GB2214207A

GB2214207A - Cowl device for mining machinery

Info

Publication number: GB2214207A
Application number: GB8821914A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jack Middleton
Original assignee: Green and Bingham Ltd
Current assignee: Green and Bingham Ltd
Priority date: 1988-01-09
Filing date: 1988-09-05
Publication date: 1989-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2008-09-05
Also published as: GB8800468D0; GB8821914D0; GB2214207B

Abstract

A cowl device (1) for use with a rotary, mineral winning drum of a shearer type mining machine, the cowl device (1) comprising a first component (2) in the form of a retaining flange (3) adapted, in use, to be mounted on a portion of the mining machine and incorporating two spaced apart, parallel lines of user-selectable belt holes (5); and a second component (6) comprising an arcuate cowl blade (7) carried from, and projecting to one side (8) of, a pair of spaced apart parallel support arms (9), each support arm (9) being provided with a line of user-selectable bolt holes (10), whereby the second component is attachable to the first component (2) in a selected radial position with respect to the axis (11) of rotation of the cutting drum, to suit the diameter of the drum. <IMAGE>

Description

COWL DEVICE FOR MINING MACHINERY This invention relates to a cowl device for mining machinery, the cowl device incorporating an arcuate blade located in close, but spaced, proximity to a rotary, mineral winning drum of a shearer type mining machine, adapted to remove mineral from a mineral seam by reciprocal movement of the machine along the seam, the cowl blade serving to assist loading of won mineral onto an associated conveyor.

Clearly the diameter of the drum is selected in accordance with the thickness of the particular seam involved and the associated cowl blade has had a corresponding curvature. This means however that each cowl blade must be specifically manufactured for a particular drum diameter.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cowl device that is usable with a range of different drum diameters.

According to the present invention there is provided a cowl device for use with a rotary, mineral winning drum of a shearer type mining machine, the cowl device comprising a first component in the form of a retaining flange adapted, in use, to be mounted on a portion of the mining machine and incorporating two spaced apart, parallel lines of userselectable bolt holes; and a second component comprising an arcuate cowl blade carried from, and projecting to one side of, a pair of spaced apart parallel support arms, each support arm being provided with a line of user-selectable bolt holes, whereby the second component is attachable to the first component in a selected radial position with respect to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, to suit the diameter of the drum.

It will be appreciated that by employing the cowl device in accordance with the invention, a cowl blade having a particular radius of curvature may serve for a variety of drum diameters, within limits. For instance, a single cowl device may be employed for drum diameters varying over the range 6 66 ins. It follows that as the vast majority of drums certainly those operating in UK coal mines - are of 5 ins diameter, that three or possibly four cowl devices in accordance with the invention can serve the entire range of 5 - 7 ins drums.Consequently, cowl devices in accordance with the invention can be manufactured in batches, thereby reducing manufacturing costs, and furthermore can if required be manufactured for stock, when convenient to the manufacturer for supply as original equipment or as spares.

In detail, the first component is conveniently of ring-like configuration comprising a plurality of bolt holes e.g., twenty four, about a circumference for mounting on a portion e.g., a gearhead, of a shearer type mining machine, in which case it follows that the gearhead would need to be modified by the provision of twenty four tapped holes. As to the lines of bolt holes of the first component, the holes may be nine in number e.g., at 75 mm centres. It follows that with the second component, the bolt holes of the support arms would also be nine in number at 75 mm centres. Conveniently, the cowl blade of the second component is secured by welding or bolting to its support arms.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a first component of the cowl device in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section of the line III-III of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a front elevation of the cowl device in accordance with the invention; and Figure 5 is an end elevation of Figure 4.

In the drawings is illustrated a cowl device 1 for use with a rotary, mineral winning drum (not shown) of a conventional shearer type mining machine (not shown), the cowl device comprising a ring-like first component 2 in the form of a retaining flange 3 adapted, in use, to be mounted on a portion - in fact the gearhead - of the mining machine by means of twenty four circumferentially located bolt holes 4 adapted to be aligned with twenty four tapped holes provided on the mining machine, to receive securing bolts (not shown).

The first component 2 also incorporates two spaced apart, parallel lines of nine user-selectable bolt holes 5. A second component 6 comprising an arcuate cowl blade 7 welded to, and projecting from one side 8 of a pair of spaced apart parallel support arms 9, each support arm 9 being provided with a line of nine user-selectable bolt holes 1B, whereby the second component 6 is attachable to the first component in a selected radial position with respect to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, which coincides with the axis of the retaining flange 3 which axis is indicated at 11 to suit the diameter of the drum.

Claims

1. A cowl device for use with a rotary, mineral winning drum of a shearer type mining machine, the cowl device comprising a first component in the form of a retaining flange adapted, in use, to be mounted on a portion of the mining machine and incorporating two spaced apart, parallel lines of user-selectable bolt holes; and a second component comprising an arcuate cowl blade carried from, and projecting to one side of, a pair of spaced apart parallel support arms, each support arm being provided with a line of user-selectable bolt holes, whereby the second component is attachable to the first component in a selected radial position with respect to the axis of rotation of the cutting drum, to suit the diameter of the drum.

2. A cowl device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the first component is of ring-like configurating comprising a plurality of bolt holes about a circumference for mounting on a portion of a shearer type mining machine.

3. A cowl device as claimed in Claim 2, provided with twenty four bolt holes.

4. A cowl device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the first component is provided with two parallel lines of nine bolt holes.

5. A cowl device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein each arm of the second component is provided with a line of nine bolt holes.

6. A cowl device as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the bolt holes are at 75mm centres.

7. A cowl device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the cowl blade of the second component is secured by welding or bolting to its support arms.

8. A cowl device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.