Mining methods and systems using mobile conveyors
AssigneeThyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (USA), Inc.
InventorsChristof Brewka, Ruben E. Lezius, Martin S. Lurie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor system for an open pit mine may include one or more conveyor lines. The conveyor lines are used to transport material from one location in the mine to another location. The material transported may be a waste material, such as overburden material, or coal. The conveyor lines may move from a first end of the pit to a distal second end. When the conveyor lines reach the second end, they may reverse direction and return towards the first end. During this reversal in direction of travel, equipment may be selectively swapped between the conveyor lines. The conveyor lines may include at least one mobile bridge conveyor. Each mobile bridge conveyor may support one or more conveyors that transport the material.
Claims20
A conveyor system for effecting cross pit type material handling in an open pit mine, comprising:
- a first conveyor line extending from an overburden side of the mine to a stack side of the mine, the first conveyor line including at least three removably connectable mobile bridge conveyors, each aligned to at least receive material from or transfer material to an adjacent mobile bridge conveyor;
- a second conveyor line extending from the overburden side of the mine to the stack side of the mine generally in parallel with the first conveyor line, the second conveyor line including at least one connectable mobile bridge conveyor, which aligns with at least one of the conveyors in the first conveyor line along a longitudinal axis of the open pit mine at the same level or levels;
- the first conveyor line operatively associated with excavation equipment operating on a first level at a first location in the mine, with the conveyor line continuously moving with the excavation equipment;
- the second conveyor line operatively associated with excavation equipment operating at a second location in the mine, which is on a second level below the first level;
- wherein the first conveyor line and the second conveyor line are operable to move along the longitudinal axis of the open pit mine toward each other and, in response to moving towards each other the second conveyor line is operable to receive at least one of the at least three removably connectable mobile bridge conveyors from the first conveyor line such that at least one of the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line is operably associated with excavator equipment operable to excavate at any point along the open pit mine on both the first level and the second level and the direction toward each other is along an axis that is different than the first or second material transport directions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.