Apparatus and method for supporting a mine rib

1. A mine rib support for bracing a substantially vertical mine rib disposed between a mine floor and a mine roof, said support comprising:

an elongated upright, continuous and telescopically expandable support member having a preset curvature, and which is longitudinally expandable for engaging the mine floor and mine roof under compression with the curvature thereof protruding toward said mine rib;

means for longitudinally expanding and locking said support member into end engagement with said mine floor and roof; and

at least one rib engagement plate secured to said support member for adjustable lateral extension to adjustably engage said rib under compression to thereby place said support member in a prestressed condition for supporting said mine rib.

2. The mine rib support of claim 1 , wherein the preset curvature of said continuous support member is provided, at least in part, by a hinged bent knee positioned intermediate its opposite ends.

3. The mine rib support of claim 1 , including transverse end plates secured to opposite ends of said support member for respective engagement with the mine floor and roof, said plates including outwardly hinged plate portions secured to said opposite ends whereby said hinged plates are biased for gouging into surfaces of the mine floor and roof when said support member is placed under prestress.

4. The mine rib support of claim 1 , said support member including two adjacent parallel upright continuous and telescopically expandable members having preset curvature and secured together in spaced relationship.

5. The mine rib support of claim 1 , including two of said rib engagement plates.

6. The mine rib support of claim 1 , said continuous support member comprised of metal tubing.

7. A mine rib support for bracing a substantially vertical mine rib disposed between a mine floor and a mine roof, said support comprising;

an elongated upright support member having a preset curvature, and which is longitudinally expandable for engaging said mine floor and mine roof under compression with the curvature thereof protruding toward said mine rib;

means for longitudinally expanding and locking said support member into end engagement with said mine floor and roof and laterally engaging said support member with said mine rib under compression whereby said support member is prestressed to support said miner rib; and

transverse plates secured to opposite ends of said support member for respective engagement with the mine floor and roof, said plates including outwardly hinged plate portions secured to said opposite ends whereby said hinged plates are biased for gouging into surfaces of the mine floor and roof when said support member is placed under prestress.

8. The method of bracing a substantially vertical mine rib disposed between a mine floor and a mine roof, comprising:

providing a curved and continuous telescopically expandable elongate support member and positioning said support member in an upright manner adjacent to said mine rib and telescopically expanding said support member to engage said mine floor and said mine roof under compression adjacent to said mine rib with the curvature of said support member protruding toward said mine rib; and

laterally extending a support plate from said prestressed support member into compression engagement with said mine rib and thereby prestressing said support member for support of said mine rib.