Shaft mining

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abandoned mine shafts in Marl, Germany.

A plan-view schematic of a mine shaft showing cage and skip compartments. Services may be housed in either of the four open open compartments.

Shaft mining is a type of underground mining done by use of a mine shaft. It may also refer to the act of excavating the shaft itself.

A mine shaft is a vertical or excavation used to access to an underground mining facility. On the surface above the shaft stands a building known as the pit head (or poppet head or head frame), which historically contained a winding engine and in modern times contains an electric hoist controller. This raises and lowers the conveyances within the shaft.

[edit] Shaft Compartments

A mine shaft is split into multiple compartments. The largest compartment is used for the cage. The cage is the conveyance used for moving workers and supplies from surface to underground. It functions in a similar manner to an elevator. The second compartments are the skip compartments. The skip is the conveyance used to transport ore from the underground workings to surface. The third compartment is used for an emergency means of egress. In smaller mining operations there may not be a skip compartment and the skip is mounted underneath the cage convayence. The third compartment may house an auxiliary cage or a system of ladders which extends the length of the shaft. An additional compartment houses the mine services, such as high voltage cables and pipes for transfer of water, compressed air or diesel fuel.

The horizontal workings extending from the central shaft are called drifts, galleries or levels. This is contrasted to drift mining.