gripping members being configured in order for sequential displacement of the propulsion members and gripping members to cause peristaltic displacement of the conveyance device relative to the surface;
• the conveyance device characterized therein that the two outer gripping members are stationary relative to one another when the inner gripping member is displaced between the two outer gripping members;
• the outer gripping members forming a pair of outer gripping members operating in concert so that both outer gripping members are simultaneously in the circumferentially expanded or contracted positions.

A conveyance device suitable for traveling along a surface, including:

• a propulsion member having two opposite ends, the propulsion member being displaceable between
• a longitudinally extended position wherein the ends are displaced away from one another;
• and
• a longitudinally contracted position wherein the ends are displaced towards one another;
• an outer gripping member and an inner gripping member, each gripping member being displaceable between
• a circumferentially expanded position wherein an outer perimeter of the gripping member is displaced away from a center of the member so as to, in use, abut at least part of the surface;
• and
• a circumferentially contracted position wherein an outer perimeter of the gripping member is displaced towards the center of the member so as to be spaced apart from the surface;
• and
• at least one end of the propulsion member abutting at least one of the gripping members, and the propulsion member and the gripping members being configured in order for sequential displacement of the propulsion member and gripping members to cause peristaltic displacement of the conveyance device relative to the surface, and
• an auxiliary gripping member, the auxiliary gripping member being located outside one of the outer gripping members, and being detachable from the conveyance device so as to selectively remain behind when the conveyance device is removed from the surface on which it is conveyed.

A method of locating an explosive charge inside an elongate passage, the method including the steps of:

• providing a conveyance device suitable for traveling along a surface, the conveyance device including:
• two outer gripping members and an inner gripping member located between the two outer gripping members, each gripping member being displaceable between:
• a circumferentially expanded position, wherein an outer perimeter of the gripping member is displaced away from a center of the member, so as to, in use, abut at least part of the surface;
• and
• a circumferentially contracted position, wherein an outer perimeter of the gripping member is displaced towards the center of the member, so as to be spaced apart from the surface;
• and
• propulsion members provided between adjacent gripping members, each propulsion member having two opposite ends, and being displaceable between:
• a longitudinally extended position, wherein the ends are displaced away from one another;
• and
• a longitudinally contracted position, wherein the ends are displaced towards one another;
• the propulsion members and the gripping members being configured in order for sequential displacement of the propulsion members and gripping members to cause peristaltic displacement of the conveyance device relative to the surface;
• the conveyance device characterized therein that the two outer gripping members are stationary relative to one another, and the inner gripping member is displaceable between the two outer gripping members;
• positioning an explosive charge at an end of the conveyance device;
• locating the conveyance device inside an ore pass;
• and
• causing the conveyance device to advance inside the ore pass in accordance with a method of operating the conveyance device comprising the steps of:
• displacing the outer gripping member to the expanded position, while maintaining the inner gripping member and the propulsion member in contracted positions;
• and
• displacing the propulsion member to the extended position so as to move the inner gripping member away from the outer gripping member;
• the inner gripping member being subsequently displaced to the expanded position, and the outer gripping member to the contracted position, so as to allow the outer gripping member to be displaced towards the inner gripping member when the propulsion member is displaced to the contracted position;
• displacing the outer gripping member to the expanded position;
• and
• displacing the inner gripping member to the contracted position so as to return the conveyance device to an initial state wherein a next operating cycle can commence.