Cable bulbing apparatus and method for forming bulbs in a cable bolt

1. A cable bulbing apparatus comprising:

a frame;

securing means for holding at least a portion of a cable bolt with respect to said frame; and

a bulbing assembly releasably engagable with said cable bolt and operative to form a bulb in a portion of the cable to which it is engaged, said assembly being movable relative to said frame to allow repositioning of said bulbing assembly along at least part of the length of said cable bolt to enable a plurality of spaced apart one or more bulbs to be formed along said cable bolt length,

wherein said bulbing assembly comprises a base and a clamping system.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bulbing assembly is slidably mounted to said frame.

3. An apparatus according claim 1 wherein said clamping system includes:

a first clamp set and second clamp set mounted to said base for releasable clamping engagement with said cable bolt wherein relative movement of said clamp sets forms a bulb in said cable bolt.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said first and second clamp sets each include a pair of hydraulically operated mutually opposed jaws for clamping said cable bolt.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said first clamp set is fixedly mounted to said base and said second clamp set is movably mounted to said base.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said bulbing assembly includes an actuator for providing said relative movement between said first and second clamp sets, said actuator being fixedly mounted to said base and in moving engagement with said second clamping means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said actuator is hydraulically powered.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said actuator is electrically powered.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said securing means is a cable bolt locking clamp.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said frame includes a pair of parallel racks.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 including one or more proximity sensors for measuring the radial displacement of the bulb formed in the cable bolt.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 including an encoder for controlling the movement of said bulbing assembly along said cable.

13. A method for forming bulbs in a cable bolt, said method comprising the steps of:

securing a cable bolt relative to a frame;

engaging a bulbing assembly at a first location on said cable bolt,

wherein said bulbing assembly comprises a base and a clamping system;

forming a bulb in said cable at said first location;

releasing said bulbing assembly from said first location and repositioning said bulbing assembly to engage a second location along said cable bolt; and

forming a second bulb in said cable at said second location.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein said bulbing assembly is slidably mounted to said frame to allow said assembly to move from said first location to said second location on said cable bolt.

15. A method according claim 13 wherein said clamping system includes:

a first clamp set and second clamp set mounted to said base wherein said cable bolt is clamped between said first and second clamp set and relative movement of said clamps sets towards one another displaces the strands in said cable bolt to form a bulb.

16. A method according to claim 15 including the steps of:

said cable bolt being released from said first and second clamp;

said first and second clamps being engaged adjacent said second location on said cable bolt; and

said first and second clamps being moved towards one another to form a second bulb at said second location of said cable bolt.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein one or more proximity sensors sends a signal to stop the bulbing process when the strands of the cable bolt reach a desired radial displacement.

18. A method according to claim 13 wherein said bulbing assembly disengages said cable bolt after said first bulb is formed and moves along said cable until an encoder sends a signal to stop at said second bulbing location and the bulbing process is repeated.

19. A method according to claim 13 wherein said cable bolt is supplied to said bulbing assembly by a cable reel.

20. A method according to claim 13 wherein said cable is supplied to said bulbing assembly by a pick and place style system.

21. A method according to claim 13 wherein said cable is removed from said bulbing assembly by pick and place style system.

22. A cable bulbing apparatus comprising:

a frame;

securing means for holding at least a portion of a cable bolt with respect to said frame; and

a bulbing assembly releasably engagable with said cable bolt and operative to form a bulb in a portion of the cable to which it is engaged, said assembly being movable relative to said frame to allow repositioning of said bulbing assembly along at least part of the length of said cable bolt to enable a plurality of spaced apart one or more bulbs to be formed along said cable bolt length,

wherein said frame includes a pair of parallel racks, and

wherein said bulbing assembly includes a set of pinions in gearing engagement with said parallel racks for enabling said bulbing assembly to move along said cable bolt and form multiple bulbs.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein said set of pinions includes a pair of driven front pinions and a complementary pair of rear idler pinions.