Excavation apparatus and method

• US 20060000121A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Her Majesty The Queen In Right of Canada As Represented By The Minister of National Defence
• Original Assignee: Placer Dome Technical Services Limited
• Inventors: Jackson, Eric, Friant, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,192,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 37/195
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/20 with tools that only loosen the material , i.e. mill-type wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/08 with digging wheels turning round an axis E02F5/109 takes precedence; with digging wheels per se E02F3/18
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 27/24 by milling means acting on the full working face , i.e. the rotary axis of the tool carrier being substantially parallel to the working face similar machines for tunneling E21D9/1026
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 29/14 by haulage cable or chain pulling the machine along the working face
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 29/22 by wheels, endless tracks or the like propulsion using fixed racks along which the machine is running E21C29/02
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 41/16 Methods of underground mining winning machines therefor E21C25/00 - E21C39/00; Layouts therefor

Abstract

In one embodiment, an excavation method is provided that includes the steps of:

• • (a) contacting a rotating powered cutting head 440 of an excavator 400 with an excavation face 452, wherein, at any one time, a first set of the cutting elements is in contact with the excavation face and a second set of the cutting elements is not in contact with the excavation face, the cutting head excavating the excavation face in at least a first direction; and
  • (b) during the contacting step, using an elongated support member 404 extending from the excavator 400 to a powered device 118 to apply a force to the excavator 400 in at least the first direction to provide at least a portion of the cutting force. The powered device 118 is located at a distance from the excavator 400.

Claims

1. An excavation method, comprising:

providing an excavator, the excavator having a powered, rotating cutting head, the cutting head having a plurality of cutting elements;

contacting the cutting head with a hard rock excavation face, wherein, at any one time, a first set of the cutting elements is in contact with the excavation face and a second set of the cutting elements is not in contact with the excavation face and wherein, in the contacting step, the cutting head excavates the excavation face in at least a first direction; and

during the contacting step, using an elongated support member extending from the excavator to a powered device to apply a force to the excavator in at least the first direction to provide at least a portion of the cutting force, wherein the powered device is located at a distance from the excavator.

2. The excavation method of claim 1, wherein the rotating cutting head has an axis of rotation and wherein the axis of rotation is normal to the first direction, wherein the cutting head is mounted on a boom, and wherein the boom is nonrotatably mounted on the excavator body.

3. The excavation method of claim 1, wherein the excavation face exposes an ore body, wherein the ore body has a dip of about 35°

or more, wherein a deployment frame is positioned in a first excavation, wherein the excavator is positioned in a second excavation transverse to the first excavation, wherein the first excavation generally extends in a direction of a strike of the ore body, wherein the second excavation generally extends in a direction of the dip of the ore body, and wherein the powered device is positioned on the frame.

4. The excavation method of claim 1, wherein the powered device is a winch and wherein the support member is one of a wire rope and cable.

5. The excavation method of claim 3, wherein the frame comprises an excavator receiving member rotatably disposed on the frame for collaring the excavator in a slot exposing the ore body and wherein the support member supports at about 35% of the weight of the excavator during the contacting step.

6. The excavation method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the excavator is stationary during the contacting step and wherein the portion of the excavator is anchored in position using a plurality of hydraulic actuators.

7. The excavation method of claim 1, wherein the excavator comprises a boom engaging the cutting head and rotatably engaging a body of the excavator.

8. The excavation method of claim 1, wherein at least most of the body of the excavator is positioned to the side of the cutting head during the contacting step and wherein at least most of the body of the excavator is not positioned behind the cutting head during the contacting step.

9. The excavation method of claim 1, wherein the excavator comprises a sliding cutter assembly, the sliding cutter assembly receiving a cutter drive assembly and the cutting head, and a body and wherein the sliding cutter assembly moves in the first direction during the contacting step while the body remains stationary.

10. In a deposit of a material to be excavated, the deposit having a dip of at least about 35°

, the deposit being accessible by a plurality of intersecting excavations including at least first and second spaced part excavations extending at least substantially in a direction of a strike of the deposit and at least a third excavation intersecting the first and second excavations and extending at least substantially in a direction of the dip of the deposit, the first, second, and third excavations defining a block of the deposit, a method, comprising;

positioning an excavator in the third excavation, the excavator having a powered, rotating cutting head, the cutting head having a plurality of cutting elements;

positioning a mobile deployment system in the first excavation, at least one support member extending from the mobile deployment system to the excavator; and

contacting the cutting head with an excavation face of the block, wherein, at any one time, a first set of the cutting elements is in contact with the excavation face and a second set of the cutting elements is not in contact with the excavation face.

11. The excavation method of claim 10, wherein, in the contacting step, the cutting head excavates the excavation face in at least a first direction;

and further comprising;

during the contacting step, using an elongated support member extending from the excavator to a powered device to apply a force to the excavator in at least the first direction to provide at least a portion of the cutting force, wherein the powered device is located at a distance from the excavator, wherein the powered device is positioned on the frame.

12. The excavation method of claim 11, wherein the powered device is a winch and wherein the support member is one of a wire rope and cable.

13. The excavation method of claim 10, wherein the frame comprises an excavator receiving member rotatably disposed on the frame for collaring the excavator in a slot exposing the ore body and wherein the support member supports at about 35% of the weight of the excavator during the contacting step.

14. The excavation method of claim 10, wherein a portion of the excavator is stationary during the contacting step and wherein the portion of the excavator is anchored in position using a plurality of hydraulic actuators.

15. The excavation method of claim 10, wherein the excavator comprises a boom engaging the cutting head and rotatably engaging a body of the excavator.

16. The excavation method of claim 10, wherein at least most of the body of the excavator is positioned to the side of the cutting head during the contacting step and wherein at least most of the body of the excavator is not positioned behind the cutting head during the contacting step.

17. The excavation method of claim 10, wherein the excavator comprises a sliding cutter assembly, the sliding cutter assembly receiving a cutter drive assembly and the cutting head, and a body and wherein the sliding cutter assembly moves in the first direction during the contacting step while the body remains stationary.

18. An excavator, comprising:

a body;

a plurality of actuators;

a plurality of transportation members, at least one actuator being in contact with a transportation member;

a cutting head; and

a cutting head drive assembly, wherein the position of the cutting head relative to the body is fixed relative to a direction of travel of the excavator during excavating.

19. The excavator of claim 18, wherein a first set of transportation members are positioned above the body and a second set of transportation members are positioned below the body, wherein the transportation members are at least one of a wheel, a track, and a tire, and wherein the first set of transportation members are configured to contact a hanging wall of an excavation and the second set of transportation members are configured to contact a footwall of the excavation.

20. A deployment frame for an excavator, comprising:

first and second arms disposed on either side of the frame;

a central body member positioned between and connected to the first and second arms;

a plurality of transportation members operative to permit spatial displacement of the frame, a first set of the plurality of transportation members being in operative engagement with the first arm and a second set of the plurality of transportation members being in operative engagement with the second arm; and

at least a first winch, wherein an area defined by the first and second arms and the central body member is configured to receive the excavator.

21. The deployment frame of claim 20, further comprising:

an excavator receiving member rotatably disposed on the frame and positioned in the area between the first and second arms for receiving and supporting the excavator.

22. The deployment frame of claim 20, wherein the excavator is positioned in a slot and wherein the first and second arms are positioned on either side of the slot.