Mining method and apparatus therefor

United States Patent >i 3,620,573

<td> [72|</td><td> Inventor</td><td> Desmond De Villiers Oxford</td><td> 753.092</td><td> 2/1904 Neukirch</td><td> 299/35</td>

<td></td><td></td><td> 33 New Forest Road, Forest Town,</td><td> 3.459.169</td><td> 8/1969 McNulty .</td><td> 299/X2 X</td>

<td> [21]</td><td> Appl. No</td><td> Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa 815,098</td><td></td><td> FOREIGN PATENTS</td><td></td>

<td> [22]</td><td> Filed</td><td> Apr. 10, 1969</td><td> 599,284</td><td> 3/1948 Great Britain........</td><td> 299 18</td>

<td> [45]</td><td> Patented</td><td> Nov. 16, 1971</td><td colspan="2"> Primary Examiner— Ernest R Purser</td><td></td>

[54] MINING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl................... 299/35,

299/18.299/19

[51] Int.CI................................................. E21c 47/08

[50] Field of Search............................................ 299/18 19

35,82-84

[56] References Cited

UNITED STATES PATENTS

733,073 7/1903 Neukirch...................... 299/19

ABSTRACT: An apparatus for mining ore of a type which is located in relatively narrow strata within the earth whereby it is profitably disadvantageous to move large quantities of earth so to gain physical access thereto, the apparatus comprising means for sawing away of the narrow strata by a flat elongated endless chain saw mechanism mounted on a pair of carriages riding on rails in parallel tunnels, the mechanism having a thickness of approximately the thickness of the ore-bearing strata and the chain saw extending transversely between the tunnels wherein the ground material is sluiced into the tunnels and a pumping station provided to transport the material to the surface.

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MINING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR specifically More :SS=S==S“S= rectilinearly over a longplaneoiStance

O4==£SS== verli“to S:X^nVo^efⁿS^{nal mining a W}°^rkig translowing the strataThk k I ^{be dug out b}Y *&gt;1the recovery of th^ , °^W “ ^StOping- ^{U makes} P^ossible ssssisslgf a ances. In some situations it may be necessa™ tr&gt; ⁸ bearing Λ . &gt;s °f course regrettable to leave such oreg olumns, and accordingly attempt may be made to

SSi=S?SS==i ~== =3·==ΐ3ίΞ~ΞΞ 2sss*s=a~:: new method for the mining relatively narrow strata of nr.

inp Of n ^{Jec IS tO provide a new me}«hod for the minWin ^{narrow strata} of ore which in view of the above feature decrease mining costs and thus permit the profitable min pⁿrofitabl7m^Cn°ed^CentrateS °^{f WhiCh heretofor}e could not be mining θ'*? °^{f PreSent invention is} t° Provide a .* ^b'ⁱⁿⁱ « the° fo_r^r wS^{S 3Γ6}‘° ^Pr°^{Vide a} “^g method and apparatus

1» ^{,lew of} “» earth includinraTorTbearingTata ^⁷³¹¹°° °^{f a section} °^f and sh ^{5 C} °”^{8 a strike taken} on line 5-5 of FIG 3

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FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail of the toothed chain

FIG &lt; ^{3 long,tud}mal section view taken on line 7-7 of

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detail of a cutting cylinder me*?™™ ^tO_t^{the draWing in detaiI}’ ^tbe reference nuPresent invention VretaSfeTaTain^ttS! ihat^ supported at its opposite ends on mine cars 12 and 13 lort a m different tunnels or passageways 14and 15ofamine 16

According to the invention, the chain cutter 11 a pair of chain-driving gears 17 and 18 h «eludes a endless heavy duty chafn 19 is τη Γ' ^{Which an}w«h . p_Mly /, _dl. Ji “X

J£ ²¹ “ T“^d ° 1» i«r fortably i ^excess of thk? ^Wi^be “““ ^{Which is com}‘h-tUic^ bored^Oa^Pl?_g^t?eXata^a23be^at^{iity 22 are} and IsTshSn FIG TThe ^paSSageway^swo into a forwardly direction as indicated by arrow 25. The forworking^rtface°26^hof^Chthlⁿ ^ι? ²° ^th“^{S enga}8^{es th}e saW pend Z,_n J'X'“» &lt;*» ·« 0.10

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Plant 30. Pulp stream or slurry 31 flows to the pump chamber ³¹*^ “PPosite ends carried ηροη^Λθ^πιΤηβ cam^{8 meChaniSmS} operation of?oweS; ore ^^{1118 permits} 15

S£Sl^{fc pre}”' “° - “ **»« »y U» &gt;,·