GB2135961A - Improvements in or relating to loading and unloading installations for horizontal strata bunkers - Google Patents

Abstract

For the purpose of loading and unloading minerals into and from a horizontal strata bunker in a mine roadway a loading and unloading installation comprises an infeed conveyor 10 for conveying material into the bunker, a plough 14 movable longitudinally of the infeed conveyor to discharge material from the conveyor into a heap alongside it, an outfeed conveyor 17 extending substantially parallel to the infeed conveyor, a reclaiming machine 16 for transferring material from the heap to the outfeed conveyor, and haulage means for moving the reclaiming machine longitudinally with respect to the conveyor. The plough 14 is coupled to the reclaiming machine 16 by cables so as to move longitudinally of the infeed conveyor in predetermined relationship to the longitudinal movement of the reclaiming machine, thus enabling the usual separate drive and control gear for the plough to be dispensed with. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to loading and unloading installations for horizontal strata bunkers Horizontal strata bunkering is a method of storing minerals in horizontal mine roadways. For the purpose of loading and unloading minerals into and from such bunkers there is normally provided in the mine roadway a loading and unloading installation comprising an infeed conveyor for conveying material into the bunker, a plough movable longitudinally of the infeed conveyor to discharge material from the conveyor into a heap alongside it, an outfeed conveyor extending substantially parallel to the infeed conveyor, a reclaiming machine for transferring material from the heap to the outfeed conveyor, and means for moving the reclaiming machine longitudinally with respect to the conveyor.

The plough is normally initially positioned at the infeed end of the infeed conveyor so as to discharge material from the conveyor at the infeed end until a heap is formed to a desired maximum height.

The plough is then moved gradually along the infeed conveyor so as to form a long heap alongside the conveyor until the bunker is filled to its designed capacity.

The discharge plough is normally mounted on a wheeled carriage and its position is usually controlled by haulage cables attached to an hydraulically operated winch located at the infeed end of the conveyor. These haulage cables are attached to the wheeled carriage and are passed over pulleys at each end of the bunker. The direction of rotation of the winch controls the direction of travel of the plough. Since it is necessary for the operator to be able to control the plough position from any position along the bunker, it is necessary to provide control wires running from the hydraulic winch controls and strung the full length of the bunker. It is important that the plough is not allowed to discharge material behind the unloading machine for the safety of the operator.

The present invention provides an improved form of installation of the kind first referred to above, whereby the separate hydraulic winch drive for the plough, and the associated control gear, may be dispensed with by using the reclaiming machine to effect the necessary movement of the plough and to control its position.

According to the invention, therefore, there is provided an installation of the kind first referred to wherein the plough is coupled to the reclaiming machine so as to move longitudinally of the infeed conveyor in predetermined relationship to the longitudinal movement of the reclaiming machine. Thus, the means for moving the reclaiming machine longitudinally with respect to the conveyors is also utilised for moving the plough, enabling the sepa rate drive and control gear for the plough to be dispensed with.

Preferably the plough is coupled to the reclaiming machine by one or more cables extending longitu dinally of the infeed conveyor and passing over pulleys at the ends of the conveyor.

The plough may be connected to the reclaiming machine by a single cable so arranged that the cable is maintained in tension by loads imparted to the plough by the infeed conveyor and/or material being carried thereby.

If required, the plough may be connected to the reclaiming machine by an additional cable so arranged that the tension in this cable imparts a positive motive force to the plough to move it with the reclaiming machine.

The cable or cables may be adjustably connected to the reclaiming machine, for example by a winch, to permit adjustment of the relative positions of the plough and reclaiming machine.

The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures la ib and ic are diagrammatic crosssections through alternative forms of horizontal strata bunker having an installation according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side elevation of the installation shown in Figure la, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the installation.

The installation comprises an infeed belt conveyor assembly 10 which may be suspended from the roof of the bunker, as shown in Figure la, or supported partly on a side wall of the bunker, as shown in Figure ib, or supported wholly on the sides of the bunker, as shown in Figure ic. The assembly comprises in each case, spaced parallel rails 11 between which extends the conveyor belt 12 which is supported, in conventional manner, on roller assemblies, as indicated at 13 in Figure 3.

An angled discharge plough 14 is carried by a wheeled carriage 15 which runs along the rails 11.

The conveyor belt 12 passes over the carriage 15 and beneath the plough 14, so that material carried by the conveyor is discharged from the conveyor by the plough 14, at a location depending on the position of the plough longitudinally of the conveyor.

Initially the plough 14will be positioned at the infeed end of the conveyor (the lefthand end in Figures 2 and 3) and will remain there until a heap is formed to a maximum height. The plough 14 then requires to be moved gradualiy along the conveyor so that material is discharged to form a long heap along the whole length of the conveyor and will fill the bunker to its designed capacity.

Material is removed from this bunkered stock when required by the use of a reclaiming machine, indicated generally at 16, which loads material from the heap on to an ouffeed conveyor conveyor 17 set on the floor of the bunker. The reclaiming machine 16 travels along the top of this outfeed conveyor 17 and is crowded into the heap of material to unload the bunker. The reclaiming machine is driven, in conventional manner, by a chain haulage system.

As previously mentioned, in conventional arrangements of this kind the plough is normally driven by an hydraulically operated winch connected to the carriage by haulage cables, the winch being controlled by further operating cables strung along the length of the bunker. In accordance with the present invention the plough 14 is coupled to the reclaiming machine 16 so that the existing drive for the reclaiming machine may also be used to move the plough.

This is achieved by the use of a haulage cable 18 which is connected to the rear of the reclaiming machine 16 and passes over pulleys 19,20 and 21 at the ends of the bunker, as best seen in Figure 2, before being connected as indicated at 22 to the wheeled carriage 15 carrying the plough 14. It will thus be seen that with a cable 18 of predetermined length the plough 14 will always remain at a predetermined position in front of the reclaiming machine 16.In a bunker filling operation the reclaiming machine 16 will be moved from left to right, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, this permitting the plough 14 and carriage 15 to be moved to the right also, the cable 18 being maintained in tension by the combined effect of the frictional engagement of the conveyor 12 with the carriage and plough and by the force imparted by material impingeing on the angled plough blade as the material is discharged from the conveyor by the blade.

Alternatively, however, a positive drive may be imparted to the plough and carriage by using a second cable as indicated in chain lines at 23 in Figure 2. The cable 23 passes round pulleys 24, 25 and 26 at the ends of the bunker and is connected to the carriage as indicated at 27 in Figure 2. The cable 23 is thus placed in tension by movement of the reclaiming machine 16 to the right and therefore the plough 14 and carriage 15 are positively puiied along the conveyor 11 by the cable.

It may sometimes be required to deposit material directly on to the reclaiming machine 16 and thus feed material from the infeed conveyor 11 directly on to the outfeed conveyor 17 without crowding the reclaiming machine into the preformed heap of material. In this case it is necessary to adjust the plough position from its normal relationship to the reclaiming machine, as indicated by Position A in Figure 2, to a position closer to the reclaiming machine, as indicated by Position B in Figure 2. To permit this adjustment the cable 18 is connected to the reclaiming machine 16 by means of a manually operated winch 28 whereby the effective length of the cable 18, and hence the position of the plough 14, may be adjusted. In the case where the cable 23 is also provided, this would also be wound on the same winch 28 as the cable 18, the arrangement being such that as one cable is wound on to the drum the other is wound off the drum. The position of the plough 14 may thus be adjusted by altering the proportional lengths of the two cables 18 and 23 by use of the winch 28.

Claims (1)

1. A loading and unloading installation comprising an infeed conveyor for conveying material into a bunker, a plough movable longitudinally of the infeed conveyor to discharge material from the conveyor into a heap alongside it, an ouffeed conveyor extending substantially parallel to the infeed conveyor, a reclaiming machine for transferring material from the heap to the outfeed conveyor, and means for moving the reclaiming machine longitudinally with respect to the conveyor, the plough being coupled to the reclaiming machine so as to move longitudinaliy of the infeed conveyor in predetermined relationship to the longitudinal movement of the reclaiming machine.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the plough is coupled to the reclaiming machine by way or more cables extending longitudinally of the infeed conveyor and passing over pulleys at the ends of the conveyor.

3. An installation according to claim 2, wherein the plough is connected to the reclaiming machine by a single cable so arranged that the cable is maintained in tension by loads imparted to the plough by the infeed conveyor and/or material being carried thereby.

4. An installation according to claim 3, wherein the plough is connected to the reclaiming machine by an additional cable so arranged that the tension in this cable imparts a positive motive force to the plough to move it with the reclaiming machine.

5. An installation according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the cable or cables are adjustably connected to the reclaiming machine to permit adjustment of the reiative positions of the plough and reclaiming machine.

6. An installation according to claim 5, wherein the cable or cables are adjustably connected to the reclaiming machine by a winch.

8. A loading and unloading installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.