Roof bolt machine with quartz trapping device

A quartz trapping device for use with a roof bolt machine, the quartz trapping device comprising: a container comprising a top plate, a bottom plate and side plates wherein said container is at least partially filled with a liquid; at least one inlet mounted on said container adapted to be operatively connected with and receive an exhaust stream from a drill bit of the roof bolt machine; a plurality of downward extending baffles attached to the inside of the top plate and extending downward from the top plate toward the liquid surface; a plurality of upward extending baffles attached to the inside of the bottom plate and extending upward from the bottom plate toward the top plate; wherein said downward and upward extending baffles are arranged in an alternating configuration defining a tortuous pathway for the exhaust stream, causing the exhaust stream to deposit substantially all of the respirable dust and respirable quartz entrained therein in the liquid; and an outlet mounted on said container for releasing a substantially clean exhaust stream.

A quartz trapping device for reducing the amount of respirable dust and respirable quartz released into the environment from a dust exhaust stream of a roof bolt machine, said quartz trapping device comprising: a container at least partially filled with a liquid; at least one inlet mounted in said container adapted to be operatively connected with and receive the dust exhaust stream from the roof bolt machine into the container; a plurality of upward extending and downward extending baffles attached to a bottom plate and a top plate of the container, respectively, wherein said baffles form together with the liquid a path through which the dust exhaust stream is conducted in order to cause the respirable dust and respirable quartz in the dust exhaust stream from the roof bolt machine to be captured inside the liquid, and form a substantially clean exhaust stream; an outlet mounted on said container for releasing the substantially clean exhaust stream.

A roof bolt machine comprising: a mobile chassis; at least one operator cab operatively connected to said mobile chassis; at least one drilling assembly mounted on said mobile chassis and operatively connected with said mobile chassis, said drilling assembly comprising a drillhead including a drill bit; a motor mounted on said mobile chassis, operatively connected to said drillhead for turning the drill bit mounted on said drillhead; a dust system circuit comprising a vacuum source and a dust collection device and at least one connecting hose for operatively connecting the drill bit with the vacuum source, and the dust collection device for applying a vacuum to the drill bit sufficient to draw the drill cuttings and dust generated during the operation of the drill bit through the dust collection device; and a quartz trapping device, operatively associated with the dust system circuit, which removes quartz and dust from the dust collection circuit.

A method for reducing respirable dust and respirable quartz dust emissions from a dust exhaust stream of a roof bolt machine, the method comprising the steps of: providing a quartz trapping device comprising: a closed container comprising a top plate, a bottom plate and side plates; a liquid at least partially filling the container; at least one inlet mounted on said container and adapted to connect the container with a dust system circuit of a roof bolt machine; a plurality of downward extending baffles attached to the inside of the top plate and extending downward from the top plate toward the liquid surface; a plurality of upward extending baffles attached to the inside of the bottom plate and extending upward from the bottom plate toward the top plate; wherein said downward and upward extending baffles are arranged in a generally alternating configuration; and at least one outlet mounted on said container; passing a stream of air in which is entrained respirable dust and respirable quartz from the dust collection circuit of a roof bolt machine into the at least one inlet of the quartz trapping device; and removing from the at least one outlet a stream of air which is substantially free of respirable quartz and dust.

A method for preventing respirable quartz from entering the environment of an underground mine, the method comprising the steps of: a) drilling into rock in the underground mine with a drill bit; b) using suction to remove the dust generated by the drilling from around the drill bit into a stream of air, the air then having an unhealthful amount of respirable quartz dust entrained therein; c) passing the stream of air with the quartz dust entrained therein into a closed container; d) passing the stream of air with the dust past a series of baffles in the closed container, the series of baffles defining a tortuous path for the air, the air impinging multiple times upon the surface of a liquid which partially fills the closed container to produce a substantially clean exhaust stream; e) passing the substantially clean exhaust stream out of the closed container and into the environment of the underground mine.