US1661238A - Rock pack, pillar, or like support for use in mine workings - Google Patents

Description

March 6, 1928. v J. sLoAN ROCK PACK, PILLAR, OR LIKE SUPPORT FOR USE IN MINE WORKINGS Filed March 511-. 1926 Patented Mar. 6, 1928. i 1

UNITED STATES V v 1,661,238 ATEN T JOHN SLOAN, or lTOI-IANNESBURG, TRA svAnnsoU'r AFRICA.

ROCK PACK, PILLAR, on LIKE surron r non use IN MINE WORKINGS.

ApplicationfiledMarcli 31, 1926,,Seria1 No. 98,920, and in the Union of .South Africa May 30, .1925

. 77 or structure commonly known as'a pigsty pack.

provide means whereby a pack or similar supporting structure of the kind 'herembefore referred tocan be built pr constructed, which will be more eflicient than ex isting packs, and considerablydess expensive to erect than packs constructed accord- 'ing to existing methods or designs, as the use of timber can-be dispensed with or the quantity reduced to a minimum, 7

A pack, pillaror like structure according to this invention may be, of triangular,

square, polygonal,-circular, oval, or of any other suitableand preferred shape in-crosssection, and of uniform cross-sectional area, or of any other suitable and preferred form.

In the construction of the rock pack, pillar or like structural employ a flexible w re netting or the like, which-expression is to be understood as including w1re netting, screening, et' cetera, in whichthe wires are twisted, woven or otherwise interlaced, intertwined, interlocked, or tied to form a mesh or spaces between the wires or strands of the netting, et cetera; also tlieinaterial com monly known as expanded metal, in which sheet metal is cut and then expanded or drawn out to form openings or apertures be tween the strips formed by the cuts or'slits; and also any similar construction or network made of hoop iron or strips of-metal. V The netting, et cetera, may be of any desired and suitable mesh or size of. aperture or opening, and the wire or the like employed in its manufacture be of anysuitable gauge or thickness; The netting, et cetera, may be made of single Wires throughout, or

have several groups of wires,'; the wires of each group being arranged parallel, or twisted, or otherwise connected together, placed along the edges or/and [intermediate the edges, with or without strengthening orrein forcing wires, or groups of Wires, arranged vertically, horizontally, diagonally or other;

wise of the netting, et cetera.

The wire netting, et-cetera, is made of'such dimensions or width and lengthas to enclose The object of the present invention is to;

. material-in position.

which is to be filledwith the'waste rockjori other material inconstructing the pack, pil- -lar .or'like support. Thewire netting, et

I cetera, cage or structure can be built up of anumber of widths of netting connected together along their adjacent edges or selvedges by Wiring, or by wire or other suitable .vfastenings. q c 5 Y If desiredor found requisite, as forex ample in the case of large packs, et cetera,

"wire stays or ties maybe provided extendingiacr-ossthespace enclosed-by the wire netting cage or structure,- and be arrangedto extend from side to side,;and consistzof oneor more parallel or twisted wires of suitable gauge attached in any convenient mani strengthin the completed structureor cage,

The wire or Wires used [in the construction of the nettingor the like will be of such gauge or thickness as to alford the requisite and the size ofythemesh will to some extent depend upon the size, of the pieces of waste rock to be usedasthe packing. I

.If founddesirablethe wire structure skeleton cage and packing material may be additionally supported or bound by arrang- -or I ing on .the footwallj or floor of the enclosed necessary or considered desirable, the :'-adfditional support or binding could be] eX- tended down the opposite side of the wire structure and,-if desired, continued on the footwall forany suitable distance,the edges or; overlapping portions on the 'footwall being appropriately connected or fastened to- 'gether, This additional support would be .more particularly suitablefor use in the constructionof a pack in'asteeply inclined stope, where the portion of same positioned at thelower side l'of the stope would serve to keep the packingfmaterial from falling out ofposition and down the stope until the pressure of the superincumbent hanging wall tightened the pack and retained the packing I The Wirenetting or the like will preferably be made complete before constructing the cag for facilitating its erection'in ost.

ners or around the structure.

tion in the mine working. It may-be made in the form of a coil like ordinary wire netting, or it may be made in panels or rec- I tangular pieces of suitable length and width to erect square, rectangular, or other shaped packs, or be made in suitably curved sections to suit circular, oval,,or similar packs.

For the purpose of erecting the wire netting or like cage or structure, three, four, or any other desired or requisite number of uprights, posts, standards, or poles of timber 'or other material may be employed, arranged between and more or less at right angles to the hanging wall and foot wall, or root and floor-10f the stope, et cetera. These posts or uprights will preferably be of a length approximately equal to the height of the hanging wall, or, the distance between'the'foot and hanging walls or the stope, et cetera, and they willhe ofsuitable diameter or thickness. The, posts or uprights will be secured in. position between the foot and hanging walls by suitable means, such as, for example, wedges or the like driven in between the ends of the posts and the foot wall and/or hanging wall. i

The uprights or posts may be arranged so that they lie either within or without the wire structure, at the corners of such structure or in any position intermediate the cor- These poles or posts will serve as a guide or support in the erection of the cage or structure, the latter being suitably attached to said posts.

The wire net-ting, et cetera,rwill be attached to the standards or posts by any convenient means, such as, for example, flexible wire, nails or staples. The ends of the wire netting will be brought together and.

connected also in any suitable and convenient manner as by twisting the wires or strands together or around each other.

In place of the wire netting or the like, one or more stout wires may be wound around or attached to the outside or inside i of each of thepoles and be extended or car'- ried between the poles, and be arranged in the form of a spiral or as. separate windings attached'tothe spiral windings or rings by flexible wires or other suitable means. A wire cage or structure consisting of the spiral or separate windings or rings with the distancing wires may also have incorporated in it -further diagonal or other wires twisted or otherwise suitably secured to the main wires to term a mesh of any desired size.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, I illustrate several practical embodiments of my invention In the drawings Fig. l is an isometric projection of one embodiment ofthe invention arranged in a level steps or similar mine working.v

Fig. 2 is an isometric projection of another embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 3 is an isometric projection of one form of the'wire netting, et cetera, structure for additionally supporting the form of the invention shownin Fig. 1, when the latter is used in an inclined mine stope or, the like.

As illustrated in Fig. 1 inwhich a square or rectangular wire netting cage or structure is shown, adapted for'the erect-ion or building up of a similarly shapedpaek, the- 1mm- 'erals 1, 2, 3, 4, represent the four corner posts or uprights inside and between which the1w1re netting or like structure or cage 1s built. In this construction, the wire structure or 'cageincludes the parallel longitudi- 6, shown threaded or interlaced with. th

wires'5 the manner common; in the manufacture ofsome forms of WlIG netting.

Twisted or otherwise attached aroundthe wiresj5, 6, are the'thinner wires? which, with the wires 5, 6, form the mesh of the netting. Although in Fig' 1' 'I show-a portion only of'the wires 7 for-the sake 01" clearness, it is: to be understood that'with this form. or embodiment ot the invention the,

whole structure would include the wires 7.

nal wires 5 and the transverse or cross wires.

The longitudinal wires 5 and the transverse or cross wires 6- at the back and sides of the structure are shown broken away. to make the figure more readily understood.

' The top and bottom edges or selvedges 8 preferably consist, as shown, :of; two (or more) wires to stiffen. and strengthen the 7 said edges and, if desired, at one or more pointsintermediate the edges or selvedges 8 the netting may be stiiiened' and reinrorced by a plurality of Wires.

Thecage or structure shownin this figure consists'of two widths of .wire netting, he inner overlapping or adjacent edges 9 being shown connected together bythe ends of internal reinforcing cross wire stays or ties 10..

of which threeareshown arranged in each of two directions; 11 are cross wire stays orties placed acrossthe structure between the upper edges or selvedges 8 thereof and shown arranged in each of two directions.

Obviouslyany desired number of the stays or ties- 10, 11, may beprovided'andarranged in any suitable-positionsto support the sides of the wire netting-structure in the erection of the structure and in the filling or packing otth'esa'me. with the wasterock, et cetera.

The WlIBf nettingcage or structure is like cage or structure is shownot'. cylindrishown placed within the fo ur posts 1, 2, 3,

,4, and attached thereto by means of wire fixings 12.., The posts 1 2, 3, 4, may be at-v lowed to remain.inpositionafter the erection of thewire netting structure, orthey can be removedai'ter the pack has been com .plet-cdby packing the waste rock or like material inside said structurefl Referringto the embodiment the invention illustrated in 2 the wire netting or cal shape orsubstantiallycircular in crosssection. In this casethe four-posts 1, 2,3, 4, may as shown be arranged' in pairs atopposite sides of the structure and the wire netting or like material of which the structure .is built is shown constructed in the same manner as in Fig. 1, andattached to the posts also in like manner.

In Fig. 3 the additional support and bind- I ing for the lower side ofthe structure in the case of a comparatively steeply inclined stope is illustrated." Asv previously ex plaincd, a portion 13 of the wire netting, et

cetera, is laid on the footwall or floor oi the stope, a portion 14; placed'against. the

lower side of the main wire netting cage or structureindicated in dotted linesand a portion 15 carried immediately beneath the V hanging wall or root. For the purpose of erecting this additional support two addi- I tional posts or uprights 16, 17 maybe pro vided and the portion 14 Wired to the posts,

as indicated at 18. As in the case of the posts 1, 2, 3, 4, the posts- 16, 17, could be allowed to remain in posit-ion after the erection of the entire wire netting structure, or they could be removed after the pack has been completed.

Although several embodiments ofthe invention are shown in the drawings, it is to be understood that I do not limitmyselt' thereto and that many other forms of the wire structure or cage could be devised which would servethe purpose of the invention,

i. e. to retain the waste rockorlike fragmentary material inposition in the form of a pack or pillar until said material was held in position bytheweightor vpressure put upon. it by the hanging wall. 7

In some cases, such as comparatively fiat stopes, or other places, the wlre structure or cage could be erected in position without the'-' use of the posts or uprights,

In erecting or building a pack or pillar with the aid of the inventionitlwillprobably be found most convenient first securely" to erect the supporting,standards, uprights,

' pillars or posts and then to place one width of wire netting, et cetera, in position inside and between the posts and to secure the same thereto. The waste rock or filling'material could'then be placed in position in thespace 7 so enclosed to within ashortdist'ance of the top of the wire netting and anycross 'to' protect by Letters Patent is z.

wire staysorties arranged-and secured in position. A further width of thewire net ting would then beplaced, in position inside andbetween the upper portions of the posts andithe bottom edgesoi' said further width be connected to the top edge ofthe firstmentioned width of wire netting and the top .cross wirestaysorties arranged in position and secured. The second ortop w dth'could now be secured to the posts, leaving one side or a portion of one side open to allow of the filling material being placed in position to or ifleft: o'l' a sufiicient length to overlap the adjacentend of the top width, then also complete thepack. The loose end of the 7 top width could then be secured to thepost,

secured to said latter end. As previously ex plained, the posts can now be removed or" allowed to remain, as may be preferred.

. That I claim asmy invention and desire 1. A support for use in mine workings, including a skeleton metal cagefor holding filling material packed in said cage, so that the cageserves to maintain the filling material in position until it takes the pressure I or weight of the hanging wall or root of the working, as set forth.

2. A support for use in mine workings,

including a wire cagefor holding filling m'aterial packed in said cage, so that the cage serves to maintain the filling material in position until it takes the pressure or weight of the hanging Wall or'roo'f of the working, as set forth. i

3. A support for use in mine workings,

including a skeleton metal cage, for holding fillingmaterial packed in said cage, so that the cage serves to maintain the filling ma terial in position until. it takes thepressure or weight of the hanging wall or root 01" the working, andsupporting posts for said cage fixed in thernine' working, asset forth.

4. A support for use in mine workings, including. a skeleton metal cage,-for holding filling material packed in said cage, so that the cage-serves to maintain the filling ma.

terial in position until ittakes the pressure or weight of thehangmg wall'or roofof the working,- and cross stays attached to the weight of the hanging. wall or roof of the working, supporting posts for said cage fixed inthe mine working, and cross stays. 7

attached to the wire cage and extending across the space'enclosed by it, as set forth.

., 6. A support for use in mine workings,

nclu ing awire net ng c g f tan i lly uniform cross-sectional area, for holdingfilling material packed in said cage, so that the cage serves to maintain the filling ma terial" 1n position until 1t takes the pressure '01 Weight of the hanging Wall or roof of the Working, supporting posts for said cage fixed in the mine Working,- cross stays attached-to 'tlhe' Wire netting cage and e2itending acrossthe space enclosed by it, and" a skeleton metal bindingstructure comprising top and bottom members and a sidemember,-

the side member being placed dtwvrrtheside of the support, and the top and bottom members retained in position by the Weight of the rfillinganaterialj and roof of the mine Working respectively,as set forth.

In testimony-whereof I have signedrmy name to this specification;

JOHN 'sLoAN;

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