Abstract: Bulk coal, i.e. coal in coal cars, in piles, in bins, in ships, or in any other place where coal fines tend to become entrained in ambient air, is protectively coated to prevent the loss of coal fines. The coal is first coated with a wetting agent and then coated with an emulsion of crude coal tar in water containing a cationic emulsifying agent.

Abstract: A continuous miner is employed in conjunction with a flume that removes the mined product from the working face. The discharge from mobile continuous miner is deposited in a sloping trough supported by the miner which is in cooperative and relatively movable engagement with the flume and the product is washed down the trough with water which forms a slurry that is transported down the flume.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for hydraulically mining of coal. An entry is driven upwardly through a panel of coal to a predetermined terminus and a fluming system, which slopes in the same direction as the entry, is installed in the entry. A monitor is positioned in the entry and a high pressure jet of water from the monitor is employed to cut coal from the face area of the panel of coal. The cut and broken coal is then further broken with a jet of high pressure water from a second monitor positioned in the entry and located near the face area. The broken coal then is fed to the fluming system and transported through the flume with the aid of gravity as a coal-water slurry.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for hydraulically mining friable carbonaceous material such as coal or other suitable materials wherein a feeder/breaker is placed in the entry with complete mining facilities mounted on this second machine including hydraulic monitors, one for cutting material from a seam or panel and, if desired, a second monitor for breaking and flushing the mined material in the form of a slurry for transport through the machine where it is mechanically broken and crushed to predetermined size and the solids/water slurry discharged into a flume for transport from the mine.

Abstract: An hydraulic mining apparatus and method wherein the mined aggregate is separated into dry, relatively large aggregate pieces for dry conveyance and wet, relatively small aggregate pieces for wet conveyance. In the preferred embodiment, the method and apparatus provides for reducing any oversized large aggregate pieces in size so that the large pieces do not exceed a predetermined maximum size. Size reduction is provided by a mechanical breaker and wet, relatively small aggregate is separated out of the mined product prior to the breaking step. The apparatus is embodied in a feeder-breaker mechanism wherein a conveyor running lengthwise of the mechanism first subjects the total mined product to size separation or classification, then directs the larger aggregate pieces through the breaker and, finally, discharges the breaker treated pieces to a dry conveyor. The separated wet, relatively small aggregate pieces are collected within the mechanism and pumped away.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for hydraulic mining wherein the mined product is reduced to a pumpable form. The apparatus includes a jet monitor for dislodging the mined product from its in situ state, a feeder-breaker for receiving the mined product, preliminarily separating the pumpable constituent of the product and then subjecting the remaining product to successive breaking and separating steps until the entire product is in a pumpable state. The feeder-breaker is also provided with a sump to collect the pumpable product and pump means to convey the product from the sump under pressure, whereby transport of the product is not dependent on gravity. In the preferred embodiment, the feeder-breaker is provided with a secondary jet monitor to reduce oversized constituents of the mined product to a size suited for the successive separating and breaking steps.

Abstract: The invention is to a method for the hydraulic mining of coal of varying hardness. It is described in particular as to coal of the type occurring in the Balmer Seam in British Columbia. By the method at least two parallel spaced entries are driven upward through a seam of coal. Monitors are positioned in each entry. Each monitor is horizontally and vertically pivotable, and has nozzle means from which a jet of water under a pressure of about 1900 - 2200 p.s.i. is emitted. The high pressure jet cuts the coal, which is then fed to a machine that breaks and crushes the coal into sizes wherein the resultant coal/water slurry will flow down a sloped flume into a dewatering station.The method further embodies differentially retreating along adjacent parallel entries by increments of desirably at least about 40 feet each.