Mine stopping, method of constructing same and panels thereof

• US 6,220,785 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jack Kennedy Metal Products and Buildings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jack Kennedy Metal Products and Buildings, Inc.
• Inventors: Kennedy, William R., Kennedy, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAGMAN, FREDERICK LYNDON
• Application Number:
  US09/301,039
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 405/132, 405/144, 405/150.1, 405/150.2, 405/288, 405/290, 405/287, 454/168, 454/169, 454/170, 454/177, 299/11, 299/12
• US Class Current: 405/132
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 17/103 Dams, e.g. for ventilation

Abstract

A permanent mine stopping comprising two spaced-apart metal walls with a filling in the space therebetween keyed or adhesively bonded to the walls and having sufficient strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web. Also, a method of constructing the stopping using extensible panels to construct the walls, and an extensible panel for use in constructing a stopping with the keying.

Claims

1. A stopping for a passageway in a mine comprising first and second walls extending transversely of the passageway from one side thereof to the other and heightwise of the passageway from the floor to the roof thereof, said walls being permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passage and held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway, and a filling in the space between the walls having a force-transmitting relationship with the walls, each of said walls and filling having strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passageway.

2. A stopping as set forth in claim 1 wherein the force-transmitting relationship of the filling and the walls is established by adhesive bonding of the filling and the walls.

3. A stopping as set forth in claim 1 wherein each wall comprises a set of elongate extensible panels, each set including a plurality of said panels erected to extend vertically in side-by-side relation from the floor to the roof of a passageway in a mine, each panel comprising a first elongate sheet metal member constituting a lower member of the panel in engagement at its lower end with the floor of the passageway, and a second elongate sheet metal member constituting an upper member of the panel in engagement at its upper end with the roof of the passageway, said members having a telescoping sliding fit with one another to permit adjustable extension of the panel to fit the height of the passageway, and means for holding the walls in their said spaced, generally parallel relation.

4. A stopping for a passageway in a mine comprising first and second walls extending transversely of the passageway from one side thereof to the other and heightwise of the passageway from the floor to the roof thereof, said walls being permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passage and held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway, and a filling in the space between the walls having a force-transmitting relationship with the walls and having sufficient strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passageway, and wherein the walls are sheet metal walls and the force-transmitting relationship of the filling with the walls is established by means on the inside faces of the walls keying the filling and the walls together.

5. A stopping as set forth in claim 4 wherein the walls are sheet metal walls and the keying means comprises metal bars secured to the inside faces of the walls and embedded in the filling.

6. A stopping as set forth in claim 4 wherein the keying means comprises steel mesh welded to the inside faces of the walls and embedded in the filling.

7. A stopping for a passageway in a mine comprising first and second walls extending transversely of the passageway from one side thereof to the other and heightwise of the passageway from the floor to the roof thereof, said walls being permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passage and held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway, and a filling in the space between the walls having a force-transmitting relationship with the walls and having sufficient strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passageway, wherein the force-transmitting relationship of the filling and the walls is established by adhesive bonding of the filling and the walls, and wherein the filling is flame-inhibited polyurethane foam material.

8. A stopping for a passageway in a mine comprising first and second walls extending transversely of the passageway from one side thereof to the other and heightwise of the passageway from the floor to the roof thereof, said walls being permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passage and held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway, and a filling in the space between the walls having a force-transmitting relationship with the walls and having sufficient strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passageway, each wall comprising a set of elongate extensible panels, each set including a plurality of said panels erected to extend vertically in side-by-side relation from the floor to the roof of a passageway in a mine, each panel comprising a first elongate sheet metal member constituting a lower member of the panel in engagement at its lower end with the floor of the passageway, and a second elongate sheet metal member constituting an upper member of the panel in engagement at its upper end with the roof of the passageway, said members having a telescoping sliding fit with one another to permit adjustable extension of the panel to fit the height of the passageway, and means for holding the walls in their said spaced, generally parallel relation, and wherein the force-transmitting relationship of the filling with the walls is established by means on the inside faces of at least some of the panel members keying the filling and said members together.

9. A stopping as set forth in claim 8 wherein the keying means comprises metal bars secured to the inside faces of the respective panel members and embedded in the filling.

10. A stopping as set forth in claim 8 wherein the keying means comprises metal bars having a straight reach and end portions bent to extend laterally from the ends of the straight reach, said end portions of each bar being welded at their ends to the inside face of a respective panel member providing a space between the straight reach of the bar and said inside face, the filling penetrating said space.

11. A stopping as set forth in claim 10 wherein said bars extend vertically and are so located on the panel members as to enable substantial contraction of each panel without interference from said bars.

12. A stopping as set forth in claim 11 wherein one member of at least some of the panels has an auxiliary bar secured at one end on the inside face thereof with a space therebetween, said auxiliary bar extending lengthwise of the panel slidably through a guide on the inside face thereof with a space between said auxiliary bar and the respective panel members penetrated by the filling.

13. A stopping as set forth in claim 8 wherein the keying means comprises steel mesh welded to the inside faces of the walls and embedded in the filling.

14. A stopping as set forth in claim 8 wherein the force-transmitting relationship of the filling and the walls is established by adhesive bonding of the filling and the walls.

15. A stopping as set forth in claim 14 wherein the filling is flame-inhibited polyurethane foam material.

16. The method of providing a stopping for a passageway in a mine comprising:

installing first and second walls extending transversely of the passageway generally from one side thereof to the other and lengthwise of the passageway from the floor to the roof thereof each wall comprising a set of elongate extensible panels, each set including a plurality of said panels erected to extend vertically in side-by-side relation from the floor to the roof of a passageway in a mine, each panel comprising a first elongate sheet metal member constituting a lower member of the panel installed to have its lower end in engagement with the floor of the passageway, and a second elongate sheet metal member constituting an upper member of the panel installed to have its upper end in engagement with the roof of the passageway, said members having a telescoping sliding fit with one another to permit adjustable extension of the panel to fit the height of the passageway;

said walls as installed being permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passageway and held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway;

filling the space between the walls with a material initially in a fluent state and adapted to set in situ to a final state wherein it has strength in tension as well as compression;

said material being poured into said space in its fluent state and allowed to set in situ to its hardened state; and

providing a force-transmitting relationship between the filling and the walls, each of the walls and the filling in its final state having strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passage.

17. A panel for use in constructing a stopping of the type comprising first and second sheet metal walls extending transversely of a passageway in a mine from one side thereof to the other and lengthwise of the passageway from the floor to the roof thereof, said walls being permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passage and held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway, and a filling in the space between the walls having a force-transmitting relationship with the walls and having sufficient strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passageway, said panel comprising a first elongate sheet metal member constituting a lower member of the panel for engagement at its lower end with the floor in the passageway, and a second elongate sheet metal member constituting an upper member of the panel for engagement at its upper end with the roof of the passageway, said member having a telescoping sliding fit with one another to permit adjustable extension of the panel to fit the height of the passageway, each member of the panels having an inside face and an outside face in respect to incorporation of the panel in a stopping, each member having on the inside face thereof means for keying the filling and said members together to establish said force-transmitting relationship.

18. A panel as set forth in claim 17 wherein the keying means comprises metal bars secured to the inside faces for embedment in the filling.

19. A panel as set forth in claim 17 wherein the keying means comprises metal bars having a straight reach and end portions bent to extend laterally from the ends of the straight reach, said end portions of each bar being welded at their ends to the inside face of a respective panel member providing a space between the straight reach of the bar and said inside face for penetration by the filling.

20. A panel as set forth in claim 19 wherein said bars extend vertically and are so located on the panel members as to enable substantial contraction of each panel without interference from said bars.

21. A panel as set forth in claim 20 wherein one member of at least some of the panels has an auxiliary bar secured at one end on the inside face thereof with a space therebetween, said auxiliary bar extending lengthwise of the panel slidably through a guide on the inside face of the other member of the panel with a space between said auxiliary bar and the respective panel members for penetration by the filling.

22. A panel as set forth in claim 17 wherein the keying means comprises steel mesh welded to said inside faces.

23. A stopping for a passageway in a mine comprising first and second walls extending transversely of the passageway from one side thereof to the other and heightwise of the passageway from the floor to the roof thereof, said walls being permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passage and held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway, and a filling in the space between the walls having a force-transmitting relationship with the walls and having sufficient strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passageway, each wall comprising a set of elongate extensible panels, each set including a plurality of said panels erected to extend vertically in side-by-side relation from the floor to the roof of a passageway in a mine, each panel comprising a first elongate sheet metal member constituting a lower member of the panel in engagement at its lower end with the floor of the passageway, and a second elongate sheet metal member constituting an upper member of the panel in engagement at its upper end with the roof of the passageway, said members having a telescoping sliding fit with one another to permit adjustable extension of the panel to fit the height of the passageway, and means for holding the walls in their said spaced, generally parallel relation, and wherein the force-transmitting relationship of the filling and the walls is established by adhesive bonding of the filling and the walls.