GB2201943A - Pallet - Google Patents

Abstract

A pallet for tunnel support equipment in mining comprises a frame (1) which is divided into a plurality of compartments (6, 7, 10, 11, 20) for receiving the different items of support equipment. At each end (4, 5) of the frame (1) is an end compartment (6, 7) for couplings (28, 28') which are disposed between two receptacles (10, 11) for props (8), roof bars (9) and struts (23, 23', 24, 24'), the receptacles (10, 11) extending over the length of the frame (1). Enclosed by the end compartments (6, 7) and the receptacles (10, 11) is a central compartment (20) for piles of mats (18, 19, 21, 22). By this means the support equipment can easily and safely be transported without use of straps, bindings, cagers or the like. <IMAGE>

Description

CONVEYING ARRANGEMENT The invention relates to a conveying arrangement for tunnel support equipment such as mats, roof bars, props, couplings, struts and the like, having an elongate conveying frame which defines a receiving space for such equipment.

When mining coal, extensive full mechanisation at the face and in the tunnels is implemented, so that a high degree of rationalisation with the maximum productivity was achieved.

At the same time, the problems of increasing material handling were greater, since the supply of materials did not progress to the same extent, was not mechanised and rationalised.

However, this is most important for trouble-free, continuous working at the shaft above and below ground. For the handling of materials, conveying arrangements or handling arrangements with a light metal conveying frame are used, on which between the front walls and side walls, various support materials required at the face and in the tunnel are deposited, stacked and secured. The tunnel support equipment makes up a very large proportion of the material supplies. It consists of a pre-determined number of props, roof bars, couplings and struts. In order to secure bulky and unwieldy support material in its position at the time of transportation, auxiliary means such as steel bands, wires and the like are provided, by which the material is fastened to the frame.

When using such conveying arrangements, serious accidents may frequently occur when loading and unloading and at the time of securing support material. It is therefore attempted to load and convey bulky and unwieldy material in a consignment, so that on the one hand no auxiliary means are required and also cagers can be dispensed with.

It is the object of the invention to construct a conveying arrangement of this type so that the specific support material can always be loaded and conveyed in the same way and mechanically, without auxiliary means, such as steel bands, wires and the like and cagers being necessary.

The invention provides conveying arrangement for tunnel support equipment, having an elongate conveying frame, which defines a receiving space, wherein the receiving space is divided into a plurality of individual compartments.

As a result of this construction, the conveying arrangement may be loaded with bulky and unwieldy material in a consignment, the varied types of material being separated spatially from each other and prevented from slipping as a result of the chamber-like sub-division.

Consequently the support material can be located and transported on the conveying arrangement without additional auxiliary means. Due to the compartments associated with the various support materials, the conveying arrangement can always be loaded immediately, which is possible by means of a crane. Since no auxiliary means are required for securing the position of the support material on the conveying arrangement, complicated, dangerous handling is dispensed with, thus reliably avoiding the risk of accidents. With the conveying arrangement according to the invention, the support material may also be conveyed in a simple manner without danger by a variety of constructions of conveying and handling appliances, such as fork-lift trudks, cranes, lorries, rail and roller path, mine cage, monorail without handling.

The invention is described in detail hereafter with reference to one embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a conveying arrangement according to the invention in side view, Figure 2 shows the conveying arrangement according to Figure 1 in plan view.

The conveying arrangement according to Figures 1 and 2 serves for the consignment and conveyance of tunnel support material, in particular props, roof bars, couplings, struts and mats in and to a shaft arrangement in coal-mining.

On the conveying arrangement, props, roof bars, couplings and struts as well as mats may be located and stacked separately from each other, in which case the various parts are prevented from sliding in individual compartments.

The support materials can be loaded completely mechanically onto the conveying arrangement and conveyed therewith.

The conveying arrangement nas a conveying frame 1 preferably consisting of light metal with side walls 2, 3 formed by bars, which are connected to each other by crossties (not sown in detail). However, a continuous connecting base may also be provided. One or more insert bases may also be located on the cross-ties.

Tne space between the side walls 2, 3 is divided into individual compartments, in which the various support materials can be located separate from each other.

An end compartsent 6 and 7 is respectively provided on the front enes 4, 5 of the conveying frame 1, which comparaments extend transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the conveying frame. The compartments 6, 7 have an approximately square contour. In the longitudinal direction of the conveying frame 1, they are substantially snorter tan the latter, whereas their width measured at right angles thereto is approximately equal to tne width of the conveying frame less the sum of the maximum width of the props 8 and roof bars 9 or twice the width of lateral receptacles 10 and 11, in which the roof bars and props are located along the sides of the compartments 6, 7.The receptacles 10 and 11 are defined by side walls 12, 12' and 13, 13' of the compartments 6, 7 and the respective adjacent side walls 2, 3 of tne conveying frame 1. The compartments 6, 7 serve for receiving couplings 28, 28r. For securing tne position of the roof bars 9 and props 8, in the region of their ends the side walls 2, 3 are more than twice as high as in the remaining region (Figure 2). Preferably the walls 2, 3 with their enlarged ends 2', 2" project upwards beyond the ends of the roof bars and props 10, 10'. Consequently tne roof bars and props may be held securely in the receptacles 10, 11 in the region of their ends 16, 16', by which they rest on the base 17 of the conveying frame 1.

The compartments 6, 7 preferably have an identical construction. They are defined on their sides by the side walls 12, 12', 13, 13' constructed as partitions, which ex tenci in the longitudinal direction of the conveying frame 1.

Tne side walls 12, 12', 13, 13' are connected to each other by way of an end wall and rear wall 14, 14', 15, 15'. The end walls 14, 14' lie against the front ends 4, 5 of the conveying frame 1. The rear walls 15, 15' extend parallel to the end walls 14, 14', which are preferably constructed as support plates.

A further elongated central compartment 20 is formed between the compartments 6, 7 and the receptacles 10, 11, in which central compartment stacks or bundles of mats 18, 19 and 21, 22 are located. The bundles of mats 18 and 19 are located adjacent to the couplings 28, 28;, whereas the bundles of mats 21 and 22 lie between the bundles of mats 18, 19. The central compartment 20 has approximately the same width as the compartments 6, 7. The bundles of mats arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the conveying frame 1 are located on the base 17 of the conveying frame 1. At right angles to the longitudinal airection of the conveying frame, the bundles of mats 18, 19, 21, 22 are secured in their position by the props 8 and roof bars 9 arranged laterally.Two struts 23, 23' and 24, 24' are located in the receptacles 10 and 11, below the props 8 and roof bars 9 in the longitudinal direction of the receptacles. Below the roof bars and props, the receptacles 10 and 11 thus form a type of intermediate compartment 25, 26. However, the receptacles 10, 11 may also be sub-divided into individual intermediate compartments located one behind tne other, in tne region of the central compartment 20 between the ends 1b, 16' of the props 8 and roof bars 9. Individual intermediate compartments of this type are adapted in their dimensions to the struts 23, 23', 24, 24'.

The struts 23, 23' and 24, 24 are arranged in bundles in tne intermediate compartnients 25, 26. Preferably, sixteen struts respectively, in particular bell-shaped struts, are stowed as 2 bundle in the compartments. The struts 23, 23' and 24, 24' are secured in their position at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the conveying frame 1 by the bundles of mats 18, 19 and 21, 22 and the siae walls 2, 3 of the conveying frame 1. On the sides facing the bundles of mats 18, 19, 21, 22, the intermediate compartments 25 and 26 may also be defined by walls, so that the struts 23, 23' and 24, 24' are also secured when the bundles of mats 18, 19, 21, 22 are not located in the conveying frame 1.

In place of the side walls 2, 3, additional bracing plates may also be provided as the lateral boundary. The props 8 and roof bars 9 are respectively inserted in the compartments 10, 11 so that their bends point upwards. Eight props or eight roof bars are preferably respectively located in the compartments. Below the roof bars and props, two bundles each of eight struts 23, 23' and 24, 24' are respectively inserted laterally into the intermediate compartments 25, 26.

By depositing and arranging the support material in the individual compartments, binding with steel bands is superfluous. Moreover, cagers can also be dispensed with. All tne loading operations may be carried out by one crane wit the assistance of a magnet, thus largely avoiding the risk of accidents.

In the conveying arrangement described, the most inportant support materials can be arranged and conveyed separately and spatially fixed without additional auxiliary means as securing members. A complete consignment of support material which cannot be confused is possible on the conveying frame 1. The transportation of the support material with the conveying arrangement can be carried out simply and witnout risk, eve in the case of shunting impacts. Advantageously, tne support material may also be located on an inserted base located on the conveying frame.

Claims (20)

1. Conveying arrangement for tunnel support equipment, having an elongate conveying frame, which defines a receiving space, wherein the receiving space is divided into a plurality of individual compartments.

2. Conveying arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one end compartment for couplings is located at an end of the elongated conveying frame.

3. Conveying arrangement according to claim 2, wherein an end compartment is located at each end of said conveying frame.

4. Conveying arrangement according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the total length of the conveying frame is several times longer than the extent of the or each end compartment in the longitudinal direction of the frame.

5. Conveying arrangement according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein each side of the or each end compartment is defined by a respective side wall extending in the longitudinal direction of the conveying frame.

6. Conveying arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the side walls- of the or each end compartment are attached to a respective end wall.

7. Conveying arrangement according to claim 6 wherein said end wall is a protective plate located at the end of the conveying frame.

8. Conveying arrangement according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the side walls of the or each end compartment are connected to a respective rear wall at their end located opposite the end wall thereof.

9. Conveying arrangement according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the side walls of the or each end compartment define, with side walls of the frame extending spaced therefrom and parallel thereto, receptacles for the ends of props and roof bars.

10. Conveying arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the receptacles are substantially of the same size.

11. Conveying arrangement according to claim 10 when dependent on claim 3, wherein the receptacles extend laterally beyond the end compartments which lie therebetween, the receptacles extending substantially over the entire length of the conveying frame.

12. Conveying arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the width of the end compartments is substantially equal to the width of the conveying frame less the sum of the widths of the adjacent lateral compartments.

13. Conveying arrangement according to claim 3 and any claim dependent thereon, wherein an elongated central compartment for mats is provided between the end compartments.

14. Conveying arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the central compartment has substantially the same width as the end compartments.

15. Conveying arrangement according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the receptacles on both sides of the central compartment each form an intermediate compartment extending in the longitudinal direction of the conveying frame.

16o Conveying arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the intermediate compartments have substantially the same dimensions as each other.

17. Conveying arrangement according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the intermediate compartments are located below props and roof bars between the ends thereof.

18. Conveying arrangement according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the intermediate compartments are defined on their outer sides by side walls of the conveying frame.

19. Conveying arrangement according to any one of claims 3 to 18, wherein the conveying frame has side walls which are higher. in their end regions adjacent the end compartments than in the remaining region thereof.

20. Conveying arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described wi-th reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.