The present version of this device relates generally to the field of identifying roof bolts or stabilizers that are used in the mining or tunneling industry.
This device relates to the identification of roof bolts or stabilizers that are used in the mining industry or tunneling underground, and more particularly to the marking and identification of roof bolts and stabilizers that can be more easily identified pre and post installation.
Many different types of devices and methods are used to secure the roofs in mining or tunneling operations. Generally these devices consist of cables, rods, screws or tube like stabilizers that are inserted through a hole in a plate of some kind and into holes drilled in the roofs or walls of the tunnels. These devices can penetrate great distances into the ceilings or walls dependent upon the consistency or materials in the roof or walls and the stabilization plan. The plates generally sit flush against the ceiling (for example) in the tunnels and the bolts or stabilizers are secured in the drilled holes in the ceiling. The bolts or stabilizers are in tension and the plates help retain the roof material in position once the tunnel material is removed and this helps prevent ceiling failures or collapse. Stabilizers once installed, can then have a grout or an adhesive inserted into the interior of the tube of the stabilizer that aids in securing the stabilizer in the roof or ceiling.
One method of aiding in the securing of the ceilings or walls of mining tunnels is to first drill a hole and check the material removed. This drilling and other methods tell the operator how deep the hole should be drilled and how long the stabilizer or roof bolt should be. Once the hole depth has been determined, the appropriate type of device of the appropriate length and properties can be inserted into the hole and secured. Securing can be done by a number of different methods known in the art. Some roof stabilizers use a grout, others use an epoxy material and still others use neither but are held in place via friction from the outer surface of the stabilizer in the hole drilled in the roof material.
Some stabilizers have a roof bolt inserted along with the grout or epoxy into the stabilizers to aid in retaining the stabilizers in the hole in the rock. The roof bolts generally have a head of various designs attached to an extension that varies in length depending upon the roof plan and length of the stabilizer. The extensions can be cable, solid rod, threaded rods or various other designs known in the art. These bolts suffer from the same pre and post installation identification problems as the stabilizers.
All stabilizers have indicia to indicate various properties of the stabilizer, for example only and in no way meant to be a limitation, length, material, strength, date of manufacture, lot number, machine manufactured on, plant or manufacturers facility and others. The problem with much of the background art is that this indicia is located on the interior surface of the stabilizer. This can be impossible to see if the stabilizer has a grout, epoxy material and/or a roof bolt inserted into the stabilizer. Any material or device inserted into the stabilizer can cause difficulty in reading the indicia if the stabilizer is many feet away from the inspector or installer. The indicia may become difficult to read from corrosion of the stabilizer itself or the indicia may wear or flake off.
It is important to enable one to visually verify that the proper length stabilizers have been inserted into the proper depth hole to make sure that the roof plan has been followed. The Applicant's device allows the stabilizers to be visually verified before installation and visually verified at a later date for inspection, even if the roofing plan has been lost or was not fully completed. The Applicant's device is more clearly visible to the installers and inspectors and is much less likely to become corroded to a point that the indicia is not visible. Inspection can thus be done at a much later date even in low light conditions.
Several other methods such as paint or locating the ring at a particular angle relative to a slot in the stabilizer have been found to somewhat enable visual inspection, but have been unsuccessful for one reason or another and none have been successfully accepted by many in the tunneling or mining industry.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a stabilizer or roof bolt that allows the relative simple visual inspection of the stabilizer or roof bolt to verify the length and other properties of the stabilizer or roof bolt both before and after installation.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the background art of roof stabilizers and roof bolts there is a need for a device that allows for the simple visual verification of the length and other properties of the roof bolts and stabilizers both before and after installation.
A first objective of these devices is to provide a device that can be installed with current technology.
Another objective of these devices is to provide a device wherein the length can be quickly and easily verified before it is installed.
An additional objective of these devices is to provide a device that once installed, can provide a quick visual verification of the properties of the device after installation.
It is yet another objective of these devices to provide for a relatively quick visual inspection of stabilizers and bolts that are less subject to indicia corrosion, flaking or wear.
It is a still further objective of the devices disclosed to provide a device where properties can more easily be read in a low light environment.
Another objective of these devices is to provide a stabilizer where properties can be verified after a grout or adhesive has been inserted into the tube for retaining the stabilizer.
These together with other objectives of these devices, along with various features of novelty which characterize these devices, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of these devices, their operating advantages and the specific objectives attained by their uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of this device.
Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like elements are indicated by like numerals, there is shown in
The top end 20 of the tube 14 can have a taper 22 which eases the insertion of the tube 14 into a hole drilled in the ceiling or wall of the tunnel or shaft. The tube 14 also has a slot 16 in the side wall of the tube 14 running from the bottom end 18 to the top end 20 and approximately parallel to an axis 27. This embodiment of the tube 14 also shows a fold 24 is formed by folding the side wall of the tube 14 in forming the taper 22 at the top end 20. This embodiment of the stabilizer 12, shows indicia 46 located on the interior of the tube 14 near the bottom end 18. The background art commonly uses indicia 46 on the inside of the tube 14 to indicate the length of the tube 14 and various other properties that are of importance in roof stabilizers 12.
The plate 42 is located flush with the ceiling or surface that requires support. This embodiment shows indicia 46 on the side surface 34 of the ring 30. The indicia 46 can be applied by various methods such as: stencil, laser, electronic pen, pencil marking, scribe, scroll pen, rolling dies, press or stamping, embossed, debossed and various other methods that would provide a relatively permanent indicator. The indicia can also be done during manufacturing of ring 30 or post assembly of the ring 30 to the tube 14.
It can be appreciated that applying the indicia to the bottom surface 32 or side surface 34 of the ring 30, or even both surfaces is beneficial and desirable to the user. It can be appreciated that if grout or adhesive is inserted into the tube 14 of the stabilizer 12, the indicia on the interior of the tube 14 as the background art utilizes would not be visible. The grout or adhesive may be covering the indicia 46,
Having indicia 46 on either the bottom surface 32 or side surface 34 or both of ring 30 can also help prevent the installation of the incorrect stabilizer 12. Since these stabilizers 12 play an integral part in helping to prevent roof or ceiling failures, any opportunity to aid in error prevention is extremely beneficial.
As can be appreciated, having indicia 46 on one or multiple locations of the head 51 of a roof bolt 62 can aid the installer in verifying the properties of the roof bolt 62 and in matching the roof bolt 62 to the stabilizer 12. Clearly visible indicia 46 provides a better post installation check of the elements installed to verify the correct devices have been installed.
It will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments, improvements, details and uses can be made consistent with the letter and spirit of the foregoing disclosure and within the scope of this patent, which is limited only by the following claims, construed in accordance with the patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.