GB2240754A - Shearer transporter arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

A shearer transporter arrangement comprises a free steered vehicle carrying a power source (17) connected by hydraulic hose (18) to a shearer transporter having a bedplate supported between a pair of crawler tracks (12). The bedplate has a haulage device which is compatible with that of a conveyor from which a shearer (23) is being loaded. The shearer (23) is driven from the conveyor (4) onto the bedplate while the transporter is stabilised by jacks (15). An operator controls the whole transfer from a remote position (20). <IMAGE>

Description

SHEARER TRANSPOI;TER ARRANGEMENT This invention relates to a shearer transporter arrangement and is particularly concerned with shearer equipment which is used in mineral mining, such as coal mining.

In mineral mining, particularly coal mining, shearers are used to strip coal off a Songwall face and the shearer is moved towards the face at the end of each traverse of the face to cut fresh coal. As this hapE!ns props supporting the roof over the face advance to ensure cover for the shearer at all times.

Modern shearers use a form of haulage known as chainless haulage in which the haulage operates on the general principle that a power source on the machine drives a first member, such as a cog, which engages with projections arranged alongside the path of the machine in the form of a rack or the like. These projections are normally carried on a conveyor which is advanced with the machine.

In certain coal mining and other mining installations where shearers are used it is necessary, because of geological conditions, to work the shearer on a relatively short face.

Normally, a longwall face operates over a distance of about 250 metres. However, if there is geological faulting or other limits which define a small area of mineral to be extracted, then it may be necessary to devise a mining pattern which takes out only small areas, or panels, of the mineral at a time.

This can still be done using shearers but the faces are of a more limited length, for example 15-20 metres. The whole length of a panel itself may be limited to 60 metres. This means that a lot of time has to be spent in moving the equipment from an exhausted panel to the next panel.

In order to move this equipment various transporters are available. There are suitable transporters for chocks and conveyor sections but not for shearers on short faces.

Shearer transporters have been proposed which comprise a bed onto which a shearer can be loaded. The bed is slung between two transporter means, such as crawler tracks, sd a power unit is supplied either at the end or the side of the transporter and an operator would be mounted on the transporter to steer it.

In practice such forns of transporters have only been useful on the surface or carrying shearers long distances in wide roadways such as in drifts. They have not been convenient for transferring between short faces underground. It has thus been necessary to dismantle the shearer into its component parts from one face, transport the parts separately to the second face, and reassemble on the second face.

This process of dism*-mtling and reassembling has meant that the economics of working small panels of coal on short faces has been put in jeopardy since the down time, when productive mineral is not being mined, is extended.

This can be overcame if a suitable form of shearer transporter arrangement is i:.rovided and it is an object of the present invention to provide such an arrangement which can be used conveniently and particularly with short face workings.

According to the presert invention the shearer transporter arrangement includes a transporter comprising a bedplate, rotatable transporting means, a haulage mechanism, fixing means for anchoring the arrangement and connecting means for connecting the arrangement to a remote power source.

The fixing means are preferably stabilising jacks which can be operated adjacent the transporting means and the transporting means may be either crawler tracks or wheels.

Control means for operating the transporter may be connected by a direct line or a radio link, with the control means being situated remcte from the position of the transporter.

The power source for the arrangement is preferably the remote power source connected to the transporter by flexible power lines. The power source is conveniently mounted on a free steered vehicle and supplies hydraulic or electric power for the transporter.

In order that the invertion may be readily understood one example of a shearer transporter arrangement in accordance therewith will now be described with reference to the three figures of the accompanying drawings. In the drawings Figure 1 is a general view showing a transporter arrangement in an underground location. Figure 2 is an end view of the transporter and Figure 3 is a side view of the transporter.

Referring now to the drawings, the transporter arrangement is designed for use in a coal mine, which is working to extract coal from a series of panels of coal by a longwall technique in which the extracted length is 20 metres and pillars of about 50 metres are left between each panel.

Figure 1 shows the end of a panel where the coal in the area (1) has been mined to its full extent and is to be left and the chocks (2) at the end of the face are in position protecting a shearer machinE (3) on a conveyor (4) while the machine is withdrawn from the face into a roadway (5) and transported to the next face.

A shearer transporter as shown in Figures 1 and 2 is first of all moved into position at the end of conveyor (4), as shown in Figure 1. The transporter comprises a bedplate (11) slung between a pair of crawler tracks (12) and having a haulage mechanism (13) mounted on the bedplate (11).

Each crawler track (12) has a shield (14) covering it and from the top of the shield (14) a pair hydraulic jacks (15) depend and can be extended so that skids (16) on the bottan of the jacks (15) can engage the floor of the mine.

A free steered vehicle (17) is situated in the roadway (5) and a series of hydraulic hoses (18) are coupled from the power unit of the vehicle to the shearer. A chain (19) is also included to ensure that no strain is put on the hoses (18) in the case of the shearer transporter moving too far away from the vehicle (17).

An operator is located at the point (20) away from the face end in the roadway and holds a control device (not shown) which is connected to the shearer transporter by a control cord. Alternatively a radic control link could be used.

The transporter is first aligned with the end of the conveyor and is linked up to it so that the haulage mechanism (13) is correctly positioned with regard to the haulage mechanism (21) on the ccnveyor (4). This haulage, which in this example is a rack and minion arrangement, has teeth on the haulage mechanism (13) and the haulage mechanism (21) of the conveyor (4) which are engaged by a rotating cog wheel (22) on the shearer (23).

The transporter is carefully positioned so that the haulage is in line with the end of the conveyor (4) and is then linked to it. The operat:or, from his position (20), then lowers the jacks (15) so that the skids (16) enagage the floor and stabilise the transporter. The shearer (23) is then operated so that the cog (22) drives the haulage from the haulage mechanism (21) of the conveyor onto the rack of the haulage mechanism (13) of the transporter. This is controlled until the whole of the shearer (23) is sitting on the bed (11) of the transporter. When in this position the hydraulic jacks (15) are raised and the links with the conveyor are removed.

The operator can now control the crawler tracks so as to pull the transporter with the shearer off the face and into the roadway (5) and then guide t along the roadway to the next adjacent face which is to be worked. The free steered vehicle (17) is able to keep a reasonable distance from the transporter due to the length of tile hoses (18) and will not inhibit the sight of the operator or his controls. When the next face to which the shearer is being moved is reached the transporter is positioned up against the end of the conveyor, the jacks (15) are lowered, and connections are made to the conveyor and the transporter.

Once the whole situation is stabilised the shearer is able to be taken off the transporter by its own drive, onto the new conveyor, and fitted with its cutting drum so that shearing can start relatively quickly after the transporter has been removed.

As will be appreciated from the drawings the shearer transporter is open at either end and thus a shearer is able to be placed onto the transporter from one end and to exit from the other. It does not matter, therefore, which side a face is off the roadway since the shearer will be able to be positioned easily without the necessity for a great deal of man manoeuvering of the transporter itself.

The transporter woulc, of course, be provided with connections at each end fcr the hydraulic hose (18) so that the hose was not in risk of beirg damaged or got in the way when the shearer was being token off the opposite end to that fram which it was loaded.

Since the transporter uses a remote power source and d does not require its own power source it is much less bulky than previous suggestions. Furthermore the operator is able to control the whole sequence cf loading and moving the shearer without having to be in the location of the shearer. This means the operator is able to work from a safe area at all times and is not put at risk from any sudden movements which may occur in the area of the face being salvaged.

The present invention t:hus provides a relatively small and easily manoeuverable transporter for a shearer which is able to work in confined spaces. This means that there is a minimum of loss of production time between transporting the shearer from one face to the next face.

Claims (12)

1. A shearer transporter arrangement in which the transporter comprises a bedplate, rotatable transporting means, a haulage mechanism, fixing means for anchoring the arrangement and connecting means for supplying power from a remote power source.

2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the fixing means comprises stabilising jacks for stabilising the transporter.

3. An arrangement as clawed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the transporting means comprises crawler tracks mounted on either side of a bedplate of the transporter.

4. An arrangement as claimed in Claims 1 or 2 in which the transporting means comprises free steered wheels arranged on either side of the bedplate of the transporter.

5. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, and including control means for the transporter remotely positioned from the transporter.

6. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the control means is connected by a direct wire link to the transporter.

7. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the control means is connected by a radio link to the transporter.

8. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim and including a power source connected to the transporter by a flexible power line.

9. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the power source is mounted on a free steered vehicle.

10. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the haulage mechanism includes a haulage device mounted on the bedplate of the transporter.

11. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim and including means for securing the transporter to the end of a conveyor.

12. A shearer transporter arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.