An apparatus for feeding a tubular object inside a drill hole, a rock drilling rig and a method of supporting mouth openings of drill holes is provided. The apparatus includes a support device for supporting an elongated tube element blank having the potential for several successive tube inserts. A front end of the tube element blank is moved longitudinally inside a drill hole by means of a feeding device. Thereby, the drill hole is provided with a protective section extending a limited longitudinal dimension towards a bottom of the drill hole. The apparatus further includes a separation device for detaching the mentioned tube inserts one by one from the tube element blank.

A rock drilling unit and method for charging drilled holes. The rock drilling unit includes a feed system for feeding initiators and rock breaking material into the drilled holes. The rock drilling unit is also provided with one or more communicating devices for communicating with the wireless initiators.

A rock drilling unit and method for charging drilled holes. The rock drilling unit includes a feed system for feeding initiators and rock breaking material into the drilled holes. The rock drilling unit is also provided with one or more communicating devices for communicating with the wireless initiators.

Described is a vehicle configured for the deposition of explosives in holes of open-pit exploration mines, wherein the vehicle is able to perform all seven steps carried out in the manual explosive deposition process, automatically, completely free of human intervention. Also described is a method of use of the aforementioned vehicle.

The present invention relates to systems and methods of mining, including drilling a first plurality of blast holes along a length of a horizontal stope and blasting explosive within the first plurality of blast holes. The method includes recovering fragmented ore from the horizontal stope and stabilizing the horizontal stope via a first engineered roof. The method then includes drilling a second plurality of blast holes along the length of the horizontal stope and blasting explosive within the second plurality of blast holes. The method further includes recovering fragmented ore from the horizontal stope and stabilizing the horizontal stope via a second engineered roof. The horizontal stope is mined in a downward direction.

The present invention relates to systems and methods of mining, including drilling a first plurality of blast holes along a length of a horizontal stope and blasting explosive within the first plurality of blast holes. The method includes recovering fragmented ore from the horizontal stope and stabilizing the horizontal stope via a first engineered roof. The method then includes drilling a second plurality of blast holes along the length of the horizontal stope and blasting explosive within the second plurality of blast holes. The method further includes recovering fragmented ore from the horizontal stope and stabilizing the horizontal stope via a second engineered roof. The horizontal stope is mined in a downward direction.

An explosives delivery vehicle for delivering a booster for initiating an explosion of an explosive material in a hole in a floor of a mine pit to an operative depth in the hole. The vehicle comprises a storage assembly for storing a plurality of the boosters, a booster loading assembly for (i) supporting the booster in a delivery position above the hole and (ii) moving the booster downwardly into the hole and inserting the booster at an operative depth in the hole; and a delivery assembly for transporting the booster from the storage assembly to the loading assembly.

An explosives delivery vehicle for delivering a booster for initiating an explosion of an explosive material in a hole in a floor of a mine pit to an operative depth in the hole. The vehicle comprises a storage assembly for storing a plurality of the boosters, a booster loading assembly for (i) supporting the booster in a delivery position above the hole and (ii) moving the booster downwardly into the hole and inserting the booster at an operative depth in the hole; and a delivery assembly for transporting the booster from the storage assembly to the loading assembly.

The present invention relates to an integrated raise caving mining method for mining deposits in rock mass comprising: developing at least one raise (102,102a-f,202,302a-g,402a-e) in the rock mass (10), developing a drawbell (100,100a-c, 200a-g,300a-f,400a-e) in the rock mass (10), wherein at least a portion of the drawbell is excavated from the at least one raise (102,102a-f,202,302a-g,402a-e), initiating caving through undercutting, wherein at least a part of an undercut is created by gradually expanding the drawbell (100,100a-c, 200a-g,300a-f,400a-e) in upwards direction by excavation, developing at least two drawpoints (106,206,406) into the drawbell (100,100a-c, 200a-g,300a-f,400a-e), wherein the drawpoints (106) are developed from drifts (115,207,407) arranged on different levels and progressively drawing fragmented rock (101) from the at least one drawbell through the drawpoints (106,206,406).

The present invention relates to an integrated raise caving mining method for mining deposits in rock mass comprising: developing at least one raise (102,102a-f,202,302a-g,402a-e) in the rock mass (10), developing a drawbell (100,100a-c, 200a-g,300a-f,400a-e) in the rock mass (10), wherein at least a portion of the drawbell is excavated from the at least one raise (102,102a-f,202,302a-g,402a-e), initiating caving through undercutting, wherein at least a part of an undercut is created by gradually expanding the drawbell (100,100a-c, 200a-g,300a-f,400a-e) in upwards direction by excavation, developing at least two drawpoints (106,206,406) into the drawbell (100,100a-c, 200a-g,300a-f,400a-e), wherein the drawpoints (106) are developed from drifts (115,207,407) arranged on different levels and progressively drawing fragmented rock (101) from the at least one drawbell through the drawpoints (106,206,406).