US2359889A - Coal mine haulage vehicle - Google Patents

Description

Oct. '10, 1944. R. s. BIGELOW 5 ,8 COAL MINE HAULAGE, VEHICLE Filed July-3l, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I in Get. 10, 1944. BIGELQW 2,359,889

con. MINE HAULAGE VEHICLE Filed July 51, 1943. s SheetsSheet 2 'Il/l/l/III/l/l/IiII/II/ii lllllll lllll VII/I IIIIIII!IIII/I;IIIII/II1 67 .312

Oct. 10, 1944. R; s. BIGELOW 2,359,889

COAL MINE HAULAGE vmucm:

Filed July 51, 1943 s She'eis-Sheet s Patented Oct. 1944 COAL MINE HAULAGE VEHICLE Roy S; Bigelow, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 31, 1943, Serial No. 496,861

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in coal mine haulage vehicles commonly known as shuttle cars, adapted to transport coal or other material from the working places of mines underground Shuttle cars are usually mounted on rubber tired driving and steering wheels and are propelled by electric motors, by power derived from storage batteries carried by the car. These cars usually consist of an open end frame having a conveyer forming the bottom of the material carrying compartment of the car, which serves to progress the material towards the front end of the car during loading and to discharge the material beyond the front end of the car during unloading. Heretofore, the conveyorhas been of the chain and flight type, requiring considerable power to move the coal along the stationary bottom plate of the car, and due to the restricted working conditions underground it has been dithcult to provide suflicient battery capacity to propel the car and operate the conveyer for an entire working shift.

The device of my present invention has as its principal objects to remedy these diifflculties by increasing the efiioiency of the conveying medium oi the car, 'by providing a continuous belt conveyer supported on a plurality of spaced antiiriction idlers, in place of the usual chain and flight conveyer riding along a stationary bottom plate. a

Another object of my invention is to provide a shuttle car of the class described wherein a continuous belt conveyer forms the bottom of the load carrying compartment of the car, and wherein the discharg end of this belt conveyer is so arranged that it forms a closure member for the front end .of the car, so as to prevent material from spilling from the end of the car, during-traveling of the car about a mine.

Other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1,is a fragmentary top plan view of a conveyer car constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figur 2 is a view in side elevation of the car shown in Figur 1, drawn to a slightly smaller scale thanFlgur'e 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged View in side elevation o! the front part of the car, with certain parts shown in longitudinal section, in order to more clearly illustrate certain details 01 my invention;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation drawn to 1 r to provide spaces for storage batteries and elecsubstantially the same scale as Figure 3, with the discharge end of the conveyer tiltedupwardly, to form a closure member for the front nd of the car;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along lin 66 of Figure 3; and

Figure 7' is a sectional view taken substantially along line l'! of Figure 3.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, a coal haulage vehicle or shuttle car is indicated generally at Ill. Said vehicle consists of an elongated chassis ll including a pair of vertically extending laterally spaced side walls l2, l2 extending the full length of the vehicle and forming the side walls of a coal carrying compartment l3 thereof. The receiving end of the car is flared outwardly as indicated by reference characters ll, M, to facilitate loading by the {boom of a loading machine, and the bottom of the material carrying compartment of the car is defined by a conveyer indicated by reference character l5.

The chassis also includes two rubber tired drive wheels I 6, l6, suitably mounted on the side walls l2, [2, near the rear of the machine, and two rubber tired steering wheels l1, l1 near the 'front of niy presentinvention, so not herein shown or described in detail. The steering wheels I], I1 mounted on the equalizing axle structure I8 are steered by means of a hand steering wheel 20 mounted in an operators compartment 2|, dis-w posed to one side of one side wall 12, in a well known manner, which is no part of my present invention. 1

The side walls l2, l2 have deck plates 22, 22 extending laterally from their upper edges along opposite sides of the vehicle, which merge with curved fenders 23 and 24, which form individual wells for the front and rearwheels respectively. Suitabl compartments 25, 25 ar provided along the outer sides of the side walls l2, l2 between the wheel wells and below the deck plates 22, 22,

trical control equipment of the usual kind.

The side walls l2, l2 are cross connected, adjacent the front axle structure I8 by means of a top plate 21 forming a shoe along which the upper run of the conveyer rides, and by means of a pair of longitudinally spaced angles 29, 29 forming a support for the cross axle structure I9. A top plate or shoe 38 disposed adjacent the rear wheels also serves to connect said side walls together, and a bottom plate 3| connecting the bottom margins of the side walls together, below the lower run of the conveyer, serves to stiffen the chassis structure. A plurality of relatively closely longitudinally spaced tie rods 32, 32 extend between said side walls and also serve as a cross connecting means therefor. Said tie rods have ball bearings 33, 33 mounted thereon, which have idler rollers 34, 34 mounted thereon, for supporting the upper run of the conveyer.

A shield 31 extends horizontally across the rear of the material carrying compartment I3 between the side walls I 2, I2. Said shield is arched upwardly at a level somewhat above the level of the conveyer and terminates into a rear bumper 38. This shield and bumper serve to protect the conveyer from the loading boom of a loading machine when said loading boom is extended directly into the rear end of the car during loadmg, besides serving as a reinforcing and cross connecting means for the frame of the vehicle.

Referring now in particular to the conveyer I5, an endless belt 40 having transverse flights 4|, 4| mounted on the outer side thereof, forms the bottom of the material carrying compartment I3. Said belt is supported on the idler rollers 34, 34 and the top plates 21 and 30 and istrained around an idler roller 42 at the receiving end of the car. Said idler roller is rotatably mounted beneath the shield 31 for longitudinal adjustment, to take up slack in the conveyer, and is 'so adjusted and held in adjusted position by means of threaded bolts 35, 35. Said belt extends from said idler roller over the idler rollers 34, 34 and shoes 2! and 30, and over a plate 39 at the discharge end of the car. Said plate connects the sides 43, 43 of a hinged end discharged frame 44 together. Said end frame extends beyond the front end of the carwhen the conveyer is positioned for discharging its load and will hereinafter be more fully described as this specification proceeds. From said last mentioned plate said belt passes to and around a drive roller 45 at the forward or discharge end of the car. and over an arched shoe 46, mounted between the sides 43, 43 and serving to increase the wrap of the belt as it passes around said drive roller. From thence said belt passes under a transverse guide shoe 41, connected between the side walls I2, I2, which has an upwardly curved forward end which serves to guide and to place an even curve on the lower run of the belt,'when said hinged end frame 44 is swung to anupwardly inclined position.

Retaining plates 48, 43 extend inwardly from the-side walls I2, I2 for a greater part of the length of the car and are engaged by the upper.

sides of the flights 4|, 4| and serve as a guide therefor, and also serve to prevent material from lodging between the edges of the belt 40 and said side walls. The forward ends of said retaining plates are bared upwardly asindicated by reference character 49, to bend the belt and to cause it to conform to the form of the hinged-end frame 44 when said hinged end frame and the discharge end of the belt are pivoted upwardly, to

igrm a'closure member for the forward end of e car.

versely extending tie rod 52 mounted between the side walls I2, I2. Said tie rod is encircled by sleeves 53, 53 extending inwardly of and formed integrally with the sides 43, 43 of said closure member.

The drive roller 45 is mounted at the forward end of the sides 43, 43 on a transverse shaft 54 journaled on hearing blocks 55, 55 slidably mounted in guides 56, 56 extending longitudinally of said sides and opening at the forward ends thereof. Said guides are formed by slots 51, 5! cut in said sides and by parallel spaced plates 58, 58, secured 'to the outer sides of said sides and extending outwardly therefrom in alignment with the upper and lower margins of said sides.

The drive roller 45 is urged in a position towards the forward ends of said slots, to maintain the tension of the belt uniform in all positions of The hinged end frame 4 is mounted on a trans- 15 adjustment of the end frame 44, by means of compression springs 59, 59. Said compression springs abut the bearing blocks 55, 55 at one of their ends and abut lugs 60, 60, projecting laterally from the outer sides of said hinged end frame, at their opposite ends. Said compression springs encircled threaded rods 6|, 6| slidably guided in the lugs 60, 50' and threaded in said bearing blocks 55, 55. v

The transverse shaft 54 is suitably driven from an electric motor 65, herein mounted on the outer side of the side wall I2, opposite from the operators platform 2|. Said motor is suitably connected to said drive. shaft through aworm and worm gear reduction, in a casing indicated generally at 66, and a chain and sprocket drive 61, driven by the worm of said worm and Worm gear reduction, the driving sprocket of which chain and sprocket drive is coaxial with thepivotal axis of the end frame 44.

A plurality of fluid pressure cylinders 69, 69, mounted on the outer sides of the side frame members I2, I2, are provided to elevate the hinged end frame 44 and the forward end of the conveyer I5 about the axis of the tie rod 52, so as to close the forward end of the car when travelling about the mine. Said fluid pressure cylinders, as herein shown, are suitably mounted on the outer sides of the side walls I2, l2 and have piston rods I0, Ill extensible therefromand connected at their forward ends to blocks 1|, 1|, slidably mounted in longitudinal guides I2, I2 extending along the outer sides of said side frame members.- Each of said blocks, as herein shown, has the rear end of apiston rod I0 and the rear end of a link I3 connected thereto on a bolt I4. Said bolt extends through said link, piston rod, and block, and through a slot I5 extending longitudinally of said side wall. The opposite end of said link is pivotally connected to a block I6, which is slidably guided in the guide 12 by means of a bolt 11, extending through said link and block and through the slot I5. Said bolt also has a link I9 pivotally connected thereto, the opposite end of'which link is pivotally connected to the upper end of an ear 80, secured to and projecting upwardly from the upper plate 58 of the guide 56. A cross frame member 8| extending across the forward end of the frame I is provided to limit downward movement of said hinged end frame. A fluid pump 83 driven from the motor 55 is provided to supply fluid under pressure to said cylinders and to the brakes of the car.

sion and release 'of fluid to and from said cylinders. v

When fluid under pressure enters the .piston rod ends of the cylinders 88, 69, the closure members and discharge end of the belt will be elevated about the axis of the tie rod 52, to

'close the discharge or forwardend of the ma- The release of fluid from the piston rod ends of said cylinders and the application of fluid under pressure to the head ends of said cylinders will lower the discharge end of the belt and place it in position to discharge material onto the car.

It should here be noted that the belt may be driven when in a position to close the discharge end of the car, so as to progress material from the receiving to discharge end of the car during theloading operation, but that the belt is usually in a horizontally extended position during loading of the car, until material has been progressed to the forward end of the car, at which time the discharge end ofthe belt is pivoted upwardly, to close this end of the car, for driving of the car about the mine.

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 arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1; In a mine haulage vehicle of the character described, a frame open at its ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls defining the sides of the material carrying compartment of the vehicle, and means forming a bottom for the material carrying compartment of said vehicle and adapted to progress material from the receiving to discharge end of said frame during loading, and to unload said vehicle by power including a plurality of closely spaced idler rollers spaced along said frame and an endless conveyer belt supported on said idler rollers.

2. In a mine haulage vehicle of the character described, a frame open at its ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls defining the sides of the material carrying compartment of the vehicle, and means for progressing matesaid sidewalls for substantially the full length of said frame and forming a connecting and stiffening structure therefor, closely spaced antifriction idler rollers mounted on said tie rods, and a'conveyer belt having flights on the upper side thereof supported on said idler rollers.

4. In a mine haulage vehicle of the character described, a frame open at its ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls defining the sides of the material carrying compartment of the vehicle, a plurality of idler rollers extending along said frame for substantially the full length thereof, a tilting frame transversely pivoted between said. side walls and extending beyond the forward end thereof, drive means on the forward end of said tilting frame including a power driven roller, a conveyer belt having flights on the upper side thereof supported on said idler rollersand extending around and driven from said drive ing frame, an upwardlyfarched shoe extending across the lower portion of said tilting frame and adaptedto engage the lower runof the belt as it passes around said drive roller to maintain a predetermined wrap thereof around said drive roller, and a bending shoe mounted between the side walls of said frame and having an upturned end projectingbeyond the transverse pivot of said tilting frame to place a predetermined bend on said belt as said tilting frame is moved into an upwardly tilted position.

5. In a mine haulage vehicle of the character described, a frame open at its ends and having a pair ofilaterally spaced side walls defining the sides of the material carrying compartment of the vehicle, a plurality of idler rollers extending along said frame for substantially its entire length, a conveyer belt having flights on the outer side thereof supported on said idlers and forming a bottom for the material carrying compartment of said frame, a tilting frame transversely pivoted between the side walls of said a frame and extending beyond the forward end thereof and forming a support for said belt beyond the forward end of said frame, a power driven drive roller at the forward end of said tilting frame, forming a drive means for said belt, means for moving said tilting frame in an upward direction to cause said conveyer belt to form a closure means for the forward end of said frame, and means for causing said conveyer belt to conform to the form of said tilting frame when in an upwardly tilted position and to be driven by said drive roller in all posisaid frame for substantially the full length thereof, and a conveyer belt having flights on the upper side thereof extending beyond the forward end of said frame and supported on said idler rollers for substantially the full length of said frame and forming a bottom for the material carrying compartment of said vehicle.

3. In a mine haulage vehicle of the character described, a frame open at'its ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls defining the sides of the material carrying compartment of the vehicle, and means forming a bottom for the tions of adjustment of said tilting frame including retaining plates extending inwardly from the side walls of said frame, for engagea pair of laterally spaced side walls deflning the sides of the material carrying compartment of thevehic'le, a plurality of idler rollers extending along said frame for substantially its enincluding a plurality of tie rods extending across tire length, a conveyer belt having flights on the forming a bottom for the material carrying compartment of said frame, a tilting frame transversely pivoted between the side walls of said frame and extending beyond the forward end thereof and forming a support for said belt be yond the forward end of said frame, a power driven drive roller at the forward end of said tilting frame, forming a drive means for said belt, means for moving said tilting frame in an upward direction to cause said conveyer belt to form a closure means for the forward end of said frame, and means for causing said conveyer belt to conform to the form of said tilting frame when in an upwardly tilted position and to be driven by said drive roller in all positions of adjustment of said drive roller including retaining plates extendinginwardly from the side walls of said frame, for engagement with the ends of the upper sides of said flights, said retaining plates having upwardly curved forward ends inclined at substantially the maximum angle of inclination 'of said tilting frame, said curved forward ends extending over the pivotal axis of said tilting frame and being adapted to engage the upper run of said belt, and a bending shoe mounted between the side walls of said frame and having an upturned end projecting beyond the transverse pivot of said tilting frame and. adapted to engage the inside of the lower run of the belt to place a predetermined bend hereon as said belt is moved intoan upwardly tilted position.

7. In a mine haulage vehicle of the character described, a frame open at its ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls defining the sides of the material carrying compartment of the vehicle, a plurality of idler rollers extending along said frame for substantially its entire length, a conveyer belt having flights on the outer side thereof supported on said idlers and forming a bottom for the material carrying compartment of said frame, a tilting frame transfining the sides of the material carrying com-' partment of the vehicle, a conveyer extending along said frame for substantially its entire length and including an endless belt forming a bottom for the material carrying compartment of said vehicle, a tilting frame transversely pivoted between the side walls of said frame and extending in advance of the forward end of said frame and forming a support for said belt beyond the forward end of said frame, and means for placing a bend in said belt to cause said belt to conform to the form of said tilting frame when in an upwardly tilted position including retaining plates extending inwardly from the side walls-of said frame, for engagement with the upper run of said belt, said retaining plates having upwardly curved forward ends inclined at the maximum angle of inclination of said tilting frame, said curved forward ends extending over the pivot point of said tilting frame and being positioned to engage and bend said belt as said tilting frame is moved to a position to close the forward end of said vehicle.

9. In a mine haulage vehicle of the character described, a frame open at its ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls defining the sides of the material carrying compartment of the vehicle, a conveyer extending along said frame for substantially its entire length and including an endless belt forming a bottom for the material carrying compartment of said vehicle, a tilting frame transversely pivoted between the side walls of said frame and extending in advance of the forward end of said frame and forming a support for said belt beyond the forward end of said frame, a power driven drive roller at the forward end of said tilting frame, forming a drive means for said belt, means for swinging said tilting frame in an upward direction to cause said belt to form a closure for the forward end of said frame, and means for causing said belt to conform to the form of said tilting frame when in an upwardly tilted position and to be versely pivoted between the side walls of said frame and extending beyond the forward end thereof and forming a support for said belt beyond the forward end of said frame, a power driven drive roller mounted on said tilting frame for slidable movement with respect thereto and forming a drive means for said belt, means for moving said tilting frame in an upward direction, to cause said conveyor belt to form a closure means for the forward'endof said frame, means for causing said conveyerbelt to conform to the form of said tilting frame and to be driven by said drive roller in all positions of adjustment thereof including retaining plates extending inwardly from the side walls of said frame and adapted to engage the upper sides of the ends of said flights and having upwardly curved forward ends inclined at the maximum angle of inclination of said tilting frame, a bend-' ing shoe mounted between the side walls of said frame and having an upturned end projecting bedriven by said drive roller in all positions of said tilting frame including retaining plates extending inwardly from the side walls of said frame, for engagement with the upper run of said belt, said retaining plates having upwardly having-a pair of laterally spaced side walls decurved forward ends inclined at substantially the maximum angle of inclination of said tilting frame, said curved forward ends extending over the pivotal axis of said tilting frame and being adapted to engage and bend said belt as said tilting frame is moved to a position to close the forward end of said vehicle.

' 10. In a mine haulage vehicle of the character described, a frame open at its ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls defining the sides of the material carrying compartment of the vehicle, a conveyer extending along said frame for substantially its entire length and including an endless belt forming a bottom for thematerial carrying compartment of said vehicle, a tilting 'frame transversely pivoted being beyond the transverse pivot of said tilting frame and adapted to engage the inside of the lower run of the belt and bend said lower run of the belt upon upward pivotal movement of said tilting frame.

11. In a mine haulage vehicle of the character described, a frame open at its ends and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls defining the sides of the material carrying compartment of the vehicle, a conveyer extending along said frame for substantially its entire length and including an endless belt forming a bottom for the material carrying compartment of said vehicle, a tilting frame transversely pivoted between the side walls of said frame and extending in advance of the forward end of said frame and forming a support for said belt beyond the fortion to cause said belt to form a closure for the forward end of said frame, andmeans for causing said belt to conform to the form of said tilting frame when in an upwardly tilted position and to be driven by said drive roller in all positions of said tilting frame, including retaining plates extending inwardly from the side walls of said frame, for engagement with the upper run of said belt, said retaining plates having upwardly curved forward ends extending over the pivotal axis of said tilting frame and being adapted to engage said belt as said tilting frame is moved to a position to close the forward end of said vehicle, yieldable means for yieldably maintaining said drive roller in an outwardly extended position with respect to said tilting frame, to maintain substantially the same tension on said belt in all positions of adjustment of said tilting frame, and a bending shoe mounted between the side walls of said frame-and having an upturned end projecting beyond the transverse pivot ofsaid tilting frame and adapted to engage the inside of the lower run of said belt during upward tilting movement of said tilting frame. a

ROY S. BIGELOW.

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