GB1585116A

GB1585116A - Conveyor length accommodation

Info

Publication number: GB1585116A
Application number: GB25540/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Gullick Dobson Ltd
Current assignee: Gullick Dobson Ltd
Priority date: 1976-06-19
Filing date: 1976-06-19
Publication date: 1981-02-25
Also published as: DE2727313B2; DE2727313A1; AU2615177A; ZA773420B; DE2727313C3

Description

(54) CONVEYOR LENGTH ACCOMMODATION (71) We, GULLICK DOBSON LIMI TED, a British Company, of Ince, Wigan, Lancashire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to mining equipment, and has particular, but not exclusive, reference to systems utilising an articulatedly intercoupled, or otherwise flexible, face conveyor means usually acting as or incorporating mining machine guide means where snaking, or even double snaking, occurs during advancing of the face conveyor and yet there is a requirement that the overall position of the face conveyor should not translate along the face under the action of the snaking or by its own weight, even where that face has a slope along the length of the conveyor.

Our co-pending application No. 23538/76 (Serial No. 1585112) discloses a system of the general type referred to and in which individual face workings or stope sections are separated by strike gulleys at a lower level to extend rearwardly therefrom, normally at an angle other than perpendicular. In such a system, individual conveyor sections are associated with each of the face sections and linked over the strike gulleys by bridging sections. Each conveyor section has its own drive means and mining machine guide.It is desirable for a mining machine to be able to work from the bridging section to dig the strike gulley and/or to pass over the bridging section from one conveyor section to another, and this may be provided for either by a solid support and guide beam structure or a specially supported conveyor pan or a combination of both where successive such sections are linked by strike gulley bridging sections of the conveyor, reliance has been made on tolerances and play in the articulated linkages between successive pans to allow snaking and double snaking.

According to the invention there is provided a conveyor interconnection structure comprising a first part adapted to be coupled to one side of a gap in a conveyor system and a second part adapted to be coupled to the other side of said gap, wherein the first and second parts are relatively movable so as to expand and contract the length of the structure according to said gap, and the first and second parts support each other with the structure itself supported when within said conveyor system by the coupling of its parts to said sides.

Such structures connected within, or between otherwise separate sections of conveyor of a conveyor system allow at least machine guide means to be capable of expansion and/or contraction in the direction of the length of such conveyor system and associated guide means in accommodating and/or compensating for the effect of snaking. Preferred structures are, but need not necessarily be disposed, when in a mine working, over strike gulleys and between independently driven conveyor sections each associated with its own section of the stope or face working.

Suitable structures may include separately guided, or and preferably mutually guiding, parts such as beams directly or indirectly secured or securable one to each of different conveyor pans of adjacent conveyor sections, or at least machine guide means associated therewith. Such parts advantageously interfit, or have integral or attached guide means one or each for the other. Such mutually guiding parts may include integral or attached machine guide sections to allow transfer thereto of a mining machine. If the machine guides are notched or toothed, such an arrangement will allow transfer of a mining machine with a variable pitch drive mechanism.For a mining machine with a fixed pitch drive mechanism either or both of the mutually guiding parts may be adjustable relative to the other, or, and preferably, either or both of the machine guide sections may be adjustable relative to each other and its or their associated mutually guided part or parts. Such adjustment of one or both said parts or sections, and/or setting location thereof, may be by pressure-fluid operated ram means.

Alternatively, a machine guide part or section shorter at least than the fully extended length of a structure embodying this invention, may be provided that is movable along that structure to transfer a mining machine between two machine guide means intercoupled directly or indirectly by that structure.

A preferred mutually guiding structure comprises telescopically interfitting beams or channel section members each mounted to a different conveyor pan or part and housing, within them pressure-fluid ram means secured at one end to one of the conveyor parts or the interfitting beams or members mounted thereto and at its other end, and preferably selectively, to a machine guide part or section capable of accommodating a mining machine on the mutually guiding structure. It is, of course, not essential that the ram means be within the beams or other members, and that would also be the case for alternative structures where the beams or other members are other than interfitting one within the other.Such a structure allows the gap between the separate conveyor parts to widen to an extent related to the beam overlap limit due to load bearing requirements and to shorten to the length of the machine guide part.

To transfer a mining machine, the ram means will be actuated to bring the machine guide part up to the adjacent conveyor part and its machine guide means then carrying the machine, and, after transfer of the machine to the guide part, further operation of the ram means in the opposite direction will move the machine guide part complete with the machine across to the other adjacent conveyor part and its machine guide means for transfer of the machine thereto. Such a system is inherently suitable for use with fixed pitch drive mechanisms, as the relative positions of the movable machine guide part and two conveyor parts can be accurately predetermined.

By selective locking of the ram means relative to both mutually guiding parts of a said structure the ram means may be used to telescope that structure.

Each of the beams may be provided with conveyor pan aprons able to slide one over the other for transfer of mineral and/or debris to a cqoperatingly formed cut-out discharging into the strike gulley, or even for transfer from one conveyor section to another, if desired.

Where, as in our above-mentioned application, double snaking is permitted so that individual face sections or stopes can be operated with some degree of independence, requirements arise for dragging the conveyor sections bodily up the associated stope to maintain desired relative positions.

In another co-pending application (No.

23541/76), (Serial No. 1585115) we have proposed the use of an additional ram in order to achieve - this. The pressure-fluid ram powered mutually guiding or telescopic structures of this invention may be used in addition, or as an alternative, to such an arrangement either directly where separate machine guide sections are connected or, for a single transversable machine guide part or section, if provision is made for selectively locking the machine guide part or the corresponding part of the ram relative to the other conveyor part so that the pressure-fluid ram means will operate to drag one conveyor part towards the other.

In a face conveyor system where a mining machine guide is generally positioned at a rearward position on or relative to the mineral or debris supporting pans or surfaces of the conveyor, it is often desirable or necessary to support the mining machine, at least during mineral winning or rock breaking operation, at a forward position on or relative to the face conveyor, say by pressure-fluid operated packs or props acting between floor or support and roof.

At the position of an expansible and contractible structure of this invention, it may therefore be desirable or necessary to provide a support for a mining machine at a position spaced from the above-mentioned guide means and towards the mineral face.

This requirement may particularly occur for bridging structures over strike gulleys which it may be one function of the mining machine to dig or excavate. It is therefore preferred that the support be in the form of a beam or bridging member allowing staking of the mining machine between that beam or member and the roof of the working. Intercoupling of such a beam or member to the variable length structure may be provided for, preferably incorporating compensating means to ensure maintenance of a desired relative attitude of the beam or member, say parallel with the general run of the conveyor at or spaced from the face-side edge thereof. A suitable beam or member may be rigid or itself telescopic or otherwise of variable length.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a telescopic bridging pan and including guide or bearing means for material-supporting apron elements thereof; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the structure of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partly sectioned view from the same direction as Figure 2 but omitting the apron guide or bearing means; Figure 4 is a part cross-sectional and part end elevational view; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view showing minimum length for the telescopic structure and a " snaking " relation with an adjacent conveyor section; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic part plan view of a further embodiment; and Figures 7, 8 and 9 are sections on the lines A-A, B-B, and C-C respectively, of Figure 6.

In the drawings, the telescopic structure 10 is shown as having side frame members 11 and 12 to which are secured axially slidably interfitting beams 14 and 15, respectively. The beam 15 is shown as fitting inside the beam 14. Within these two interfitting beams there is a hydraulic ram of which cylinder 16 is shown as being mounted pivotally at 17 via bracket means 18 to the beam 15 and/or side frame member 12. An aperture 20 is shown for access to the substantially vertical pivot pin location, say for release purposes, and/or application thereto of hydraulic fluid supply pipes or hoses.

The cylinder 16 is indicated in Figure 1 as extending well into the minimum overlap between the two beams 14 and 15 and has its ram 22 pivotally mounted at its end 23, also for rotation about a vertical axis, to a bracket 24 attached to a movable machine guide rail carriage 25. This guide carriage 25 has another bracket part by which it is capable of being pivotally mounted at 26 for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis relative to a bracket 27 secured to the side frame member 11. Preferably, this pin 26 is removable to allow movement of the carriage 25 relative to the beams 14 and 15 and serves, when positioned as shown, to ensure movement of the beam 14 relative to the beam 15, say for compensating for positional changes of different conveyor sections intercoupled by the beams.

The bracket 24 extends through a slot 29 in the rearward side of the beam 14 which slot is in substantial alignment with a corresponding end slot 31 in the beam 15 to allow a full range of movement of the machine guide carriage 25 by the hydraulic ram 16, 22. This range of movement allows the machine guide carriage 25 to be moved to the right of Figure 1 to an extent that ensures achievement of a predetermined position of its machine guide rail proper relative to the side frame member 12. This will allow any pitch-defining formation of the rail required for mining machine self-propulsion purposes to be accurately matched to similar or equivalent pitch defining means on the guide rail of the adjacent conveyor section, specifically its end-most pan.As can be seen from the drawing, the limit position on full extension of the hydraulic ram 16, 22 will provide a similar predetermined relative position at the other side frame member 11 for cooperation with the machine guide rail of a conveyor section to the left thereof.

The machine guide carriage 25 is shown as being of a construction that is closely guided by side members that flank the sides of the telescopic interfitting beam structure with the machine guide rail proper overlying that beam structure. As has been indicated above, the machine guide rail, or, indeed any other part associated with the machine guide carriage may be toothed or recessed in correspondence with the particular desired machine propulsion means, such as toothed wheel, pawl, or worm type drives.

The side frame members and/or their beams 12, 15 and 11, 14 are shown as having pan apron parts 35 and 36, respectively, that define a gap between them which effectively determines an aperture 37 through which material moved along an upstope conveyor section towards the particular bridging pan will be deposited therethrough, typically to conveyor means within a strike gulley over which it is intended that the specific illustrated telescopic pan structure will be mounted. These pan apron parts 35 and 36 are shown as being guided at their free ends in a fabricated beam type structure 38. The apron parts 35 and 36 are shown as being of double plate construction having chamfered forward edges inclined downwards at their free ends, the guide beam structure 38 having a correspondingly shaped slot for positive guiding location.Other front edge profiles, such as rounded, may equally well be used with a corresponding (if desired), formation of the guide beam slot to prevent ingress of dirt and other foreign material.

As is best illustrated in Figure 5, this guide beam structure is not telescopic, although it could be if desired, but is located and formed so as to allow relative rotation of the articulated linkage to an adjacent pan of the up or down stope conveyor section. Front and rear articulated interconnection of the pan apron parts 35 and - 36 to their adjacent pans is preferably of the type. common to each of the individual pans of the associated conveyor sections after the fashion of our co-pending Applications Nos. 23539/76 (Serial No.

1585113) and 25543/76.

Details of the closely guided and enveloping structure of the machine guide part 25 are shown in Figure 4. A machine guide rail proper is indicated at 32 with a welded-on depending plate 33 at its forward side, and a bolted-on depending plate at its rearward side that also carries the bracket 24 extending into the interior of the telescopic beams. These two depending plates are joined at their undersides by an apertured generally U-section plate that is further flanged below of the corresponding pan apron part.

In Figures 6 to 9, telescopic inner and outer beams 40, 41 have at their free ends conveyor pan intercoupling and/or support structures 42, 43, respectively. The outer beam 41 is of generally box-like section with its lower wall 44 angled upwardly at its forward side, and thus capable of acting as a skid on transverse advancing of the overall structure with the conveyor sections.

The inner beam 40 is also of generally boxsection but with a domed lower wall 45 conforming to the wall 44 regardless of its relative orientation, and its side walls 46 turning inwards to a top wall 47 extending at 48 beyond them to each side.

Within the beams 40, 41 is a ram 49 having its piston thrust rod 50 pivoted at 51 to the beam 40 and its cylinder pivoted at 52 to a drive member 53 extending sideways through a longitudinal slot 54 in the rear side wall 55 of the outer beam 4f.

Side wall 55 has a longitudinal exterior rib or flange 56 below the slot 54 and at a lower level than a similar rib or flange 57 on the front side wall 58.

A machine guide rail carriage 60 fits over the telescopic beams and has a notched rail 61 with depending walls, 62, 63 spaced to flank the outer beam 41. Flanges 64 on the walls 62, 63 carry guides 65 notched at 66 to accommodate the ribs or flanges 56, 57 on the outer beam 41. There are two spaced guides 65 for each rib or flange 56, 57 and these are staggered relative to each other. At one end the guide rail 61 must always project beyond the outer beam 41 and carries notched guides 67 to engage opposite edge portions 48 of the upper wall 42 of the inner beam 40.

Flange 64 of the rear wall 55 of the outer beam is also bolted at 69 to the drive member 53 so that expansion and retraction of the ram 49 will move the carriage 60 from one side to the other of the beam structure. Any convenient way of locking the outer beam relative to the ram cylinder, say at the drive member 53, will allow the overall length of the beams to be adjusted. The slot in the outer beam 41 could of course, be avoided if coupling between the ram cylinder and the carriage was at the other end of the ram cylinder, in which case a releasable coupling between the ram cylinder and the outer beam could be made adjacent the structure 43, or even to that structure or between that structure and the carriage.

Although the illustrated telescopic pan structures have been described in relation to bridging over a strike gulley with a consequent desired capability to support a mining machine in the excavation of such a gulley, it is equally envisaged that an expanding and contracting conveyor pan structure of similar form could be used elsewhere in the conveyor. This could well be along the lengths of stope sections and then may not need to be of such massive construction, particularly, if a groundengaging shoe or skid is provided at an intermediate position, say at or near one end of the external beam.

For a mining machine to be worked while on a beamlike bridging structure hereof, it may be staked between the beam and the roof of the working using pressurefluid-operated ram means.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A conveyor interconnection structure comprising a first part adapted to be coupled to one side of a gap in a conveyor system and a second part adapted to be coupled to the other side of said gap, wherein the first and second parts are relatively movable so as to expand and contract the length of the structure according to said gap, and the first and second parts support each other with the structure itself supported when within said conveyor system by the coupling of its parts to said sides.

2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the parts are mutually guiding.

3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein the parts are telescopically interfitting.

4. A structure according to any preceding claim, further comprising powered means for relatively moving said parts.

5. A structure according to claim 4, wherein the powered means is a pressurefluid-operated ram secured or securable to act between said parts.

6. A structure according to any preceding claim, further comprising machine guide means whereby a machine may traverse the length of the structure.

7. A structure according to claim 6, wherein the machine guide means comprises a carriage movable along the length of the structure.

8. A structure according to claim 7, comprising a pressure-fluid-operated ram connected to act between the carriage and

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

Applications Nos. 23539/76 (Serial No.

1585113) and 25543/76.

Details of the closely guided and enveloping structure of the machine guide part 25 are shown in Figure 4. A machine guide rail proper is indicated at 32 with a welded-on depending plate 33 at its forward side, and a bolted-on depending plate at its rearward side that also carries the bracket 24 extending into the interior of the telescopic beams. These two depending plates are joined at their undersides by an apertured generally U-section plate that is further flanged below of the corresponding pan apron part.

In Figures 6 to 9, telescopic inner and outer beams 40, 41 have at their free ends conveyor pan intercoupling and/or support structures 42, 43, respectively. The outer beam 41 is of generally box-like section with its lower wall 44 angled upwardly at its forward side, and thus capable of acting as a skid on transverse advancing of the overall structure with the conveyor sections.

The inner beam 40 is also of generally boxsection but with a domed lower wall 45 conforming to the wall 44 regardless of its relative orientation, and its side walls 46 turning inwards to a top wall 47 extending at 48 beyond them to each side.

Within the beams 40, 41 is a ram 49 having its piston thrust rod 50 pivoted at 51 to the beam 40 and its cylinder pivoted at 52 to a drive member 53 extending sideways through a longitudinal slot 54 in the rear side wall 55 of the outer beam 4f.

Side wall 55 has a longitudinal exterior rib or flange 56 below the slot 54 and at a lower level than a similar rib or flange 57 on the front side wall 58.

A machine guide rail carriage 60 fits over the telescopic beams and has a notched rail 61 with depending walls, 62, 63 spaced to flank the outer beam 41. Flanges 64 on the walls 62, 63 carry guides 65 notched at 66 to accommodate the ribs or flanges 56, 57 on the outer beam 41. There are two spaced guides 65 for each rib or flange 56, 57 and these are staggered relative to each other. At one end the guide rail 61 must always project beyond the outer beam 41 and carries notched guides 67 to engage opposite edge portions 48 of the upper wall 42 of the inner beam 40.

Flange 64 of the rear wall 55 of the outer beam is also bolted at 69 to the drive member 53 so that expansion and retraction of the ram 49 will move the carriage 60 from one side to the other of the beam structure. Any convenient way of locking the outer beam relative to the ram cylinder, say at the drive member 53, will allow the overall length of the beams to be adjusted. The slot in the outer beam 41 could of course, be avoided if coupling between the ram cylinder and the carriage was at the other end of the ram cylinder, in which case a releasable coupling between the ram cylinder and the outer beam could be made adjacent the structure 43, or even to that structure or between that structure and the carriage.

Although the illustrated telescopic pan structures have been described in relation to bridging over a strike gulley with a consequent desired capability to support a mining machine in the excavation of such a gulley, it is equally envisaged that an expanding and contracting conveyor pan structure of similar form could be used elsewhere in the conveyor. This could well be along the lengths of stope sections and then may not need to be of such massive construction, particularly, if a groundengaging shoe or skid is provided at an intermediate position, say at or near one end of the external beam.

For a mining machine to be worked while on a beamlike bridging structure hereof, it may be staked between the beam and the roof of the working using pressurefluid-operated ram means.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A conveyor interconnection structure comprising a first part adapted to be coupled to one side of a gap in a conveyor system and a second part adapted to be coupled to the other side of said gap, wherein the first and second parts are relatively movable so as to expand and contract the length of the structure according to said gap, and the first and second parts support each other with the structure itself supported when within said conveyor system by the coupling of its parts to said sides.
2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein the parts are mutually guiding.
3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein the parts are telescopically interfitting.
4. A structure according to any preceding claim, further comprising powered means for relatively moving said parts.
5. A structure according to claim 4, wherein the powered means is a pressurefluid-operated ram secured or securable to act between said parts.
6. A structure according to any preceding claim, further comprising machine guide means whereby a machine may traverse the length of the structure.
7. A structure according to claim 6, wherein the machine guide means comprises a carriage movable along the length of the structure.
8. A structure according to claim 7, comprising a pressure-fluid-operated ram connected to act between the carriage and

the structure.
9. A structure according to claim 8 with claim 5, wherein the same ram is alternatively securable to act both to move the carriage relative to the structure and to adjust the length of the structure.
10. A structure according to claim 9 with claim 3, wherein the ram is housed within beams as said telescopic parts.
11. A structure according to claim 10, wherein the carriage is guided on an outer one of the beams.
12. A structure according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the carriage is guided on an inner one of the beams.
13. A structure according to any preceding claim, wherein said first and second parts are spaced from another lengthadjustable beam arrangement and generally in register therewith.
14. A structure according to claim 13, wherein said beam arrangement and said first and second parts afford between them a material off-loading aperture.
15. A structure according to claim 12, wherein said aperture is bounded along the conveyor by conveyor pan parts extending between the beam arrangement and the first and second parts.
16. A conveyor interconnection structure arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 5 or Figures 6 to 9 of the drawings.
17. A conveyor structure comprising two or more flexible conveyor sections intercoupled by one or more structures according to any preceding claim.
18. A mining system comprising a conveyor structure according to claim 14 and two or more mining machines each separately selectively snakable, one for each conveyor section.