GB1118891A - Improvements in face conveyors for mine workings - Google Patents

Abstract

1,118,891. Mineral-mining installations. MINING ENG. CO. (MECO), Ltd. 11 April, 1967 [11 Jan., 1966], No. 1267/66. Heading E1F. [Also in Division B8] A coalface endless scraper conveyor supports a coal-getting machine 11 at a height such that it passes over the conveyor drive unit, and coal is conveyed to a stage loader by the lower strand 19 of the conveyor, the upper and lower strands 17, 19 being substantially parallel. The coal-getting machine 11 travels along the face on rails on a structure 10 supporting the face conveyor. and coal from the machine 11 drops through the upper strand 17 of the conveyor directly onto the lower strand since no deck plates are provided on the upper strand. A static belt 31 anchored at each end of the face conveyor covers the upper strand 17 in front of and behind the machine 11. Rollers 33, 34 on the machine structure guide the belt 31 over the machine 11 as it moves along and thereby permits coal to drop straight onto the lower strand 19 of the face conveyor. The static belt 31 may incorporate side chains which engage powered sprocket rollers whereby the machine 11 hauls itself along the belt 31. The coal is discharged onto the stage loader at one end of the face conveyor by provision of an upwardly curved deck plate on the lower strand 19. In the embodiment of Fig. 3 (not shown) the lower strand of the face conveyor is raised to pass over the stage loader and the deck plates in the area over the loader are omitted. In a further embodiment. coal reaches the lower strand of the face conveyor by dropping through caps in deck plates of the upper strand, either at the ends thereof or intermediate the ends.