Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Docket No. 5434-00396
SKIP DUMP SYSTEM
Inventor: Francois Koekemoer
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a skip for transporting materials in and from
mines in
the shaft mining industry. In particular, although not exclusively, the
invention relates to a
system for emptying or dumping material from the skip.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the mining, quarrying and minerals processing industries, skips are used to
vertically hoist materials, such as ore, coal, minerals, from the bottom of a
mine shaft or pit
to the top of the mine shaft or pit, or vice versa, and to thereafter
discharge the material into
e.g. a hopper, truck or the like. Systems for discharging materials from the
skip by opening a
skip door are known. Examples of skips, and systems for opening skip doors,
may be
appreciated from U.S. Patent Nos. 2,828,041, 2,995,264 and 3,061,128.
Skip doors were traditionally opened using fixed scrolls. Later, systems for
opening
skip doors were developed which implemented hydraulic systems, e.g. hydraulic
cylinders,
to open the skip doors. However, hydraulic systems for opening skip doors pose
numerous
issues. First, hydraulic systems convert electrical energy via hydraulics into
linear motion
resulting in high acceleration forces and complex speed control requirments.
Such systems
are complex and expensive ¨ e.g. requiring a large oil reservoir, multiple
control valves (e.g.
high flow proportional valves), accumulators (e.g. bladder accumulators) and
coolers, as well
as software programming and other associated hydraulic equipment. Second,
hydraulic
systems require fire suppression methods which are undesirable and also
expensive. Third,
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hydraulic systems require frequent maintenance - e.g. typical mining
envorinments are dusty
which results in valve failure or the need for frequent valve replacement.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least alleviate one or more
of the
above problems and/or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A system for emptying or dumping material from a skip is provided. The system
having a skip body with a discharge opening; a skip door disposed across the
discharge
opening, the skip door having an engagement portion; a skip dump door
operating
mechanism configured to open and close the skip door, the skip dump door
operating
mechanism having: a tipping frame for engaging the engagement portion, the
tipping frame
having a first tipping frame leg, a second tipping frame leg and a linking
portion there
between for connecting the first tipping frame leg to the second tipping frame
leg; a gearbox
assembly for actuating the tipping frame; a plurality of crank links having
first crank link
longitudinal ends and second crank link longitudinal ends, the second crank
link longitudinal
ends connected to a bottom portion of the first tipping frame leg or a bottom
portion of the
second tipping frame leg; and a plurality of crank arms having first crank arm
longitudinal
ends and second crank arm longitudinal ends, the first crank arm longitudinal
ends connected
to the gearbox assembly and the second crank arm longitudinal ends connected
to the first
crank link longitudinal end.
In an exemplary embodiment of the system, a top portion of the first tipping
frame
leg and a top portion of the second tipping frame leg have a connection device
for connecting
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the tipping frame to structural steelwork. In some embodiments, the connection
device may
have a pivot bracket and a hinge.
In an exemplary embodiment of the system, the engagement portion has dump
rollers, wherein the first tipping frame leg and second tipping frame leg have
receiving tracks
for engaging the dump rollers.
In an exemplary embodiment of the system, the system can also have shaft
guides for
vertically moving the skip body.
In an exemplary embodiment of the system, the gearbox assembly has a helical
bevel
geared motor assembly; a motor unit; a thru shaft disposed in and through the
helical bevel
geared motor assembly; and outboard support bearings disposed on respective
terminal ends
of the thru shaft; wherein the first crank arm longitudinal ends are connected
to the outboard
support bearings. In some embodiments, the gearbox assembly is mounted on or
to a base
support, wherein the base support is configured to be connected to structural
steelwork. In
some embodiments, the gearbox assembly is configured to actuate the tipping
frame without
the use of hydraulics.
Also provided is a skip dump door operating mechanism for opening and closing
a
skip door, the skip dump door operating mechanism having: a tipping frame for
engaging an
engagement portion of a skip door, the tipping frame having a first tipping
frame leg, a
second tipping frame leg and a linking portion therebetween for connecting the
first tipping
.. frame leg to the second tipping frame leg; a gearbox assembly for actuating
the tipping
frame; a plurality of crank links having first crank link longitudinal ends
and second crank
link longitudinal ends, the second crank link longitudinal ends connected to a
bottom portion
of the first tipping frame leg or a bottom portion of the second tipping frame
leg; and a
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plurality of crank arms having first crank arm longitudinal ends and second
crank arm
longitudinal ends, the first crank arm longitudinal ends connected to the
gearbox assembly
and the second crank arm longitudinal ends connected to the first crank link
longitudinal end.
In an exemplary embodiment of the skip dump door operating mechanism, the
.. engagement portion has dump rollers, wherein the first tipping frame leg
and second tipping
frame leg have receiving tracks for engaging the dump rollers.
In an exemplary embodiment of the skip dump door operating mechanism, the
gearbox
assembly has: a helical bevel geared motor assembly; a motor unit; a thru
shaft disposed in
and through the helical bevel geared motor assembly; and outboard support
bearings disposed
on respective terminal ends of the thru shaft; wherein the first crank arm
longitudinal ends are
connected to the outboard support bearings. In some embodiments, the gearbox
assembly is
mounted on or to a base support and the base support is configured to be
connected to
structural steelwork. In some embodiments, the gearbox assembly is configured
to actuate the
tipping frame without the use of hydraulics.
In an exemplary embodiment of the skip dump door operating mechanism, a top
portion of the first tipping frame leg and a top portion of the second tipping
frame leg have a
connection device for connecting the tipping frame to structural steelwork
(60). In some
embodiments, the connection device has a pivot bracket and a hinge.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a
system for
emptying or dumping material from a skip comprising: a skip body having a
discharge
opening; a skip door disposed across the discharge opening, the skip door
having an
engagement portion; a skip dump door operating mechanism configured to open
and close the
skip door, the skip dump door operating mechanism comprising: a tipping frame
for engaging
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the engagement portion, the tipping frame comprising a first tipping frame
leg, a second
tipping frame leg and a linking portion therebetween for connecting the first
tipping frame leg
to the second tipping frame leg; a gearbox assembly for actuating the tipping
frame; a
plurality of crank links having first crank link longitudinal ends and second
crank link
longitudinal ends, the second crank link longitudinal ends connected to a
bottom portion of
the first tipping frame leg or a bottom portion of the second tipping frame
leg; and a plurality
of crank arms having first crank arm longitudinal ends and second crank arm
longitudinal
ends, the first crank arm longitudinal ends connected to the gearbox assembly
and the second
crank arm longitudinal ends connected to the first crank link longitudinal
end.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a
system
for emptying or dumping material from a skip consisting of: a skip body having
a discharge
opening; a skip door disposed across the discharge opening, the skip door
having an
engagement portion; a skip dump door operating mechanism configured to open
and close the
skip door, the skip dump door operating mechanism comprising: a tipping frame
for engaging
the engagement portion, the tipping frame comprising a first tipping frame
leg, a second
tipping frame leg and a linking portion therebetween for connecting the first
tipping frame leg
to the second tipping frame leg; a gearbox assembly for actuating the tipping
frame; a
plurality of crank links having first crank link longitudinal ends and second
crank link
longitudinal ends, the second crank link longitudinal ends connected to a
bottom portion of
the first tipping frame leg or a bottom portion of the second tipping frame
leg; and a plurality
of crank arms having first crank arm longitudinal ends and second crank arm
longitudinal
ends, the first crank arm longitudinal ends connected to the gearbox assembly
and the second
crank arm longitudinal ends connected to the first crank link longitudinal
end.
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According to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided
skip
dump door operating mechanism for opening and closing a skip door, the skip
dump door
operating mechanism comprising: a tipping frame for engaging an engagement
portion of a
skip door, the tipping frame comprising a first tipping frame leg, a second
tipping frame leg
and a linking portion therebetween for connecting the first tipping frame leg
to the second
tipping frame leg; a gearbox assembly for actuating the tipping frame; a
plurality of crank
links having first crank link longitudinal ends and second crank link
longitudinal ends, the
second crank link longitudinal ends connected to a bottom portion of the first
tipping frame
leg or a bottom portion of the second tipping frame leg; and a plurality of
crank arms having
first crank arm longitudinal ends and second crank arm longitudinal ends, the
first crank arm
longitudinal ends connected to the gearbox assembly and the second crank arm
longitudinal
ends connected to the first crank link longitudinal end.
Other details, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent
as the
following description of certain present exemplary embodiments thereof and
certain present
exemplary methods of practicing the same proceeds.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-03-05
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Embodiments of the invention, by way of example only, will be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows a front-side view an exemplary embodiment of the system.
Figure 2 shows a front-side view of an exemplary embodiment of the skip dump
door
operating mechanism mounted on the structural steel.
Figure 3 shows a front-side view an exemplary embodiment of the system with
the
skip door closed.
Figure 4 shows a front-side view an exemplary embodiment of the system with
the
skip door open.
Figure 5 shows a front view of the system with a single drive and dual mine
shaft
guides.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Figures 1-5 show an exemplary embodiment of the system 1 including the skip
dump
door operating mechanism 20. The skip body 10 can be disposed on mine shaft
guides 18
which enable the skip body 10 to move longitudinally. As shown in e.g. Figure
5, there can
be two sets of mine shaft guides 18, with e.g. two skip bodies 10 which can
operate in
tandem. For example, one skip body 10 can be located at the bottom of the mine
shaft
guides 18 and another can be located at the top of the mine shaft guides 18.
In embodiments
with two sets of mine shaft guides 18 and/or two skip bodies 10, as shown in
e.g. Figure 5,
there can be a single gearbox assembly 30 for operating two skip dump door
mechanisms 20
which are dedicated to each of the mine shafts associated with the mine shaft
guides 18. In
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other embodiments, as shown in e.g. Figure 2, there can be a dual gearbox
assembly 30 for
operating each of the respective skip dump door mechanisms 20.
As shown in e.g. Figures 1-5, the skip body 10 has a discharge opening 11 at
the
bottom end of the skip body 10 for discharging material and emptying the skip
body 10. A
skip door 12 can be disposed across the discharge opening 11. In some
embodiments the
skip door 12 is arranged on the skip body 10 such that the skip is a bottom
dump skip, but in
other embodiments the skip door 12 can be arranged on the skip body 10 such
that the skip is
e.g. a bottom dump skip or an arc gate skip. A skip dump lip 16 can be
disposed adjacent the
skip door 12 / discharge opening 11 ¨ the skip dump lip provides a mechanism
for material
to be deflected as it exits the skip 10 into e.g. a chute. The skip dump door
12 can have an
engagement portion 13 for engaging with a skip dump door operating mechanism
20. The
engagement portion 13 can be disposed on each side of the skip dump door 12
and can be in
the form of e.g. dump roller, nubs, hooks, handles.
Figures 1-5 depict a skip dump door operating mechanism 20 configured to open
and
close the skip dump door 12. In an exemplary embodiment, the skip dump door
operating
mechanism 20 has a tipping frame 21, a gearbox assembly 30, crank links 50 and
crank arms
40. In an exemplary embodiment, the tipping frame 21 is made of first and
second tipping
frame legs 22a, 22b which are connected to each other via a linking portion
23. The linking
portion 23 provides structural rigidity to the tipping frame 21. As shown, the
linking portion
23 can be a series of steel plates with a bore there through but can also be
e.g. a single or
double rod or beam, a single steel plate, a series of steel plates with or
without bores there
through. As shown in Figures 1-5 the tipping frame legs 22a, 22b can be
provided with
receiving tracks 24 disposed on the inner side for engaging the engagement
portion 13. The
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tracks 24 can have e.g. outwardly facing arms disposed on the upper and lower
terminal ends
between the central portion of the track. The tipping frame legs 22a, 22b have
a top portion
and a bottom portion. In some embodiments the top portion may have a
connection device
28 for connecting the top portion of the tipping frame 21 to structural steel
60, e.g. as shown
in Figure 2. The connection device 28 may be a combination of a pivot bracket
and hinge
but it is also envisioned that other known connection methods be used, e.g.
screwing,
welding, bolting. The bottom portion of the tipping frame legs 22a, 22b may be
connected to
crank links 50 which can be connected to crank arms 40 which are in turn
connected to the
gearbox assembly 30 via e.g. outboard support bearings 36.
As shown in Figures 1-5, the gearbox assembly 30 can have any combination of a
helical bevel geared motor assembly 32, a motor unit 34, a thru shaft 38
disposed in and
through the helical bevel geared motor assembly 32 and outboard support
bearings 36
disposed on respective terminal ends of the thru shaft 38. The cranks arms 40
are connected
to the outboard support bearings 36. In a typical embodiment, the gearbox
assembly 30 is
.. disposed on a base support 39 and the base support can be connected to
structural steelwork
60. The gearbox assembly 30 operates and actuates the tipping frame 21 without
the use of
hydraulics.
In operation, the helical bevel geared motor assembly 32 via e.g. a motor 34
drives a
thru shaft 38 with outboard support bearings 36 having offset crank arms 40
and associated
mechanical crank links 50 to open and close the skip door 12 by engaging the
tipping frame
legs 22a, 22b via e.g. the receiving tracks 24 on the engagement portion 13.
The crank
action inherently provides a desirable sinusoidal velocity profile whist
having a constant
motor input speed. There are numerous advantages to the system 1 and skip dump
door
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operating mechanism 20 described herein. For example, the invention: increases
the hoisting
capacity of the scroll system by 10-15 %; uses standard, off-the-shelf
components; lowers
maintenance costs and the total cost of ownership; uses less power and creates
less heat; is
easy to use and maintain; increases safety; can be retrofitted; requires a low
capital
investment and can be used for all commodities in all production shafts.
It is to be understood that the form of this invention as shown is merely a
preferred
embodiment. Various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of
parts;
equivalent means may be substituted for those illustrated and described; and
certain features
may be used independently from others without departing from the spirit and
scope of the
invention as defined in the following claims.
LIST OF COMPONENTS
1 ¨ system
10- skip body
11 ¨ discharge opening
12 ¨ skip door
13 ¨ engagement portion
16¨ skip dump lip
18 -- mine shaft guide
20¨ skip dump door operating mechanism
21 ¨ tipping frame
22a, 22b ¨ tipping frame legs
23 ¨ linking portion
24 ¨ receiving tracks / guides
28 ¨ connection device
29a - pivot bracket
29b - hinge
30¨ gearbox assembly
32 ¨ helical bevel geared motor assembly
34 ¨ motor unit
36¨ outboard support bearings
38¨ thru shaft
39¨ base support
¨ crank arm
35 40a ¨ first crank arm end
40b ¨ second crank arm end
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50¨ crank link
50a ¨ first crank link end
50b ¨ second crank link end
60 ¨ structural steelwork
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