Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Mine roof support and method in longwall mining of thick mineral seams

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5180746
A bi-directional shearing machine mines a longwall face at the bottom of a thick mineral seam in a retreat operation under the protection of a row of adjacent powered roof supports each of which extends in a direction transverse to the solid face. Progressive advance of these roof supports allows the overlying mineral strata to cave. Each roof support is separated into articulated forward and aft units provided with separate sets of hydraulic props and having their solid canopies interfitted in end-to-end relation. The bases of the two units are interconnected with a push-pull hydraulic ram which enables relative longitudinal movement between the two units so that they may be advanced independently along a common axis toward the solid longwall face as the work progresses. During the advance of the forward units to provide face support, plowing and loading of carved mineral on the gob side may proceed without interruption. To accelerate caving, the aft units are independently advanced with an attached gob side chain conveyor and gob plow retracted beneath their canopies for protection. Starting from this retracted position, the gob conveyor and gob plow are allowed to load gradually out into the flushed coal.
Assignee:
Atlantic Richfield Co.
Patent Number(s):
US 4065929
OSTI ID:
5180746
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Support systems for mineral mining installations
Patent · Mon Mar 10 23:00:00 EST 1980 · OSTI ID:5630928

Mineral mining installation
Patent · Mon Apr 19 23:00:00 EST 1982 · OSTI ID:5218081

Dipping longwalls in semi-steep seams
Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982 · World Coal; (United States) · OSTI ID:6514918