VISUAL INDICATOR FOR CORRECT TORSION OF A ROCK BOLT

Abstract

A rotation indication device for a rock bolt including a central rod with a threaded trailing portion. The rotation indication device includes a blind nut having a threaded central recess for engaging the threaded trailing portion and a visual indication means provided at a bottom portion of the central recess and configured such that upon movement of the threaded trailing portion of the central rod into the bottom portion of the central recess, the central rod forces at least a portion of the visual indication means to move through a passage in the blind nut between the bottom portion of the central recess and the outside of the blind nut.

Claims

1. A rotation indication device for a rock bolt comprising: a central rod with a threaded trailing portion a blind nut including a threaded central recess arranged for engaging the threaded trailing portion; and a visual indication means provided at a bottom portion of the central recess and configured such that upon movement of the threaded trailing portion of the central rod into the bottom portion of the central recess, the central rod forces at least a portion of the visual indication means to move through at least one passage in the blind nut between the bottom portion of the central recess and the outside of the blind nut.

2. The rotation indication device according to claim 1, further comprising a locking means configured to prevent relative rotation between the central rod and the blind nut up to a predetermined torque limit, wherein the locking means is configured to break or release upon exertion of a torque exceeding the predetermined torque limit.

3. The rotation indication device according to claim 1, wherein the visual indication means includes a liquid or paste-form indication substance.

4. The rotation indication device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one passage comprises a plurality of passages, said plurality of passages extending in different directions about the central axis of the blind nut.

5. The rotation indication device according to claim 1, wherein the visual indication means includes a solid indication body movably mounted in the at least one passage, wherein an inner portion of the solid indication body extends from the at least one passage into the bottom portion of the central recess, wherein an outer portion of the indication body is configured such that it is movable from a hidden position within the at least one passage to a visible position outside of the blind nut upon movement of the inner portion of the indication body into the at least one passage at movement of the central rod into the bottom portion of the central recess.

6. The rotation indication device according to claim 5, wherein the solid indication body is attached to the blind nut by a press-fit.

7. The rotation indication device according to claim 5, wherein the solid indication body comprises a central body shaped to be movable through the passage, and one or more protrusions extending from a side surface of the central body to mitigate movement from the hidden position to the visible position.

8. The rotation indication device according to claim 1, wherein the visual indication means includes an indicator removably attached to the blind nut such that it is visible when attached to the blind nut, wherein the visual indication means further includes an actuation means movably mounted in the at least one passage with an inner portion of the actuation means extending from the at least one passage into the bottom portion of the central recess, wherein the actuation means is configured such that upon being forced outwards through the at least one passage by the threaded trailing portion of the central rod, an outer portion of the actuation means forces the indicator to separate from the blind nut.

9. The rotation indication device according to claim 8, wherein the actuation means is integrated with the indicator in the form of a protrusion extending from the indicator through the at least one passage and further into the central recess.

10. The rotation indication device according to claim 9, wherein the indicator is removably attached to the blind nut by a press fit of the indicator in a corresponding recess of the blind nut.

11. The rotation indication device according to claim 8, wherein the actuation means is separate from the indicator.

12. The rotation indication device according to claim 11, wherein the actuation means is configured to engage with the blind nut so at to remain in the passage after separation of the indicator with an outer portion of the actuation means visible from the outside of the blind nut.

13. The rotation indication device according to claim 8, wherein the indicator is removably attached to the blind nut by a plurality of attachment hooks provided on the blind nut, wherein the material of the indicator or of the attachment hooks is resilient enough to allow the indicator to be forced past the attachment hooks by the actuation means such that the indicator separates from the blind nut.

14. The rotation indication device according to claim 8, wherein the indicator is removably attached to the blind nut by a plurality of attachment hooks provided on the blind nut, wherein the material of the indicator is chosen such that the indicator breaks into pieces and separates from the blind nut upon being forced outwards by the actuation means.

15. The rotation indication device according to claim 8, wherein the indicator is provided with an electronic ID-tag or a graphical ID-mark.

16. The rotation indication device according to claim 8, wherein the locking means comprises a thread locking compound.

17. The rotation indication device according to claim 8, wherein the locking means comprises a shear pin.

18. The rotation indication device according to claim 2, wherein the locking means comprises a member positioned between and inner end surface of the central rod and a surface of the blind nut wherein the member is configured to move, deform, break or collapse upon exertion of a force above a threshold force such that the blind nut is no longer prevented by the locking means from being screwed further onto the central rod.

19. The rotation indication device according to claim 2, wherein the locking means comprises a solid indication body or an actuation means, wherein the solid indication body or the actuation means are configured to engage the nut to withstand a force from the trailing end portion of the central rod up to a threshold force.

20. A rock bolt assembly comprising a rotation indication device according to claim 1 and a rock bolt.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0033] All embodiments of the rotation indication device are for use with a rock bolt, but the bolt is only partly illustrated in FIGS. 1a-b, 2a-b and 3a-b. The rock bolt is not shown in FIGS. 4a-b and 5a-b.

[0034] For the various embodiments shown in the figures, figures a relate to the rotation indication device before tensioning and figures b relate to the rotation indication device after tensioning over the predetermined torque.

[0035] FIGS. 1a-b relate to a rotation indication device using a liquid or paste-form indication substance which is expelled to the outside of the blind nut upon proper tensioning of the blind nut. The blind nut has only one passage for the liquid/fluid to be expelled through.

[0036] FIGS. 2a-b relate to a rotation indication device based on the same principle as the one of FIGS. 1a-b, however with multiple passages for expelling of liquid/paste through.

[0037] An alternative approach is used by the rotation indication device according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3a-b. This rotation indication device has a solid indication body instead of a liquid or paste-form indication substance.

[0038] FIGS. 3a-b, solid indication body movable between hidden position and visible position

[0039] FIGS. 4a-b, External sign/indicator which falls off. Indicator separate from actuation means.

[0040] FIGS. 5a-b, External sign/indicator which falls off. Indicator integrated with actuation means.

[0041] FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the solid indication body also shown in FIGS. 3a-3b.

[0042]

TABLE-US-00001 1 rotation indication device 2 rock bolt 3 central rod 4 threaded trailing portion 5 blind nut 6 locking means 7 visual indication means 8 bottom portion of central recess 9 passage 10 central axis of blind nut 11 solid indication body 12 central body 13 protrusion 14 indicator 15 actuation means 16 attachment hooks 17 rock bolt assembly 18 driver socket

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] A rotation indication device 1 according to a first embodiment will hereinafter be described with reference to the appended drawings.

[0044] The rotation indication device 1 is suitable for use with a rock bolt comprising a central rod 3 with a threaded trailing portion 4. The rock bolt is mounted to the formation as known in the art by drilling the hole in the formation, inserting the rock bolt, and rotating the blind nut of the rock bolt. Often, the rock bolt comprises a wedge-mechanism causing the rock bolt to be anchored in the formation upon tensioning of the wedge mechanism.

[0045] A driver socket 18 is used to hammer the rock bolt 2 into the formation, and the driver socket 18 is subsequently rotated to apply a momentum to the blind nut 5 at the end of the rock bolt 2. In the present invention, the blind nut 5 is part of a rotation indication device 1 for enabling easy visual inspection of the installed rock bolt 2 to ensure that the rock bolt 2 has been properly installed.

[0046] The rotation indication device 1 comprises a blind nut 5 comprising a threaded central recess for engaging the threaded trailing portion 4. Also, the rotation indication device 1 comprises a locking means 6 configured to prevent relative rotation between the central rod 3 and the blind nut 5 up to a predetermined torque limit, wherein the locking means 6 is configured to break or release upon exertion of a torque exceeding the predetermined torque limit.

[0047] The locking means 6 comprises a thread locking compound provided between the threads of the blind nut 5 and the central rod 3, but the locking means may in other embodiments alternatively comprise a shear pin (not illustrated). In further embodiments, the locking means 6 may alternatively comprise a member (not illustrated) positioned between and inner end surface of the central rod 3 and a surface of the blind nut 5 wherein the separate member is configured to move, deform, break or collapse upon exertion of a force above a threshold force such that the blind nut 5 is no longer prevented from being screwed further onto the central rod 3. In some embodiments, the locking means 6 could comprise the solid indication body or the actuation means, wherein the solid indication body or the actuation means are configured to engage the nut to withstand a force from the trailing end portion of the central rod up to a threshold force before further movement of the trailing end portion can proceed, thereby allowing the blind nut to be screwed further onto the central rod. Such engagement may be realized by dimensioning the solid indication body or the actuation means larger than the passage of the blind nut yet small enough to allow the solid indication body or the actuation means to be forced through the passage upon application of a force higher than a threshold force.

[0048] The rotation indication device 1 comprises a visual indication means 7 provided at a bottom portion 8 of the central recess and configured such that upon movement of the threaded trailing portion 4 of the central rod 3 into the bottom portion 8 of the central recess, the central rod 3 forces at least a portion of the visual indication means 7 to move through a passage 9 in the blind nut 5 between the bottom portion of the central recess and the outside of the blind nut 5. In this embodiment, the visual indication means 7 comprises a liquid or paste-form indication substance but in other embodiments the visual indication means 7 may alternatively have some other suitable configuration, such as a solid body (see FIGS. 3a-3b).

[0049] Upon tightening of the blind nut 5, the central rod 3 first co-rotates with the blind nut 5, for example to tighten an expansion mechanism of the rock bolt 2. Once the torque required to further rotate the blind nut 5 exceeds the predetermined torque, the locking means 6 breaks/releases and the blind nut 5 begins to rotate relatively the central rod 3 with their threads cooperating. This leads the central rod 3 further into the central recess, thereby forcing the liquid or paste-form indication substance out of the passage 9 of the blind nut 5 such that the liquid or paste-form indication substance is visible from outside.

[0050] In other embodiments, the locking means 6 may alternatively be omitted. When a locking means 6 is present, the rotation indication device 1 functions to indicate that a minimum torque has been applied to the blind nut 5 and that the blind nut 5 has been further rotated after that. When a locking means 6 is not provided, the rotation indication device 1 indicates that the blind nut 5 has been rotated relatively the central rod 3.

[0051] In this embodiment, only one passage is provided, as shown in FIGS. 1a-1b, but in other embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2a-2b, more passages may be provided through which the liquid or paste-form indication substance may move from the central recess of the blind nut to the exterior of the blind nut 5.

[0052] In some embodiments, a solid indication body may be provided instead of the liquid or paste-form indication substance. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3a-3b, the solid indication body 11 is movably mounted in the passage 9. An inner portion of the solid indication body 11 extends from the passage 9 into the bottom portion 8 of the central recess, wherein an outer portion of the solid indication body 11 is configured such that it is movable from a hidden position within the passage 9 (see FIG. 3a) to a visible position outside of the blind nut (see FIG. 3b) upon movement of the inner portion of the solid indication body 11 into the passage 9 at movement of the central rod 3 into the bottom portion 8 of the central recess.

[0053] In an alternative embodiment (not illustrated in figures), the solid indication body may be configured to be positioned within the central recess but not extending into the passage 9 until it is forces into the passage 9 by the central rod 3 upon tensioning of the blind nut.

[0054] The solid indication body 11 may attached to the blind nut 5 by press-fit.

[0055] The solid indication body 11 comprises a central body 12 shaped to be movable through the passage 9, and a protrusion 13 in the form of a circumferential flange (see FIG. 6) extending from a side surface of the central body 12. The ridge is larger than the size of the passage 9 and thus does mitigate movement of the solid indication body 11 from the hidden position to the visible position. When a high-enough torque is applied to the blind nut 5, the ridge/protrusion 13 deforms or breaks to allow further outwards movement of the central body 12 (see FIG. 3b), wherein the material of the protrusion/ridge 13 may act to prevent the central body 12 from falling out of the passage 9.

[0056] As an alternative to using a solid indication body movable between a hidden and a visible position, an indicator 14 may be provided on the outside of the blind nut 5. The indicator 14 is thus visible before the bolt 2 is driven into the rock, and after the bolt 2 has been driven into the rock. However, the indicator separates from the blind nut 5 and falls off upon correct installation of the bolt 2, wherein one can easily see that the indicator has fallen off, indicating correct installation.

[0057] Hence, the visual indication means 7 may comprise an indicator 14 removably attached to the blind nut 5 such that it is visible when attached to the blind nut 5. The visual indication means 7 further comprises an actuation means 15 movably mounted in the passage 9 with an inner portion of the actuation means 15 extending from the passage 9 into the bottom portion of the central recess. The actuation means 15 is configured such that upon being forced outwards through the passage 9 by the threaded trailing portion of the central rod 3, an outer portion of the actuation means 15 forces the indicator 14 to separate from the blind nut 5.

[0058] The actuation means 15 may be separate from the indicator 14, as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 4a-4b. In the embodiment of FIGS. 5a-5b, the actuation means 15 is however integrated with the indicator 14 in the form of a protrusion 13 extending from the indicator 14 through the passage 9 and further into the central recess.

[0059] In some embodiments, such as the one of FIGS. 4a-4b, the actuation means 15 is configured to remain in the passage 9 after separation of the indicator 14 with an outer portion of the actuation means 15 visible from the outside of the blind nut 5. Preferably, the indicator is provided with a first color and the outer portion of the actuation means provided with a second color different and easily distinguishable from the first color. For example, the first color could be a red color and the second color a green color, and any one or more of the colors could be fluorescent. Additionally or alternatively, the indicator when attached to the blind nut covers an external portion of the blind nut provided with a color or pattern different from the color or pattern of the indicator such that the difference in visual appearance is clearly distinguishable at inspection after separation of the indicator.

[0060] In the embodiment of FIGS. 4a-4b. the indicator 14 is removably attached to the blind nut 5 by a plurality of attachment hooks 16 provided on the blind nut 5, wherein the material of the indicator 14 or of the attachment hooks 16 is resilient enough to allow the indicator 14 to be forced past the attachment hooks 16 by the actuation means 15 such that the indicator 14 separates from the blind nut 5. In an alternative embodiment, the material of the indicator 14 is chosen such that the indicator breaks into pieces and separates from the blind nut 5 upon being forced outwards by the actuation means 15 against the hooks 16.

[0061] Instead of using hooks 16, the indicator 14 may instead be removably attached to the blind nut 5 by press fit of the indicator 14 in a corresponding recess of the blind nut 5, as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 5a-5b. In this embodiment, the indicator is press-fitted into an outer recess of the blind nut 5, but in other embodiments, the indicator 14 may be attached via the actuation means 15 being press fitted in the passage 9. The provision of an outer recess for receiving the indicator 14 protects the indicator 14 from being unintentionally torn off from the rock bolt 2.

[0062] The rotation indication device 1 may be provided as a separate device 1 or it may be provided together with the rock bolt 2 as an assembly.