Skipping Ore to Surface
The most common conveyance for carrying the ore to surface is the skip. These are self-dumping buckets and are usually operated in counter balance in two separate shaft compartments to reduce the amount of power needed for hoisting. In other words, the weight of the empty skip descending will compensate in part for the weight of the other skip that is being hoisted.
Skips are of lightweight alloy construction and carry loads of three to greater than 20 tonnes. They are filled from the loading pockets at the base of the ore pass.
In some mining situations, hoisting by conveyor belts may be less costly, and in mines developed by a decline rather than a shaft, it is usual to tram the ore directly to surface by truck or rail car. Whatever way it gets to surface, the ore goes to the mill for crushing, grinding, and beneficiation.
In some mining situations, the ore- body at depth can be a long distance from the main shaft. When this happens, an internal shaft may be needed for further development at depth. Such an underground shaft is called a winze, and it has its own hoist with skips and cages.
At the bottom of any shaft or winze is a sump. It holds the ground water that seeps into the mine so that it may be pumped either to surface or to the mine’s water circuit.
Shafts are divided into separate compartments: one for the skips; one for the cage; one for the manway (a series of ladders for emergency access); and one for service equipment such as water discharge lines, electric power cables, compressed air, communication and data highways for carrying electronic information. It is also common to have one or more raises to surface for ventilation.
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