Rock Bolt Fixative Loading Device with Thrust Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for loading fixatives like grout and resin into drill holes for securing rock bolts face challenges such as difficulty in pumping grout along the entire length, air trapping, slow curing of cementitious grout, high costs and handling issues with resin cartridges, and incomplete mixing due to alignment and rotation problems, leading to inefficient anchoring and potential rock bolt failure.
Innovation Solution
A device with a chamber to hold the fixative and a thrust member that displaces the fixative into the drill hole upon force application, allowing for simultaneous insertion and mixing of components with the rock bolt in a single pass, reducing the need for manual pumping and enhancing mixing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cementitious grout is used to fill the space between the rock bolt and surrounding earth, then corrosion protection and shear strength are improved, but grout shrinkage reduces the stiffness of the rock bolt and the slow curing time delays workspace support
Solution Approach 1:
The fixative is divided into two separate components (resin and catalyst) that are transported independently through separate chambers and only mixed at the point of injection into the drill hole. This segmentation allows selection of fast-setting resin-based fixative instead of slow-curing grout, while the mixing occurs in-situ to avoid premature reaction during transport
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the fixative from cementitious grout to resin-based chemical anchor. This parameter change transforms the curing mechanism from slow hydraulic setting to rapid chemical polymerization, reducing curing time from hours to minutes while maintaining corrosion protection through the resin encapsulation
2Duration of action of moving object
If resin cartridges are used for chemical anchoring, then fast setting and immediate anchor strength are improved, but handling difficulties and high costs arise
Solution Approach 1:
The resin and catalyst are separated into different chambers during transport and only combined at the injection point. This eliminates the need for pre-mixed resin cartridges, allowing use of simpler, cheaper, and easier-to-handle separate containers that can be loaded directly into the drill hole without complex cartridge insertion procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust member acts as an intermediary mechanism that simultaneously performs multiple functions: it pushes the fixative components out of their containers, mixes them together, and delivers the mixture into the drill hole. This intermediary device simplifies handling by consolidating multiple operations into a single action sequence
3Quantity of substance
If grout is pumped into the drill hole using traditional methods, then the drill hole can be filled with fixative, but air trapping and difficulty in pumping along the entire length occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the complex mechanical pumping system with a simpler gravity-assisted flow system. The fixative components are positioned to flow naturally into the drill hole under gravity, and the thrust member provides initial displacement without requiring continuous pumping action. This eliminates air trapping issues by ensuring continuous material flow from the bottom up
Solution Approach 2:
The rock bolt is inserted into the drill hole first, establishing the physical pathway and removing air pockets before the fixative is delivered. The fixative components are then positioned in the chamber ready for immediate discharge, ensuring continuous material flow without interruption or air entrapment during the filling process
4Stability of the object's composition
If components are mixed by spinning the rock bolt, then chemical anchor components can be mixed, but alignment and rotation problems cause incomplete mixing
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust member serves as an intermediary mixing device that eliminates the need for rock bolt rotation. It incorporates mixing elements that actively stir and combine the resin and catalyst as they pass through the mixing chamber, ensuring complete mixing through mechanical agitation rather than relying on alignment and rotation of the rock bolt itself
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing process is made self-regulating through the design of the mixing chamber and thrust member geometry. As the thrust member pushes the fixative components through the chamber, the flow dynamics and chamber configuration automatically ensure thorough mixing without requiring external control or precise alignment, making the process self-correcting and robust to positioning variations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution improves the efficiency of rock bolt anchoring, reduces void formation, increases load capacity, allows for remote installation, and simplifies the manufacturing and installation of fixatives, eliminating issues like 'gloving' and incomplete encapsulation.
Implementation Method 1
a thrust member, wherein the fixative is displaced from the chamber into the drill hole following application of force to the thrust member
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~3b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device, method and system for the installation of a fixative in a drill hole, such as to secure rock bolts. The device comprises (a) a chamber adapted to hold the fixative, and (b) a thrust member, wherein the fixative is displaced rom the chamber into the drill hole following application of force to the thrust member.