GB2131761A - Armoured flexible conveyors - Google Patents

Abstract

An armoured flexible conveyor for installation in an underground mine comprises a plurality of sections (2) arranged end to end along a working face. The sections are connected to adjacent sections for articulated movement out of an aligned position. Means are provided tending to urge a misaligned section towards the aligned position. The said means may be tensioned ropes or cables 8, bolts provided with resilient bushes or spring beam connector members between adjacent sections. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Armoured flexible conveyers The present invention relates to armoured flexible conveyors for installation in underground mines.

Such conveyors are installed on longwall faces defining paths for mineral winning machines which in use traverse to and fro along or adjacent to the conveyors. Each conveyor comprises a plurality of pan sections articulatedly connected end to end enabling the pan sections to be snaked towards the mineral face immediately upon the passage of the machine and associated roof supports to be quickly advanced to support the newly exposed mine roof. In addition the connected conveyor pan sections can articulate in a generally vertical direction to permit the conveyor to negotiate undulations in the mine floor cut by the mining machine.These cut floor undulations are produced in part by the automatic or manual vertical steering system of the mining machine in an effort to follow the natural undulations of the coai seam and thus vertically steer the combined machine-conveyor system within the seam over a series of cutting traverses.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved armoured flexible conveyor which tends to assist positively in the steering of the winning machine and in the generally horizontal alignment control of the conveyor.

According to the present invention an armoured flexible conveyor for installation in an underground mine comprises a plurality of sections arrangeable end to end and each having two opposed longitudinally extending side walls and a generally horizontal conveying deck arranged between the two side walls, a driven chain and flight bar arrangement which, in use, is traversable along the sections to haul conveyed material along the conveying deck, connector means for connecting the sections such that adjacent sections can be articulated out of an aligned position, and means tending to urge a misaligned section towards the aligned position.

Preferably, the means tending to urge a misaligned section towards the aligned position comprises resilient means.

Conveniently, the resilient means forms at least part of the connector means.

Conveniently, the connector means comprises at least one rigid connector element resiliently biassed towards the aligned position.

Advantageously, the or each rigid connector element is at least partly embedded in resilient material.

Alternatively, the means tending to urge a misaligned pan section towards the aligned position comprises at least one elongate component extending over the length of a number of pan sections.

Preferably, the or each elongate component comprises a tensioned steel cable or rope.

Advantageously, tensioning means are provided to tension the steel cable or rope.

By way of example only, three embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an armoured flexible conveyor constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of a detail of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a part sectional view showing a detail of an armoured flexible conveyor constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of an armoured flexible conveyor constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 5 is a sectional view taken through a detail of Figure 4.

Figure 1 shows one end of a section 2 of an armoured flexible conveyor which, in use, is installed along a longwall face in an underground mine and which defines a path for a mineral winning machine repeatedly traversable to and fro along the longwall face winning mineral from the working face and loading the cut mineral on to the conveyor. The section is one of a plurality of sections arranged end to end along the longwall face and each formed so as to provide a race for an upper run of a driven conveying chain and flight bar arrangement 3 and another race for a lower return run 4. The two races are separated by a working deck 20 and the lower race is closed by a plate 21. On the side facing the working face (not shown) the structure is shaped so as to form a ramp 5 for assisting loading of mineral.For location with respect to adjacent sections, the section is provided with spigots 6 and recesses 7 (only one of each of which is shown). It will be understood that the spigots are arranged to engage recesses on adjacent sections.

Each section 2 is held in connected engagement and in alignment with the adjacent sections by means of four longitudinal steel wire ropes 8 passing through longitudinally extending holes 9. Typically, these wire ropes extend along the combined length of the sections i.e. along the whole length of the longwall. One end of each rope is attached to a terminal section the other end of each rope being provided with tensioning means (not shown) which may, for example, comprise a hydraulic cylinder or a screw and nut arrangement.

Preferably, the sections are of considerably greater depth than is conventional at present, for example not less than half a metre. When the ropes 8 are tensioned, the adjacent end faces of all the end to end sections are brought into abutment and into alignment. This ensures that the whole assembly of conveyor section is substantially straight in both horizontal and vertical planes.However, as the winning machine traverses along the working face and the conveyor is progressively advanced towards the newly exposed face in a "snake" like manner under the action of hydraulic advancing rams or another conveyor deflecting force is encountered, as for example, if the hollow or swilly is formed in the mine floor and the conveyor sections are required to bridge the hollow such that the combined weight of the conveyor sections together with that of the traversing winning machine is sufficient to deflect the structure bridging across the depression the resultant elastic extension of the deflected ropes 8 or of their tensioning means enables at least some neighbouring sections to adopt a position of relative angular displacement at one or more joints so as to enable the whole assembly to conform approximately to the actual profile of the mine floor whilst retaining a very substantial moment tending to restore the assembly to an aligned configuration.

Conveniently, each end of the holes 9 is bellmouthed as shown in Figure 2 to avoid local damage to the ropes 8 when such relative angulation occurs.

In the second embodiment shown in Figure 3 which is an incomplete sectional view taken through the ends of two adjacent sections similar to those of Figure 1 except that their end faces are constructed in the form of flanges 10. Connecting bolts 11 are located in holes provided in the flanges 10. Each connecting bolt is equipped with a nut 12 and on either side of the flanges 1 0 each bolt carries a resilient bush 14 and a washer 1 3.

By tightening the nut 12 on the associated connecting bolt 11 on this assembly, the resilient bushes 14 can be given a desired degree of initial compression, thus forcing together the flanges 10.

Thus when any joint between two adjacent sections is subjected to a bending moment tending to deflect two neighbouring sections out of alignment in either the vertical or the horizontal plane it will be appreciated that virtually no deflection occurs until the bending moment is sufficient to cause a separating force in any adjacent set of the bolts 11 extending the pre-load and thus compressing the resilient bushes 14.

For example, a downwards force of sufficient magnitude would cause the lower connecting bolts 11 to allow separation in this way. It will be noted that the connecting bolts 11 closely resemble the bolts now commonly used.

A third embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 4, comprises conveyor sections having end faces (one of which is shown) of substantially conventional depth. Relative angular alignment of two adjacent sections is provided by spring beams 16 provided between the section joints. Each beam 1 6 fits into an associated slot 1 7 in the section 1 5. As shown in Figure 5 each spring beam 1 6 fits into similar slots 1 7 provided in the opposed end faces of two adjacent sections, the beam 1 6 being equally disposed between the two slots which are each shaped so as to contact the beam 1 6 only at the mouth and base of the slot so that elastic deflection of the beam 16 is possible.

A desired number of spring beams of any suitable form is provided. In Figure 4 the vertical dimensions of each beam is greater than its width such that a large restoring moment is provided against relative angular movement between neighbouring sections in the vertical plane. In the case of relative movements, in the horizontal plane, the spring beams provide flexibility and a relatively low restoring moment. Such relative angular misalignment is accompanied by sliding of one or other of the beams into or out of the associated slot 1 7. This is convenient for mining purposes because of the aforementioned conveyor advancing operation of "snaking" the conveyor structure towards the newly excavated working face.

Claims (1)

1. An armoured flexible conveyor for installation in an underground mine comprising a plurality of sections arrangeable end to end and each having two opposed longitudinally extending side walls and a generally horizontal conveying deck arranged between the two side walls, a driven chain and flight bar arrangement which, in use, is traversable along the sections to haul conveyed material along the conveying deck, connector means for connecting the sections such that adjacent sections can be articulated out of an aligned position, and means tending to urge a misaligned section towards the aligned position.

2. A conveyor as claimed in claim 1, in which the means tending to urge a misaligned section towards the aligned position comprises resilient means.

3. A conveyor as claimed in claim 2, in which the resilient means forms at least part of the connector means.

4. A conveyor as claimed in claim 3, in which the connector means comprises at least one rigid connector element resiliently biassed towards the aligned position.

5. A conveyor as claimed in claim 4, in which the or each rigid connector element is at least partly embedded in resilient material.

6. A conveyor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the means tending to urge a misaligned pan section towards the aligned position comprises at least one elongate component extending over the length of a number of pan sections.

7. A conveyor as claimed in claim 6, in which the or each elongate component comprises a tensioned steel cable or rope.

8: A conveyor as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which tensioning means are provided to tension the steel cable or rope.

9. An armoured flexible conveyor substantially as described herein and substantially as shown in Figure 1 and 2, or Figure 3, or Figure 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 23 May 1983.

Superseded claims: 1.

New or amended claims

1. An armoured flexible conveyor for installation in an underground mine comprising a plurality of sections arrangeable end to end and each having two opposed longitudinally extending side walls and a generally horizontal conveying deck arranged between the two side walls, a driven chain and flight bar arrangement which, in use, is traversable along the sections to haul conveyed material along the conveying deck, connector means for connecting the sections such that adjacent sections can be articulated out of an aligned position, and means tending to urge a misaligned section towards the aligned position at least in a vertical plane.