US2705624A

US2705624A - Coal mining machine with collapsible head

Info

Publication number: US2705624A
Application number: US264880A
Authority: US
Inventors: James S Robbins
Original assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Co LP
Current assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Co LP
Priority date: 1952-01-04
Filing date: 1952-01-04
Publication date: 1955-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 1972-04-05

Description

April 5, 1955 J.- 5. ROBBINS 2,705,624

COAL MINING MACHINE wrm COLLAPSIBLE HEAD Filed Jan. 4, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A INVENTOR. JAMES S. ROBBINS ATT'YS April 5, 1955 J. 5. ROBBINS 2,705,624

COAL MINING MACHINE WITH COLLAPSIBLE HEAD Filed Jan. 4, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

FIG-2 INVENTOR. JAMES S. ROBBINS BY W ATT'YS April 5, 1955 J. s. ROBBINS 2,705,624

COAL MINING MACHINE WITH COLLAPSIBLE HEAD Filed Jan. 4, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

JAMES s. ROBBINS BY United States Patent 2,705,624 COAL MINING momma COLLAPSIBLE James S. Robbins, Highland Park, 11]., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 4, 1952, Serial No. 264,880

Claims. (Cl. 262-7) This invention relates to mining machines of the general type which cuts circular kerfs in a rock mass and breaks down the cores between such kerfs.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved construction for the cutter-carrying parts of such mining machines whereby the cutting tools are readily displaced from their operative positions to increase the maneuverability of the machine when required.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of some of the essential parts of a coal mining machine constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the contour of the tunnel that is cut by the machine and showing the rotary cutters in front elevation and omitting the parts of the machine that would appear in the background.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing parts of the machine that are related to the cutters of chain-type that are used in the machine, with the paths of the chain-type cutters indicated schematically by broken lines.

Fig. 4 is a detail of a suitable form of cutter chain.

The machine shown in the drawings is of the McKinley type in which the main frame 11 is mounted so as to travel forward as by means of a tractor mechanism 12 of the track-laying type, driven by appropriate mechanism not forming part of the present invention, that caaririies the rock-cutting tools forward against a rock w The machine shown comprises a pair of power shafts 13 that are journaled on the frame 11 and motor driven. The shafts 13 are disposed side-by-side in parallel relation to each other and to the direction of travel of the machine and each shaft 13 carries at least a pair of oppositely extending radial arms 14 carrying cutters 15 disposed so as to cut circular kerfs in the rock wall toward which the machine is advancing. Each of the shafts 13 carries at its forward end a pilot bit 16 that penetrates the rock somewhat in advance of the cutters 15.

Behind the pilot bit 16, the shaft has mounted thereon a conical breaker member 17 adapted to exert wedging pressure on the walls of the bore that is formed by the pilot bit to break down the annular core of rock that stands between the circular kerf cut by the cutters 15 and the bore of the pilot bit. It will be understood that the cutter carrier arms 14 might have additional cutters spaced apart radially along the length of the carrier arms but for the purpose of disclosure of the present invention, it is sufficient to show merely the cutters that are at the extremities of these carrier arms.

The two shafts 13 are spaced apart horizontally so that the circular contours 18, Fig. 2, which represent the paths of the cutters 15, will overlap, as shown in Fig. 2. In order to cut off and break down the cores that lie along the floor and roof of the tunnel between the kerfs that are cut by the cutters 15, the machine is equipped with a system of chain-belt cutters located immediately behind the rotary cutters.

In the form shown, there are two such chain-type cutters; an upper one, indicated by the broken line 19, being arranged to cut away the mass of coal that would otherwise stand at the roof, and a lower one, represented by the broken line 20 in Fig. 3, being arranged to cut away the mass of rock at the lower level.

The upper cutter chain 19 is supported by an elongated guide channel bar 21 which is positioned to guide the portion of the chain which makes the cut that forms the roof 22 of the tunnel between cuts made by the rotary cutters. The lower cutter chain 20 is similarly guided by a straight channel-shaped guide bar 23 that guides the chain 20 at the level of the floor 24 of the tunnel. As indicated in Fig. 4, the chain comprises a series of links 20.1 each having a cutter blade 20.2 set into the front side thereof with alternate blades tilted oppositely to cut a kerf slightly wider than the thickness of the chain and its horizontal guide bar 23.

The guide bar 21 is carried by posts 25 connected to the frame of the guide by pivots 26. The posts 25 are in the form of connecting rods of the plungers of hydraulic jacks 27. At each end of the guide 21, there is journaled a pulley 28 over which the cutter chain passes to a power-driven sprocket 29 by means of which the chain 19 is driven. The source of power for driving the sprocket 29 and the chain 19 is not shown in the drawings, being well known in the art and not a part of the present invention.

A chain-belt tightening sprocket 30 is journaled on a carrier member 31 which in turn is journaled concentrically with the axis of the sprocket 29 and is adapted to swing about the axis of the sprocket 29 for tightening the belt 19. The bracket 31 is normally urged by a compression spring 32 and flexible connection 33 so as to exert a proper tensioning pressure upon and take up slack in the chain 19.

The chain belt 20 is similarly driven by a power-driven sprocket 34 and is similarly tightened by a sprocket 35 journaled on a member 36 that is in turn journaled concentric with the axis of the sprocket 34 and normally urged into position for tightening the belt 20 by a compression spring 37 and flexible connection 38.

The lower guide 23 for the floor cutting portion of the chain 20, in the form shown, is somewhat longer than the upper guide 21 and is rigidly attached by struts 39 to the frame 11. At each end of the guide member 23, there is an extension arm 40 on which a guide pulley 41 is journaled. These extension arms are pivoted at 42 so as to swing upwardly, as shown at the right of Fig. 3.

Each arm 40 is braced by a pair of

toggle links

43 and 44 controlled by a jack 45, for holding the guide pulley 41 in position for guiding the cutter chain 20 during its cutting operation, which position is indicated by full lines in Fig. 3 and this position of the toggle links corresponds to the fully contracted condition of the jack 45. When the jack 45 is extended by hydraulic pressure behind its piston, the toggle links will be shifted to their buckled position, as shown by broken lines at the right of Fig. 3, raising the pulleys 41 to shorten the portion of the cutter chain that extends across the floor of the tunnel for the purpose of providing clearance for maneuvering the machine when the cutting devices are not in operation. When the pulley 41 is raised the chain 20 bends at its nearest joint beyond the end of the guide member 23.

Each of the carrier arms 14, which drives the circular kerf cutting cutters 15, is made of two parts rigidly connected end-to-end by a readily separable joint which permits the outermost or tool-carrying portion 46 to be quickly removed when the machine is not in operation for the sake of maneuverability of the machine along the finished parts of the tunnel.

In the form of joint shown in the drawings, the meeting ends of the fixed portions of the arms 14 and the tool-carrying extensions 46 are structurally identical but one is inverted with respect to the other, and each comprises a planar meeting surface 47 at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the arm 14 with a laterally projecting flange 48 at one side parallel with the surface 47 and a hook-shaped flange 49 at the opposite side shaped to overhand the planar meeting surface 47 so as to have wedging engagement with the flange 48.

The arms 14 and their extensions 46 are rigidly connected by bolts 50 that extend between the hooked flanges 49 in the plane of the meeting surfaces 47, which surfaces of both

members

14 and 46 are grooved to receive the bolts 50, the grooves forming keyseats and the bolts forming keys that lock the parts together, as described and claimed in my copending applications, Serial No. 263,339, filed December 26, 1951, now Patent No. 2,680,034, and Serial No. 151,851, filed March 25, 1950, now Patent No. 2,587,065.

The machine frame 11 is tiltable with respect to the tractor frames 51, so that the lower chain guide 23 can be raised above the floor of the tunnel after the upper guide 21 has been lowered. To this end the front part of frame 11 is raised by jacks 52.

When the machine is in the operation of cutting a tunnel, the parts are in the position shown by full lines in the drawings. For freedom of movement of the machine within the tunnel when it is not engaged in the operation of rock cutting, the extensions 46 of the rotary cutter-carrying arms 14 are disconnected by releasing the bolts 50; the upper cutter chain guide 21 is lowered by releasing the pressure in the jacks 27; the lower cutter chain guide is reduced in its effective length across the floor of the tunnel by applying pressure to the jacks 45 and thus raising the arms 40 to the positions in which they are shown in broken lines in Fig. 3; and finally the front of frame 11 is lifted by jacks 52 to raise the chain guide 23 up from the floor level.

The machine may then be maneuvered in the tunnel without interference by or danger of damage to the cutting devices.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the structure shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined bv the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut circular kerfs respectively concentric with such axes in a rock wall transverse to such axes, and a cutter chain mounted on said frame to travel in a straight path on a level substantially tangent to the lower parts of the circular paths of said rotatable cutters, the improvement comprising a guide roller for said cutter chain at one end of its straight path, a bearing arm carrying said guide roller and pivotally mounted on said frame inward from said one end of said straight path and swingable to shorten the overall width of the machine adjacent said straight path of said chain, a toggle linkage connection between said bearing arm and said frame, and means operatively connected between said toggle linkage connection and said frame to fix the positions of said guide roller.

2. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut circular kerfs respectively concentric with such axes in a rock wall transverse to such axes, and a cutter chain mounted on said frame to travel in a straight path on a level substantially tangent to the lower parts of the circular paths of said rotatable cutters, the improvement comprising a guide roller for said cutter chain at one end of its said straight path, a bearing arm carrying said guide roller and pivotally mounted on said frame inward from said one end of said straight path and swingable to shorten the overall width of the machine adjacent said straight path of said chain, a toggle linkage connection comprising a pair of links pivoted end to end between said bearing arm and said frame, and a hydraulic jack interposed between said toggle linkage connection and said frame and operative to collapse the toggle to swing said guide roller inward.

3. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut bores in a seam of coal or the like, a cutter chain guide mounted on said frame for movement with respect thereto, a cutter chain movable along said guide at a level substantially tangent to the circular paths of said rotatable cutters, means operable to move said guide with respect to said frame, the improvement in such machine comprising a guide roller for said cutter chain disposed at one end of said cutter chain guide, and means supporting said guide roller and operable to shift said guide roller to vary the length of the straight path of said cutter chain when said cutter chain guide is in the aforementioned position of tangency.

4. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut bores in a seam of coal or the like, a cutter chain guide mounted on said frame for movement with respect thereto, a cutter chain movable along said guide at a level substantially tangent to the circular paths of said rotatable cutters, means operable to move said guide with respect to said frame, the improvement in such machine comprising a guide roller for said cutter chain disposed at one end of said cutter chain guide, and means supporting said guide roller and operable to shift said guide roller up and down with respect to said guide to vary the length of the straight path of said cutter chain when said cutter chain guide is in the aforementioned position of tangency.

5. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut bores in a seam of coal or the like, a cutter chain guide mounted on sald frame for movement with respect thereto, a cutter chain movable along said guide at a level substantially tangent to the circular paths of said rotatable cutters, means operable to move said guide with respect to said frame, the improvement in such machine comprising a guide roller for said cutter chain disposed at one end of said cutter chain guide, said guide roller being mounted upon an arm supporting said guide roller and pivotally mounted inward from the end of said cutter chain guide, and means for swinging said arm when the cutter chain guide is in the aforementioned position of tangency.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein strut means are interposed between said frame and said arm to brace said arm in its lowered position.

7. In a mining machine comprising a frame and means for driving the same forward against a rock wall, a pair of rotatably driven shafts mounted on said frame parallel to each other and to the direction of forward travel of said machine, radial arms fixed on said shafts, a cutter on each arm positioned to cut a circular kerf in such rock wall, and cutter chain means on said frame having runs located for cutting horizontal kerfs in the rock wall tangent to the top and bottom portions of the circular kerfs cut by the cutters on said arms, the improvement comprising one of said chain runs being bodily shiftable vertically on the frame away from its normal cutting position, the other said chain run having elongated guide means with hinged end members shiftable inward to shorten the length of such run, and means whereby the diameter of said radial arms may be changed for reducing the overall height and width of the machine for the retraction of same.

8. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut bores in a seam of coal or the like, a cutter chain guide mounted on said frame for movement with respect thereto, a cutter chain movable along said guide, means operable to move said guide with respect to said frame, the improvement in such machine comprising auxiliary guide means for said cutter chain disposed at one end of said cutter chain guide, and means supporting said auxiliary guide means and operable to shift said auxiliary guide means with respect to said cutter chain guide to reduce the length of the straight path of said cutter chain when said cutter chain guide is moved toward the axes of said rotatable cutters.

9. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut bores in a seam of coal or the like, a cutter chain guide mounted on said frame for movement with respect thereto, a cutter chain movable along said guide, means operable to move said guide with respect to said frame, the improvement in such machine comprising auxiliary guide means for said cutter chain disposed at one end of said cutter chain guide, and means supporting said auxiliary guide means and operable to shift said auxiliary guide means up and down with respect to said guide to vary the length of the straight path of said cutter chain.

10. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut bores in a seam of coal or the like, a cutter chain guide mounted on said frame for movement with respect thereto, a cutter chain movable along said guide at a level substantially tangent to the circular paths of said rotatable cutters, means operable to move said guide with respect to said frame, the improvement in such machine comprising auxiliary guide means for said cutter chain disposed at one end of said cutter chain guide, said auxiliary guide means being mounted upon an arm pivotally mounted inward from said auxiliary guide means, and means for swinging said arm when the cutter chain guide is in the aforementioned position of tangency.

11. The invention as defined in claim wherein strut means are interposed between said frame and said arm to brace said arm in its lowered position.

12. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut bores in a seam of coal or the like, a cutter chain guide, a cutter chain movable along said guide at a level substantially tangent to the circular paths of said rotatable cutters, the improvement in such machine comprising auxiliary guide means for said cutter chain disposed at one end of said cutter chain guide, and means supporting said auxiliary guide means and operable to shift said auxiliary guide means to vary the length of the straight path of said cutter chain when said cutter chain guide is in the aforementioned position of tangency.

13. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut bores in a seam of coal or the like, a cutter chain guide, a cutter chain movable along said guide at a level substantially tangent to the circular paths of said rotatable cutters, the improvement in such machine comprising auxiliary guide means for said cutter chain disposed at one end of said cutter chain guide, and means supporting said auxiliary guide means and operable to shift said auxiliary guide means up and down with respect to said guide to vary the length of the straight path of said cutter chain when said cutter chain guide is in the aforementioned position of tangency.

14. In a mining machine having a frame, cutters rotatable about parallel axes and operative to cut bores in a seam of coal or the like, a cutter chain guide, a cutter chain movable along said guide at a level substantially tangent to the circular paths of said rotatable cutters, the improvement in such machine comprising auxiliary guide means for said cutter chain disposed at one end of said cutter chain guide, said auxiliary guide means being mounted upon an arm pivotally mounted inward from said auxiliary guide means, and means for swinging said arm when the cutter chain guide is in the aforementioned position of tangency.

15. The invention as defined in claim 14, wherein strut means are interposed between said frame and said arm to brace said arm in its lowered position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 540,306 Fry a- June 4, 1895 1,210,925 French Jan. 2, 1917 1,371,224 Campbell Mar. 15, 1921 1,603,621 McKinlay Oct 19, 1926 1,726,963 McKinlay Sept. 3, 1929 1,808,649 Fleming June 2, 1931 1,978,526 Eppler Oct. 30, 1934 2,374,240 Shankman Apr. 24, 1945 2,550,202 Robbins Apr. 24, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Coal Age, May 13, 1926, page 669. Mining Congress Journal, October 1938, McKinlay Entry Driving Machines, page 70.