Underground mine ventilation curtain or barrier

Abstract

A mine ventilation curtain ( 1, 20 ) is provided comprising, in the operative condition, a generally upright curtain or barrier extending from a foot wall ( 4 ) in an underground mine to an overhanging hanging wall ( 5, 25 ). The curtain has a foot wall compartment ( 3, 22 ) of a flexible sheet material with the footwall compartment being operatively filled with a suitable optionally settable fluent material ( 13, 27 ) such that the lower edge of the curtain or barrier substantially adopts an undulating shape of the adjacent foot wall. The fluent material is selected from a suitably heavy liquid and an optionally settable slurry of grout or backfill material. The mine ventilation curtain may be a flexible ventilation curtain ( 2 ) extending upwards from the foot wall compartment ( 3 ) and having its uppermost edge held in close association with the hanging wall. Alternatively, the mine ventilation curtain may be a generally rigid ventilation barrier ( 20 ) in the form of longitudinal segments each of which comprises a series of optionally interconnected superjacent compartments ( 22, 23, 24 ) extending from the footwall to the hanging wall with the uppermost compartment ( 24 ) adopting an undulating shape of the adjacent hanging wall.

1 . A mine ventilation curtain ( 1 ,  20 ) comprising, in the operative condition, a generally upright curtain or barrier extending from a foot wall ( 4 ) in an underground mine to an overhanging hanging wall ( 5 ,  25 ), the curtain being characterised in that the lower region thereof in contact with the foot wall is defined by a foot wall compartment ( 3 ,  22 ) of a flexible sheet material with the footwall compartment being operatively filled with a suitable optionally settable fluent material ( 13 ,  27 ) such that the lower edge of the curtain or barrier substantially adopts an undulating shape of the adjacent foot wall. 
   
   
       2 . A mine ventilation curtain as claimed in  claim 1  in which the fluent material is selected from a suitably heavy liquid and a slurry of grout or backfill material. 
   
   
       3 . A mine ventilation curtain as claimed in  claim 2  in which the flexible sheet material is a permeable material for allowing water of a slurry introduced into the foot wall compartment to escape whilst retaining solid particulate material therein. 
   
   
       4 . A mine ventilation curtain as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the particulate material is a settable material. 
   
   
       5 . A mine ventilation curtain as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the ventilation curtain is a flexible ventilation curtain ( 2 ) extending upwards from the foot wall compartment ( 3 ) and having its uppermost edge held in close association with the hanging wall. 
   
   
       6 . A mine ventilation curtain as claimed in  claim 5  in which the uppermost edge ( 7 ) of the flexible ventilation curtain is held in close association with the hanging wall ( 5 ) by a tension member ( 8 ) extending along the uppermost edge of the ventilation curtain. 
   
   
       7 . A mine ventilation curtain as claimed in either one of  claim 5  or  6  in which the uppermost edge of the ventilation curtain has a seam ( 9 ) formed therealong and the upper edge of the curtain is held against the hanging wall in at least some recessed areas thereof by means selected from spring loaded or other lightweight telescopic props ( 10 ) and eyelets ( 11 ) suitable for receiving anchor bolts passing therethrough. 
   
   
       8 . A mine ventilation curtain as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  4  in which the ventilation curtain is a generally rigid ventilation barrier ( 20 ) in the form of longitudinal segments each of which comprises a series of optionally interconnected superjacent compartments ( 22 ,  23 ,  24 ) extending from the footwall to the hanging wall with the uppermost compartment ( 24 ) adopting an undulating shape of the adjacent hanging wall. 
   
   
       9 . A mine ventilation curtain as claimed in  claim 8  in which the footwall compartment ( 22 ) is the widest with superjacent compartments ( 23 ,  24 ) decreasing in width so that, in cross-section, the barrier has a wider base and an appreciably narrower upper edge thereby rendering it free standing on an inclined foot wall. 
   
   
       10 . A mine ventilation curtain as claimed in either one of  claim 8  or  9  in which all of the compartments are interconnected and a filler inlet valve ( 26 ) is provided. 
   
   
       11 . A flexible mine ventilation curtain in the uninstalled condition and having a footwall compartment formed along one edge thereof and means along the opposite edge for enabling it to be held against a hanging wall, in use, the ventilation curtain being adapted to form, in the operative condition, a ventilation curtain as claimed in any one of  claims 5  to  7 . 
   
   
       12 . A mine ventilation barrier segment in the uninstalled condition comprising a series of interconnected compartments and at least one filler inlet, the barrier member being adapted to be inflated by filler material to form, in the operative condition, a ventilation barrier as claimed in any one of  claims 8  to  10 .