Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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1 ~IIS INV~NTION relates to a materials handling system
which facilitates transport of materials. The invention
has been devised particularly, although not solely, for
use in tunnellir-g operations such as in underground mines.
In underground mining operations, there are various trans-
port systems for transportiny extracted materials from the
mines. A typical transportation system includes an end-
less belt loading conveyor which receives extracted mate-
rials from a continuous mining machine and delivers the
extracted materials to a main transportation system which
transports the extracted materials irom the mine. Nowa-
days, the main transportation system generally comprises
either an endless belt conveyor system or a rail car
system running on tracks laid on the floor of the tunnel.
In the case where the main transportation system is in the
form of an endless belt conveyor system, it is usual to
provide a rail track alongside the conveyor system for
manriding and transportation of equipmer~ to and from the
~; mine face. Typically, the loading conveyor is suspended
-20 from an overhead monorail which is extended as the tunnel
progresses so that the loading conveyor may be progres-
sively advanced in the direction towards the mine face.
At certain stages during the mining operation, the main
transportation system must also be extended towards the
mine face. This involves installation of a further sec
tion to the main transportation system, such as the in-
stallation of a further conveyor section or a fur~her
section of rail track.
The above-mentioned conventional transportation systems
are costly to purchase and maintain, and are not altoge-
ther satisfactory as the the installation of further
sections of the conveyor system and layin~ of further rail
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1 track sections can be awkward, particularly when the
tunnel floor condition is poor such as in the case where
the floor is under water.
Furthermore, it is necessary to interrupt operation of the
main transportation system while it is being extended, and
this may involve a significant loss in production time.
A still further disadvantage of conventional transpoxta-
tion systems is tha-t the extensive installations involved
with the main transport system are awkward to disassemble
and remove when, for example, work on the tunnel ceases.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved
materials handling system which is suspended from an
overhead track means so as to be independent of .floor
conditions and which can be installed relatively easily
and quickly.
In one form the invention resides in a materials handling
;~ system comprising an overhead tra.ck means, an elongated
conveying means for conveying materials from a loading
zone to a discharge zone, the conveying means being sus-
pended from the overhead track means, a materials trans-
port unit suspended from the track Ineans for movement
therealong, .the arrangement being such that the materials
transport unit can be positioned at a materials receiving
station beneath the conveying means for receiving
materials discharginy therefrom at the discharge zone.
Preferably, the materials handling system further com-
prises a queuing station beneath the conveying means at
which queuing station a further one or more of said trans-
port units can be positioned prior to movement in turn to
: 30 the materials receiving station.
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1 Preferably, the transport units are suppor~ed on h~ngers
suspended from the track means.
Preferably, each hanger includes enyaging means for re-
leasably engaging the conveying means whereby the hanger
provides support for the conveyor.
Preferably, each hanger includes a pair of vertically
extending arms spaced to receive the conveying means
therebetween when the respective transport unit is at the
materials receiving station or at the queuing station.
Preferably, the engaging means includes an ~ngaging member
on each arm adapted to supportingly engage a respective
longitudinal track on the conveying means whereby the
engaging member is movable along the longitudinal track on
relative movement between the conveying means and`the
hanger while providing support for the conveying means.
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`~ The engaging member may comprise a ~ roller engagable
against a downwardly facing surface of the respective
track longitudinal. Each longitudinal track may comprise
an outwardly faciny channel one w.311 of which provides
said downwardly facing surface against which the roller
engages.
The conveying means preferably comprises an endless belt
conveyor. Each longitudinal track is preferably constitu-
ted by part of the frame structure of the endless belt
conveyor.
Preferably, the materials handling system further com-
prises a supplementary suspension means supporting the
conveying means from the overhead track means, the
supplementary suspension means comprising at least one
supplementary hanger mounted on the track means anl
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1 supporting the conveying means, the supplementary hanger
being movable along the conveying means whereby to provide
support for the discharging end thereof when the or each
transport unit is remote from the conveying means.
Preferably, said at least one supplementary hanger has a
respective engaginy member in engagement with each longi-
tudinal track on the conveying means for movement there-
along while providing support for the conveying means.
Preferably, the supplementary suspension means includes a
plurality of said supplementary hangers for entirely
supporting the conveyiny means when the or each transport
unit is remote from the conveying means
The overhead track means preferably comprises a monorail.
~; The invention will be hetter understood by reference to
the following description of one specific embodiment
thereof as applied to a tunnelling operation for an under-
- ground mine such as a coal mine. The embodiment will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:-
Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional view o~ a materials
handling system installed in an underground mine,
showing the system at one stage of operation;
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, except that the
materials handling system is shown at a further s-tage
of operation;
Fig. 3 is also a view similar to Fig. 1, except that
the materials handling system is shown at a still
further stage of operation;
Fig. 4 is an end view on an enlarged scale of the
materials handling system;
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l Fig. 5 is an end view of a transport unit and hanger
therefor; and
Fig. 6 is an end view of the conveying means and
suspension system therefor when the transport units
are remote from the conv~ying means.
Referring to the drawings, the materials handling system
11 is installed in a mine -tunnel 13 having a roof lS and a
floor 17.
The materials handling system 11 includes an overhead
track means 19 in the form of a monorail anchored to the
tunnel roof 15. The monorail 19 is formed from a series
, of monorail sections and can be extended as the tunnelling
`I operation progresses.
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An elongated conveying means 21, which is in the form of
115 an endless belt conveyor, is suspended from the monorail
;19 and can be moved therealong. The en~less belt conveyor
is supported in an elevated position and has a loading
zone 22 and a discharge zone 23. The endless belt con-
~eyor receives extracted materials at the loading æone 22
from a continuous mining machine ~not shown) which
operates ahead of the endless belt conveyor and dumps
materials extracted from the mine face onto the loading
zone.
~` Provided below the endless belt conveyor are a materials
receiving station 24 and a queuing station 25.
Also suspended from the monorail l9 for movement there-
alony are a plurality of transport units 27 in the form of
- mine cars (which are commonly known as tubs). The mine
cars 27 form a train which can be hauled along the m~no-
rail, there being three mine cars in the train in this
embodiment. It will be understood that tbe size of the
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l queuing station governs the maximum number of mine cars in
each train. The mine cars 27 are suspended from the
monorail 19 by means of hangers 29 at the ends of the mine
cars. Each hanger 29 is substantially rectangular when
viewed along the longitudinal extent of the monorail (as
shown in Fig. 4) and comprises a pair of spaced vertically
extending arms 31 fixed at the ends thereof to upper and
lower transverse members 33 and 35 respectively. The
upper transverse member 33 supports a pair of rollers 37
in rolling engagement with the monorail in a so-called
trapped rail fashion. The lower transverse member 35 is
secured to an end wall 34 of the respective mine car 27.
The vertically extending arms 31 of each hanger are suit-
ably spaced to receive the elongated conveyor 21 therebe~
tween (as shown in Fig. 4) so as to allow positioning of
the mine cars 27 below the elongated conveyor, with one
mine car at the materials receiving station 24 and the
remaining mine cars (being two cars in this embodiment) at
the queuing station 25.
Each hanger 29 is provided with engaging means for e~-
gaging the endless belt conveyor so as to provide support
therefor, when the respective mine car is at the materials
receiving station or the queuing station. The engaging
means comprises a pair of engaging rollers 41, one mounted
on the inside of each vertically extending arm 31 of the
respective hanger, as best seen in Fig. 5.
The endless belt conveyor 21 comprises a pair of longi-
tudinally extending side frame members 43 each in the form
of an outwardly facing channel, as best seen in Fig. 4 of
the dra~ings. Each side frame member 43 constitutes a
longitudinal track which is engagable by a respective one
of the engaging rollers 41 on the hangers 29 whereby the
engaging rollers pro~ide support for the endless belt
conveyor when in engagement with the longitudinal track.
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l The endless belt conveyor further comprises a head roller
45, a tail roller 46 and idler rollers 47 supported bet-
ween the longitudinal side frame members 43.
A supplementary suspension means is provided for support-
iny the endless belt conveyor. The supplementary suspen-
sion means comprises two supplementary hangers 49 suspen-
ded from the monorail 19 for movement therealong to pro-
vide support for the endless belt conveyor. The supple-
mentary hanger 49a which is closer to the loading zone of
the endless belt conveyor is fixed to the endless belt
conveyor. The other supplementary hanger 49b is movable
along the endless belt conveyor. The supplementary hanger
49b comprises a pair of vertically extending arms 51 fixed
at the upper end thereof to a transverse member 53. The
transverse member 53 supports a pair of rollers 55 which
are in rolling engagement with the monorail. Adjacent the
lower end of each vertically extending arm 51 there is
provided an engaging member 57 in engagement with a res-
pective one of the longitudinal tracks 43 on the endless
belt conveyor. T~e engaging member 57 is in the form of a
roller and is movable along the longitudinal track while
providing support for the endless belt conveyor. Stops 59
on the longitudinal tracks 43 prevent the movable supple-
mentary hanger 49b from disengaging from the longitudinal
tracks at the ends thereof. When the movable supplemen-
tary hanger 49b is moved along the length of the endless
belt conveyor to occupy a position remote and preferably
furthermost, from the fixed supplementary hanger 49a, the
supplementary hangers entirely support the endless belt
conveyor when the mine cars 27 and their respective han-
gers 29 are remote from the endless belt conveyor, as
shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the mine cars are
moved into the queuing and materials receiving stations,
the movable supplementary hanger 49b is moved along the
; 35 longitudinal tracks 43 into a position alongside the fixed
~ supplementary hanger 49~ as shown in Fig. 1 of the dra~-
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l ings. In this position, the supplementary hangers 4g
together with the hangers 29 su~port the endless belt
conveyor in an elevated position in relation to the tunnel
floor.
There may be one or more further movable supplementary
hangers intermediate the fixed supplementary hanger 49a
and the ~ovable supplementary hanger 49b.
Operation of the materials transport system will now be
described. The endless belt conveyor 21 is positioned
behind a continuous mining machine (not shown) so that
materials extracted from the mine face by the continuous
mining machine are delivered to the delivery zone ~ of
the endless belt conveyor. The train of mine cars are
positioned below the endless belt conveyor so that one
mine car is at the material receiving station 24 and the
other mine cars are at the queuing station 25. ~he
endless belt conveyor loads the materials into the mine
car at the materials receiving station. When the mine car
at the materials receiving station is fully loaded, the
mine cars are moved relative to the endless belt conveyor
so as to bring the next mine car at the queuing station
into the materials receiving station for loading thereof.
This operation continues until all mine cars are loaded.
As each mine car ves ~way from the endless belt conveyor,
its respective hangers 29 move out of engagement with the
longitudinal tracks 43 on the endless belt conveYor and
thereby, the hangers no longer provide support for the endless b~lt
conveyor. The movable supplementary hanger 49b is
detachably connected to the train of mine cars and moves
relative to the endless belt conveyor with the mine cars
until such time as it reaches its position furthermost
from the fixed supplementary hanger 49a, which position is
determined by the stops 59 and correspond~ to the final
mine car arriving at the materials receiving station.
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1 ~hen the ~inal mine car is fully loaded, the movable
supplementary hanger is detached from the mine car so as
to allow the train of mine cars to move away from the
endless belt conveyor. When the mine cars are remote from
the endless belt conveyor, the supplementary hangers
entirely support the endless belt conveyor, as shown in
Fig. 3 of the drawings. The train of mine cars may be
hauled to a dump ~one at which their loads are dumped and
the mine cars are then returned to the materials receiving
station and the queuing station. The loading operation is
then repeated.
From the foregoing, it is evident that a materials hand-
ling system according to the present invention allows the
endless belt conveyor and the- mine cars to be supported
from a common monorail. This provides cost benefits In
addition, the common monorail facilitates relatively rapid
installation and dismantling of l_he transport system.
Furthermore, because the endless belt conveyor and the
mine cars are supported from the overhead monorail, in-
stallation and operation of the materials handling systemis not affected by tunnel floor conclitions.
It is envisaged that in mining applications, the number
and capacity of the mine cars or other transport units
would be selected so as to accommodate materials extracted
from a mine face in one working shift. In this way, the
mine cars would only be required to be hauled from the
mine for unloading thereof once each working shift.
It will be appreciated that the scope of the convention is
not limited to the scope of the embodiment described.
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