AU2008100869A4

AU2008100869A4 - A vehicle

Info

Publication number: AU2008100869A4
Application number: AU2008100869A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew John Wheeler; Todd Lawrence Woolley
Original assignee: WOOLLEY TODD
Current assignee: WOOLLEY TODD
Priority date: 2007-02-09
Filing date: 2008-09-10
Publication date: 2008-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2016-02-11
Also published as: AU2008100869B4; AU2008200633B2; AU2008200633A1

Description

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0, P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 00 0 0 0 0~

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "A VEHICLE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 001

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NTITLE

"A VEHICLE" _FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to a vehicle for use in the mining industry. However, it 00 Oshould be appreciated that the vehicle may be used for other commercial 00 Spurposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Silica is found in many different materials including rocks and sand. The cutting, breaking, crushing, drilling, grinding, or abrasive blasting of these materials can produce fine silica dust. Stemming material used in blast holes is often formed from the gravel. That is broken rocks and sand. Accordingly, stemming material often contains a significant amount of silica dust.

When stemming material is delivered into bore holes, silica dust is typically flung into the air. This allows the silica dust to be inhaled relative easily by personnel who are in the area. Workers are encouraged to wear protective masks but often mine sites are located in remote, inhospitable locations that are hot and/or humid. Wearing a mask in these conditions is unappealing to workers and hence, silica dust continues to be inhaled by workers. Further, under the hierarchy of risk control lists personal protective equipment as a last resort.

When small silica dust particles are inhaled, they can embed themselves deeply into the tiny alveolar sacs and ducts in the lungs, where oxygen and carbon dioxide gases are exchanged. There, the lungs 00 2

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N cannot clear out the dust by mucous or coughing. Continued inhalation of 0 dust of a prolonged period of time can cause silicosis leading to death of the worker.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to overcome and/or alleviate 00 Oone or more of the above disadvantages or provide the consumer with a 00 Suseful or commercial choice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form, although not necessarily the only or broadest form, the invention resides in a vehicle comprising: a stemming unit including at least one stemming hopper for carrying stemming material, a hopper belt conveyor to transport stemming material from the stemming hopper and a delivery belt conveyor to deliver stemming material from the hopper belt conveyor; and a water unit having at least one water tank for carrying water and at least one pump for pumping water from the water tank; wherein at least one spray nozzle is fluidly connected to the at least one pump to pump water from the water tank onto at least one of the hopper belt conveyor or delivery belt conveyor.

Preferably a hopper belt conveyor spray nozzle is connected to the at least one pump to pump water from the water tank onto the hopper belt conveyor. Preferably, a delivery belt conveyor spray nozzle is connected to the at least one pump to pump water from the water tank onto the delivery belt conveyor.

Normally a tap is located between the water tank and the at 00 3

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N least one spray nozzle to control the flow of water.

Typically, the delivery belt conveyor is extendible.

In another form the invention resides in a method of delivering stemming material from a vehicle into a blast hole, the method including the steps of: 00 Oallowing stemming material to travel along a conveyor of the 00 Svehicle; spraying the stemming material with water from a water tank located on the vehicle to produce dust suppressed stemming material; and delivering dust suppressed stemming material from the vehicle into a blast hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will be described in the reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a side view of a multi purpose vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a further side end view of the multipurpose vehicle of FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is an end view of the multipurpose vehicle of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 to 3 show a multi purpose vehicle for use in a blast pattern on an open cut mine. The multipurpose vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20, a water unit 30, a stemming unit 50 and a power unit The vehicle body 20 is a standard non-articulated truck body 00 4 C which includes a vehicle cabin 21, an engine 22, a gear box 23, a drive e( a shaft (not shown), wheels 25 and a chassis 26.

The water unit 30 is mounted toward the rear of the truck body. The water unit 30 includes a water tank 31, a low pressure water pump 32 and a high pressure water pump 33. The water tank 31 is 00 Smounted to the rear of the chassis. The water tank 31 is split into three 00 oo separate compartments 31A, 31B, 31C that are fluidly connected in order to maintain the same level of water in each compartment. A fill point 34 and an auxiliary fill point 35 are located on top of the tank.

The high pressure water pump 33 is connected to the water tank 31 and draws water from the water tank 31. A series of spray pipes 36 are connected to the high pressure water pump 33 and are subsequently connected to water spray nozzles 37. A water filter 38 is located within a spray pipe to ensure debris does not become lodged within the spray nozzles 37. A drill water injection point 39 is located within one of the spray pipes.

The low pressure water pump 32 is also connected to the water tank 31 and draws water from the water tank 31. The low pressure water pump 32 is connected to a tap handle 40 that controls the flow of water to two tap outlets 41. A hose 42 is connected to one of the tap outlets 41.

The stemming unit 50 includes at least one stemming hopper 51 for carrying stemming material gravel) and at least one delivery mechanism 52 to deliver the stemming material from the stemming hopper 51. The stemming hopper 51 is mounted on the 00 Schassis 26 and is funnel shaped to ensure stemming material located e( a within the hopper is available for use.

The delivery mechanism 52 includes two hopper gates 53, a hopper belt conveyor 54 and a delivery belt conveyor 55. The hopper O 5 gates 53 are located at each end of the hopper 51 and is pivotally o00 mounted to the hopper 51. Hydraulic rams 56 are connected to the hopper gates 53 to open and close the hopper gate 53. A flow sensor 59 N is located adjacent the hopper gate 53A to determine the amount of stemming material that is exiting the hopper 51.

The hopper belt conveyor 54 is located adjacent the bottom of the hopper 51 and extends past the hopper gates 53. A hopper belt conveyor spray nozzle 57 is located above the hopper belt conveyor 54 to suppress dust. The low pressure water pump 32 supplies water to the hopper belt conveyor spray nozzle 57 via the tap outlet 41.

A delivery belt conveyor 55 is located adjacent the end of the hopper belt conveyor 54 and is positioned so that it is extends transversely with respect to the hopper belt conveyor 54. The delivery belt conveyor 55 is extendable to deliver stemming material and then retractable when the multi-purpose vehicle 10 is to be moved. A delivery belt conveyor spray nozzle 58 is located above the delivery belt conveyor to further suppress dust. The low pressure water pump 32 supplies water to the delivery belt conveyor spray nozzle 58 via the tap outlet 41.

A power unit 60 is located between the cabin and the stemming unit 50. The power 60 unit includes a hydraulic pump 61 connected to a hydraulic fluid tank 62. The power take off 63 is 00 6

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N operatively connected to the engine via the gear box 23. A series of 0 hydraulic lines (not shown) extend from the hydraulic pump 61 to power _the hydraulic rams 56 of the hopper gates 53, the hopper belt conveyor 54, the delivery belt conveyor 55, the high pressure water pump 33 and the low pressure water pump 32.

00 OAn emergency stop button 70 is provided adjacent the high 00oo Spressure water pump 33 in order to stop the delivery of high pressure water from the high pressure water pump 33, hydraulic power the hydraulic rams 56 of the hopper gates 53, the hopper belt conveyor 54, the delivery belt conveyor 55, the high pressure water pump 33 and the low pressure water pump 32. That is, the emergency stop button disables all electric and hence all hydraulic power to all equipment.

In use, multi-purpose vehicle 10 is able to be driven around a blast pattern spraying water over the blast pattern. Water is pumped from the water tank 31 by the high pressure water pump 33 through the spray pipes 36 and out of the spray nozzles 37. When holes are to be drilled on the blast pattern, water can be supplied to a drill from the drill water injection point 39.

Once a blast hole is drilled and stemming material is required, the hopper gate 53 is raised by the hydraulic ram 56 to allow the stemming material to pass from the hopper 51. The hopper belt conveyor 54 is started and stemming material travels down the hopper belt conveyor 54. The tap handle 40 is rotated until tap outlet 41 position is to supply water to the hopper belt conveyor spray nozzle 57 and delivery belt conveyor spray nozzle 58. The hopper belt conveyor spray nozzle 57 00 7

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commences operation to spray water onto the stemming material. Water 0 is supplied from the water tank 31 to the hopper belt conveyor spray nozzle 57 by the low pressure water pump 32. The delivery belt conveyor is extended and also started. The stemming material that has travelled along the hopper belt conveyor 54 falls from the hopper belt conveyor 54 00 Oand onto the delivery belt conveyor 55 and then travels along the delivery

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0belt conveyor 55 and into the blast hole. Again, the stemming material is Ssprayed with water from the delivery belt conveyor spray nozzle 58. Once the blast hole is filled with sufficient stemming material, the hopper gate 53 is closed, the delivery belt conveyor 55 and hopper belt conveyor 54 are turned off and the delivery belt conveyor 55 is retracted. The multipurpose vehicle is then able to be moved.

The multi-purpose vehicle offers several advantages.

Firstly, the water unit and stemming unit are placed on a single vehicle body and are powered by a power unit which enables cost effectiveness to be achieved. Secondly, the multi-purpose vehicle is smaller and lighter than a standard open cut mining water truck and therefore can manoeuvre around a blast pattern without collapsing holes. Lastly, the vehicle is able to provide dust suppression for stemming material that travels along the conveyors.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein a hopper belt conveyor spray nozzle is connected to the at least one pump to pump water from the water tank onto the hopper belt conveyor and a delivery belt conveyor spray nozzle is connected to the at least one pump to pump water from the water tank onto the delivery belt conveyor.
3. The vehicle of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a tap is located between the water tank and the at least one spray nozzle to control the flow of water.
4. The vehicle of claim of any one of the preceding claims wherein the delivery belt conveyor is extendible. A method of delivering stemming material from a vehicle into a blast hole, the method including the steps of: allowing stemming material to travel along a conveyor of the vehicle; 00 9 C, spraying the stemming material with water from a water tank Slocated on the vehicle to produce dust suppressed stemming material; and delivering dust suppressed stemming material from the vehicle into NO 5 a blast hole. 00oo 0oo