GB2074215A - Mineral-mining installation - Google Patents

Abstract

A mineral-mining installation comprises a mineral winning machine M mounted on and/or guided by an armoured scraper chain conveyor 10 made up from a plurality of line pans 9 each comprising an elongate face side sidewall 18 spaced from a similar and parallel goaf side sidewall 17 by an interconnecting deckplate 19 to separate an upper, conveying run 20 from a lower, return run 21, a replaceable rack bar 32 secured to the face side sidewall 18 and approximating to the length of the pan 9, the rack bar 32 comprising a plurality of upwardly projecting pegs 33 located at regular pitch and extending from one longitudinal edge of the rack bar 32, and a trapping means 35 extending from the mineral winning machine M and slidably embracing the rack bar 32 to resist lateral displacement of the machine M with respect to the conveyor 10. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mine conveyor assembly This invention relates to a mine conveyor assembly comprising a mineral winning machine mounted on and/or guided by an armoured scraper chain conveyor extending along a mineral face, the conveyor being of the kind conventionally assembled from a plurality of line pans connected together end-to-end.

According to the present invention a mine conveyor assembly comprises a mineral winning machine mounted on and/or guided by an armoured scraper chain conveyor made up from a plurality of line pans each comprising an elongate, face side sidewall spaced from a similar and parallel, goaf side sidewall by an interconnecting deckplate to separate an upper, conveying run from a lower, return run, a replaceable rack bar secured to the face side sidewall and approximating to the length of the pan, the rack bar comprising a plurality of upwardly projecting pegs located at regular pitch and extending from one longitudinal edge of the rack bar, and a trapping means extending from the mining machine and slidably embracing the rack bar to resist lateral displacement of the machine with respect to the conveyor.

The above defined arrangement is particularly suitable for an "in-web" machine where the machine is not mounted on the conveyor but is located beyond the face side sidewall of the conveyor, on the mine floor, being guided by the conveyor.

Preferably, the trapping means comprises a plate or shoe, e.g. bifurcated or defined by two spaced apart shoes, to lie adjacent and/or engage opposite sides of the rack bar. Preferably the latter projects above the face side sidewall, so that the rack bar can be located immediately adjacent that sidewall. Preferably, at least two spaced apart trapping means are provided on the machine. In detail a trapping means may be provided at each end of a machine haulage gearbox. Preferably, the rack bar is secured to the sidewall by bolts so that should wear or tooth damage occur, replacement may be effected in situ.

It is also preferred for the machine to incorporate a goaf side trapping means. This may be achieved by running a goaf side trapping rail or tube along the goaf side sidewalls and engaging the rail or tube with mating slide shoes carried by the machine.

In the known manner the machine haulage unit may comprise an endless chain, pockets in the chain being engaged by the pegs, or alternatively may comprise a sprocket wheel inter-engaging the pegs. Furthermore, haulage units may be provided towards one or both ends of the machine.

Preferably, the rack bar is manufactured from plate material by burning recesses in the plate to define the pegs. The latter may have a reaction surface on two opposite sides for engagement by a machine haulage unit(s). Each reaction surface, over at least a major part thereof, extends both laterally and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the rack bar. The perpendicularity of the reaction surfaces is aimed at ensuring that when a driving load is imposed on those surfaces by a drive wheel(s) or an endless drive chain(s), there is no component of force tending to disengage the drive wheel(s) or drive chain(s) from the rack bar.

The rack bar may be sandwiched between a ramp plate and the face side sidewall, e.g. by bolts.

Machine guidance may also be effected at the face side by means of a depending leg terminating in a trapping shoe engaging a trapping rail supported from a floor engaging toe plate by intermediate webs, the toe plate being welded to the rack bar and the latter being bolted to the face side sidewall. Conveniently, the intermediate webs are apertured to receive heavy duty connecting bolts whereby the reaction of the haulage unit(s) is transmitted to a plurality of pans, while furthermore the conveyor length at the face side sidewall is maintained generally constant so as to maintain the peg pitch.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation, from goaf to face of a mine conveyor assembly in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the assembly of Figure 1.

In the drawings is shown a longwall mineral face 1 of a mineral seam 2 defined between a mine roof 3 and a mine floor 4. Along the face 1 are provided a plurality of hydraulically extensible roof supports 5 comprising a roof beam 6 engaging the roof 2 and a base means 7 seating on the floor 4, the roof beam 6 being supported from the base means 7 by a plurality of hydraulically extensible chock legs 8 (one only illustrated). In the conventional manner the roof supports 5 are connected by double-acting advancing rams and relay bars (not shown) to individual line pans 9, e.g. of 5 ft. length, secured together end-to-end to define an armoured scraper chain conveyor 10 of a length corresponding to that of the face 1, with a drive head mounted at one or both ends of the conveyor.An "in-web" mineral winning machine M is located between the conveyor 10 and the mineral face 1, and comprises a motor housing 11 , a haulage housing 12, a haulage gearbox 13, and at each end of the machine M a gearhead 1 4 carrying a ranging arm 15 terminating in a rotary cutting head 1 6.

Each individual line pan 9 comprises a sigma section goaf side sidewall 1 7 spaced from a similar face side sidewall 1 8 by an interconnecting deck plate 1 9 which separates an upper, conveying run 20 from a lower return run 21. For clarity the chain(s) and flight bars of the conveyor have been omitted. To the goaf side sidewall 17 is bolted a support plate 22 carrying firstly a trapping beam 23 and secondly a spill plate 24 for services e.g. electric cables and water hoses, required by the machine M which is partly guided from the conveyor 10 at the goaf side by means of a bridge 25 and a depending claw 26 embracing the trapping beam 23 supported from the goaf side sidewall 17.Machine guidance is also effected at the face side by means of a depending leg 27 terminating in a trapping shoe 28 engaging a trapping rail 29 supported from a toe plate 30 by intermediate webs 31, the toe plate 30 being welded to a rack bar 32 approximating to the length of the pan 9 bolted to the face side sidewall 1 8 and comprising a plurality of upwardly projecting pegs 33 located at regular pitch and extending from one longitudinal edge of the rack bar, the pegs 33 being engageable by an endless haulage chain 34 of the gearbox 1 3. At each end of the gearbox 13 is provided a trapping means 35 comprising two individual shoes 36 extending from the machine 11 and so spaced apart as to embrace opposite sides of the rack bar 32, as shown in Figure 2, thereby resisting any tendency for the machine 11 to be laterally displaced, with respect to the conveyor 10, whether by mineral cutting forces applied to the machine 11 or otherwise. The intermediate webs 31 are provided towards the end of each pan 9 and are apertured, so that adjacent webs 31 may receive a common, heavy duty connecting bolt 37 to transmit the reaction of the haulage chain 34 to a plurality of pans 9 and to maintain the length of the conveyor 10 at the face side sidewall 1 8 generally constant so as to maintain the pitch of the pegs 33.

Claims (14)

1. A mine conveyor assembly comprising a mineral winning machine mounted on and/or guided by an armoured scraper chain conveyor made up from a plurality of line pans each comprising an elongate, face side sidewall spaced from a similar and parallel, goaf side sidewall by an interconnecting deckplate to separate an upper, conveying run from a lower, return run, a replaceable rack bar secured to the face side sidewall and approximating to the length of the pan, the rack bar comprising a plurality of upwardly projecting pegs located at regular pitch and extending from one longitudinal edge of the rack bar, and a trapping means extending from the mining machine and slidably embracing the rack bar to resist lateral displacement of the machine with respect to the conveyor.

2. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the trapping means comprises a bifurcated plate or shoe.

3. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the trapping means comprises two spaced apart shoes.

4. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein at least two spaced apart trapping means are provided on the machine.

5. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in Claim 4, wherein a trapping means is provided at each end of a machine haulage gearbox.

6. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the rack bar projects above the face side sidewall.

7. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the rack bar is secured to the sidewall by bolts.

8. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the machine incorporates a goaf side trapping means.

9. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in Claim 8, wherein a goaf side trapping rail or tube is run along the goaf side sidewall of the conveyor, which trapping rail or tube is engaged with mating slide shoes carried by the machine.

10. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the machine comprises a motor housing, a haulage housing, a haulage gearbox and, at each end of the machine a gearhead carrying a ranging arm terminating in a rotary cutting head.

11. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the haulage gearbox comprises an endless haulage chain, pockets in the chain being engaged by pegs of the rack bars.

12. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein machine guidance is also effected at the face side by means of a depending leg terminating in a trapping shoe engaging a trapping rail supported from a floor engaging toe plate by intermediate webs, the toe plate being welded to the rack bar and the latter being bolted to the face side sidewall.

13. A mine conveyor assembly as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the intermediate webs are apertured to receive heavy duty connecting bolts.

14. A mine conveyor assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.