US1536795A

US1536795A - Draft device for mining machines

Info

Publication number: US1536795A
Application number: US379237A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Davis
Original assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Co LP
Current assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Co LP
Priority date: 1920-05-06
Filing date: 1920-05-06
Publication date: 1925-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 1942-05-05

Description

s mecha n Patented May 5', 1925.

CHARLES E. DAVIS, 0F CHICAGQ;

ILLINOIS; AssIGNoR To GOODMAN MANUFACTURING v COMPANY, or cHICAG-o, ILLINOIS, yA CORPORATION oikiILLiNois.

' DRAFTL DEvrcE FonMiNiNG MACHINES.

Ap p-licati'lo'n ledfJIay 6,

To ZZ- whomz' may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. DAvIs,a citizen of the United States', residing at Chicago, in lthe county of-Cook vand State of Illinois, have invented Draft -Devicefor Mining Machines, of which the following is aspeciicati'on. 1 rlhis invention relates to` improvements in draft devices for coal mining machines of the class adapted to be moved along thek face of the mine Wall `to cut a horizontal kerf thereunder,r and has for its principal object to provide va means associatedwith the draft ism for coi'itrollingthe height of the hei-f.

f My; inventionhwill be best understood by c referenceto .the accompanying `drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of ia mining machine provided with a' mechanism vem.- bodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side view hof aminingl machine. 4 n Y Figure 3 is a detailed vieu' of my invention asA applied to the pulley or kfeed rope of thefmini'ng machine.

Figure el is a cross-section view taken on line igljof Figure 3.

Figure 5 is ay view of the rear endrof the mining machine showing a modification of my invention as applied to the retardiiig or tail rope.

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section taken on lineG-G of Figure 5. i K

Figure 7 is aV horizontal cross-section taken Online -T of Figure 5.y

Mining machines of the class shown herein to illustrate my invention, `have as a common feature a body portion A adapted to restk onv the mine Hoor, and a cutter bar B efx tending horizontallyy from the frame and carrying a movable cutterv chain of anyapproved construction as indicated by dotted lines in `Figure l. Such machines are'provided ivith a motor 4suitably mounted on the frame A and having driving connection with the cutter chain, and `also having drivingconnection With a suitable draft device for moving the machine during its cuttingoperation. In the machine illustrated,l a draft device comprises a. cable drum l driven by "the motor and carrying a` flexible cable 2 called the feed rope, vadapted to be anchored at distance from the machine. A second draft device is also provided vfor retardi'ng therear end of the machine frame In the operation of n'iac'lfiines of the class above described, it is often necessary to fol-` louY the rolling or undulating mine floor iny forming the lterf, and While so doing, the cutter bar B has a natural tendency to travel inr a liorizontal plane,predetermined\by its y position when its initiale ut is made under the coal. Furthermore, it sometimes occurs that thecutter bar becomes deflected fup- Wardfly from the nii-ne floor as it moves laterally, which deflection may be dueto several causes, as rfor instance, coming in contact with relatively hard'material, or on account of uneven degree of sharpness of the cutter bits Whiclimake up the cutter chain. One device heretofore used for the purpose of correcting this fault,has been an adjustable tilting shoe forming a portion of the botto-m face of the body portion on which the machine rests. However, such a tilting shoe has certain disadvantages7 as for instance, it interferes vwith the movement and operation of the machine, it is relatively difficult to adjust the height on account of the Weight carried thereby, and in machines which are particularly desirablefor 4Work in extreme low veins 'of coal, it has been im# practical to include such a tilting shoe in `the construction of themuchine on'account v'itli Which'the feed rope 2 is adapted to be engaged. This sheave has heretofore been similarly positioned on machines of thisk class, but hasbeen fixed in a position sub.- stautially inthe horizontalplane of movement of the cutter chain about the cutter bar B, that is to say, inthe position occupied by the she'ave in :Figure 2. In the present invention, I provide means of adjusting this sheave vertically, which means comprises a 'vertically disposed screw shaft,k 7 threaded as shown, and mounted at its upper and lower ends in

suitable brackets

8 and 9. A sleeve 10 is threaded by said shaft and provides a bearing for the sheave 6. A guide 11 is carried by the sleeve 10, and extends laterally from under the sheave to engage the side wall 11a of the machine. This guide serves to retain the rope 2 in engaging position with the sheave when the rope is slack, and also restrains the sleeve 10 against turning` on the shaft 7. A washer 12 may loe provided for the top of the sleeve 10 so as to allow the sheave to be removed therefrom if desired. The shaft 7 may be turned by means of a wrench or similar device applied to the flattened end portion 13 of the shaft T extending upwardly and beyond the bracket 8, as shown. 1 have found that by means of an adjustment of a few inches in the height of the sheave 6, the movement of the cutter bar may be deflected either upwardly or downwardly, as desired.

1n another arrangement shown in Figures 5, (i and 7, my invention is shown as applied to the tail rope 5, at the rear end of the machine. It is obvious that it is not necessary to provide a machine with a controlling` device on both the feed and the tail ropes, but both arrangements are illustrated herein to show various ways in which my invention may be applied. The second arrangement may comprise a vertically disposed shaft 14 having bearings at its upper and lower ends in suit-

able brackets

15 and 16 respectively, and provided with hand wheel 17 at its upper end, if desired. A sheave 1S is mounted on a stud 19 carried by a `vertically movable block 20 having threaded engagement with the shaft 14, and retained in a dove tailed slot formed by vertically disposed

guide members

21, 21, attached to the rear end of the mining machine A. Then the tail rope is anchored in position to one side of the machine during the cutting operation, the rope 5 may be lcd directly to the anchor without engaging with the pulley 1S. Theoretically, it is desirable to arrange the tail rope drum 3 so that the tail rope 5 is paved off at a point substantially in the same plane as thecenter line of the cutter bar B so as to balance the pull of the feed rope 2 in the opposite direction.

In order to provide a tipping` movement to the machine in addition to that already described. the drum 3 and sheave 18 may be spaced on opposite sides of the machine, with the sheave 18 intermediate the anchor and drum, and on a line therewith, as shown. lVith this arrangement. it will be observed that when the rope 5 is placed under the pulley 18, the tension on the rope tends to lift the side of the machine nearest the anchor. It is obvious that the feed rope 2 might. be similarly ar anged, that is to say, the mechanism shown in Figure 5 might be used with the feed rope, if desired. ln the event that the cutter bar should assume an angular relation to the mine Hoor and start an upward cut, the rope 5 may then be led underneath the sheave 1S, moved to a position adjacent the mine floor, thereby exerting a tipping movement to the machine frame owing` to the tension on the rope 5.

Altho I have shown and described two forms in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that many other means may be employed for accomplishing the same results without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. l do not therefor wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific constructions illustrated herein excepting as specifically limited in the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent, is:

L1. The combination of a mining machine having an elongated frame movable bodily along the ground and provided with suitable cutting mechanism extending longitudinally from one end thereof. a flexible draft means adaptedto be anchored at a distance from the machine and having normal connection with said machine at a predetermined vertical position adjacent one end of said frame, a guide on said machine having detachable engagement with said draft means intermediate the machine and draft anchor to dcfiect said draft means vertically from its normal point of connection with said machine, and other draft means connected adjacent the opposite end of said frame and adapted to extend and be anchored in the opposite direction from said first named draft means.

2. The combination of a mining machine having an elongated frame movable bodily along the ground, and provided with suitable cuttingmechanism extending longitudinally from one end thereof, a flexible draft means adapted to be anchored at a distance from the machine and having` normal connectionl with said machine at a predetermined vertical position adjacent one end of said frame, a guide on said machine having` detachable engagement with said draft means intermediate the machine and draft anchor to deflect the same from its normal line, means for adjusting said guide vertically with respect to said cutting` mechanism, and other draft means connected adjacent the opposite end of said frame and adaptedto extend and be anchored in the opposite direction from said first named draft means.

The combination of a mining` machine having suitable cutting' mechanism for cutting a continuous lierf, a iexible draft means adapted to be anchored at a distance from the machine and having normal connection CJI with said machine substantially yin horizontal alignment with said cutting mechanism, means affording vertical adjustment of said draft means on said machine, and other draft means connected in offset relation with.

said first named draft means and operable on the opposite end thereof to maintain. the frame in the desired angular relation to the mine face. y t t 4. In combination with a mining machine having suitable cutting mechanism for cutting a kerf, a flexible draft means adapted to be anchored at a distance from the machine, a guide for said draft device mounted on a `vertically disposed shaft, substantially in horizontal alignment with respect to said cutting mechanism, and means for adjusting said guide along said shaft, above or below said cutting mechanism.

5. In combination with a mining machine having suitable cutting mechanism for cutting a kerf, a flexible draft means adapted to be anchored` at a distance from the machine, a guide for said draftl means on said machine, substantiallT in alignment with saidk cutting mechanism, and means for moving said guide above or below said cutting mechanism comprising a vertically disposed shaft, av bearing for said guide having threaded engagement with said shaft, and means preventing the rotation of said bea-r-y ing.

CHARLES E. Davis.