GB2126624A

GB2126624A - A mining machine

Info

Publication number: GB2126624A
Application number: GB08225774A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Albert Parrott
Original assignee: Dresser Europe SPRL
Current assignee: Dresser Europe SPRL
Priority date: 1982-09-09
Filing date: 1982-09-09
Publication date: 1984-03-28
Also published as: DE3331920A1; FR2532990A1; GB2126624B; JPS5965198A

Abstract

A mining machine 1 comprises an elongate machine body 2 built up from individual units comprising an electronics unit 16 housing machine control and machine health monitoring apparatus, to one end of which electronics unit 16 is secured an electro-mechanical unit 15, with at least one ranging arm 19 pivotally attached to the electromechanical unit 15 about an axis 20 extending transversely of the machine body 2 and carrying, remote from the machine body 2, a rotatable cutting head 21, the electro-mechanical unit 15 comprising at least one electric motor 23 rotatable about a transverse axis 24 for powering at least the associated cutting head 21 through a transmission 9, and optionally for powering in addition, through a transmission,a machine haulage unit 17. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A mining machine This invention relates to a mining machine of the so-called shearer type comprising a machine body carrying a ranging arm which is pivotable with respect thereto under the control of a doubleacting control ram, the ranging arm in turn carrying a mineral cutting head rotatable about an axis extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the machine body. Basically, such machines are either single-ended, with a ranging arm at one end, or double-ended, with a ranging arm at both ends, and they can be of the conveyor mounted type (usually for medium to thick mineral seams) or of the floor mounted, "in-web" type (usually for medium to thin mineral seams), but with either type, machine guidance is effected by sliding contact with the conveyor, which extends along the mineral face.

Power for both machine haulage and the cutting head(s) is conventionally effected from at least one electric motor mounted within the machine body via a suitable transmission(s) comprising speed reduction/change gearing housed within a gearhead to which a ranging arm is pivotally attached. If the machine is doubleended with a single motor, there is also a need to accommodate a through shaft to transmit power from the motor to the remote gearhead. As the axis of rotation of the motor(s) is conventionally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine body, there is a need to transmit the drive through 90 , which leads to a requirement inter alia for complex spiral bevel gear sets which are expensive from manufacture and maintenance viewpoints.Furthermore, conventional machine bodies are constructed from several compartments, bolted together end-to-end and joints between adjacent compartments have often presented an area prone to faulty machine operation, and hence any reduction in the number of joints reduces this potentially troublesome area.

According to the present invention, there is provided a mining machine comprising an elongate machine body built up from individual units comprising an electronics unit housing machine control and machine health monitoring apparatus, to one end of which electronics unit is secured an electro-mechanical unit, and at least one ranging arm pivotally attached to the electromechanical unit about an axis extending transversely of the machine body and carrying, remote from the machine body, a rotatable cutting head, the electro-mechanical unit comprising at least one electric motor rotatable about a transverse axis for powering at least the associated cutting head through a transmission, and optionally for powering, in addition, through a transmission, a machine haulage unit.

Thus, for a single-ended machine, one electromechanical unit would be clamped to one end of the electronics unit and machine; while for a double-ended machine, the electronics unit would have identical electro-mechanical units clamped to its opposite ends, with, in its single-ended mode, the machine incorporating but one joint between adjacent units, and in its double-ended mode incorporating but two joints between adjacent units.

Although the haulage unit may be powered from a cutting head motor by a suitable power take off, the or each electro-mechanical unit preferably has individual motors rotatable about parallel transverse axes, one for a cutting head and one for a haulage unit. The two motors may be contained within a common, electro-mechanical unit, or alternatively the haulage motor may be contained within a haulage compartment, forming part of the electro-mechanical unit, and the cutting head motor may be contained within a gearhead, forming another part of the electromechanical unit, and attached to the haulage unit.

The axis of the or each cutting head motor may or may not be coincident with the pivot axis of the associated ranging arm. Dependent upon its size (e.g. whether it is a single-ended or double-ended machine), the machine may have a single haulage unit or a pair of spaced apart haulage units.

Furthermore, the machine haulage unit(s) may comprise a transmission and a haulage output socket engageable with a chain, or alternatively a rack when operating by the so-called "chainless" technique, while the transmission may be mechanical or electrical. The haulage unit(s) may have its output sprocket rotatable about a transverse axis parallel to its motor axis.

The haulage unit(s) preferably houses speed reduction means. In detail such speed reduction means may comprise an epicyclic gearbox and/or a hypocyclic gearbox forming part of the transmission from the cutting head or haulage motor to the output sprocket, which connection or disconnection of the motor to the transmission is conveniently by way of an electro-mechanical clutch.

It may be readily arranged for the cutting head motor to be removably clamped to or in the electro-mechanical unit, which provides for ease of motor changing for maintenance/fault correction purposes. Thus, the end of the electromechanical unit may be forked, with clamping members securable across the fork arms.

A first stage speed reduction for the or each cutting head may be effected by having an output shaft of the cutting head motor drive an epicyclic reduction stage. Conventionally, further speed reduction can if desired be attained by means of the geared transmission extending along the ranging arm to the cutting head. Also if required, a final stage speed reduction can be provided by an epicyclic stage within the cutting head, to attain the required speed, e.g. 20 r.p.m.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation, looking from goaf to face, of a first embodiment of mining machine in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the left-hand end of Figure 1 but to an enlarged scale; and Figure 3 is a view, to a larger scale, of the left hand end of Figure 2.

In the drawings is shown a mineral mining machine 1, comprising a machine body 2 supported by an underframe 3 from which extend four legs 4, each terminating in a slide shoe 5 for slidable engagement with the upper surfaces 6 of the face side and goaf side sidewalls 7 of a line pan 8 e.g. of standard 5-ft. length, a plurality of such pans being secured together, end-to-end, in articulated manner to form an armoured, scraper chain conveyor 9 of appropriate length, the conveyor 9 being seated on a mine floor 10 with a mineral face indicated at 11 and a mine roof indicated at 12, and hence the machine body 2 has a face side 13 (Figure 3) and a goaf side 14.

For clarity, the conventional drive and return ends of the conveyor 1 are omitted. The machine 1 is of the double-ended, ranging drum shearer type wherein the machine body 2 incorporates a pair of spaced apart electro-mechanical units 1 5 separated by a common and central electronics unit 1 6 housing electronic control and monitoring apparatus. Each electro-mechanical unit 1 5 comprises a machine haulage unit 1 7 and a gearhead 1 8 which carries a trunnion mounted ranging arm 1 9 pivotable about an axis 20 extending transversely of the machine body 2, and carrying a cutting head 21 rotatable about an axis 22.Each gear head 1 8 is provided with an electric motor 23 rotatable about an axis 24 extending transversely of the machine body 2, the motor 23 powering its associated cutting head 21 through a transmission, to be described in detail later. It will be observed, particularly in Figure 2, that the electric motor 23 is rotatable about an axis 24 which is coincident with the pivot axis 21 of the associated ranging arm 1 9. In detail, an output shaft of the motor 23 drives an epicyclic, first stage speed reduction gearbox 25, an output shaft 26 of which is also coincident with the axes 24 and 20 terminating in a drive pinion 27 to transmit power from the motor 23 along the ranging arm 1 9 via a gear train 28 located within the arm and which may also effect speed reduction, and an epicyclic, second stage speed reduction gearbox 29 located within the cutting head 21.

Each machine haulage unit 17 comprises an electric motor 30 rotatable about a transverse axis 31 and driving a transmission 32, in turn driving a haulage output sprocket 33 engageable with a rack 34 (see Figure 1) connected to the goaf side sidewall 7 of the conveyor 9. The transmission 32 comprises an epicyclic gearbox 35 and a hypocyclic gearbox 36, while a pair of forked clamping arms 37 embrace the motor 23 and hence clamp the gearhead 1 8 to the haulage unit 17.

Claims

1. A mining machine comprising an elongate machine body built up from individual units comprising an electronic unit housing machine control and machine health monitoring apparatus, to one end of which electronics unit is secured an electro-mechanical unit, and at least one ranging arm pivotally attached to the electro-mechanical unit about an axis extending transversely of the machine body and carrying, remote from the machine body, a rotatable cutting head, the electro-mechanical unit comprising at least one electric motor rotatable about a transverse axis for powering at least the associated cutting head through a transmission, and optionally for powering, in addition, through a transmission, a machine haulage unit.

2. A machine as claimed in Claim 1, in a singleended embodiment, wherein one electromechanical unit is clamped to one end of the electronics unit.

3. A machine as claimed in Claim 1, in a double-ended embodiment, wherein one electromechanical unit is clamped to each opposite end of the electronics unit.

4. A machine as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the haulage unit is powered from a cutting head motor by a suitable power take-off.

5. A machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the or each electro-mechanical unit has one motor for powering a cutting head and another motor for powering a haulage unit, the motors being rotatable about parallel, transverse axes.

6. A machine as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the two motors are contained within a common, electro-mechanical unit.

7. A machine as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the motor for the haulage unit is contained within a haulage compartment, forming part of the electro-mechanical unit, and the motor for the cutting head is contained within a gearhead, forming another part of the electro-mechanical unit, and attached to the haulage unit.

8. A machine as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the axis or the or each cutting head motor is coincident with the pivot axis of the ranging arm.

9. A machine as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the axis of the or each cutting head is non coincident with the pivot axis of the ranging arm.

10. A machine as claimed in any preceding Claim, having a single haulage unit.

11. A machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, having a pair of spaced apart haulage units.

12. A machine as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the haulage unit(s) comprises a transmission and a haulage output sprocket engageable with a chain or a rack.

1 3. A machine as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the output sprocket(s) is rotatable about a transverse axis parallel to its motor axis.

14. A machine as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the haulage unit(s) houses speed reduction means.

1 5. A machine as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the speed reduction means comprises an epicyclic gearbox and/or a hypocyclic gearbox forming part of the transmission.

1 6. A machine as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein connection or disconnection of the transmission drive motor is an electro-mechanical clutch.

1 7. A machine as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the cutting head motor is removably clamped to, or in the electromechanical unit.

18. A machine as claimed in Claim 17, wherein the end of the electro-mechanical unit is forked, with clamping members securable across the fork arms.

19. A machine as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein a first stage speed reduction for the or each cutting head is effected by having an output shaft of the cutting head motor drive an epicyclic reduction stage.

20. A machine as claimed in Claim 19, wherein a second stage speed reduction is effected by means of a geared transmission extending along the ranging arm to the cutting head.

21. A machine as claimed in Claim 19 or 20, wherein a final stage speed reduction is provided by an epicyclic stage within the cutting head.

22. A mining machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.