Mine support system
AssigneeHL&H Timber Products (PTY) Ltd.
InventorsMark Howell, Graham H. Clarke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The mine support system (26) is typically used in underground coal mines. Support for the hanging wall (40) of the mine is provided by elongate, transversely extending headboards (10) which are supported by spaced apart supports. The supports may take the form of upright mine supports, typically timber props (28) located on the footwall (34) of the mine working, by roof bolts (30) engaging the hanging wall, or by a combination of props and roof bolts. Prestressing grout bags (32) are located on the headboards and bear against the hanging wall. The combination of headboards and bags forms a continuous bridge between the props.
Claims8
A mine support system for supporting a hanging wall of a mine working having a hanging wall and a footwall, the mine support system comprising:
- a pair of spaced apart, elongate props, each prop having a lower end bearing in use on the footwall and an upper end;
- for each prop, an elongate headboard which spans transversely across the upper end of the prop, each headboard having an inner end and an outer end, the inner ends of the headboards being adjacent to one another and being supported by roof bolts engaging the hanging wall, each outer end of the headboard being supported by a prop, and the headboards being aligned with one another;
- and
- a plurality of grout bags which are located on the aligned headboards and which are inflatable with grout so as to bear forcibly against the hanging wall, the inflated grout bags and aligned headboards forming a substantially continuous beam in contact with the hanging wall and spanning between the upper ends of the props.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.