Patent ID: 7461997

Claim:
A sidewalk and slab lifting system for introducing particulate material beneath a sunken component to raise it to a desired level in a safe and reliable manner comprising, in combination: a tube body fabricated of steel in a generally cylindrical configuration having an open upper end and an open lower end with a cylindrical bore there between, the tube body having an opening along the length thereof closer to the lower end than to the upper end to define a longer upper portion of the tube body and a shorter lower portion of the tube body; a hydraulic cylinder secured to the tube body adjacent to the upper end with a ram located within the bore for reciprocating movement there within, the ram having a cylindrical push rod coupled to the ram with a free end adapted to move downwardly to an advanced orientation adjacent to the lower end and upwardly to a retracted orientation above the opening; a control valve with an operator controlled handle movable between a central position and first and second hydraulic lines coupling the control valve and the ram wherein the ram and push rod are stationary and a forward position wherein the ram and push rod are moved forwardly through the first hydraulic line and a rearward position wherein the ram and push rod are moved rearwardly through the second hydraulic line, the control valve also including a fluid supply and a feed line coupling the fluid supply and the control valve; a funnel fabricated of reinforced rubber and having a narrow output end secured to the tube body immediately beneath the opening and a wide input end there above adapted to feed particulate material into the bore when the push rod is in the retracted orientation whereby particulate material in the bore will be fed to beneath the lower end of the tube body when the push rod is in the advanced orientation to thereby lift a sunken component including a sidewalk and a slab located above the lower end of the tube body and particulate material; and a water pressure assembly including a nozzle with a bracket adapted to secure the nozzle axially spaced beyond the lower end of the tube body at a distance to allow the flow of particulate material from the tube body, the water pressure assembly including tubing with an input end operatively coupled to the control valve and an output end operatively coupled to the nozzle, the water pressure assembly being operatively coupled to the operator controlled handle whereby when the operator controlled handle is in the central position and rearward position the flow of water is terminated and when the operator controlled handle is in forward position the flow of water is initiated to facilitate movement of the lower end of the tube body into the proper orientation for feeding particulate material.