US 4,077,670 A · Method and apparatus for advancing and supporting an underground mine gallery

Abstract

A method for advancing and supporting an underground mine gallery in which a groove following the outline of the cross-section of the mine gallery is formed in the mine face and simultaneously thereto a plurality of bore holes are drilled in the part of the mine face located inwardly of the groove, in which a support frame is then placed into the groove and braced against the surrounding rock, whereafter explosives placed in the bore holes are exploded to remove the part inwardly of the groove from the mine face, while the loose material formed during the preceding steps is transported away from the mine face; and a machine for carrying out the method which is advanced after the above-mentioned steps are performed, whereafter the above-mentioned steps are repeated to thus advance the underground mine gallery while properly supporting the same during such advance.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method for advancing and supporting an underground mine gallery in which the contour of the gallery cross-section is produced by a mining machine and the gallery cross-section is supported by profiled support frames spaced in longitudinal direction of said mine gallery from each other, said method comprising the steps of producing in the mine face along the contour of the cross-section of the mine gallery a groove having a depth corresponding substantially to the distance between two frames and a width greater than the height of the profile of a frame;

simultaneously drilling into the part of the mine face located inwardly of the groove a plurality of bore holes, while transporting at the same time loose material produced by the aforementioned operations away from the mine face;
placing a support frame into the groove;
bracing the support frame against the surrounding wall surface;
connecting the newly placed support frame to a support frame previously placed into the mine gallery;
placing explosives into said bore holes;
exploding the explosives to remove the part inwardly of the groove from the mine face, while transporting loose material produced by the last step away from the mine face;
advancing the machine in longitudinal direction of the mine gallery;
and repeating all of the above-mentioned steps.

5 more elements

A machine for advancing an underground mine gallery of predetermined contour and for supporting the wall of the latter by support frames spaced in the longitudinal direction of the mine gallery from each other, said machine comprising advanceable and arrestable elongated support means extending in the longitudinal direction of the mine gallery and including frame means arched according to the contour of the mine gallery;

groove forming means movably carried by said support means for cutting into the mine face a groove of predetermined width and depth along the desired contour of the mine gallery;
guide means on said arched frame means for guiding said groove forming means along the desired contour;
bore hole forming means;
means connecting said bore hole forming means to said support means for locating said bore hole forming means at portions of the mine face located inwardly of the groove formed by said groove forming means and for advancing said bore hole forming means into said mine face;
loading and conveyor means connected to a region of said support means adjacent to the sole of the mine gallery for transporting loose material produced during operation of the machine in the longitudinal direction of the mine gallery away from the mine face;
movable means for transporting support frames toward the mine face;
and means on the support means for positioning said support frames into the groove formed by said groove forming means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for advancing and supporting an underground mine gallery

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for advancing and supporting an underground mine gallery

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10