U.S. patent number 4,134,270 [Application Number 05/753,161] was granted by the patent office on 1979-01-16 for mine roof support control.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Gullick Dobson Limited. Invention is credited to Kenneth Darbyshire, Fred Small.
United States Patent |
4,134,270 |
Small , et al. |
January 16, 1979 |
Mine roof support control
Abstract
A mine roof support control monitoring system in which at least
some of a row of self advancing mine-roof supports at a mine face
each include means for providing data relating to successive
advances of that support. This data is accumulated by other means
of the system and stored to give readily available indicationsof
differences of actual support advances. The system preferably
further includes means for pre-energizing the advance mechanisms of
such supports to eliminate data relating to slack or tolerance.
Inventors: |
Small; Fred (Lathom,
GB2), Darbyshire; Kenneth (Platt Bridge, Near Wigan,
GB2) |
Assignee: |
Gullick Dobson Limited
(GB2)
|
Family
ID: |
26249026 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/753,161 |
Filed: |
December 21, 1976 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 23, 1975 [GB] |
|
|
52537/75 |
Mar 27, 1976 [GB] |
|
|
12444/76 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
405/302;
702/150 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21D
23/14 (20130101); E21D 23/146 (20160101); E21D
23/144 (20160101) |
Current International
Class: |
E21D
23/00 (20060101); E21D 23/14 (20060101); E21D
015/44 () |
Field of
Search: |
;61/45D,63 ;299/31-33
;91/17MP,1,189 ;248/357 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Taylor; Dennis L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Drucker; William Anthony
Claims
What we claim is:
1. A system for monitoring the relative positions of a row of mine
roof supports, comprising, for each of at least some of the
supports, means for providing data relating to successive actual
advances of each support and anchorage therefor, the system further
comprising means for accumulating and storing such data for said at
least some supports, and means for displaying the accumulated and
stored data as an offset from a nominal or expected advance.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the data accumulated and
stored comprises errors between actual advances and specified
advance distances.
3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the error data is
generated at units at each of said at least some supports.
4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the data is accumulated
and stored at a control unit remote from the support.
5. A system according to claim 4, comprising a face conveyor
constituting said mine roof support anchorage.
6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the data relates to
extension of ram means acting between the support and the face
conveyor on advancement of the latter.
7. A system according to claim 6, wherein means is provided at each
of said at least some supports for ensuring that the ram means is
pressurized before roof supporting props are released.
8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the last-mentioned means
includes interlocking means between electricl solenoid actuated
valve means for the ram means and the props.
9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the interlocking means is
electrical.
10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the electrical
interlocking means comprises delay means.
11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the electrical
interlocking means comprises coincidence gating.
12. A system according to claim 8, wherein the interlocking means
is pressure fluid operated.
13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the pressure fluid
operated interlocking means includes means for sensing a
predetermined pressure in the ram means.
14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the means for sensing
is operative to control pilot operating pressure to prop control
valve means.
Description
The invention relates to mining, and has particular application in
remote control systems for self-advancing mine-roof supports.
At the mineral face of a mine working it is normal to have a row of
self-advancing mine-roof supports cooperating with a face conveyor
and a mining machine that traverses the face to cut material which
is carried by the face conveyor to conveyor systems usually in a
gate at one end of the face for transportation away from the face.
It is common practice for the mine-roof supports to be equipped
with pressure-fluid-operated means so as to be advanced
sequentially. Each support serves first in pushing the face
conveyor towards the face behind the mining machine as it traverses
the face. When there is at least a predetermined headway on the
mining machines the mine-roof supports are sequentially lowered
usually one at a time, and pulled towards the face conveyor
whereupon they are reset to the roof. Any attempt to automate these
operations will meet the usual demand that the face be kept
straight and the services of surveyors are required to ensure that
the advances of the mine-roof supports do not result in unwanted
curvature of the face, as would result from differential advances
of the supports, particularly over a succession of advances
thereof.
It is an object of this invention to provide means to facilitate
the maintenance of desired relative positions of self-advancing
mine-roof supports, and to this end the invention proposes a system
for monitoring the relative positions of such supports by
separately accumulating and storing data relating to successive
actual advances for at least some of the supports.
Preferably, the data accumulated concerns erros between actual
advances and specified advance distances, though, clearly,
accumulation of actual advance data would give, for the supports
concerned, totals from which corrections could readily be made.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, such a central system
comprises a plurality of separate support-related units each for
receiving and translating coded electrical control signals into
support advance implementing signals, and for supplying coded
electrical data signals representative of the extent of an advance
movement of the related support, a control unit, and a
communication network for carrying the said control and a data
signal between the support-related units and the control unit, the
control unit including resettable means responsive to the data
signals for accumulating, for each mine-roof support, individual
differences from successive desired advances or even the numerical
values of the data signals themselves.
In implementing such a system, the control unit may be provided
with word-organised binary data storage means having at least one
word location dedicated to each support, and accumulator or adder
means for updating the contents of each such word location at the
time of an advance of the corresponding support. The word locations
may be registers driving a single numerical display via register
scanners or other means, or driving individual numerical displays
or parts of a display, or may be part of a word-organised writable
semiconductor store, often referred to as a RAM, included in a
controlling computer system associated with a visual display for
accumulated error or total advance data.
The support-related units may supply a direct digitised
representation of the extent of an advance, in which case the
control unit may compare incoming data signals with a preset datum
value, say by a subtractor or in a subtraction operation.
Alternatively, the support related units may supply an offset from
a preset desired advance of the corresponding support, in which
case the control unit will simply accumulate incoming data signals,
which should, of course, include a sign indication, using an adder
or an addition operation in a computer, preferably a
micro-computer, system.
Such a system will therefore store, and display as required,
indications of the extents to which individual mine roof supports
exceed or fall short of a total advance represented by the number
of advance cycles which have taken place since the storage means
was reset. Initially, or periodically, such resetting will take
place following a survey of the face and adjustment of the
positions of the supports until they have a desired relative
relationship. At the time of each such re-survey the monitoring
system can supply correction data via the display. System embodying
this this invention are therefore particularly well adapted to use
in a mine face control system that provides for automatic advancing
of the supports in an automatic mode of operation, and allows
support position adjustments or corrections by an operator in a
separate manual mode of operation, which, if desired, may be one of
two manual modes, one latched to achieve a preset advance and the
other unlatched to advance for as long as there is a manual demand
for it. Provision could be made so that, during the correction
operation, the accumulated error for a particular support is
displayed and offset automatically in accordance with the
positional adjustment made, thereby automatically resetting the
storage means.
Preferred self-advancing mine-roof supports use a double-acting
hydraulic ram for pushing the face conveyor and pulling the
support, and known devices, for example using potentiometers, for
measuring the extension or stroke of the ram and thus the extent of
the advance. Such devices may be associated with selective presets
to control a maximum or desired advance and/or supply a different
signal relative to an adjustable preset.
It would, of course, be equally possible, if not preferable, to use
ultrasonic ram extension monitoring devices of the type to which
our copending application No. 52259/75 relates.
Often, although the pulling operation to bring a support to the
face conveyor is required for every support, it is satisfactory for
an even distribution of less than all, say as few as a quarter, of
the supports to perform the pushing operation whereby the face
conveyor is moved up to the mineral face. In such a system, face
adjustment may be satisfactorily monitored using data signals from
only those supports that will be involved in pushing the face
conveyor.
Adjustment of individual mine roof supports in order to cancel
cumulative advance discrepancies and thereby maintain the alignment
of the face, places stringent requirements on the accuracy of the
advance measuring signal, and it is further desirable herein to
facilitate such accuracy.
Accordingly a mine roof support having advance measuring, and
signal producing means is, for an advance of the support, made
operative to energise its support advance means prior to release of
the support from between the floor and the roof, so as to take up
any play in the linkages associated with such advance means, the
advance measuring and signal producing means being operative after
such take-up of play, say on release of the support.
In operating the advance means, typically a pressure-fluid-operated
ram, while the roof support is set between the floor and roof, it
may be that, in addition to taking up any play, the face conveyor
itself, where that acts as an anchorage for the advance means, will
also be moved to some extent. However, this will not affect the
accuracy of the signal generator in representing actual roof
support advance.
In preferred embodiments, a sequencer will be incorporated whereby
a support advance phase of operation will, on initiation,
automatically cause energisation of the support advance means prior
to lowering of the roof-engaging structure of the support to allow
the advance to take place. Such a sequencer may be incorporated at
the roof supports themselves, say as a pre-determined time delay
prior to release and lowering of the support, or as a
pre-requirement regarding the achievement of a minimum resistance,
typically pressure or back pressure, in the support advance means,
or even related to sensing roof support ram conditions.
Such a sequencer may be incorporated in the support related coding,
decoding and control units of the system of our above-mentioned
application. Alternatively, a sequencer may be incorporated in a
remote control unit where that unit also issues support control
signals to the supports, although it may well be generally
preferred for a single signal to initiate predetermined sequenced
operation via interlocks or time delays at the support as mentioned
above.
The pre-energisation feature may be applied to a conveyor pushing
operation preceding the support advance proper and this feature of
the invention concerns taking up any play in the support to
conveyor linkage prior to measuring the ram stroke and producing
corresponding signals, say using a ram pressure sensor for enabling
or resetting purposes.
Embodiments of the invention, will now be described, by way of
example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a mineral face working to
which the invention is applicable;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a remote control unit and two
support-related units;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a support related unit with advancing
ram preenergisation under electronic control;
FIG. 4 shows an alternative to FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a pressure fluid interlocked
control.
A mineral face 10 is traversed by a mining machine 11 between a
main gate 12 and a tail gate 13. As shown, the mining machine 11 is
cutting on a traverse from the main gate to the tail gate. Cutting
may also take place for the opposite direction of traverse, or idle
return runs may be made.
The mining machine 11 is associated with a face conveyor 14 to
which a row of self-advancing mine supports are attached by
double-acting hydraulic rams 16 for pushing the conveyor towards
the face 10 and subsequently pulling lowered supports successively
up to the face conveyor as indicated at the left hand side of FIG.
1, and so to form the familiar snake of the face conveyor. The
supports are raised to engage the roof so that in this way, the
roof of the face is left unsupported for a minimum length of time.
The face conveyor 14 is shown feeding a conveyor 17 in the main
gate for transporting material away from the face. A similar
conveyor will be provided in the tail gate if cutting is to take
place on both directions of traverse of the mining machine.
The supports 15 are shown with interconnecting multi-core cables 20
which form part of a communication network between a remote control
unit 25 and support-mounted units indicated in FIG. 2 by the
numeral 26. The remote control unit 25 includes command circuitry
28 for supplying coded command signals controlling sequential
advances required of the supports 15, and will normally comprise a
parallel operating, word organised, micro computer system. These
will be transmitted over the multi-core cables 20 to support units
such as shown at 26 and 27 for supports that, respectively, do and
do not push the face conveyor.
For convenience, it is assumed that coded control or data words are
transmitted bit by bit in series over one of the lines of the
cables 20. In practice, different lines may be used for the
different directions of transmission, with other lines serving for
power supplies, clock pulses, emergency warning signals, and audio
linking, etc. Alternatively, data and/or control signals may be
transmitted in parallel, say a byte at a time over groups of the
lines of the cable 20. For the preferred serial mode, some form of
word assembler, such as a serial-to-parallel converter, may be
required at the input at each of the units 26 and 27 as these will
normally be parallel operated, word organised, data processing
units, with means performing the opposite function for transmission
in the opposite direction.
The supports units 26 and 27 are each shown as including a decoder
30. For the unit 27, decoder 30 is operative to supply control
signals over line 31 to a control solenoid 32 for ram action to
pull the associated support up to the face conveyor, and a signal
on a line 33 enabling output from a pressure detection device 34
for indicating that the hydraulic props of the support are pressed
against the roof of the mine working.
In the case of the support units 26, similar functions are
controlled by its decoder 30 as indicated by the use of the same
reference numerals. In addition, however, decoder output line 36 is
also shown connected to a ram control solenoid 37 for controlling
the application of pressure-fluid to push the face conveyor towards
the mineral face. A further decoder output line 38 is shown for
enabling outputs from a ram extension sensor 39 that is assumed to
provide a digital output, say by a digitiser from a
potentiometer-based device.
In practice the two support units 26 and 27 may well be identical
with the additional decoder outputs 36 and 37 not used for every
support, though it may be preferred to use a ram extension sensor
if desired. For convenience of description it is assumed that the
ram extension sensor is operative relative to a preset so that it
supplies signals which represent an error in relation to that
preset. Alternatively, of course, the total ram extension would be
transmitted to the remote control unit.
The remote control unit 25 is shown as including an adder 45,
normally the computing arithmetic and logic unit of a micro
processor system, with parallel input lines 46 enabled by a control
line 47 from the command means 28 when ram extension data is being
received. Outputs 48 of the adder 45 are shown feeding a multi-word
store 49 normally part of the memory of a micro-processor system,
which is addressed over lines 51 according to which support is
being controlled at any particular time as determined by the
enabling line 52 for controlling up dating of the store addressing
facility during an addressing phase when a mine roof support is
selected, for example, using a counter.
The store 49 is also shown supplying the adder 45 over lines 53 so
that the adder serves to accumulate the present contents of a
particular word location of the store with the error or total
extension signal for the current advance operation.
Lines 53 are shown branched at 54 to feed a visual display unit 55
so that information regarding accumulated errors can be displayed
either individually for each mine roof support, or simultaneously
for a plurality or all of the mine roof supports.
In FIGS. 3 and 4 the local support control unit 26 is shown as
including electrical means for ensuring that play is taken up in
the advancing ram linkages before a support is released from the
roof and pulled up to the face conveyor thereby ensuring that ram
extension data is more accurate. For double-acting roof supporting
props the solenoid 40 may control only lowering of the support
canopy, or raising too depending on its energisation state and may
be suitably interlocked with the other solenoids, or by pressure
fluid control valving for automatically advancing on an advance
command. FIG. 3 shows a time delay device 42, which could be
digital, say a counter responsive to cycles of the remote
monitoring unit, or analogue, say an RC network. In its simplest
digital form, the delay may be a monostable or bistable device
responsive to a subsequent signal from the remote monitoring and
control unit.
The timing device is shown connected in the advance ram solenoid
energising line 31 after branching to the roof support ram solenoid
energising line 43.
FIG. 3 also shows the roof pressure detector 34 for supplying
signals to the remote control unit on interrogation by energisation
of decoder output line 33, and the ram extension sensor 39 that is
assumed to provide a digital output sampled by decoder output lines
38, though an analogue output could be digitised within the unit
26. The roof solenoid line 43 from the delay 42 is shown branched
at 44 to the sensor 39 to zero or reset the latter or, for a pulse
producing sensor, enable its pulse line.
FIG. 4 shows an alternate arrangement in which a device 60
responsive to pressure in the advance ram is indicated as providing
a signal for enabling a coincidence gate 61 between the advance
solenoid and roof support solenoid lines 31 and 43.
Alternatively, of course, as will be described in FIG. 5, there may
be a pressure-fluid servo interlock between the support advance ram
and the roof support ram to achieve the energisation of advance ram
and the roof support ram to achieve the energisation of advance
rams prior to lowering the support canopy.
Clearly, a remote monitoring and control unit could be arranged to
send over lines 20 separate advance solenoid energising and roof
support solenoid energising command signals with a desired delay or
a logic interlock dependent upon feed-back of pressure detection
signals. Alternatively, a fine read-out of the advance ram
extension could be provided, and the roof support lower signal sent
only after the fine read-out signals had remained steady for a
predetermined number of cycles, perhaps only one, of the remote
control means. The latter operation would be temporary and would
not result in accumulation to existing ram extension data at the
control unit.
Other embodiments could utilise ram-extension measurement on
pushing over a face conveyor prior to advancing the support itself.
Then both of the above techniques specifically described, i.e. time
delay or ram pressure sensing, could be used for getting signals to
the remote control unit, but the requirement for interlocking with
roof support ram release would not exist.
In the pressure fluid interlocked system of FIG. 5, the conveyor
pushing/support advancing ram in indicated at 65 and the roof
support props at 66 with appropriate non return valves to ensure
safe operating conditions. A pilot operated control valve 68 for
the ram 65 is shown as having drive and drain states for support
advancing i.e. retraction of the piston or ram 65, with a safety
bias to the drain state. In the drive state shown, pilot pressure
is applied via branch line 69 when the support advance signal is
received and operates the appropriate solenoid valve. The build up
of pressure in the ram 65 will take up play in the mechanical
couplings by the time a predetermined pressure is reached therein.
This is sensed by a valve 71 with a preset or presettable bias so
as to move from the position shown to its other position and cannot
pilot pressure fluid over line 72 to a prop control valve 74 shown
in its prop energising state and moved therefrom by such action of
the valve 71 to cause connection of the rams to return for positive
retraction if desired.
It will be appreciated that the pressure sensitive valve 71 could
be connected anywhere in the supply line to the advance side of the
advancing ram 65 and still sense the appropriate pressure to cause
pilot operation of the valve 72, i.e. without requiring a separate
connection to the cylinder of the ram 65. It is also to be
understood that where, as often is the case, the pilot and main
supplies are taken in common from one source, the pilot arrangement
of the valve 72 may be made directly pressure sensitive so as to
itself to provide the desired operation at a predetermined
pressure.
* * * * *