US2691513A - Mining apparatus with cleanup - Google Patents

Description

Oct. l2, 1954 K. E. MGELHATTAN MINING APPARATUS WITH CLEANUP 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1949 R w N 2 v @ws m w u w H \%N l o o .J .W I o -m 1 G .L M \L .L .L O ,w\\ w\ S S m n 1 .w\ n mu H o .WW 1 o m o M O O O \.\\\s\ M\ m .V\ V w Q S' o ull U L o Q F F:MNB n u F. .1J .m u O .e O G .n n M W I Y mdrr DE u n Qd o O lla@ O N` h h, n D n D o M n L n N bv I- Q l X N Q N\ u Q x A G O O J A m( EN l Y Y N m 5.9222022 @fyi/M2302.

,dba/@MM- QZZoraQey.

Oct, 12, 1954 K. E. MQELHATTAN MINING APPARATUS WITH CLEANUP 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2. 1949 a. n ria y 02a w o0 t WZ o e? Z U Z W 4 Q [va .a vm e Q K m, R, E QW wh b E. We 111-2'- WMF. -....J l S N .LFT m,w...wm. w L i., 1H.. o A mbb l. 1| \.\...IWH.|Wm 4 nwm. .o o, Nbmvb xxe f G o o h I l o o 0 o 1f f j W o o VJ K MVVNNWNWMU Il O S O o e o o @my l L J \\\|1// O oo oo K o a m ,o o b Iwv wm E o o o o HI IUI u SM wx@ Oct. 12, 1954 K. E. MCELHATTAN MINING APPARATUS WITH CLEANUP 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 2, 1949 ,44a/4MM.

6220 Wzey.

Oct. 12, 1954 K. E. MCELHATTAN 2,691,513

MINING APPARATUS WITH CLEANUP P:ad July 2. i949 5 SheetsSheet 4 Oct. 12, 1954 K. E. MCELHATTAN MINING APPARATUS wrm CLEANUP 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 2. 1949 Eig/Q All L lllllll Patented Oct. 12, 1954 UNITED ASTAT-*ES PATENT 'DFFI'CE `Kenton Eugene McElhattan, Franklin, Pa., as-

signor `to Joy Manufacturing Company, -Pitts burgh, Pa., a corporation of yPennsylvania,

Application July 2, 1949,-Serial No. 102,796

11 Claims. 1

My invention relates to Vmining apparatus: and more particularly to mining apparatus of 'the so-called continuous miner ftype.

,Continuous miners are-apparatus for mining .coal or other mineral from seams or veins ina relatively continuous process, effecting a disintegration of the seam or vein and-the removal of the coal or other-mineral detached-from the .scam or vein and delivering itto a ltransport system, all without Iintervening handling by manpower.

In a form of continuous miner which has recently come upon the market there is incorporated a tractor-supported base upon which a turntable is mounted for vrotation upon avertical axis. This turntable has on it means for disintegrating a mineral vein, means for reoeiving the material detached from the-mineral vein andcarrying it backward, and r`means for .related generally horizontal paths .and ya .dis-

integrating apparatus per se mounted on said frame for swinging movement about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the path of reciprocation. This disintegrating apparatus includes a plurality of series of orbtally moving disintegrating elements traveling in similar elongated orbits and sospaced as to tear loose the mineral which they attack over a substantial widthon the order, say, of two to three feet. The disintegrating apparatus vis swingable upwardly at its forward end about the horizontal axis mentioned and-may be sumped and withdrawn, and may be driven by power provided by motor means so supported as to be rotated upon rotation of the turntable, and so connected with the disintegrating apparatus that the .sumping and withdrawing movements of the latterand vthe vertical swinging movements of the latter will notlinterruptthe drive'of thedisintegrating elements. The disintegrating apparatus is 1 provided with hydraulic 'feeding and retracting cylinders and with hydraulic upswing cylinders, and a cycle of operation applied 'to a single vertical band of coal or other mineralincludes, desirably, a sumping, entering attack on the coal or other mineral, a vertical upswinging :movement during which usually the largest partici ythe coal in a particular'band is `torn-loose from "the face, and nally a retractivemovementduring which a roof generally parallel to the mine riioor vis formed. The coal or :other mineral :.-is torn from thefface and vdisintegrated, and =most of it is carried :by the disintegrating Aelements rearwardly along the top :of the disintegrating mechanism and Vdelivered to a front receiving conveyor vwhichconveys it :back to a hopper, in the -Well known Aform of apparatus mentioned, from whichrhopper thematerial iszdelivered vto a desired vdischarge point Aby 1a rear -conveyor. Successive vvertical bands :are removed across :a -face until 4the full width has been covered, and fthen another layer, soto speak, -is progressiveyly mined out by the disintegration fof its 4constituent vertical zbands.

These machines, when operating fin; many coal mines, need :clamp cleanup devices, because -bug dust and some lumps, instead of being -discharged to the delivery'point of ythe machine, reach Athe -mine =loor -Iin substantial quantity. This need may, of course, exist in the mining of other minerals. :Some coal may escapetat the partially -open side of the upright bands undergoing disintegration; some is ydetached with such forcethat itis thrownor/bounces out of the front receiving conveyor, and-some: escapes downwardly through thespaoes-between the disintegrating elements as lthese are sweeping through the generally upwardly `directed arcuate portions of theirtravel at the ,forward vend of the Vdisintegrating apparatus. lIn fany event, enoughA coal-mostly rlines-escapes to the lmine floor to presenta jnumber .of A.problems or complications whichfmake the cleaning up of the Ybottom b othfdesirableand worthwhile. While .the -ne material on the ,ioor is more expensive to clean than the average material that v.goes over vthe yminer-conveyors it is of .real `value, vand unless it is, loaded andtaken out of-the mine .it represents -a denite gloss.

Such material increasesre anddust explosion hazards, .andvitis difficultand expensive to vattempt by rockA dustingto` obviate thesedangers.

fA layer of loosamateri-al onthefloor. interferes :with settingprops, as'the coalhasato be-shoveled aside so the props can be rmly supportedbn lthe .-iioor. vAnd ',the y.coal .displaced in setting props may, since it is;likely ,to beshoveledin frontof the operatorgvnotonl-y add tofthediscomfort of vthe operator, :but actually fmake things more unsafe for him in the event=quick movement may be necessary.

From the :standpoint I-of -actual ,operation of Vthe miner, if the'bug-fdustsbe not removed, there will be more frequentpneed for adjustment-of l,the lower `limit fior the,A disintegrating apparatus,

as the level of the surface over which the ma- 3 chine moves will change with the thickness of the unremoved layer of coal. There will be a less stable foundation for the machine as it attacks the face; and, especially in low seams, it may be impracticable to use machines which could otherwise have been employed.

For all these, and perhaps other, reasons, it is highly desirable that provision be made to clean up the loose coal or other material from the mine bottom and effect its delivery with the other and main portions of the disintegrated product.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved mining apparatus. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mining apparatus including improved means for effecting the cleaning up from the mine floor of any material detached from a seam or vein and which may escape to the mine floor. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved mechanism for moving loose coal or other disintegrated mineral on a mine bottom into the range of operation of an apparatus which will pick it up from the floor and deliver it to a desired point. Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved floor-cleaning arrangement including a loose material-pushing apparatus operatively connected with a moving part of a mining apparatus for actuation by the latter. A further object is to provide an improved mining apparatus in which a loose material-pushing apparatus is operatively connected with the veinattacking apparatus of the mining apparatus in such a manner and by such means as not only to move the material of which it changes the position on the mine floor, into the reach of the veinattacking apparatus, but also as to be moved out of possible interference with the vein-attacking apparatus as the vein-attacking apparatus is moved in a direction to increase its proximity to the loose material-pushing apparatus. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable material moving apparatus. Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an improved disintegrating and floor cleaning `arrangement for a mining apparatus including a distinegrating structure, a structure for moving loose material on the mine bottom within the reach of the distintegrating structure, and an improved interconnecting linkage for coordinating -the relative movements of the two structures.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one illustrative embodiment which the invention may assume in practice is shown for purposes of illustration,

Figs. l and 2 are, respectively, top plan and side elevational views of the forward end of a continuous miner in which my invention from its various aspects is incorporated.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 but on a reduced scale.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse fragmentary sectional view on the plane of the line 6-6 of 'Fig 5.

Fig. 8 shows the structure of Fig. 'I in a different position, the disintegrating apparatus being shown in a position which it would not ordinarily assume in practice, this position being illustrated only for the purpose of showing the maximum downward movement possible for the disintegrating apparatus.

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the disintegrating apparatus in elevated position and about to make a withdrawal movement.

Fig. l0 is a similar view showing the distintegrating apparatus about to start a sumping operation, and with the small amount of residual material on the mine floor in the position to which it had been previously moved forward by the pusher mechanism forming a portion of the invention.

Fig. 1l is a view showing a portion of the hydraulic system of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, and rst to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, it will be observed that I have shown at I a mining apparatus of the so-called continuous miner type. This includes a base 2 adapted to be transported by power driven tractor tread devices 3 and carrying a turntable 4 which may be rotated on a vertical axis 5 by a horizontally rotative force applying means 6. The turntable 4 carries a pair of motors 1, 'I in stationary relation to it, and has guideways 8, 8 in which there is reciprocable, radially of the turntable, a frame 9 which pivotally supports, for swinging movement in vertical planes about a transverse axis I0, a distintegrating mechanism II, which includes a plurality of disintegrating elements I2, herein shown as supported by circulating chains I3 guided for movement in closed orbits on a built-up bar structure I4 (see Fig. 3). The chains I3 are driven by sprockets I6 carried by a splined shaft Il', which is driven by gearing (not shown) housed in gear boxes I8 supported by the sliding frame 9, power being delivered to the gearing in these gear boxes by telescopic shafts 2U driven by the motors 'I. The distintegrating apparatus discharges to a front conveyor 22 of the flight type, and this conveyor is driven from one of the motors 'I through extensible transmission mechanism 23. The front conveyor 22 discharges into a hopper 24 from which a suitable delivery conveyor 25, of which only the forward portion is shown, delivers the material to a desired point rearwardly of the apparatus.

The disintegrating apparatus Ii is adapted to be swung vertically by power supplied by a pair of upswing cylinder and piston mechanisms 21 secured, as at 28, to the bottom of the reciprocable frame 9, and the frame I4 has at its opposite sides depending, rearwardly extending arms 29 pivotally connected at their inner ends, as at 3G, to pitmans Si secured to the pistons 32 of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 21, and adapted to be moved forwardly by hydraulic fluid supplied under suitable control, and to be returned, upon venting of the fluid, by the weight of the disintegrating apparatus.

As so far described, the apparatus is essentially the same as that disclosed in the John R. Sibley application, Serial No. 47,422, iiled September 2, 1948 which, following the filing of a continuation-in-part application, Serial No. 102,996 on July 5, 1949, has now become abandoned, the John R. Sibley application and this application having a common assignee. It is believed unnecessary to show and describe the structure thus brieiiy adverted to in any more detail, but if further description is desired, it may be had by ref- The recprocable frame 9 includes a material -receiving trough structure at whose bottom there is arranged a forwardly sloping deck plate 4l over Awhich the fiights 42 of the front conveyor -2`2 move rearwardly; thereturn run of this conveyor passes over a lower deck plate 43. The trough structure 40 supports a transversely extending idler roller for the front conveyor 22; and, pivotally supported on the trough structure-40 for swinging about a horizontal axis in the same straight line with the axis of the idler .roller 45, which axis is indicated at 4S, there is a frame 4'! including a pair of rearwardly extending ear elements 48, a transverse plate element 49, forwardly extending side plate elements 59, bottom reinforcing structure 5i, and a top plate 52 having its forward portion 53 more steeply .forwardly inclined than its rearward portion 54. This suitably reinforced structure carries a, rearwardly projecting portion 56, between the ears 5l on which there extends a pin 53 to which there is suitably pivotally connected at 59y the piston rod 60 of a tilt cylinder and piston mechanism 6l supported at its other end, as at 62, on ear structure 63 depending from the bottom deck plate 43. The cylinder and piston mechanism 6| is single acting, and the admission of fluid to its rearward end swings the forward end of the structure 4l upwardly about the axis 4S.

The side plates have suitably secured to them gibs 65 spaced apart one above the other, there being a pair of gibs at either side of the structure 4l. Suitably slotted guide bars G5 are reciprocable between the gibs and guided by them for longitudinal reciprocation. These guide bars are attached at their forwards ends, herein through an angle plate member 1D, to a relatively wide pusher element 'll of boxlike construction and having a forward sloping pusher wall '12. The connection between the pusher structure il and the guide bars 56 is herein shown as a rigid one, but it will be readily understood that a structure which would permit the pusher element i Il to swing upwardly as it was retracted, so that it might pass easily over any material that might be behind it, might readily be adopted. All that would be necessary would be to provide a pivotal connection between the forward edge of the horizontal portion of the `angle '10 and the top of the pusher structure 1| and to remove the bolted' connections between the pusher structure and this angle which are shown in the present drawing.

It will also be noted that if fluid under pressure is not being supplied to the cylinder and piston mechanism 6| the resistance encountered by the heel of the pusher element ll may kick the structure 41 upwardly and allow the pusher element to pass over any material on the mine bottom or oor, particularly if the rearward side of the pusher element be suitably beveled.

It is desirable that the pusher element ll be advanced at a time when the disintegrating apparatus cannot have its disintegrating elements snag the pusher structure. It is also desirable that means be provided for pushing the pusher element 'H forward in every position of attack of the disintegrating mechanism across the face, thus causing the pusher element to clear the mine floor within its path of movement and to move any loose material within its path of travel forwardly into a position where it will be picked up bythe lower, forwardly moving runs of the dis- 6 integrating chains i3 fand `carried up around `"the forward end of 'the orbits of these chains rand then rearwardly along the tops of the chains, and Vbe discharged onto'the conveyor 22 and thus be carried off to a desired pointof delivery.

These desirable results are accomplished by arranging appropriate connections .between the disintegrating apparatus Il and `the pusher mechanism whereby during upswing of the disintegrating apparatus thewpusher mechanism will be advanced and during downswing of the disintegrating apparatus the pusher element 1I will be retracted. This is accomplished `by the provision of rigid rearward extension bars I5 welded or otherwise suitably connected to the arms 29, and pivotally connecting these rearward extension arms, as at T6, to Vforwardly extending links l1 whose forward ends are pivotally .connected, as at i3, with ears 19, x'edly secured to the tops of the guide bars 5t near the forward ends of the latter. ln this arrangement it will `be appreciated at once that as the disintegrating apparatus I l is swung upwardly the points 'I6 will be swung in an arc of relatively flat curvature from a point to the rear of a verticaltransverse plane including the axis lll, to another point-forwardly of such plane, the distance of these points apart being sufficient to provide the desired-forward movement of the pusher element ll. C'orrespondingly, on down swing of the disintegrating apparatus Il, the pivotal connection it lwill be swung rearwardly from a position well forward of the 4axis I0, as illustrated for example in Fig. 9, to a position to the rear of the vertical plane mentioned, and thus retract the bars 66 through a relatively long stroke.

The mode of operation of the clean-up apparatus will be readily understood from what has been stated. Fig. l0 shows the disintegrating apparatus about to be sumped into a vein as the rst step in the removal of a vertical band of material therefrom. It will be noted that there was brought into the reach of the disintegrating elements I2 a substantial heap of bug dust through the preceding forward movement of the pusher element 1l. This is largely removed as the disintegrating apparatus, with iis disintegrating elements moving orbitally, is lowered into sumping position. As a sumping operation takes place, the pusher element remains on the mine bottom but is advanced with the disintegrating apparatus and will push ahead of it any material it encounters. As the disintegrating apparatus starts its upward movement and material either drops between the disintegrating elements, or for other reasons falls downwardly, this material, plus any other material which has fallen within the path of forward movement of the pusher element l l, will be thrust forward into a position where it may be cleaned up by the disintegrating apparatus when the latter again removes a segment of mineral in the same general relation to the center line of the room or entry. As the disintegrating apparatus Il moves up, the pivotal connection 16 moves forward, thrusting the links l1 forward and thereby thrusting the bars 66 and the pusher element 'll forwardly. At the end of the upswinging movement, as represented in Fig. 9, the pusher element 'H has moved as far forwardly as is possible relative to the then stationary base 2 of the apparatus as a whole. As the withdrawing movement of the disintegrating apparatus takes place and as the disintegrating mechanism is swung back down, after the withdrawing movementvhas been completed, the pusher element will be retracted, first due to the retractive movement of the frame 9 and then due to the rearward movement of the bars G6 under the pull of the links 1l. It will thus be seen that each time the disintegrating mechanism is sumped in, the pusher element will be advanced concurrently and at a like rate with the disintegrating mechanism, and that as the disintegrating mechanism is swung upwardly the pusher element will be further advanced and thus move the loose material in its path forwardly. The cumulative forward movement may be on the order of a yard for a sumping movement of eighteen inches, in a mine of substantial height.

In Fig. l1, there is shown in simple form a hydraulic system suited for the control of the apparatus for eiecting clean-up of the mine oor. No effort has been made in this figure to show any more than will suiice to disclose the control of sumping and withdrawing, the supply and venting of fluid from the cylinder and piston mechanism 6I, and the supply and venting of fluid from the upswing-effecting cylinder and piston devices 21.

The sumping and withdrawing cylinders, for effecting sumping and retraction of the disintegrating apparatus and of the clean-up mechanism, are shown at B5, 85 in the diagram of Fig. l1, and one of them is also shown in part in Fig. 3. These are double acting cylinders, since they both advance and retract the disintegrating mechanism and the clean-up or pusher mechanism. They are connected together at their opposite ends by cross connections 86 and 81. A conduit 8S serves to supply iiuid to the front ends of the cylinders 85 through the connection 81, and a conduit 89 serves to supply fluid to the rearward ends of the cylinders 85 through the cross connection 86. A connection 9| is adapted to supply fluid through branch connections 92, 92 to the upswing cylinders 2T. A relief valve 93 is adapted, upon a development of excessive pressure within the cylinders l-as, for example, in the event of a roof fallto permit the venting of fluid through a relief connection 94 to a general return conduit 95, which leads from a valve box structure 96 and serves for the discharge of uid from the valve box structure back to a tank or reservoir 98. A suitably driven pump 99 draws liquid from the reservoid 98 via a conduit and delivers it through a conduit |0| to the supply box |02 of the valve box structurke 96. The box section |04 of the valve box structure has the return line 95 connected to it, and a conduit |06 serves for the supply of fluid to a cylinder and piston mechanism 6|, and for the venting of fluid from the latter.

Shown as parts of the valve box structure 90 are three valve units |08, |09 and |0. These are of conventional form and the first two simply control the supply of fluid to and the venting of fluid from the single acting cylinder and piston mechanism 6I and the pair of single acting cylinder and piston mechanisms 2l'. The unit H0 controls the supply of uid selectively to the conduits 83 and 89, and the venting of luid from these conduits. The structure of the units being conventional and being capable of side modication, it will suflice simply to mention that each has for its valve an operating stem, and that these stems are designated ||2 and H3 for the units |08, |99 and H0 respectively. It will be understood that when sumping is to be effected, the stem ||3 will be operated to cause the unit ||0 to supply uid to the conduit B9, while the conduit 88 is vented to the return line 95. When upswing is to be eected, the unit |09 will eiect the supply of fluid to the conduit 9|. When retraction is to be eiected, conduit 89 will be vented and the conduit 88 supplied with iiuid by the unit H0. During transport, the unit |08 will elect the supply of fluid to cylinder and piston mechanism 6 One more point might be mentioned; namely, that the supply box |02 is provided with a relief valve I5 and the units are so constructed as to permit free now-through of pressure between the conduits |0| and 95 when none of the units |08, |09 and ||0 is eiecting fluid supply to the cylinder and piston mechanism which it controls.

No further detailed description of the structure or mode of operation of the invention appears to be necessary. Starting with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 10, the disintegrating mechanism and the pusher mechanism will be advanced to the right through the action of the sumping and withdrawing cylinders 85. The disintegrating mechanism will be then swung upwardly to the position shown at Fig. 9, and the pusher mechanism will be advanced to the position shown in that figure. The width of this mechanism will be made such that it will not interfere with any uncut portion of a face, or, if desired, it may be made narrow enough so that it lies wholly within the width of the disintegrating mechanism, with the result that there could be no interference with any uncut ribwhether a side rib or a rib bounding one of the vertical bands which are successively cut out. After the upswing disintegrating operation has been completed, the cylinders will retract the whole apparatus, thus removing the relatively small ridge of coal at X in Fig. 9, and the pusher being retracted from its extended position. The disintegrating apparatus will then be swung down, with simultaneous retraction of the pusher; and the disintegrating apparatus, as it reaches its lowered position, Will clean up most of the material which lies beneath it as a result of a prior operation of the pusher mechanism during the removal of a previous vertical strip of coal across the face.

It will be evident that the apparatus is simple, eifective, fully protected from self-damage, and automatic, or at least semi-automatic, in its operation.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration, and that the invention may be modined and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In combination, a base, an elongated disintegrating apparatus, means swingably supporting said elongated disintegrating apparatus on said base for movement up and down in upright planes, a material pushing device, means supporting said material pushing device on said base for reciprocatory movement in the planes of swing of said disintegrating apparatus and in a path to which the swing of said disintegrating apparatus is transverse, and means controlled by the swing of said disintegrating apparatus and including mechanism connecting said apparatus and said device for transmitting movement from the former to the latter for retracting said device aeefifere 9 'assaid disintegrating apparatus "makes its downswing. f

`2. In'combination, a base, a carriage, recipro- 'cably `supported on said base, a ldisintegrating apparatus pivotally supported on said carriage for swinging .movement upwardly and .down- Wardly relative theretoin vertical planes, guideways on `said carriage disposed substantially horizontal, a pusher element for moving material over agenerally horizontal surface, said .pusher element having supporting means slidably guided by said guideways, an arm connected with said 'disintegrating apparatus and swung as the latfter moves upwardly and downwardly, a link-pivotally connected to said slidable supporting means, and a pivotal connectionbetween said link fand said arm at apoint in the latter offset from its axis of swing.

3. In combination, `a `trame, a disintegrating apparatus, means for pivotally supporting said disintegrating.apparatus on saidframe for swinging relative to the latter on a horizontal axis between lowered and raised positions, power means for swinging said disintegrating apparatus from said lowered to said raised position, guideways on said frame disposed generally horizontal, a pusher element guided by said guideways for moving material over a subjacent surface in a generally horizontal path relative to which said disintegrating apparatus is swingable vertically and into a portion of which said disintegrating apparatus is lowered by downward swing about said horizontal axis, and means for advancing said pusher element through said path and retracting it in synchronism with the swing of said disin. tegrating apparatus by forces derived from the movement of the latter and for preventing said pusher element and said disintegrating apparatus from being simultaneously in said portion of said path, said last mentioned means including mechanism energized by the swing of said disintegrating apparatus for reciprocating said pusher element.

4. The combination dened in claim 3 in which means is provided for pivotally supporting said guideways on said frame and in which there is further provided means for swinging said guide- Ways angularly upwardly relative to said frame about their pivotal support on the latter.

5. The combination defined in claim 3 in which said mechanism energized by the swing of said disintegrating apparatus includes a link pivotally connected with said dis-integrating apparatus at a point which lies beneath said horizontal axis when said disintegrating apparatus is in lowered position, and which link is pivotally connected with said pusher element.

6. In combination, a base, a disintegrating apparatus, means swingably supporting said disintcgrating apparatus on said base for movement up and down relative to said base in upright planes, a material pushing device, means supporting said material pushing device on said base for horizontal movement relative to the latter, in the planes of swing of said disintegrating apparatus, over a subjacent level surface over which material is to be moved by said pushing device, and mechanism operatively connecting said disintegrating apparatus and said pushing device and actuated by said disintegrating apparatus during movement thereof for automatically advancing said device as said disintegrating apparatus is swung upwardly and for reti-acting said device as said disintegrating apparatus is swung downwardly and precluding the performance of :itsrespective movement'by 'either said device or said apparatus while the other is'stationary'.

'7. Infcombination, 'a base, a-'disintegrating apparatus swingably supported thereon for up and down movement in upright planes, a `material pushingy device, means including guides sri-.pported by said base guidingsaid pushing device for horizontal movement, in the planes 'oi swing of said disintegrating apparatus, vover ahorizcntal surface along which material 'is to be moved by said pushing device, and means including linkmeans pivotally connected to one of the said disintegrating apparatus and said material pushing device anda vpivot-,pin connected tothe other thereof Aand to which said link means is pivotally connected, ifcr automatically advancing said device horizontally as said disintegrating apparatus is swung 'upwardly and retracting said device as said disintegrating apparatus is swung vdownwardly. y

8.1In combination, abasea disintegrating Aapparatus, means supported "on said base pivotally supporting said disintegrating apparatus for movement in upright planes, a material pushing device, means supporting said material pushing device upon said base for movement in at least some of the planes of said disintegrating apparatus, said supporting means for said disintegrating apparatus and for said material pushing device supporting them, respectively for movement up and down and horizontally back and forth, in overlapping paths, and means for moving said disintegrating apparatus and said material pushing device so that each performs its function without interference with the other at the overlapping portion of said paths, said means including a push-pull connection for synchronizing the motion of said disintegrating apparatus and said material pushing device so that each moves away from the overlapping portion of said paths as the other moves towards such portion.

9. In combination, in a mining apparatus, a base, a carriage reciprocably supported on said base, a disintegrating apparatus pivotally supported on said carriage for swinging movement relative thereto in vertical planes, horizontal guideways on said carriage, a pusher element for moving material over a mine floor having supporting means slidably guided by said guideways, an arm movable with said disintegrating apparatus, a link pivotally connected to said slidable supporting means, a pivotal connection between said arm and link at a point below and at one side of the pivot of said disintegrating apparatus when the latter is in lowered position and below and at the other side of such pivot when said disintegrating apparatus is raised, and means for reciprocating said carriage.

l0. In combination, in a mining apparatus, a base, a carriage reciprocably supported on said base, a disintegrating apparatus pivotally supported on said carriage for up and down swinging movement relative thereto in vertical planes, elongated horizontal guideways on said carriage, means for supporting said guideways for tilting adjustment about a horizontal axis relative to which said guideways extend substantially radially, means for adjusting said guideways about said horizontal axis, a pusher element having supporting means slidably guided by said guideways and movable back and forth to move material over a subjacent mine floor, an arm movable with said disintegrating apparatus, a link pivotally connected to said slidable supporting means, and a pivotal connection between said arm and link.

11. In combination, a base, a disintegrating apparatus, means supporting said disintegrating apparatus on said base for swinging movement,

including movement through a horizontal-position, in upright planes, a material pushing device, means supporting said material pushing device upon said base for movement in the planes of swing of said disintegrating apparatus, in a path (a) offset vertically from said disintegrating apparatus when the latter is in a horizontal position and (b) substantially perpendicular to the instantaneous direction of movement of said disintegrating apparatus when the latter is passing through a horizontal position, and means for advancing said device as said disintegrating apparatus makes its swing in said upright planes away from the path of movement of said material pushing device and for retracting said device as said disintegrating apparatus makes its swing towards the path of movement of said material 12 pushing device, said means including mechanism converting the swinging motion of said disintegrating apparatus to a reciprocating motion and transmitting the latter to said material pushing device.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,449,088 Burnell Mar. 20, 1923 1,510,490 Muehlhauser Oct. 7, 1924 1,570,829 Forsyth Jan. 26, 1926 1,588,563 Wilson June 15, 1926 1,884,946 Wineman Oct. 25, 1932 1,905,472 Kraft Apr. 25, 1933 1,917,368 Hauge July 11, 1933 2,269,781 Osgood Jan. 13, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 316,292 Germany Nov. 24, 1919

Images