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EP-4741628-A1 - BOLTING RIG AND METHOD FOR ROCK REINFORCING

EP4741628A1EP 4741628 A1EP4741628 A1EP 4741628A1EP-4741628-A1

Abstract

A bolting rig and method for rock reinforcing. The bolting rig (1) comprises a bolt storage (12) supported at a front part of a carrier (2) and being movable to a pick-up position (PP). A bolting unit (4) comprises a bolt rack (11) and is positioned to the pick-up position for replenishing several rock bolts (5) simultaneously from a delivery plane (16) of a bolt storage.

Inventors

  • HAAVISTO, ARI
  • Helkala, Jarno
  • Nurmikolu, Heidi
  • PÄRSSINEN, Ville
  • HÄNNIKÄINEN, Teemu
  • Jäkkö, Hannu
  • SALMI, TIMO

Assignees

  • Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241111

Claims (13)

  1. A rock bolting rig (1) for installing rock bolts (5) to drill holes (6) for reinforcing a rock surface, wherein the bolting rig (1) comprises: a movable carrier (2); at least one bolting boom (3) mounted on the carrier (2) and facing towards an operational direction (OR); at least one bolting unit (4) mounted to a distal end portion of the bolting boom (3) and configured to feed the rock bolt (5) into the drill hole (6); a bolt rack (11) mounted to the bolting unit (4) and being capable of holding at least one rock bolt (5); at least one bolt storage (12) for storing a plurality of rock bolts (5) and being supported to the carrier (2) ; at least one pick-up position (PP) wherein the rock bolts (5) are configured to be loaded from the bolt storage (12) to the bolt rack (11) under control of at least one control unit (CU); and wherein the pick-up position (PP) determines position and orientation of the bolt storage (12); characterized in that the bolt storage (12) supported to the carrier (2) is arranged movably in front of the carrier (2) and is movable to the pick-up position (PP) which is located in front of the carrier (2) in the operational direction (OR); the bolt rack (11) comprises a plurality of parallel storage places (34) for receiving several rock bolts (5); and wherein the control unit (CU) is configured to control movement of the bolting boom (3) for positioning the bolt rack (11) to the pick-up position (PP) in response to the data on position and orientation of the bolt storage (12) .
  2. The bolting rig as claimed in claim 1, char-acterized in that the bolt storage (12) supported to the carrier (2) is movable at least in lateral direction of the carrier (2) whereby the bolt storage (12) is movable in addition to the pick-up position (PP) to at least one refilling position (RP) which is located laterally outside the front of the carrier (2).
  3. The bolting rig as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the bolt storage (12) is supported to a handling arm (14) connected to a front part of the carrier (2) and being movable horizontally and vertically by means of at least one turning joint (15a - 15c) and at least one turning mechanism.
  4. The bolting rig as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 - 3, characterized in that mounting of the bolt storage (12) comprises quick coupling means (24) whereby the bolt storage (12) is a changeable unit.
  5. The bolting rig as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 - 4, characterized in that the bolt storage (12) further comprises: support elements (31) for supporting the rock bolts (5) in several adjacent rows (33) wherein each row (33) comprises a plurality of successive rock bolts (5); a delivery plane (16) on one side of the bolt storage (12) transverse to longitudinal direction of the rock bolts (5); and at least one feed arrangement (37) for moving the rock bolts (5) inside the bolt storage (12) towards the delivery plane (16) so that the delivery plane (16) is provided with several parallel rock bolts (5) accessible by the bolt rack (11).
  6. The bolting rig as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the support elements (31) comprise vertically orientated slots (32) configured to receive several transverse rock bolts (5) one above each other; and the delivery plane (16) is located on a vertical upper surface of the bolt storage (12).
  7. The bolting rig as claimed in claim 5, cha r-acterized in that the support elements (31) are horizontally directed parallel brackets provided with support surfaces on their vertical upper surfaces whereby each of the support elements (31) is configured to support several laterally adjacent and horizontally directed rock bolts (5); and the delivery plane (16) is located at a vertical side of the bolt storage (12) being located at a side of distal ends of the brackets.
  8. The bolting rig as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 - 7, characterized in that the control unit (CU) is configured to determine the pick-up position (PP) in response to provided data on planned work cycle of the rock bolting measures to be executed at a work site.
  9. The bolting rig as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 - 8, characterized in that the bolt storage (12) comprises a gripping mechanism (40) for gripping at least one pre-loaded bolt assembly (20) and for holding the bolt assembly (20) in the bolt storage (12) .
  10. A method for rock reinforcing, wherein the method comprises: using a bolting rig (1) comprising a carrier (2), a bolting boom (3), a bolting unit (4), and a bolt storage (12) supported to the carrier (2); drilling a drill hole (6) to the rock surface by means of a rock drilling machine (7); feeding grouting material into the drill hole (6); and feeding a rock bolt (5) to the drill hole (6) by means of a bolting head (8) of the bolting unit (4); characterized by providing the bolting unit (4) with a bolt rack (11) for intermediate storing of several rock bolts (5) to the bolt unit (4); moving the bolt storage (12) at an operational area of the bolting boom (3) and in front of the carrier (2) to a desired pick-up position (PP); actuating the bolting boom (3) for moving the bolt rack (11) to the pick-up position (PP) for replenishing the bolt rack (11) with several rock bolts (5); positioning the bolt rack (11) and the bolt storage (12) in relation to each other at the pick-up position (PP) for matching several storage places (34) of the bolt rack (11) with several rock bolts (5) accessible on the bolt storage (12); and clamping by means of the bolt rack (11) several rock bolts (5) simultaneously.
  11. The method as claimed in claim 10, characterized by dispensing simultaneously several parallel rock bolts (5) to a delivery plane (16) of the bolt storage (12) by means of at least one feed arrangement (24) of the bolt storage (12).
  12. The method as claimed in claim 10 or 11, cha r-acterized by moving the bolt storage (12) in front of the carrier by means of a handling arm (14) for positioning the bolt storage (12) to several pick-up positions (PP) and to at least one replenishing position (RP) wherein rock bolts (5) are loaded to the bolt storage (12).
  13. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 10 - 12, characterized by replenishing the bolt storage (12) by loading simultaneously several rock bolts (5) to the bolt storage (12) implementing bolt clips or bolt bundles.

Description

Background of the invention The invention relates to a rock bolting rig for installing rock bolts to drill holes for reinforcing a rock surface. The invention further relates to a method for rock reinforcing. The field of the invention is defined more specifically in the preambles of the independent claims. In mines, construction sites and at other work areas exists a need to reinforce rock surfaces and to thereby ensure their safety and suitability for the intended purposes. A common method for rock reinforcement is rock bolting. In such reinforcement system several rock bolts are fastened in drilled holes by grouting material. In this way rock layers are bonded together so that the risk for collapse is reduced. There are several different rock bolt types, bolting rigs, and methods for installing the rock bolts. However, the present solutions for handling the rock bolts at work sites have shown to contain some disadvantages. Brief description of the invention An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved solution for handling and installing rock bolts for reinforcing rock surfaces. The bolting rig according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing features of the independent apparatus claim. The method according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing features of the independent method claim. An idea of the disclosed solution is that a bolt storage is supported to a carrier of a bolting rig and is movable in front of the carrier. The bolt storage can be moved to a desired pick-up position which is located in front of the carrier in an operational direction. A bolt rack is mounted to bolting unit and comprises a plurality of parallel storage places for receiving several rock bolts. A control unit can control movement of a bolting boom for positioning the bolt rack to the pick-up position in response to the data on position and orientation of the bolt storage. In other words, the bolt storage is part of the bolting rig and can be moved to a desired pick-up position at the front area of the carrier. Further, the bolt rack of the bolting unit is moved to the pick-up position for collecting new rock bolts from the bolt storage positioned to the pick-up position. Thus, for replenishing the bolt rack, the bolt storage and the bolt rack are both moved to the pick-up position under control of the control unit and are matched at the pick-up position for executing pick-up of the rock bolts. An advantage of the disclosed solution is that the bolt storage is located away from the carrier, whereby layout of the carrier can be designed more freely. In other words, the bolt storage requires no space on the carrier. A further advantage is that since there is not a fixed physical pick-up position, it is possible to select or define the pick-up position in accordance with operational efficiency, available space in the operational direction, collision avoidance, bolting boom kinematics, and possible other issues. Because there is not the fixed or pre-determined pick-up position, any suitable position can serve as the pick-up position. Thereby, the solution improves operational flexibility. The pick-up position can be selected on the fly during the operation. Further, sideways stability, especially turning stability, of the bolting rig can be improved. It is possible to move the bolt storage to its outmost placement within a turning radius and to thereby balance possible sideways tipping. The control unit controlling operation of the rock bolting rig, and its actuators, is provided with sensing data on movements of the bolting boom, bolting unit, and the bolt storage, and can generate needed position data to move the bolt storage to any desired position in front of the carrier, can define position data for the selected pick-up position, and can move the bolt rack to the determined pick-up position. According to an embodiment, the bolt rack is configured to pick-up several rock bolts at the same time from the bolt storage. Then all storage places of the bolt rack are replenished simultaneously and by implementing single pick-up action. This way the filling of the bolt rack is quick and effective. According to an embodiment, number of the storage places in the bolt rack is 2 - 6, preferably 4. The bolt rack can be considered to be an intermediate bolt storage between the actual bolt storage and a bolt feed device of the bolting unit. According to an embodiment, the bolt rack is a static component mounted immovably to the bolting unit and being without any handling device for moving the rock bolts from the bolt storage to the bolt rack. Then there are no handling arms, manipulators, robot arms, or corresponding apparatuses in the bolt rack or in connection with the bolt rack. There are only gripping members in the bolt rack for holding the rock bolts which are offered for it on the bolt storage. The gripping members may be spring load actuated, or there may be jaws operated by one or