Lite mine roof support crib and method

Abstract

A mine roof support crib. The crib includes a plurality of chocks that are connected together through notches in the chocks to form at least three planes and able to support at least five tons of load. Each notch has at least one edge. A method of forming a mine roof support crib. A method of forming a chock for a mine roof crib to support a mine roof.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A mine roof support crib comprising: 
 a plurality of chocks that are connected together through notches in the chocks to form at least three planes and able to support at least five tons of load, each notch having only one edge.    
     
     
         2 . A crib as described and  claim 1  wherein the plurality of chocks connected together can support at least 20 tons of load.  
     
     
         3 . A crib as described in  claim 2  wherein each chock has a long axis and each notch of the chock is cut at a right angle to the long axis of the chock.  
     
     
         4 . A crib as described in  claim 3  wherein the plurality of chocks forms four planes.  
     
     
         5 . A crib as described in  claim 4  wherein at least two of the planes are in perpendicular relation with each other.  
     
     
         6 . A crib as described in  claim 5  wherein each notch has either a spacer or a bar pin or a staple defining a receive zone with the edge of the corresponding notch, the receive zone receiving a notch of an adjacent chock.  
     
     
         7 . A crib as described in  claim 6  wherein the height of the spacer, bar pin or staple is less than the rise of the edge of the corresponding notch.  
     
     
         8 . A crib as described in  claim 7  wherein each chock has a primary piece having a top and a bottom, a first block and a second block disposed on the top and bottom, respectively, and means for attaching the first block and second block to the primary piece, an outward surface of the first block and second block defining the edge of a first notch and of a second notch of each chock.  
     
     
         9 . A crib as described in  claim 8  including a base on which the chocks are disposed, the base adapted to reside on a floor of the mine.  
     
     
         10 . A crib as described in  claim 9  including a top portion which is disposed on the chocks which is adapted to fit between the chocks and a roof of the mine so the chocks are prestressed.  
     
     
         11 . A mine roof support crib comprising: 
 a plurality of chocks that are connected together through notches in the chocks to form at least three planes and are able to support at least five tons of load wherein each chock having a primary piece having a top and a bottom, a first block and a second block disposed on the top and bottom, respectively, and means for attaching the first block and second block to the primary piece.    
     
     
         12 . A crib as described in  claim 11  wherein the attaching means includes a nail or wire.  
     
     
         13 . A crib as described in  claim 12  wherein each chock includes a third block and a fourth block in spaced relationship with the first and second blocks, respectively, the third and fourth blocks attached to the primary piece.  
     
     
         14 . A crib as described in  claim 13  wherein the primary piece has a first end and a second end and a top surface and a bottom surface and the first block, second block, third block and fourth block are in spaced relationship from the top surface of the first end, bottom surface of the first end, top surface of the second end and bottom surface of the second end, respectively, to form notches in the chock.  
     
     
         15 . A crib as described in  claim 14  wherein the blocks are made of either oak, hard gum, wattle, maple, hickory, poplar or pine or concrete or a composite of wood fiber cement.  
     
     
         16 . A crib as described in  claim 12  wherein the primary piece has a first end and a second end and a top surface and a bottom surface and the first block and second block are in spaced relationship with the first end and second end of the top surface, and the first end and second end of the bottom surface, respectively, to form notches in the chock with each notch having an edge defined by the respective block, to receive a notch from an adjacent chock.  
     
     
         17 . A crib as described in  claim 5  wherein each notch has either a spacer or a bar pin or a staple defining a receive zone with the edge of the corresponding notch, the receive zone receiving a notch of an adjacent chock.  
     
     
         18 . A crib as described in  claim 6  wherein the height of the spacer, bar pin or staple is less than the rise of the edge of the corresponding notch.  
     
     
         19 . A crib as described in  claim 13  including a fifth block and a sixth block in spaced relationship with the first and second blocks, respectively, said third and fifth and fourth and sixth blocks each forming a notch with the first block and second block, respectively, to receive a notch from a respective chock.  
     
     
         20 . A crib as described in  claim 19  wherein the height of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth blocks are less than the heights of the first block and second block.  
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a mine roof support crib comprising the steps of: 
 placing a first chock having at least one notch with only one edge in a mine;    placing a second chock having at least one notch with only one edge in the mine and adjacent to the first chock;    linking a third chock having at least one notch with only one edge with the one notch of the first chock and the one notch of the second chock;    linking a fourth chock having at least one notch with only one edge with a second notch of the first chock and a second notch of the second chock; and    linking a desired number of additional chocks having notches with only one edge onto each other or the first, second, third or fourth chocks through notches of and the respective chocks until at least two planes are formed.    
     
     
         22 . A method as described in  claim 21  including after the linking a desired number of additional chocks, there is the step of supporting a load of at least five tons with the additional chocks and the first, second, third and fourth chocks.  
     
     
         23 . A method of forming a chock for a mine roof crib to support a mine roof comprising the steps of: 
 attaching a first block to a top side of a primary piece in spaced relationship to each end of the primary piece to define notches at each end of the top side of the primary piece; and    attaching a second block to a bottom side of the primary piece in spaced relationship to each end of the primary piece to define notches at each end of the bottom side of the primary piece.    
     
     
         24 . A method as described in  claim 23  including the step of placing a stop adjacent each end of the primary piece and in spaced relationship with the respective block to define a receiving zone to receive a notch of another chock.  
     
     
         25 . A method as described in  claim 24  wherein the stop includes blocks, spacers, bar pins or staples.