AU2007207864B2

AU2007207864B2 - Material transfer

Info

Publication number: AU2007207864B2
Application number: AU2007207864A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ron Bell
Original assignee: Metso Outotec Finland Oy
Current assignee: Metso Finland Oy
Priority date: 2006-08-21
Filing date: 2007-08-16
Publication date: 2011-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 2027-08-16
Also published as: AU2007207864A1

Abstract

P \WPDOCSAJS\spec\22516X4 dmc1-Mav)WxI7 - 20 A method for use in transferring material, the method including determining a parameter value associated with at least one parameter relating to material in a chute angle in accordance with the determined value. Fig. 1 Th6315f 132\ Fig. 1 Determine material to be 400 supplied Determine current -- -- - -material 410 parameter values Determine upper and lower 420 threshold values Determine current 430 material weight Increase chute Yes supper 440 grdin threshold4 0 graien ceede 450 No Yes s lower Decrease chute -- threshold 460 gradient ceeded ceeded 470 No Fig. 4

Description

Australian Patents Act 1990 - Regulation 3.2 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title Material transfer The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: P3/00/011 I1IOOIO II MATERIAL TRANSFER Background of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for use in transferring material, and in particular to a method and apparatus for controlling a chute during a material transfer process. Description of the Prior Art The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that the prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates. Transfer chutes are used extensively in transporting materials, such as ores, within heavy industries. To ensure correct operation it is important that the transfer chute is configured to take into account factors such as the material used therein. For example, the angle at which the chute is provided may vary depending on the density and flow rate of the material. The angle is generally selected so that the material does not flow too quickly, which causes undue wear and abrasion to the chute, whilst ensuring the angle of the chute is not too shallow, which will result in material becoming trapped within the chute. Configuring chutes for a particular type of material being transported and particular flow 0 conditions this is a time consuming and expensive process. This is particularly problematic when material flow is uneven as this can lead to blockages developing, for example, if the chute angle is not appropriate for the current flow rate. ZA20007199 describes a system for regulating chute flow in which the angle of the chute can be reduced to allow the flow of material to be stopped. This is performed, for example, to 5 allow material flow to be halted whilst a conveyer belt to be restarted, before the chute is returned to its original position.

P \WPDOCS\AJSspec(\2X25 164doc.4/W2 -2 However, this only allows flow to the haltered entirely and then restarted. Consequently, the flow regulation mechanism is of a little use during day to day operation of the chute, and does not allow for variations in material flow to be accounted for. It is also known to implement features to help reduce wear on chutes. This may include for example, the incorporation of rock boxes as described for example in US-2004/0182673. In particular, this document describes the use of rock boxes to trap material being transferred via the chute. The trapped material effectively acts to shield the chute itself from abrasion and wear, thereby extending the chute lifespan. Summary of the Present Invention In a first broad form the present invention provides a method for use in transferring material, the method including: a) determining a value associated with at least one parameter relating to material in a chute; and, b) adjusting a chute angle in accordance with the determined parameter value. Typically the method includes: a) comparing the at least one parameter value to at least one threshold; and, b) selectively adjusting the chute angle in accordance with the results of the comparison. Typically the method includes: a) determining a plurality of parameter values relating to the material in the chute; 0 b) comparing each of the parameter values to a respective threshold; and, c) selectively adjusting the chute angle in accordance with the results of the comparison. Typically the parameter value includes an amount of material in the chute, and wherein the method includes, determining the amount of material based at least partially on the weight of material within the chute. z5 Typically the method includes, determining the weight of material by measuring the combined weight of the material and the chute.

P \WPDOCS\AJS\spec\2025 I684 do-14/082111 -3 Typically the method includes, determining the weight in accordance with signals provided by one or more sensors. Typically the threshold is an upper threshold, and wherein the method includes increasing the chute angle in response to the amount of material exceeding an upper threshold. Typically wherein the threshold is an lower threshold, and wherein the method includes decreasing the chute angle in response to the amount of material falling below a lower threshold. Typically the threshold values are determined at least partially in accordance with at least one parameter value relating to the material in the chute. Typically the method is performed at least partially using a processing system. Typically the method includes, in the processing system: a) determining the at least one parameter value in accordance with signals received from at least one sensor; and, b) selectively operating an actuator to thereby selectively adjust the chute angle. 5 Typically the signals are indicative of at least one of: a) a weight of material in the chute; and, b) a combined weight of material and weight of the chute. Typically the method includes: a) generating control signals; and, 20 b) transferring the control signals to an actuator control unit, the actuator control unit being responsive to the control signals to adjust the chute angle. Typically the at least one parameter value includes at least one of: a) a material amount; b) a material flow rate; 25 c) a material volume; d) a material density; -4 e) a material weight; f a material size; g) a material gradation; h) a material moisture content; and, i) a material clay content. In a second broad form the present invention provides apparatus for use in transferring material, the apparatus including a processing system for: a) determining a value associated with at least one parameter relating to material in a chute; and, b) adjusting a chute angle in accordance with the determined parameter value. Typically the apparatus is for performing the method of the first broad form of the invention. In a third broad form the present invention provides apparatus for use in transferring material, the apparatus including: a) a support frame; b) a chute movably mounted to the support frame; c) at least one sensor for determining a value associated with at least one parameter relating to material in a chute; and, d) an actuator for selectively adjusting a chute angle in accordance with a determined amount of material. 0 Typically the apparatus includes a processing system for: a) determining the at least one parameter value in accordance with signals received from at least one sensor; and, b) selectively operating the actuator to thereby selectively adjust the chute angle. Typically the at least one sensor is for determining signals at least partially indicative of an 25 amount of material in the chute. Typically the at least one sensor is at least one of: a) a load cell; and, b) a strain gauge.

-5 Typically the chute is configured to retain a layer of material to thereby reduce chute wear. Typically the apparatus includes at least one of: a) one or more ridges for collecting material; and, b) one or more rock boxes for collecting material. Typically the chute includes a chute outlet, and wherein the chute outlet includes: a) a first end; and, b) a second end, the second end being aligned downstream of the first end in a transport direction, and the first end being wider than the second end. Typically the apparatus further includes an inlet cover for directing material received from a first transport system to a chute inlet. Typically the inlet cover is configured to retain material to thereby reduce inlet cover wear. Typically the apparatus includes at least one of: a) one or more ridges for collecting material; and, b) one or more rock boxes for collecting material. 5 Typically the apparatus is used in the method of the first broad form of the invention. In a fourth broad form the present invention provides a method for use in transferring material via a chute, wherein the chute includes ridges for supporting a protective layer of material within the chute, the method including, in a processing system: determining a parameter value associated with at least one parameter relating to 20 material in the chute ; and, adjusting a chute angle in accordance with the determined parameter value in order to substantially maintain the protective layer of material supported within the chute. In a fifth broad form the present invention provides an apparatus for use in transferring material via a chute, wherein the chute includes ridges for supporting a protective layer of 25 material within the chute, the apparatus including a processing system for: C .Documents and 5ctimgsin u--S cal ettngsu cmponary inmc, riucnut U N upc aut -5A determining a value associated with at least one parameter relating to material in a chute; and, adjusting the chute angle in accordance with the determined parameter value in order to substantially maintain the protective layer of material within the chute. In a sixth broad form the present invention provides an apparatus for use in transferring material, the apparatus including: a support frame; a chute movably mounted to the support frame, wherein the chute includes ridges for supporting a protective layer of material; at least one sensor for determining a value associated with at least one parameter relating to material in a chute; and, a processing system for selectively actuating an actuator for selectively adjusting a chute angle in accordance with a determined amount of material in order to substantially maintain the protective layer of material within the chute. 5 Brief Description of the Drawings An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a material transfer system; Figure 2 is a flow chart outlining the operation of the material transfer system of Figure 1; o Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example of a processing system; Figure 4 is a flow chart of a second example operation of the material transfer system of Figure 1; Figures 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams of examples of the inlet cover of Figure 1; Figures 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams of examples of the chute of Figure 1; 25 Figure 6C is a schematic diagram of an example of the chute outlet of Figure 1; and, -6 Figures 7A to 7C are schematic diagrams of an example of a specific example of the material transfer system of Figure 1. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments An example of apparatus for transferring material will now be described with reference to Figure 1. In this example, a first material transport system 110, such as a discharge belt conveyor, is utilised to supply material, such as raw deposits or the like, to an inlet cover 120. The inlet cover is coupled to a chute 130, including a chute inlet 131 and a chute outlet 132. The chute outlet 132 is positioned above a second material transport system 140, such as a receiving conveyor belt, to allow material to be deposited thereon. The second material transport system 140, may include an impact absorber 141, such as a series of shock absorbers, designed to absorb the impact of material exiting the chute outlet 132. In use, the chute 130 is held in position by a support system such as a frame shown generally at 150. The support frame includes a number of support members 151 provided in a suitable i arrangement to support the chute 130 via a mounting 152. This allows the chute to be moved, and in particular pivoted between the positions shown in solid and dotted lines in Figure 1, thereby allowing a chute angle a to be varied. An actuator 160, which in this example is in the form of a piston having a body 161 and an arm 162, is coupled to the support frame 150 via a pivot mounting 154, and to the chute via a 0 pivot mounting 163. It will be appreciated however that any suitable actuator may be used. In use, activation of the actuator 160 allows the chute to be moved, allowing the angle a to be varied to any desired value. Whilst any chute angle may be used, the range over which the angle may be varied is typically relatively small, and is usually less than 25', and more typically less than 10* and often less than 5'. Typical gradients therefore range from 40' to 5 500. In one example, the chute angle a is modified during chute operation to ensure that material flows continuously down the chute 130, at a relatively constant flow rate. In particular, this -7 can be used to prevent the occurrence of blockages, or the like. To achieve this, it is typical to monitor parameters regarding the material present in the chute 130 at any one time, as will now be described with respect to Figure 2. In this example, at step 200 at least one parameter value relating to a parameter of the material in the chute 130 is determined (generally referred to as a "material parameter"), with an assessment being made at step 210 of whether the at least one parameter value is acceptable. If the at least one parameter value is acceptable the process simply returns to step 200 to determine a new value for the at least one parameter, allowing the process to be repeated. However if it is deemed that the value of the at least one parameter is unacceptable, then the chute configuration can be adjusted at step 220. It will be appreciated that this process may be performed continuously or periodically depending on the preferred implementation, allowing the chute configuration to be adjusted on a continuous or periodic basis. The nature of the at least one material parameter can vary depending on the preferred 5 implementation. The material parameter is selected to ensure continuous flow of material within the chute, and in particular, to prevent blockages, whilst ensuring that at least some material remains in the chute to form a protective layer, as will be described in more detail below. In any event, it will be appreciated from this that the material parameter can relate either to the material itself, the flow of material within the chute, the material transport 0 system, or the like. Example material parameters include: * a material amount (and/or weight); e a material flow rate; e a material volume; * a material density; 5 e a material weight; * a material size; e a material gradation; e a material moisture content; and, e a material clay content.

P WPDOCS\AJSspec,\2025 16X4 doc - 14/0/2(07 -8 Thus, in one example, the amount of material alone is sufficient to determine whether the flow of material within the chute is acceptable. However, it will be appreciated that the likelihood of blockages may be influenced by the moisture and clay content of the material, and this may also need to be taken into account. It will be appreciated that the above material parameters are for the purpose of illustration only and that in practice other material parameters and/or non-material parameters may be used. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that acceptable values for any one or more of the parameters amount may be defined in any one of a number of manners. In a first example, acceptable material parameter values can be defined by upper and lower threshold values. Thus, for example, if the material parameter being monitored is the amount of material in the chute, then these threshold values can be set based on the optimum amount of material in the chute. If a current material amount exceeds the upper threshold, then this is indicative that a 5 blockage has occurred and that there is a build up of material in the chute. Conversely, if the current material amount falls below the lower threshold, then this indicates that there is insufficient material is contained in the chute, which can lead to undue chute wear as will be described in more detail below. It will also be appreciated that the threshold values may be selected depending on other ones 0 of the material parameters. Thus, for example, the upper and lower threshold values can be selected dependent on the material density, moisture content, clay content, or the like. This may be required as the material parameters will influence the flow characteristics of the material. Similarly, the threshold may depend on other parameters, such as the nature of the chute. Accordingly, different thresholds may need to be defined for different designs of 25 chute. In a second alternative example however, the determination of whether the amount of material in the chute is acceptable can be made by examining variations in the amount of material in the chute over time. Thus, for example if the amount of material contained in the P \VPDOCS\AJSspec-202516x4 doc- 14/t-2W7 -9 chute increases, this may indicate a blockage, whereas a reduction may indicate a flow reduction. The amount of material in chute may be determined in any one of a number of ways. For example, this can be achieved by monitoring the volume of material entering and exiting the 5 chute, with variations between the two values being used to determine the volume of material in the chute 130. This may be achieved using optical or other flow rate or volume sensors. Alternatively, for example, the combined weight of the chute 130 and the material contained therein can be measured, which given a known chute weight, can be used to determine a material weight and hence volume. In one example, this is achieved using sensors 153 attached to the support frame 150. In this example, the sensors may be load cells, strain gauges, or the like and are adapted to provide an output signal indicative of the weight of the chute 130 and any material contained therein. It will be appreciated that other material parameters may also be detected using suitable sensors. Thus, for example, the material clay and moisture contents, the material density and 5 gradation may be determine by sampling the material supplied to the chute and making appropriate measurements using a suitable mechanism as will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art. Whilst such monitoring can be performed manually, it will be appreciated that this could require constant, or at least periodic checking of the current weight or other parameters, and 20 hence repeated intervention, which is time consuming for operators and hence a costly procedure. Accordingly, in one example the chute angle ax is adjusted dynamically by a suitable processing system. An example processing system is shown in Figure 3. In this example, the processing system 300 is formed from a processor 310 coupled to a 25 memory 311, an input/output device 312 such as a keyboard and display or the like and an external interface 313 via a bus 314. The external interface 313 is coupled to the sensors 153 and an actuator control unit 164 as shown. The processor 310 executes applications software -10 stored in the memory 311 to allow the process of Figure 2 to be performed. Control commands may be supplied via a user, with operational parameters, or other information being displayed via the I/O device 312. In use, the processor 310 receives signals from the sensors 153 and utilises this to determine current combined weight of the chute 130 and the material contained therein, or any other parameters, assuming other suitable sensors are used. This information is then compared to threshold values, or previous measured weights determined from the memory 311, allowing the processor 310 to generate control signals. The control signals are supplied to the actuator control unit 164, via the external interface 313, thereby causing the chute angle c. to be adjusted. It would be appreciated from this that a wide range of processing systems 300 may be used and that this may therefore be in the form of a standard generalised computer system or the like, or alternatively, and typically more preferably, is in the form of a custom processing unit such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). 5 A specific example of the operation of the device will now be described in more detail with respect to Figure 4. In this example, at step 400 it is necessary to determine the material to be transferred via the chute 130, and the current material parameter values at step 410. In particular, this is important as it is necessary to know the nature of the material, and hence values of the 0 material parameters such as clay or moisture content outlined above, to determine the expected or idealised weight of material in the chute. It would be appreciated that the nature of the material to be supplied and material parameters will depend on a number of factors, such as operation of other parts of the material processing environment. Thus, this information may be supplied automatically from other 5 processing systems, or may be entered manually using the I/O device 312. Additionally, or alternatively, it may be necessary to make measurements of the material using other sensor systems (not shown). This can be used for example to determine the moisture or clay content of the material, as well as the gradation (particle size) or the like.

P \WPDOCS\AJSspeci\2025tx4cdec24/08/2c - 11 It will further be appreciated that in many examples the chute 130 is used to transfer only one type of material throughout its life. Accordingly, it is possible that the material parameters determined at step 410 may be input only once during initial configuration of the system. However, more typically, even if the same material is being supplied, values of parameters such as the moisture and clay content, and the gradation will vary over time, and more typically these are therefore determined on a periodic basis. At step 420 the determined material and associated material parameter values are used to determine or select from reference values, preferred and lower threshold values. In particular, in this example, these represent the preferred upper and lower combined weights for the chute 130 and material contained therein. It will be appreciated that these will typically be stored in the memory 311, and may be determined by experiment, or previous monitoring of the chute. Thus, for example, the chute may undergo a period of initialisation, in which operation of the chute is monitored for materials of differing material parameters. During this process, the 5 weight of material in chute can be monitored, with an indication being recorded of when blockages occur, or insufficient material is present in the chute, thereby allowing the parameters to be determined. This allows custom threshold values to be set based on the configuration of the respective chute, so that different chutes can utilise different threshold values. 0 At step 430, and during transfer of material, the processing system 300 operates to receive signals from the strain gauges or load cells 153 and determine that the current weight of the chute 130 and the material contained therein. At step 440, the current weight is compared to the upper threshold. If the upper threshold is exceeded, then this is indicative of a blockage within the chute 130. Accordingly, the 25 processing system 170 operates to generate control signals, which are transferred to the actuator control unit 164 causing the chute angle a to be increased. This will increase the rate of material flow, and hence the momentum of material travelling through the chute, which in turn dislodges or breaks up blockages within the chute 130.

P \WPDOC5\AJ\spetCIUt2,16xe do.4/lW2RH - 12 The amount the chute angle ax is adjusted will depend on the preferred implementation and is typically determined in accordance with values stored in memory. Thus, the variation may be a set value, or alternatively may be varied depending on the degree by which the measured weight exceeds the threshold. In the event that the upper threshold is not exceeded, the processing system 170 operates to compare the current weight to the lower threshold at step 460. In the event that the processing system 300 determines that the current weight is below the lower threshold, this indicates that there is insufficient material present within the chute 130. This in turn indicates that the chute is not sufficiently populated with material, which in turn can lead to rapidly increased wear rates for the chute 130. Accordingly, in this instance the chute angle X is decreased at step 470 to reduce the flow of material within the chute and hence cause a build up of material. Again, the amount the chute angle a is adjusted will depend on the preferred implementation and may be a set value, or alternatively may be varied depending on the degree by which the 5 measured weight falls below the threshold. It will be appreciated that in this example steps 410 onwards are continuously repeated during operation of the chute to ensure that sufficient material is present in the chute at all times. This helps reduce the occurrence of blockages, which in turn ensures continuous chute operation. In addition to this, it ensures that there is sufficient material in the chute 130, 0 which as will be described in more detail below, helps vastly reduce chute wear. However, alternatively, the weight or amount of material in the chute may be monitored continuously, whilst other material parameters are only monitored periodically. This can be performed as the other material parameters may remain relatively unchanged on a short time scale. Accordingly, this allows the threshold values to be updated periodically, such as every 25 few hours, to take into account variations in material properties, whilst the weight of material is monitored continuously to allow blockages to be detected. As a further alternative however, the assessment of whether the chute angle is to be modified may be achieved by comparing a number of the material parameters to respective threshold P\WPDOCS\AJS\spec:202516X4 dc- SIU 2 - 13 parameters. In this instance continuous or periodic monitoring of any combination of the material parameters may be performed, with each material parameter being compared to threshold values, with the results of the comparison being used to adjust the chute angle. An example of additional features will now be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5A and 5B show alternative examples of the inlet cover 120 in more detail. In the example of Figure 5A, the inlet cover 120 has a shaped region, shown generally at 500, which defines a ledge positioned so as to receive material M as it is deposited by the conveyer system 110, as shown by the arrow 501. In particular, the build up of material M means that further material being deposited by the conveyer system 110 will impact on the material M, rather than on the walls of the inlet cover 120. The material is then deflected and dropped into the chute as shown by the arrow 502. Thus, by having the material impact against other material M, this reduces wear on the inlet cover 120. Additionally, the impact helps absorb energy from the material thereby reducing the level of wear on the chute 130. An alternative example is shown in Figure 5B. In this example, the inlet cover 120 has a 5 wear plate 510 having a number of ridges 511 defined thereon. In this example, each of the ridges 511 is designed to accumulate material M, so that material exiting the conveyer 110, as shown by the arrow 512 impacts on the collected material M before being deflected as shown by the arrow 513 in the direction of the chute 130. It will be appreciated that this therefore helps reduce wear of the inlet cover 120 and the chute 130 in a manner similar to that 0 described above with respect to Figure 5A. An example of the chute 130 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 6A to 6C. In particular, Figure 6A shows a cross section view through the chute 130. As shown in this example, the chute 130 includes a number of ridges 600 which operate to collect material M 25 in use. The ridges 600 therefore act as rock boxes to collect the material M so that a layer of retained static material is provided as shown generally at L. The layer is provided on the operational side of the chute 130, so that in use material flowing through the chute flows over the material layer L. This layer therefore effectively reduces wear on the chute itself by - 14 allowing material flowing through the chute to abrade against the static material layer L. However with reference to the examples above, it will be appreciated that this wear protection mechanism is only effective if there is sufficient material M to form the layer L. Thus if insufficient material M is present, the chute 130 will wear at a more rapid rate, and hence the desire to maintain a preferred volume and consequently weight of material M in the chute 130. As shown in Figure 6B, in addition to including the ridges 600, the chute is typically profiled to ensure that material is transferred along a central region of the chute 130, shown generally at 602. To achieve this the chute has a substantially parabolic cross sectional shape so that the material is funnelled towards the central region of the chute as shown by the arrows 601. This helps ensure that the majority of flow remains material, on material as well as ensuring that the material is directed in a preferred direction. This allows for a chute that can handle both directional changes between conveyer systems 110 and 140 as well as variations in flow rate. Additionally, as shown in Figure 6C the chute 5 outlet 132 is also of a preferred shape. In particular, as shown the chute outlet 132 includes an opening 610 which is wider at a first end 611 than a second end 612. In use, the wider end 611 of the chute outlet 132 is placed on an upstream side of the conveyer 140 which transfers material in the direction of the arrow 145 as shown. The use of the wedge shaped discharge allows smaller material to load on to the conveyer 2o 140 first which helps to centralise material load on to the belt of the conveyer system 140, as well as ensuring there is a reduced chance of material entrapment between the chute outlet 132 and the conveyer system 140. A specific example incorporating these features is shown in Figures 7A to 7C. In particular, the example of Figure 7A shows the support frame 150, the material chute shown generally at 25 130, the conveyer belt 140 and the inlet cover 120. As shown in Figure 7B and 7C the chute 130 is generally formed from an outer cover 700 having a number of support members 701 to hold a chute lining 710 in place. It would be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the chute lining will typically include rock boxes and other features described above.

- 15 Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous variations and modifications will become apparent. All such variations and modifications which become apparent to persons skilled in the art, should be considered to fall within the spirit and scope that the invention broadly appearing before described. Thus, whilst the above described examples focus on transferring material between conveyor belts, it will be appreciated that the above described chute could be used in conjunction with any form of material transport systems, and the use of conveyors is for the purpose of example only.

Claims

1.0 a material volume; a material density; a material weight; a material size; a material gradation; 25 a material moisture content; and, a material clay content. 14) Apparatus for use in transferring material via a chute, wherein the chute includes ridges for supporting a protective layer of material within the chute, the apparatus including a processing system for: 30 determining a value associated with at least one parameter relating to material in a chute; and, C :WRonbP\DCC\HFS\837984_ IDOC-809/201 I - 18 adjusting the chute angle in accordance with the determined parameter value in order to substantially maintain the protective layer of material within the chute. 15) Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus is for performing the method of claim 1. 5 16) Apparatus for use in transferring material, the apparatus including: a support frame; a chute movably mounted to the support frame, wherein the chute includes ridges for supporting a protective layer of material; at least one sensor for determining a value associated with at least one parameter 0 relating to material in a chute; and, a processing system for selectively actuating an actuator for selectively adjusting a chute angle in accordance with a determined amount of material in order to substantially maintain the protective layer of material within the chute. 17) Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the apparatus includes a processing system 5 for: determining the at least one parameter value in accordance with signals received from at least one sensor; and, selectively operating the actuator to thereby selectively adjust the chute angle. 18) Apparatus according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the at least one sensor is for ,. determining signals at least partially indicative of an amount of material in the chute. 19) Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of: a load cell; and, a strain gauge. 20) Apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the apparatus includes 25 one or more rock boxes for collecting material. 21) Apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein the chute includes a chute outlet, and wherein the chute outlet includes: a first end; and, a second end, the second end being aligned downstream of the first end in a transport 30 direction, and the first end being wider than the second end. C:NURPorbl\DCC\HF5\837984_I DOC-/9r20HI -19 22) Apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 21, wherein the apparatus further includes an inlet cover for directing material received from a first transport system to a chute inlet. 23) Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the inlet cover is configured to retain 5 material to thereby reduce inlet cover wear. 24) Apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the apparatus includes at least one of: one or more ridges for collecting material; and, one or more rock boxes for collecting material. 25) Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the apparatus is used in the method of 0 claim 1.