GB2179313A - Improved pneumatic transporting/stowing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The unit which is suitable for installation in various locations for which previously-available stowing units cannot conveniently be used, comprises an air chamber chambers (10a and 10b) disposed parallel to a stower chamber (8). Each air chamber has an air inlet (11a, 11b) at or adjacent to its first end and a nozzle (13) is provided between the second end of the air chamber and the adjacent end of the stower chamber. The nozzle tapers towards the stower chamber. Comminuted solid material is introduced laterally into the stower chamber and is discharged, admixed with air, through an outlet (9) in the second end of the stower chamber. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved stowing unit The present invention is an improved unit for pneumatically transporting and stowing solid materials.

Within the mining industry, stowing units are used during the construction of mine roadways and in the subsequent excavation of coal orother mined pro- duct, for conveying comminuted debris to other parts of the mine for stowing. Such stowing units are described in United Kingdom Patent Specifications Nos.

1297787 and 2117340. In those specifications the stowing units described include an air inlet by means of which a jet of air is blown across a chamber into which comminuted debris is introduced, the debris being entrained in the air stream and thereby conveyed from the unit via a discharge or outlet pipe on the side of the unit opposite to that by which the air is introduced.

Stowing units of this type may be used in a wide range of situations and the unit described in Specification No.2117340 is specifically devised so as to operate in either of two opposed directions. However, situations are still encountered wherein the available stowing units cannot be installed orare not wholly suitable. For example, when the stowing unit is required for use in a narrow roadway orwhereforsome other reason an associated feed conveyor is mounted close againstthe side ofthe roadway, a straightthrough design of stowing unit is unsuitable. Again, if a coal-cutting unit is located adjacent to the conveyor at a point where the stowing unit is required to be installed, it is not possible to use a conventional stowing unit.

The stowing unit according to the present invention has therefore been devised for installation in such situations, although it can also be used in other, less critical positions.

According to the present invention, a unit for pneumaticallytransporting and/or stowing comminuted materials comprises an elongated air chamber having an air inlet ator nearer to a first end thereof, an elongated stower chamber disposed generally parallel to said air chamber, a nozzle providing communication between the second end of said air chamber and the adjacent (first) end of said stower chamber and tapering inwardly in the direction from said air chamberto said stowerchamber, an inletforadmitting comminuted solid material laterally into said stower chamber, and an outlet from said stower chamberforcomminuted material and airadmixed therewith, said outlet being located in the second end of said stowerchamber.

By virtue ofthe design ofthe stowing unitaccording to the present invention, the air inlet to the unit and the discharge outlet fo r the com min uted material and airare located atortowardsthesameend ofthe unit and access to the unit from its other end is unnecessary. The unit may therefore be sited for use close up againstthewall ofa mine roadway oradjacent another unit such as a coal cutting machine, in positionsforwhich previously available stowing units are unsuitable.

It is particularly preferred that the stowing chamber berounded,forexampleofsemi-circularorpart circular cross-section, at its bottom, so that the bottom ofthe chamber can be aligned with the discharge outlet and thereby assist transfer of the mixture of comminuted material and airthrough that outlet into a pipe by which the material is conveyed to a stowing point.

Preferably the nozzle and the discharge outlet are coaxially aligned and face each other at opposite ends ofthe stowing chamber.

The airchamberand the stowing chamber are, as indicated above, disposed generally parallel to each other. The air chamber may actuallysurround the stowing chamber or may be disposed side-by-side with the stowing chamber. In one form of the present invention,two air chambers are provided, disposed on opposite sides ofthe stowing chamber and both generally parallel to it, each of the air chambers having an air inlet at its first end and a common nozzle being provided leading into the stowing chamber.

The air supply to the unit maythen be fed to either of the air chambers via its respective inlet, the other inlet being temporarily closed off. In this way, the piping requiredtosupplytheairtothe unit may be disposed on either side of the unit, depending upon the location in which the stowing unit is to be used.

The air inlet into the airchamber is disposed atone end thereof or nearer to that end than to the end which is in communication with the stower chamber.

The inlet is preferably located in the end of the air chamber but may alternatively be in the side thereof.

The airsupplyto the inlet may in turn be fed axiallyto the inlet or, to providefurtherflexibility in placing the stowing unit, may be routed from either side of the inletorfrom above.

The stowing unit may be specifically adapted to be located below a conveyor, by means of which the comminuted mine debris is brought to the unit. For example, the debris may be introduced into the stowing chamberthrough an aperture in the deck-plate of a chain conveyor.

The invention will now be further described byway of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 7 is plan lisa planviewofafirstembodimentof stowing unit according to the present invention; Figure2 is a cross-section on the line ll-ll of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment of stowing unit according to the present invention; and Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, a stowing unit designated generally by the numeral 5 is secured beneath a chain conveyor 6. Material to be stowed is brought to the stowing unit on the deck-plate ofthe conveyor 6 and passes through an aperture 7 into a stowing chamber8. The bottom halfofthechamber8 is partcircularand is aligned with an outlet pipe connection 9 atone end ofthe chamber 8.

Surrounding the chamber 8 on two sides thereof is a chamber 10 which may be regarded as divided into two air chambers 1 Oa and lOb respectively. There- spective air chambers are provided with air inlets 1 la and 1 ib. An air pipe 12 is connected to inlet 11 a but can, if desired, be connected instead to inlet 11 bAt the end of the stowing chamber 8 remote from the inlets 1 la and 1 lb is a nozzle 13, tapering in towards the chamber8 and generally in alignmentwiththe outlet9.

In operation ofthis stowing unit, air is supplied by the pipe 12to one ofthe chambers 10a and 10b and is accelerated by the nozzle in passing into the stowing chamber8. lnthatchamber,theairstreamentrains the comminuted mine debris entering via the aperture 7 and conveys it via the outlet 9 and a flexible discharge hose (not shown) to the chosen site for stowage.

The second embodiment of stower unit according to the present invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 comprises asingle airchamber20 and stowing cham ber21. The bottom ofthe chamber 21 is rounded and aligned with a discharge pipe 22. The unit is mounted beneath a chain conveyor 23, in the deck ofwhich is an aperture 24through which material for conveying and stowing can fall intothe stowing chamber21.

Entry of material through the aperture 24 is regulated buy a power-operated sliding plate 25.

In operation of this second embodiment of stowing unit, airis supplied tothe unitvia an air pipe26, whence it flows via the air chamber 20 and through an inwardly-tapering nozzle 27 into the stowing cham ber21. In that latter chamber,the mine debris is entrained in the air stream and thereby conveyed via the discharge pipe 22 and a flexible discharge hose (not shown) to the site selected for stowing the debris.

Itwill readily be seen from the drawings and from the above description that the stowing unit of the present invention is particularly suitable in those situations where access to the rear ofthe unit is restricted or impossible.

Claims (10)

1. Aunitforpneumaticallytransportingand/or stowing comminuted materials, comprising an elongated air chamber having an air i nlet at or nea rer to a first end thereof, an elongated stower chamber disposed generally parallel to said air chamber, a nozzle providing communication between the second end of said airchamber and the adjacent (first) end of said stower chamber and tapering inwardly in the direc tionfrom said airchamberto said stowerchamber, an inletforadmitting comminuted solid material laterally into said stower chamber, and an outletfrom said stowerchamberfor comminuted material and air admixed therewith, said outlet being located in the second end of said stowerchamber.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stower chamber is rounded at its bottom and the rounded bottom is aligned with said outlet from the stower chamber.

3. A unit as claimed in either ofthe preceding claims, wherein said nozzle and said outlet are coa xiallyaligned at opposite ends of said stower chamber.

4. Aunitasclaimedin anyofthepreceding claims, wherein the air chamber surrounds the stow chamber.

5. A unit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air chamber and stower chamber are disposed side-by-side.

6. A unit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, having two air chambers, disposed on opposite sides of the stowerchamberand both generally parallel to it, each ofthe airchambers having an airinletat its first end and said air chambers having a common nozzle leading into said stower chamber.

7. A unit as claimed in claim 6, having meansto temporarily close off one of said two air inlets.

8. Aunitasclaimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the air inlet, or at least one ofthetwo air inlets, is located in the side ofthe air chamber adjacent to the first end thereof.

9. A unit as claimed in any of the preceding claims, adapted to receive said comminuted solid material directly from a conveyor.

10. Aunitforpneumaticallytransporting and/or stowing comminuted materials, said unit being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 and 40fthe accompanying drawings.