Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HYDRAULIC MINING APPARATUS AND METHOD
Background of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and
method useful in hydraulically mining friable material such
as coal, tar sands, and uranium and, more particularly, is ;
concerned with the handling and conveyance of such material
once broken loose from its in situ state.
In its more specific aspects, the invention is
concerned with an improvement of the apparatus and method
forming the subject of Canadian Patent Application Serial No.
212,253, filed October 25, 1974, by Arthur W.T. Grimley. That
application discloses an hydraulic mining apparatus and method ;
wherein a feeder-breaker mechanism is provided with two jet
monitors, one of which is provided for dislodging in situ
material from a mine and the other of which is provided for
breading up dislodged material for handling purposes. The
feeder-breaker shown in the application includes a conveyor
extending over the length of the apparatus and a breaker dis-
posed intermediate the ends of the conveyor to reduce mined
aggregate in size. Ultimately, the conveyor discharges the
treated material into a flume, from whence, together with
water in the flume, it travels under the influence of gravity.
The apparatus and method of the present invention is
an improvement over that of aforementioned Application Serial
No. 212,253 in that it provides for the separation of the mined
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material into a pumpable constituent and a dry, conveyable
constituent. As a result, the material treated by the
feeder-breaker mechanism of the present invention is not
dependent upon gravity transport in a flume. This, in turn, ~ ~
means that the apparatus and methocl of the invention may be ~ - -
used in environments where the gracle within the mine being
worked is insufficient to effectively support gravity
transport within a flume.
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Summary of the Invention
The basic element of the present invention -~
comprises a conveyor having upstream and downstream sections,
at least the upstream section of which is perforate, whereby
fluid and mined aggregate of a predetermined size or less is -
separated out as the aggregate is conveyed over the section~
A breaker is disposed intermediate the upstream and downstream
sections to reduce the size of any oversize aggregate passing
from the upstream section to the downstream section and
collection mPans is disposed beneath the upstream section to
collect the aggregate and fluid there separated out. A pump
is provided to convey fluid and aggregate which collects in
the collection means and a secondary conveyor is provided to
convey away the large, relatively dry, aggregate discharged
from the downstream section of the apparatus.
In the preferred embodiment, the feeder-breaker of
the apparatus also includes a first jet monitor at its up-
stream end for dislodging material from a mine within which
the apparatus is working and second jet monitor carried by
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the apparatus intermeli~ h~ ~pstream and downstream sections
of the conveyor for breaking up dislodged mined material dis-
posed around and on the apparatus.
In its broadest aspects, the method of the invention
is concerned with the treating and conveying of hydraulically
mined aggregate by the steps comprising: conveying the aggre-
gate over an elongate perforate continuous loop belt conveyor
having upstream and downstream sections and a reach extending
over the length of said sections, the belt of said conveyor be-
ing sufficiently open to permit the substantially unrestrictedpassage of mined aggregate therethrough and having an upstream
support extending beneath said reach over the length of said up-
stream section and a downstream support extending beneath said
reach over the length of said downstream section, said upstream
support having openings therein sized to permit fluid and aggre-
gate of a pumpable size to pass therethrough while preventing the
passage therethrough of aggregate greater than pumpable size, said
downstream support being substantially imperforate whereby aggre-
gate carried by said downstream section is supported on said down-
stream support and discharges over the distal end of said section;subjecting aggregate of greater than a predetermined size to
breakage at a point disposed intermediate said upstream and down- '
stream sections to reduce the size of said aggregate; collecting
fluid and aggregate which passes through the upstream support and ,-
conveying the same away by pumping; conveying over the downstream
section of the conveyor the aggregate remaining on the conveyor ~`,.
after breakage intermediate said upstream and downstream sections;
and, discharging aggregate conveyed on said downstream section over .`
the distal end thereof onto a conveyor disposed in receiving rela~
tionship to said downstream section.
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Objects o~ the Invention
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The principal object of the invention is to provide anapparatus and method ~or hydraulic mining wherein the mined pro-
duct is treated and separated or classified into constituent parts
which are not dependent upon gravity ~r their conveyance.
Ano~her and related object of ~he invention is to pro-
vide such an apparatus and method wherein one of the constituent
parts i5 pumpable and the other is ideally suited for dry convey-
ance by a belt con~eyor or the like.
Apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises, in
combination: a perforate continuous loop belt conveyor having up-
stream and downstream sections and a xeach extending o~er the length
of said sections, the belt of said conveyor being sufficiently
open to permit the substantially unrestricted passage of mined ag
gregate therethrough. The conveyor has an upstream support exten-
ding beneath said reach over the length of said upstream section
and a downstream support extending beneath said reach over the length
of said downstream section, said upstream support having openings
therein sized to permit fluid and aggregate of a pumpable size to
pass therethrough while preven~ing the pa~age therethrough of ag-
gregate greater than pumpable size, and said downstream support
being substantially imperforate whereby aggregate carried by said
downstream section is supported on said downstream support and
dischargcs over the distal end of said section. Bxeaker means are
disposed intermediate said sections to reduce the size of any over
sized aggregate passing from said upstream section ko said down-
stream section. Collection means are disposed beneath the upstream
section to collect fluid and pumpable aggregate separated out at
said upstream section. Pump means communicate with the collection
means to withdraw and pump fluid and aggregate therefrom and convey
the same under pressure. An aggregate carrying conveyor is dis-
f ~ posed at the discharge end of the downstream section to receive and
convey aggregate discharged over the distal end of this section.
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The foregoing and other objects will become more
apparent when viewed in light of the following detailed des-
cription and the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the feeder-breaker of
the present invention, as it would appear within a mine;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the upstream
section of the feeder-breaker, taken on the plane designated
by Line 2-2 of Fig. l;
Fig, 3 is a plan view of the feeder-~reaker o~ the
present invention; and,
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the
feeder-breaker, taken on the plane designated by Line 4-4 in
Fig. 3.
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Description of the Preferred Embodiment
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As shown in Fig. 1, the feeder-breaker is illustrated
within a mine shaft or entry 10. The roof of the shaft is
shown as being supported by arches 12 and the enlarged area of
the mine being cut away by the dislodging monitor of the
apparatus is designated by the numeral 14. The floor of the
shaft is designated by the numeral 16.
The feeder-breaker apparatus of the invention is ~ -
designated in its entirety by the numeral 18. The apparatus
comprises a chassis 20 in the form of a pan-like structure
supported on the floor 16. As shown, the chassis comprises a
bottom 22, a forward end 24, a cutaway rearward end 26 and a
top platform 28. From Fig. 4, it will be appreciated that the
top of the chassis is open over the majority of the length
thereof, said open portion being designated 30. Although not
illustrated in detail, it should be understood that the chassis
is provided with suitable superstructure so that it is self-
supporting and so that the chassis may be moved about without
being adversely distorted. Typically, the chassis would be
moved into place by either pushing or pulling through means of
a suitable traction vehicle, or by winch mounted upon the chassis.
A continuous conveyor runs lengthwise of the chassis
and comprises: a closed loop perforate chain conveyor 32
trained over sprockets 34 and 36 extending transversely across
and supported by the chassis proximate its forward and rearward
ends, respectively; a wedge wire grid 38 extending beneath the
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upstream end of the upper reach of the chain conveyor; and, an
imperforate plate 40 extending beneath the downstream end of
the upper reach of the chain conveyor. The grid 38 and plate 40
are fixedly supported on the chassis 20 and the upper reach of
the chain conveyor 32 is disposed to slidably move thereover.
The sprockets 34 and 36 are mounted on the chassls for rotation
about axes extending generally transversely thereof and drive
motor 42 is mounted on the platform 28 and drives the sprocket 36
in a clockwise direction through means of a chain drive 44. The
arrow lines in Fig. 4 indicate the direction of travel of the
upper reach of the belt and the direction of rotation of the
,ii sprockets a~ and 36. ,-
The chain conveyor 34 is cor,lprised of two sections,
each of which extends lengthwise of the feeder-breaker, as may be
seen from Fig. 3. Each section comprises a pair of chains 46
trained over the sprockets 34 and 36 and a plurality of bars
48 extending transversely between the chains thereof. The
bars 48 function to drag aggregate pieces being processed
over the upper surfaces of the grid 38 and plate 40. Such
pieces are exemplified in Fig. 4 and designated by the numeral
50 at the upstream portion of the apparatus and the numeral 52
at the downstream portion of the apparatus. The difference in
size between the pieces 50 and 52 is explained by the fact that
a rotary breaker 54 is provided intermediate the upstream and ~-
downstream sections of the conveyor to reduce the size of the '
aggregate pieces which pass to the downstream section. The
numeral 56, in Fig. 4, depicts aggregate pieces which have
fallen through the grid 38. These pieces are of relatively ,~
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small size and collect within a collection sump 58 supported by
the chassis 20 intermediate the upper and lower reaches of the
chain conveyor 32 and beneath the grid 38.
The rotary breaker 54 may be of the same general
construction as that disclosed in aforementioned Application
Serial No. 212,253. It is supported on the chassis 22 for
rotation about an axis extending transversely of the chassis
and is driven through a chain drive 60 by a motor 62 supported
on the platform 28.
As can best be seen from Fig. 4, the sump 58 is of
elongated panlike configuration and slopes downwardly from the
forward end (left end, as viewed in Fig. 4) to the rearward end
of the apparatus. Although referred to in the singular sense,
it will be appreciated from Fig. 2 that the sump actually
comprises a pair of troughlike pans or trays and that a partition
64 separates the respective troughlike trays. The lowermost end -
of each tray of the sump 58 communicates with a jet pump 66
whereby fluid and aggregate particles which collect in the `
lower end of the sump are exhausted therefrom and pumped away.
The jet pumps 66 are of relatively conventional construction
and may be of the type marketed under the name HYJECTOR by
Babcock Hydro-Pneumatics of London, England, a member of the
Babcock ~ Wilcox, Ltd., group of companies. Each jet pump ~ ;
comprises: a nozzle inlet 68 to which water under pressure is
supplied by a feed line 70; an inlet 72 for receipt of the
material collected within the sump 58; and, a throat discharge
74 communicating with a discharge conduit 76 provided to
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receive and convey away material from the sump by the jet pump.
The arrow lines in Fig. 3 indicate the direction of Elow of the
fluid in the feed lines 70 and discharge conduits 76.
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The chassis 20 also carries a support roller 78 for
a conveyor belt 80 disposed to recei~7e the aggregate pieces 52
as they spill over the downstream end of the conveyor belt 32.
Although not illustrated, it should be understood that the
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belt 80 would be suitably driven in the direction shown by the
arrow line in Fig. 4 and that the downstream end of the belt
10 would be supported on a support roller. The length of the
conveyor 80 and the manner in which it discharges or cooperates
with other conveyors would depend upon the set-up of the mine
being worked.
The basic structure of the feeder-breaker apparatus
15 is completed by a principal jet monitor 82 mounted on the
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forward end of the apparatus and a secondary jet monitor 84
'- mounted on the apparatus at a location generally above the
breaker 54. The monitors are provided with high-pressure
water through a main supply conduit 86. The conduit 86
branches to a supply conduit 88 for the monitor 82 and a
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; ~ supply conduit 90 for the monitor 84. Control valves 92 and
94, respectively, are provided in the conduits 88 and 90.
The monitor 82 is the principal working monitor of
the breaker-feeder and is provided for the purpose oE dis-
~-~ 25 lodging material from the mine being worked. The enlarged
area 14 is intended to depict an area which has been so worked.
cylinder 96 is provided for selectively controlling the
direction of the monitor.
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The monitor 84 is provided for the purpose of breaking
up large aggregate pieces once they have been dislodged and have
collected either on the floor of the mine or the forward portion
of the feeder-breaker. A cylinder 98 is provided to control the
direction of the monitor 84. Because of its more limited function,
the angle through which the monitor 84 may be swung is consider-
ably more limited than that of the monitor 82.
The supporting structure for the feeder-breaker
apparatus also includes barriers disposed between the apparatus
and the sides of the mine shaft, one such barrier being seen in
Fig. 1 and designated by the numeral 100. The apparatus also
is provided with a control station 102, generally located
somewhat to the rear and one side, as illustrated in Fig. 1.
An operator is located within the control station and from there
remotely controls the operation of the various parts of the
feeder-breaker mechanism.
Conclusion
From the foregoing detailed description, it is believed
apparent that the invention enables the obtainment of the objects
initially set forth herein. In particular, it provides a method -
and apparatus wherein the mined material is selectively separated
into constituents ideally suited for conveyance by pumping or
dry conveyor and wherein the constituents for dry conveyance may
be reduced in size to obtain optimum operation.
Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has
been illustrated and described, it should be understood that
the invention is not intended to be limited to that embodiment,
but rather is defined by the accompanying claims.
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