Abstract: A sleigh-shaped device, having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, for use in a mining raise. The sleigh-shaped device has a base frame for sliding along the mining raise in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, the base frame having a bottom surface with sliding runners extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a top surface having front and rear opposite ends. The device also has a tiltable platform pivotally mounted to the top surface of the base frame between the front and rear ends about a first axis parallel to the transverse axis, and platform adjusters cooperating with the base frame and the tiltable platform for adjusting the tiltable platform with respect to the base frame. The device further has connecters for anchoring the base frame to a pulley system to provide movement of the sleigh-shaped device along the mining raise, the front and of the base frame extending below the rear end of the same during movement of the sleigh-shaped device along the mining raise.

Abstract: A drill head is disclosed, for use to drill a hole in a front of hard material such as rock, which comprises a main body acting at a central support, an upwardly projecting spindle secured on top of the main body, the spindle having a vertical axis, a fixation head on top of the spindle for detachably connecting it to a drill shaft operable in use to rotate the drill head about the vertical axis of the spindle and to pull it up toward the front hard material to be drilled, and at least two impact hammers mounted onto the main body in such a manner as to fragment, in use the hard material of the front along at least one circular path centered onto the vertical axis, each impact hammer having a hollow casing, a pneumatically-operated, impact generating assembly enclosed within the casing, and a drill bit actuated by the impact-generating assembly.

Abstract: A method for drilling hard material such as rock by fragmenting the rock by impact in selected spaced-apart areas and simultaneously fragmenting the rock by shear between the selected areas. The invention also covers a drill head with particularly arranged impact hammers for carrying out the method, and a drill unit incorporating the drill head.