US1514048A - Mining machine - Google Patents

Description

M. P. HOLMES MINING MACHINE Filed April 2,

Nov. 4 1924.

I l I I Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

MORRIS P. HOLMES, `OFClnltIlEt-EIVIONT, NEVI HAMPSHRE, ASSIGNOR TO SULLVAN MA- CHINERY COWIPANY, A CORPDPLTIGH 0F lvSSi-.CHUSETTS TJINING BIAGI-EINE.

Application filed april 2,

To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, Mouais l?. Homme, a citizen of the United States, residing at Claremont, in the county of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining` Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to mining machines.

It has for its object to provide improved means whereby a mining machine may be adjusted with improved facility relative to the mine floor. More particularly, my invention has for its object to provide an improved means whereby a machine may be elevated orl angularly adjusted with increased facility, the same preferably being power driven and herein operatively connected to the motor of the machine. These and other objects and advantages of my improved construction will', however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings l have shown for purposes of illustration one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

ln these drawings, K

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a shortwall machine equipped with myl improvement.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the same. c

Fig. 3 is a diagrammaticl plan view showing the different positions of adjustment in a horizontal` plane.

Fig. t is a diagrammatic side view showing different positions of adjustment of the machine in a verticaly plane.

lIn" this illustrative construction, l have shown a mining machine which may be of any usual type or construction, preferably including a frame l and a motor 2 operatively connected7 throughy connections not shown, to a cutter chain 3 carried on a cutter bar 4, the machine shown herein being movable relative to the face on its own bottom, herein on a shoe 5 slidable over the mine bottom under the action of a flexible feeding member 6 operatively connected tol a feed operating member 7 likewise driven from the motor 2 in a well known manner.

ln my improved construction, it will be 1919. Serial no. 287,024.

observed that the shoe 5 is provided with an aperture 8 therein, vherein at a point substantially under the center of gravity of the machine. ln this aperture 8 is movable a vertically adjustable lifting plunger or pivot member 9 which may obviously be actuated in various ways. Herein, it will be noted that this member is power operated, the same being provided with a piston 10y on its upper end movable in a cylinder 11 formed in the frame 1. .as shown, the upper end of the cylinder 11 communicates with a pressure supply, through a passagel l2' controlled by a manually rotatable valve 13 provided with a right angled passage 14 and controllable by a controlling lever 15 o n thetop of the machine. Herein this supply assumes the `form of an oil pump comprising a plurality of intermeshing rotors, herein gears 16 and 17 having chambers 18 and 19 on opposite sides thereof normally communicating with the passage 12 through passages 2G and y21 controlled by the valve 13. 0f these rotors, the member 16 is rotatable on a stud 2Q having its lower en'd screwed into a removable section 23 of the shoe 5 and its upper end seated in the frame 1,` and clamped between the frame and the shoe by the removable section 23 when the latter is itself clamped in position by means of screws 2li. The cooperating rotor 17 is` also similarly clamped in position, but herein it will be noted that this gear is spli'ned at 25 to the lower end of a rotating shaft 26 driven through suitable gearing 2li', 28' from the motor. Herein', it will also be 'observed that one of the chambers 18 and 19 is provided with a passage 29 leading to an axial opening 30 in the shaft 26, so that a new supply of fluid, herein oil, may be supplied to the pump at any desired time' from the top of the machine,y the aperture being normally closed, as by a removable' plug 31, and a removable cover 82. p

1n the operation of my improved construction, it will be understood that the member 9 normally occupies its up or inf operative position wherein it lies flush with the bottom of thefshoe 5. As a result, the machine obviously be moved over the bottom bodily with the same facility as any present mining machine. However, 'when it is desired to move the machine angularly, it will be observed that it is unnecessary to lOl) bar the same around laboriously. Instead, the pump controlling member 15 and its connected valve 13 is operated. As avresult, communication is open between the passage 12 and one of the passages 20, 21 thereby enabling the gears 16 and 17 constantly rotated by the motor 2, tosupply fluid under pressure through the passage 12 to the upper end of the cylinder 11 to depress the member 9 from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, wherein it may be held' by simply turning the valve 13 in such a manner as to seal the o-il in the cylinder. Since this member 9 is disposed substantially beneath the center of gravity of the machine, the machine will, as a result, be raised bodily relative to the bottom in such manner that by a relatively small lateral push or pull applied at either end of the machine, i. e., at its rear end o-r at the front end of its bar, the entire machine may be moved about the member 9 as a pivot and into the desired angle. When this position is reached, obviously the member 9 may be again rendered inoperative by simply reversing the position of the member l5 to again connect the valve 13 to one of the chambers 18, 19 and thereby permit the oil to be forced out of the cylinder 11 as the member 9, due to the' weight of the machine, resumes its normal in position wherein its lower surface lies in the plane of the bottom of the shoe, and again operating the valve so that the fluid pumped flows in its normal circuit, i. e.,'from one of the chambers 18, 19 through one of the passages 20, 21, the valve passage 14, the other passage 20,21 into the other chamber 18, 19 and around the rear of the rotor 17 back to its starting point. It will also be observed that in the operation o-f my improved construction, through varying the amount of movement of the valve 13, the amount of movement of the member 9 may be varied as desired. It will also be noted that, as shown in Fig. 4, the machine may also be tilted in a verticle plane in such a manner as to vary the angle of its bar with respect to the horizontal, by raising it on the member 9, blocking up or placing a skid under the rear or front end of the frame, and then releasing the member 9, the variations pos*- sible above by varying the amount of opening of the valve 13 also being obtainable here to vary the lifting movement as necessary.

As a` result of my improved construction, it willA be observed that it is entirely unnecessary to bar the machine around lmanually and laboriously in order to vary-its angle or to present the bar in different directions,

vthe entire effort required being the simple movement of' the controlling member 15, whereupon the power of the machine is utilized to raise the machine and thus'enable it to be swung readily in a horizontal plane into the desired angular position or tilted to the desired position. It will also be observed that my improved mechanism for accomplishing these new results is 'of an eXT ceedingly simple and rugged character adapt to be supplied and kept in ruiming order at small expense and during the normal operation of the machine to interfere in no way with the movement of the same over the mine bottom. These and other advantages of my improved construction will,however, be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While .l have in this application specifically described one vembodiment whichmy invention may assume in practice, -it is to be understood that the same is shown herein for purposes of illustration only and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope'of the appended claims.

lVhat l claim as new an desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. rlhe combination with` a mining machine having a bottom on which itis slidable, of a supporting plunger therefor telescopically mounted in the bottom thereof whereby the same may occupy a position in whichno substantial portion of the weight of the machine is transmitted to the bottom thereby and also so engagablewith the mine bottom as to transmit to thelatter a substantial portion of the weight of the entire machine.

2. The combination with a mining ma` chine having a bottom on which it is slidable, of a supporting pivot therefor telescopically mounted in the bottom thereof and engageable with the mine bottom.

3. rlhe combination with amining ma-` chine having a bottom on which it is slidable, of elevating means engageable with the mine bottom mounted in the bottom thereof adjacent the center of gravity of said machine.

4. The combination with a mining machine having a bottom on which it is slidable, of a plunger normally flush with the bottom thereof whereby it acts to transmit to the bottom no substantial portion of the weight v115 of the machine but depressible therethrough into such forcible engagement with the mine bottom as to elevate the center of gravity of the machine.

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5. The combination with a mining mal supporting member movable through said machine bottom and engaging the mine bottom.

7. The combination with mining machine, of a supporting shoe therefor having an aperture therein on the longitudinal center line of said shoe, and a machine supporting plunger normally closing said aperture and vertically adjustable therein.

8. The combination with a mining machine, of a supporting shoe therefor having an aperture therein on the longitudinal center line of said shoe and adjacent the center of gravity of said machine, and a machine supporting plunger normally closing said aperture and vertically adjustable therein.

9. The combination with a mining machine, oit a supporting shoe beneath the saine having an aperture therein, a machine supporting plunger disposed in said aperture and normally forming a part of said shoe, and means actuated by said machine for moving said plunger in said aperture.

l0. The combination with a mining machine, of a supporting shoe beneath the same having an aperture therein, a machine supporting plunger disposed in said aperture and normally forming a part of said shoe, and means including a pump for moving said plunger in said aperture.

1l. The combination With a mining machine, o a supporting shoe beneath the same having an aperture therein, a machine supporting plunger disposed in said aperture and normally forming a part of said shoe, and means for moving said plunger in said aperture including a piston and cylinder and a cooperating controlling valve.

12. The combination with a mining machine, of a supporting shoe beneath the same having an aperture therein, a machine supporting plunger disposed in said aperture and normally closing the same, and means for moving said plunger in said aperture including a pump driven by said machine,

a cylinder, a plunger actuating piston therein, and a manually controlled valve controlling the supply of fluid from said pump to said cylinder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MORRIS P. HOLMES.

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