Method and apparatus for installing mine roof supports

Claim 1

A method of installing mine roof support plates at a plurality of locations in a mine, said method comprising the steps of drilling a first hole in a mine roof at a first location in the mine, moving a coil of rod material to the first location in the mine, feeding rod material from the coil of rod material while the coil is at the first location in the mine, straightening the rod material fed from the coil, connecting a first expandable anchor assembly to an end of the rod material, inserting the first anchor assembly into the first hole, said step of inserting the first anchor assembly into the first hole including feeding rod material upwardly through a first fastener and a first mine roof support plate into the first hole, setting the first anchor assembly in the mine roof by pulling downwardly on the rod material with a first force to expand the first anchor assembly after having inserted the first anchor assembly into the first hole, thereafter, pulling downwardly on the rod material with a second force which is less than the first force, pressing the first mine roof support plate against the mine roof at the first location, connecting the first fastener with the rod material while pressing the first mine roof support plate against the mine roof and while pulling downwardly on the rod material with the second force to enable to fastener to cooperate with the rod material to press the first mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine at the first location with a force having a magnitude which is a function of the magnitude of the second force, thereafter, cutting the rod material to separate the coil of rod material from the rod material in the first hole, drilling a second hole in the roof of the mine at a second location in the mine, moving the coil of rod material from the first location to the second location in the mine, connecting a second expandable anchor assembly to an end of the rod material formed as a result of having performed said step of cutting the rod material, inserting the second anchor assembly into the second hole, said step of inserting the second anchor assembly into the second hole including feeding rod material upwardly through a second fastener and a second mine roof support plate into the second hole, setting the second anchor assembly in the mine roof by pulling downwardly on the rod material with a force of a magnitude which is substantially the same as the magnitude of the first force to expand the second anchor assembly after having inserted the second anchor assembly into the second hole, thereafter, pulling downwardly on the rod material with a force which is of substantially the same magnitude as the second force, pressing the second mine roof support plate against the mine roof at the second location, connecting the second fastener with the rod material while pressing the second mine roof support plate against the mine roof and while pulling downwardly on the rod material with a force of a magnitude which is substantially the same as the magnitude of the second force to enable the second fastener to cooperate with the rod material to hold the second mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine at the second location with a force which is a function of the magnitude of the second force, and, thereafter, cutting the rod material to separate the coil of rod material from the rod material in the second hole.

Claim 2

A method of installing mine roof support plates at a plurality of locations in a mine, said method comprising the steps of drilling a first hole in a mine roof at a first location in the mine, moving a coil of rod material to the first location in the mine, feeding rod material from the coil of rod material while the coil is at the first location in the mine, straightening the rod material fed from the coil, connecting a first expandable anchor assembly to an end of the rod material, inserting the first anchor assembly into the first hole, said step of inserting the first anchor assembly into the first hole including feeding rod material upwardly through a first fastener and a first mine roof support plate into the first hole, setting the first anchor assembly in the mine roof by pulling downwardly on the rod material with a first force to expand the first anchor assembly after having inserted the first anchor assembly into the first hole, thereafter, pulling downwardly on the rod material with a second force which is less than the first force, pressing the first mine roof support plate against the mine roof at the first location, connecting the first fastener with the rod material while pressing the first mine roof support plate against the mine roof and while pulling downwardly on the rod material with the second force to enable to fastener to cooperate with the rod material to press the first mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine at the first location with a force having a magnitude which is a function of the magnitude of the second force, thereafter, cutting the rod material to separate the coil of rod material from the rod material in the first hole, drilling a second hole in the roof of the mine at a second location in the mine, moving the coil of rod material from the first location to the second location in the mine, connecting a second expandable anchor assembly to an end of the rod material formed as a result of having performed said step of cutting the rod material, inserting the second anchor assembly into the second hole, said step of inserting the second anchor assembly into the second hole including feeding rod material upwardly through a second fastener and a second mine roof support plate into the second hole, setting the second anchor assembly in the mine roof by pulling downwardly on the rod material with a force of a magnitude which is substantially the same as the magnitude of the first force to expand the second anchor assembly after having inserted the second anchor assembly into the second hole, thereafter, pulling downwardly on the rod material with a force which is of substantially the same magnitude as the second force, pressing the second mine roof support plate against the mine roof at the second location, connecting the second fastener with the rod material while pressing the second mine roof support plate against the mine roof and while pulling downwardly on the rod material with a force of a magnitude which is substantially the same as the magnitude of the second force to enable the second fastener to cooperate with the rod material to hold the second mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine at the second location with a force which is a function of the magnitude of the second force, and, thereafter, cutting the rod material to separate the coil of rod material from the rod material in the second hole.

Claim 5

A method of installing mine roof supports, said method comprising the steps of providing a coil of rod material having an external thread, transporting the coil of rod material into a mine, thereafter performing the following steps in the mine, removing rod material from the coil, connecting an internally threaded anchor assembly to an end of the rod material by engaging an internal thread in the anchor assembly with the external thread on the rod material, thereafter, inserting the anchor assembly into a hole in the roof of the mine, said step of inserting the anchor assembly into the hole in the roof of the mine including feeding rod material from the coil upwardly through a fastener and a mine roof support plate into the hole in the roof of the mine, thereafter, pulling downwardly on the rod material with a first force to set the anchor assembly in the hole in the roof of the mine, thereafter, pulling downwardly on the rod material with a second force which is less than the first force, connecting the fastener with the rod material by engaging the external thread on the rod material with the fastener, said step of connecting the fastener with the rod material being performed while performing said step of pulling downwardly on the rod material with a second force, thereafter, cutting the rod material to separate the coil of rod material from the rod material in the hole in the roof of the mine, and pressing the mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine with a force which is transmitted between the anchor assembly and mine roof support plate by the fastener and the rod material cut from the coil, said step of pressing the mine roof support plate the roof of the mine including pressing the mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine with a force which is a function of the second force.

Claim 6

A method of installing mine roof supports, said method comprising the steps of providing a coil of rod material having an external thread, transporting the coil of rod material into a mine, thereafter performing the following steps in the mine, removing rod material from the coil, connecting an internally threaded anchor assembly to an end of the rod material by engaging an internal thread in the anchor assembly with the external thread on the rod material, thereafter, inserting the anchor assembly into a hole in the roof of the mine, said step of inserting the anchor assembly into the hole in the roof of the mine including feeding rod material from the coil upwardly through a fastener and a mine roof support plate into the hole in the roof of the mine, thereafter, pulling downwardly on the rod material with a first force to set the anchor assembly in the hole in the roof of the mine, thereafter, pulling downwardly on the rod material with a second force which is less than the first force, connecting the fastener with the rod material by engaging the external thread on the rod material with the fastener, said step of connecting the fastener with the rod material being performed while performing said step of pulling downwardly on the rod material with a second force, thereafter, cutting the rod material to separate the coil of rod material from the rod material in the hole in the roof of the mine, and pressing the mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine with a force which is transmitted between the anchor assembly and mine roof support plate by the fastener and the rod material cut from the coil, said step of pressing the mine roof support plate the roof of the mine including pressing the mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine with a force which is a function of the second force.

Claim 8

An apparatus for use in installing mine roof support plates at a plurality of locations in a mine, said apparatus comprising a vehicle which is movable along the floor of the mine to each of the locations where a mine roof support plate is to be installed, drill means for forming holes in the roof of the mine, first boom means having an inner end portion connected with said vehicle and an outer end portion connected with said drill means, first motor means for moving said first boom means relative to said vehicle to position said drill means to form a hole in the roof of the mine, coil support means connected with said vehicle for supporting a coil of rod material for rotation about a central axis of the coil, first feeder means connected with said vehicle for feeding rod material from the coil while the coil is supported by said coil support means, straightener means connected with said vehicle for straightening rod material fed from the coil by said first feeder means, second boom means having an inner end portion connected with said vehicle and an outer end portion, second feeder means connected with said outer end portion of said second boom means for feeding straightened rod material around a bend and for feeding rod material straight upwardly from the bend into a hole in the roof of the mine, second motor means for moving said second boom means relative to said vehicle to position said second feeder means to feed rod material into a hole in the roof of the mine, presser means connected with said outer end portion of said second boom means for pressing a mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine, means connected with said outer end portion of said second boom means for connecting a fastener with the rod material at a location adjacent to the mine roof support plate while the mine roof support plate is being pressed upwardly by said presser means, and cutter means connected with said outer end portion of said second boom means for cutting the rod material to separate the rod material in a hole in the roof of the mine from the coil.

Claim 9

An apparatus for use in installing mine roof support plates at a plurality of locations in a mine, said apparatus comprising a vehicle which is movable along the floor of the mine to each of the locations where a mine roof support plate is to be installed, drill means for forming holes in the roof of the mine, first boom means having an inner end portion connected with said vehicle and an outer end portion connected with said drill means, first motor means for moving said first boom means relative to said vehicle to position said drill means to form a hole in the roof of the mine, coil support means connected with said vehicle for supporting a coil of rod material for rotation about a central axis of the coil, first feeder means connected with said vehicle for feeding rod material from the coil while the coil is supported by said coil support means, straightener means connected with said vehicle for straightening rod material fed from the coil by said first feeder means, second boom means having an inner end portion connected with said vehicle and an outer end portion, second feeder means connected with said outer end portion of said second boom means for feeding straightened rod material around a bend and for feeding rod material straight upwardly from the bend into a hole in the roof of the mine, second motor means for moving said second boom means relative to said vehicle to position said second feeder means to feed rod material into a hole in the roof of the mine, presser means connected with said outer end portion of said second boom means for pressing a mine roof support plate against the roof of the mine, means connected with said outer end portion of said second boom means for connecting a fastener with the rod material at a location adjacent to the mine roof support plate while the mine roof support plate is being pressed upwardly by said presser means, and cutter means connected with said outer end portion of said second boom means for cutting the rod material to separate the rod material in a hole in the roof of the mine from the coil.