GB2258204A

GB2258204A - Transport apparatus/method.

Info

Publication number: GB2258204A
Application number: GB9216271A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John David Inch
Original assignee: HAUSHERR Ltd
Current assignee: HAUSHERR Ltd
Priority date: 1991-08-01
Filing date: 1992-07-30
Publication date: 1993-02-03
Also published as: GB9216271D0

Abstract

The apparatus includes a flexible container element 10 to be hauled along a track by a rope 12 extending round driven roller 14, constricting means for causing the container element to trough for loading of material batch (e.g. rocks) and a return roller (16, Figure 2) for causing the container element 10 to discharge its material as it is brought to a flat or substantially flat condition. As shown, the track comprises support frames 20 comprising horizontal rollers 22, and laterally disposed roller 24 adjustable to achieve required troughing. There may be other rollers 33, 34 or slide surfaces to achieve control. Figure 3 shows details of frames 20 which can be dismantled and assembled quickly. Rollers 24 may be flanged (Figure 4). Further modifications are disclosed e.g. containers may be of synthetic plastics reinforced by metal strip/rod or with metal chain end portions. <IMAGE>

Description

Transport apparatus The invention relates to a method of transporting material in batches and to container apparatus therefor. It is particularly concerned, although not exclusively so, with container apparatus which can be used in, or extend through, relatively restricted spaces such as are found in mine workings.

In longwall coal mining operations, mechanical transport systems are used to deposit quantities of rock and spoil in the waste area behind the coal face presently being worked. This requires apparatus to extend through the relatively restricted spaces in the mine roadway serving the coal face being worked, to be capable of being rapidly extended or shortened as the face being worked progresses. The object of the present invention is to help achieve these requirements.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of transporting material in batches, the method including the loading of material into a container element of flexible form whilst it is in open-topped condition, hauling said container element along a track, constricting said container element causing it to trough along at least a part of its travel, and subsequently bringing said container element to a flat or substantially flat condition to effect the discharge of the material.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided transport apparatus including a container element of flexible form and on which material can be loaded; means for hauling the container element along a track extending to a return roller, constricting means along said track preceding said return roller for causing the container element to trough along a part of its travel path; the arrangement being such that the container element is brought to a flat or substantially flat condition on reaching said return roller to discharge its load of material.

The return roller may have flanged ends between which a flexible traction member of the haulage means can track freely.

The apparatus may include a plurality of supports spaced apart at intervals to constitute the track for guiding the container element, each support preferably including a centrally disposed horizontal roller and oppositely inclined laterally disposed rollers adjustable in inclination to the central roller. Each support may include further rollers or slide surfaces on which lateral portions of the container element, in inverted condition, can ride.

Each support may be in the form of a frame comprising respective carrier plates extending inwardly from upstanding side members of said frame for the connection of a respective string of rollers. One end of an uppermost member of the frame may be able to be temporarily detached from an upper end of a side member to which it is normally secured, whereby the haulage element of the apparatus can be extracted to allow said frame to be removed.

The upper and lowermost members of each frame may be capable of being adjusted in length so that the overall width can be reduced when the laterally disposed rollers have been brought to vertical or near vertical positions.

Centralising means may be provided along at least a part of the track for limiting the container element riding up one side or the other of the constricting means. Such centralising means may comprise at least one roller for acting against an edge of the container element and/or at least one abutment element against which an edge of the container element will rub if it tends to ride up.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of transport apparatus embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a container element of the apparatus at a discharge point, Figure 3 is a semi-diagrammatic view which illustrates the construction of one of a plurality of frame arrangements forming part of the apparatus, and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 which illustrates a possible modification.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the transport apparatus there illustrated includes a container element 10 of flexible form connected at its opposite ends to lengths of wire rope 12 to form a rope haulage arrangement extending around respective rollers 14 and 16 at the opposite ends of the transport apparatus. The roller 14 at the one end of the apparatus is connected to motor driven means generally indicated 18 for rotating said roller and thus for traversing the container element. The return roller 16 at the other end of the transport track is a relatively wide roller with flanged ends, as shown, the arrangement being such that the rope can track freely along the cylindrical portion between the flanges.

The apparatus includes a plurality of support frames, generally indicated 20, spaced apart at short intervals along the length of the apparatus to constitute a track for guiding the container element through the relatively restricted spaces in a mine roadway. Each frame includes a centrally disposed horizontal roller 22, a pair of laterally disposed rollers 24 which can be set at adjustable angles to the central roller, and other rollers or slide surfaces, which will be referred to presently, to achieve a controlled system. Thus at a loading point in which the container element is shown to be located in Figure 1, the rollers 24 are disposed at only a moderate inclination so that the container element is only moderately troughed and can be conveniently loaded with rocks of various sizes which kit is required to dispose of.

At the approach to a discharge point, as shown in Figure 2, the pairs of rollers 24 are set at gradually shallower angles until immediately adjacent the return roller 16 they are almost horizontal. The container element 10 is thus able to pass around the return roller at the extremity of the track, as shown in chain-dotted lines, to effect the discharge of the material at that point.

At regions intermediate the loading and discharge points, the rollers 24 of each frame are set at appropriate angles to suit the space available. In some regions the rollers may be vertical or near vertical to cause the container element to assume a relatively deep but narrow U-shape.

Referring now to Figure 3, the frame 20 there illustrated is of rectangular outline shape and has slotted carrier plates 26 extending inwardly from upstanding side members 28. From the oppositely disposed pair of carrier plates there hangs a connected string of rollers, that is to say the pair of laterally disposed rollers 24 and the centrally disposed horizontal roller 22. The shafts on which the three rollers are rotatable are articulated together at 30,30 for angular adjustment of the pair of rollers 24,24 as indicated in chain-dotted lines in Figure 3. The outermost ends of the shafts on which the rollers 24,24 are rotatable are engageable in the slots of the carrier plates and tightly clamped in position relative to said carrier plates when angular adjustment of said rollers has been effected.

The centrally disposed horizontal roller 22 is suspended between the inner ends of the laterally disposed rollers in a position spaced from the lowermost member 32 of the frame. It is into or through this space that the central portion of the container element slides in inverted condition as it passes around the return roller. The lateral portions of the inverted container element are shown in Figure 3 to be riding on inclined rollers 34,34 (which constitute the previously referred to other rollers of the frame arrangement).

For the particular application described, where the material to be disposed of is in batches, the transport apparatus has a number of advantages over a continuous type of transport apparatus.

Primarily, the fact that the material to be transported is transported in a container element of flexible form and of a relatively short length enables the track constituted by the plurality of frames to be of a relatively light construction.

This is because the force required to haul the container element along the track is relatively small. In addition, because the rollers of the frames are caused to rotate only when acted on by the container element, they can be expected to have a relatively long working life. For this same reason they can be of a relatively light construction.

The construction of the frames 20 is such that they can quickly and easily be dismantled and subsequently re-assembled. This is so that, as longwall mining proceeds, the transport apparatus can be caused to retreat step by step to keep pace with the progress of the mining machine. This will be done, when necessary, by dismantling the frame nearest to the return roller 16, displacing both the return roller and the power driven roller 14 through an appropriate distance, and re-assembling the dismantled frame (or of course fitting a spare frame) in the space thus formed adjacent the power driven roller.The uppermost member 36 of each frame is able-to be temporarily detached at one end from the upper end of the side member 28 to which it is normally secured, and the string of rollers is also capable of being detached at one end from the respective carrier plate 26, in order that the lengths of wire rope can be extracted to allow the frame be removed. Similarly, when the frame is to be put back into service the lengths of wire rope can be re-inserted before the uppermost member is attached once more to the side member and the string of rollers re-connected at the temporarily detached end.

In Figure 4, as a possible modification of the frame of Figure 3, the rollers 24 are provided with respective flanges 25 at their outer ends. The flanges 25 constitute centralising means for preventing the container element from riding up at one side or the other as it is hauled along the track.

Various other modifications may be made to the apparatus described above. For example instead of the rollers 24 being flanged, there could be provided at least one roller or at least one abutment element against which an edge of the container element will rub if it tends to ride up at one side or the other. In order to facilitate the negotiation of relatively sharp bends in the track, two or more shorter container elements 10 could be articulated together. The container elements, may be made of various materials, for example of the kind of synthetic plastics of which endless conveyor belts are made, and could be reinforced by lengths of metal strip or rod.It may be found necessary for the or each container element to have a certain minimum weight so that it does not ride up the rollers of the track when running empty, for example when being returned along the track to the loading point. To add weight it would be possible to form at least the opposite end portions of the or each container element in the manner of chain-mail, that is to say from a plurality of connected metal links.

Alternatively, short lengths of metal chain could be used to connect the opposite ends of the container element, or of the articulated elements, as the case may be, to the lengths of wire rope.

In the operation of the apparatus, the contai-ner elements may be returned upon the track by reversal of the motor driven means 18.

The rollers 34 forming part of the frame of Figures 3 and 4 could be replaced by slide surfaces made for example of polyurethane. Indeed, such surfaces, extending longitudinally of the apparatus, could be used to brace adjacent frame together.

The rollers 14 and 16 at the opposite ends of the transport apparatus will preferably be carried by respective units mounted on power driven endless tracks for convenient positional adjustment as longwall mining proceeds.

The apparatus may be totally enclosed, during operation, by wire mesh panels for example; it can therefore be made very safe in operation. Such wire mesh panels may be associated with, or may in fact constitute, means whereby the frames can be braced together. They will be fitted in position by quick release means so that the re-positioning of the frames from time to time will not be significantly hindered.

It will be understood that in the illustrated embodiment, the laterally disposed rollers of each frame are capable of being brought to vertical or near vertical positions so that, along stretches of the track which deviate substantially from a straight line, the container element does not tend to ride up the inclined rollers on the inside of a curve. However, it may be found advantageous to make at least the uppermost and lowermost members of each frame capable of being adjusted in length so that, where space is severely restricted, the overall width of the arrangement can be reduced when said laterally disposed rollers have been brought to vertical or near vertical positions. In this case, the inclined rollers 34,34, or slide surfaces as the case may be, on which the lateral portions of the inverted container element can ride will preferably be angularly adjustable in position.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of transporting material in batches, the method including the loading of material into a container element of flexible form whilst it is in open-topped condition, hauling said container element along a track, constricting said container element causing it to trough along at least a part of its travel, and subsequently bringing said container element to a flat or sutstantially flat condition to effect the discharge of the material.

2. Transport apparatus including a container element of flexible form and on which material can be loaded; means for hauling the container element along a track extending te a return roller; constricting means along said track preceding said N return roller for causing the container element to trough along a part of its travel path; the arrangement being such that the container element is brought to a flat or substantially flat condition OIL reaching said return roller to discharge its load of material.

3. Transport apparatus according to claim 2, in which the return roller has flanged ends, between which a flexible traction member of the haulage means can track freely.

4. Transport apparatus according to either one of claims 2 and 3, including a plurality of supports spaced apart at intervals to constitute the track for guiding the container element, each support including a centrally disposed horizontal roller and oppositely inclined laterally disposed rollers adjustable in inclination to the central roller.

5. Transport apparatus according to claim 4, in which each support includes further rollers or slide surfaces on which lateral portions of the container element, in inverted condition, can ride.

6. Transport apparatus according to either one of claims 4 and 5, in which each support is in the form of a frame comprising respective carrier plates extending inwardly from upstanding side members of said frame for the connection of a respective string of rollers.

7. Transport apparatus according to claim 6, in which one end of an uppermost member of the frame is able to be temporarily detached from an upper end of a side member to which it is normally secured, whereby the haulage element of the apparatus can be extracted to allow said frame to be removed.

8. Transport apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, in which centralising means are provided along at least a part of the track for limiting the container element riding up one side or the other of the constricting means.

9. Transport apparatus according to claim 8, in which the centralising means comprise at least one roller for acting against an edge of the container element and/or by at least one abutment element against which an edge of the container element will rub if it tends to ride up.

10. Transport apparatus accorrding to claim 8, in which the constricting means for causing the container to trough comprise pairs of laterally disposed rollers capable of being set at adjustable angles, and the centralising means are constituted by respective flanges at the outer ends of said rollers.

11. A method of transporting material in batches, substantially as hereinbefore described.

12. Transport apparatus for transporting material in batches, the apparatus being constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 3, or Figure 4, of the accompanying drawings.