Patent ID: 7013937

Claim:
Apparatus for transporting mineral from a point of mining to a remote location, the apparatus including a mobile mineral breaker rig having a mineral outlet, the rig including a fluid inlet pipe for receiving conveying fluid, a mineral inlet for introducing mineral from said mineral outlet into said fluid pipe and a fluid outlet pipe for conveying said fluid mixed with mineral received from said mineral outlet, an extensible pipeline assembly connected at one end to said inlet and outlet pipes and being adapted for connection at its opposite end to one end of a static pipeline communicating with said remote location, said extensible pipeline assembly being expandable to enable said mobile rig to move away from said one end of the static pipeline whilst maintaining fluid communication therewith, said extensible pipeline assembly comprising a series of elongate pipe assemblies which are articulated at adjacent ends to one another in a zig-zag manner via an articulated joint, each elongate pipe assembly including two lengths of pipe which are arranged side-by-side and secured together such that one length of pipe defines an upper pipe and the other length of pipe defines a lower pipe, the articulated joint between each end of adjacent elongate pipe assemblies including an upper rotary joint which connects adjacent ends of the upper pipes of adjacent pipe assemblies and a lower rotary joint which connects adjacent ends of the lower pipes of adjacent pipe assemblies, the axis of rotation of the upper and lower rotary joints of each articulated joint being co-axial.