U.S. patent number 4,217,849 [Application Number 05/971,879] was granted by the patent office on 1980-08-19 for mine roof warning indicator.
Invention is credited to Larry L. Brown, Robert G. Hamm.
United States Patent |
4,217,849 |
Brown , et al. |
August 19, 1980 |
Mine roof warning indicator
Abstract
A mine warning device which comprises tensioned arms that abut
the roof of an underground mine. The arms support a cone shaped
shaft which is attached to a warning indicator. The indicator
remains invisible within the body of the device when the rocks
forming the roof are stable. Upon a shifting of the mine roof,
which applies pressure to the arms of the device, the shaft is
released and the warning cylinder falls into view. Preferably, the
device attaches to bolts that hold plates to the mine roof and the
warning indicator is fluorescent.
Inventors: |
Brown; Larry L. (St. Louis,
MO), Hamm; Robert G. (St. Louis, MO) |
Family
ID: |
25518900 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/971,879 |
Filed: |
December 21, 1978 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
116/212; 73/761;
73/784 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21F
17/185 (20130101); F16B 31/02 (20130101); G01L
5/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E21F
17/00 (20060101); E21F 17/18 (20060101); F16B
31/02 (20060101); F16B 31/00 (20060101); G01L
5/00 (20060101); F16B 031/02 (); G01L 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;116/212,DIG.34 ;73/761
;85/62 ;250/463,483 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Yasich; Daniel M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kalishman; Neal
Claims
We claim:
1. An underground mine warning device comprising a means for
mounting the device upon an attaching meaning contained on the roof
of a mine; outwardly extending compressioned arm means for
detecting movement of a mine roof which are in communication with
said mine roof; activation means for displaying an indicator means
upon movement of said compressioned arm means; and on indicator
means which indicate movement of said compressioned arm means.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said device communicates to the
mine roof through at least one flat plate.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for mounting the device
upon an attaching means contained on the roof of a mine comprises
an aperture within the body of the device which is shaped to mate
with a bolt head and at least two screws for maintaining a bolt
head within said aperture.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said compressioned arm means
comprises at least two arm and spring sets.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein said arms comprise at least two
fingers.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein said fingers are adjustable.
7. The device of claim 4 wherein said springs are at least four
pound springs.
8. The device of claim 4 wherein the ends of said arms form a
circle within the device and when no pressure is applied to said
arms they support a shaft bearing a cone shaped head.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein said activation means comprises a
shaft bearing a cone shaped head.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein said shaft is within a
spring.
11. The device of claim 10 wherein said shaft and spring is
attached to said indicator means.
12. The device of claim 1 wherein said indicator means comprises a
fluorescent cylinder.
13. An underground mine warning device comprising a bolt inserted
within the mine roof; an aperture within the body of the device
which is shaped to mate with said bolt and at least two screws for
maintaining the bolt within the aperture; outwardly extending
compressioned arm means for detecting movement of the mine roof
which are in communication with said mine roof; and activation
means for displaying a fluorescent cyclinder upon movement of said
compressioned arm means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a device which gives warning
of the potential collapse of mine roofs. Specifically, the
invention is concerned with a warning indicator that detects shifts
in the ceiling of mines and provides warning thereof.
II. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally recognized that one of the most hazardous
professions in modern society is that of being a miner. This is
particularly true of those who work in underground coal mines. Not
only is there serious health hazards, but many miners are killed or
seriously injured by the collapse of the roofs of the mines. This
problem has become so serious that new government mine safety
regulations have been imposed.
There are several reasons why it has been impossible to develop a
successful system that gives warning of impending cave-ins. A
cave-in can potentially take place in any section of a mine. It is
not unusual for a small mine to be composed of tunnels totalling
over 25 miles. Thus, the area that must be monitored by any warning
system is extremely extensive. Further, the tunneling system not
only is not straight but does not maintain a constant
elevation.
Several attempts have been made at developing warning devices which
are suitable for use in mines. Emphasis has been placed on devices
which utilize lights, visible chemical substances, and audio
signals as warning devices. Examples of such devices are provided
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,137,268, 3,111,655, and 3,786,503. Each of
these devices requires constant maintenance and testing in order to
insure that the devices are in operating condition. Due to the
large number of devices which must be utilized in a mine, an
expensive maintenance and testing program must be implimented. Such
maintenance and testing programs are prohibitively expensive. Also,
these devices are ineffective in areas of the mine which are only
sporadically worked and in those situations where the device has
already sounded its warning and no one was in the area to either
see or hear it. The miners who later enter the area are totally
unaware of the device's warning if the power source for the warning
device has been exhausted.
There are other mechanical indicators, such as described in U.S.
Pat. No. 2,725,843, which do not suffer the problems associated
with an electrically operated warning device, however, these
devices usually comprise plates which are bent by the sagging mine
roof. In order to derive a warning from these devices each device
must be constantly carefully examined to determine whether rock
movement has occurred. Invariably these devices are not continually
inspected nor closely monitored and therefore are of no value. Due
to the number of warning units contained in a mine the type of
monitoring program needed to make such a device effective is
extremely expensive and so unfeasible.
The present invention is advantageous in that it provides a mine
roof warning device which demonstrates high reliability and is
inexpensive to construct. The device requires no maintenance and is
simple to install on existing roof plates. Advantageously, the
device does not utilize electrical systems and provides a visible
warning signal which remains activated for indefinite periods. The
mechanism does not require maintenance, testing, nor constant
surveillance. The warning indicator is sensitive to the most minor
movements of the rock layers above the mine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a mine warning device comprising a
means for attachment of the device to the roof of a mine, a
compression arm means, a compression activation means, and an
indicator means which indicates the movement of the mine roof. The
compression arm means detects movement of the mine roof and upon
movement of the compression arm means the indicator means is
displayed due to the compressioned activation means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a prospective view of the mine roof warning indicator of
the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a prospective view of the mine roof warning indicator of
the present invention with the indicator means in the danger
warning position.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view through line 3--3 of FIG. 1 of the mine
warning indicator of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view through line 4--4 of the mine roof
indicator of FIG. 3 of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention is directed to a mine roof warning indicator
which indicates when the potential exists for the roof of the mine
to cave in. The mechanism is advantageously attached to the head of
a roof bolt which usually extends from the roof plates that are
located throughout the interior of the mine. Normally, at
approximately seven foot intervals within an underground mine there
are roof plates which are bolted into the ceiling rock wall. These
plates serve to support the ceiling of the mine. The plates have a
bolt head extending from the plate. The mechanism of the present
invention is suitable for attachment to these bolt heads. However,
the mechanism of the invention can be attached independently to the
ceiling of the mine or to another piece which is displaced upon
movement of the mine ceiling.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 the indicator device is comprised
of a body 6, arms 8, and warning flag or cylinder 10. The body may
be made from either metal or plastic as may the arms and warning
cylinder.
The device is mounted through a mounting means to a ceiling bolt,
attaching means, by screws 12. The body of the device has an
aperture 14 which is shaped to mate with the shape of the ceiling
bolt or to whatever the device is attached. Protruding into the
aperture are screws 12 which when tightened secure the device to
the bolts. This allows for easy installation of the device and
simple removal of the device when a section of a mine is
abandoned.
The arms 8 are designed so that they make contact or communicate
with the ceiling plate or roof of the mine. Preferably two arms are
employed, each with two fingers 24. By use of such a design each of
the quadrants of a plate can be monitored. The fingers are in two
sections so that the upper section 18 can be adjusted by screw 22
to insure that the fingers 24 tightly abut the ceiling plate. The
lower portions of the arms are attached to the body through screws
30 which allow the arm lateral movement. The outwardly extending
position of the arms is maintained by springs 34. Thus, forming a
compressioned arm means. Alternatively, each of the fingers 24 can
have a plate attached to them in order to alleviate the necessity
for their to be plates attached to the mine roof.
The device has a center shaft 38 which serves as an activation or
actuation means. The shaft 38 has a cone shaped head 40.
Surrounding the shaft is a spring 42. One end of the center shaft
and spring are secured to the bottom of the inside of the warning
cylinder 10. The opposite end of the spring abuts partition 46.
Instead of a spring the warning cylinder could be weighted.
The warning cylinder or indicator means is preferably circular in
shape as is the body of the device. It is preferable that the
cylinder be fluorescently colored. The warning cylinder has a set
of screws 60 attached to its side wall. The side wall of the body
of the device has slits 62 through which the screws protrude. The
slits maintain the position of the warning cylinder 10 and prevent
it from separating from the body of the device when the warning
cylinder 10 and shaft 38 are not being supported by the arms 8 and
are in the devices warning made.
The operation of the mechanism is relatively simple. The mechanism
following attachment to the roof of the mine, preferably through
bolts, is "loaded" by pushing the warning cylinder within the
cavity of the body 6. The cone shaped or tapered shaft 38 is
supported by the ends 50 of the arms. The fingers are then adjusted
by screw 22 so that they abut the mine roof or a plate attached to
the mine roof. If no movement occurs in the rock layers above the
roof plate, then the warning cylinder remains within the cavity of
the body of the mechanism.
When the roof plate or roof is displaced or moves due to the rock
movement in the roof of the mine, the arms 8 of the device are also
moved. The arms 8 of the device follow the movement of the plate
and thus pivot away from the cone shaped head of the central shaft.
The amount of pressure necessary to cause movement of the arms 8
will depend upon the size of springs 34 which are utilized.
Preferably, the springs 34 should allow arm movement when greater
than four pounds of pressure are applied to the arms 8. The shaft
38 which is no longer supported by the arms 8 and the spring 42 and
gravity force the warning cylinder or insert downward and outside
of the body cavity. If any miners are in the area or later enter
the area where the device is located, their helmet lights will
reflect off of the fluorescent warning cylinder. Thereby, alerting
the miners that there may be a potential danger of a cave-in in the
area. After the mine roof is resecured, the mechanism can be
"reloaded" by pushing the warning cylinder 10 within the cavity of
the body 6 for further monitoring. The number of times that the
mechanism can be revised is unlimited. Also, it can be moved by
simply unscrewing screw 12 from the roof bolt and readjusting the
arms to correspond to the ceiling of the new location.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without
departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The
present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects
as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention
being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing
description, and all changes which come within the meaning and
range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be
embraced therein.
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