GB2079703A - Mine-car arresting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a hydraulic ram, (7) pivotally anchored at both ends, one end (8) mounted on the arrestor girder and the other end (6) mounted in a structure (4) which also contains the pivot (3) about which the arrestor girder rotates through a vertical arc. The free end of the arrestor girder is raised or lowered as the hydraulic ram is extended or retracted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mine-car arresting apparatus This invention relates to an apparatus for use in and a method of operating a device for arresting minecars in a tunnel, for example a roadway in an underground mine such as a coal mine.

In a mine roadway mine-car arrestors may be installed at marshalling points to prevent mine-cars entering prohibited sections of roadway, and on inclines to arrest runaway mine-cars.

The arresters may be girders which can be positioned to obstruct the mine-car track and may be supported on a pivot at one end in order that they may be opened to allow the passage of mine-cars, or closed to prevent their passage. These girders may be installed to be moveable about their pivots in approximately the horizontal or vertical planes.

One type of such device, known as a 'Warwick', consists of a girder, pivotally suspended and supported at or adjacent to one end, at or near to the roof level of a roadway, above the centre line of the mine-car track and in line therewith; the girder being of such a length that its free or unsupported end touches the floor of the roadway, or is in close proximity thereto, when the girder lies at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the gradient of the roadway.

The pivot support arrangement customarily used limits the sideways movement of the girder so that in orderto permit the controlled passage of minecars the free end of the Warwick has to be raised, vertically, a sufficient distance to allow the passage of mine-cars beneath it; then it has to be lowered to its operative position to afford the protection from runaway mine-cars which it is intended to provide.

The raising and lowering of the Warwick girder has, hitherto, customarily been achieved manually and assisted by balancing the Warwick by means of rope and pulleys with a counterweight or a twin Warwick. Nevertheless manhandling of the Warwick is an arduous task and in roadways where headroom is limited the use of rope and pulleys may be undesirable due to the height occupied by the pulley and the lug or clip used for attaching the rope to the Warwick. Another drawback of this previous system is that roadway height may be reduced by strata movement in unsettled ground and this necessitates periodic adjustment of the rope length.

According to the present invention thereis provided an apparatus for raising and lowering the Warwick girder. The apparatus comprises a structure containing a pivotal support of the Warwick girder and providing a pivotal anchorage for one end of an extendable and rectractable member with drive means, preferably a hydraulic ram, the other end of which is pivotally mounted on the Warwick girder.

The structure containing the pivotal support of the Warwick girder may be mounted on a beam spanning the width of the roadway and which is secured into the sidewalls thereof, or it may be attached to and suspended from one or more of the roadway supports. The pressurised fluid for the hydraulic ram may be derived from the fine water supply mains or any other suitable source.

The apparatus enables the Warwick or arrestor girder to be rotated through an arc about its pivot without man-handling or the use of rope and pulleys.

Reference is made to the drawing in which Figure 1 shows a Warwick installation in an inclined roadway according to any embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the embodiment and Figure 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.

In Figure 1 an inclined mine roadway 2 has roof supports 10 and floor level 11. A Warwick girder 1 is supported at pivot 3 in support frame 4 which is mounted on beam 5 which spans the width of the roadway and is secured into the sidewalls thereof.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of this embodiment in which the Warwick girder pivot support structure is mounted on the beam 5; and Figure 3 is the perspective view of an embodiment showing the Warwick girder pivot support structure mounted directly onto the crown of an arched girder roadway roof support 10.

In Figures 1,2 and 3 a Warwick girder 1 is supported at pivot 3 contained in support frame 4.

Support frame 4 also contains a pivotal anchorage 6 for the cylinder of hydraulic ram 7. The piston rod of hydraulic ram 7 is pivotally anchored at 8 in bracket 9 which is attached to the Warwick girder. Extension of hydraulic ram 7 increases the distance between pivots 6 and 8 and as pivot 6 is fixed within the support frame 4 the extension of ram 7 causes the Warwick girder 1 to rotate about its pivot 3 thus raising its lower end. Retraction of ram 7 reverses the direction of rotation.

1. An apparatus for operating a mine-car arrestor beam or girder which is vertically rotated through an arc about a pivot by means of one or more extendable members which has one end pivotally attached to the arrestor girder and the other end pivotally attached to a structure containing the pivot through which the arrestor girder is rotated.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the extendable member has one end mounted on the arrestor girder with the other end mounted in the arrestor girder pivot housing structure, above the arrestor girder pivot.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the extendable member has one end mounted on the arrestor girder with the other end mounted in the arrestor girder pivot housing structure, below the arrestor girder pivot.

4. An apparatus according to any previous Claim, wherein the extendable member is a hydraulic ram.

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

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Mine-car arresting apparatus This invention relates to an apparatus for use in and a method of operating a device for arresting minecars in a tunnel, for example a roadway in an underground mine such as a coal mine. In a mine roadway mine-car arrestors may be installed at marshalling points to prevent mine-cars entering prohibited sections of roadway, and on inclines to arrest runaway mine-cars. The arresters may be girders which can be positioned to obstruct the mine-car track and may be supported on a pivot at one end in order that they may be opened to allow the passage of mine-cars, or closed to prevent their passage. These girders may be installed to be moveable about their pivots in approximately the horizontal or vertical planes. One type of such device, known as a 'Warwick', consists of a girder, pivotally suspended and supported at or adjacent to one end, at or near to the roof level of a roadway, above the centre line of the mine-car track and in line therewith; the girder being of such a length that its free or unsupported end touches the floor of the roadway, or is in close proximity thereto, when the girder lies at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the gradient of the roadway. The pivot support arrangement customarily used limits the sideways movement of the girder so that in orderto permit the controlled passage of minecars the free end of the Warwick has to be raised, vertically, a sufficient distance to allow the passage of mine-cars beneath it; then it has to be lowered to its operative position to afford the protection from runaway mine-cars which it is intended to provide. The raising and lowering of the Warwick girder has, hitherto, customarily been achieved manually and assisted by balancing the Warwick by means of rope and pulleys with a counterweight or a twin Warwick. Nevertheless manhandling of the Warwick is an arduous task and in roadways where headroom is limited the use of rope and pulleys may be undesirable due to the height occupied by the pulley and the lug or clip used for attaching the rope to the Warwick. Another drawback of this previous system is that roadway height may be reduced by strata movement in unsettled ground and this necessitates periodic adjustment of the rope length. According to the present invention thereis provided an apparatus for raising and lowering the Warwick girder. The apparatus comprises a structure containing a pivotal support of the Warwick girder and providing a pivotal anchorage for one end of an extendable and rectractable member with drive means, preferably a hydraulic ram, the other end of which is pivotally mounted on the Warwick girder. The structure containing the pivotal support of the Warwick girder may be mounted on a beam spanning the width of the roadway and which is secured into the sidewalls thereof, or it may be attached to and suspended from one or more of the roadway supports. The pressurised fluid for the hydraulic ram may be derived from the fine water supply mains or any other suitable source. The apparatus enables the Warwick or arrestor girder to be rotated through an arc about its pivot without man-handling or the use of rope and pulleys. Reference is made to the drawing in which Figure 1 shows a Warwick installation in an inclined roadway according to any embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the embodiment and Figure 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention. In Figure 1 an inclined mine roadway 2 has roof supports 10 and floor level 11. A Warwick girder 1 is supported at pivot 3 in support frame 4 which is mounted on beam 5 which spans the width of the roadway and is secured into the sidewalls thereof. Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of this embodiment in which the Warwick girder pivot support structure is mounted on the beam 5; and Figure 3 is the perspective view of an embodiment showing the Warwick girder pivot support structure mounted directly onto the crown of an arched girder roadway roof support 10. In Figures 1,2 and 3 a Warwick girder 1 is supported at pivot 3 contained in support frame 4. Support frame 4 also contains a pivotal anchorage 6 for the cylinder of hydraulic ram 7. The piston rod of hydraulic ram 7 is pivotally anchored at 8 in bracket 9 which is attached to the Warwick girder. Extension of hydraulic ram 7 increases the distance between pivots 6 and 8 and as pivot 6 is fixed within the support frame 4 the extension of ram 7 causes the Warwick girder 1 to rotate about its pivot 3 thus raising its lower end. Retraction of ram 7 reverses the direction of rotation. CLAIMS

1. An apparatus for operating a mine-car arrestor beam or girder which is vertically rotated through an arc about a pivot by means of one or more extendable members which has one end pivotally attached to the arrestor girder and the other end pivotally attached to a structure containing the pivot through which the arrestor girder is rotated.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the extendable member has one end mounted on the arrestor girder with the other end mounted in the arrestor girder pivot housing structure, above the arrestor girder pivot.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the extendable member has one end mounted on the arrestor girder with the other end mounted in the arrestor girder pivot housing structure, below the arrestor girder pivot.

4. An apparatus according to any previous Claim, wherein the extendable member is a hydraulic ram.

5. An apparatus for use in operating a mine-car arrestor substantially as described with reference to the drawings.