Self propelling subterranean vehicle

Abstract

A self propelling vehicle capable of propagating through a solid medium, comprising two or more rotors, arranged in tandem, and means for rotating the rotors, each rotor being formed as a hollow rotational body with an external helicoidal flighting, configured to engage surrounding solid medium, wherein the flightings of any pair of adjacent rotors follow helicoids of mutually opposite senses and the means for rotating are operative to rotate the adjacent rotors in mutually opposite senses.

1 . A self propelling vehicle capable of propagating through a solid medium, comprising:
 two or more rotors, arranged in tandem, and   means for rotating the rotors,   
       each rotor being formed as a hollow rotational body with an external helicoidal flighting, configured to engage surrounding solid medium, 
       wherein the flightings of any pair of adjacent rotors follow helicoids of mutually opposite senses and said means for rotating are operative to rotate said adjacent rotors in mutually opposite senses. 
     
     
         2 . A vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein any group of two or more rotors in tandem are fixedly arranged so that their axes of rotation are mutually collinear, said arrangement defining a capsule, whose longitudinal axis is collinear with said axes of rotation. 
     
     
         3 . A vehicle as in  claim 2 , wherein in any capsule all the rotors are rotationally attached to each other in tandem through corresponding bearing assemblies. 
     
     
         4 . A vehicle as in  claim 3 , wherein any capsule includes at least three rotors. 
     
     
         5 . A vehicle as in  claim 2 , wherein each capsule further includes a core, to which said means for rotation are attached; the rotors of said capsule are rotationally attached to the core through respective bearing assemblies. 
     
     
         6 . A vehicle as in  claim 5 , wherein for said any capsule said means for rotating include a plurality of motors, each motor being operative to rotate a corresponding rotor. 
     
     
         7 . A vehicle as in  claim 6 , further comprising a controller, operative, for said any capsule, to cause the motors to rotate the respective rotors so that the core remains essentially upright. 
     
     
         8 . A vehicle as in  claim 5 , wherein a core is configured to have a umbilical cable attached thereto. 
     
     
         9 . A vehicle as in  claim 5 , wherein a capsule further comprises a controller and a tail assembly, which is attached to the core of said capsule and includes a rudder member configured to interact, when tilted, with surrounding medium; the controller and the tail assembly are configured and cooperative to steer said capsule. 
     
     
         10 . A vehicle as in  claim 5 , further comprising a towing means, attached to the core of a capsule and configured to tow an external object, including but not limited to a trailer, a cable or a rope. 
     
     
         11 . A vehicle as in  claim 10 , wherein said towing means is operative to release the towed object. 
     
     
         12 . A vehicle as in  claim 5 , further comprising a controller and configured as two or more capsules, connected to each other in tandem through a joint assembly; the controller and the tail assembly are configured and cooperative to steer the vehicle 
     
     
         13 . A vehicle as in  claim 12 , wherein any capsule includes a single rotor or no rotors at all. 
     
     
         14 . A vehicle as in  claim 12 , wherein the number of capsules is two and each capsule includes a single rotor. 
     
     
         15 . A vehicle as in  claim 5 , wherein any core consists of two separatable parts in tandem, the parts being held together by releasable locks. 
     
     
         16 . A vehicle as in  claim 2 , wherein any capsule is configured to carry payload instruments and includes means for deploying any of said instruments outside the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . A vehicle as in  claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter of the flighting of any rotor is variable. 
     
     
         18 . A vehicle as in  claim 17  wherein said flighting includes a plurality of fins, pivotally attached to the body of the rotor and operative to protrude radially to a variable extent. 
     
     
         19 . A vehicle as in  claim 1 , further comprising a soil loosening device, operative to grind, soften or loosen soil in front of the vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . A vehicle as in  claim 19 , wherein said device is a drill. 
     
     
         21 . A system for transporting objects through soil underground, comprising:
 one or more self propelling vehicles, configured to propagate through the soil from a launching site, and   launching means,   
       wherein each vehicle includes at least two rotors, arranged in tandem, and means for rotating the rotors, 
       each rotor being formed as a hollow rotational body and an external helicoidal flighting, configured to engage surrounding soil, the flightings of any pair of adjacent rotors following helicoids of mutually opposite senses and said means for rotating being operative to rotate said adjacent rotors in mutually opposite senses. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a serving module at the launching site, including one or both of a power supply and a command unit, and   for each vehicle, a cable, which includes electrical conductors, the cable being windable from a first end thereof on a reel at the launching site and a second end of the cable being attached to the vehicle;   
       said wires being electrically connected at the first end of the cable to said power supply and/or said command unit, as the case may be, and at the second end—to said means for rotating, the vehicle being operative to pull the cable while advancing through the ground. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising one or more external navigation devices, deployed at ground level, wherein any vehicle includes one or more internal navigation devices, operative to communicate with the external navigation devices. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said launching means includes a barrel that accommodates any one of said vehicles. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the inner surface of said barrel is formed so as to enable any vehicle therein to propel itself from inside the barrel into the ground. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said launching means includes a missile that accommodates any one of said vehicles and includes a detachable nose cap.