GB2052205A

GB2052205A - Monitoring roadway profiles

Info

Publication number: GB2052205A
Application number: GB7922685A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Coal Industry Patents Ltd
Current assignee: Coal Industry Patents Ltd
Priority date: 1979-06-29
Filing date: 1979-06-29
Publication date: 1981-01-21

Abstract

A method of monitoring a roadway profile, for example in a mine, with respect to a preselected path (3) extending along the roadway (1) comprising making visual references (A-D, B-B', C-C'), for example with poles, at a preselected location across the roadway, recording the visual references with visual recording means, traversing the visual recording means along the path to record the roadway profile and visually reproducing the recording on a screen, the recording being viewed in association with an overlay adapted to coincide with the visual references on the screen simultaneously with the reproduced recording of the roadway profile. The visual references are so chosen as to define the required clearance for all vehicles using the mine roadway. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Monitoring roadway profiles This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for monitoring roadway profiles with respect to a preselected path extending along the roadways.

In particular, although not exclusively, the present invention relates to methods of and apparatus for monitoring mine roadway profiles with respect to a rail track extending along the roadway.

It is established safe mining practice that there should be preselected minimum clearance between rail mounted vehicles and the boundary walls of underground mine roadways.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to maintain a regular check of the clearances as prior known methods involve the use of laborious measurement techniques.

An object of the present invention is to try and overcome or reduce the above mentioned problem. According to one aspcet of the present invention a method of monitoring a roadway profile with respect to a preselected path extending along the roadway comprises the steps of making a base mark visual reference at a preselected transverse location across the roadway, making further visual reference defining a transverse preselected profile with respect to the portion of the path adjacent to the base reference, recording the visual references with visual recording means, traversing the visual recording means along the path extending along the roadway to record the roadway profile, and visually reproducing the recording on a screen, the recording being viewed in association with means adapted to define the visual references on the screen simultaneously with the reproduced recording of the roadway profile.

Preferably, the means adapted to define the visual references comprise an overlay marked to define the visual references on the screen.

Conveniently, the visual references are recorded with the visual recording means stationary.

Advantageously, the transverse preselected profile represents a desired minimum clearance with respect to the path extending along the roadway.

According to another aspect the present invention apparatus is provided for carrying out the method defined above, the apparatus comprising visual recording means traversable along the path extending along the roadway to record the roadway profile and capable of recording the visual references, visual reproducing means for reproducing the recording made by the visual recording means, the recording being visually reproduced on a screen, and means adapted to define the visual references on the screen simultaneously with the reproduced recording of the roadway profile.

Preferably, the visual recording means comprise a camera mountable on a vehicle traversable along the path extending along the roadway.

Conveniently, the path is constituted by a rail track, the vehicle being rail mounted.

Advantageously, the transverse preselected profile represents a desired minimum clearance with respect to the rail track.

By way of example only, one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan of a section of an underground mine roadway provided with a rail track and a rail mounted vehicle upon which is mounted a visual recording means; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the roadway showing the rail mounted vehicle and illustrating a desired minimum clearance profile around the vehicle; and Figure 3 is a view of a screen upon which is reproduced a recording made by the visual recording means simultaneously with a definition of visual references.

Figures 1 and 2 are views of an underground mine roadway 1 having a generally arched shaped boundary wail supported by a plurality of spaced generally arch shaped 'I' section roof supports 2 installed at preselected intervals along the length of the roadway.

A rail track 3 is installed along the roadway floor 4, the track constituting a preselected path extending along the roadway. In the drawings the track is shown extending along the centre line 6 of the roadway. However, the rail track may be installed at any desired location across the roadway floor.

A driven rail mounted vehicle 7 is mounted on the rail track 3 so as to traverse along the roadway along the preselected path. Visual recording means 10, comprising, for example, a video camera or a cine film camera is mounted on the front of the vehicle substantially over the centre line of the rail track. The visual recording means has an angie of vision of yO (as indicated in Figure 1).

With the vehicle stationary (as indicated in Figure 1) a base reference line A-D is marked transversely across the roadway at a preselected location point beyond where the recording means line of vision intersects the boundary wall of the roadway profile. Typically, the distance x from the recording means to the marked base reference is approximately six or seven meters. It is arranged that base reference line A-D is coincident with the base of one of the arch shaped roof supports 2', the recording means' line of vision intersecting the boundary wall at the next but one adjacent arch shaped roof support 2". The distance x between the base reference line A-D and the recording means is measured and recorded.

Knowing the width oi the vehicles travelling along the rail track 3 and also knowing the desired minimum side clearances (P and R in Figure 2) required on both sides of the vehicles it is possible to determine the location of points B and C on the base reference line A-D, the points B and C represent the intersection with the base reference line of the two imaginary lines B-B' and C' defining the desired minimum side clearance.

Once the points B and C are fixed by ground measurement from the rail track 3 two vertical poles are placed at B and C, the poles having a length equal to the length of the lines B-B' and C-C'. The length of B-B' and C-C' is determined by addition of the known height of the vehicles travelling along the track 3 and the known desired minimum clearance (Q in Figure 2) over the vehicles. With the vertical poles in position on parts B and C the visual recording means 10 mounted on the stationary vehicle 7 is actuated momentarily to record the view along the roadway including the base reference line A-D and the two visual references B-B' and C-C'.

Alternatively, one vertical pole may be used, the pole being first located at B-B' and subsequently at C-C'. In this case two separate actuations of the stationary visual recording means 10 is required.

Upon the base and visual references being recorded by the visual recording means 10, the vehicle 7 is traversed along the full length of the roadway 1 at a substantially constant speed with the visual recording means 10 continuously recording the roadway profile. Typically, the visual recording means is set to record at eight frames per second with the vehicle travelling at a substantially constant speed of approximately four meters per second.

Once the visual recording means 10 has traversed and recorded the full length of the roadway 1, recording is visually reproduced on a screen, the recording being viewed in association with overlay means adapted to define the visual reference on the screen simultaneously with the reproduced recording of the roadway profile.

Upon commencement of the visual reproduction the recording is halted at the point where the visual references appear at a distance x meters beyond the screen. The distance x meters being determined by counting the number of roof supports 2'. An overlay is placed in the reproducing means and the images of the base reference line A-D and of the two desired minimum side clearances lines B-B' and C-C' are marked on the outlay. In addition a line B'-C' representing the desired height clearance line is marked on the overlay. if desired the image of the arch shaped roof support 2' may be marked in the overlay although this is not essential.A view of the screen showing the roadway profile adjacent to roof support 2' and the images of the desired minimum clearance profile BB'C'CB is illustrated in Figure 3.

Once the overlay is marked with the visual reference images the reproduction of the recording is continued, the points A and D on the base reference line being aligned with the feet of each roof support as it appears on the screen at an apparent distance of x meters beyond the screen.

During the visual reproduction of the recording should the roadway profile appearing x meters beyond the screen enter the desired minimum clearance profile the operator then knows that insufficient desired minimum clearances around the vehicle exist and that repair of the associated portion of the roadway and/or realignment of the rail track is necessary.

In another embodiment of the invention the visual recording means comprises a cross-wire arrangement arranged such that an image of the cross-wire arrangement appears on the recording when visually reproduced. In addition the overlay is marked with a cross-wire arrangement initially aligned with the reproduced screen image of the cross-wire arrangement of the visual recording means. As the recording is reproduced any misalignment occurring between the screen images of the two cross-wire arrangements gives an indication of track misalignment.

From the above description it will be appreciated that the present invention provides an improved and relatively easy method of monitoring roadway profiles in underground mines.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a roadway profile with respect to a preselected path extending along the roadway, comprising the steps of making a base mark visual reference at a preselected transverse location across the roadway, making further visual reference defining a transverse preselected profile with respect to the portion of the path adjacent to the base reference, recording the visual references with visual recording means, traversing the visual recording means along the path extending along the roadway to record the road way profile, and visually reproducing the recording on a screen the recording being viewed in association with means adapted to define the visual references on the screen simultaneously with the reproduced recording of the roadway profile.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means adapted to define the visual references comprise an overlay marked to define the visual references on the screen.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the visual references are recorded with the visual recording means stationary.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the transverse preselected profile represents a desired minimum clearance with respect to the path extending along the roadway.

5. Apparatus for carrying out the method claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, comprising visual recording means traversable along the path extending along the roadway to record the roadway profile and capable of recording the visual references, visual reproducing means for reproducing the recording made by the visual recording means, the recording being visually reproduced on a screen, and means adapted to define the visual references on the screen simultaneously with the reproduced recording of the roadway profile.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which the means adapted to define the visual references comprise an overlay marked to define the visual references on the screen.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or 6, in which the visual recording means comprises a camera mountable on a vehicle traversable along the path extending along the roadway.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the path is constituted by a rail track, the vehicle being rail mounted.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which the transverse preselected profile represents a desired minimum clearance with respect to the rail track.

10. A method of monitoring a roadway profile with respect to a preselected path extending along the roadway, substantially as described herein and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11. Apparatus for carrying out the method of monitoring a roadway profile with respect to a preselected path extending along the roadway in any one of the preceding claims, substantially as described herein and as shown in the accompanying drawings.