Monorail Conveyor Belt Advance and Structure Installation System for Underground Mining |
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申请号 | US14678500 | 申请日 | 2015-04-03 | 公开(公告)号 | US20160009496A1 | 公开(公告)日 | 2016-01-14 |
申请人 | Gordon Gordon; | 发明人 | Gordon Gordon; | ||||
摘要 | The present invention provides a method of installing a conveyor belt in an underground mine comprising the steps of installing a monorail in the mine, mounting at least two conveyor belt cradles on said monorail, coupling at least two of the conveyor belt cradles by a chain of predetermined length, coupling a conveyor belt to said conveyor belt cradles, coupling at least one conveyor belt cradle to an end roller, and moving the end roller to a predetermined point in the mine, wherein said moving the end roller pulls the conveyor belt cradles apart by the predetermined length, positioning the cradles in a desired location in the mine. | ||||||
权利要求 | |||||||
说明书全文 | This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 61/979,379, filed Apr. 14, 2014, and 62/061,543, filed Oct. 8, 2014, the disclosures and teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present invention relates generally to a system and method for transporting coal and other materials in a coal mine. The invention provides a series of metal frames compressed together which are separated to create a networked structure inside of the mine. Coal is a major energy source used widely around the world. While there are several methods for mining coal, longwall mining is among the most popular. Longwall coal mining involves a cutting head that moves back and forth across a panel of coal that can be hundreds of feet wide and over a mile deep. The coal cut from the panel falls onto a conveyor belt, where it is removed from the mine. While the conveyor belts greatly ease the difficulty of transporting coal, installing the structure of the belt is a time consuming process that inevitably delays the coal mining process. The invented system reduces the time required to install the conveyor belt system by providing a prefabricated support frame system that is installed in one motion. At the time of mining, the invented prefabricated system simply needs to be expanded and secured in place. Also, because the support frames are connected and installed together, the invented system easily centers itself. These advantages result in reducing the time required to install the conveyor belt system by up to seventy-five percent, leaving more time in a shift for mining and increasing productivity, To the Applicant's knowledge, no prior art exists that provides a prefabricated, compressed conveyor belt structure for the use of decreasing time required to mine resources. Thus, is advantageous to provide a system and method with such features. The present invention provides a method of installing a conveyor belt in an underground mine comprising the steps of installing a monorail in the mine, mounting at least two conveyor belt cradles on said monorail, coupling at least two of the conveyor belt cradles by a chain of predetermined length, coupling a conveyor belt to said conveyor belt cradles, coupling at least one conveyor belt cradle to an end roller, and moving the end roller to a predetermined point in the mine, wherein said moving the end roller pulls the conveyor belt cradles apart by the predetermined length, positioning the cradles in a desired location in the mine. Description will now be given of the invention with reference to the attached The invention is a monorail system for installing a conveyor belt structure in an underground mine. As can be seen in As seen in The monorail 10, or track, is preferably a six inch wide I-beam with hangers 12 on its top surface. The monorail 10 is installed at the roof of the mine as seen in To use the invention, a end roller possibly integrated with a moving mechanism, such as a tram, feeder/crusher, or tail piece, is attached to the front of the network of cradles. When an operator is ready to install the invention, the end roller coupled to the moving mechanism moves forward, pulling the cradles 20 along with it. This movement separates the cradles 20 to the point allowed by their connecting chain 28. Finally, the network of cradles ends at the required point, leaving a system of supports in place for the conveyor belt beneath the monorail track. In the preferred embodiments that include leveling legs, an operator will at this point return to each cradle and lower and secure the leveling legs. The belt may then begin rotating and transporting materials as desired. It is preferred that the structure of the system is built around the running belt. Yet, because the belt runs at high speeds, roughly six hundred feet per minute in the example embodiment depicted in the Figures, this approach can be dangerous. To prevent the risk of harm, the preferred embodiments include a mechanism for containing the belt at the building site, as depicted in It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular feature or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. |