Abstract: A conveyance system for moving a conveyance along a mine shaft during shaft construction, comprising: a first guide section; a second guide section located along the mineshaft in series with the first guide section, the conveyance being movable along the first guide section; and a head section for receiving the conveyance, the head section cooperating with the first guide section to enable the conveyance to travel from the second guide section along the first guide section when received by the head section.

Abstract: A hoist system for hoisting a conveyance from a mineshaft, comprising: a head frame mounted over the mineshaft; a hoist connected to the conveyance by an elongate flexible hoisting element so as to be operable to hoist the conveyance from the mineshaft by winding the hoisting element; an upper crash barrier located on the head frame so as to be engageable by the conveyance to prevent upward movement of the conveyance beyond the crash barrier in an overwind condition; and an upper conveyance retarder to retard upward movement of the conveyance as it approaches the crash barrier.

Abstract: A variable length guide system for guiding a conveyance along a mineshaft, the variable length guide system extending downwardly from a work stage and being extendable or retractable to accommodate changes in distance between the work stage and a lower region of a mineshaft.

Abstract: A conveyance system for moving a conveyance along a mine shaft during shaft construction, comprising: a first guide section; a second guide section located along the mineshaft in series with the first guide section, the conveyance being movable along the first guide section; and a head section for receiving the conveyance, the head section cooperating with the first guide section to enable the conveyance to travel from the second guide section along the first guide section when received by the head section.

Abstract: A hoist system for hoisting a conveyance from a mineshaft, comprising: a head frame mounted over the mineshaft; a hoist connected to the conveyance by an elongate flexible hoisting element so as to be operable to hoist the conveyance from the mineshaft by winding the hoisting element; an upper crash barrier located on the head frame so as to be engageable by the conveyance to prevent upward movement of the conveyance beyond the crash barrier in an overwind condition; and an upper conveyance retarder to retard upward movement of the conveyance as it approaches the crash barrier.

Abstract: A variable length guide system for guiding a conveyance along a mineshaft, the variable length guide system extending downwardly from a work stage and being extendable or retractable to accommodate changes in distance between the work stage and a lower region of a mineshaft.

Abstract: In developing an underground mine a mine shaft 80 is formed by excavating earth and removing excavated material from the shaft 80 by a material transport system comprising skips 36 movable up and down on skip guides within the shaft. Tunnels 82 are launched from a bottom part of shaft 80 by excavating a cavern 81 in which a tunnel boring machine is assembled and operated to bore the tunnels 82. Material from the tunnel excavation is transported from the tunnels via conveyor 87 to the material transport system established within the shaft during formation of the shaft which is operated to transport that material to an earth surface region.

Abstract: A method of block cave mining comprising excavating undercut tunnels (21) at an undercut level; drilling undercut blast holes (25) 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 (26) above the undercut tunnels (21); excavating extraction level tunnels (22) at an extraction level below the undercut level; drilling drawbell blast holes (33) upwardly from the extraction level tunnels at selected drawbell locations toward the broken rock caverns (26) and setting and detonating explosive charges in those holes to blast drawbells (32) through which broken rock falls down into the extraction level tunnels (22); and progressively removing such fallen rock from the drawbell locations through the extraction level tunnels (22); wherein some of the excavation is done mechanically by tunnel boring machinery.

Abstract: In forming a mine shaft for an underground mine, earth excavated by a boring machine may be transported upwardly by a handling unit to a transfer station where it may be transferred into skips, which may be raised and lowered along skip guides within the shaft hole for transport of the excavated material to an earth surface region. The transfer station may be moved downwardly as excavation progresses.

Abstract: A method of block cave mining comprising excavating undercut tunnels (21) at an undercut level; drilling undercut blast holes (25) 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 (26) above the undercut tunnels (21); excavating extraction level tunnels (22) at an extraction level below the undercut level; drilling drawbell blast holes (33) upwardly from the extraction level tunnels at selected drawbell locations toward the broken rock caverns (26) and setting and detonating explosive charges in those holes to blast drawbells (32) through which broken rock falls down into the extraction level tunnels (22); and progressively removing such fallen rock from the drawbell locations through the extraction level tunnels (22); wherein some of the excavation is done mechanically by tunnel boring machinery.

Abstract: In forming a mine shaft for an underground mine, earth excavated by a boring machine may be transported upwardly by a handling unit to a transfer station where it may be transferred into skips, which may be raised and lowered along skip guides within the shaft hole for transport of the excavated material to an earth surface region. The transfer station may be moved downwardly as excavation progresses.

Abstract: In developing an underground mine a mine shaft 80 is formed by excavating earth and removing excavated material from the shaft 80 by a material transport system comprising skips 36 movable up and down on skip guides within the shaft. Tunnels 82 are launched from a bottom part of shaft 80 by excavating a cavern 81 in which a tunnel boring machine is assembled and operated to bore the tunnels 82. Material from the tunnel excavation is transported from the tunnels via conveyor 87 to the material transport system established within the shaft during formation of the shaft which is operated to transport that material to an earth surface region.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mining method for steeply dipping orebodies. In the method, an excavator 152 is tethered to a deployment system 120 by one or more cables/umbilicals 144. The excavator 152 excavates slices 172a-h of the orebody 100 by moving generally up-dip, down-dip or a combination thereof. The excavator can be automated.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mining method for steeply dipping orebodies. In the method, an excavator 152 is tethered to a deployment system 120 by one or more cables/umbilicals 144. The excavator 152 excavates slices 172a-h of the orebody 100 by moving generally up-dip, down-dip or a combination thereof. The excavator can be automated.