GB2155522A - Improvements relating to shearer-loader type mining machines - Google Patents

Abstract

machine has two units 11, 12 which include a motor casing between them. Each of the two units 11, 12 carries an overhung shearer drum 9 and has a haulage motor which is disposed transversely of the direction of machine travel and is drivingly connected to a driving wheel 14 meshing with a rack 3. The motor casing comprises a top shell 23 and a bottom shell 24, each such shell being formed with two semicircular apertures 25 which combine to form a motor chamber. A motor 17 for driving the drums 9 and extending transversely of the direction of machine movement is disposed and centred in each of the two motor chambers. The motor ends distal from the output shaft extend out of the shells 23, 24 and motor connections boxes 26 extend into a common pressure-tight chamber 28 which extends lengthwise of the machine and which is disposed between, on the one hand, the two shells 23, 24 and, on the other hand, a control unit 29, the same extending between the two units 11, 12 and being disposed opposite the disc-driving motors 17. The chamber 28 is closed at the top in pressure-tight manner by a removable cover 66. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to shearer-loader type mining machines This invention relates to a shearer-loader type mining machine, particularly suited for working low seams, where the machine body will be disposed between the mineral face and the face conveyor and having two units which include a motor casing between them, each carrying an overhung shearer drum mounted for vertical adjustment on a carrying arm and each having a haulage motor disposed transversely of the direction of machine travel, each haulage motor being drivingly connected to a drive wheel meshing with a rack provided preferably on the face side of the face conveyor.

It is an object of this invention to devise the machine body of a shearer-loader so that the two drum-driving motors, their connection chambers and the control unit receiving the control elements for the machine are readily accessible and therefore easy to repair and can be demounted and assembled independently of one another.

Accordingly this invention provides a shearer-loader type mining machine, whose machine body is to be disposed between the mineral face and a face conveyor, and having two units which include a motor casing between them, each carrying an overhung shearer drum mounted for vertical adjustment on a carrying arm and each having a haulage motor disposed transversely of the direction of machine travel, each haulage motor being drivingly connected to a drive wheel meshing with a rack provided preferably on the face side of the face conveyor, wherein the motor casing comprises a top shell and a bottom shell,the shells co-operating in pairs to bound semicircular apertures which combine to form a motor chamber, the latter apertures each serving to receive and centre a driving motor for the shearer drums, each such motor being disposed transversely of the direction of machine travel, those ends of the two driving motors which are distal from the output shaft projecting from the apertures, a connection box of each motor extending into or being contiguous with a common pressure-tight chamber which extends lengthwise of the machine and is disposed between, on the one hand, the two casing shells and, on the other hand, the control unit which extends between the two units and is opposite the driving motors, which chamber is closed in a pressure-tight manner at the top by a removable cover.

In a machine thus constructed the drumdriving motors are readily accessible even underground once the top shell has been removed. Similar considerations apply to the connection chambers of the connection boxes, the same being disposed in or adjacent the common pressure-tight chamber through which the power cable for energizing the two motors extends. Also, the control unit of this machine forms a closed component which can be removed and, if necessary, replaced independently of the other units or of the bottom and/or top shell of the motor casing.

Advantageously, the top casing shell has, between the two driving motors, a totally enclosed pressure-tight transformer chamber which extends into the bottom casing shell as far as the support plane of the two driving motors and is accessible only from the top through a cover. Disposed in the latter chamber is the transformer which supplies the two low-voltage motors for driving the rack wheels. An end face of the transformer is disposed before the pressure-tight chamber and the transformer is connected to the shearer cable which enters such chamber.

Conveniently, that part of the transformer chamber which extends into the bottom casing shell centres the two casing shells relative to one another and stands on the base of the bottom casing shell. Bores for supplying coolant to the two driving motors may be formed in the base of the bottom casing shell to extend in a meandering fashion below the transformer chamber over the whole length thereof. The water used to cool the two driving motors also helps to remove the heat dissipated in the transformer, in the transformer chamber.

Also, the top casing shell can have on its end face a connection box which extends into or is adjacent the pressure-tight chamber and which, like the two connection boxes of the driving motors, is adapted to receive one plug-in connection each for connecting the transformer and driving motors to the shearer cable end inside the pressure-tight chamber.

This arrangement greatly facilitates connecting-up and isolating the transformer and the two electric motors to and from the mains supply, not least thanks to the plug-in connection used as a connecting element between the power cable and the transformer or motors.

A noteworthy feature is that both the top casing shell and the control unit can be demounted from the machine body independently of one another, of the bottom casing shell and of the two units. This feature considerably reduces the costs associated with replacement of individual driving motors or of the control unit.

For the sake of stability, the two units, the two shells and the control unit may be centred relative to one another and positively interconnected by means of projections engageable in correspondingly dimensioned recesses.

The two units can each have a casing extension which extends in the direction of machine movement, is disposed in the back of the cut, engages behind the two shells, is connected thereto and receives those elements of the reduction gearing which connect the shearer disc to the associated driving motor. The two shells can engage above and below the casing extensions, the same extending in the direction of machine travel, by means of ribs which bridge the joint or gap between the extensions. This feature further improves the positive engagement between, on the one hand, the two units and, on the other hand, the two casing shells between them.

Preferably a packing will engage in the two end faces of the opposite casing extensions, to centre them relative to one another, and to bridge the gap or joint between them and seal off the same from the outside in an oil-tight manner. The packing may be rectangular and may engage at both ends in a widening, corresponding to the packing wall thickness, of the interior of the casing extensions where ring seals extend around the packing, the same determining the spacing between the opposite end faces of the two casing extensions. Consequently, the two reduction gear ingswhich each connect a shearer drum to the associated driving motor can be fixedly interconnected by way of the pinions mounted in the casing extensions.

According to another feature of the invention, to simplify lifting-out of the motors from the bottom shell, the output shaft of each motor can be positively cqnnected to the associated reduction gearing by a clutch which in its released position disconnects the output shaft journal or end so that the motor can be demounted. To this end, the shaft journal may have a sleeve which provides a positive connection between the shaft journal and a pinion of the reduction gearing, extends around the journal, can be engaged positively with the pinion, the same being coaxial of and adjacent the journal, and can be operated from outside the machine. The sleeve is therefore adapted for axial movement and in its release position disconnects the shaft journal.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a shearer-loader type mining machine constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the machine of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a junction or joint between two units of the machine; Figure 4 is a section through a transformer chamber shown on the line A-B of Figure 5; Figure 5 is a plan view of a top shell of the motor casing; and Figure 6 shows part of the gearing with a motor clutch.

As shown in Figures 2 and 1, a face conveyor 1 has a tubular guide rail 2 on the goaf side and carries on the mineral face side a machine track 4 which has a rack 3. A shearer-loader type mining machine 5 bears on the track 4 by means of rollers or sliding runners (not shown) and engages with the tubular guide rail 2 by way of two guides 6 of its gantry 7 which spans the conveyor 1.

Also, skids, runners or the like (not shown) which help to bear the machine 5 and which bear on the floor are provided in the back of the cut.

A machine body 8 disposed in the winning area is cut clear in both directions of machine movement by shearer drums 9 disposed before and across the whole width of each end face of the body 8. The drums 9 are mounted for vertical adjustment on carrying arms 10 disposed above the track 4.

The body 8 has two units 11, 12 which include a motor casing 1 3 between them and which each have a haulage motor (not shown) arranged transversely of the direction of machine travel. Each haulage motor is drivingly connected to a driving wheel 14 which engages the rack 3 and moves the machine 5 through the face lengthwise of the conveyor.

The two units 11, 1 2 have on their facing end faces a casing extension 15, eachof which is disposed in the back of the cut. Each extension 1 5 receives a pinion 1 6 (Figure 3) of a reduction gearing connecting the drum 9 to the associated driving motor 1 7.

As can be seen more particularly from Figure 3, the two extensions 1 5 are each formed in their facing end faces with a rectangular aperture 1 8. Disposed therein is a packing 1 9 which centres the extensions 1 5 relative to one another, bridges a gap 20 between the extensions 1 5 and provides an externally oiltight closure of the interior 21 of the two extensions 1 5. Accordingly, the packing 1 9 has two ring seals 22 around it.In the assembled state a ring seal 22 is disposed in each of the apertures 18 of the extensions 1 5. The reduction gearings connecting each of the two drums 9 to the associated motor 1 7 are fixedly coupled together by way of the pinions 1 6 mounted in the extensions 1 5. The contact point of the pitch circles of the final pinions 1 6 is therefore disposed in the junction plane 20 of the two extensions 1 5.

The motor casing 1 3 comprises a top shell 23 and a bottom shell 24 (Figure 1). Each shell is formed with two semicircular apertures 25 which combine to form a motor chamber.

Each such chamber is adapted to receive and centre one of the two drum-driving motors 1 7 disposed transversely of the direction of machine travel. Connection boxes 26, which project from the shells 23, 24, are disposed on the motor side distal from the motor output shaft 27. The motors 1 7 extend into a common chamber 28 which extends lengthwise of the machine and which is closed in a pressure-tight manner by a cover 66. The chamber 28 is bounded by the two shells 23, 24 and by the control unit 29 disposed opposite the motors 1 7. The unit 29 also engages between the two units 11, 12. A removable cover plate 30 split along its longitudinal centre line is disposed above the chamber 28.

As can be seen from Figure 1, and more particularly from Figure 4, the top shell 23 has a totally enclosed pressure-tight transformer chamber 31 which is disposed between the two apertures 25 and extends downwardly into the bottom shell 24 as far as the support plane of the two motors 17. The chamber 31 is accessible only from the top and is closed in a pressure-tight manner by a cover 32.

Disposed before the chamber 31 in a connection box 33 of the top shell 23 is connection chamber 34 of a transformer 35. The chamber 34 also is accessible only from the top via a cover 36. That part 37 of the transformer chamber 31 which extends into the bottom shell 24 and stands on the base thereof centres the two shells 23, 24 relative to one another.

The two motors 1 7 are supplied with a liquid coolant through bores 38 (Figures 4 and 5) which are present in the base of the bottom shell 24 and which extend in a meandering fashion below the transformer chamber 31 transversely of the direction of machine movement. The coolant liquid helps to cool the chamber 31 and is then sprayed on to the mineral face.

The power cable for the shearer terminates in the chamber 28 and is connected, by way of plug-in connections (not shown) inside the connection chambers 34 of the boxes 33, 26, to the transformer 35 and motors 1 7.

The two units 11, 1 2 are formed with recesses 39, 40 (Figure 1) in which the two shells 23, 24 and the control unit 29 engage by way of corresponding projections 39a, 40a. All the parts of the body 8 are therefore centred relative to one another and are interconnected by screws (not shown) to form a rigid block or unit. Fingers 41 a of the two shells 23, 24 engage over and under the two casing extensions 1 5 in corresponding recesses 41 and thus provide additional centering.

After the corresponding screws have been released, the unit 29 and the top shell 23 can be demounted and replaced independently of one another, of the bottom shell 24 and of the two units 11, 12.

The machine 5 shown in the drawings also has flat and round tie rods which are received in recessed parts 42 and bores 43 in the units 11, 12 and the shells 23, 24, such parts and bores extending lengthwise of the machine.

Figure 1 shows the recessed parts 42 for the flat tie rods, the parts 42 being formed in the top and bottom surfaces of the two units 11, 1 2 and extend through the top shell 23 and bottom shell 24. The bores 23 for the two round tie rods are offset vertically from one another approximately above the rack 3. The bores 43 also extend over the whole length of the machine 5 so as to pass through the two units 11, 12, the bottom shell 24 and the cover plate 30. None of the tie rods is shown in this embodiment.

As shown more particularly by Figure 6, the output shaft 27 of the disc motor 1 7 is connected to the associated reduction gearing by a clutch 44 adapted to be operated from outside the machine. To this end, a coupling pinion 45 having internal and external toothing is disposed on the output shaft journal 27, bears by way of a spacer ring 46 on a shoulder of the motor shaft and is retained and secured thereon by a disc 47.

A sleeve 48, most of which is received in a central bore 49 of a pinion 50 of the reduction gearing, extends around the pinion 45.

Teeth 51 of the sleeve 48 so engage teeth 52 in the bore 49 of the pinion 50 (bore 49 being coaxial of teeth 51), that the sleeve 48 can move lengthwise while teeth 53 of the sleeve 48 engage teeth 54 of the pinion 45.

A shouldered pin 56, which is retained by a securing ring 55 and whose shank 57 extends through the central bore in a cover 58, has its shoulder 56 in engagement in an end-face portion, corresponding to the shoulder diameter, of a central bore 59 of sleeve 48. The pin 56 is disposed in the pinion 50 which extends around the cover 58. Shank 57 of the pin 56 is formed with two annular grooves 60 around its periphery. These grooves 60 are so disposed that in each of the two operative positions of the sleeve 48 one groove becomes associated with a ball 61 which is mounted with radial resilience in the bore in the cover 58, engages in the groove 60 at synchronization and secures the pin 56 and sleeve 48 in the particular position concerned. The pin 56 is formed with a tapped bore 62 disposed centrally of the pin axis in the end face of the pin shank 57.The latter end face is accessible by way of a bore 63 in a cover 64 which is disposed inside the outer side surface of the two casing extensions 1 5.

To operate the clutch 44, a plug 65 closing the bore 63 is removed and, by means of a screw (not shown) which is screwed through the bore 63 in the cover into the tapped bore 62 of the pin 56 after removal of the plug 65, the sleeve 48 is moved axially in the required direction until reaching a position in which the ball 61 engages in the groove 60.

The driving connection between the reduction gearing and the associated motor 1 7 can therefore be cut in or cut out by means of the elements 45 and 48 This step is necessary when a driving motor 1 7 is removed or fitted since the coupling pinion 45 and with it the motor 1 7 can be removed only with the sleeve drawn back. Also, the clutch 44 en ables the machine 5 to operate with just a single driving motor 17, an advantage in the event that one of the two motors 1 7 malfunctions.

Claims (14)

1. A shearer-loader type mining machine, whose machine body is to be disposed between the mineral face and a face conveyor, and having two units which include a motor casing between them, each carrying an over hung shearer drum mounted for vertical adjustment on a carrying arm and each having a haulage motor disposed transversely of the direction of machine travel, each haulage motor being drivingly connected to a drive wheel meshing with a rack provided preferably on the face side of the face conveyor, wherein the motor casing comprises a top shell and a bottom shell, the shells co-operating in pairs to bound semicircular apertures which combine to form a motor chamber, the latter apertures each serving to receive and centre a driving motor for the shearer drums, each such motor being disposed transversely of the direction of machine travel, those ends of the two driving motors which are distal from the output shaft projecting from the apertures, a connection box of each motor extending into or being contiguous with a common pressuretight chamber which extends lengthwise of the machine and is disposed between, on the one hand, the two casing shells and, on the other hand, the control unit which extends between the two units and is opposite the driving motors, which chamber is closed in a pressure-tight manner at the top by a removable cover.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the top casing shell has, between the two driving motors, a totally enclosed pressuretight transformer chamber which extends into the bottom casing shell as far as the support plane of the two driving motors and is accessible only from the top through a cover.

3. A machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein that part of the transformer chamber which extends into the bottom casing shell centres the two casing shells relative to one another and stands on the base of the bottom casing shell.

4. A machine according to claim 3 wherein bores for supplying coolant to the two driving motors are present in the base of the bottom casing shell and extend in a meandering fashion below the transformer chamber over the whole length thereof.

5. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the top casing shell has on its end face a connection box which extends into or is adjacent the pressure-tight chamber and which, like the two connection boxes of the driving motors, is adapted to receive one plug-in connection each for connecting the transformer and driving motors to the shearer cable end inside the pressure-tight chamber.

6. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein both the top casing shell and the control unit can be demounted independently of one another, of the bottom casing shell, and of the two units.

7. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the two units, the two shells, and the control unit are centred relative to one another and positively interconnected by means of projections engageable in correspondingly dimensioned recesses.

8. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the two units each have a casing extension which extends in the direction of machine movement, is disposed in the back of the cut, engages behind the two shells, is connected thereto and receives those elements of the reduction gearing which connect the shearer disc to the associated driving motor.

9. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the two shells engage above and below the casing extensions the same extending in the direction of machine travel, by means of ribs which bridge the joint or gap between the extensions.

10. A machine according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein a packing engages in the two end faces of the opposite casing extensions, centres them relative to one another, bridges the gap or joint between them and seals off the same from the outside in an oiltight manner.

11. A machine according to claim 10, wherein the packing is rectangular and engages at both ends in a widening, corresponding to the packing wall thickness, of the interior of the casing extensions where ring seals extend around the packing and the same determines the spacing between the opposite end faces of the two casing extensions.

12. A machine according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the two reduction gearings which each connect a shearer drum to the associated driving motor are fixedly interconnected by way of pinions mounted in the casing extensions.

1 3. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a clutch connects the driving motor output shaft to the associated reduction gearing and in its release position disconnects the output shaft journal from the driving motor.

14. A machine according to claim 13, wherein a sleeve provides a positive connection between the driving motor output shaft journal and a pinion of the reduction gearing, extends around such journal, can be engaged positively with the pinion, the same being coaxial of and adjacent the journal, and can be operated from outside the machine and is so movable axially as to disconnect the journal when in the release position.

1 5. A shearer-loader type mining machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.