Miner automated hardware installation system and automated brattice installer

Abstract

An automated hardware and brattice installer system for mining units configured to enable autonomous installation of floor mounted belt hardware and brattice behind a continuous borer mining unit to allow for continuous, unmanned, and uninterrupted advancement of the miner.

1 . A system comprising:
 a tow tub configured to couple to a rear portion of a mining machine while the mining mine advances through a mineshaft to mine a geological material; and   an automated hardware installer (AHI) operably coupled to the tow tub, wherein the AHI is configured to install extensible mineshaft hardware into an interior surface of the mineshaft.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the geological material comprises potash. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow tub comprises a tail pulley configured to couple to the rear portion of the mining machine. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow tub comprises:
 a hopper configured to receive the geological material from an inner conveyor of the mining machine and deposit the geological material onto a load plate of the tow tub; and   the load plate, wherein the load plate is configured to deposit the geological material onto a belt segment of a floor-mounted conveyor belt.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow tub is configured to feed belt segments for a floor-mounted conveyor belt to the AHI, and wherein the tow tub comprises a steering mechanism configured to align the belt segments relative to the AHI. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the tow tub further comprises a belt storage magazine configured to receive and retain the belt segments. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow tub comprises a laser plane receiver configured to orient the tow tub and the AHI relative to the mining machine. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tow tub comprises a winching system coupled to the AHI, wherein the winching system is configured to:
 in response to receiving a first signal from the mining machine indicating that the mining machine has advanced by a predetermined distance, release the AHI from the tow tub such that the AHI remains stationary relative to the interior surface of the mineshaft; and   in response to receiving a second signal from the AHI indicating that the AHI has installed a portion of the extensible mineshaft hardware onto the interior surface of the mineshaft, retract the AHI toward the tow tub.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AHI comprises one or more arms configured to redirect external obstacles away from the AHI. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the extensible mineshaft hardware comprises belt hardware for a floor-mounted conveyor belt, wherein the interior surface of the mineshaft comprises a floor of the mineshaft, and wherein the AHI comprises:
 a set of drills configured to drill holes in the floor;   a storage rack configured to retain the belt hardware;   a gripper assembly configured to transfer the belt hardware from the storage rack into the holes; and   a set of troughing rollers configured to locate a load belt above the extensible mineshaft hardware retained in the storage rack.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the extensible mineshaft hardware comprises a brattice, wherein the interior surface of the mineshaft comprises a ceiling of the mineshaft and a floor of the mineshaft, and wherein the AHI comprises:
 a nail assembly comprising a plurality of nail guns configured to nail a top edge of the brattice to the ceiling;   an elevator boom configured to raise and lower the plurality of nail guns; and   a mandrel configured to support a roll of the brattice.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the AHI further comprises a pivot pin coupling the nail assembly to the elevator boom, such that the nail assembly can pivot laterally relative to the elevator boom by a predetermined angle in either rotational direction. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined angle is between about 1 degree and about 10 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the AHI further comprises a mounting bracket coupling the elevator boom to a rear portion of the AHI. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the mounting bracket comprises a pair of U-shaped hooks. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of nail guns comprises five nail guns. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the AHI further comprises a hydraulic arm and a pair of guide rollers configured to move the nail guns between a retracted position and an extended position. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the AHI further comprises an encoder assembly configured to orient the nail assembly relative to the ceiling. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the encoder assembly comprises:
 an upper encoder wheel configured to measure a linear distance; and   a lower encoder wheel configured to measure an angle of the ceiling relative to the encoder assembly based on a compression of a gas shock cylinder.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of nail guns is configured to independently extend vertically relative to the nail assembly. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a plow configured to plow muck to seal a bottom edge of the brattice to the floor. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising the mining machine. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the mining machine comprises a continuous miner, a drum miner, a roadheader, or a rotary boring machine. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the mining machine comprises a four-rotor continuous-borer mining unit. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the mining machine comprises:
 a drive mechanism configured to proximally advance the mining machine along an intended excavation path through the mineshaft;   a cutting mechanism configured to separate the geological material from a wall of the mineshaft along the excavation path;   an auger configured to collect the separated geological material;   an inner conveyor configured to transfer the collected geological material toward the rear portion of the mining machine; and   a communication mechanism configured to transmit a signal to a winching system of the tow tub in response to the drive mechanism proximally advancing the mining machine by a predetermined distance.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the cutting mechanism is configured to move laterally and vertically relative to a main body of the mining machine. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the cutting mechanism comprises two or four rotary boring cutter heads. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the mining machine is configured to adjust a yaw and a roll of the inner conveyor to align the inner conveyor substantially perpendicular to a face of the mining machine. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the augur comprises counter-rotating rotors. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the predetermined distance comprises about 10 feet. 
     
     
         31 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a tow tub, a first signal from a mining machine indicating that the mining machine has proximally advanced through a mineshaft by a predetermined distance;   in response to receiving the first signal, releasing, by the tow tub, a winch coupled to an automated hardware installer (AHI);   receiving, by the tow tub, a second signal from the AHI indicating that the AHI has installed a portion of an extensible mineshaft hardware onto an interior surface of the mineshaft; and   in response to receiving the second signal, proximally retracting, by the tow tub, the winch.   
     
     
         32 . A method comprising:
 actuating, by an automated hardware installer (AHI), an elevator boom to raise a nail gun toward a ceiling of a mineshaft;   releasing, by the AHI, a portion of a brattice from a mandrel;   actuating, by the AHI, the nail gun to secure a top edge of the portion of the brattice to the ceiling;   lowering, by the AHI, a plow to plow a muck windrow onto a bottom edge of the portion of the brattice to a floor of the mineshaft; and   transmitting, by the AHI, a signal to a tow tub to cause the tow tub to retract a winch coupled to the AHI.