Method and apparatus for hydraulic transportation of mined coal

Claim 3

Apparatus for transporting mined coal from a working face of an underground mine to a station at the surface of said mine comprising: a continuous mobile mining machine operable to dislodge coal from said working face; conveyor means operably connected to said mining machine to transport a mined coal rearwardly of said mining machine; a continuous mobile slurrying device operably connected to said conveyor means; a crusher fixedly mounted to said slurrying device operable to crush mined coal as it is fed into said slurrying device; a first flexible conduit for supplying carrier liquid to said slurrying device for formation of a slurry of crushed coal and said liquid therein; a second flexible conduit for transporting said slurry rearwardly of said slurrying device; a plurality of cleaning table means to separate waste coal tailings from said slurry to form a clean coal slurry and a waste coal slurry, said cleaning table means comprising a plurality of series connected cleaning tables, the first of said cleaning table in fluid communication with said second flexible conduit and for dividing said slurry into a clean coal slurry and a waste coal slurry, and each succeeding cleaning table receiving the clean coal slurry formed by the preceeding cleaning table for dividing the received clean coal slurry into a further clean coal slurry and a further waste coal slurry which is combined with the waste coal slurry from the preceeding cleaning table; conduit means operable to transport said clean coal slurry rearwardly from said cleaning tables; a junction box centrally located within said underground mine comprising means for receiving said clean coal slurry and means for receiving a supply of carrier liquid substantially free of coal; conduit means opeRable to transport said clean coal slurry from said junction box to said station at the surface of said underground mine; means operable to separate said clean coal slurry into clean coal and remaining carrier liquid; conduit means for transporting said waste coal slurry away from the last of said cleaning table means; a sump operable to receive said waste coal slurry; means within said sump to separate waste coal tailings from said waste coal slurry; conduit means for transporting remaining liquid from said waste coal slurry above said underground mine; a plurality of settling ponds located above said underground mine operable to receive said remaining liquid from said waste coal slurry; means for transporting said remaining liquid from said settling ponds to said station at the surface of said underground mine; means for combining said remaining liquid with said remaining liquid from said clean coal slurry; conduit means for returning said combined liquid from said station at the surface of said underground mine to said junction box; conduit means for returning said combined liquid from said junction box to said continuous mobile mining machine and said slurrying device.

Claim 4

Apparatus for transporting mined coal from a working face of an underground mine to a station at the surface of said mine comprising: a continuous mobile mining machine operable to dislodge coal from said working face; conveyor means operably connected to said mining machine to transport a mined coal rearwardly of said mining machine; a continuous mobile slurrying device operably connected to said conveyor means; a crusher fixedly mounted to said slurrying device operable to crush mined coal as it is fed into said slurrying device; a first flexible conduit for supplying carrier liquid to said slurrying device for formation of a slurry of crushed coal and said liquid therein; a second flexible conduit for transporting said slurry rearwardly of said slurrying device; a plurality of cleaning table means to separate waste coal tailings from said slurry to form a clean coal slurry and a waste coal slurry, said cleaning table means comprising a plurality of series connected cleaning tables, the first of said cleaning table in fluid communication with said second flexible conduit and for dividing said slurry into a clean coal slurry and a waste coal slurry, and each succeeding cleaning table receiving the clean coal slurry formed by the preceeding cleaning table for dividing the received clean coal slurry into a further clean coal slurry and a further waste coal slurry which is combined with the waste coal slurry from the preceeding cleaning table; conduit means operable to transport said clean coal slurry rearwardly from said cleaning tables; a junction box centrally located within said underground mine comprising means for receiving said clean coal slurry and means for receiving a supply of carrier liquid substantially free of coal; conduit means opeRable to transport said clean coal slurry from said junction box to said station at the surface of said underground mine; means operable to separate said clean coal slurry into clean coal and remaining carrier liquid; conduit means for transporting said waste coal slurry away from the last of said cleaning table means; a sump operable to receive said waste coal slurry; means within said sump to separate waste coal tailings from said waste coal slurry; conduit means for transporting remaining liquid from said waste coal slurry above said underground mine; a plurality of settling ponds located above said underground mine operable to receive said remaining liquid from said waste coal slurry; means for transporting said remaining liquid from said settling ponds to said station at the surface of said underground mine; means for combining said remaining liquid with said remaining liquid from said clean coal slurry; conduit means for returning said combined liquid from said station at the surface of said underground mine to said junction box; conduit means for returning said combined liquid from said junction box to said continuous mobile mining machine and said slurrying device.

Claim 5

The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said slurrying device comprises: an open box like structure having a front wall, two side walls, a rear wall and a bottom constructed so as to be water tight; a crusher fixedly mounted to said side walls above said box-like structure having a crusher drum rotably mounted by means of a shaft driven by a motor said crusher drum covered over its surface by pointed projections, a crusher box fixedly mounted to said side walls and surrounding said crusher drum, and a length of pipe horizontally mounted above said drum having apertures operable to supply liquid to the surface of said drum; first pump means operable to pump a carrier liquid from said return conduit means to said box-like structure and apertured pipe; second pipe means rearwardly adjacent to said box-like structure operable to pump a slurry formed within said structure away from said structure; and continuous belt tracks moveably mounted to said box-like structure and operable to supply motion to said structure.

Claim 6

The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cleaning tables comprise a plurality of end connected units, disposed longitudinally in the direction of flow of said slurry, and constructed in stepped relationship to one another such that each succeeding unit is of lesser height than the unit preceeding it.

Claim 7

The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said separation means comprises a plurality of horizontally disposed screens within said cleaning tables.

Claim 8

The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said junction box comprises an inner box nested within an outer box, said inner box operable to receive said clean coal slurry and said outer box operable to receive said carrier liquid substantially free of coal.

Claim 9

The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sump comprises: a generally circular pit narrowing at its entrance to form an elongated passageway; a plurality of filter screens vertically disposed along said passageway operable to separate waste coal tailings from said waste coal slurry, leaving a remaining carrier liquid; and a pump located within said pit and operable to remove said remaining carrier liquid from said pit.