U.S. patent number 10,385,691 [Application Number 14/912,642] was granted by the patent office on 2019-08-20 for skip and crosshead.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Technological Resources Pty. Limited. The grantee listed for this patent is Technological Resources Pty. Limited. Invention is credited to Fredric Christopher Delabbio, Rocky Lynn Webb.
![](/patent/grant/10385691/US10385691-20190820-D00000.png)
![](/patent/grant/10385691/US10385691-20190820-D00001.png)
![](/patent/grant/10385691/US10385691-20190820-D00002.png)
![](/patent/grant/10385691/US10385691-20190820-D00003.png)
![](/patent/grant/10385691/US10385691-20190820-D00004.png)
![](/patent/grant/10385691/US10385691-20190820-D00005.png)
United States Patent |
10,385,691 |
Webb , et al. |
August 20, 2019 |
Skip and crosshead
Abstract
A conveyance system for moving a conveyance along a mine shaft
during shaft construction, comprising: a first guide section; a
second guide section located along the mineshaft in series with the
first guide section, the conveyance being movable along the first
guide section; and a head section for receiving the conveyance, the
head section cooperating with the first guide section to enable the
conveyance to travel from the second guide section along the first
guide section when received by the head section.
Inventors: |
Webb; Rocky Lynn (North Bay,
CA), Delabbio; Fredric Christopher (Samford,
AU) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Technological Resources Pty. Limited |
Brisbane |
N/A |
AU |
|
|
Assignee: |
Technological Resources Pty.
Limited (Melbourne, Victoria, AU)
|
Family
ID: |
52482845 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/912,642 |
Filed: |
August 25, 2014 |
PCT
Filed: |
August 25, 2014 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/AU2014/000848 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
February 18, 2016 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2015/024069 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
February 26, 2015 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20160208607 A1 |
Jul 21, 2016 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 23, 2013 [AU] |
|
|
2013903212 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21D
7/02 (20130101); E21D 9/12 (20130101); E21D
1/03 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E21D
7/02 (20060101); E21D 1/03 (20060101); E21D
9/12 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
801615 |
|
Sep 1958 |
|
GB |
|
2004-092330 |
|
Mar 2004 |
|
JP |
|
2005-336915 |
|
Dec 2005 |
|
JP |
|
2005/049966 |
|
Jun 2005 |
|
WO |
|
2011/000037 |
|
Jan 2011 |
|
WO |
|
Other References
Oct. 20, 2014--International Search Report and Written Opinion of
PCT/AU2014/000848. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Riegelman; Michael A
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A conveyance system for moving a skip along a mine shaft during
shaft sinking, the conveyance system comprising: a first guide
section for guiding movement of the skip along the mine shaft
between an upper region of the mine shaft and a work stage, the
work stage being arranged for transferring cuttings passed upwardly
and received from a shaft forming apparatus to the skip for
ascending the mine shaft to the upper region of the mine shaft, the
first guide section having a variable length; a second guide
section located along the mine shaft in series with the first guide
section, wherein the second guide section has a fixed length and
guides movement of the skip within the work stage and along the
mine shaft by engaging with the skip as the skip moves along the
second guide section; and a head section for receiving the skip,
the head section cooperating with the first guide section to enable
the skip to travel from the second guide section along the first
guide section when received by the head section; wherein the
conveyance system provides guidance along an entire length of the
mine shaft from the shaft forming apparatus to the upper region of
the mine shaft.
2. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the head
section includes a containing section in which the skip is at least
partially received during travel of the skip along the first guide
section.
3. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the head
section includes a chairing member that chairs against the skip
during travel of the skip along the first guide section and wherein
the chairing member comes into abutment with the skip.
4. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the head
section is configured to depend from the skip during movement of
the skip and head section along the first guide section.
5. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the head
section chairs against a work stage as the skip travels from the
first guide section along the second guide section.
6. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the mine
shaft is substantially vertical.
7. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the first
guide section and second guide section restrict rotational movement
and swing movement of the skip.
8. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the head
section does not travel along the second guide section.
9. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the second
guide section extends through the work stage.
10. A guide system for guiding a skip during shaft sinking, while
lifting and/or lowering of the skip in a mine shaft, the guide
system comprising: an intermediate fixed length guide section for
guiding movement of the skip within a work stage and along the mine
shaft, the work stage being arranged for transferring cuttings
passed upwardly and received from a shaft forming apparatus to the
skip for ascending the mine shaft to an upper region of the mine
shaft; and a variable length upper guide section extending from the
intermediate fixed length guide section to accommodate changes in
distance between the intermediate fixed length guide section and an
upper region of the mine shaft, the variable length upper guide
section guiding movement of the skip between the upper region of
the mine shaft and the work stage, wherein the guide system
restricts rotational movement and swing movement of the skip;
wherein the guide system provides guidance along an entire length
of the mine shaft from the shaft forming apparatus to the upper
region of the mine shaft.
11. The guide system according to claim 10, wherein the
intermediate fixed length guide section and the variable length
upper guide section are configured to allow the skip to transition
from one guide section to the other.
12. The guide system according to claim 10, wherein the variable
length upper guide section extends from the intermediate fixed
length guide section to the upper region of the mine shaft.
13. The guide system according to claim 10, wherein the
intermediate fixed length guide section is fixable to the work
stage.
14. The guide system according to claim 10, further including a
variable length lower guide section extending from the intermediate
fixed length guide section to accommodate changes in distance
between the intermediate fixed length guide section and a lower
region of the mine shaft.
15. The guide system according to claim 14, wherein the variable
length lower guide section extends from the intermediate fixed
length guide section in the direction of a shaft forming
apparatus.
16. The guide system according to claim 14, wherein the variable
length lower guide section extends with movements of the shaft
forming apparatus away from the intermediate fixed length guide
section and retracts with movements of the intermediate fixed
length guide section towards the shaft forming apparatus.
17. The guide system according to claim 14, wherein the variable
length lower guide section comprises a telescopic guide
assembly.
18. The guide system according to claim 14, wherein the variable
length lower guide section is extendable without a corresponding
extension and/or retraction of the variable length upper guide
section.
19. The guide system according to claim 10, wherein the variable
length upper guide section extends with downward movements of the
intermediate fixed length guide section.
20. The guide system according to claim 19, wherein the variable
length upper guide section extends from the intermediate fixed
length guide section to an above ground loading/discharge
region.
21. The guide system according to claim 10, wherein the variable
length upper guide section and intermediate fixed length guide
section meet at a transition region, and the skip comprises a head
section and a base section, the transition region being adapted to
halt downward travel of the head section whilst permitting the base
section to continue downward travel along the intermediate fixed
length guide section.
22. The guide system according to claim 10, being for use in a
substantially vertical mineshaft.
23. The guide system according to claim 10, wherein the
intermediate fixed length guide section guides movement of the skip
along the mine shaft by engaging with the skip while the skip moves
along the intermediate fixed length guide section.
24. The guide system according to claim 10, wherein the
intermediate fixed length guide section extends through the work
stage to the variable length upper guide section.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a U.S. National Phase filing of
International Application No. PCT/AU2014/000848, filed on Aug. 25,
2014, designating the United States of America and claiming
priority to Australian Patent Application No. 2013903212 filed Aug.
23, 2013, and the present application claims priority to and the
benefit of both the above-identified applications, which are
incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to guiding movement of a conveyance up and
down a mine shaft. It has particular but not exclusive application
to guiding conveyances that convey materials and personnel up/down
a mine shaft from top of shaft to an excavation region during
formation of the mine shaft, and it may also have application to
other purposes such as the delivery of personnel and materials
up/down a mineshaft between successive lateral branches of the
mineshaft at different underground depths.
This invention also relates to mine shaft conveyance systems for
raising and/or lowering a conveyance in a mine shaft.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditional shaft sinking operations are carried out by drilling
and blasting to excavate materials from a mine shaft. The excavated
material is removed by a mucking system, by which the excavated
material is picked up and deposited in kibbles (large cylindrical
buckets) that are hoisted to the surface on cables extending
downwardly from headgear incorporating a hoist at the top of mine
shaft.
Shaft sinking and mine constructions methods using blasting and
mucking processes are slow and discontinuous. In this context,
`discontinuous` refers to shaft construction taking place slowly,
with each stage in the drill, blast and mucking cycle all being
done in series with minimal processes being completed in parallel.
For example, the time between mucking stages is lengthy since after
completion of one mucking stage, mucking equipment is removed from
the shaft bottom, drilling equipment is lowered to the shaft bottom
to drill boreholes, charges are then set in the bore holes, all
equipment is removed from the bottom of the mine shaft, charges are
initiated, and then the next mucking stage commences.
More recently there have been proposals to increase the speed at
which sinking can progress by using mechanical excavation
technology similar to that used in the horizontal civil tunnelling
industry. International patent publication number WO 2011/000037A1
discloses such a proposal for sinking a mine shaft in which rock
excavated by a boring machine is transferred into large capacity
conveyances in the form of skips which are raised and lowered by a
hoisting system installed at the top of mine shaft. On completion
of shaft sinking operations the hoisting system and skips may
subsequently be operated to convey material excavated during
production mining stage of the mine life.
In the equipment disclosed in WO 2011/000037A1, the entire content
of which is incorporated herein by reference, each loaded skip or
other conveyance must travel down the mine shaft and through a work
stage or "Galloway". The requirements of the system that controls
and/or guides movement of the respective conveyance change as the
conveyance moves through different sections (e.g. moving through
the Galloway versus moving from top of mine shaft to the Galloway)
of a mine shaft. The present invention provides a system to meet
one or more of the changes in system requirements.
The term "skip" refers inter alia to a conveyance used to bring
mined material to the top of a mine shaft. Skips are manufactured
in various sizes and designs for both vertical and incline shafts,
and generally include bottom door dump type conveyances.
Skips are distinct from "buckets" insofar as: a) skips are
self-dumping; b) the properties of skips make them suitable for use
in production shafts and have never previous to this invention been
used in construction/sinking of a shaft; c) skips are, during
normal operation, attached at all times to the hoist rope; and d)
skips do not have to be able to free stand on the bottom of a mine
shaft (i.e. can be extremely long and slender).
A "bucket" and "kibble" are typically cylindrical shaped
conveyances, use to transport blasted rock from the shaft bottom,
during shaft construction (sinking) operations.
When compared with skips, buckets: a) require manual dumping b)
must be unloaded in a tip over fashion c) are attached to the hoist
rope via detachable hook to suspension chains (or bales) at the top
of the bucket (minimum of 3 to maintain stability) d) must be used
in conjunction with a crosshead to provide guidance in the shaft
barrel (above work stage) e) are unguided (both in terms of
rotation and swing) below shaft guide system or within work stage,
and also below work stage f) are regularly disconnected from the
hoist rope (generally to load at shaft bottom) during the loading
operation g) must be round and have a height to diameter ratio that
is stable and will stand unsupported on shaft bottom h) must have a
smooth outer surface so as to allow the bucket to work with bump
guides to prevent swaying, and accordingly cannot have guide
couplings attached to their outer surface.
Unless context specifies otherwise, the term "guide" as used herein
refers to a member along which a conveyance travels down a mine
shaft, and that resists or prevents both rotation of the conveyance
and lateral movements of the conveyance relative to the mine shaft.
Such a "guide" provides no motive or drive force to cause movement
of the conveyance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a conveyance system for moving a
conveyance along a mine shaft during shaft construction,
comprising:
a first guide section;
a second guide section located along the mine shaft in series with
the first guide section, the conveyance being movable along the
first guide section; and
a head section for receiving the conveyance, the head section
cooperating with the first guide section to enable the conveyance
to travel from the second guide section along the first guide
section when received by the head section.
The head section may include a containing section in which the
conveyance is at least partially received during travel of the
conveyance along the first guide section.
The head section may include a chairing member that chairs against
the conveyance during travel of the conveyance along the first
guide section.
The chairing member may come into abutment with the conveyance.
The head section may be configured to depend from the conveyance
during movement of the conveyance and head section along the first
guide section.
The head section may be configured to permit passage of a hoist
rope attached to the conveyance by which the conveyance is lifted
and/or lowered along the mineshaft.
The head section may be arranged so that the hoist rope can extend
through the head section to the conveyance.
The conveyance system may be arranged such that the head section
chairs against a work stage as the conveyance travels from the
first guide section along the second guide section.
The conveyance system may be arranged such that the head section
does not travel along the second guide section.
The mine shaft may be substantially vertical.
The first guide section may be a variable length guide section and
the section guide section may be a fixed length guide section.
The first guide section and second guide section may restrict
rotational movement and swing movement of the conveyance.
The first guide section and second guide section may substantially
prevent rotational movement and swing movement of the
conveyance.
The conveyance system may concurrently guide multiple
conveyances.
The first and second guide sections may guide each of the multiple
conveyances.
Personnel and/or materials may be transported in a different one or
ones of the conveyances to one or more conveyances that transport
mined material.
The present invention further provides a guide system for guiding a
conveyance during shaft construction, while lifting and/or lowering
of the conveyance in a mine shaft, the system comprising:
an intermediate fixed length guide section; and
a variable length upper guide section extending from the
intermediate section to accommodate changes in distance between the
intermediate section and an upper region of the mineshaft,
wherein the guide system restricts rotational movement and swing
movement of the conveyance.
The guides may be configured to allow the conveyance to transition
from one guide section to the other
The guide system may further include a variable length lower guide
section extending from the intermediate section to accommodate
changes in distance between the intermediate section and a lower
region of a mineshaft.
The lower guide section may be extendable without a corresponding
extension and/or retraction of the upper guide section.
The lower guide section may retract as the upper guide section
extends. The upper guide section may in fact be extendable with
downward movements of the intermediate section. The lower guide
section may extend between the intermediate section and a shaft
forming apparatus and extend with movements of the shaft forming
apparatus away from the intermediate section, and retract with
movement of the intermediate section towards the shaft forming
apparatus.
In some embodiments, the upper guide section extends from top of
shaft down to a work stage where the upper guide section meets the
intermediate section. The intermediate section is fixed to the work
stage and extends through the work stage to the variable length
guide system. The lower guide section may extend from the work
stage to a shaft forming apparatus, extending as the shaft is
formed and retracting as the work stage (and therewith the
intermediate section) advances down the mine shaft towards the
shaft forming apparatus.
The upper guide section and intermediate section may meet at a
transition region, and the conveyance may comprise a head section
and a base section, the transition region being adapted to halt
downward travel of the head section whilst permitting the base
section to continue downward travel along the intermediate
section.
The invention may be designed for use in a substantially vertical
mineshaft.
The invention also extends to a mine shaft conveyance system
comprising a guide system as set out above, and a hoist system for
lifting and/or lowering the conveyance along the guide system.
Embodiments of the present system may achieve higher mine shaft
sinking speeds along with safer operation of conveyances along the
length of the mine shaft.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be more fully explained one
particular embodiment will be described in detail with reference to
the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of a mine shaft-boring machine
employing a guide system according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of a conveyance, including head
and base sections, in engagement with the upper guide section
(stage ropes) of the guide system;
FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of a base section of the
conveyance of FIG. 2 engaged with an intermediate or workstage
section (fixed guides) of the guide system;
FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a head section of the
conveyance of FIG. 2 engaged with the upper guide section (stage
ropes) of the guide system;
FIG. 5 is a side schematic view of a lower guide section
(telescopic guides);
FIGS. 6 and 7 show side views of a crosshead or `bridle`;
FIGS. 8 and 9 show side views of a skip;
FIGS. 10 and 11 show side views of a crosshead or bridle, with a
skip received therein; and
FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of a crosshead or bridle;
FIG. 13 is a side perspective view of an auxiliary cage or
conveyance including a personnel carrier; and
FIG. 14 is a side perspective view of the crosshead of FIG. 12 when
received over the conveyance of FIG. 13.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Traditional Shaft Sinking
Traditionally, shaft sinking processes have used blasting and
mucking methods to deepen a mine shaft. Material at the bottom of a
mine shaft is drilled, explosive charges are set, the bottom of the
mine shaft is blasted, and blasted rock is loaded into a conveyance
for transport to top of shaft. Finally, people and material are
moved from the top of shaft down the shaft to the shaft bottom and
to working locations such as the work stage.
Buckets--Kibbles
In traditional shaft sinking, kibbles (large buckets) have been
used for transporting people and rock. This type of conveyance has
been used for 100's of years.
There are many reasons why kibbles have been traditionally used
during shaft sinking. In order to enable ready loading of a
conveyance (e.g. a kibble) at the bottom of a mineshaft, the
conveyance should be: `open topped` to enable material to be
dropped into it by a loader; `freely moveable` to enable the
conveyance to be located at a desirable position on the bottom of
the mineshaft. The bottom of the mineshaft is typically highly
irregular due to it constituting blasted rock. So a freely moveable
conveyance can be stably positioned at an appropriate location for
filling by the loader; `cylindrical` so that the open top of the
conveyance is accessible in a similar manner regardless of where
the conveyance is located relative to the loader during loading of
the conveyance; and `connected at its top to a hoist rope`--the
only logical way to lift a freely moving, cylindrical
conveyance.
Clearly, buckets and kibbles (large buckets) provide these
characteristics and are thus the main form of conveyance used in
mine shaft sinking/construction processes.
Drawbacks of Buckets and Kibbles
Buckets and kibbles are freely suspended and unable to have
attached, to an outer surface thereof, mechanisms for allowing the
bucket or kibble to be coupled to a guide. One reason for this is
as provided above in point (h) of the Background of the Invention.
Once the cross head reaches the Galloway (workstage) the bucket
hangs freely, is only constrained horizontally within the workstage
but is able to rotate. Once the bucket is below the workstage it is
not possible to constrain horizontal swing or rotation. As a result
of the above, hoist speeds of the conveyance are reduced within the
workstage and below the workstage.
In addition the lack of full guidance of the conveyance, and the
general inability to fully guide the conveyance, causes health and
safety risks when transporting people. This is because absolute
alignment of the conveyance with, for example, a high tolerance,
engineered landing pad is not possible. This creates pinch points
and large hazardous gaps that must be spanned when loading and
unloading people.
Also, significant time is required to align the bucket or kibble
with discharge ramps and the like, and to safely tip the bucket or
kibble over to discharge mined material.
Buckets and kibbles thus slow down the process of mine shaft
sinking and are the root cause for some health and safety risks
associated with moving people and material within the shaft.
As part of an initiative to double the speed of shaft construction
and to improve the health and safety of shaft sinking miners, a new
shaft sinking system has been developed. This system replaces
drilling and blasting of the rock with disc cutters to fracture the
rock. This system also employs a material handling system that
replaces buckets with skips for the transportation of rock, and a
cage to transport people and materials.
A mechanical excavation system using the disc cutters to fracture
the rock is embodied by mine shaft-boring, or shaft-sinking,
machine 12 located in a mine shaft 10 in FIG. 1. The machine 12
comprises a shaft forming apparatus, namely cutting head 14, for
excavating the mine shaft 10, and a work stage 16 on which
personnel install concrete lining and shaft services in parallel
with the excavation of the shaft. Such a mine shaft-boring machine
is described in WO2011/000037 in which a rotary cutting head is
mounted to a lower end of a main machine frame and is equipped with
disc cutters for excavating the rock. Cuttings from the cutting
head are passed upwardly to a discharge/loading station in the work
stage and are transferred to skips for ascending the shaft to the
top of shaft.
Challenges to Overcome in Using Skips During Construction
Based on skips used in production mining, it has been realised by
the inventors that if skips could somehow be used in shaft sinking
to convey and discharge material the rate of shaft sinking would be
much greater than is the case with buckets. Also if a separate
cage, able to move within the shaft independently from the skips,
could be used to transport people and material instead of a bucket
it would be safer and more efficient. Both of these opportunities
needed the same challenges to be overcome including the provision
of full conveyance guidance at all times across multiple guide
systems, where the guide systems combine both fixed and flexible
length systems.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cutter head 14 and workstage
16 will also descend at different times. So the height of the
workstage 16 relative to the bottom of the mineshaft 10 will vary.
Moreover, for safety reason the guides along which a skip would
travel through the workstage are ideally fixed.
For these reasons, more than one type of guide system is
necessary--in other words, a variable length guide extending from
the top of the mineshaft to the workstage, and a fixed guide
extending through the workstage.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a further variable length guide
system is required to span the gap between the bottom of workstage
and the cutter head or shaft bottom.
The drawback with such systems is that skips do not readily
transition between different types of guide.
While skips may be used during the production phase of a mine where
a single type of guide can be used, skips have traditionally not
been workable during the construction phase of a mine. One reason
for this is that skips require full guidance at all times. Skips
therefore do not lend themselves to applications where multiple
guide systems are present.
The inventors realise that these drawbacks are significant
contributing factors to the long held understanding that skips are
inappropriate for use during the construction phase.
The Present System
To guide movement of a conveyance, presently embodied by skip 18,
the mine shaft 10 is equipped with a mine shaft conveyance system
100 comprising a guide system 20 as discussed below and a hoist
system 102 for lifting and/or lowering the skip 18 along the guide
system 20.
The hoist system 102 is attached to the top of the skip 18 in a
known manner and applies the force necessary to controllably lift
and lower the skip 18 in the mine shaft 10.
The guide system 20 guides movement of the skip 18 to ensure, for
example, that it does not freely rotate during ascent/descent of
the mineshaft 10. The skips 18 travels or runs along the guide
system 20 for guided travel (i.e. lifting and/or lowering) of the
skip 18 in the mineshaft 10.
As shown in FIG. 1, the guide system 20 extends along the length of
the mine shaft 10 down to the cutter head 14.
The guide system 20 can be divided into 3 sections: 1. a first or
"upper" guide section 24 2. a second, "lower" or "workstage" guide
section 22, and 3. a third or "excavation region" guide section
26.
The guide sections 24, 22, 26 extend in series from an upper region
28 of the mine shaft 10 to an excavation region 29 in which
material is excavated from the mine shaft 10 to deepen the mine
shaft 10.
To speed up the construction phase of a mine it is desirable not to
have to provide and extend (i.e. during lengthening of the
mineshaft) separate systems for the conveyance of mined material
and the conveyance of personnel and/or equipment. It is therefore
useful if personnel and materials are transported to the work stage
using the same system as that used for the conveyance of mined
material.
Upper Guide Section 24
The upper guide section 24 extends from the workstage guide section
22 to accommodate changes in distance between the workstage guide
section 22 and an upper region 28 of the mine shaft 10. Thus the
skip 18 can travel along the upper guide section 24 as shown in
FIG. 1, between the top of shaft (e.g. an above ground
loading/discharge region) and the work stage 16. It will be
understood that for winze applications the upper region 28 will not
be ground level, but will be below ground level.
As the mine shaft 10 extends the distance from the upper region 28
to the work stage 16 increases. As a result the distance from the
upper region 28 to the workstage guide section 22 similarly
increases.
The upper guide section 24 consequently has variable length to
accommodate such changes in distance between the upper region 28
and workstage guide section 22. It may similarly be desirable to
lift the work stage 16 and so the upper guide section 24 may be
retractable in addition, or as an alternative, to being
extendable.
The upper guide section 24 comprises a pair of stage ropes 30 that
extend up the barrel of the mine shaft 10, as shown in FIG. 2. It
will be appreciated that any number of ropes or alternative guide
means may be used as desired, and that the ropes may be fabricated
from any appropriate material (typically steel). For example, the
upper guide section 24 may constitute wire ropes or cables, wound
steel pipe or coiled tube, steel straps, chains and so forth. Any
other elongated material or structure that can be wound in and
wound out may be used as the upper guide section 24.
In a preferred embodiment, the upper guide section 24 comprises
multiple pairs of stage ropes 30 enabling multiple conveyances to
be guided concurrently up and down the shaft. In one such
embodiment, the upper guide section 24 comprises 3 or 4 pairs of
stage ropes 30, allowing for 3 to 4 conveyances to be guided
simultaneously up and down the shaft.
With further reference to FIG. 1, the stage ropes 30 are received
on sheaves or cable drums 34 that unwind and wind to extend and
retract the stage ropes 30. Thus the upper guide section 24 is
extendable and retractable. The sheaves 34 are mounted in a head
frame 36 extending over the open upper end of the mineshaft 10. The
ropes 30 therefore extend directly downwardly from the sheaves 34
down the mineshaft 10.
The sheaves 34 maintain sufficient tension in the stage ropes 30 to
ensure that the conveyance 18 can travel up/down the upper guide
section 24 without significant rotation or lateral deflection. In
other words, the stage ropes 30 assist in maintaining the
orientation and position of the conveyance 18 as it
ascends/descends the mineshaft 10. In some embodiments, despite
being extendable and retractable, the stage ropes 30 will in
practice be under sufficient tension from suspending the workstage
16 and/or other equipment, that they will form substantially rigid
members with respect to any force applied by the skip 18 to the
stage ropes 30.
The opposite ends of the stage ropes 30 are connected to the top of
the work stage 16 by any appropriate cable stays or other means
(e.g. eyelets, swivels). The stage ropes 30 may alternatively wind
through sheaves mounted to the work stage 16. In alternative
arrangements, the first (upper) guide section 24 may extend into
the work stage 16 such that the work stage 16 is suspended from a
lower point, or even from the bottom of the work stage 16. All such
variations are intended to constitute part of the present
disclosure.
In addition, the stage ropes 30 may be connected directly to the
workstage guide section 22. However, the present stage ropes 30 are
connected to the work stage 16 and the workstage section 22 extends
along a parallel, but not collinear, path as shown in FIG. 1. This
is due to different guide means, namely bushings 32 and channels
40, being the preferred guide means for use with the different
types of guides, namely the wire ropes or stage ropes 30 of the
upper guide section 24 and the fixed rails 38 of the workstage
guide section 22, respectively.
Workstage Guide Section 22
As mentioned above, the length of the upper guide section 24 is
desirably flexible so as to enable it to extend along with
extension of the mineshaft 10. In contrast, the length of the work
stage 16 is relatively fixed so no such flexibility (i.e. being
extendable/retractable) is necessary for the workstage guide
section 22.
Additionally, as personnel and materials are unloaded from the
conveyance 18 when it is in the work stage 16, it is desirable that
the conveyance 18 be oriented consistently at loading/unloading
points in the work stage 16. For this reason, the workstage guide
section 22 is rigid and fixed in position relative to the work
stage 16. Thus the skip 18 and cage can be stopped in a consistent
position on the workstage guide section 22, with consistent, known
orientation to enable fast and efficient loading of rock into the
skip and safe egress of personnel and equipment from the cage.
As shown in FIG. 3, the workstage guide section 22 comprises a
plurality of fixed rails 38 that are rigidly attached at various
intervals to the work stage 16. The fixed rails 38 slide in
channels 40 (discussed in relation to FIGS. 8 and 9) so that the
skip 18 can advance through the work stage 16.
The channels 40 are necessarily open at one side to enable the skip
18 to slide past connections (not shown) between the fixed rails 38
and the work stage 16.
It is desirable to ensure that the skip 18 is safely mounted to the
workstage guide section 22 before it transitions off the end of the
upper guide section 24. Consequently, the fixed rails 38 extend a
short distance above the connection between the stage ropes 30
(i.e. the upper guide section 24) and the work stage 16 so that
guiding of the skip 18 on the fixed rails 38 commences before the
stage ropes 30 cease guiding the head section 18' when the
conveyance 18 is received therein.
A slight overlap in guidance of the skip 18 by the stage ropes 30
via the head section 18' and guidance of the skip 18 directly by
the fixed rails 38 also ensures that the orientation of the skip 18
is at all times controlled.
Excavation Region Guide Section 26
Although the excavation region guide section 26 constitutes part of
the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that no such
guide section 26 may be necessary, and that the upper guide section
24 and lower or workstage guide section 22 can be provided without
also providing the excavation region guide section 26.
Similarly, it may be desirable to provide the excavation region
guide section 26 without also supplying the upper guide section 24
and workstage guide section 22.
The excavation region guide section 26 is extendable and
retractable to accommodate movements of the work stage 16 or of
components (e.g. the cutting head 14) relative to the work stage
16. In other words, the excavation region guide section 26 of FIG.
1 also constitutes a variable length guide section.
As the cutter head 14 moves away from the workstage 16, the
excavation region guide section 26 extends. Similarly, as the
workstage 16 moves towards the cutter head 14, the excavation
region guide section 26 retracts.
Enabling the workstage 16 and cutter head 14 to advance at
different times can be critical to proper formation of the mine
shaft 10. Personnel in the work stage 16 line the mineshaft 10
during excavation of the mineshaft 10 by the cutting head 14. Thus
the cutting head 14 will advance though the work stage 16 remains
stationary. To this end the excavation region guide section 26 has
variable length and is extendable without a corresponding extension
and/or retraction of the workstage guide section 22.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cutting head 14 may advance
10.5 m and then cease cutting, at which time the work stage 16
advances 10.5 m down the mineshaft 10 towards the cutting head 14
and lining of the next 10.5 m section of the mineshaft 10 can
commence in the work stage 16. Thus as the cutting head 14 advances
the excavation region guide section 26 extends so that the
workstage 16 can remain in position until the concrete sets and/or
services (e.g. ducting, wiring, etc.) are installed, and as the
workstage 16 advances the excavation region guide section 26
retracts.
Conversely, the excavation region guide section 26 retracts as the
upper guide section 24 extends. This is because extension of the
upper guide section 24 results in lowering of the work stage 16
towards the cutting head 14. It is noted that the upper guide
section 24 extends with downward movements of the workstage 16 and
workstage guide section 22.
The excavation region guide section 26 comprises a telescopic guide
assembly including a plurality of telescopic guides, such as
telescopic guide 44 as shown in FIG. 5. The telescopic guides 44
ensure there is always a guide extending the full distance between
the work stage 16 and cutting head 14 so that a conveyance can be
guided between them even as the distance changes. Rotation of the
conveyance when travelling along the variable length lower guide
section 26 is undesirable due to the limited space and critical
nature of the equipment between and in the work stage 16 and
cutting head 14. Thus telescopic guide systems are preferred as
they constrain rotational and lateral/horizontal movement of a
conveyance moving along the guide system, even though the length of
the guide system changes. In addition to telescopic guides, other
flexible length guides could be used in this section such as ropes,
etc.
In traditional shaft sinking operations buckets are used during
mucking to bring blasted rock from out of a mine shaft. Since
buckets are round there is no great issue with rotation. In
contrast, the conveyances 18 shown herein may have another shape,
for example they may have a square or rectangular cross-section,
and so rotation is undesirable. To this end, the excavation region
guide section 26 may constitute a system supplied entirely
separately from the complete guide system 20 described above, and
be designed for fitting to an existing shaft-boring system. Such an
excavation region guide section 26 (i.e. variable length guide
system) would also be for guiding a conveyance along the mine shaft
10, and would extend from the work stage 16, the excavation region
guide section 26 being extendable or retractable to accommodate
changes in distance between the work stage 16 and the lower region
42 of a mineshaft 10.
The excavation region guide section 26 as shown in FIG. 5 extends
to, or in the direction of, a shaft forming apparatus such as
cutting head 14, and would thus extend or retract with changes in
distance between the work stage 16 and shaft forming apparatus.
The telescopic guide 44 of the excavation region guide section 26
comprises an upper rail 46 and a lower rail 48 that is slidably
received in a lower end of the upper rail 46. The lower end of the
fixed rail 38 is received in the upper end of the upper rail 46. As
the cutting head 14 advances the lower rail 48 extends from the
upper rail 46. Conversely, as the work stage 16 advances towards
the cutting head 14 the lower rail 48 retracts into the upper rail
46.
Since the larger of any two concentrically disposed rails will
present an edge against which the channel 40 of the conveyance 18
may snag during raising or lowering (depending on whether the
larger diameter rail is the upper or lower rail of the two
concentrically disposed rails), the channels 40 are flared on their
upper and lower ends.
It will be appreciated that the telescopic guide assembly may
comprise any number of concentrically disposed rails. For example,
the telescopic guide 44 may comprise only a single rail (e.g. upper
rail 46) that receives the fixed rail 34 attached to the work stage
16. As such the fixed rail 34 and upper rail 46 together would form
a telescopic guide system 44. Similarly, lower rail 48 may be sized
to be received in fixed rail 34, thus omitting upper rail 46.
It will also be appreciated that the upper rail 46 may in fact
retract up the fixed rail 38 as the work stage 16 advances, and
extend from the fixed rail 38 as the cutting head advances provided
that there are no connections between the fixed rail 38 and work
stage 16 for a sufficient length at the lower end of the fixed rail
38.
Thus the guide system 20 comprises a variable length upper guide
section 24 extending upwardly from the work stage 16, a fixed
length workstage guide section 22 fixed to the workstage 16
intermediate the other guide sections 24, 26, and a variable length
lower (i.e. excavation region) guide section 26 extending
downwardly from the workstage 16 towards a lower region in the
mineshaft 10.
Skip
The use of skips 18 (and 64 as described below) as conveyances is
particularly advantageous as skips can be filled from the top or
side, discharged from the bottom, e.g. using arc gate skips and
corresponding latches positioned at the location at which the skips
will be discharged. Contrastingly, buckets must be upended,
typically manually, and are thus generally open-topped to enable
material to fall out during discharging. To that end, buckets
usually have chains hanging from the sides, which make proper
alignment of the bucket with, e.g. a loading/discharge point, more
difficult than with skips that are fully guided at all times. Skips
are thus a safer and more efficient alternative to buckets.
To enable the skip 18 to travel along the stage ropes 30, the stage
ropes 30 run in running bushings 32 provided on a head section 18'
(shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) that receives the skip 18. The head
section 18' guides movement of the skip 18 between the upper region
28 of the mine shaft 10 and the work stage 16.
While the skip 18 may have any appropriate construction, in the
present embodiment it is represented by the construction identified
with numeral 64 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In other alternatives,
the skip 18 may comprise another device such as an auxiliary cage
18''. For illustrative purposes such an auxiliary cage 18'' is
shown in FIG. 2, received in a head section 18', and in FIG. 3 in
isolation.
The head section 18' (which will hereinafter be interchangeably
referred to as a "crosshead" or "bridle") receives the auxiliary
cage 18'' and assists with guiding the auxiliary cage 18'' along
the upper guide section 24 of the guide system 20, as shown in FIG.
2.
The auxiliary cage 18'' is used for the transportation of personnel
(in lower cage 50), but can also be used for the transportation of
goods (e.g. vent pipe 41 as shown in upper cage 52 in FIG. 2).
To transition between the upper guide section 24 and the workstage
guide section 22 the head section 18' detaches from the auxiliary
cage 18''. To facilitate this separation the upper guide section 24
and workstage guide section 22 meet at a transition region (not
shown) where the head section 18' separates from the auxiliary cage
18''.
The transition region may simply constitute the termination points
of the stage ropes 30 and is adapted to halt downward travel of the
head section 18' whilst permitting the auxiliary cage 18'' to
continue downward travel along the workstage guide section 22.
For this reason also it is desirable that there be provided
separate guide means on the head section 18' and auxiliary cage
18''. To that end, bushings 32 are provided on the head section 18'
to guide the head section 18' along the upper guide section 24, and
channels 40 are provided on the auxiliary cage 18'' to guide the
auxiliary cage 18'' along the workstage guide section 22 after the
head section 18' has chaired against the workstage 16.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show side views of a head section 18'. The head
section 18' comprises a containing section 54, head chairing
section 56, base chairing section 58, engagement assembly 60, and
guide members 62.
In a most rudimentary embodiment, a conveyance guide system for
moving a conveyance or skip 18 along a mineshaft, will include a
workstage guide section 22, with the skip 18 (which may comprise
auxiliary cage 18'' as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, skip 64 as shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9, or another type of conveyance) moveable along the
workstage guide section 22, an upper guide section 24 located along
the mineshaft 10 in series with the workstage guide section 22, and
a head section 18' for receiving the conveyance 18. The head
section 18' cooperates with the upper guide section 24 to enable
the conveyance 64, 18'' to travel from the workstage guide section
22 along the upper guide section 24 when received by the head
section 18'. The skip 18 includes a chairing member (e.g. skip
chairing section 114) that cooperates with a chairing member (e.g.
head chairing section 56) of the head section 18'. The chairing
member (e.g. skip chairing section 114) of the skip 64 or auxiliary
cage 18'' comes into abutment with the chairing member (e.g. head
chairing section 56) of the head section 18', to chair the
conveyance 18 in the head section 18'.
Head section 18' is essentially a passive element of the system. It
is passive insofar as movement of the head section 18' is afforded
by movement of a conveyance 18 against which the head section 18 is
chaired, or by downward movement of the work stage 16 when the head
section 18' is chaired against the work stage 16. In other words,
the head section 18' depends from the conveyance 18 during movement
of the conveyance 18 and head section 18' along the first or upper
guide section 24.
The containing section 54 is for containing or receiving a
conveyance 18, such as skip 64 as discussed below or auxiliary cage
18'' as described above. The containing section 54 guides movement
of the conveyance 18 during movement between the work stage 16 and
an upper level (e.g. ground level) of the mineshaft 10.
The containing section 54 is bounded by four vertical and
substantially parallel corner posts 66 the ends of which are
interconnected by beams. The beams include a group of four
horizontal beams 68 in the region of the head chairing section 56
and a similar group of four horizontal beams 70 in the region of
the base chairing section 58. The corner posts 66, and beams 68, 70
together define substantially rectangular sides, top and bottom of
the containing section 54.
It will be seen from the different widths of the head section 18'
as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, that the groups of horizontal beams 68,
70 each include two shorter beams and two longer beams, such that
the top and bottom of the containing section 54 are substantially
rectangular. Consequently, the containing section 54 has two short
sides and two long sides being the sides across which the short
beams and long beams respectively extend.
The posts 66 and beams 68, 70 may be formed from any appropriate
material and are presently formed from rectangular hollow section
steel that is capped at the ends to avoid internal debris
hang-up.
The containing section 54 further includes brace beams 72 extending
between the corner posts 66, generally in the plane of the
rectangular sides of the containing section 54, at points
intermediate the ends of the corner posts 66. In the present
embodiment the beams 72 are substantially horizontal and parallel
with the beams 68, 70. The beams 72 are equidistantly spaced
between the head chairing section 56 and the base chairing section
58, and are connected at their ends to the vertical corner posts 66
by bolts 74.
On the longer sides of the containing section 54 (as shown in FIG.
6), pairs of diagonal struts 76 extend from opposite sides (above
and below) of one end of one beam 72 to the opposite end of the
next beam 72 vertically above and below. Only one such diagonal
strut 76 extends from the topmost and bottommost beams 72, as those
beams 72 have only one neighbouring beam 72 that is respectively
below and above the beam 72 in question. Together, the beams 72 and
struts 76 resist the containing section 54 forming a mechanism
(i.e. resists relative rotation of structural members 66, 68, 72
and 76 about bolts 74), thus providing structural rigidity to the
containing section 54.
On the short sides of the containing section 54 (as shown in FIG.
7) there are no such diagonal struts.
The number of beams 72 and struts 76 may be selected as appropriate
and may, for example, include 2 or more beams 66 with a
corresponding number of struts 76.
The posts 66, beams 68, 70, 72 and struts 76 are each oriented
and/or shaped to discourage debris collection. For example, the
brace beams 72 and diagonal struts 76 may be formed from standard
angle section steel opening inwardly of the containing section 54.
Since debris will typically fall around the containing section 54
rather than through it, the angle section is unlikely to gather
debris.
The posts, beams 68, 70, 72 and struts 76 together constitute a
structural latticework or structural interconnection forming the
containing section 54. These structural members define a volume of
the containing section 54 in which goods, conveyances and mined
material can travel in an appropriate receptacle or skip. To
provide the requisite strength, the structural members are
preferably made from steel, but may alternatively be made from
other materials such as aluminium for some applications.
Extending up the inside of the containing section 54 are guides 55
for guiding progress of a conveyance 18 into and out of the
containing section 54 (described below). The guides 55 are of the
same shape as guides of the second or workstage guide section 22.
The guides 55 of the present embodiment are formed from
angle-section steel extending up the inside of the containing
section 54 in the corners. The angle-section steel aligns with
(i.e. becomes coextensive or collinear with) the same size and
gauge angle-section steel extending downwardly into the work stage
16 and constituting part of the workstage guide section 22. The
guides 55 and workstage guide section 22 are consistently shaped
and come into alignment when the head section 18' chairs against
the work stage 16, to provide a consistent guide path for the skip
18 moving into or out of the containing section 54. The head
chairing section 56 is for chairing against the skip 18, so that
the head section 18' and conveyance 18 travel in abutment upwardly
from the work stage 16 along the upper guide section 24. The head
chairing section 56 provides a rigid structural frame from which
the weight of the head section 18' can depend during travel
upwardly from the work stage 16.
The head chairing section 56 is bounded at the sides by the corner
posts 66, at the top by beams 68 and head chairing bars 77 and,
across the long sides of the containing section 54, cross members
78. Across the shorts sides of the containing section 54 the head
chairing section 56 is bounded by cross members 80. Cross members
80 extend across the short sides of the containing section 54 at a
level slightly higher than cross members 78, so as to be spaced a
distance from the next lower beam 72 that is the same as the
distance between that beam 72 and the next lower beam 72.
The head chairing section 56 abuts or "chairs" against the
conveyance 18 when the conveyance 18 is hoisted from the work stage
16 into the containing section 54. After the conveyance 18 has
chaired against the head chairing section 56, the head section 18'
travels with the conveyance 18 as it is hoisted upwardly along the
upper guide section 24 away from the work stage 16.
The head chairing bars 77 are positioned symmetrically about a
centre axis Y of the containing section 54. This symmetrical
positioning ensures that the conveyance 18 is centred in the head
section 18' during ascent up the upper guide section 24. The head
chairing bars 77 extend substantially perpendicularly between the
beams 68 that extend across the long sides of the containing
section 54, substantially in parallel with the beams 68 that extend
across the short side of the containing section 54. The head
chairing bars 77 support upper ends of diagonal chairing bars 82
that extend between the head chairing bars 77 and the cross members
78. The diagonal chairing bars 82 chair against the top of the
conveyance 18 as discussed below (described below in relation to
FIGS. 10 and 11).
As best seen in FIG. 7, the diagonal chairing bars 82 are paired,
with a pair of diagonal chairing bars 82 positioned towards each
end of a respective head chairing bar 77, symmetrically about the
centre axis Y of the containing section 54.
Impact liners 84 are attached to the diagonal chairing bars 82 by
any appropriate means, to reduce the impact of a conveyance 18 as
it chairs against the diagonal chairing bars 82. In a preferred
embodiment, the impact liners each constitute a sleeve for
receiving a respective diagonal chairing bar 82 before attachment
of the diagonal chairing bar 82 to the head chairing bars 77 and
cross members 78. The impact liners 84 are positioned on the
undersides of the diagonal chairing bars 82. While in the present
case each diagonal chairing bar 82 is provided with an individual
impact liner 84, a single impact liner 84 may extend across the
underside of more than one diagonal chairing bar 82. For example, a
single impact liner 84 may extend across the undersides of the two
diagonal chairing bars 82 of a particular pair of diagonal chairing
bars 82.
The impact liners 84 may be formed from any appropriate material,
such as rubber, neoprene or a soft metal. The impact liners 84 may
instead not be designed to absorb much, if any, impact and may
instead be formed from a long-wearing material. To accommodate the
absence of a shock absorber on the diagonal chairing bars 82, the
hoisting speed of the conveyance 18 may be slowed to a "creep
speed", being a speed at which chairing will not cause a
significant amount of vibration through the head section 18'.
The use of impact liners 84 is preferable as they remove the need
to slow the conveyance 18 down to a "creep speed". Accordingly, the
time required for the conveyance 18 to traverse the shaft is
reduced, which in turn adds to the overall increase in muck removal
speed and hence shaft sinking speed.
The base chairing section 58 is for chairing against the work stage
16 after the head section 18' has descended thereupon. In practice,
the head section 18' will chair against the work stage 16 as the
skip 18 travels from the upper guide section 24 along the workstage
guide section 22. Upon chairing, or slightly before chairing, of
the head section 18' on the work stage 16, the skip 18 is released
from the head section 18' to continue down through the work stage
16 for unloading and/or loading.
The base chairing section 58 is bounded at its corners by the
vertical posts 66, at the bottom generally by beams 70, and at the
top by cross members 86. Cross members 86 extend across the sides
of the containing section 54 between corner posts 66 to which the
cross members 86 are bolted. The base section 58 in effect provides
a rigid structural impact frame for supporting the weight of the
head section 18' when chaired against the work stage 16.
The base chairing section 58 includes four guide plates 90
extending from the corner posts 66 on the opposite short sides of
the head section 18', substantially perpendicularly outwardly from
the short sides. Each guide plate 90 is planar and lies in a
vertical plane, the respective plate 90 tapering upwardly towards a
respective corner post 66.
The base chairing section 58 is also provided with impact buffers
or stops 88 depending downwardly from the lower ends of the
vertical corner posts 66. The impact buffers or stops 88 reduce the
impact or impulse load as the head section 18' chairs against the
work stage 16.
The impact buffers or stops 88 may be mounted to the corner posts
66 (or along beams 70 if desired) by any appropriate means.
Presently, the impact buffers or stops 88 comprise a small square
tab of rubberised shock absorber material moulded onto a plate (not
shown) from which a bolt (not shown) protrudes. The bolt extends
through an aperture in the end capping of the corner post 66 or
other aperture, and is secured in position by tightening a nut (not
shown) onto the bolt.
Since the work stage 16 will typically be provided with rubber
impact liners (described below) there may be no need to provide
impact buffers or stops 88.
During movement the head section 18' is guided along the upper
guide section 24. To that end, the head section 18' is provided
with two pairs of guide rope bearings 92. One guide rope bearing
92' of each pair of guide rope bearings 92 is welded or otherwise
attached to the head section 18' at the head chairing section 56.
The other guide rope bearing 92'' of the respective pair of guide
rope bearings 92 is welded or otherwise attached to the head
section 18' at the base chairing section 58.
Each guide rope bearing 92', 92'' comprises a roller set 96 that
runs along the stage ropes (designated by broken line Z) of the
upper guide section 24. The roller set 96 is fixed to a mount 94
for mounting the respective roller set 96 to the containing section
54.
Each mount 94 comprises a U-shaped bent plate, with the ends of the
arms of the U-shape attached (e.g. welded) to the containing
section 54, and the respective roller set 96 attached (e.g. welded)
to the base of the U-shape. Other types of mount will be suitable
in particular circumstances, or no mount at all in cases where the
roller sets 96 are mounted directly to the containing section 54,
and all such variations are intended to fall within the scope of
the present disclosure.
Each roller set 96 comprises a plurality of annular rollers (not
shown) housed in a cylindrical housing 98. The housing 98 comprises
two halves hinged together so that the housing 98 can be closed
around a stage rope Z when installing a head section 18'.
A tapered (e.g. torpedoed) plate 110 is attached to the outside of
the housing 96. As the head section 18' travels upwardly into the
mineshaft conveyance system 100, the plates 110 enter female guides
(not shown) to stabilise the head section 18'.
It will be appreciated that the guide rope bearings 92 may be
substituted for another guide mechanism (e.g. replaceable bronze
bushings and/or spear guide slippers) to suit a different type of
upper guide section 24 (e.g. rails mounted in the lining of the
mineshaft).
The head section 18' is thus configured so that the hoist rope
extends through the head section 18' to the skip 18. Therefore, as
the skip 18 chairs in the head section 18' on its upward path, both
the head section 18' and skip 18 are lifted up the mineshaft 10 by
the hoist rope pulling on the conveyance 18.
It will be appreciated that all of the various interconnected
members (e.g. members 66, 68, 70, 72) may be connected by nuts and
bolts, welding, pairs of clamping plates, and other attachment
methods all of which may be used and are intended to fall within
the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, those members may be
formed from any appropriate material having any appropriate
cross-section.
The latch 60 is a `Kimberley` type safety latch, though any
appropriate latch may be used. The latch includes an eyelet 124
mounted to the cross members 86 on both long sides of the
containing section 54. A lever 126 is pivotally mounted in the
eyelet 124 to pivot between a latched position (not shown, but
where the arm of the lever 126 is horizontal) and an unlatched
position as shown. The lever 126 is biased to the latched position
by a spring canister 130 that extends from a diagonal strut 76 to
about mid-way along the arm of the lever 126.
The lever 126 is shaped so that in its `at rest` position it is
latched. A latched position while at rest is achieved by the lever
arm 126 being at an angle (presently 90.degree.) to the catch 128,
rather than being aligned with (i.e. at 180.degree.) the catch 128,
so that as the lever 126 descends under its own weight the catch
128 is rotated against a pin 132 (see FIG. 6) of the skip 18
(presently skip 64, which is an arc gate skip, though it will be
appreciated that the disclosure below can be similarly applied to
other types of skip 18, such as auxiliary cage 18'') thereby to
catch the pin 132.
FIGS. 8 and 9 show a skip 64 for conveying mined material from a
work stage 16 to a dump in the region of the top of the mine shaft
hoist system 100. Skip 64 includes a frame 112 bounding a
receptacle that contains the mined material during conveyance
thereof.
At the top of the frame is a skip chairing section 114. The skip
chairing section 114 forms part of the frame 112 and comprises
diagonal plates 116 set at an angle the same as that of the
diagonal chairing bars 82.
From the apex of the skip 64, namely where the diagonal plates 166
meet, a cable sheath 118 extends. The cable sheath 118 attaches to
the lower end of a hoist rope 120 thereby attaching the rope 120 to
the skip 64. The hoist rope 120 is hoisted by the mine shaft hoist
system 100 to raise and lower the skip 64 along the mineshaft (e.g.
along the workstage guide section 22 and upper guide section
24).
The skip 64 further includes runners 122. The runners 122 run
against guides 55 as the skip 64 moves into and out of the
containing section 54. The runners 122 comprise angle-section wear
plates extending around and protruding from the corners of the
frame 112. It will be appreciated, however, that the runners 122
may comprise a series of rollers or any other mechanism suitable
for cooperating with guides 55 to ensure the skip 64 is
appropriately aligned with the head section 18 when
entering/exiting the containing section 54.
An "in-use" case of the head section 18' and skip 64 is shown in
FIGS. 10 and 11 which show the skip 64 contained within the
containing section 54 of the head section 18'. As shown in FIG. 11,
during ascent from the work stage 16 or descent towards the work
stage 16 the diagonal chairing plates 116 of the skip 64 are
chaired (i.e. in abutment) with the impact liners 84 of the head
section 18'. Since the runners 122 in the corners of the skip 64
are in abutment with the guides 55 of the containing section 54,
the skip 64 remains in alignment with the head section 18'.
The rope sheath 118 extends between the head chairing bars 77, so
that the hoist rope 120 raises and lowers both the skip 64 and head
section 18' together. In this sense, the head section 18' in effect
hangs from the skip 64 whilst in transit.
At the top of the hoist system 100 the plates 110 of the guide rope
bearings 92 are received in female guides to stabilise the head
section 18' and thereby also stabilise the skip 64. An arc gate
door 134 then opens to release mined material from the skip 64. The
arc gate door 134 then closes, readying the skip 64 for
descent.
Upon commencing descent, the plates 110 of the guide rope bearings
92 slide out of the female guides and the skip 64 continues down
the upper guide section 24. During descent the head section 18'
hangs from the skip 64 by virtue of the abutment between the
diagonal plates 116 of the skip 64 and diagonal chairing bars 82 of
the head section 18'. Thus the rate of descent of the head section
18' is that of the skip 64.
On approaching the work stage 16, the latches 60 are moved to the
unlatched position by a trigger 136 mounted to the work stage 16.
The trigger 136 is in the form of a bent plate. The plate of the
trigger 136 extends vertically upwardly from the work stage 16 and
has a bend so that the top section 138 of the trigger 136 is at an
angle to vertical, extending away from the head section 18'.
During descent, the head section 18' and skip 64 are latched
together, with the lever arm 126 of the latch 60 extending
horizontally and protruding from the short side of the containing
section 54. As the head section 18' approaches the work stage 16,
the lever arm 126 comes into abutment with the top section 138 of
the trigger 136. As the head section 18' descends further, the top
section 138 of the trigger 136 overcomes the bias of the spring
canister 130, and pushes the lever arm 126 into the unlatched
position. Since the head section 18' effectively `hangs` from the
skip 64, the head section 18' travels further down towards the work
stage 16 in unison with the skip 64 even after the skip 64 has been
unlatched from the head section 18'.
Shortly before the head section 18' chairs against the work stage
16 the rate of descent slows to `creep speed` and the chairing
plates 90 of the head section 18' are received in female guides
(not shown) on the work stage 16. This ensures the head section 18'
is properly aligned with the work stage 16, thus ensuring the
guides 55 are aligned with the workstage guide section 22 in the
work stage 16.
The head section 18' then comes to rest against an impact liner
mounted to the work stage 16. At this point the skip 64 slides
along guides 55 out of the head section 18' and onto the workstage
guide section 22. In so doing the cable shroud or sheath 118 and
rope 120 descend between the head chairing bars 77 and down through
the volume of the containing section 54.
It will be understood that at all times when the skip 64 is within
the work stage 16, the cable extends between the head chairing bars
77 through the containing section 54.
After the skip 64 has been filled and is ascending, the skip 64
travels from the workstage guide section 22 into the containing
section 54, along the guides 55. The rate of ascent of the skip 64
immediately before chairing with the head section 18' is slowed to
`creep speed` so as to ensure chairing is a controlled event. Once
the diagonal chairing plates 11 of the skip 64 have chaired against
the diagonal chairing bars 82 of the head chairing section 56 of
the head section 18', with the cable sheath 118 positioned
centrally between the head chairing bars 77, the rate of ascent of
the skip 64 increases.
Immediately after the head section 18' is picked up by the skip 64,
the tip of the lever arm 126 travels upwardly against the vertical
part of the trigger 136. Once the tip of the lever arm 126 reaches
the bend it begins to move along the top section 138 of the trigger
136. At this time the spring canister 130 urges the lever arm 126
progressively back towards into latched position as the head
section 18' and skip 64 ascend.
Thus the skip 64 and head section 18' automatically latch together
to ascend from the work stage 16 towards the top of the mineshaft
hoist system 100 for dumping of the contents of the skip 64.
The head section 18' is therefore only capable of ascent or descent
in unison (i.e. when chaired) with the skip 64. The head section
18' is essentially a passive construction that enables the skip 64
to smoothly transition between a rigid, fixed guide system such as
workstage guide section 22, and a variable length guide system,
such as stage ropes constituting part of the upper guide section
24. In effect, the head section 18' constitutes a travelling guide
frame that is picked up by the skip 64 when the skip 64 travels
along the upper guide section 24, the head section 18' acting as an
interface between the skip 64 and the guides of the upper guide
section 24. The skilled person will appreciate that latches 60
constitute, in many cases, a safety precaution only since the
position of the head section 18' on the skip 64 is set by the
interaction between guides 55 and runners 122 and the chairing of
the diagonal chairing bars 82 of the head section 18' on the
diagonal plates 116 of the skip 64.
FIGS. 12 to 14 show an alternative version of the head section 142
and a conveyance 140 for conveying both parts and personnel up and
down the mineshaft.
The head section 142 comprises a frame 144 having a square
horizontal cross-section. The frame 144 comprises an
interconnection of horizontal and diagonal struts, and brackets
together constituting a rigid structure. The frame 144 is open on
one side to facilitate access to a parts conveyance section 146 on
top of a personnel carrier portion 148 of the conveyance 140.
The frame 144 again includes corner posts 150 formed from
angle-section steel and bearings 92', 92'' as discussed above in
relation to head section 18'.
The head section 142 comprises flat head chairing bars 152 against
which the conveyance 140 chairs during movement of the conveyance
140 between the work stage 16 and the top of the mineshaft hoist
system 100. The flat head chairing bars 152 and head section
operate in the same manner as head section 18', and the features of
head section 142 will be understood from the discussion above in
relation to head section 18'.
The parts conveyance section 146 of the conveyance 140 is bounded
by four corner posts 154. An upper end 156 of each corner post 154
is tapered or angled inwardly to assist with alignment of the
corner posts 154 with the angle-section of the corner posts 150. To
reduce friction between the corner posts 154 of the conveyance 140
and the corner posts 150 of the head section 142, wear plates 158
are fixed at the top and bottom of the parts conveyance section 146
in pairs. The wear plates 158 of each pair bear against opposite
flanges or arms of the angle-section of the corner posts 150 of the
head section 142 in use.
The wear plates may be secured together using any appropriate
method and may be formed from any appropriate material.
The conveyance 140 includes a chairing block 160. The chairing
block 160 comprises a pair of chairing bars 162 attached to the top
of the conveyance 140 and positioned to chair against chairing bars
152 of the head section 142, and a cable block 164 that extends
between the head chairing bars 152 of the head section 142 when the
conveyance 140 is chaired in the head section 142. The cable block
164 is flared outwardly downwardly to assist with aligning the
cable block 164 centrally between the head chairing bars 152 of the
head section 142, thereby locating the chairing bars 162 of the
conveyance 140 on the head chairing bars 152 of the head section
142.
The personnel carrier portion 148 depends downwardly from the parts
conveyance section 146. The length of the parts conveyance section
146 is the same as that of the head section 142 so that the
personnel carrier portion 148 is below the bottommost beam 166 of
the head section 142 while the head section 142 and conveyance 140
are travelling together.
The personnel carrier portion 146 includes work stage guides, in
the form of female guide brackets 168, that travel along the first
guide section 22. In contrast to the head section 18' and skip 64
arrangement described above, the guides (i.e. corner posts) 144 of
the head section 142 do not become coextensive with the first guide
section 22. Instead, as the conveyance 140 moves into or out of the
head section 142 the corner posts 154 are guided into the head
section 142 by corner posts 150 of the head section 142. When the
conveyance 140 travels along the workstage guide section 22
extending in the work stage 16, the female guide brackets 168 slide
along guides, presently C-section steel with the open side of the
C-section facing away from the conveyance 140, of the workstage
guide section 22.
While no latch is shown in the present embodiment, it will be
appreciated that a latch or other coupling will be used to couple
conveyance 140 to the head section 142. In fact, particularly where
a conveyance carries personnel it will often be a legal requirement
to have such a safety precaution installed to ensure there exists a
mechanical coupling between the head section 142 and conveyance
140.
At the top of the hoist system 100 the plates 110 of the guide rope
bearings 92 are received in female guides to stabilise the head
section 142 and thereby also stabilise the conveyance 140.
Personnel and materials can then be loaded into or taken out of the
conveyance 140.
Upon commencing descent, the plates 110 of the guide rope bearings
92 slide out of the female guides and the conveyance 140 continues
down the upper guide section 24. During descent the head section
142 hangs from the conveyance 140 by virtue of the abutment between
the chairing bars 162 of the conveyance 140 and top chairing bars
152 of the head section 142. Thus the rate of descent of the head
section 142 is that of the conveyance 140.
Shortly before the head section 142 chairs against the work stage
16 female chairing brackets 170 of the head section 142 are
received over male stubs (not shown) on the work stage 16. Shortly
before the head section 142 chairs against the work stage 16 the
female guide brackets 168 are received over the end of the male
guides of the workstage guide section 22 extending upwardly a short
distance from the work stage 16. The bottom of the female guide
brackets 168 is flared outwardly so as to accommodate a small
degree of misalignment of the female guide brackets 168 with the
guide of the workstage guide section 22.
The lower female guide brackets 168 receive the upwardly extending
male portion of the workstage guide section 22 and, as the
conveyance 140 is progressively lowered, the upper female guide
brackets 168 eventually receive over the upwardly extending male
portion of the workstage guide section 22.
Immediately before the conveyance 140 and head section 142 having
been lowered until the head section 142 comes into contact with the
work stage, female chairing brackets 170 of the head section 142
receive over the male stubs (not shown) on the work stage 16. This
ensures the head section 142 is properly aligned with the work
stage 16.
At this time, the head section 142 comes to rest against an impact
liner mounted to the work stage 16. At this point the conveyance
140 slides along guides (constituting corner posts 150) out of the
head section 142 and onto the workstage guide section 22. In so
doing the cable shroud or sheath 118 and rope 120 descend between
the head chairing bars 152 and down through the volume of the head
section 142.
The chairing process may occur while the conveyance 18 progresses
downwardly into the work stage 16 at substantially the same speed
at which the conveyance 18 descended the first guide section 24.
Alternatively, the conveyance 18 may be slowed slightly before the
head section 142 chairs against the work stage 16. In both of these
examples, impact liners may be provided to reduce the impact
loading of the head section 142 against the work stage 16. As a
further alternative, the conveyance 18 may be slowed to a `creep
speed` in advance of the head section 142 chairing against the work
stage 16.
It will be understood that at all times when the conveyance 140 is
within the work stage 16, the cable extends between the head
chairing bars 142 through the head section 142.
After the conveyance 140 has been filled and/or its load has been
deposited, and the conveyance 140 is ascending, the conveyance 140
travels from the workstage guide section 22 into the head section
142, along the guides (corner posts 150). The rate of ascent of the
conveyance 140 immediately before chairing with the head section
142 is slowed to `creep speed` so as to ensure chairing is a
controlled event. Once the chairing bars 162 of the conveyance 140
have chaired against the top chairing bars 152 of the head section
142, with the cable sheath 118 positioned centrally between the
head chairing bars 152, the rate of ascent of the conveyance 140
increases.
The head section 142 is therefore only capable of ascent or descent
in unison with (i.e. when chaired upon) the conveyance 140. The
head section 142 is essentially a passive construction that enables
the conveyance 140 to smoothly transition between a rigid, fixed
guide system such as workstage guide section 22, and a variable
length guide system, such as stage ropes constituting part of the
upper guide section 24. In effect, the head section 142 constitutes
a travelling guide frame that is picked up by the conveyance 140
when the conveyance 140 travels along the upper guide section 24,
the head section 142 acting as an interface between the conveyance
140 and the guides of the upper guide section 24.
Lastly, multiple conveyances may concurrently operate in the shaft.
The first and second guide sections of the conveyance system may
guide each of the multiple conveyances. Personnel and/or materials
may be transported in a different one or ones of the conveyances to
one or more conveyances that transport mined material.
In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the
invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to
express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or
variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an
inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated
features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further
features in various embodiments of the invention.
It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is
referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission
that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge
in the art, in Australia or any other country.
* * * * *