US2567204A - Slack or cuttings removing device for kerf-cutting machines - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 11, 1951 D. HAGENBOOK SLACK OR CUTTINGS REMOVING DEVI FOR KERF-CUTTING MACHINES Filed March 30, 1949 w mm N 6 b R E A H. QM. 0 w Lw P 1951 D. HAGENBOOK 2,567,204 SLACK OR CUTTINGS REMOVING DEVICE FOR KERF-CUTTING MACHINES Filed March 50, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 11, 1951 SLACK OR CUTTIN GS REMOVING DEVICE FOR KERF-CUTTING MACHINES- Loy D. Hagenbook, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 30, 1949, Serial No. 84,444

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements inslack or cuttings removing devices for kerf-cutting machines of the endless cutter chain type. and more particularly to cuttings removing devices for kerf-cutting machines which are slidable on their own bottom on the mine bottom, although not necessarily limited to the latter type of machines.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved form and arrangement of an endless chain conveyor device having projecting paddles pivoted to the chain and especially adapted to remove the cuttings as fast as they are discharged by the cutter chain at the rear end of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved guiding device for the impeller chain and paddles so that the paddles will move in a path closely approximating the path of movement of the cutter chain as the cuttings are delivered from the latter to the paddles.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a paddle-type endless chain impeller device of the character above described wherein the paddles are permitted to collapse towards the chain while they are moving in inoperative position, thereby providing a more compact mech-' anism for its intended purpose.

v Other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following description proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a kerf-cutting machine of the room and pillar type to which my improved slack removing device is applied, showing portions of the slack removing device and associated parts of the kerfcutting machine in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed section taken generally on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail section taken generally on line 3- 3 of Figure 1;

' Figure 4 is a detail section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section taken generally on line 55 of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the impeller chain and paddles and the arcuate guiding means therefor.

Referring now to details of construction of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, a slack removing device is for illustrative purposes shown as applied to a kerfcutting machine of conventional room and pillar type, including a main frame having a cutter bar |2 projecting forwardly therefrom. As usual, a cutter chain I3 is driven orbitally about said cutter bar and operates in a cuttings channel It! defined by side Walls l5, l5 and a base plate It beneath a drive motor M. The cutter chain is driven by a sprocket powered as usual from a motor |4 above the cuttings channel and cutter bar, so as to bring the cuttings rearwardly through the cuttings channel for discharge at the rear end of the machine. During the cuttingoperation of the machine the base plate It of the machine rests on the mine floor and the machine is maneuvered along the mine floor by the usual flexible cables (not shown) trained over power drums 20, also driven by the motor l4.

A slack removing device forming the subject of the present invention is shown herein as a detachable unit consisting essentially of a housing 2| disposed transversely across the discharge opening IQ of the cuttings channel at the rear of the machine. Said housing has an elongated cuttings receiving aperture 22 on its inner side opposite and closely adjacent the cutter chain sprocket I! of the machine. Said housing is arranged to close the rear end of the cuttings channel so that substantially all of the cuttings brought back by the cutter chain will be received and discharged by the slack removing device.

In the form shown herein the housing 2| is detachably connected to the main frame of themining machine as by. side plates 23, 24 formed integrally'with the housing 2| and secured to the outer faces of the side walls I5, H: of the cuttings channel by suitable bolts 25, 25. It will be understood, however, removing device could be constructed as an integral part of the kerf-cutting machine.

An endless conveyor indicated generally at is mounted for horizontal orbital movement within the housing 2|. The conveyor consists of a pair of vertically spaced chains 3|, 32, said chains being trained over a pair of vertically spaced sprockets 33 and 34 fixed on an upright shaft 35 at one end of the housing 2| and over a similar pair of sprockets 31 and 38 fixed on an upright shaft 39 at the opposite end of said hous ing. The sprocket shaft 35 is journaled at its upper end in the top plate 4|] of the housing 2| and at its lower end in the bottom plate 4| of said housing. The sprocket shaft 39 is also journaled at its bottom end in the bottom plate 4| of the housing 2| but passes through a journal bearing 42 in an auxiliary housing and has a gear 43 mounted at its upper end in said auxiliary housing on the top of said main housing 2|.

that, if desired, the slack- The sprocket shaft 39 with its bevel gear 43 is driven from the motor l4 of the mining machine by a drive mechanism somewhat similar to that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,352,795 to W. T. McCullough, so the details of said drive connection need not be fully described, excepting to point out the bevel gear 46 meshed with the bevel gear 43 on sprocket shaft 39 and driven through a one-way shifter clutch 41 on shaft 48 and having a bevel gear 49 fixed thereon meshing with a bevel gear 50. The latter gear is loosely mounted on the shaft 5| and is connectible thereto by an automatic limit clutch of well known construction indicated generally at 52. The shaft 5| has a sprocket 53 on its inner end connected to a drive sprocket 54 by a chain 55. The drive sprocket 54 is fixed on the rear end of a shaft 56 extending from the rear end of the kerf-cutting machine. In the form shown, the shaft 56 is part of the rear truck driving connection commonly used on mining machines of this character, driven from the motor I4.

Referring now in detail to the conveyor mechanism within the housing 2|, the two vertically spaceddrive chains 3| and 32 have a plurality of paddles 69, 60 pivotallymounted thereon at suitably spaced intervals. Each of the paddles 6|). includes a reduced neck portion 3| pivoted on a pin 35 extending between the upper and lower chain members 3| and 32. The impeller portion 62 of each paddle 59 is generally rectangular in shape to present a paddle-like surface extending substantially the full height of the interior of the housing 2| between the upper and lower plates 49 and 4|. In the preferred form shown. the outer or free edge of each paddle member 62 may be formed with a slightly concave margin 53, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, to conform with the general contour of the blocks and bits of the cutter chain I3, as indicated at 66 in Figure 2.

Each of the impeller members 69 also includes a shoe 61- forming an extension of the reduced neck portion 6| opposite the paddle portion 62, as clearly shown in Figure 6. Said shoes are curved in the direction opposite to the normal clockwise direction of orbital movement of the conveyor member, as seen in Figure 1, so as to provide cam surfaces 68 adapted to engage a guide plate 59' fixed to the bottom plate 4|. Said guide plate 69 includes extended guide. portions 1-9, H projecting into close proximity to and partiallyaround the two sprocket shafts 35 and 39 between the upper and lower sprockets 33, 34. and 3T, 38; respectively. Said guide plate and its two extending portions 10 and H are continuously curved, concave to the rear end of the cutter chain l3, in a horizontal planeon a radius approximately midway between a straight line and they center of rotation of the cutter'chain l3 about its sprocket |1'-, as shown in Figure 1.

The-movement of the two chains 3| and 32.

Figures 1 and 2. These last-named guide plates.

and 76 are curved on substantially the same are as the guide plate 69 previously mentioned. Due'to'this arrangement, the inner reach of the chains 3| and 32 move along an arcuate path as indicated in Figure l, and the inner guide plate.

69 is so spaced with respect to the pivot pins 36 of the several impeller members 62 that the cam surfaces 68 of the shoes 61' are engaged withthe.

guide plates 59 as they pass along the latter so that each paddle will be held in a substantially perpendicular relation with respect to the chains as it moves along the inner reach across the discharge opening |9 of the cuttings channel I8.

The arrangement is such, however, that as soon as each paddle passes beyond the end of the extension? I of the guide plate 69, the paddle member 60 will then be free for pivotal movement so that its outer end may be swung into partially collapsed position towards the chains 3|, 32.

In the preferred form shown herein, an upright arcuatedeflector plate 19 is placed adjacent the rear wall 89 of the casing 2| so as to aid in folding each paddle in the manner just described. However, an elongated opening 8| is provided along the'rear plate of housing 2| between the shafts. 35 and 39 so as to provide relief for any cuttings that might otherwise tend to become lodged along the rear reach of the chain.

The use and operation of the cuttings removing device hereinbefore described is asfollowsr During.- the cutting operation of the kerf-cutting machine in its usual manner, the cuttings are brought back by the cutter chain 3 through the cuttings channel |8 as the cutter chain movesabout its rear sprocket II to discharge the cuttings in a generally rearward direction.-

The cuttings removing device including the. housing 2| is disposed at vtherear end; of the machine so as to receive the cuttings and discharge them towards oneside of the machine byopera.- tion of the impeller or paddle members 60. carried by the endless conveyor 30'.

By reason of the arouate guide members 15- and 16 mounted on the top and bottom plates 49 and- 4| of the housing, respectively, the inner reach of the conveyor nearest the cutter chain will move in an arcuate path-following generally the path. of arcuate. movement of the cutter chain aboutits sprocket.

The fixed. guide plate 69. is mounted on the bottom plate 4| within the housing 2|. so as to be engaged successfully by the shoes 61 carriedby the, pivotally mounted paddle members B0 and hold said paddle members in outwardly extend.- ing. cuttings receiving relation tov the conveyor while. said paddles are being moved to, discharge the cuttings from the open rightehand end of the. housing 2|. After the paddles havev completed their discharging function,v their respective-shoes '31 will pass beyond the end of the extension H. of the guide plate 59, and thereafter the paddles are free to. be folded. or. collapsed towards the conveyor chains while the paddles are moving along the outer reach of the'conveyor. In this manner thedevice. may be made somewhat more. compact, thus saving, in over-all length. of. the. entire mining machine.

The rear opening 8|, in the. upright rear wall 8fl' of the housing 2| is designed to provide relief. for some of the cuttings. if they should tend to.-become lodged within the housing or if an excessiveamount of cuttings may be carried around the sprocket at the discharge end of the housing.v

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 cuttings removing device adapted for connection with a Keri-cutting machine including an elongated cutter bar having an orbitally movable cutter chain thereon, said device comprising a housing having an inlet opening along one side adapted to be disposed at the rear end of the kerf-cutting machine so as to receive cuttings from the rear end of the cutter bar and discharge them towards one side of the machine, an endless conveyor in said housing having an inner reach extending along said inlet opening and guided for arcuate movement in a path proximate to and concave toward the path of movement of the cutter chain at the rear end of said cutter bar.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the endless conveyor has a plurality of paddle members mounted at spaced intervals thereon, said paddle members each having arcuately curved free edges to conform generally to the vertical contour of the cutter chain.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the endless conveyor has a plurality of paddle members pivotally mounted at spaced intervals therealong, and guide means disposed along the inner reach of the chain coacting with said pivoted paddle members to hold the latter in outwardly projecting relation to the conveyor while said paddles are operating to discharge the cut-,

tings from said housing.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conveyor comprises a pair of vertically spaced chains, carrying paddle members pivotally connected to said chains by pivot pins extending between said chains and wherein guide means is disposed along the inner reach of the conveyor coacting with the pivoted paddle members to hold the latter in outwardly projecting relation to the conveyor while the paddles are operating to discharge the cuttings from the housing.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the endless conveyor has a plurality of paddle members pivotally mounted at spaced intervals therealong, and guide means disposed along the inner reach of the chain coacting with said pivoted paddle members to hold the latter in outwardly projecting relation to the conveyor while said paddles are operating to discharge the cuttings from said housing, and wherein the paddles are free to be folded by pivotal movement towards the conveyor while moving along the outer reach of the latter.

6. In a kerf-cutting machine having a cuttings channel and a cutter bar in said channel with a cutter chain trained about a sprocket at the discharge end of said channel, a cuttings removing device including a housing fixed at the discharge end of said channel with a cuttings receiving inlet immediately adjacent the cutter chain in said channel, and an endless conveyor in said housing extending transversely of said cuttings receiving passage with its inner reach guided for arcuate movement in a path concave to the path of arcuate movement of the cutter chain about its sprocket.

7. A machine in accordance with claim 6 wherein the endless conveyor has a plurality of paddle members pivotally mounted at spaced intervals therealong and guide means disposed along the inner reach of the conveyor and coacting with said pivoted paddle members to hold the latter in outwardly projecting relation to said conveyor while said paddles are operating to discharge the cuttings from said housing.

LOY D. HAGENBOOK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNI'ITED STATES PATENTS

Images