Angled Roof Bolt Support Member for Mine Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roof bolt plate systems in underground mines face issues such as high costs and labor for installation, limited load supportability, and ineffectiveness in soft or plastic soils, with broken roof bolts posing safety hazards and requiring costly replacements.
Innovation Solution
A support member with a base and angled extensions that receive roof bolts in a splayed configuration, allowing for increased load distribution and easy installation, featuring sockets with covers to prevent bolt ejection and a visual indicator for broken bolts, enabling versatile use and enhanced safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wire mesh or rubber matting is placed over the ceiling to hold broken roof bolts, then safety hazard from ejected bolts is prevented, but cost of materials and labor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is divided into multiple sockets, each capable of independently containing a roof bolt. This segmentation allows each socket to function as a separate safety containment unit, eliminating the need for continuous wire mesh while maintaining safety across the entire ceiling area.
Solution Approach 2:
The socket acts as an intermediary structure between the roof bolt and the ceiling surface. It contains the bolt and any potential debris within a defined boundary, preventing ejection while being more cost-effective than extensive wire mesh coverage.
2Reliability
If replacement roof bolts are installed in close proximity to broken bolts, then safety hazard is addressed, but cost and time for stabilization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed with multiple sockets that can accommodate various types of roof bolts (rigid, cable, different diameters). This universality allows replacement bolts to be installed in the same support member structure, eliminating the need for additional support members and reducing installation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is pre-configured with multiple sockets during manufacturing, allowing for future replacement bolts to be installed in any of the sockets. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for on-site fabrication or complex installation procedures when bolt replacement is needed.
3Ease of operation
If known roof bolt plate systems are used, then installation is straightforward, but load supportability is limited and ineffective in soft soils
Solution Approach 1:
The support member incorporates adjustable parameters including socket angles (e.g., 15, 30, 45 degrees from vertical), socket orientations, and base configurations. These parameter changes allow optimization for different soil conditions and load requirements while maintaining ease of installation through standardized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member design allows for dynamic adaptation to different installation conditions. Sockets can be oriented at various angles and the base can be configured differently to suit soft soils versus harder substrates, providing versatility without complicating the installation process.
Data Source
AI summary
A support member for supporting a roof of a subsurface space. The support member may include a base portion for defining a surface area to contact a ceiling of the subsurface space. One or more sockets may extend from the base for defining openings for receiving roof bolts therethrough. Accordingly, the support member may be configured to function as a washer for the roof bolts to support the roof material above the ceiling. The sockets may include covers for preventing the roof bolts from extending out of the sockets. The sockets may be oriented at angles with respect to the base such that when roof bolts are placed in the sockets, the roof bolts may extend at angles with respect to each other in a splayed configuration.