GB2303866A - Auger boring - Google Patents

Abstract

An auger boring machine is provided with cradle means 35 for supporting each auger segment being transferred from one bored hole to another, the cradle means preferably comprising round bars 36 extending between a supporting crosshead 37 slidable along a rail 38 attached to a side member 39 of the tilting frame 11 of the machine and passing through linear bearings 40 in the second carriage 13 of the machine, which second carriage is movable to and fro along the first carriage 12 of the machine and which in turn is movable to and fro across the tilting frame 11.

Description

AUGER BORING This invention relates to auger boring and has for its object facilitating use of an auger boring machine underground in coal winning operations.

Where an inclined coal seam emerges at the surface it is possible to store auger segments alongside the machine until such time as they are required to be engaged in driving connection with a boring head or with a preceding auger segment or segments in driving connection with a boring head as the depth of hole bored increases. However, when auger boring a seam underground (whether inclined or horizontal) from a roadway there is not enough room to store the auger segments alongside the machine.

A method of auger boring a coal seam comprises storing auger segments in driving connection with a first boring head in a first bored hole, withdrawing the last connected auger segment from the hole and disconnecting it from the preceding auger segment, transferring the disconnected auger segment to the axial location of a second hole to be bored and engaging it with a second boring head, driving the second boring head and auger segment into the seam, withdrawing the preceding auger segment from the first bored hole and disconnecting it from its preceding auger segment, transferring the disconnected auger segment to the axial location of the second hole and engaging it with the preceding auger segment in the second hole, and driving the second boring head and the two auger segments into the seam, the sequence of withdrawing an auger segment from the first hole, disconnecting it from the preceding auger segment, transferring it to the axial location of the second hole, connecting it to the preceding auger segment in the second hole, and driving it with the preceding auger segment and the second boring head into the second hole, being repeated until the first boring head can be withdrawn from the first bored hole and transferred to the location of a third hole to be bored, when the aforesaid sequence can begin once again utilising the auger segments stored in the second bored hole.

It will be evident that when boring the first hole in the seam the auger segments are taken underground successively as they are required to be connected to the first boring head or to the preceding auger segment.

An auger boring machine for carrying out the aforesaid method comprises a base frame adapted for intermittent movement along a roadway driven on strike to the coal seam, a tilting frame carried by the base frame to match any angular variation in the dip of the coal seam, a first carriage movable intermittently to and fro in a transverse direction across the tilting frame, a second carriage movable intermittently to and fro along the first carriage both on strike to the coal seam and also on the dip of the coal seam, driving means for the first carriage, driving means for the second carriage, a chuck carried by the second carriage for disengageably engaging one end of an auger segment (or a boring head) on an axis on the dip of the coal seam, driving means for the chuck carried by the second carriage, latching means and unlatching means on the tilting frame for drivably connecting or disconnecting the other end of an auger segment carried by the chuck to or from a preceding auger segment (or a boring head) in a hole bored in the coal seam, and programmed control means for the driving means for the first and second carriages and the driving means for the chuck, also for engaging and disengaging the chuck with and from an auger segment (or a boring head), and also for the latching and unlatching means.

During the transferring of a disconnected auger segment from a first bored hole to the axial location of a second hole the auger segment is supported in cantilever by the chuck at one end, and the object of the present invention is to provide means to alleviate wear on the chuck by virtue of the considerable cantilever loading to which it is repeatedly subjected because of the appreciable weight of the auger segments, usually of the order of five hundredweight or two hundred and fifty kilos each.

According to the present invention, an auger boring machine of the type defined above is provided with cradle means extending beneath the chuck across the first carriage parallel to the direction of movement of the first carriage to and fro across the tilting frame, the cradle means being mounted in the tilting frame for movement with the second carriage to and fro along the first carriage and for relative movement to and fro with respect to the second carriage as the first carriage moves to and fro across the tilting frame and carries the second carriage with it, the cradle means being adapted to provide sliding support for at least the end of an auger segment remote from the end engaged with the chuck.

The cradle means conveniently comprises a pair of bars (which are preferably round bars) extending between a support slidable along a side member of the tilting frame and passing through linear bearings in the second carriage.

The radial distance between the axis of the chuck and the upper surface or surfaces of the cradle means is preferably slightly greater than the overall radius of the auger segments, whereby, as the usual slight play in the engagement of the chuck with one end of an auger segment allows the latter to incline relatively downwards slightly towards the other end of the auger segment, that other end makes the sole sliding supporting contact with the cradle means; and the latching means is adapted to effect raising of that other end of the auger segment into axial alignment with a preceding auger segment with which it is to be drivably connected.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1A and 1B combined are a side elevation of an auger boring machine provided with cradle means in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an elevation of the machine as seen from the left hand end; and Figures 3A and 3B combined are a plan view of the machine, but with the tilt frame horizontal.

The auger boring machine shown in the drawings comprises a base frame 10 adapted for intermittent movement along a roadway (not shown) driven on strike to a coal seam, a tilting frame 11 carried by the base frame to match any angular variation in the dip of the coal seam, a first carriage 12 movable intermittently to and fro in a transverse direction across the tilting frame, a second carriage 13 movable intermittently to and fro along the first carriage both on strike to the coal seam and also on the dip of the coal seam, driving means for the first carriage 12 consisting of double-acting hydraulic piston-and-cylinder units 14, 15, driving means for the second carriage 13 consisting of a double-acting hydraulic piston-and-cylinder unit 16, 17, a chuck 18 carried by the second carriage 13 for disengageably engaging one end 19 of an auger segment 20 (or a boring head now shown) on an axis 21 (Figure 2) on the dip of the coal seam, driving means for the chuck 18 also carried by the second carriage 13 and consisting of an electric motor 22, a coupling 23 and a gearbox 24, latching means and unlatching means (not shown but of conventional construction and operation) on the tilting frame 11 for drivably connecting or disconnecting the other end 25 of an auger segment 20 carried by the chuck 18 to or from a preceding auger segment (or a boring head) in a hole bored in the coal seam, and programmed control means 26 (see Figure 1B) for the driving means (14, 15 and 16, 17) for the first and second carriages 12, 13 and the driving means (22, 23, 24) for the chuck 18, also for engaging and disengaging the chuck with and from an auger segment (or a boring head), and also for the latching and unlatching means.

Lifting jacks 27 are provided for lifting the entire machine when the base frame 10 is to be moved forward, i.e., from right to left in Figures 1 and 3.

The tilting frame 11 is shown in Figure 2 supported by piston-and-cylinder units 28, 29 and 30, 31 by means of which the axis 21 can be set on the dip of the coal seam, and stelling jacks 32 carried by the tilting frame are used to secure it in the set position.

Figure 2 also shows guide plates 33 for directing coal extracted by the auger to a chain conveyor 34 indicated in broken line both in this figure and in Figure 3A.

According to the present invention, the known auger boring machine described above is provided with cradle means 35 comprising a pair of round bars 36 extending between a supporting crosshead 37 slidable along a rail 38 attached to a side member 39 of the tilting frame 11 and passing through linear bearings 40 (Figures 1B and 3B) in the second carriage 13, whereby the cradle extends beneath the chuck 18 across the first carriage 12 parallel to the direction of movement of the first carriage to and fro across the tilting frame 11, and is movable with the second carriage 13 to and fro along the first carriage 12 as an auger segment 20 is conveyed from one bore axis 21A in Figure 3B to a succeeding bore axis 21B in Figure 3A.The linear bearings 40 allow for the relative movement between the bars 36 and the second carriage 13 as the latter moves across the first carriage 12 during driving of an auger segment 20 (or boring head) into a bore or during withdrawal from a bore.

The cradle means 35 provides sliding support for at least the end of an auger segment remote from the end engaged with the chuck 18, and the radial distance between the axis of the chuck the upper surfaces of the bars 36 is preferably slightly greater than the overall radius of the auger segments, whereby as the usual slight play in the engagement of the chuck 18 with the one end 19 of an auger segment 20 allows the latter to incline relatively downwards slightly towards the other end of the auger segment, that other end makes the sole sliding supporting contact with the bars 36; and the latching means (not shown) is adapted to effect raising of that other end of the auger segment into axial alignment with a preceding auger segment with which it is to be drivably connected.

Claims (5)

1. An auger boring machine comprising a base frame adapted for intermittent movement along a roadway driven on strike to the coal seam, a tilting frame carried by the base frame to match any angular variation in the dip of the coal seam, a first carriage movable intermittently to and fro in a transverse direction across the tilting frame, a second carriage movable intermittently to and fro along the first carriage both on strike to the coal seam and also on the dip of the coal seam, driving means for the first carriage, driving means for the second carriage, a chuck carried by the second carriage for disengageably engaging one end of an auger segment (or a boring head) on an axis on the dip of the coal seam, driving means for the chuck carried by the second carriage, latching means and unlatching means on the tilting frame for drivably connecting or disconnecting the other end of an auger segment carried by the chuck to or from a preceding auger segment (or a boring head) in a hole bored in the coal seam, and programmed control means for the driving means for the first and second carriages and the driving means for the chuck, also for engaging and disengaging the chuck with and from an auger segment (or a boring head), and also for the latching and unlatching means, characterized by cradle means extending beneath the chuck across the first carriage parallel to the direction of movement of the first carriage to and fro across the tilting frame, the cradle means being mounted in the tilting frame for movement with the second carriage to and fro along the first carriage and for relative movement to and fro with respect to the second carriage as the first carriage moves to and fro across the tilting frame and carries the second carriage with it, the cradle means being adapted to provide sliding support for at least the end of an auger segment remote from the end engaged with the chuck.

2. An auger boring machine as in Claim 1, characterized in that the cradle means comprises a pair of bars extending between a support slidable along a side member of the tilting frame and passing through linear bearings in the second carriage.

3. An auger boring machine as in Claim 2, characterized in that the bars are round bars.

4. An auger boring machine as in any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the radial distance between the axis of the chuck and the upper surface or surfaces of the cradle means is slightly greater than the overall radius of the auger segments.

5. An auger boring machine provided with cradle means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.