Yieldable mine post
OwnerBen L. Seegmillerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A yieldable mine post, made of metal and in telescoping form. The post comprises a pair of mutually telescoping metal post lengths, one being slotted to receive selectively a chosen wedge for forced insertion within the slot to spread apart one of the post lengths, as to its diameter, whereby to increase surface friction between the post lengths and, thereby, the frictional resistance offered to progressive incremental displacements of one post length relative to the other in response to the downward movement of a mine roof supported by such post and further to cause resistance to sliding by forcing the outer post length to deform elastically outward and the inner post length to deform elastically inward, thus generating a "friction bubble" of "friction envelope" which progressively moves down the zone of pipe overlap.
Claims18
A mine post for vertical disposition between a mine roof and a mine floor and including, in combination, first and second post sections each having a respective, post length, said post lengths being mutually telescoping whereby one of said post lengths is innermost and the remaining of said post lengths is outermost, each of said post lengths having an outer end provided with a bearing member and also an inner end, each of said inner ends being mutually frictionally, telescopingly engaged, said innermost tubular post length being provided with a longitudinal wall slot, and wedge means inserted in said wall slot beyond said inner end of said outermost tubular post length for expanding the girth of said innermost tubular post length essentially within its elastic/plastic limit, at and proximate the area of wedge means insertion, for progressively increasing essentially elastic/plastic expansion of said outermost tubular post length and also increasing sliding friction resistance forces and essentially elastic/plastic coaction, between said tubular post lengths as said wedge means enters into and progresses within said outermost tubular post length, in response to post axial compression forces and yield incremental movements of said innermost tubular post length in and relative to said outermost tubular post length, whereby to allow for progressively increased loading and progressively reduced yield of said mine post in accordance with mine roof lowering, relative to the mine floor, and desired mine roof control.
In combination, an innermost tubular post length having a longitudinal wall slot, an outermost tubular post length slideably and telescopingly receiving and overlapping a portion of said innermost tubular post length, and wedge means inserted into said wall slot, at a region thereof directly from the lateral exterior and beyond said portion of said innermost tubular post length, and dimensioned to spread apart said wall slot and thereby incrementally increase the girth of said innermost tubular post length at and proximate the area of wedge means' insertion, whereby to selectively increase wall friction forces between said innermost and outermost tubular post lengths and also increase elastic/plastic mutually intercooperating deformation thereat in said innermost and outermost tubular post lengths, the outermost ends of each of said post lengths each being provided with a bearing plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.