GB2164687A

GB2164687A - Improvements in machines for use in mining or tunnelling

Info

Publication number: GB2164687A
Application number: GB08522943A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eberhart Unger; Willi Tyslauk
Original assignee: Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia GmbH
Current assignee: Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia GmbH
Priority date: 1984-09-22
Filing date: 1985-09-17
Publication date: 1986-03-26
Also published as: GB2164687B; FR2570758A1; GB8522943D0; FR2570758B1; ATA215385A; DE3434827A1

Abstract

A partial-cut machine for use in tunnelling or mining employs a conveyor (6) for transferring material detached by a cutter jib (3) and collected on a shovel (5) with loading blades (7). The conveyor (6) has a central portion (16) displaceably supported on a frame (1) of the machine and front and rear portions (15, 17) connected thereto for vertical displacements about horizontal axes (13, 14). The rear portion (17) of the conveyor (6) is composed of section (24, 25) which are pivotable about upstanding pivot joints (22, 23) to permit the rear section (25) discharging material to be swung from side to side. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in machines for use in mining or tunnelling The present invention relates to a machine for use in mining or tunnelling operations, particularly to a machine of the partial-cut type employing a cutting arm or jib mounted to a frame for swinging up and down and from side to side and supporting a cutting means such as drum at its forward end. Such machines are well known for use in tunnelling, drifting and mineral winning operations. Normally a loading appliance is disposed beneath the arm and transfers material detached by the cutting means onto a conveyor which extends from the front to the rear of the machine and discharges material from a rear transfer station.

It is known from European Patent publication 0043812 to sub-divide the transfer conveyor by means of horizontal pivot joints permitting regions of the conveyor to be relatively movable up and down. In accordance with the known arrangement a central portion of the conveyor is rigidly fixed to the frame of the machine and forward and rear portions of the conveyor are in turn linked to the central region by way of the horizontal joints.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of machine.

According to the invention there is provided a machine for use in mining or tunnelling compris ing a frame, a cutting arm mounted for displace ment on the frame, a conveyor extending from the front of the machine, where the cutting arm is lo cated, to the rear and a loading mechanism dis posed generally beneath the arm for transferring material onto the conveyor, wherein the conveyor is sub-divided into portions which are adjustable by relative vertical displacements about horizontal axes, and wherein a rear portion of the conveyor is sub-divided into sections which are adjustable by relative displacement in the lateral direction.

Normally the frame itself would be provided with endless tracks to allow the machine to be moved around.

The portions of the conveyor may consist of a front portion carrying the loading mechanism a central portion extending along the frame and said rear portion. The central portion of the conveyor can be mounted on the frame of the machine for displacement in relation to the frame in the direction forward and rearwardly thereof i.e. towards and away from a working face. A pair of hydraulic rams can be mounted between the frame and the conveyor central portion to effect these longitudi nal displacements.

The sections of the rear portion of the conveyor can be mounted on upstanding pivot joints and interconnected via a toothed arrangement forming gearing to ensure the sections pivot laterally in the same direction.

The rear section of the conveyor can be swung from side-to-side to facilitate loading while, in ac cordance with the known arrangement, the portions of the conveyor can be adjusted in the vertical sense. In this way the loading capacity can be improved and the transfer of material can be effected in a particularly advantageous manner to conform with the prevailing conditions.

The loading appliance preferably takes the form of a shovel or ramp disposed beneath the cutting arm in combination with oscillating blades or the like which transfer material from the ramp onto the conveyor. The loading shovel is preferably itself adjustable by means of movable side parts to ena ble the width of the shovel be altered to conform with the prevailing conditions. An operator can urge the shovel against the working face and adjust it to different heights and the tilt of the machine, if it is standing on uneven ground, can be compensated. The rear transfer station provided by the conveyor can also be adjusted in lateral and height senses.

In its preferred form, the machine with the combination of the various adjustments in vertical, lateral and longitudinal senses and the adjustable loading shovel is especially useful in coping with a variety of operating conditions and controlling the deflection of a scraper-chain assembly of the conveyor.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other aspects and features of the invention may become apparent from consideration of the following description.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a loading mechanism of the machine shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the rear portion of the transfer conveyor of the machine.

As shown in Figure 1, a partial-cut machine employs a main frame or chassis 1 supported on endless tracks 2. An arm or jib designated 3 and only shown partially in Figure 1, is mounted to the frame 1 for swinging up and down and from side to side in known manner. The arm 3 is provided with a cutting head 4 which can be brought into engagement with a working face of a tunnel or the like to detach material therefrom. The machine is provided with a loading mechanism disposed generally beneath the arm 3 and the cutting head 4.

This loading mechanism takes the form of the ramp or shovel 5 on which a pair of loading blades 7 are pivotably mounted. A transfer conveyor 6 employing a scraper chain assembly 29 is mounted centrally of the frame 1 to project forwardly and rearwardly therefrom. The forward end of the conveyor 6 is disposed above the ramp 5 and the ramp 5 is connected to the conveyor 6 to suspend therefrom. The blades 7 oscillate about upstanding pivot joints 8 to transfer material from the ramp 5 onto the front end 9 of the conveyor 6. Material is then transferred by means of the conveyor 6 to a rear end 10 from which it is discharged onto or into some other appliance. The ramp 5 can be adjusted in width and to this end the ramp 5 is provided with side parts 11 which are mounted on pivots 12 as shown in Figure 2.The side parts 11 can be swung inward beneath the ramp 5 in the directions shown by the arrows in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 2 or swung outwards as shown in Figure 1 to effectively increase the width of the ramps. The conveyor 6 is sub-divided along its length for relative displacement about horizontal axes 13 and 14 in the manner known from EP 0043812. The axes 13, 14 effectively sub-divide the conveyor into three portions, namely a front portion 15 bearing the loading appliance 5, 7, a central region 16 disposed between the axes 13, 14 and passing through the machine and a rear region 17 which projects to the rear of the machine. The forward axis 13 is disposed close to the ramp 5 while the rearward axis 14 is located near the rear portion of the frame 1.Means such as hydraulic rams (not shown) are provided for effecting relative vertical displacement between the portions 15, 16 and 17.

The central region 16 of the conveyor 6 is also mounted on the frame 1 so it can be moved in the general direction of the machine, that is in the direction shown by the double arrow 18. To effect the displacement of the conveyor 6 in the directions 18 a pair of hydraulic rams 20 are mounted between the frame 1 and the central portion 16 of the conveyor. With these rams 20 the conveyor 6 with the loading appliance 5, 7 can be thrust forward towards the face or moved back away from the face. Guiding means for guiding the conveyor 6 during its movement in the direction 18 is designated 19.

The conveyor 6 is additionally sub-divided for lateral movement about at least one vertical axis so that the extreme rear region (at the end 10) can be swung in the direction of arrows 21. More particularly, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the rear portion 17 of the conveyor is itself sub-divided into sections 24, 25 for movement on vertical pivot joints 22, 23 spaced apart along the direction of the conveyor 6.The sections 24, 25 of the conveyor 24, 25 pivoted on these joints 22, 23 are flexibiy guided and interconnected by means of a plate 26 which is mounted beneath the floors of conveyor sections 24, 25. Beneath the plate 26 the conveyor sections 24, 25 are provided with further plates (not shown) which engage one another by means of a semi-circular array of teeth (Figure 3) providing a positive gearing connection 27 between these sections 24, 25. The gearing 27 ensures the sections 24, 25 pivot together in the same direction. In order to swing the sections 24, 25 to one side or the other (arrows 21 Figure 1) a hydraulic ram 28 is connected between the plate 26 and section 25.

The gearing 27 halves the pivoting angle on the joints 22, 23 and permits the scraper-chain assembly 29 to be gently deflected over respective the angles between central portion 16 and the sections 24, 25. It would however be possible to omit the gearing connection 27 between the sections 24, 25 while retaining the pivot joints 22, 23. Instead of the single hydraulic ram 28 a number of piston and cylinder units or some other form of drive mechanism would be employed to effect the pivotal motion of and between the sections 24, 25.

Claims

1. A machine for use in mining or tunnelling comprising a frame, a cutting arm mounted for displacement on the frame, a conveyor extending from the front of the machine, where the cutting arm is located, to the rear and a loading mechanism disposed generally beneath the arm for transferring material onto the conveyor, wherein the conveyor is sub-divided into portions which are adjustable by relative vertical displacements about horizontal axes, and wherein a rear portion of the conveyor is sub-divided into sections which are adjustable by relative displacement in the lateral direction.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the sections of the rear portion of the conveyor are mounted on upstanding pivot joints.

3. A machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the loading mechanism takes the form of a loading shovel with pivotable blades used to transfer material onto the conveyor.

4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein the shovel has adjustable side parts for adjusting the width of the shovel.

5. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sections of the rear portion of the conveyor are interconnected by gearing.

6. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims and further comprising means for displacing the conveyor in relation to the machine frame forwardly and rearwardly thereof.

7. A machine according to any of the preceding claims where the portions of the conveyor consist of a front portion carrying the loading mechanism, a central portion extending along the frame and said rear portion.

8. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein means is provided for effecting lateral displacement of the sections of the rear portion of the conveyor.

9. A machine substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing.

9. A machine for use in mining or tunnelling; said machine comprising a mobile frame or chassis, an arm or jib supported on the frame for displacement in both vertical and lateral senses, a cutter head supported by the arm for detaching material from a working face, a shovel with ioad- ing blades for collecting and transferring material onto a scraper-chain conveyor projecting from the front and the rear of the frame, the conveyor being composed of a central portion displaceable on the frame towards and away from said working face, a front portion carrying the shovel and receiving material therefrom and a rear portion for discharging material from the machine, the central and front portions and the central and rear portions being interconnected for respective vertical displacements and the rear portion of the conveyor being itself composed of sections of which a rear section is displaceable from side-to-side.