Multi-level hydraulic mining system
OwnerOliver B. Kilroyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulic mining system for a mine including a plurality of horizontal stopes each of which has a mining face. The apparatus comprises a main slurry mix tank at the lowermost stope, a hydraulic mining device in each stope, slurry forming mechanism in each stope for converting mined ore into slurry form, a flexible conduit extending from each stope to the main slurry mix tank for conveying mined ore in slurry form to the mix tank, an upflow tube having its lower end at said slurry mix tank and extending upwardly to the ground surface, and a pump for moving slurry upwardly in said tube.
Claims8
For installation in a mine including a plurality of horizontal stopes at different levels which extend from a surface having a vertical component, with each stope presenting a mining face, apparatus comprising:
- a. a mining device in each stope for mining ore from the face of that stope,
- b. mechanism in each stope for converting ore mined from the face of that stope into a slurry,
- c. a main slurry mix tank at the lowermost of said stopes,
- d. a flexible conduit extending from the converting mechanism in said lowermost stope to said main slurry mix tank and including a pump,
- e. a flexible conduit connected to the converting mechanism in each stope above said lowermost stope and including a pump adjacent to said converting mechanism and a portion that slants downwardly from said pump to said main slurry mix tank,
- f. a water supply for said slurry mix tank in the form of an underground reservoir,
- g. an outflow tube having its lower end communicating with said slurry mix tank;
- and
- h. a pump in said outflow tube for moving slurry therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.