Patent Publication Number: US-6220785-B1

Title: Mine stopping, method of constructing same and panels thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a mine stopping, a method of constructing the stopping, and panels used therein, more particularly a permanent mine stopping generally for the same purpose as the stopping disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,474 of myself and John M. Kennedy, issued Dec. 1, 1992, entitled Form for Making a Permanent Concrete Mine Stopping, a method of constructing a permanent stopping, and panels such as used in the constructing the stopping and which become synergistically incorporated therein. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,474 discloses a method of constructing a mine stopping by erecting two steel walls indicated at W 1  and W 2  in the patent each comprising a set  3  of elongate extensible steel panels  7  with the walls spaced apart in a passageway in a mine, pouring concrete or other suitable commercially available material sufficiently strong when hardened to provide a permanent stopping to seal off an unworked portion of a mine as disclosed in the patent, and removing the walls after the concrete (or equivalent) has hardened, leaving a concrete (or equivalent) wall per se as a permanent stopping. 
     Also in the background of the invention is a mine stopping made in a manner similar to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,474 with the differences that a yielding foamed cement is poured between the walls, resulting in a permanent stopping with near zero leakage of air past the stopping. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of a near zero leakage permanent mine stopping improved over the above noted permanent mine stoppings in enabling reduction of thickness of the stopping for cost reduction while retaining strength in resistance to forces tending to cause failure of the stopping, such as forces against a face of the stopping resulting from an explosion in the mine; and the provision of a method of and panels for constructing the improved stopping. 
     In general, a stopping of this invention for a passageway in a mine comprises first and second walls extending transversely of the passageway from one side thereof to the other and heightwise of the passageway from the floor to the roof thereof, the walls being permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passage and held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway, and a filling in the space between the walls having a force-transmitting relationship with the walls and having sufficient strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passage. 
     In general, the method of this invention for providing a stopping for a passageway in a mine comprises installing first and second walls extending transversely of the passageway generally from one side thereof to the other and heightwise of the passageway from the floor to the roof thereof, said walls as installed being permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passageway and held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway, filling the space between the walls with a material initially in a fluent state and adapted to set in situ to a final state, wherein it has strength in tension as well as compression, said material being delivered into said space in its fluent state and allowed to set in situ to its final state, and providing a force-transmitting relationship between the filling and the walls, the filling in its final state having sufficient strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passage. 
     In general, a panel of this invention, for use in constructing a stopping as set forth above, comprises a first elongate sheet metal member constituting a lower member of the panel adapted for engagement of its lower end with the floor of the passageway, and a second elongate sheet metal member constituting an upper member of the panel adapted for engagement of its upper end with the roof of the passageway, said members having a telescoping sliding fit with one another to permit adjustable extension of the panel to fit the height of the passageway, each member having an inside face and an outside face in respect to incorporation of the panel in a stopping, each member having on the inside face thereof means for keying the filling and said members together. 
     Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of one face of a stopping of this invention in a passageway in a mine, with parts broken away to show interior detail; 
     FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1, with parts broken away; 
     FIG. 3 is a view in horizontal section on line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2 on a larger scale than FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a view in elevation of one face (the inside face) of part of an extensible panel of this invention used in constructing a stopping of this invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a view in horizontal section on line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a view in elevation of the inside face of part of a first modification of the extensible panel used in constructing a first modification of the stopping of this invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a view in horizontal section on line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a view in elevation of the inside face of part of a second modification of the extensible panel used in constructing a second modification of the stopping of this invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a view in horizontal section on line  9 — 9  of FIG. 8; and 
     FIG. 10 is a view similar to part of FIG. 3 showing a third modification of the stopping of this invention, half in horizontal section on a horizontal plane through the lower panel members of panels of the stopping, half in horizontal section through the upper panel members of said panels. 
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the drawings, first more particularly FIGS. 1-5, there is generally indicated at  1  a stopping of this invention for a passageway P in a mine. The stopping is shown basically to comprise first and second sheet metal walls W 1  and W 2  extending transversely of the passageway from one side P 1  thereof to the other P 2  and heightwise of the passage from the floor P 3  to the roof P 4  thereof. The walls W 1  and W 2  are permanently held in generally vertical parallel relation spaced apart longitudinally of the passageway, defining a space  2  between the walls, being held against displacement longitudinally of the passageway in a manner to be described. Filling the space  2  between the walls W 1  and W 2  is a filling F having a force-transmitting relationship with the walls and having sufficient strength in tension to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passageway. 
     Each of the walls W 1  and W 2  comprises a set of elongate extensible panels, each generally designated  3  of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,642 of myself and John M. Kennedy, issued Nov. 20, 1984, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,474 referred to above, these two patents being incorporated herein by reference. Each set of panels includes a plurality of panels  3  erected in the passageway extending vertically in side-by-side relation as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 from the floor P 3  to the roof P 4  of the passageway P. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the two sets of panels  3  are erected with the panels of one set constituting the first (front) generally vertical wall W 1  of the stopping  1  and the panels of the other set constituting the second (back) generally vertical wall W 2  of the stopping generally parallel to and spaced from the front wall W 1  defining the space  2  filled with the filling F. 
     Each wall W 1 , W 2  further comprises a plurality of support bars  11  (two being shown) extending substantially horizontally between ribs  13  at opposite sides of the mine passageway, the ends of the bars being received in recesses R in the ribs. The panels  3  making up the wall are secured to these bars  11  by a plurality of U-shaped wire ties  15 , each tie having a hook  17  at each end engageable with one of the panels and a central portion  21  which is twisted so as to deform the tie around the bar to hold the respective panel  3  in engagement with the bar. Preferably, each support bar  11  comprises two or more steel angles, one angle overlapping another at their inner end margins, the angles being secured together by ties  15  at said inner end margins thereof. 
     Each of the panels  3  comprises a first elongate member  25  constituting a lower member of the panel adapted for engagement of its lower end with the floor of the passageway (as shown in FIGS.  1  and  2 ), and a second elongate member  27  constituting an upper member of the panel adapted for engagement of its upper end with the roof of the passageway. Each panel member  25 ,  27  is a sheet metal member of channel space in cross section, having a web  28  and flanges  29  at opposite sides of the web. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, each flange  29  has an inturned portion  29 A at its outer edge extending generally parallel to the web and a lip  30  at the inner edge of the inturned portion extending toward the web. The upper and lower panel members  25 ,  27  have a telescoping sliding fit with one another to permit adjustable extension of the panel to fit the height of the passageway. The panel members  25 ,  27  are secured in adjusted position to a support bar  11  by hooking the hook ends  17  of two wire ties  15  onto the lips  30  of the telescoped panel members, and then twisting the central portions  21  of the ties to clamp the upper and lower members of each panel in fixed position relative to one another. Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,642 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,474 for further detail as to the construction and use of these panels  3 . When erect, the panels  3  making up the front and back walls W 1 , W 2  are oriented so that the channel defined by each panel opens outwardly away from the inside of the wall. In other words, the webs  28  of the channel-shaped panels face inwardly in relation to the stopping. 
     Each wall also includes means comprising a plurality of tie bars, each designated  31 , for holding them in spaced, generally parallel relation prior to, during and immediately after filling of the space between the walls. These ties  31  are formed from sheet metal (e.g., 12 ga. steel), are generally rectangular in shape, and extend generally horizontally between the walls W 1 , W 2 , each bar having a length greater than the spacing between the walls W 1 , W 2  so that the ends of the bar extend endwise outwardly through openings in the walls formed by gaps between adjacent panels  3  of the walls (the gaps between adjacent panels are sufficiently wide to enable passage of the relatively thin tie bars, but sufficiently narrow to substantially prevent the escape of the filling material). The end of each tie bar  31  has a chevron-shaped opening or slot in it, as indicated at  35  in FIG. 2, the chevron being disposed with its apex generally in the central longitudinal axis of the bar and pointing toward its respective end of the bar. The tie bars  31  are arranged in groups of three, for example, with the openings  35  in the tie bars of each group being in horizontal alignment. The tie bars of each group are preferably spaced at panel-width intervals, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. 
     The tie bars  31  are secured to the front and back walls W 1 , W 2  of the form by means of braces  41  constituted by horizontal steel angles having a cross sectional shape corresponding to that of the chevron-shaped slots  35  in the ends of the tie bars. The arrangement is such that a single brace  41  on the outside of the front wall W 1  is adapted to extend through aligned openings  35  in the forwardly protruding ends of the tie bars  31  of a single group of tie bars, and another brace  41  on the outside of the back wall W 2  is adapted to extend through aligned openings  35  in the rearwardly protruding ends of the same group of tie bars. The braces  41  are secured to the panels  3  in suitable fashion, as by the wire ties  15  described above, with each brace bar oriented so that its legs are engageable with the inturned portions  29 A of the flanges  29  of adjacent panels as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The length of each brace  41  will depend on the number and spacing of the ties bars  31  in each group. However, as depicted in FIG. 1, each brace  41  has a length greater than the combined widths of two adjacent panels so that it may secure at least three tie bars  31  spaced at panel-width intervals. It will be understood that the number of tie bars  31  in each group, the lengths of the braces  41 , and the arrangement of the groups of the tie bars may vary, the important criteria being that the tie bars  31  and braces  41  be so located and arranged as to provide the panel rigidity and support necessary for withstanding the pressures involved during the pouring and setting of the filling process. It will be noted in this regard that the tie bars  31  should be used more frequently toward the bottom of the form, since the hydraulic pressures involved at this location are the greatest. The tie bars  31  also provide limited structural reinforcement to the filling after it has set. 
     In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-5, the force-transmitting relationship of the filling F with the walls W 1  and W 2  is established by means indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral  43  on the inside force W 1   a  and W 2   a  of the walls keying the filling and the walls together. The keying means  43  comprises metal bars such as indicated at  45  and  47  secured to the inside faces W 1   a  and W 2   a  of the walls W 1  and W 2  embedded in the filling F. One or more bars  45  may be provided on the inside face of the lower section  25  of each extensible panel or on the inside face of the lower section of at least some of the extensible panels. One or more bars  47  may be provided on the inside face of the upper section of each extensible panel, or on the inside face of the upper section of at least some of the extensible panels. Each of the bars  45 ,  47  has a straight reach  45   a ,  47   a  and end portions  45   b ,  47   b  bent to extend laterally generally at right angles to the straight section from the ends of the straight section. Each bar  45 ,  47  extends generally vertically on the inside face of the respective panel section, having its end portions  45   b ,  47   b  extending toward inside face of the respective panel section and welded at their ends  45   c ,  47   c  to the inside face of the respective panel section. With the bars  45 ,  47  so disposed, a space  45   d ,  47   d  is provided between the straight reach  45   a ,  47   a  and the inside face of the respective wall W 1  and W 2 , the filling F penetrating these spaces on the inside of the walls for embedment of the bars in the filling and resultant keying of the filling and the walls. 
     Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, it will be observed that the lower ends of the bars  45  on the inside of the lower sections  25  of the extensible panels which have these bars are spaced a relatively short distance up from the lower ends of the lower sections, and the upper ends of these bars are spaced a relatively long distance down from the upper ends of the lower sections. Also, the upper ends of the bars  47  on the inside of the upper sections  27  of the extensible panels which have bars  47  are spaced a relatively short distance down from the upper ends of the upper sections, and the lower ends of bars  47  are spaced a relatively long distance up from the lower ends of the upper sections. For keying the filling to the walls W 1  and W 2  in the areas thereof between the upper ends of bars  45  and the lower ends of bars  47 , one member, more particularly the lower section  25  of at least some of the extensible panels, has an auxiliary bar  49  secured at one end on the inside face of said lower section with a space between said auxiliary bar  49  and the lower section, each said auxiliary bar extending lengthwise of the respective panel through a tubular guide  51  on the inside face of the other section of the extensible panel (the upper section as shown). Each auxiliary bar has an elongate straight reach  49   a  which extends generally vertically on the inside of the lower and upper sections of the respective extensible panel and a lower end portion  49   b  bent to extend laterally outward from the straight reach generally at 90°, said lower end portion being welded at its outer end  49   c  to the inside of the lower panel section. The arrangement is such as to allow for the extension and contraction of the extensible panel and the provision of a space  49   d  between the auxiliary bar and the respective panel members for penetration of the filling into said space for keying the filling to the walls in said areas on the inside of the walls between the upper ends of bars  45  and the lower ends of bars  47 . 
     As noted above, for the construction wherein each of the walls W 1  and W 2  comprises the extensible panels with at least some of the panels with the keying means comprising bars  45 ,  47  and  49 , the filling F may be a concrete material or other material which is initially in a fluent state for being poured between the walls and which sets in situ to a final state wherein it has strength in tension as well as in compression. An example of such other material which may be suitable is a polyurethane foam having the following physical characteristics: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 Expansion Ratio 
                 6 fold 
               
               
                   
                 Compressive Strength 
                 16.7 psi parallel 
               
               
                   
                   
                 11.3 psi perpendicular 
               
               
                   
                 Tensile Strength 
                 27.7 psi parallel 
               
               
                   
                   
                 24.5 psi perpendicular 
               
               
                   
                 Cell structure 
                 closed 
               
               
                   
                 Surface Formed 
                 skin 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Other possible foaming fluids include phenolic foaming fluid and foamed portland or alumia cement. One foaming fluid which may be particularly suitable is a commercially available flame-inhibited polyurethane foam from RHH Foam Systems, Inc., located in Cudahy Wisconsin, sold under the trade designation VERSIFOAM. 
     An important consideration is that the filling, in its final set state in place between the walls W 1 , W 2  has sufficient strength in tension as well as compression to transmit diagonal tension forces in the filling to the walls W 1 , W 2  (corresponding to the transmission of diagonal forces in the web of an I-beam to the flanges of the I-beam). And for such transmission of diagonal tension forces in the filling to the walls W 1 , W 2  there must be a force-transmitting relationship of the filling with the walls, such as achieved in the stopping as shown in FIGS. 1-5 by the keying bars  45 ,  47  and  49 . 
     To make a stopping of this invention, one wall, e.g. the back wall W 2 , is first erected in a manner described herein and in the aforesaid U.S. patents, that is, by making holes R in the ribs of the mine passageway and inserting therein the ends of the support bars  11 . One of the panels  3  is then positioned against the bars with the side of the panel in engagement with the rib  13  at one side of the passageway. Wire ties  15  are placed over the support bars  11  with the hooks  17  hooking onto the lips  30  of the panel as described herein and in said U.S. patents to hold the panel against the support bars. The panel  3  is then extended to move its lower end into sealing engagement with the floor P 3  of the passageway, and its upper end into sealing engagement with the roof P 4  of the passageway. The central portions  21  of the wire ties are then twisted to secure the panel to the support bar with the panel held in extended position. A second panel  3  is installed at the other rib  13  of the mine passageway in a manner similar to that just described. Additional panels are similarly installed in side-by-side relation between the first and second panels to form an array of panels across the entrance of the passageway. When installing each panel it is important that the lower panel member  25  be forced down into pressure engagement with the floor of the mine passageway and that the upper panel member  27  be forced up into pressure engagement with the roof of the passageway, so that when the upper and lower panel members are secured in fixed position relative to one another. Such pressure engagement assists in holding the panel rigid and stable. A jack of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,642 may be used to install the panels  3  to ensure such pressure engagement. As the back wall is erected, horizontally aligned groups of tie bars  31  are mounted at appropriate locations, with the tie bars in each group being held in a position in which they project from the wall by a brace  41  passing through the chevron-shaped openings  35  in the rearward ends of the tie bars. Each brace  41  is secured to respective panels  3  of the back wall on the rearward side of the wall by wire ties  15 . The other wall (e.g. W 1 ) is then erected in essentially the same manner as the first-mentioned wall (e.g. W 2 ) including tie bars  31 . As erected, walls W 1  and W 2  have the keying bars  45 ,  47  and  49  on their inside faces. 
     Once both walls W 1 , W 2  of the form have been installed, filling material such as concrete may be poured into the space between the forms. Access to the space for pouring is preferably through a suitable gap (or gaps) between the top of a panel (or panels) and the roof of the passageway, the gap being due either to an irregularity in the roof or because the panel was deliberately not extended all the way up to the roof. As the filling is poured in, the tie bars  31  hold the panels forming the walls W 1  and W 2  in fixed position against outward movement away from one another. The filling sets up to its final state in which it has the force-transmitting relationship with the walls and sufficient strength in tension as well as in compression to constitute the walls and the filling as a permanently integrated composite structure in which the walls act as flanges in conjunction with the filling as a web resistant to forces such as may be encountered in the passageway tending to bend the structure in one direction or the other longitudinally of the passageway. 
     In a modification of the invention, illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the keying means may be constituted by having expanded steel mesh  53  tack welded to the faces of the webs  28  of the panels  45 ,  47  that become the inside faces of the walls, the filling becoming keyed to the walls by the bars. In the construction using such mesh on the panels, the webs of the panel members  25 ,  27  may be slightly spaced as appears in FIG. 7 so that the mesh lies between the webs to enable a full range of sliding movement of one panel member relative to the other for substantial extension of the panel. 
     In another modification, illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the keying means may be constituted by lengths of steel bars  55  (e.g. lengths of reinforcing bar stock) welded to the face of the webs of the panels  45 ,  47  that become the inside faces of the walls, the filling becoming keyed to the walls by the bars. In the construction using such bars on the panels, the webs of the panel members  25 ,  27  may be spaced as appears in FIG. 9 so that the bars lie between the webs to enable a full range of sliding movement of one panel member relative to the other for substantial extension of the panel. 
     In yet another modification, illustrated in FIG. 10, the force-transmitting relationship of the filling and the walls is established by use for the filling of a material which is self-adherent to the faces of the webs of the extensible panels that become the inside faces of the walls so that, in the final construction with the material set in its final state between the walls, the filling (designated FA) is adhesively bonded to said faces as indicated at  57 . In this embodiment, the filling FA may be the above-noted flame-inhibited polyurethane foam material. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. 
     As various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.