Patent ID: 9629343
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: A01K,E02B,Y02A

Claim:
1. A salmon migration lift device for facilitating migration of fish past dams and other obstacles in waterways, the salmon migration lift device comprising: a motorized drive-gear based, gear-reduction set and clutch arrangement bucket lift system including: a gondola bucket water refill station disposed directly adjacent the upper segment of the lift cable loop proximal the second bullwheel terminal; a refill pipeline extending from the circulation pipeline to the gondola bucket refill station, wherein water released from the gondola bucket into the fish exit chute and the circulation pipeline flows into the refill pipeline and therefrom through a refill valve and into the gondola bucket refill station, wherein water from the gondola bucket refill station is configured to flow into the respective gondola bucket; wherein upon the detection of a full level of the gondola bucket by the level sensor on the gondola bucket, the level sensor activates the refill valve to close the refill pipeline into the respective gondola bucket, wherein the refill pipeline maintains an open condition until the level sensor detects a full level when the respective gondola bucket is in fluid communication with the refill pipeline at the gondola bucket water refill station; a gondola drain station disposed proximal the lift cable loop proximal the first bullwheel terminal; a return pipeline extending from the gondola drain station into the downstream side of the waterway; and a plurality of support towers having a top end coplanar with an uppermost end of the waterway obstacle in a position above the waterway, the support towers being configured to support the bucket lift system in a proper operational condition.