US1200941A

US1200941A - Feed mechanism for mining-machines.

Info

Publication number: US1200941A
Application number: US2600015A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis F Hess
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1915-05-05
Filing date: 1915-05-05
Publication date: 1916-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1933-10-10

Description

L. F. HESS.

FEED MECHANISM FOR MINING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. I915. f

Patented Oct. 10,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET I \L 158mm;

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!IIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIII Inventor Witnesses O Attorneys,

Patented Oct. 10,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. F. HESS.

FEED MECHANISM'FOR MINING MACHINES.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 5, 1915- 1,200,941.

7 km N m A Qw m. w v M m N n |lL||l|i|||. n E N l. I \N 1 .I .w fl y 1 1 I: 70 M IT l y a I R Z HFJI I I m m Nh \wN, s M 1 .IIII 7 1" W WU VW$RN I. W% I N3 ww \No I \S MN 4/ Km Wm, NI, 8,, m in W k \m QIN Nw In W Attorneys L. F. HESS.

FEED MECHANISM FOR MINING MACHINES.

APPUCATION FILED MAY 5,1915. 1,200,941. Patented Oct. 10,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3 Witnesses Attorneys.

LOUIS F. HESS,

OF ANSTED, WEST VIRGINIA.

FEED MECHANISM FOR MINING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Continuation in part of application Serial No. 873.313. filed November 21, 19147 This application filed May To all whom it may oonccrn Be it known that I, Louis F. lllass, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anstcd. in the county of Fayette and State of Vest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Feed Mechanism for lyIinin -Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a feeding mechanism for a mining machine, the present disclosure, for the most part appearing in my prior application Serial No. 873,313, for Letters Patent on a mining machine, filed November 21, 1911, and allowed March 26, 1915, Patent- No. 1,147,724, the present application being a continuation of the application above referred to by serial number.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a mining machine of that general type in which the cutter shaft rotates and slides longitudinally as it rotates.

One object of the invention is to provide novel means for coupling up with the driving mechanism, the drums controlling the flexible elements whereby the position of the machine is adjusted with respect tothe work.

It is within the scope of the invention to improve in particulars which will be pointed out hereinafter, the construction of a mining machine of the general type disclosed in this application With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of What is claimed, without departing from. the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 shows the invention in top plan, portions of the casing being removed; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the median plane; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig, 4 is a vertical-longitudinal section taken along the line 44, of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a cross section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a transverse section of one of the drums; Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken approximately along the line 7-7 of Fig. 1, parts being omitted.

In carrying out the present invention Serial No. 26,000.

there is provided a supporting structure embodying a base plate 1 and a casing 2, the latter including a top 3 terminated intermediate thc front and rear of the machine, the rear end of the top 3 being shown at 1. Fixed to and upstanding from the base 1 and preferably formed integrally therewith is a rear bearing Located in front of the rear hearing 5 is a transverse intermediate bearing 6. Located in front of the intermediate bearing 6 is an intermediate partition 7 formed integrally with a longitudinal bearing 8 which is connected with the base plate 1, the longitudinal bearing 8 terminating in a front plate 9 abutting against the front wall of the casing 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the intermediate bearing 6 is connected with the transverse partition 7 by means of side walls 10 which are connected with the base plate 1,. As Fig. 1 discloses when compared with Fig. 2, transversely spaced upper bearings 11 are secured to or formed integrally with the longitudinal bearing 8. A motor 12 which preferably is driven electrically, is united with the rear end 4 of the casing 2 and is supported upon the intermediate bearing 6. as shown in Fig. 2. The armature shaft of the motor 12 is denoted by the numeral 11 and carries a pinion 15 meshing into a gear wheel 16, the tubular hub 17 of which is mounted to rotate in the rear bearing 5. Located in front of the gear wheel 16 is a pinion 18, the tubular hub 19 of which passes rearwardly through the tubular hub 17 of the gear wheel 16.

Mounted to rotate in the hub 19 of the pinion 18 and to slide longitudinally therein is a cutter shaft 20 provided with a keyway 21 cotiperating with a keyway 22 in the hub 19 of the pinion 18. The keyways 21 and 22 may receive keyballs 23 or their mechanical equivalents, the construction being such that although the cutter shaft 20 is connected to the pinion 18 for simultaneous rotation therewith, the shaft nevertheless may slide longitudinally on the pinion. The rear end of the hub 17 of the gear wheel 16 and the rear end of the hub 19 of the pinion 18 are provided with clutch elements 24 adapted to be engaged by a clutch 25 slidable upon the shaft 20 longitudinally of the shaft.

Disposed upon opposite sidesof the cutter shaft 20 are longitudinal shafts 26 journaled for rotation in the intermediate partition 7 and in the intermediate bearing 6. To the rear ends of the longitudinal shafts 26 are secured pinions 27 ,which mesh into the pinion 18. The forward ends of the longitudinal shafts 26 are equipped with worms 28 coiiperating with worm wheels 29 fixed to a shaft 30 journaled in the lower rear portions of the upper bearings 11. The worm wheels 29 are provided with wrist pins 32 receiving the forward ends of pit men 31, the rear ends of which are pivoted on studs 33 at the ends of a cross head 34 in which the cutter shaft 20 is journaled. Attached to the cutter shaft 20 in front of the cross head 34 and to the rear of the same are collars 35, the construction being such that although the cutter shaft 20 may rotatein the cross head 34, a reciprocation'of the cross head 34 will produce a reciprocation of the cutter shaft and cause the'latter to slide to and fro in the hub 19 of the pinion 18.

Secured to the shaft 30 are. pinions 36 meshing into gear wheels 37 adapted to rotate with an auxiliary shaft 38 journaled in the bearin 11 and terminally supported in bearings 57 m the side portions of the casing 2, Fig. 7 being noted particularly for a. disclosure of the details last above mentioned.

The gear wheels 37 are compomte structures, each gear wheel comprising an intermediate disk 39 carrying a toothed rim 40 forming the operative element of each gear wheel 37. To the opposite faces of the in tel-mediate disks 39 of the gear wheels 37 are applied side disks 41 and 42. The auxiliary shaft.38 is threaded as shown at 43 to engage the hubs 44 of the side disks 42, the hubs 44 projecting through the intermediate disks 39 and entering hubs 45. constituting, each, a part of one of the side disks 41, the hubs 45 being journaled in the bearings 11. The inner or adjacent ends of the hubs 45 are provided with beveled lips 46. Coiiperating with the lips 46 are double convexed wheels or anti-friction elements 500 carried respectively by

shoes

501 and 502, the shoes being loosely connected as indicated at 503. Pivoted at 504 to the shoe 502 is a lever 505. A link 506 forms a pivotal connection between the intermediate portion of the lever 505 and the shoe 501. A retractile spring 507 is provided, one end of the spring 507 being attached by means of a nut 508 to the end of the lever 505, the other end of the spring being attached by means of a nut 510 to a bracket 509 mounted on the longitudinal bearing 8 or otherwise supported.

The tension of the spring 507 may be adjusted by rotating one or both of the

nuts

508 and 510. The spring 507 serves to tilt the lever 505, thereby to tighten or loosen the

shoes

501 and 502 with respect to the hubs 45, the wheels 500 being thrust between the lips 46 of the hubs 45 with a varying pressure. Thus, the hubs 45-and the side disks 41 are thrust with a varying pressure against the intermediate disks 39 of the gear wheels, the disks 39 abutting against the disks 42 which are held on the shaft 38. Under ordinary circumstances, the gear wheels 37, comprising the disks 39, are connected with the shaft 38 to rotate therewith, but the gear wheels are held to the shaft 38 with a varying frictional hold, to the end that, under excessive strains, the disks 39 may rotate independently of the shaft 38 thus avoiding a breakage of parts. As hereinbefore outlined, by manipulating the

nuts

508 and 510, or one of them, the spring 507 may be adjusted, thereby effecting a change in the amount of power which is necessary to rotate the gear wheels 37 independently of the shaft 38 under excessive strains.

Mounted to rotate upon the shaft 38 adjacent the gear wheels 37 above described in detail are pinions 51, the outer ends of which are supplied with clutch elements 52. These clutch elements 52 are adapted to cooperate with the inner ends of clutches 53 held to theeshaft 38 for rotation therewith but for sliding movement therealong, by means of keys 54, it being noted at this point, referring to Fig. 7, that the inner ends of the keys 54 serve as abutments for the outer side faces of the pinions 51, so that the latter cannot move longitudinally of the shaft 38. Journaled on the shaft38 adja cent the ends thereof are pinions 55 having clutch elements 56 adapted to coiiperate with the outer ends of the clutches 53, the pinions 55 lying adjacent the bearing 57. The inions 51 mesh into gear wheels 58 locate upon the outer faces of drums 59 and 60, supported on a. drum shaft 64, the latter being carried by the bearings 11 as Fig. 1 will? disclose. The outer faces of the drums 59 and 50 are provided with gear wheels 61 meshing into idle pinions 62 journaled on sub-shafts 63 carried by the side walls of the casing 2, the pinions 62 meshing with the pinions 5 A flexible element 65 is trained around the drum59 and engages with a guide sheave 66 on the supporting structure, the extremity of the flexible element, 65 being carried laterally and being anchored to the side wall of the mine or elsewhere, as shown at 67. A flexible element 68 is trained around the drum in a direction opposite to that in which the flexible element is trained around the drum 59. The flexible element 68 is carried across angularly disposed guide sheaves 69 and 70 and is extended laterally, the extremity of the flexible element 68 being attached to the wall of the mine or elsewhere by means of an anchor 71.

The forward end of the cutter shaft 20 carries a cutter 72 preferably of a spiral type and including a collar 73 constituting a means whereby the cutter 72 may be assembled with the cutter shaft. The line of abutment between the collar 73 and the end of the cutter shaft 20 is denoted by the numeral74.

The driving trains may now be traced out. A reciprocating movement is imparted to the cutter shaft 20 through the medium of a train embodyingthe following elements: the motor 12, its armature shaft 14, the pinion 15, the gear wheel 16, the clutch 25, the pinion 18, the keyballs 23 or their equivalents, and the cutter shaft 20. A recipro eating movement is imparted to the cutter shaft 20 by a train embodying the following elements: the motor 12, the shaft 14, the pinion 15, the gear wheel 16. the clutch 25, the pinion 18, the pinions 27, the longitudinal shafts 26, the worms 28, the Worm wheels 29. the pitmen 31, the cross head 34. the

collars 35, and the cutter shaft 20. Through the cotiperation of the elements last above outlined, the cutter shaft 20 is caused to reciprocate in the hub 19 of the pinion 18 while the cutter shaft is rotated by the pinion'18. v

Presupposing that the worm wheels 29 are rotated as above mentioned, the drums 60 are rotated from the worm wheels by the following gear trains: the worm wheels 29, the shaft 30, the pinions 36, the gear wheels 37, the shaft 38, the clutches 53, the pinions 51, the gear wheels 58, and the drums 59 and 60. By shifting the clutches 53, the drums 59 and 60 may be rotated in a direction opposite, to that above described, by the cooperation between the following elements: the gear wheels 37, the shaft 38, the clutches 53, the pinions 55, the idlers 62, the gear wheels 61, and the drums 59 and 60. If the clutches 53 are set in the intermediate positions shown in Fig. 7, that is out of engagement with the

pinions

51 and 55, then the drums 59 and 60 may be rotated independently of their driving means, this operation being desirable at times, in order that the

flexible elements

68 and 65 may be drawn freely off the drums.

Each of the drums 59 and 60 may be rotated in opposite directions by shifting the clutch 53 so that it engages the pinion 55 or the pinion 51. A reversal in the direction of rotation of the drum is brought about by reason of the interposition of the idle pinion 62. Since the gear wheel 61 is of smaller diameter than the gear wheel 58, when the drum is driven through the medium of the gear wheel 61, the speed of rotation of the drum is increased. 7

The drums 59 and 60 are driven from the shaft 38 by separate gear trains, and thus, should one of the drums or its gear train become inoperative, the other drum may still be operated, thus preventing the machine from becoming entirely useless, so far as the operation of the machine depends upon'the rotation of one of the drums.

One of the weakest points in a machine of this type is atthe place whereby the cutter 72 is joined to the cutter shaft 20.. In the present machine the line 74 of abutment between the collar 72 and the shaft 20 always reciprocates within the contour ofthe longitudinal bearing 8. If the juncture indicated by the line 74 is, as in the present instance, always maintained within the contour of the bearing 8, the joint in question is reinforced and strengthened so that in practice a breakage does not occur.

At times, notably when the machine is being transported, it'is desirable to stop the rotation of the cutter shaft 20. This operation may be brought about by disengaging the clutch 25 from the clutch elements 24 on the hubs 19 and 17 of the

pinions

18 and 16 respectively. Then the pinion 16 may rotate upon the hub 19 of the pinion 18 without actuating the latter.

Since the

flexible elements

65 and 68 are trained in opposite directions aroundthe drums 59 and 60, the flexible element 68 will be paid out as the flexible element 65 is drawn in. The flexible element 65 is employed for advancing the machine laterally to cause the cutter 72 to act upon the work, and the flexible element .68 is employed for preventing the rear, end of the machine from swinging around, due to the pressure of the cutter against the work. The drums 59 and 60 rotate at thesamc speed, and consequently, the rear end of the machine can not travel laterally at a greater speed than the front end of the machine. If it is desired to swing around the rear end of the machine, the drum 59 may be uncoupled by placing the corresponding clutch 53 in an intermediate position, the drum 60 being coupled up for rotation with the shaft 38 by manipulating the clutch 53 which is individual to the drum 60. Under the circumstances above described, the clutch 53 of the drum 60 is coupled up with the corresponding pinion 55, the gear wheel 61 actuating the drum 60 through the medium of the idler 62. The drums 59 and 60 or either of them may be used to move the entire machine laterally before the cutting operation is begun.

The guide sheaves 66 are duplicated and the

sheaves

69 and 70 are duplicated at opposite sides of the machine. Consequently, the machine may be changed from a right hand cutter into a left. hand cutter by reversing the directions in which the

elements

65 and 68 are wound about their respective drums, the element 65 being carried rearwardly and the element 68 being carried forwardly.

As hereinbefore outlined, the intermediate -elements wound around the drums;

disk 39 ofthe gear wheel 37, cooperating with the side 'dlsks 41 and 42 may be employed to effects drive, or, under excessive strains", may be permitted to slip, thereby avoiding a breakage of parts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1.-In a mining machine, a supporting structure; a cutting means carried thereby; a cross shaft journaled in the supporting structure; drums journaledin the supporting structure flexible elements wound about the drums; means for anchoring the flexible elements; gear wheels carried by the drums;

pairs of actuating pinions. journaled on the cross shaft, one actuating pinion of each pair meshing directly into one gear wheel.

of each drum; idle pinions on the supporting structure, each idle pinion meshing into the other actuating pinion of each pair and into the other gear wheel of each drum; clutch elements carried by the actuating pinions; and clutches onthe' cross shaft between the actuating pinions of each pair,- the clutches being rotatable with the cross shaft and being adapted to-cooperate selec-. tively with'the clutch elements of the actua-ting pinions. a l I 2. In a mining mach'ine, a supporting structure; a cutting means carried thereby; drums on the supporting structure; flexible us for anchoring flexible elements; asha oh the supporting structure; drive wheels tatable on the shaft-under an excessive strain; means cooperating with both wheels to hold the same upon the shaft to rotate as my own, I have hereto :1

with the shaft; means for coupling up the drums selectively with the shaft; and mech- I anisms for reversing the direction of the drums separately, the said mechanisms being interposed in the last specified means.

3. ,In a mining machine, a supporting structure; a. cutting means carried thereby;-

a cross shaft journaled in the supporting structure; drums gournaled in the supporting structure; exible elements wound about the drums; means for anchoring the flexible elements; gear Wheels carried by the drums; pairs of actuating .pinionsjournaled on the cross shaft, one actuating pinion of each pair meshing directly into. one'gearthe same uponithe shaft torotate with the shaft. r In testimony-that I-claim the forego' \my-S g' ture in the presenceof two s LOUIS F. ESS. Witnesses; J. W.- A'rxrson,

F. L. BURTON