Rapid development mobile canopy for underground mining

Abstract

A mobile canopy (or rapid advance shield) for use in a tunnel, comprising: first and second opposing and spaced walls; a curved roof coupled between the first and second walls; first and second skis mounted to respective bottoms of the first and second walls, the skis adapted to slide the mobile canopy about a floor of the tunnel; wherein the curved roof slopes downward from a front end of the mobile canopy toward a back end of the mobile canopy, the front end of the mobile canopy for positioning adjacent to a face of the tunnel; wherein the curved roof is movable between a first position proximate a tunnel roof and a second position spaced from the tunnel roof; and, wherein the first and second walls are movable between respective first positions proximate respective tunnel walls and respective second positions spaced from the tunnel walls.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile canopy for use in a tunnel, comprising:
 first and second opposing and spaced walls;   a curved roof coupled between the first and second walls;   first and second skis mounted to respective bottoms of the first and second walls, the skis adapted to slide the mobile canopy about a floor of the tunnel;   wherein the curved roof slopes downward from a front end of the mobile canopy toward a back end of the mobile canopy, the front end of the mobile canopy for positioning adjacent to a face of the tunnel;   wherein the curved roof is movable between a first position proximate a roof of the tunnel and a second position spaced from the roof of the tunnel; and,   wherein the first and second walls are movable between respective first positions proximate respective walls of the tunnel and respective second positions spaced from the walls of the tunnel.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile canopy of  claim 1 , further comprising a curtain mounted over a front end of the canopy, the curtain movable from an extended position covering the front end of the canopy to a retracted position uncovering the front end of the canopy. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile canopy of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one actuator mounted in each of the first and second walls and operable to extend and contract the first and second walls and hence move the roof between the first position proximate the roof of the tunnel and the second position spaced from the roof of the tunnel. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile canopy of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one actuator mounted in the roof and operable to extend and contract the roof and hence move the first and second walls between the respective first positions proximate the respective walls of the tunnel and the respective second positions spaced from the walls of the tunnel. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile canopy of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second walls include one or more spaced vertical or approximately vertical studs. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile canopy of  claim 5 , wherein each stud includes a first segment slidably coupled to a second segment thereby allowing the first and second walls to be extended and contracted. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile canopy of  claim 4 , wherein the roof includes one or more spaced rafters. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile canopy of  claim 7 , wherein each rafter includes at least two curved segments that are slidably coupled to each other thereby allowing the roof to be extended and contracted. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile canopy of  claim 1 , wherein the roof includes at least one hinged roof panel openable from inside the canopy. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile canopy of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one hinged roof panel includes at least one respective lock for securing the at least one hinge roof in a closed position. 
     
     
         11 . A method for advancing a tunnel face in an underground mine, comprising:
 blasting the tunnel face with explosives;   removing debris generated by the blasting from a heading of the tunnel;   positioning a mobile canopy at or near the heading;   drilling holes in the tunnel face and packing the holes with additional explosives; and,   securing the tunnel from inside the mobile canopy;   wherein the mobile canopy includes: first and second opposing and spaced walls; a curved roof coupled between the first and second walls; first and second skis mounted to respective bottoms of the first and second walls, the skis adapted to slide the mobile canopy about a floor of the tunnel; wherein the curved roof slopes downward from a front end of the mobile canopy toward a back end of the mobile canopy, the front end of the mobile canopy for positioning adjacent to the tunnel face; wherein the curved roof is movable between a first position proximate a roof of the tunnel and a second position spaced from the roof of the tunnel; and, wherein the first and second walls are movable between respective first positions proximate respective walls of the tunnel and respective second positions spaced from the walls of the tunnel.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mobile canopy further includes a curtain mounted over a front end of the canopy, the curtain movable from an extended position covering the front end of the canopy to a retracted position uncovering the front end of the canopy. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mobile canopy further includes at least one actuator mounted in each of the first and second walls and operable to extend and contract the first and second walls and hence move the roof between the first position proximate the roof of the tunnel and the second position spaced from the roof of the tunnel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the mobile canopy further includes at least one actuator mounted in the roof and operable to extend and contract the roof and hence move the first and second walls between the respective first positions proximate the respective walls of the tunnel and the respective second positions spaced from the walls of the tunnel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second walls include one or more spaced vertical or approximately vertical studs. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each stud includes a first segment slidably coupled to a second segment thereby allowing the first and second walls to be extended and contracted. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the roof includes one or more spaced rafters. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each rafter includes at least two curved segments that are slidably coupled to each other thereby allowing the roof to be extended and contracted. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the roof includes at least one hinged roof panel openable from inside the canopy. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one hinged roof panel includes at least one respective lock for securing the at least one hinge roof in a closed position.