Patent ID: 7056176

Claim:
Apparatus for utilising the buoyancy upthrust on a floatation member to assist displacement of a moveable article in a non-vertical direction, said apparatus comprising at least one pivotally mounted floatation member at least partially immersed in a fluid medium and a displaceable actuator member integrally connected to said floatation member, wherein said floatation member is integrally mounted on said moveable article about a pivot axis extending therefrom, said floatation member being pivotally displaceable about said pivot axis into said fluid medium and past an equilibrium position by application of a pivotal displacement force applied to said actuator member so as to create a buoyancy upthrust on said floatation member, wherein means are provided to apply and maintain said pivotal displacement force in a direction perpendicular to said actuator member thereby creating a resultant force vector from said buoyancy upthrust on said floatation member which extends perpendicularly through said pivot axis and is transmittable to said article to effect displacement of such article, the apparatus further comprising a displaceable force transmission member for effecting displacement of said pivotal displacement force so as to maintain such pivotal displacement force constant with respect to and perpendicular with said displaceable actuator member during displacement of said article and wherein said force transmission member is driven.