Continuous-extraction mining system

• US 8,985,704 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Underground Mining LLC (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Joy Mm Delaware Incorporated (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Joseph J., Herdle, David Kevin, Good, Tyler
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Sunil
• Application Number:
  US13/739,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20130119745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 241/101.5, 241/101.2, 241/186.35, 241/264, 241/266, 299/11, 299/12, 299/18, 299/19, 299/64, 299/65, 104/154, 104/162, 105/29.1, 105/31, 105/127, 414/565, 414/685, 198/317, 198/520
• US Class Current: 299/64
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/6427 with elements of the scraper bowls being pivotable for dumping the soil E02F3/6445 take precedence; with an ejector having translational movement E02F3/6436
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/651 Hydraulic or pneumatic drives; Electric or electro-mechanical control devices E02F3/652, E02F3/653 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/962 Mounting of implements directly on tools already attached to the machine E02F3/404 and E02F3/8152 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/966 of hammer-type tools arrangements for breaking-up hard ground E02F5/305; percussion -type rippers E02F5/323
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/026 mounted on machines equipped with dipper- or bucket-arms
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/04 Loading devices mounted on a dredger or an excavator loading devices in general B65G hopper dredgers, also equipment for unloading the hopper
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/06 Delivery chutes or screening plants or mixing plants mounted on dredgers or excavators for back-filling E02F5/226 takes precedence; separating equipment in general B03; delivery chutes in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/00 Transport specially adapted to underground conditions mine cars B61D; transport in general, loading unless specially adapted to underground conditions B65G
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/002 Crushing devices specifically for conveying in mines
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/025 Shuttle cars
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/063 Loading devices for use in mining

Abstract

A material extraction system is provided for an underground mine. The mine includes a roadway entry and a draw-bell entry intersecting the roadway entry and affording access to a draw-bell. The system generally includes a loader movable from the roadway entry into the draw-bell entry for removing material from the draw-bell, a sizer coupled to the loader for sizing the removed material, a material collector operable to collect the sized material, and a shuttle car operable to receive the collected material from the material collector. The material collector has a loading end and a discharge end, and material transport device extending therebetween. The shuttle car is movable along the roadway entry for transferring the collected material so as to facilitate a substantially continuous extraction of the material.

Claims

1. A material extraction system for an underground mine, the mine including a roadway entry and a draw-bell entry intersecting the roadway entry and affording access to a draw-bell, the system comprising:

a loader movable from the roadway entry into the draw-bell entry for removing material from the draw-bell;

a mobile sizer coupled to the loader for sizing the removed material;

a material collector operable to collect the sized material, the material collector having a loading end and a discharge end, and a material transport device extending therebetween; and

a shuttle car operable to receive the collected material from the material collector, the shuttle car being movable along the roadway entry for transferring the collected material so as to facilitate a substantially continuous extraction of the material,

wherein the sizer is configured to size the removed material on a substantially continuous basis by receiving removed material from a feed conveyor on the loader and discharging the sized material to the material collector with a discharge conveyor,

wherein the material collector is operable as a buffer to hold the sized material until the shuttle car is in a position relative to the material collector to receive the collected material from the material collector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sizer includes a self-contained power supply.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the material collector is powered at least in part by the self-contained power supply of the sizer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the material collector includes wheels engageable with a mine floor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the loader includes a chassis and a loading arm movably coupled to the chassis and operable to move material from the draw-bell toward the chassis.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the loading arm moves the removed material onto the feed conveyor.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the loader includes a rock breaker mounted to an end of the loading arm.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the loader further includes a carriage movable along the chassis, and wherein the loading arm is coupled to the carriage for movement therewith.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the shuttle car comprises steerable wheels engageable with a mine floor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the shuttle car comprises wheels for movement over rails.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the shuttle car comprises a chromium carbide overlay plate.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the removed material is received by the sizer at an upper portion of the sizer and the sized material is discharged by the sizer at a lower portion of the sizer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the discharge conveyor extends upwardly from the lower portion of the sizer to a position above a portion of the material collector.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the material collector places the sized material at a substantially elevated position relative to a mine floor.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the loader moves into the draw-bell entry to remove material while the mobile sizer, the material collector, and the shuttle car remain in the roadway entry.

16. A method of extracting material for an underground mine, the mine including a roadway entry and a draw-bell entry intersecting the roadway entry and affording access to a draw-bell, the method comprising:

moving a loader from the roadway entry into the draw-bell entry;

removing material from the draw-bell using the loader;

sizing the removed material on a substantially continuous basis using a mobile sizer that is coupled to the loader by a feed conveyor;

discharging the sized material from the sizer using a discharge conveyor;

collecting the sized material from the discharge conveyor on a material collector, the material collector acting as a buffer to hold the sized material until the shuttle car is in a position relative to the material collector to receive the collected material from the material collector; and

transferring the collected material along the roadway entry using a shuttle car so as to facilitate a continuous extraction of the material.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the material collector includes a loading end and a discharge end and a material transport device extending therebetween, and the collected material is conveyed using the material transport device for transferring onto the shuttle car.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the material collector engages a mine floor with wheels.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the shuttle car engages a mine floor with steerable wheels.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein discharging of the sized material from the sizer occurs at a lower portion of the sizer and further includes raising the sized material upwardly to a position above a portion of the material collector.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the sized material is placed at a substantially elevated position relative to a mine floor.

22. A material extraction system for an underground mine, the mine including a roadway entry and a draw-bell entry intersecting the roadway entry and affording access to a draw-bell, the system comprising:

a loader movable from the roadway entry into the draw-bell entry for removing material from the draw-bell;

a mobile sizer coupled to the loader for sizing the removed material on a substantially continuous basis;

a material collector operable to store the sized material, the material collector having a loading end and a discharge end, a material transport device extending therebetween, and wheels engageable with a mine floor; and

a shuttle car operable to receive the collected material from the material collector, the shuttle car including steerable wheels engageable with a mine floor for moving along the roadway entry for transferring the collected material so as to facilitate a substantially continuous extraction of the material,

wherein the sizer is configured to size the removed material on a substantially continuous basis by receiving removed material from a feed conveyor on the loader and discharging the sized material to the material collector with a discharge conveyor,

wherein the material collector is operable as a buffer to hold the sized material until the shuttle car is in a position relative to the material collector to receive the collected material from the material collector.