Sunday, August 25, 2013

(19) Underground Mining Equipment & Processes



The following is a study of underground mining equipment & processes. It includes the types of drivers used to transport the miners and materials underground, the devices that miners and materials moved through the mine complexes and the digging tools used underground.

Mine Engines
There have been several types of energy used to move miners and ore underground. They range from mules moving the miners and ore to air operated and electric conveyances.
The following pictures show some of the various types of engines that have been used over the years.

Note: Click on Images to make them larger
                




 
Personnel Transports
There have been several types of miner transports over the years for both vertical and horizontal transport.







Materials Transport
There were several different needs for devices to transport materials in and out of the mines including, ore, wood, steel, rock waste (muck), and also to remove human wastes from the mines.






















Digging Machines
Miners have been inventive over the years starting with a pick and shovel and developing tools with mechanical advantage powered by steam, air and electric in their underground operations.








Saturday, August 3, 2013

(18) 1912 Publication on Stamp Milling

Stamp Milling A Treatise on Practical Stamp Milling and Stamp Mill Construction by Algernon Del Mar

This book contains a tremendous amount of information that is easily understood by most individuals that are interested in stamp mills and their processes. There are about 140 pages in this book and can actually be read like a novel. I know one individual that read through this book from front to back twice!

There is a brief history of the stamp mill starting in 1340, when they were used in the production of gun powder, and continues through 1900 which at that time stamp mills were considered quite modern. A nice thing about the book is that it has several illustrations that show early stamp mill configurations. In addition, it contains a wonderful history of the stamp mill.

The book gives an excellent accounting of the general principles of the stamp mill and discusses stamping, battery feeding, crushing capacity, power requirements and the cost of stamp milling.

It informs readers about problems that might occur during operations including broken camshafts, loose shoes and bosses, and how to prevent these accidents from happening.

There is an entire chapter on amalgamation. A discussion on amalgamation in excellent detail follows and points out practical applications of the process.

One of the most interesting chapters discusses construction and has many pictures and drawings to help understand how mills were assembled.

I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning more about stamp mills and how they work.  This book can be downloaded from the Internet through the following site: http://www.jeffersonminingdistrict.com/mining/Stamp_milling_1912.pdf