The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 02, 2014
Filed:
Feb. 22, 2011
Max Edward Oddie, London, GB;
Colin Ian Jones, Mid Glam, GB;
Pierre Labrecque, Sudbury, CA;
Fredric Christopher Delabbio, Samford, AU;
Max Edward Oddie, London, GB;
Colin Ian Jones, Mid Glam, GB;
Pierre Labrecque, Sudbury, CA;
Fredric Christopher Delabbio, Samford, AU;
Technological Resources Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Victoria, AU;
Abstract
A method of block cave mining comprising excavating undercut tunnels () at an undercut level; drilling undercut blast holes () through the undercut tunnel roofs and setting and detonating explosive charges in those holes to blast rock above the undercut tunnels to initiate the formation of broken rock caverns () above the undercut tunnels (); excavating extraction level tunnels () at an extraction level below the undercut level; drilling drawbell blast holes () upwardly from the extraction level tunnels at selected drawbell locations toward the broken rock caverns () and setting and detonating explosive charges in those holes to blast drawbells () through which broken rock falls down into the extraction level tunnels (); and progressively removing such fallen rock from the drawbell locations through the extraction level tunnels (); wherein some of the excavation is done mechanically by tunnel boring machinery.