Patent ID: 9447685
Filing Date: 2016-09-20
CPC Classification: E21F

Claim Text:
1. A mine ventilation structure comprising a deck including a plurality of elongate sheet metal panels, each panel being generally of inverted channel shape in transverse cross-section, the panel having a top web and first and second sides extending down from the top web, the panels extending alongside one another and the top webs of the panels forming a deck surface, tongue-and-groove connections between adjacent sides of adjacent panels, each tongue-and-groove connection comprising a tongue formed in a first side of one panel received in a groove formed in a second side of an adjacent panel to effect a transfer of a load on the deck from the one panel to the adjacent panel, wherein at least one of the tongue-and-groove connections is a tapered tongue-and-groove connection, and wherein the tongue of the at least one tapered tongue-and-groove connection tapers toward an outer end of the tongue at a tongue taper angle in the range of about 60-120 degrees.