BRPI1014138B1 - method for removing excavated material from a mine pit during formation of the mine pit for an underground mine, method and apparatus for forming a mine pit for an underground mine - Google Patents

Abstract

Forming a well for an underground mine In forming a mine well for an underground mine, the earth excavated by a drilling machine (21) is carried upward by the handling unit (22) to a transfer station (33), where it is transferred to mine elevators (36) which are raised and lowered along mine elevator guides (38) within the pit hole (19) for transporting excavated material to a ground surface region. the transfer station (33) is moved downward as the excavation progresses.

Description

“METHOD FOR REMOVING EXCAVATED MATERIAL FROM A MINE WELL DURING THE FORMING OF THE MINE WELL FOR AN UNDERGROUND MINE, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A MINE WELL FOR AN UNDERGROUND MINE

Technical Field of the Invention [001] This invention relates to the formation of wells for underground mines. This has a particular, but not exclusive, application for the formation of a mine shaft through which access to underground mining activity and extraction of mined material is provided after the mine shaft has been formed, however it may also have application in the formation wells for other purposes, such as for use as ventilation shafts for underground mines.

Description of the State of the Art [002] Modern large block cave mines require significant time for their development and a very significant initial investment. Both of these factors contribute to their financial success in terms of net present value, which is extremely sensitive to the speed at which they can be put into operation. Deep cave mines require well access and the development of this well access forms the initial part of the mine development and is therefore directly on the critical design path, that is, until the initial wells are complete, no other underground activity development can be initiated.

Petition 870190071762, of 07/26/2019, p. 15/39

2/16 [003] Traditional well sinking operations are performed by drilling and detonating to excavate material in order to form an orifice and remove excavated material through a debris removal and transport system through which the material excavated is collected and deposited in buckets that are hoisted to the surface in cables that run to the gear and a winder installed on the surface of the mine. This debris removal and transport operation requires technically skilled operators and is inherently dangerous for miners who need to guide and operate the equipment at the bottom of the well as it is being formed. In addition, the speed at which excavated material can be removed is limited by the need to cease drilling and blasting operations, the difficulty of loading material of varying size into buckets and the limited speed at which buckets can be lifted and lowered, as they tend to move over very long cable lengths as the sinking progresses.

[004] There have been proposals to increase the speed at which the sinking can proceed with the use of earth-drilling machinery. For example, Sugden Patent No. 3,965,995, which discloses a proposal to use a cutting wheel that rotates around a horizontal tubular support, in which the cuts are directed to

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3/16 the tubular support to be received by an endless bucket that carries them upwards to a discharge station. Another example is US Patent No. 4,589,502 to Salter et al, which discloses a proposal to use a well sinking device that employs a land drilling machine that has a rotary cutting head and bucket carrier for loading the cuts to a feed container installed on the drilling machine from which the cuts can be fed to a bucket that is lifted by a crane to the ground surface. However, these prior art proposals still involve the direct filling of buckets, buckets and the operational speed and capacity of such systems are thus limited by the existence of such filling devices at the station, that is, if there is no filling device. at the unloading station for such earth-drilling machinery, the machines must temporarily cease cutting until another filling device is available. The present invention allows the development of a more efficient and more robust removal system that allows the continuous supply of excavated material for the continuity of such machines even if the filling devices are not at the station.

Summary of the invention

Petition 870190071762, of 07/26/2019, p. 17/39

[005] According to the invention, a method is provided for removing excavated material from a mine shaft during the formation of the mine shaft to an underground mine, comprising:

transporting material excavated upwardly on a substantially continuous basis from an excavation region of the well to a transfer station above the excavation region;

deposit the excavated material transported in at least one storage container located at the transfer station;

cyclically unload the distinct container loads of excavated material from the plurality of storage containers into a similar plurality of buckets associated one by one with the storage and movable containers up and down along bucket guides inside the bucket. well;

cyclically lift each bucket after it receives a separate load of excavated material container, from its respective container, to an earth surface region, unloading the excavated material load from the bucket in the surface region, and lower the bucket back to the transfer station to receive a separate additional container load

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5/16 of material from the respective associated container; and periodically repositioning the transfer station and storage containers in locations successively displaced down the well as the excavation progresses.

[006] There may be a pair of storage containers at the transfer station and a pair of buckets, movable up and down, inside the well along sequentially adjacent paths to receive the distinct loads of excavated material and to transport those loads up to the earth's surface region, and then to return down to the transfer station.

[007] Buckets can be restricted by respective bucket guides along paths arranged on a lateral segment of the well having a cross-sectional area less than 50% of the cross-sectional area of the well.

[008] The excavated material can be transported to the transfer station by a carrier associated with the transfer station.

[009] The conveyor may have a vertically movable lower end that is moved downward over a limited distance, as the excavation progresses, before moving the transfer station.

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6/16 [010] The periodic movement of the transfer station may be in response to the installation of the well casing extensions below the transfer station.

[011] The invention additionally provides a method for forming a mine shaft for an underground mine, comprising:

excavating the earth to form an orifice that extends downward from an earth surface region; and removing excavated material from the well by the method defined above.

[012] Earth excavation can be carried out by an earth drilling machine comprising a rotary cutting head.

[013] The hole can be progressively coated with a pit liner that incorporates a bucket guide, or each bucket, by installing bucket guide and successive lining extensions below the transfer station, in order to extend the coating. and the bucket guide in advance of repositioning the transfer station.

[014] The invention additionally provides an apparatus for the removal of excavated material from a mine pit during the formation of the well, comprising:

a conveyor for transporting the excavated material upwards from an excavation region to the transfer station;

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7/16 a plurality of storage containers located at the transfer station for receiving excavated material from an upper part of the conveyor, such that the excavated material transported is temporarily stored in the containers to build static loads other than excavated material container;

[015] A similar plurality of buckets associated one by one with storage and movable containers up and down in bucket guides inside the well, each to cyclically receive different container loads of material excavated from a respective container from storage to the transfer station, to transport this material to an earth surface region, to unload into the earth surface region and to return to the transfer station to receive additional excavated material.

[016] The invention also extends to the apparatus for forming a mine shaft for an underground mine, comprising:

a digger to excavate the earth to form an orifice that extends below an earth surface region; and an apparatus as defined above for removal of earth excavated by the excavator.

Brief Description of Drawings

Petition 870190071762, of 07/26/2019, p. 21/39

8/16 [017] In order for the invention to be fully explained, a particular modality will be described in detail with reference

to drawings attachments in which are: THE Figure 1 illustrates a system in sinking well built and operated in agreement with the present invention; THE Figure 2 it's a section transversal

vertical through the well sinking system;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section through an upper part of the system;

Figures 4 and 5 are horizontal cross sections through the top of the system; and

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the construction of a pair of buckets and bucket guides incorporated in the system.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Mode [018] The drawings illustrate a mine well drilling rig generally denoted as 20 located in a well bore 19. This rig comprises a drilling machine.

drilling 21 and a unit of handling in material excavated 22, willing above the Machine of drilling and operable for to receive O material

dug from the drilling machine and to transfer it to the buckets for transport to ground level and discharge at ground level to the appropriate transport equipment or other transport for disposal.

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9/16 [019] The earth drilling machine 21 has a rotary cutting head 23 fitted with cutters 25 and is mounted on the lower end of a main machine structure 26. The cutting head is rotatable about a vertical geometric axis of so the machine is operable to drill a hole usually in cylindrical shape. Bucket conveyors 45, 46 transport the excavated material from the cutting head upwards to the material handling unit 22, arranged above the drilling machine.

[020] The main machine structure 26 can be stabilized or locked in position within the drilled hole by the operation of hydraulically activated stabilizing jacks 27, 28, which operate the upper and lower grippers 29, 30 to secure the side walls of the well to stabilize the position of the drilling machine in the well. The drilling machine can be advanced downwards, by incrementally advancing the main structure 26 by operating the stabilizing jacks 27, 28 and grippers 29, 30 in a known manner.

[021] The material handling unit 22 comprises a galloway frame or main structure 31 formed by series of platforms or decks 31a interconnected by circumferentially spaced vertical screws 32.

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10/16 [022] The frame 31 can be lowered into the well by cables and is supported independently of the drilling machine 21.

[023] The material handling unit 22 comprises a material transfer station 33, including a pair of funnel-shaped storage containers 34 mounted side by side on the frame 31. The frame also supports a bucket conveyor 46, the which carries excavated material from the drilling machine 21 upwardly through the well to a location above the transfer station from which it unloads excavated material on discharge chutes 35 and into containers 34. Conveyor 46 is operated while the cutting head 23 is cutting to feed the excavated material into the containers and the material is discharged sequentially from the containers to a pair of buckets 36 lifted on cables 40 from the ground level and fitted with wheels 37 that run in vertical guides 38 adjusted to the well as described below.

[024] Buckets 36 can be arched gate bottom deposit boxes as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The top and bottom of each bucket are adjusted with two sets of wheels 37 to operate on three sides of the respective vertical guides 38. Each box is also fitted with lined 50 open channel rails

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11/16 with wear blocks to work along the guide.

[025] Buckets 36 are operated together so that as one bucket is lifted from the transfer station 33 to ground level, the other bucket is lowered to the loading station. When a bucket 36 reaches the loading station, the bottom floor of the respective container 34 is moved to discharge the material stored in the container through the discharge opening 39 into the bucket. The contents of the container quickly empty to discharge a predetermined distinct load of material into the elevator and the bottom door of the container is closed. Each container has enough capacity to accumulate material from the conveyor 46 as the bucket is lifted to the surface, its contents discharged through the opening of the arched bottom gate and the bucket lowered to the loading station to receive another load distinct from material.

[026] Buckets 36 are formed as rectangular containers, which are arranged so that they extend vertically along a side section or segment 52 of the well. This section of the well, which occupies considerably less than 50% of the cross section of the well, can be divided from the rest of the well space by the steel shape that carries the box guides 38

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12/16 and fitted to a well liner 42 installed inside the well as drilling progresses. Typically, the maximum width side segment 52 of the well cannot be more than about one third of the diameter of the well.

[027] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the well can be adjusted with air ducts 43 and an elevator or delivery bucket 44 for delivery of men and materials to the frame decks 34 and the main structure of the drilling machine, a central region 51 of the well that remains available as a lifting elevator compartment.

[028] Since buckets 36 are limited to operation on guides that are firmly anchored to the pit lining through form 41, they can have a very robust construction and can be raised and lowered along the guides and within the form protective much faster than the receptacles previously used to transmit the excavated material to the surface. The liner 42 can be formed of concrete and, to allow the progressive extension of the liner and guides to the buckets, the pit liner and box guides can be extended by installing successive liner and bucket guide extensions below the station transfer 33 while material is transported and transferred in advance of bucket movements in

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13/16 casing extensions as the well sinking progresses.

[029] As well drilling operations progress, the drilling machine can be advanced in successive increments through the alternating operation of the stabilizing jacks 27, 28 to allow the machine to move down into the hole. The bottom end of the conveyor is vertically extendable by the movement of a bottom turn 46a of the conveyor with the compensation movement of an upper turn 46b to allow the continuous transport of the material excavated by the conveyor to the transfer and discharge station in the hoppers 34 without move the transfer station as the cutting head of the drilling machine and the conveyor 45 move a limited distance. During that time, an extension of the well liner 42 (not shown) can be installed below the transfer station, more specifically, on the platforms or decks immediately below the lower positions of the boxes 36 in the liner installation zone 90 during the transfer. material flow and lifting operations.

[030] The coating can be installed by spraying concrete directly over the drilled hole through a thin line that extends from the

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14/16 surface and supplying the concrete through a distributor to one or more, typically two, manually operated application hoses. Alternatively, the concrete can be poured into the form instead of being sprinkled or the coating can be assembled from pre-molded components and fixed to the wall by screwing or other convenient means. Bucket guide extensions and bucket guide shape can then be installed so that they are firmly anchored to the liner. The unit 22 can then be lowered so that the loading station is lowered and the buckets 36 allowed to operate on the guides extended within the extended liner. If the coating is applied wetly to the orifice drilled by sprinkling or other means, sufficient time will be required to allow the concrete to cure before the loading station is lowered.

[031] Since the transfer station is supported independently of the drilling machine, it can be moved in incremental steps or substantially continuous movements, which may or may not be combined with the movements of the drilling machine. Typically such movements will be in response to the need for replacement to make another extension of the well casing.

[032] The invention allows the development of a system for lifting and

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15/16 material transfer as the orifice advances with the use of buckets that can be robust and can be lifted and lowered more quickly than buckets and other unguided receptacles. The illustrated system is capable of moving the excavated material at a rate equal to that required for the removal of material in an operating mine. Capacity will depend on the size of the lift on the surface and the depth of the well, but a typical installation should be able to move at least 4,500 tonnes of excavated material per day. In this way, the transfer station and bucket lifting equipment as installed during the well sinking operation can be left in position and subsequently used to remove material from a subsequently developed operating mine.

[033] The illustrated system has been advanced by way of example only, and can be modified considerably to include various bucket guide arrangements. Various types of drilling machines can be used in an apparatus or method in accordance with the invention. Such drilling machines can use various types of cutters or they can employ hydraulic excavation or other types of excavation. Excavation can be carried out alternatively by means of drilling and low-energy blasting operations, for example, drilling small, closely spaced holes filled with low-energy charges. Excavated material can be

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16/16 collected for transport to the transfer station by any appropriate means such as by transporting aqueous paste. It would also be possible to install a material sizing unit on the excavator to crush or otherwise size the excavated material to a condition suitable for loading to the bottom end of the conveyor that carries the material to the transfer station.

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Claims (14)

1. A method for removing excavated material from a mine shaft during the formation of the mine shaft to an underground mine, comprising: transporting the excavated material upward on a substantially continuous basis from an excavation region of the well to a transfer station (33) above the excavation region; depositing the excavated material transported in one of a plurality of storage containers (34) located at the transfer station (33); intermittently unload excavated material from one of the plurality of storage containers (34) into one of a similar plurality of movable buckets (36) up and down along bucket guides (38) inside the well to deposit a discreet load of excavated material into the bucket (36); hoisting one of the similar plurality of bucket (36) upwards through the well to a land surface region; unload the load of excavated material from one of the similar plurality of buckets (36) in the surface region and lower one of the plurality of buckets (36) back to the transfer station (33) to receive an additional discrete container load of material from the storage container (34); and move the transfer station (33) and storage containers (34) periodically Petition 870190071762, of 07/26/2019, p. 31/39 2/6 down into the well, as the excavation progresses, whereby buckets (36) are lowered and lifted through the well to receive and transport material from the containers (34); the method being characterized by transporting the excavated material to the transfer station (33) through a conveyor (46) associated with the transfer station (33); and the conveyor (46) has a vertically movable lower end, which is moved downward by a limited distance as the excavation progresses between the periodic repositioning of the transfer station (33). Method according to claim 1, characterized by providing a pair of storage containers (34) at the transfer station (33) and a pair of buckets (36) movable up and down in the well along paths adjacent sequentially to receive the discrete container loads of excavated material and to transport these loads to the earth surface region for discharge into the earth surface region and return down to the transfer station (33). Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by restricting the buckets (36) by the respective bucket guides (38) to move along paths arranged within a lateral segment of the well having a smaller cross-sectional area than 50% of the well's transverse area. 4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Petition 870190071762, of 07/26/2019, p. 32/39 3/6 periodic repositioning of the transfer station (33) is in response to the installation of well casing extensions below the transfer station (33). 5. Method for forming a mine shaft for an underground mine, characterized by comprising: excavating earth to form an orifice extending downward from an earth surface region; and removing excavated material from the well using a method of the type defined in any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. Method according to claim 5, characterized by carrying out the excavation of earth by an earth-drilling machine (20). 7. Method, in wake up with The claim 6, characterized through the machine in drilling of earth (20) understand a head in rotary cut . 8. Method, in wake up with The claim 7, featured fur head in rotary cut have a series of cut elements rotated around a horizontal geometric axis to excavate material from the ground. Method according to claim 8, characterized by rotating the rotary cutting head about a vertical geometric axis so as to drill a generally cylindrical hole. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by Petition 870190071762, of 07/26/2019, p. 33/39 4/6 progressively coat the hole with a well liner (42) incorporating bucket guides (38) for installing successive liners and bucket guide extensions below the transfer station (33) in order to extend the liner (42) and the bucket guides (38) in downward repositioning advance of the transfer station (33). 11. Apparatus (20) for forming a mine shaft for an underground mine, comprising: an excavator for excavating earth to form an orifice extending downwardly from an earth surface region, and an apparatus for removing material excavated from a mine shaft during well formation, the apparatus for removing material excavated from of a mine shaft during well formation comprising: a conveyor (46) for transporting material excavated upwards from an excavation region to a transfer station (33); a plurality of storage containers (34) located at the transfer station (33) for receiving excavated material from an upper part of the conveyor (46), such that excavated excavated material is temporarily stored in the containers (34) to build loads of discrete static containers of excavated material; a similar plurality of buckets (36) associated one by one with the storage containers (34) and movable up and down Petition 870190071762, of 07/26/2019, p. 34/39 5/6 on bucket guides (38) inside the well, each cyclically, to receive discrete container loads of material excavated from one of the respective storage containers (34) at the transfer station (33), to transport this material for an earth surface region for discharge into the surface region and to return to the transfer station (33) to receive additional excavated material; characterized by the fact that the excavator is operable to move down into the mine shaft, regardless of the transfer station (33), and the conveyor (46) has a lower end that is vertically movable over a limited distance to continue receiving material excavated during downward movement of the excavator relative to the transfer station (33). Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that a pair of storage containers (34) and a pair of buckets (36) is provided. 13. Apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized by the fact that the buckets (36) are restricted by the respective bucket guides (38) to move along paths arranged within a lateral segment of the well having a transversal area less than 50% of the well. Apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the excavator comprises a rotary cutting head. Petition 870190071762, of 07/26/2019, p. 35/39 6/6 Apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the rotary cutting head has a series of rotating earth cutters around a generally horizontal geometric axis. 16. Apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the rotary cutting head is rotatable about a vertical geometric axis so as to form a generally cylindrical orifice. 17. Device, in according to any an of claims 11 to 16, featured fur fact in that the containers in storage (34) are loaded onto a supportable structure on a support structure, operable to periodically reposition the structure and storage containers (34) in new locations successively arranged downwardly.