Breaking or blasting or splitting of rock
AssigneeDenel (Proprietary) Limited
InventorJohann Mey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of breaking rock (18), e.g. in underground mining, includes drilling a hole in the rock mass by means of a drilling machine (20) having an articulated boom (22) and a drilling tool (24) at the end of the boom (22). After drilling, the drilling tool (20) is retracted, charge means is indexed with the hole, and a rock breaking charge (30) is charged into the hole. The charge (30) includes a propellant, a fuse head (40), and a tamping medium (34), conveniently contained in the casing (32). The tamping medium (34), e.g. a two-component resin, is discharged into the hole and allowed to set around and rearward of the propellant. The driving machine (20) is removed and the propellant is actuated from a remote position, e.g. electrically.
Claims10
A rock breaking charge, including:
- a casing which is elongate having a leading end and a trailing end, the leading end being of generally round cross-section and suitable for insertion into a hole drilled into a rock;
- a cartridge, which includes a pressure generating substance and actuating means for actuating the pressure generating substance, located in the casing toward the leading end;
- a tamping medium in flowable form contained in the casing such as to be exposed to pressure applied at the trailing end of the casing in use;
- and
- at least one port in the casing arranged in communication with the tamping medium to expel tamping medium from the casing when the tamping medium is pressurized in use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.