GB2096203A - Mine support - Google Patents

Abstract

A mine support consisting of a tapered load supporting member (10) and a plastics sleeve (12) surrounding the support member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mine support This invention relates to mine supports such as those used in underground mining to support the hanging wall of an excavation, tunnel or slope.

Props which yield progressively as the load on them increases, without sudden collapse, are an essential accessory in mining. This means that the prop must maintain substantial symmetry about its axis as it yields, and not bend. This requirement becomes more difficult to attain the longer the prop, and current mining practice in which stope and tunnel heights tend to be increased over past practice calls for longer props.

It is an object of the invention to provide a prop which is effective for hanging-wall heights in excess of what has hitherto been regarded as the norm. Another object is to provide a prop which, despite a longer than normal length, is light enough to be handled without undue effort, and which is, moverover, competitive in price.

A mine support according to the invention includes an elongate load supporting member which is tapered over at least a portion of its length towards one end and a sleeve of plastics material surrounding the support member and extending over a substantial portion of its length.

Preferably, the sleeve extends over a substantial portion of the length of the tapered portion of the support member.

Further according to the invention the plastics material of the sleeve is reinforced. Suitabie sleeve reinforcing material is glass fibre which may be applied to the load supporting element in any suitable way. The sleeve conveniently includes longitudinal reinforcing, for example as described in the specification of the U.K. patent application No. 80 1 5382. The reinforcing may consist of glass, carbon, boron, kevlar or the like fibre filaments.

Alternatively, the sleeve could be made in the same manner on a mandrel which is separately complementally shaped to the support member and subsequently applied in its finished form to a preshaped load support member.

The plastic material of the sleeve may be one or more synthetic resins such as polyester, epoxy, vinyl, and the like.

The load support element is preferably a suitable timber element with the direction of its grain lying in the axial direction of the element.

The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the support of the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the load supporting element of a second embodiment of the support of the invention.

The mine support of Figure 1 is shown in the drawings to consist of a timber load resisting element 10 and a reinforced plastics sleeve 12.

The timber element, as seen in the drawing, is uniformly tapered from its one end to the other.

The slope of taper may lie between 1 in 1 5 and 1 in 30 but is preferably closer to 1 in 30. The diameter of the smaller end of the support may be about 140 mm.

The sleeve 1 2 may either be made directly onto the element 10, or alternatively, on a complementally shaped mandrel or by any other suitable forming method and subsequently pressed onto the shaped element 1 0.

The sleeve is made in any suitable way and in its preferred form consists of polyester resin which is reinforced both circumferentially and longitudinally by glass fibre rovings. The length of the sleeve approximates that of the support member.

The purpose of the taper of the support member is progressively to increase the load supporting ability of the support as it is crushed longitudinally under load in use and to ensure progressive disintegration of the support from its end of lesser cross-section.

In the embodiment of the timber element illustrated in Figure 2 the element is tapered at the same angle of taper as the Figure 1 embodiment over only a portion of its length 14. The sleeve of this support is complementally shaped to the element 10 and as with the sleeve of Figure 1 may be made directly onto the element 10 or as a separate component.

The invention is not limited to the precise constructional details as herein described and the tapered portion 14 of the Figure 2 support could be longer or shorter than that illustrated in the drawing. Additionally, the slope of taper of the element 10 and its dimensions may be varied to suit specific applications of the support.

1. A mine support which includes an elongate load supporting member which is tapered over at least a portion of its length towards one end and a sleeve of plastics material surrounding the support member and extending over a substantial portion of its length.

2. A mine support according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve extends over a substantial portion of the length of the tapered portion of the support member.

3. A mine support according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the plastics material of the sleeve is reinforced.

4. A mine support according to claim 3 wherein the reinforcing consists of one or more of glass, carbon, boron, kevlar, or the like fibre filaments.

5. A mine support according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the plastics material consists of one or more synthetic resins such as polyester, epoxy, vinyl, and the like.

6. A mine support according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the sleeve is separably complementally shaped to the support member and subsequently applied in its finished form to a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Mine support This invention relates to mine supports such as those used in underground mining to support the hanging wall of an excavation, tunnel or slope. Props which yield progressively as the load on them increases, without sudden collapse, are an essential accessory in mining. This means that the prop must maintain substantial symmetry about its axis as it yields, and not bend. This requirement becomes more difficult to attain the longer the prop, and current mining practice in which stope and tunnel heights tend to be increased over past practice calls for longer props. It is an object of the invention to provide a prop which is effective for hanging-wall heights in excess of what has hitherto been regarded as the norm. Another object is to provide a prop which, despite a longer than normal length, is light enough to be handled without undue effort, and which is, moverover, competitive in price. A mine support according to the invention includes an elongate load supporting member which is tapered over at least a portion of its length towards one end and a sleeve of plastics material surrounding the support member and extending over a substantial portion of its length. Preferably, the sleeve extends over a substantial portion of the length of the tapered portion of the support member. Further according to the invention the plastics material of the sleeve is reinforced. Suitabie sleeve reinforcing material is glass fibre which may be applied to the load supporting element in any suitable way. The sleeve conveniently includes longitudinal reinforcing, for example as described in the specification of the U.K. patent application No. 80 1 5382. The reinforcing may consist of glass, carbon, boron, kevlar or the like fibre filaments. Alternatively, the sleeve could be made in the same manner on a mandrel which is separately complementally shaped to the support member and subsequently applied in its finished form to a preshaped load support member. The plastic material of the sleeve may be one or more synthetic resins such as polyester, epoxy, vinyl, and the like. The load support element is preferably a suitable timber element with the direction of its grain lying in the axial direction of the element. The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the support of the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the load supporting element of a second embodiment of the support of the invention. The mine support of Figure 1 is shown in the drawings to consist of a timber load resisting element 10 and a reinforced plastics sleeve 12. The timber element, as seen in the drawing, is uniformly tapered from its one end to the other. The slope of taper may lie between 1 in 1 5 and 1 in 30 but is preferably closer to 1 in 30. The diameter of the smaller end of the support may be about 140 mm. The sleeve 1 2 may either be made directly onto the element 10, or alternatively, on a complementally shaped mandrel or by any other suitable forming method and subsequently pressed onto the shaped element 1 0. The sleeve is made in any suitable way and in its preferred form consists of polyester resin which is reinforced both circumferentially and longitudinally by glass fibre rovings. The length of the sleeve approximates that of the support member. The purpose of the taper of the support member is progressively to increase the load supporting ability of the support as it is crushed longitudinally under load in use and to ensure progressive disintegration of the support from its end of lesser cross-section. In the embodiment of the timber element illustrated in Figure 2 the element is tapered at the same angle of taper as the Figure 1 embodiment over only a portion of its length 14. The sleeve of this support is complementally shaped to the element 10 and as with the sleeve of Figure 1 may be made directly onto the element 10 or as a separate component. The invention is not limited to the precise constructional details as herein described and the tapered portion 14 of the Figure 2 support could be longer or shorter than that illustrated in the drawing. Additionally, the slope of taper of the element 10 and its dimensions may be varied to suit specific applications of the support. CLAIMS

1. A mine support which includes an elongate load supporting member which is tapered over at least a portion of its length towards one end and a sleeve of plastics material surrounding the support member and extending over a substantial portion of its length.

2. A mine support according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve extends over a substantial portion of the length of the tapered portion of the support member.

3. A mine support according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the plastics material of the sleeve is reinforced.

4. A mine support according to claim 3 wherein the reinforcing consists of one or more of glass, carbon, boron, kevlar, or the like fibre filaments.

5. A mine support according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the plastics material consists of one or more synthetic resins such as polyester, epoxy, vinyl, and the like.

6. A mine support according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the sleeve is separably complementally shaped to the support member and subsequently applied in its finished form to a pre-shaped load support member.

7. A mine support according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the load supporting member is a timber element with the direction of its grain lying in the axial direction of the element.

8. A mine support substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the drawings.