Patent ID: 8485873

Claim:
A reinforced mine ventilation seal for a passageway in a mine, said seal capable of bidirectionally withstanding overpressures from 50 to 120 psi comprising, a metal structure having first and second metal mats of vertical and horizontal elongated reinforcing members extending transversely of the passageway between the ribs and heightwise of the passageway between the floor and ceiling, said metal mats spaced apart longitudinally of the passageway in vertical parallel relationship with the horizontal members positioned inboard of the vertical members, and first and second rows of spaced apart steel dowels seated in holes drilled into the floor and the ceiling of the passageway and extending into the passageway a distance that overlaps one or more of the horizontal members in said metal mats, said first row of dowels outboard of the horizontal bars in the first metal mat and said second row of dowels outboard of the horizontal bars in the second metal mat; and, a filling of structural material embedding the metal mats and the dowels, whereby said dowels provide bidirectional shear reinforcement bracing the seal against lateral movement in the passageway and said metal mats provide flexural strength.