Tunnel support installation apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus to install structural supports in a mine tunnel is conveniently mountable on a mining machine having a cutting head mounted at one end of a boom. An extendable and slewing manipulator arm of the apparatus is mounted on a support platform that is slidable in the axial forward and rearward direction and includes a grasping device to hold the structural supports in a plurality of different positions.

1 . An apparatus arranged to install a structural support in a mine tunnel, the apparatus comprising:
 a support platform mounted on at least one guiderail and configured to slide in a forward and backward direction along the guiderail;   an extendable arm having opposed ends, one end being connected to a gripping device arranged to grip at least one structural support having a support arch, the arm being mounted at the support platform;   a slewing device mounting the extendable arm at the support platform to allow the arm to slew outwardly in a sideways direction from the apparatus, the arm being pivotally mounted at the slewing device to enable the gripping device to be raised and lowered relative to the support platform;   at least one rail mount to slidably mount and allow the guiderail to slide in the forward and backward direction along a mining machine; and   a working platform mounted at the support platform to allow personnel to stand on the apparatus at a location close to the gripping device.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a base arranged to mount the apparatus at the mining machine, the rail mount being mounted on the base. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the arm is telescopic and includes a head section and an extendable tail section. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pocket has an elongated form extending substantially transverse and perpendicular to a main length of the arm. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the gripping device is fastened to the arm in a pivotable manner via a hinge. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a slewing axis of the slewing device is aligned substantially perpendicular to a pivoting axis by which the arm is pivotally mounted at the slewing device. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a movable linkage mounting the working platform at the support platform to allow the working platform to be raised and lowered relative to the support platform. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the linkage is pivotally mounted between the support platform and the working platform. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the working platform is elongate in a widthwise direction across the apparatus such that ends of the working platform extend outwardly beyond respective sides of the support platform. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the working platform includes a central region raised above a pair of end regions in a height direction, the central region being configured to sit and slide over the guiderail. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one power operated actuator coupled to the support platform to move the support platform along the guiderail in the forward and rearward direction; and at least one power operated actuator coupled to the guiderail to move the guiderail along the base in a forward and rearward direction. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a distance in the forward and rearward direction over which the support platform is configured to slide on the guiderail is substantially equal to a distance in the forward and rearward direction over which the guiderail is configured to slide on the rail mount. 
     
     
         13 . A mobile mining machine comprising an apparatus configured to install structural supports within a mine tunnel, the apparatus comprising a support platform mounted on at least one guiderail and being configured to slide in a forward and backward direction along the guiderail; an extendable arm having opposed ends, one end being connected to a gripping device arranged to grip at least one structural support having a support arch, the arm being mounted at the support platform; a slewing device mounting the extendable arm at the support platform to allow the arm to slew outwardly in a sideways direction from the apparatus, the arm being pivotally mounted at the slewing device to enable the gripping device to be raised and lowered relative to the support platform; at least one rail mount to slidably mount and allow the guiderail to slide in the forward and backward direction along the mining machine; and a working platform mounted at the support platform to allow personnel to stand on the apparatus at a location close to the gripping device. 
     
     
         14 . The machine as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising a cutting boom pivotally mounted at a mainframe and configured to support and allow a raising and lowering of a rotatable cutting head provided at a forward end of the machine.