Friction stabilizer with tabs

Abstract

A friction stabilizer having tabs comprising a tubular body comprising an exterior surface and having a first portion and having a second portion provided with a taper. The first portion has an impact end and the second portion has an insertion end. A tab is on the tubular body and extends outward from the exterior surface of the tubular body in a direction toward the impact end and away from the insertion end of the tubular body. The tabs can be rectangular shaped or triangular shaped or have other shapes which prevent the friction stabilizer from being removed from a drilled bore in a mine. When the friction stabilizer with tabs is inserted into a drilled bore in a mine, the tabs do not impede insertion. But, after insertion into the drilled bore the tabs resist removal of the tubular body, and thus allow the stabilizer to support the mine wall or ceiling. The friction stabilizer is made by taking a steel coil and punching the shape of the tabs in the metal, for example sheet metal, unrolled from the coil. A notch is also punched into the sheet at a predetermined location. Rolling die roll the tubular body, and a cutting machine cuts the tubular body at the notches, so tubular bodies of predetermined length are cut. The tabs extend from the exterior surface of the tubular body due to the natural spring constant of the steel or metal from which the tubular body is made. A weld ring is welded to the impact end and has a weld ring gap space.

1 . A friction stabilizer for installation in a structural body, the friction stabilizer comprising: 
 a) a tubular body comprising first and second portions along the axial length thereof and having an exterior surface, the second portion having a taper,    b) the first portion having an impact end and the second portion having an insertion end, and    c) a tab on the tubular body and the tab extending outward from the exterior surface of the tubular body in a direction toward the impact end and away from the insertion end.    
   
   
       2 . A friction stabilizer comprising according to  claim 1  further comprising a weld ring joined to the exterior surface of the first portion.  
   
   
       3 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 1  wherein the tubular body further comprises a first gap space wall and a second gap space wall spaced apart from one another by a tube gap space and wherein the tube gap space is used for allowing the tubular body to be compressed radially inward.  
   
   
       4 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 2  wherein the weld ring has a weld ring gap space and wherein the weld ring is joined to exterior surface of the tubular body such that the weld ring gap space and tube gap space are aligned and wherein the weld ring gap space is used for allowing the weld ring to be compressed radially inward.  
   
   
       5 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 4  wherein the weld ring comprises a rectangular shaped cross section.  
   
   
       6 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 4  wherein the weld ring comprises a circular shaped cross section.  
   
   
       7 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 1  wherein the tab comprises a rectangular shaped tab extending from the first portion of the tubular body.  
   
   
       8 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 1  wherein the tab comprises a triangular shaped tab.  
   
   
       9 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 1  wherein the tab comprises a polygonal shaped tab.  
   
   
       10 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 1  wherein the tab comprises a U-shaped tab.  
   
   
       11 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 1  wherein the tab comprises a semi-circular shaped tab.  
   
   
       12 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 1  wherein the tab comprises a curved tab or parabolic shaped tab.  
   
   
       13 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 1  wherein the tab comprises a shape such that the removal of the tubular body from a drilled bore in the structural body is inhibited.  
   
   
       14 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 1  further comprising a notch used for allowing the taper in the second portion to be formed.  
   
   
       15 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 7  wherein the rectangular shaped tab is connected to the tubular body at a bend and the rectangular shaped tab further comprises parallel tab side edges and a tab free edge connecting between the tab side edges and opposite to the bend.  
   
   
       16 . A friction stabilizer for supporting mine walls and ceilings, the friction stabilizer comprising: 
 a) a tubular body comprising first and second portions along the axial length thereof, an exterior surface, the first portion having an impact end and the second portion having an insertion end and a taper, and    b) a first rectangular shaped tab, a second rectangular shaped tab, and a third rectangular shaped tab each joined to the tubular body at bends and extending outward from exterior surface of the first portion of the tubular body in a direction toward the impact end of the tubular body.    
   
   
       17 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 16  wherein each of the first rectangular shaped tab, the second rectangular shaped tab, and third rectangular shaped tab comprises parallel tab side edges and a tab free edge connecting between the parallel tab side edges and opposite to the bend.  
   
   
       18 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 17  wherein the parallel tab side edges are about 0.5 inches and the tab free edge is about 1.0 inch.  
   
   
       19 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 16  wherein the first tab is about 4.0 inches from the insertion end, the second tab is about 14.0 inches from the insertion end, and the third tab is about 24.0 inches from the insertion end of the tubular body.  
   
   
       20 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 19  wherein the tubular body has a length of about 60 inches.  
   
   
       21 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 16  further comprising a weld ring having a weld ring gap space and wherein the tubular body has a tube gap space with the weld ring joined to the exterior surface of the first portion such that the weld ring gap space and tube gap space are aligned and wherein the tube gap space is used for allowing the tubular body to be compressed radially inward.  
   
   
       22 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 16  wherein the tubular body further comprises a first gap space wall and a second gap space wall spaced apart from one another by a tube gap space and wherein the tube gap space is used for allowing the tubular body to be compressed radially inward.  
   
   
       23 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 21  wherein the weld ring comprises a rectangular shaped cross section.  
   
   
       24 . The friction stabilizer according to  claim 21  wherein the weld ring comprises a circular shaped cross section.  
   
   
       25 . A method of making a friction stabilizer for installation in a structural body, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a coil of metal and unrolling the coil of metal into a strip,    pressing the shapes of a tab to be formed into the strip of metal,    moving the strip of metal through cold rolling dies and forming the strip of steel into a tubular body having an exterior surface and a first portion and a second portion having a taper.    
   
   
       26 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 25  wherein the step of pressing the shape of the tab to be formed includes pressing a rectangular shape into the strip of metal.  
   
   
       27 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 25  wherein the step of pressing the shape of the tab to be formed includes pressing a triangular shape into the strip of metal.  
   
   
       28 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 25  wherein the step of pressing the shape of the tab to be formed includes pressing a polygonal shape into the strip of metal.  
   
   
       29 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 25  wherein the step of pressing the shape of the tab to be formed includes the step of pressing a curved shaped tab into the sheet of metal.  
   
   
       30 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 25  wherein the step of pressing the shape of the tab to be formed includes the step of pressing a plurality of shapes of tabs to be formed into the tubular body.  
   
   
       31 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 25  comprising the further steps of forming the tubular body to have a tubular body gap space and providing the weld ring with a weld ring gap space and aligning the tubular body gap space and weld ring gap space before connecting the weld ring to the exterior surface of the first portion.  
   
   
       32 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 25  comprising the further step of punching a notch in the strip of metal.  
   
   
       33 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 32  comprising the further step of using the notch for cutting the tubular body at a predetermined length such that the tubular body has an insertion end having the notch and an impact end opposite the insertion end.  
   
   
       34 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 33  comprising the further step of swaging the insertion end of the tubular body and to form the taper in the tubular body.  
   
   
       35 . The method of making a friction stabilizer according to  claim 25  comprising the further step of providing a weld ring and joining the weld ring to the exterior surface of first portion.  
   
   
       36 . A method of preventing a mine having a ceiling and walls from caving-in, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a drilled bore in the ceiling and/or wall of the mine,    providing a tubular body comprising an impact end and an insertion end and wherein the tubular body has a first portion and has a second portion provided with a taper,    providing the tubular body with a tube gap space and an exterior surface and providing the tubular body with a tab extending from the exterior surface in a direction toward the impact end of the tubular body,    providing a weld ring connected to the exterior surface of the first portion of the tubular body,    providing a plate having an opening,    positioning the plate opening such that it is aligned with the drilled bore,    aligning the impact end of the tubular body with the opening in the plate and hammering the impact end of the tubular body and driving the tubular body through the plate opening and into the drilled bore,    capturing the-plate between the weld ring and surrounding mine and the plate used for supporting the mine, and    using the tab for preventing the tubular body from being withdrawn from the drilled bore when load is applied to the plate.    
   
   
       37 . The method of stabilizing a mine having walls and a ceiling according to  claim 36  wherein the tab comprises a rectangular shaped tab.  
   
   
       38 . The method of stabilizing a mine having walls and a ceiling according to  claim 36  wherein the tab comprises a triangular shaped tab.  
   
   
       39 . The method of stabilizing a mine having walls and a ceiling according to  claim 36  wherein the shape of the tab is polygonal  
   
   
       40 . The method of stabilizing a mine having walls and a ceiling according to  claim 36  wherein the shape of the tab is curved.  
   
   
       41 . The method of stabilizing a mine having walls and a ceiling according to  claim 36  wherein the shape of the tab is such that it prevents removal of the tab from the drilled bore.  
   
   
       42 . The method of stabilizing a mine having walls and a ceiling according to  claim 36  wherein the weld ring has a rectangular cross section.  
   
   
       43 . The method of-stabilizing a mine having walls and a ceiling according to  claim 36  wherein the weld ring has a weld ring gap space that is aligned with the tubular body gap space.  
   
   
       44 . A mine support system for use in a mine having drilled bores in the mine ceiling and walls, the mine support system comprising: 
 a) a plurality of tubular bodies each comprising an impact end, an exterior surface, and an insertion end and each tubular body further comprising a first portion and a second portion having a taper,    b) the tubular bodies each comprising a tubular body gap space and a notch in the second portion forming the taper,    c) a plurality of tabs connected on each of the tubular bodies and the tabs extending outwardly from exterior surface of the tubular bodies in a direction toward the impact ends of the tubular bodies,    d) weld rings connected to the exterior surfaces of the first portions of the tubular bodies,    e) plates having plate openings,    f) a wire mesh, and    g) wherein the tubular bodies are positioned in the drilled bores such that the tapers of the second portions are positioned farthest into the drilled bores, and such that the weld rings contact and support the plates and the plates contact the and support the wire mesh that is captured between the plates and surrounding mine walls.    
   
   
       45 . The mine support system according to  claim 44  wherein the shape of the tabs are rectangular.  
   
   
       46 . The mine support system  44  wherein the shape of the tabs are triangular.  
   
   
       47 . The mine support system according to  claim 44  wherein the shapes of the tabs are polygonal.  
   
   
       48 . The mine support system according to  claim 44  wherein the shape of the tabs are curved.  
   
   
       49 . The mine support system according to  claim 44  wherein the shape of the tabs are such that they prevent removal of the tab from the drilled bore.  
   
   
       50 . The mine support system according to  claim 44  wherein the weld rings each have a rectangular cross section.  
   
   
       51 . The mine support system according to  claim 50  wherein the weld rings have weld ring gap spaces that are aligned with the tubular body gap spaces.