Patent Application
20160115789
The present invention relates to an arrangement and a method for a rock grouting equipment for positioning of at least one cartridge.
For rock reinforcement often two-component resin with hardener is used to fix rock bolts introduced as reinforcement in bored holes in the rock. The resin is supplied in the form of cartridges where the non-hardened resin is enclosed in an outer cover and where hardener in turn is enclosed in a separate part inside the cover. After a suitable number of resin cartridges have been introduced in a borehole a rock bolt is introduced during rotation whereby the cover of the cartridges is teared apart and the non-hardened resin is mixed with the hardener. The rotation of the rock bolt is proceeded until the two-component resin starts harden. The rock bolt will thereby be fixed in its position in the bore hole.
Earlier known arrangements to load a borehole with this type of cartridges often comprises a grouting nozzle with a tube which is brought to abut the borehole to be loaded with cartridges. From this tube a flexible hose leads to a loading tube placed adjacent to a rock drilling equipment. One or several cartridges is placed in loading position in the loading arrangement. Thereafter a pressure medium is supplied to the loading tube and the one, or several, in loading position placed cartridge is fired by the pressure medium through the flexible hose via the grouting nozzle and into the borehole to be loaded. The cartridges are placed manually in firing position in the loading arrangement.
Manual handling of this type of cartridges shall as far as possible be avoided since the two-component resin is very insanitary. Several proposed solutions for automatically feed and fire this type of cartridges have been proposed. This type of cartridges is however difficult to handle since their outer cover is relatively soft and they thereby have a kind of formless shape. Another problem with the soft cover is that the cartridges relatively easy may tear apart. A comprehensive cleaning of the feeding means from spilled both non-hardened and hardened resin is then necessary which generally causes a longer stop in operation. Further, variations in the size of the cartridges may occur which further causes problem. The surface of the cartridges is also of such nature that they may easy adhere to each other which also causes problem when automatically feeding.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,189 is an example of automatically feeding means for cartridges intended to be used with a rock drilling equipment. The known arrangement comprises a rotatable cartridge storehouse provided with a plurality of loading tubes arranged along with the periphery of the storehouse. The cartridge storehouse may be loaded in advance with a large number of cartridges. The storehouse is thereafter rotated stepwise whereby one in a loading tube placed cartridge is brought into firing position. By applying compressed air to the loading tubes, the cartridge is fired away from the loading tube via a connecting hose positioned in the firing direction and further into a bore hole.
The known arrangement however shows a plurality of disadvantages. Many separate loading tubes makes the design large, heavy and clumsy, and expensive and complicated to manufacture. Further, it does not manage to handle cartridges of different dimensions. If a cartridge tears apart, the storehouse with its complex design is difficult to clean with long down time following. The design further causes that the cartridges must be handled one by one when loading the storehouse.
Another example of automatically feeding means is shown in US 2008/0145152. The known arrangement comprises one or several containers comprising cartridges arranged horizontally laying on each other, and placed above a loading area being in connection with a firing area for the cartridges. Between each container and the loading area is a rotating distributor arranged to move the cartridges one by one.
The V-shaped designed containers which uses gravity for feeding causes that a cartridge is exposed to large weight from above laying cartridges when the storehouse is loaded with many cartridges. During feeding the cartridge is at the same time exposed to friction against the sides of the design and to the above and below placed cartridges. This causes a risk that some of the cartridges tears apart with subsequent down time. The design is complex with both fixed and movable parts which makes it difficult to clean.
A further known arrangement is shown in WO 99/64722. Also in this design cartridges is fed with help from gravity. The cartridges that is located far down are thus also in this feeding means exposed to large weight from above placed cartridges and to friction against the sides of the design and from above and below placed cartridges. The design is complex and comprises movable parts which makes it complicated to manufacture and difficult to clean.
A purpose is to provide an arrangement that at least in part solves the problems mentioned above. This purpose is according to one aspect obtained by an arrangement for a rock grouting equipment for positioning at least one cartridge. The arrangement comprises at least one storehouse arranged around an axis and intended to comprise a plurality of said cartridges. The storehouse comprises at least one tray, in which tray a plurality of cartridges are placed. Thus a stack of cartridges may be placed in said at least one tray, and these cartridges may move freely in the tray since they are not placed in separate loading tubes. The arrangement further comprises at least one in relation to the axis in radial direction extending catching organ. The catching organ is arranged to perform a rotating movement around the axis. The catching organ is arranged to, during said rotating movement, catch at least one of said cartridges.
According to another aspect a method in such arrangement is provided. The method comprises rotating said catching organ around the axis and catching at least one of said cartridges during said rotating movement.
Exemplified embodiments will now be described more in detail with reference to the attached figures. The same number in the figures refers throughout to the same element. Note that the figures not necessary are made to scale and that some details may have been exaggerated for clarity reasons.
The catching organ comprises thus one or several in parallel with the axis extending ridges 3 arranged in the inner surface area 4 of the storehouse. The ridges 3 are arranged to perform a rotating movement around the axis 15 by that the storehouse 12 is brought into a rotating movement around the axis 15. The in the storehouse 12 placed cartridges 11 will then slip along the inner surface area 4 of the storehouse and the catching the means. The ridges 3 are arranged to, during said rotating movement, catch at least one of said cartridges 11. If a flowing medium, like water, is added to the storehouse 12 in order to decrease the friction between the cartridges 11 and between the cartridges 11 and the inner surface area 4 of the storehouse, the flow is facilitated if the ridge is divided in several parts.
When the rotor blade 23 is brought into rotating movement around the axis 15 the cartridges 11 will slip on the inner surface area 4 of the storehouse 12. The convey means 14 will then, during said rotating movement, catch at least one of the cartridges 11. The catching organ, in the figure shown as convey means 14, is arranged to place at least one cartridge 11 in a predetermined position, for example but not necessary at the periphery of the storehouse. The rotor blade 23 may be brought to stay in a specific position, and is preferably fixed in said specific position. From the predetermined position may the cartridge, or the cartridges, be moved to a loading position for firing, for example with help from a linear actuator that pushes the cartridge, or the cartridges, in a direction in parallel with the axis 15 in a firing arrangement, i.e. a firing hose (not shown in figure). Alternatively, the cartridge or the cartridges may be fired directly from said specific position.
A rotor 22 is arranged to be placed inside the storehouse 12. From the central axis of the rotor one or several rotor blade 23 extends. In the example shown in the figure the rotor 22 is provided with four rotor blades 23. When the rotor 22 is placed inside the storehouse 12 the rotor blades 23 forms in radial direction extending delimitations whereby four of the by the rotor blades 23 separated trays 13 for placing of cartridges 11 is formed. The rotor 22 is arranged to perform, around the substantially horizontally arranged axis 15, one in relation to the storehouse 12 rotating movement. The rotor 22 is driven by a driving engine 47 which transfers torque to the rotor 22 via a drive shaft 50 and a driving arrangement 51. At the periphery edge of the rotor blade 23 is one or several convey means 14 arranged. In the example shown in the figure the rotor blades 23 are provided with three convey means 14.
The convey means 14 is arranged to, during said rotating movement, catch one or several of the cartridges 11. When the rotor 22 is rotated the in the trays 13 placed cartridges 11 will slip on the surface area of the storehouse 12. The inner surface area of the storehouse 12 is provided with a surface which provides a smooth surface with low friction against which surface the in the storehouse 12 placed cartridges 11 may easy slip. The smooth surface may for example be a polyurethane surface. The arrangement 10 may be provided with an occlusive lock 43. To further decrease the friction between the cartridges 11 and the inner surface area of the storehouse 12 may the storehouse 12 in part be filled with some friction decreasing medium, for example water.
This also decreases the friction between the cartridges 11 placed in the storehouse and the risk that the cartridges adhere to each other or to the inner surface of the storehouse decreases. Thus, the risk that some cartridge tears apart decreases. During the rotating movement the against the surface area of the storehouse slipping cartridges will be caught by the convey means 14. The rotating movement of the rotor 22 proceeds until one in advance specific position where the position of the rotor 22 may be fixed with a locking arm 49. The arrangement further comprises an indexing disc 48.
The convey means 14 is arranged in the periphery part of the rotor blades 23. The position of the convey means 14 in radial direction may be adjusted. Since the exact position of the convey means 14 may be adjusted individually, the horizontal position of the one or several caught cartridges may be tuned. The arrangement 10 is provided with a connection 46 to one or several firing arrangements like one or several firing hoses (not shown in figure). The arrangement 10 further comprises an actuator 42 arranged to move the cartridge, or the cartridges, 11 from the predetermined position to an adjacent to the storehouse 12 arranged firing arrangement like a firing hose (not shown). The actuator 42 is arranged to act linear in a direction substantially in parallel with the axis 15.
When the cartridge, or the cartridges, 11 is positioned they are moved with help from the actuator 42 from the storehouse 12 to the firing hose. The linear actuator 42 is arranged to act in a direction along with the axis 14 and to slip in a cut groove 5 in the storehouse 12 with help from a driving mechanism 6. The actuator 42 will thus push the one or several positioned cartridges 11 out from the storehouse 12 and into the firing hose. In this way one or several cartridges 11 may be placed in the firing hose. A sensor 44 may indicate that one or several cartridges have been placed in the firing hose. The sensor 44 may be any sensing sensor, for example a photocell, or a sensor that senses weight. The rotating movement and the steps above are repeated until a desired number of cartridges 11 are placed in the firing hose. The actuator 42 is arranged to seal the opening of the firing hose turned towards the storehouse 12. For this purpose the actuator 42 may for example have a circular cross section and may be provided with a conical tapered form, or with a sealing membrane. When the end of the firing hose is sealed gas, for example compressed air, is applied to the firing hose via a connection 45 whereby the cartridges 11 are fired.
The above exemplified arrangements and the methods show a plurality of advantages. The robust design enables a compact and light weight arrangement. The design shows few parts which partially may be taken apart which facilitate cleaning. Refill of cartridges is simple and the arrangement has capacity to handle many cartridges. Further, cartridges with the same hardening time or the same dimensions may be placed in different trays if desired. The arrangement does not require the same advanced control equipment like earlier known designs.
The skilled person within the field realizes that embodiments described above may be combined. Thus, the invention is not limited to the described embodiments. The invention is limited only by the patent claims defining the scope of protection.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1350774-4 | Jun 2013 | SE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE2014/050785 | 6/25/2014 | WO | 00 |
