METHOD OF HORIZONTAL SLICING OF THICK STEEP COAL SEAM Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: mining of coal and other minerals from bedded deposits. SUBSTANCE: method includes preparation of area to be extracted by shield mining method; excavation on airway horizon of horizontal mounting layer on whose floor flexible roofing from arched sections with aprons on side of seam floor are installed one after another and successively tied by side members with help of flexible links to form airway channel oriented along the strike. On layer-headway junction, extreme arched section is tied with seam roof, and shield is mounted. On layer-ventilating entry junction, extreme arched section is tied with seam floor. Coal is extracted by mechano-hydraulic continuous miner from headway to ventilating entry under protection of flexible roofing. In this case, cut in floor of each extractable layer is groove inclined towards headway. During extraction of layer, on layer-headway junction, access ramp for continuous miner is prepared for its motion to underlying layer. EFFECT: higher efficiency. 2 cl, 5 dwg