US2327724A - Kerf-cutting machine - Google Patents

Description

1943. F. A. LINDGREN 2,327,724

KEEP-CUTTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet l 1 IN vam-oa Pq qk A. Ling gran a. PM

ATTORNEY F. LIN'DGREN KERF-CUTTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 QN .NN NM 2 y W N flung;

Aug, 24, 1943. F. A. LINDGREN KEEP-CUTTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 F. A. LINDGREN KERF- CUTTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 30, 1940 mzg INVCNTOR Frank A. Lindy 9. P ATTORNEY Aug.24, 1943.

Patented Aug. 24, 1943 M i to Goodman Manufacturing'comlmt y 111., aicorporationof Illinois Chicago,

Application, December 30, 1940, Serial Named 10 Claims. (01. 2 2+sqi Figure '7 is an enlarged-detail view showing This invention relates to improvements in kerf-cutting machines of the' room and-f pill ar type. v a I a 7 One of the objects of myinvention'is to provide a new and improved kerf-cutting machine of a simplified construction includinga compact fiuid operated drive to the feed mechanism, ar-

ranged .with a viewtowa'rds simplicity and ease in operation and control.

Ancther object of my invention is to provi de a novel and simplified form of retarding means for maintaining the machine in the proper-re lationv with respect to the coal face,;jduring the cutting'operation, to take the place of theiusual separate. tail rope and retarding drum-,wvhich includes a ground engaging member-mounted on the retreating side of the machine andselectively operable to engage the-ground and to provide aretarding effect on therearend of the machine. a v

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a newi form ofyretarding devicefor maintaining the machine in the proper relation with respect to: the coal facei during=cutting,' includ ing a rotatable traction wheel adjustable-for engagement with the ground and adjustable 1on gitudinally of the machine, to take care of-vary ing conditions of cutting,'togethenwitdmeans for retarding rotation of said traction-wheel.

Other objects of my invention 'willrappear' fromtime to time as thefollowing' specification proceeds and iwith reference to thezgaccompanying drawings wherein: Figure-l is a fragmentary :plan view ofalk'erf cutting machine constructed in accordancewith my invention with certain-parts broken away"- other parts shown inhoriz'ontal secand certain tion broken away and certain other parts shown in longitudinal section; i

Figure. 2 is aview inside elevation of the ma chine shown 'inFigure 1, with certain parts Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of. the machine, taken substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 isa fragmentary longitudinal sec ti n l view ofthetm'achine, taken sulcrstantiallyi alongdineA-d of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an'xenlarged transverse sectional View taken substantiallyalong-line 55 of Figure 1; 2

longitudinal. sectiong" use certaindetails of the retarding device;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic the fluid circuit; and; a

Figure19 .is .adiagrammatic .view showing the machine cutting across a coal face and illustrating certain positions thereof during'cutting with varying lengths of. cutter bars. i In thedrawings, .the .embodiment of my invention" illustrated "includes .an underframe ;formed from a bottom plate l0; herein shown :view: illustrating asm'being in two. sections and extending the I length of the machine and having upturned side Walls H,1l l forming asupport for a motor !2 'at the front thereof and fora frame and gear housing I3 at the rear thereof; isadapted to; house andtform a bearing supporting means for the drive from said motor to the. feed; gearing andcutter chain drive mechanism, as will hereinafter be Emore fully described as this specification proceeds.

- A 'cutter bar generally. indicated .iby reference character It is mountedgon the, underside of the motor I21 and, gear housing I 3, and projects forwardly. from; the forward Vendofsaid motor.

Said cutter bar is of a usualconstruction having a. channelled guide-extending along the periphw ery thereof, for guiding a cutter chain l1 for orbital movement thereabout in a closed path, The arrangement of the; side walls I], H and themounting of the cutter bar on the underside ofthe motorcasing are such that the cutter chain moves in the space between the top of'said bottom plate ,andthe bottom of said motor and gear housing to a point adjacentthe rear end of said underfr'amafor discharging cuttings from the rear end of the machine.

.A cutter chain drive sprocket Iii-meshes with the. cutter. chain I! and forms aidrive means therefor. Said sprocket is keyed on the lower end'of a vertical shaft 20, journaled in the frame and gear housing |3.- Said vertical shaft is disposed adjacent. the rear end of said gear housing andisjournaled in said gear housing on spaced bearings 2 I 2 I disposed just above the hub of thesprocket I9 andltheother'is disposed at the upper end of said vertical shaft and is mounted in a bearing support'iportion 22 of the frame l3. A hub 23 of. a bevel gear. 24 is journaled on said vertical shaft and has a 'clutch member 25 splined thereon. "IhegjaW .10f ;said clutch member are adapted to engage jaws 26, 26, formed in 'aclutch member 21 secured to said vertical shaft, for

selectively driving said shaft and the sprocket |9 from saidibevelgear Said housing One, of saidbearingsis The truck and truck drive are no part of my pressent invention so are not herein shown or described.

A winding drum 35, having a flexible cable adapted tobe wound thereon, is provided to sump the cutter bar endwise into the coal face, and

to feed said cutter bar laterally across the coal face when sumped therein. Said winding drum, as herein shown, is freely mounted on one side of the, frame .and gear housing I 3 on a. transversely disposed stub shaft 31, mounted in said frame and gear housing (see Figure 1).

Referring now in particular to the novel and compact form of fluid drive from the motor I2 to the winding drum 35, the armature pinion 29. meshes with and drives a spur gear 39 on a longitudinal shaft 40. Said longitudinal shaft forms a drive shaft for a pair of tandem pumps 4| and 42, adapted tosupply fluid under pressure to a fluid motor '45. of anywell known type, but are herein shown as being rotary sliding vane types of pumps of a well known construction. Each of said pumps is of a differentcapacity so that one of said pumps may drive the fluid motor and winding drum 35 at one speed and the other pump may drive said fluid motor and winding drum at a lower feeding speed. Pressure pipes 43, 43 lead from said pumps to a valve 44, herein shown as being a simple form of 4-way valve, having connection with the pressure side of the fluid motor 45,.for driving said motor.

The fluid motor 45 may be of an ordinary rotary type well known-t0 those skilled in the art, so willnot herein be shown in detail. A longitudinally extending shaft 41 is journaled in said gear housing; coaxially with the drive shaft of said fluid motor, and has connection with said drive shaft through a couplinggenerally indicated by reference character 48. Said longitudinal shaft has a worm 49 mounted thereon, which meshes with and drives a worm gear 50 on a transverse shaft 5|. Said transverse shaft is suitably journaled in said gear housing, and as herein shown has a gear 53 formed integral with the outer end thereof. Said gear forms a drive means for a planetary geared reduction device 54 and meshes with planetary pinions 55, 55 mounted on stub shafts 56, 56. Said stub shafts are mount'ed in a cage 51, of said planetary. Said planetary pinions mesh with an internal gear 59 forming a reaction member for said planetary and secured to a frame portion 68 of said gear housing. The cage 5'! is herein shown as having a sleeve 6] formed integral therewith and journaled in said gear housing. A spur pinion 63 is formed integrally with said sleeve and meshes with an internal gear 64 rotatably mountedwithin a flanged portion 85 of the winding druml35. A driVing'pin-GB is mounted in a webbed portion -6'l of said winding drum and is adapted to have engagement with either one of a plurality of apertures, 68 formed in the web of said internal gear, and

Said pumps may be forms a means for selectively connecting said,

internal gear with said winding drum.

The fluid connections from the pumps 4| and 42 to the fluid motor 45 through the valve 44 are illustrated in Figure 8, and are so arranged that when said valve is in position to connect one of said fluid pumps to the fluid motor 45, the pressure 'side of the other fluid pump will be connected to a fluid storage tank 69, and vice versa. Thus, the fluid motor 45 may be driven from one of said fluid pumps at a relatively high rate of speed, for driving'the winding drum at a high positioning speed, for transporting-the machine about the mine on its own bottom and positioning it for cutting in the coal face, or

said fluid motor may be driven through the other. fluid pump, for driving said winding drum at a low feeding speed, for feeding the machine across the coal face. by means of the flexible cable v36. 3

Referring now to the novel form of retard-H. ing device, for maintaining the machine in sub:

stantially. perpendicular relation with respect to the co face, uring cutt n across a coal face, a depressible retardin device 10 is providedi Said retarding device is herein shown as being .a traction wheel adapted to be -en-. V gaged by a friction band 1!, for retarding ro tation thereof. Said traction wheel is: freely rod and engaging the underside of said cally extending supporting frame.

The piston rod 16 depends from a piston I8,

mounted in a vertically extending cylinder 80. Said Cylinder is mountedin a guide 84, extending along the, gear housing 13, for longitudinal ad-" justment with respect. to the machine.- A guide plate 85 is herein shown as being formedintegral Y with the cylinder and as extending laterally beyond thesidesof said cylinder and forwardly and rearwardly therefrom. Said guide plate slidably engages the guide 84 and is held in engage-' ment therewith by means of retaining gibs'86; 88.

The guide plate 85 is provided with a depend-1 ing wall portion 81 extending' -a'rou'nd the trac-E tion wheel 10 and frame 15, and having an ar- ..cuate outer. face 88 extending outwardly beyond the retreating side. of the frame l3. v

ortion en agesan outer curved portion as ofth'e frame 15, to form a curved guide therefor duringpivotal movement ofsaidframe and the traction it is cutting ossa coal face, 1

A threaded shaftSD isprovided to: a'djiistably 'move the traction wheel III longitudinallysofltlie frame l3, to adjust said wheel to place therequirfid dragon the machine during cuttingacross} the coal face (see Figure..2)L As hereinxsho'wm .said snail; as threadedensasement 'withwboss 9i, projecting upwardly from the rear end of the guide plate 85 and journaled in a rear wall pertion 92 of the frame, I3. Said shaft has re squaredouter end-9 3, adapted to beengagedbw .,a suitable hand crank (not shown):, for.rotatahly.;; 75

turning said shaft and slidably moving the guide Said wall 1 Said swiv led mountingiforsaid. trac tion wheel thus permits said traction wheel-t0 conform to the path of the miningmachineasplate 85 and cylinder 30 in the guide 84', in an obvious manner.

The friction band H has a plurality of lugs 94, 94, projecting from opposite sides thereof.

One ofsaid lugs is adapted to engage a lug 9B in a rear wall 9'! of the frame 15, and the other of said lugs is adapted to engagea lug 98 project-V, ing inwardly from the. outwardly curved wall 89 of said frame. A threaded rod 99 has pivotal connection with an inner end of said friction band and extends through a. lug I00, secured to the opposite end, ofsaid friction band. A hand wheel is threaded on the end of said rod and.

abuts a collar Hi2 encircling said rod and abutting the outer end of the lug 100. The collar l02.is

from the valve 44 to a valve I06, which is herein preferably shown as being a 4-Way valve. v v flexible pipe or conduit It? leads from said, valve to thehead end of said cylinder, for moving said piston in a downward direction. A flexiblepipe or conduit E08 leads from said valve to the piston rod end of said cylinder, for elevating said traction wheel. A discharge pipe I Eis leadsfrom said valve to the tank 69. The valve we is so arranged that When in one position, "fluid will be supplied to the head end of the cylinder 8B, and. exhausted from the piston rod end thereof through the discharge pipe H19, .and when in another position fluid will be supplied to the opposite end of said cylinder and exhausted from the head end thereof, through the discharge pipe I09. cylinder, to hold said piston and retarding device in the desired position of adjustment, said valve [66 isturned to an intermediate position, to close the ports leading to the pipes Nil and I08.

Referring now inparticular-to Figure 9, illustrating the use and operation of the retarding device, when the average machine is cutting across the coal face as indicated .at A, the cutting force on the advance side ofthe cutter bar in many cases is substantially equal to thefrictional resistance of the rear end 'of the machine against the ground, especiallywhen this cutter bar is relatively short. In cases like this, the friction band ll may be disengaged from the retarding Wheel It, to permit free rotation thereof. When, however, a hard spot is encountered in the coal, increasing the resistance against the advance side of the cutter bar, the tendency will be for the machine frame to travel ahead of the cutter bar. through this hard spot, the pressure on the advance side of the cutter bar will be relieved, but unless the frictional resistance of the machine against the ground is greater than the force exerted against the forward end of the cutter bar, the inclination of the machine with respect to the coal face will continue to increase during the remainder of the cutting operation, thus reducingthe cutting effectiveness of the cutter bar, and in severe cutting conditions causing the entire cutter bar to withdraw from the coal face. In order to provide this frictional resistance and retard travel of the rear end of the machine, the friction band ll may be applied to the retarding wheel 19, said wheel being in engagement with When it is desired to hold pressure in said.

After the cutter chain has cut the ground; The amount of pressure with which said friction. band engages said Wheel may be varied to? the extent necessary to. provide the desired degree of resistance in rotation of said wheel, and to maintain the machine substantially perpendicular tothe coal face. Said wheel may; also be moved. longitudinally of the machineptoprovide resistance against the ground at the, required point; r

The machine shown by broken lines at B in,

Figure 9 is provided with a longer cutter bar than normal: If the machine is cutting from right to left, it will normally assume a forwardly inclined position with respect to the coal face, and

will have a tendency tocontinue to pivot in the may be vmoved rearwardly along the machine frame in the guide 84, as indicated by diagram C;in Figure 9, to increase the retarding effect of the Wheel 70 an amount sufficient to bring the machine and cutter bar to a normal or substantially perpendicular position with respect to the coal face. v

v The retarding device thus eliminates the trainin of a tail rope from the machine and the setting of a jack therefor, and is readily adaptable to varying conditions and degrees of cutting, thus facilitating the cutting operation.

.If it is desired to tilt the machine about the advance side thereof, to prevent the cutter bar from rising inthe coal face, during the cutting operation, fluid under pressure may be admitted to the head end of the cylinder 8!] until the retarding wheel 10 raises the retreating side of the machine about the advance side thereof.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangementof the Various parts may Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my inventionto the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as it maybe limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: a i i i 1. Ina kerf-cutting machine, a winding drum having a flexible feeding member adapted to be Wound thereon for feeding said kerf-cutting machine across a coal face, and means for retarding forward travel of the rear end of said kerfcutting machine during cutting across a coal face including a rotatable retarding member adapted to have engagement with the ground, and means for restraining rotation of said retarding memher.

2. In a kerf-cutting machine, a winding drum having a flexible feeding member adapted to be Wound thereon, for feeding said kerf-cutting machine across a coal face, and means for maintaining said kerf-cutting machine in the proper relation with respect to the coal face during cutting across a coal face including a retarding member mounted on the retreating side of said Keri-cutting machine, for adjustable engagement with the ground and for adjustment longitudinally of said kerf-cutting machine and arranged to exert sufficient frictional resistance against the ground to retard travel of the rear end of the machine.

'3. In a kerf-cutting machine, a winding drum having a flexible feeding member adaptedtobe wound thereon, for feeding saidkerf-cuttingma chine across a coal face, and means for retard-' ing forward travel of the-rear end of said kerfcutting machine during cutting across a coal face including a rotatable retarding memberadapted to have engagement with the ground, means for restraining rotation of said retarding member, and other means for adjustably moving said retarding member longitudinally with respect to said machine, for varying the retarding effect thereof; j

5. In a kerf-cutting machine, a winding drum having a flexible feeding member adapted tobe wound thereon, for feeding said kerf-cutting machine across a coal face, andmeans for retarding forward travel of the'rear end of said kerfcuttingmachine during cutting across a coal face including a rotatable retarding wheel engageable with the ground and mounted for adjustable pivotal movement about a vertical axis.

6, In a, kerf-cutting machine, a winding drum having a flexible feeding member adaptedto bewound thereon, for feeding said kerf-cutting machine across a coal face, means for retarding for- Ward travel of the rear end of said kerf-cutting machine during cutting across a coal face including arotatable retarding wheel engageable with the ground and mounted for adjustable pivotal'movement about a vertical axis, and means for restraining rotation of said retarding wheel, when in engagement with the-ground.

' '7. In a kerf-cutting machine, a winding drum having a flexible feeding member adapted to-be wound thereon, for feeding said kerf-cutting machine across a coal face, and means for retarding-forward travel of the' 'rear end of saidkerfcuttingmachine during cutting across a'coal race including a rotatable traction wheel havingengagementwith the ground and mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, means for.-

retarding rotation of said traction wheel, and means for adjustablyv moving said retarding wheel longitudinally with respect to said frame,- to vary I the retarding action thereof.

8. Ina kerf-cutting machine, a frame, a winding drum. mounted on said frame and having a flexible feeding member wound thereon for feed ing said kerf-cutting machine across a coal face, and means for retarding forward travel of the rear end of saidkerf-cutting machine during cutting across a coal faceincluding a rotatable retarding wheel mounted at one side of the ma-,

chine and having rotatable engagement with the ground and mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, means for adjustably moving said retarding wheel longitudinally with respect to said frame to varythe retarding action thereof, other means for retarding rotation of said wheel,

and means for adjustably moving said retarding Wheel in a vertical direction to engage'said wheel with the ground with varying degrees 'of pressureand -to tilt said'kerf-cutting machine about the side thereof opposite from said retarding wheel:

9. In a kerf-cutting machine, a winding drum having a flexible feeding member adapted tobe wound thereon, for feeding said kerf-cutting machine across a coal face, and means for maintaining said kerf-cutting machine substantially perpendicular to the coal face, during cutting across 'a coal face, including a'rotatable retarding member engageable with the ground, and'cone trol means for said retarding member, for vary ing the retardingaction thereof.

'10. In a kerf-cutting'machine, a winding drum having'a flexible feeding member adapted'to be wound thereon, for feeding said kerf-cutting machine across a coal face, and means for main-r taining said kerf-cutting machine substantially perpendicular to the coal face, during cutting across a coal face, including 'a rotatable retard-' ing member, means for movingsaid retarding member vertically for engaging said retarding member with the ground, and a manually con trollable friction member engageable with said retarding member, for varying the retarding action thereof.

l FRANK A. LINDGREN.

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