US1686173A - pratt - Google Patents

Description

Get. 2, 1928.

C. A. PRATT MINING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet C. A. PRATT MINING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 14, 1925 C. A. -PRATT MINING MACHINE Filed Sept. 14, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FTUQWZfi!" marks/2 2M? mam/mam.

Cater-neg Patented Get. 2, i923.

UNITED CHARLES A. PRATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GOODMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MINING MACHINE.

Application filed September 14, 1925. SerialNo. 56,151.

This invention relates to mining machines and more particularly to mining machines of the continuous cutter type. More specifically, this invention relates to machines of the class described which are especially adapted for cutting in thin seams of coal.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a new and improved means for discharging the cuttings or slack which is brought rearwardly from the kerf by the out ter chain. I

Otherobj ects of the invention may appear from time to time as the description proceeds. 7 The invention consists of the combination, construction and arrangement of the various parts as will hereinafter be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a mining machine to which I have applied my invention, with the gear housing cover removed to show the parts thereunder;

Figure 2 is a right side elevation of the ma. chine;

Figure 3 is a plan view of-the rearward portion, withparts broken away to show de tails of the sweeping device for clearing away the slack cuttings; and

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the rearward portion of the machine with parts removed to show the sweeping mechanism.

Figure 5 is across-section showing details of the planetary device shown in Figure 1, and taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

'My invention is shown as applied to an improved type of mining machine which forms the subject matter of a companion application, hence only such details as apply to the construction and operation of the discharge meansthe subject of this applica tionwill be described.

It will be understood however, that the present invention may be applied with equal effectiveness to any mining machine of the continuous cutter type.

The machine illustrated. comprises a main frame A having a cutting element 1 project-' a ing therefrom. This cutting element is preferably provided with an endless cutter chain of the usual pattern, which is driven by a motor B located adjacent the rear of the machine, through suitable gearing, to cut a horizontal kerf in the mine wall as the machine A second rope 6 is anchored at the opposite end of the working face and is arranged over suitable pulleys 7 and 8 at the side and rear end of the machine frame, to a second drum 9, at the right side of the machine forwardly of the motor B and being also rotatable on a transverse axis. Driving mechanism between the rope drums and the motor B need not be described herein as they form no part of the present invention.v

A cutter. chain, comprising a series of blocks and straps of the usual form, moves in'guides 10 formed in the cutter bar 1. Said cutter bar is supported on the main frame by suitable clamps. The cutter chain passes about a sprocket 13 located near the rear end of the cutter bar and between the motor and rope drums Within a housing or passageway formed beneath a gear housing 14 between side walls 15 and 16 and abase plate 17 upon which the machine tests or slides upon the .formedjbetween the cutter bar and the side walls 15 and 16 but with the greatest tendency of the cuttings to be discharged and thrown rearwardly by the cutter chain as it I passes about its sprocket 13. This sprocket forms in effect a fixed guide, about which the direction of movement of the cutter chain is changed.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide means for'discharg- Inn ing these cuttings as they are brought rearwardly into the housing surrounding the cutter arm and chain sprocket, so that the accumulations of cut-tings will not clog the machine or be carried back by the cutter chain into the kerf. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the motor B is contained in a motor housing I), this housing being somewhat higher than the base plate 17 upon which the machine rests. This arrangementproduces av low passageway 18 extending rearwardly below the motor casing and connnunicates with the higher passageway formed. in front of the motor casing and beneath the'gear housing, above the cutter chain; Manifestly, in order to reduce the height of the entire machine as low as possible, commensurate with the successful operation thereof, it is desirable to reduce the height of the passageway to a .1inimum-.

In the present invention, I provide an improved means for ejecting the cuttings from adjacent the rear end of the cutter chain through the rear and side of the machine be- .icath th motor, this means requiring a mini mum of height for its successful operation and being capable of handling a large amount of cuttings. Y

As disclosed in the drawings, this improved means comprises a sweep or arm 19 adapted to have oscillating movement in asubstantially horizontal plane along the base platel'T. In the preferred form shown this sweep is keyed to a shaft 20 having pivotal bearing on a vertical axis near the rear and to one side of the main motor housing 6 so that the sweep is adapted to oscillate through an arc of approximately 90 degrees, with the extreme rearward position thereof coinciding substantially with the rear margin of the bottom plate 17 while its extreme position in the opposite direction is substantially coincident with the side margin of the bottom plate 17. The sweep may be suitably driven by the motor B, in the form shown, the operating con-- n-ections comprisinga lever arm 21 on the upper end of the shaft 20 and connected with a link 28 to a lever arm 24, pivotally mounted at 25 in the gear housing 14 forwardly of the motor casing 5 as best shown in Figure 3. The opposite arm of the lever 24 is connectedwith a link 26 to crank arm 27 on a vertically disposed shaft 28 having a worm gear 29 thereon meshed with a worm 30 loosely mounted on a horizontal shaft 82', as best shown in Figure 1. The worm 30 is rotated by a gear 31 which is driven by a low speed gear 33 connectedwith a 'planetarygear reduction device 34 of the well known type, for instance, as shown in theapplication of Thomas E. Pray, S. N. 69,228, iiled on November 16, 1925, and consists of a sun gear 48 keyed on a longitudinal shaft and meshed with a plurality of planetary gears 49, 49, carried in a cage 50 loosely mounted for rotation on the shaft 35.

Said cage is provided with a hub 51' having the pinion 33 with an integral sleeve 52 feathered thereon. A casing 53 surrounds the cage 50 and has a hub portion 54 loosely mounted for rotation on the sleeve 52 of the gear 33. The casing 53 is normally restrained from rotation by means of a suitable friction band 56 which actuated by controlling means comprising the usual tightening lever system (not shown). Thus when excessive loads on the feed mechanism are encountered the tension of the friction band on the casing 53 is such as to permit the latter to slip and thereby minimize the danger of breakage of parts of the gear train- The shaft 35 is in turn connected with the motor B through gears Zlfiand 37. With this arrangement the sweep 19 is swung angularly at reduced speed so as to remove the cuttings alternately toward the side and rear of the machine time moving the cuttings alternately toward. each of two emission openings and so spreading the cuttings over twice the floor area available if only one opening were provided and discharge them as rapidly as they are brought back by the cutter chain. i

As a further improvement 1. construct the end portion of the sweep so as to be extended at one portion of its movement. and retracted 4 at another thereby accommodating vitself more approximately to the. shape of the discharge passage and cooperating with the cutter chain as it passes about. the. driving sprocket 13, and thus assist. in discharging the. cuttings therefrom in the most eflicient manner. In the form shown this means comprises a telescoping end portion 38' carrying a lug-39 engaging a fixed guide means 40 and 41, herein shown as flanged pieces secured to the 1111- I der surface of the motorcasing b. The outer end portion 38 is provided with a guide rod 42 carrying a web 43 at the inner end thereof and extending in acylimler44. A tension spring 45 is secured in. said cylinder between the web 43 and a fixed shoulder 46 in said cylinder, the arrangement being suclithat the rod 42 and web 43 have atendency to force the end portion 38 outwardly as shown in Figure 3.

shown in dotted lines in this figure, the mg 39 engages either of the flanges. 400i" 41. to contract the telescoping end portion 32% and thus vary the length of the entire sweep to accommodate it to the size of the passageand thus eliminate interference with the. moving cutter chain as the sweep swings near to the \Vhen said sweep: is: swung .outwardly to its extreme position however, as

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latter, at the same time approaching as close- V ly as possible to the cutter chain and approx- 1 r imating the curvature thereof Where thelatter passes about its sprocket 13c 7 It will be noted that a flanged deflector 38 is fastenedto the outermost end of the end portion 38 and is inclined toward the front nel. This deflector assists in preventing the cuttings at the front side of the sweep from spilling over or being forcedforwardly into the path of the cutter chain when the sweep is being oscillated toward the side opening.

One of the main advantages of the construction above described is the provision of an improved form of sweep so that the entire height of the machine may be reduced to a minimum, it being understood that the motor B usually forms the largest element on such machines and therefore to a large degree determines the permissible height of the machine.

Although I have shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the con struction of the parts and/ or the arrangement thereof may be varied or altered without departing from the spirit and scope of my in vention. Therefore, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom provided with a cutter chain, a portionof said frame and said cutter bar forming a passage into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly by said cutter chain, and discharge means for the cuttings including a horizontally oscillating sweep.

2. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom provided with a cutter chain, a portion of said frame and said cutter bar forming a passage into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly by said cutter chain, and discharge means for the cuttings including a horizontally oscillating sweep, and means co-operating with said frame for varying the length of said sweep in varying angular positions thereof.

3. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom provided with a'cutter chain, a portion of said frame and said cutter bar forming a passage into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly by said cutter chain, and discharge means for the cuttings including a horizontally oscillating sweep, the free end of said sweep extending toward said cutter chain to remove the cuttings therefrom alternately in one direction and then in the other.

4. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom provided with a cutter chain, a portion of said frame and said cutter bar forming a passage into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly by said cutter chain, a fixed guide member in said passage for changing the course of direction of said cutter chain, and discharge means for the cuttings including a horizontally oscillating sweep rearwardly of said guide member.

' 5. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom provided with a cutter chain, a portion of said frame and said cutter bar forming a passage into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly by said cutter chain, said passageway opening to the side and rear of said frame rearwardly of said cutter chain, and discharge means for the cuttings including a horizontally oscillating sweep, the free end of said sweep extending in a direction toward said cutter chain and movable alternately toward the rear end opening of the frame in one direction and toward the side opening in the other direction.

6. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom provided with a cutter chain, a portion of said frame and said cutter bar forming a passageway into which the cuttings are brought rearwardly by said cutter chain and having dual including a horizontally oscillating sweepv movable alternately toward the rear end opening of said frame in one direction and toward the side opening in the other direction, and a deflector on the forward end of said sweep inclined toward the front and side opening of the machine.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 15th day of June,

7 CHARLES A. PRATT.

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