KIBBLE TIPPING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a kibble tipping arrangement, which is used in a mining operation where a kibble (12) is vertically displaceable along a kibble displacement path to transport excavated material is a vertical mine shaft to the surface. The kibble tipping arrangement includes at least one catch (24) which is transversely displaceable between a non-interference position in which the catch does not interfere with the kibble (12) in the kibble displacement path and an interference position in which the catch (24) is capable of being engaged by an engagement formation (28) on the kibble (12) to allow the kibble (12) to top and the excavated material to be dumped from the kibble (12). The kibble tipping arrangement further includes kibble alignment means, which consist of a locator and a positioner, for aligning the kibble's engagement formation (28) with the catch (24).

Claims

1. A kibble tipping arrangement, for use in a mining operation in which a kibble is vertically displaceable along a kibble displacement path to transport excavated material in a vertical mineshaft to the surface, which includes at least one catch transversely displaceable between a non-interference position in which the catch does not interfere with the kibble in the kibble displacement path and an interference position in which the catch interferes with the kibble in the kibble displacement path, the at least one catch being located on a trolley which is transversely displaceable relative to the kibble displacement path to allow the at least one catch to be displaced between the non-interference position and the interference position; and an engagement formation on the kibble for engaging the catch when the catch is in the interference position.

2. (canceled)

3. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one catch is mounted on an end of the trolley located towards the kibble displacement path.

4. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the at least one catch is integrated with an end of the trolley located towards the kibble displacement path.

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 1, which includes a kibble, attached to a hoist cable through a kibble suspension assembly, the kibble suspension assembly is in the form of a plurality of supporting chains and a rope attachment assembly, the rope attachment assembly located between the hoist cable and the supporting chains.

8. (canceled)

9. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 7, in which the rope attachment assembly is in the form of any one of the following: a rope socket, a rope socket and drawbar assembly, a rope thimble, and a rope swivel.

10. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 7, in which the engagement formation on the kibble is in the form of a plurality of engagement bars located on a lower end of the kibble.

11. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 10, in which the plurality of engagement bars are positioned underneath the kibble such that once the catch engages one of the engagement bars, the kibble is tipped relative between two of the supporting chains instead of over the supporting chains.

12. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which includes a trolley supporting member in the form of an upper supporting member and a lower supporting member, and in which the trolley includes at least one pair of grooved wheels operable to run along the trolley supporting member.

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 12, which includes at least one rail attached to the trolley supporting member, the at least one rail shaped to support the grooved wheels, and in which the trolley supporting member includes at least one stop formation in the form of chocks located on each distal end of the at least one rail.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 12, in which the trolley includes an impact absorption formation in the form of a shock damper located on the trolley supporting member, in use to reduce the magnitude of the impacts on the trolley when the catch engages the engagement formation of the kibble.

20. (canceled)

21. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 1, which includes biasing means connected to the catch and arranged to bias the catch towards the interference position.

22. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 21, in which the biasing means is in the form of a counterweight arrangement capable of biasing the catch towards the interference position such that the kibble's engagement formation engages the catch.

23. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which includes a trolley arrangement having two trolleys each having at least one catch integrally formed, the two trolleys positioned alongside one another and attached to one another through a plurality of supporting rods and by at least one shaft, the shaft extending through a first or second pair of wheels of each of the trolleys.

24. (canceled)

25. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 1, which is positioned between a first and a second kibble displacement paths, the second kibble displacement path located adjacent to the first kibble displacement paths.

26. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 25, which includes a trolley with a catch located on each end of the trolley and in which the trolley is transversely displaceable between a non-interference position, in which neither of the catches interferes with a kibble in any one of the kibble displacement paths, and an interference position in which the catch is operable to engage a kibble in either one of the kibble displacement paths.

27. (canceled)

28. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 1, which includes kibble alignment means having a locator, orientated in a first rotary position co-axially and toward an upper end of the kibble displacement path and a positioner connected to the kibble for orientating the kibble to a predetermined rotational position.

29. (canceled)

30. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 28, in which the locator is stationary attached to a kibble crosshead.

31. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 28, in which the positioner is attached to a kibble hoist cable.

32. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 28, in which the positioner and the locator include teeth shaped to interdigitate each other while the positioner engages the locator.

33. The kibble tipping arrangement as claimed in claim 28, in which the locator includes an impact absorption formation.

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

Description

DRAWINGS

[0038] In the drawings:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a kibble tipping arrangement at the moment a catch engages a kibble's engagement formation;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a kibble tipping arrangement after the catch engaged the engagement formation and tipped the kibble;

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the trolleys of the kibble tipping arrangement as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a front view of the trolleys as seen in FIG. 3; and

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a front view of a locator and a positioner which forms part of the kibble tipping arrangement as seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2; and

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the locator and the positioner as seen in FIG. 5.

[0045] In the drawings, like reference numerals denote like part of the invention unless otherwise indicated.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0046] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a kibble tipping arrangement (10) in which a kibble (12) is connected to a hoist cable (14) through a rope socket and drawbar assembly (16) and three supporting chains (18). The kibble (12) is vertically displaceable along a kibble displacement path (20) (shown in broken line) when the hoist cable (14) is raised or lowered. The shaft sinking operation (10) includes a swing chute (not shown) which is operable to be positioned in a dumping position to allow excavated material to be dumped from the kibble (12) into adjacent chutes (not shown).

[0047] The kibble tipping arrangement (10) includes a trolley arrangement having two adjacent trolleys (22.1, 22.2) with a catch (24.1, 24.2) integrally formed on one side of each of the trolleys (see FIG. 4). The catches (24) is displaceable between an interference position (26) and a non-interference position (not shown) by movement of the trolleys (22).

[0048] The kibble tipping arrangement (10) further includes an engagement formation (28) which is in the form of three engagement bars (not shown) located underneath the kibble (12). The engagement bars are positioned in a triangular manner allowing the kibble (12) to be tipped relative between two of the supporting chains (18) rather than in traditional methods where the kibble is at times tipped over a supporting chain (18) thereby damaging the support chain (18).

[0049] The kibble tipping arrangement (10) also includes biasing means (30). The biasing means (30) is in the form of a counterweight arrangement, which includes a plurality of pulleys (30.1) and a counterweight (30.2) attached to the trolleys (22) via the plurality of pulleys (30.1). The biasing means (30) allows the catches (24) to be biased towards the interference position (26) such that one of the three engagement bars (28) will engage the catches (24) to allow excavated material to be dumped from the kibble (12).

[0050] The kibble tipping arrangement further includes kibble alignment means (32) (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6) for aligning the engagement bars (28) with the catches (24). The kibble alignment means (32) is in the form of a stationary locator (34) which is orientated in a first rotary position, and a positioner (36) located above the drawbar (16). The positioner includes an aperture (not shown) through which the hoist cable (14) can be installed. In this embodiment of the invention the locator (34) and the positioner (36) are in the form of three interspaced triangular teeth (See FIG. 5 and FIG. 6).

[0051] In use, the teeth of the positioner (36) will interdigitate the teeth of the locator (34) thereby rotating the kibble (12) to one of three predetermined rotatory positions which are 120 degrees apart. The predetermined rotary positions are determined by the alignment of the catches (24) relative to one of the engagement bars (28).

[0052] In use, the kibble (12), after being filled with excavated material, is hoisted to the surface through the hoist cable (14). The kibble (12) is lifted until the positioner (36) engages the locator (34) which is located on the crosshead (38) above the stage top deck. The engagement of the positioner (36) and the locator (24) rotates the kibble (12), in the headgear (39), to a position that ensures the catches (24) are aligned with one of the engagement bars (28) before the kibble (12) is lowered.

[0053] When the crosshead (38) comes to rest in the headgear (39) a signal allows the swing chute (not shown) to be lowered towards the dumping position. The engagement of the locator (34) and the positioner (36) keeps the loaded kibble (12) in position before the kibble (12) can be lowered. Once the swing chute (not shown) is in the dumping position, the kibble (12) is lowered thereby disengaging the positioner (36 from the stationer locator (34), which remains on the crosshead (38), allowing the kibble (12) to be lowered in one of the three predetermined rotary positions.

[0054] Once the catches (24) engage one of the engagement bars (28) (see FIG. 1), the hoist cable (14) will continue to move in a downward direction with the weight of the kibble (12) being carried by the catches (24), permitting the side of the kibble (12) opposed to the catches (24) to tip (see FIG. 2).

[0055] In one embodiment of the invention, each trolley (22) is in the form of an elongate (40) member. The elongate members (40.1, 40.2) of each trolley are connected to one another with a plurality of transverse support members (42). The catches (24) are located on one end of each of the elongate members (40). The catches are further defined by a cut-out formation shaped and dimensioned to receive the engagement bars (28) located underneath the kibble (12) when the catches (24) are in an interference position.

[0056] Each trolley (22) includes a first pair and second pair of grooved wheels (44.1,44.2) which are spaced alongside the elongate members (40) to run on a pair of lower rails (46.1). The elongate members (40) are aligned by an axle (47) extending through each pair of wheels (44.1, 44.2) of the adjacent trolleys (22). The wheels (44) of the elongate members (40) are further able to engage upper rails (46.2) to prevent the trolley (22) from tipping over when the catches (24) engages the kibble (12).

[0057] The lower and upper rails (46.1, 46.2) are attached to lower supporting members (48.1) and upper supporting members (48.2). The lower supporting members (48.1) and the upper supporting members (48.2) are secured to a structural frame (50) with allow the trolleys (22) to be housed inside the structural frame (50).

[0058] The kibble tipping arrangement also includes an impact absorption formation (52) to reduce the impact, on the trolley (22), when the kibble's engagement formation (28) engages the catches (22) on the trolley. The impact absorption formation is in the form of two shock dampers (54) which are connected to the upper supporting members (50) and a stationary supporting member (56).

[0059] The upper rails (46.2) also include stop formations (58) located on each distal end of the upper rail (46.2). The stop formations (58) are in the form of chocks to prevent the trolley (22) to slide off the lower rail (46.1) once the catches (24) has engaged the kibble (12).

[0060] The inventor believes that the current invention will eliminate the hazards that are faced with traditional methods which are used to dumped excavated material from a kibble, by providing a safer and automated kibble tipping arrangement.