GB2165574A

GB2165574A - Mine roof supports with anti toppling device

Info

Publication number: GB2165574A
Application number: GB08425932A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Francis Tristram; Richard Arthur Naylor; Peter John Green; Philip George Carmichael
Original assignee: DOWTY HUCKNALL Ltd
Current assignee: DOWTY HUCKNALL Ltd
Priority date: 1984-10-13
Filing date: 1984-10-13
Publication date: 1986-04-16
Also published as: GB8425932D0; GB2165574B

Abstract

A mine roof support system in which two adjacent, side-by-side, roof supports 3, 6 are interconnected by a ram and slider linkage to prevent that support not set against the mine roof from toppling over on, or sliding down, a sloping mine floor. The linkage includes a slider rail 1 carried by support 3, and a claw rail 4, carried by support 6, in which rail 1 is slidable. At least two arms 9, (10 Fig 2) are disposed transversely of the supports, are spaced apart lengthwise thereof and at one end thereof are each suitably connected to claw rail 4. At least two rams 19 (20 Fig 2) are carried by support 6, and the output member 17, (18 Fig 2) of each ram is connected to a respective arm 9, (10 Fig 2) at the other end thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Roof supports suitable for use in mines This invention relates to roof supports suitable for use in mines for supporting the mine roof during mineral mining operations.

In such mines the mineral faces thereof in some circumstances traverse a gradient, for example of up to 1:1, or even steeper. This imposes severe stability problems upon the roof supports at such faces because when a support is lowered for advancing there is a tendency for it to topple over sideways on the sloping floor or to slide down the floor. Also, adjustment in the position of the support and its attitude in relation to the face following advancing can frequently cause toppling over and/or sliding thereof down the slope.

Hitherto, in an attempt to overcome the above problems, swinging hydraulic rams have been pivotally-connected between adjacent supports. However this arrangement has resulted in the advancing supports moving in the arc of the swinging rams.

Further adjustment of the side-to-side position of the advancing support has often involved the imparting of a forward or rearward force to the canopy of that support, hence affording fore and aft stability of the support.

The invention as claimed is intended to provide a remedy. It solves the problem of how to so interconnect two adjacent roof supports as to resist the toppling over of either support or the sliding of either support down a sloping mine floor upon which the supports are placed.

According to this invention two adjacent roof supports suitable for use in mines and intended to be disposed side-by-side at a mineral face are interconnected by a ram and slider linkage to ensure that, with the supports positioned on a sloping mine floor and one of said supports set against the mine roof while the other is lowered from the mine roof, said other support is prevented from inadvertently toppling over or sliding down said sloping floor, said ram and slider linkage including a slider rail carried by one of said supports and extending in a lengthwise direction thereof, a claw rail which is carried by the other of said supports, which extends in a lengthwise direction thereof and in which said slider rail is slidable, at least two arms which are disposed transversely of said supports, which are spaced apart lengthwise of said supports, and which at one end thereof are each suitably connected to said claw rail, and at least two rams which are carried by said other support, the output member of each said ram being connected to a respective said arm at the other end thereof.

Preferably the output member of each said ram is connected to its said arm through the intermediary of a respective slider carried in support means mounted on said support.

Preferably also each said arm is connected to said claw rail through the intermediary of a respective outer claw.

Each said arm may be of cranked shape in a vertical plane or a substantially vertical plane.

Atie bar may be pivotally-connected at one end to said claw rail and at its other end to said other support, lying between said supports and being disposed generally parallel thereto.

The advantages offered by the invention are mainly that, as a result of the geometry of the ram and slider linkage, that support which is lowered from the roof will be prevented from inadvertently toppling over, or sliding down, a sloping mine floor, and also when a support is advanced it will be caused to move in a straight line or substantially so.

One way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate only one specific embodiment, in which: Figure lisa front elevation of two adjacent roof supports in a mine, and Figure 2 is an enlarged and partial view taken on the underside of the roof-engageable canopies of the two supports shown in Figure 1.

With reference to the drawings the slider rail 1 secured to the canopy 2 of roof support 3 is of T-shaped cross-section. This rail extends in the lengthwise direction of that canopy and is slidingly received by a claw rail 4which is carried by and which extends in the lengthwise direction of the canopy 5 of the adjacent roof support 6. Claw rail 4 is carried by support 6 by means of two outer claws 7, 8 which themselves are connected to one end of respective arms 9, 10 disposed transversely of the supports and spaced apart longitudinally thereof.

These arms are each of cranked shape in a vertical or substantially vertical plane as shown in Figure 1.At their other ends the arms 9, 10 are each pivotallyconnected at 11, 12 to a respective slider 13, 14 carried by support means 15, 16 attached to the underside of canopy 5.

The outer members 17, 18 of hydraulicallyoperable rams 19,20 are respectively pivotallyconnected at 21, to sliders 13,14. Rams 19,20 are, as shown, disposed transversely of canopy 5.

Atie bar 23 is pivotally-connected at 24 at one end thereof to claw rail 4 and at 25 at its other end to a bracket 26 fast with the underside of canopy 5.

When either support 3 or 6 is lowered from the roof and is advanced while the canopy of the other support is in load supporting engagement with the mine roof the rail 1 and claw rail 4 are caused to slide relatively one with respect to the other. The claw rail is machined from solid metallic material to produce a smooth and flat mating surface which affords smooth relative movement of the supports. The tie bar 23 ensures that the fore and aft forces are not transferred into the arms 9, 10.

The ram and slider linkage described is such that as the supports are operated the advancing support will move in a straight line, or substantially so.

The lowered support can be safely adjusted whether it is uphill or downhill, or staggered, in relation to its adjacent support.

Depending on the operation of the rams 19,20, the arms 9, 10 and claws 7,8 will in this embodiment allow the rails to adopt any angle between the adjacent supports up to 30 and will accommodate relative vertical displacement up to 250mm. The rams may be operable equally and simultaneously for parallel relationship of the supports or differen tially for steering as necessaryfor repositioning during advancing.

Claims

1. A roof support system suitable for use in mines in which two adjacent roof supports intended to be disposed side-by-side at a mineral face are interconnected by a ram and slider linkage to ensure that, with the supports positioned on a sloping mine floor and one of said supports set against the mine roof while the other is lowered from the mine roof, said other support is prevented from inadvertently toppling over or sliding down said sloping floor, said ram and slider linkage including a slider rail carried by one of said supports and extending in a lengthwise direction thereof, a claw rail which is carried by the other of said supports, which extends in a lengthwise direction thereof and in which said slider rail is slidable, at least two arms which are disposed transversely of said supports, which are spaced apart lengthwise of said supports, and which at one end thereof are each suitably connected to said claw rail, and at least two rams which are carried by said other support, the output member of each said ram being connected to a respective said arm at the other end thereof.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output member of each said ram is connected to its said arm through the intermediary of a respective slider carried in support means mounted on said support.

3. A system as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each said arm is connected to said claw rail through the intermediary of a respective outer claw.

4. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each said arm is of cranked shape in a vertical or a substantially vertical plane.

5. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a tie bar is pivotallyconnected at one end to said claw rail and at its other end to said other support, lying between said supports and being disposed parallel or substantial lyparalleithereto.

6. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said rams are hydraulically-operable.

7. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said slider rail is of T-shaped cross-section.

8. A roof support system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A ram and slider linkage, suitable for interconnecting two adjacent roof supports intended for use in a mine, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.