GB2027773A

GB2027773A - Mineral-mining Cutter Drum

Info

Publication number: GB2027773A
Application number: GB7902533A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Mining Supplies Minsup Pty Ltd; Mining Supplies Ltd
Current assignee: Mining Supplies Minsup Pty Ltd; Mining Supplies Ltd
Priority date: 1978-08-03
Filing date: 1979-01-24
Publication date: 1980-02-27

Abstract

At the outer end of a mineral mining cutter drum 2 having around the external periphery of the drum a single or multi start helical vane 6 there is provided an annular "tyre" structure 12 having a plurality of preformed, spaced apart, blind pockets 13, each adapted to receive a pick box 9. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mining Equipment This invention relates to spiral vane shearer discs, as are used extensively in coal mining operations for example, whereby the disc is mounted via a centre tube on a drive arbor of the machine, the disc comprising an outer drum carried by the centre tube, to the external periphery of which drum is welded a single or multi start helical vane, the vane(s) extending radially and carrying a plurality of pick boxes each housing a replaceable mineral cutting pick.

At the end of the disc remote from the machine, there is provided a radially extending end plate or ring and it is the usual requirement to mount pick boxes in varying positions, both radial and non-radial, on this end plate or ring. Such mounting is effected by cutting a notch to receive the pick box in the end plate or ring, and welding a box in the notch, the box sides protruding beyond both opposite faces of the end plate or ring. The welding operation is not straightforward, especially if various non-radial angular dispositions for the picks are required for inter alia the area available for welding is finite, while the box is not supported by the end plate or ring at its protruding sides. Furthermore, the loadings absorbed by non-radial picks and boxes do not of course give optimum loading on the radial end plate or ring.Finally there is usually a requirement for drilled-out water passageways leading to spray nozzles, for dust suppression purposes, but such passageways are usually awkward to machine and/or inaccurate in location.

According to the present invention, a spiral vane shearer disc comprises an outer drum to which is secured externally a single or multi start helical vane, with a tyre located around one end of the drum, the tyre having a plurality of preformed, spaced apart, blind pockets, each adapted to receive a pick box.

The use of a tyre in accordance with the present invention gives the advantages that the pick pitch and angular disposition are predetermined during the tyre manufacture stage rather than during disc fabrication, while the pick boxes are supported over their entire crosssection areas by the tyre.

The tyre may be produced by casting, in which case the pockets may be of rectangular or other non-circular cross-section, or by rolling, with the pockets subsequently machined out. With either manufacturing technique, the tyre may be produced in one piece or from a plurality of segments. A further advantage with the latter arrangement is that during the manufacturing stage, the segments may be arranged in a jig and easily and accurately drilled to provide water passageways, thus ensuring accurate water spray to the tip of a pick. Furthermore with a preformed pocket, welding of the pick box in the tyre becomes a straightforward operation during disc fabrication. Preferably, the tyre is of circular crosssection, but may be of rectangular, square or any other suitable cross-sectional shape, while the bottom of each pocket may be concave, to receive a complementary bottom of a pick box.

In accordance with another preferred feature the drum is frusto-conical, with the tyre being located at the larger diameter end of the core.

Such a core, when compared with a cylindrical core, provides improved absorption of loading from the picks. Preferably, the tyre is provided with one spray nozzle in the vicinity of each pick.

As is conventional, the drum may be secured to, and carried by a central core via a plurality of welded support plates or gussets, the central core being mountable on an arbor of the machine.

Preferably, the plates or gussets are axially radial plates. This construction lends itself tq the supply of ventilating air from the end of the disc adjacent the machine to the end of the disc remote from the machine, without the need for specific air pipelines.

Preferably, pairs of axially radial plates are provided in diametrically opposite locations so that the drum may be supported from the core by four, six, or eight, axial plates. The latter, of whatever number, are preferably welded to both the tube and the core.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spiral vane shearer disc in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is an axial, sectional view through one half of the disc of Figure 1 but to a larger scale.

In the drawings, there is indicated at 1, a spiral vane shearer disc comprising a frusto-conical outer drum 2 secured by a plurality of radially extending, welded support plates 3 to a centre tube 4, by which the disc 1 is mounted on a conventional drive arbor e.g. of a shearer type coal cutting machine.

To the external periphery 5 of the drum 2 is welded a helical vane 6 comprising a support plate 7 which is notched at 8 at positions where it is desired to locate, by welding, a pick box 9, each box 9 being of a dimension to fit into a notch 8, and each pick box housing a repiaceable pick 10 (Figure 2).

At an end 11 of the disc 1, which end in use is remote from the machine, there is secured, by welding, a tyre 12. As best seen in Figure 2, the tyre is of circular cross-section and is provided with a plurality of preformed, spaced apart, blind pockets 13, each adapted to receive a pick box 9.

The tyre can be manufactured by casting or by rolling and may be produced as a one piece element or may be formed from a plurality of individual segments. Also indicated in Figure 2 are various angular pick box locations, which in turn determine the angular pick locations, these locations being dictated by the disposition of the individual pockets 1 3 to provide whatever pick locations are required for the particular operating conditions for which the disc is intended.

Aiso indicated in Figure 2 is a plate 14 welded between the periphery 5 and the tyre 12, to define with the latter and with a portion of the periphery 5 an annular water passageway 15, communicating with a plurality of water bores 1 6 located in the tyre 12 in the vicinity of each pocket 13, each bore 16 being screw threaded at 17 to receive a-water spray nozzle 18. Similar water bores 1 6A and water spray nozzles 1 8A may be provided around the helical vane 6, with a plate 1 4A defining in part an annular water passageway 1-5A. Around the internal periphery of the end 11 of the drum 2 is located an annular casing 19 having a water-bore 1 6B communicating with the passageway 1 5 and a spray nozzle 1 8B. In the usual manner water is led from the machine along the centre tube 4 and then radially along one or more support plates 3 to the channel 15, 1 5A.

Claims

1. A spiral vane shearer disc comprising an outer drum to which is secured externally a single or multi start helical vane, with a tyre located around one end of the drum, the tyre having a plurality of preformed, spaced apart, blind pockets, each adapted to receive a pick box.

2. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the tyre is produced by casting with the pockets of rectangular or other noncircular cross-section.

3. A spiral vane shearer.disc as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the tyre is produced by rolling with the pockets subsequently machined out.

4. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the tyre is one piece.

5. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the tyre is made up from a plurality of segments.

6. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tyre is of circular cross-section.

7. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the tyre is of square cross-section.

8. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the tyre is of rectangular cross-section.

9. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bottom of each pocket is concave to receive a complementary bottom of a pick box.

10. A sprial vane shearer disc as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the drum is frustoconical, with the tyre being located at the larger diameter end of the core.

11. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tyre is provided with one spray nozzle in the vicinity of each pick.

12. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the drum is secured to, and carried by a central core via a plurality of welded support plates or gussets.

13. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in Claim 12, wherein plates or gussets are axially radial plates.

14. A spiral vane shearer disc as claimed in Claim 13, wherein pairs of axially radial plates are provided in diametrically opposite locations so that the drum may be supported from the core by four, six, or eight, axial plates.

1 5. A spiral vane shearer disc substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.