US2719033A - Guides for flexible conductors - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 27, 1955 Filed July 9, 1948 lllllllx A. 1 BARRETT ET AL 2,719,033

GUID FOR FLEXIBLE CONDUCTORS 2 SheetS-Shef, l

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GUIDES FOR FLEXIBLE CONDUCTORS sept. 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9, 1948 (Zwar/Mgg.

United StatCS Patf GUIDES ron FLEXIBLE coNDUcroRs t Arthur Lee Barrett and Samuel Leven, Franklin, Pa., as-

signors to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburghlva., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application July 9, 194s, serial No. 37,942

7 claims. (c1. 262-29)' copending application to Samuel'Leven, Serial No. 19,698,

led April 8, 1948, now abandoned, owned by the same assignee as the present case, a mobile base adapted to travel over the oor of a mine has a mine vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism swiveledv ythereon to swing horizontally into different vein-attacking positions with respect thereto, and the disintegrating mechanism has rectilinear sumping and withdrawal movements 'in a generally radial direction and swinging movement in vertical planes relative to its swivel mounting. Since the swiveled structure which supports the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism carries the electric motor for driving themechanism and the head lights, and also supports several of the uid operated cylinder and 'piston devices for feeding and adjusting the mechanism, together with the dust allaying spray device, it' is necessary to extend the flexible conductor elements, such as vthe electric cables, the light Wire, the water hose, and the flexible fluid pipes, along the top or sides of the apparatus so that there is a possibility of the hose, cables,`wire and lexible pipes becoming entangled and engaged with parts of the apparatus during the various adjustments ofl the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism so that damage of the hose, cables, wire and exible pipes may occur. The present invention contemplates improvements over the structure of the apparatus of the application above referred to in that an improved'guide is provided' for the exible conductor elements, such as the hose, cables, wire and liexible pipes, whereby the possibility of the same becoming entangled and damaged is substantially eliminated.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved guide. Another object is to providean improved guide for the tiexible conductor elements, such as the water hose, electric conductor cables and wire, and exible fluid pipes of a coal mining apparatus, whereby the possibility of entanglement and damage of the hose, cables, wire and pipes is substantially avoided. Yet another object is to provide an improved guide for the ex ible power conductor elements of a miningvapparatus wherein the conductor elements are guided in a'novel manner during the various adjustments of the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism of the apparatus. 'A further object is to provide an improvedguide for the exible conductor elements of a mining apparatus wherein the guide is arranged and mounted in a novel manner. A still further object is to provide an improved `guide for the llexible power conductor elements of a coal mining apparatus of the type wherein several of the motors of the apparatus are swingable horizontally and movable rectilinearly with respect to the base wherebylthe power conductor elements are adequately guided during the various adjustments. Another object is to provide an imice proved guide for a power conductor element wherein the latter is arranged with a portion coiled within the guide so that when one end of the power conductor element is extended or retracted, the coil is contracted or expanded in a-novel manner Within the guide. Still another object t is to provide an improved power conductor guide for'a coal mining apparatus of the kind wherein the coal attacking and disintegrating mechanism is mounted on a base to swing horizontally'with respect thereto and to move rectilinearly relativeto the base, with the power conductor guide so mounted and arrangedthat the power conductor elements which extend from the rearward portion of the base to the motor of the mechanism has its intermediate portion guided Within the guide in a novel manner. Another object is to provide an improved guide for the flexible conductor elements of a coal mining apparatus of the character above referred to wherein the guide is mounted to swing horizontally and move rectilinearly with the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a coal mining apparatus with which an illustrative form of the improved guide is associated.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the mining apparatus and guide shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, illustrating details of the improved guide.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective View of the improved guide.V

l Fig.l 6 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of the coal mining apparatus, showing the position of the guide during a lateral vein-attacking and disintegragting opera tion, with the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism in its rectilinearly extended position.

As shown in the drawings, the improved guide, generally designated 1, is associated with a coal mining apparatus generally designated Z'of the type disclosed in the copending application to Samuel Leven, Serial No. 19,698, above referred to, which is known as a continuous miner. Evidently, the invention, at least from certain aspects, may be associated with other types of min-y ing apparatus and may be used for other purposes.

The coal mining apparatus 2 generally comprises a mobile base 3, adapted to travel over the floor of a mine and having a frame 4 which has swiveled thereon, at 5, ahorizontal supporting frame or turntable 6 to swing about an upright axis in horizontal planes with respect thereto. Guided on the swiveled frame or turntable 6 for movement rectilinearly relative thereto in a radial direction with respect to the swivel axisS is a sliding frame lor support 7 on which a swinging frame 8 is pivotally mounted at 9 to swivel in vertical planes with respect thereto and to swing horizontally with the swiveled frame or turntable 6 relative to the base. The vertically swingable frame 8 extends forwardly in advance of the base and carries a mineral vein or coal seam attacking and distintegrating mechanism, generally designated 10, for detaching and disintegrating the mineral or coal in vertical segments from the solid. The vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism 10 comprises a series of parallel endless chains 11 guided for orbital movement in guideways 12 on the swinging frame 8. These endless chains comprise a series of chain blocks 13 pivotally connected 3 by. strap links 14, and each block has a lateral lug for, receiving a vein-attacking and disintegrating instrument 16. A motor 17, herein preferably an electric motor, carried by the sliding frame 7, serves to drive the endless chainsll" of. the vein-attacking anddisintegr-ating` mechanism-.103 in a manner fully disclosediin the copending applicationy mentioned above. Eluid operated cylinder and piston: devices. 18, also.mounted on the-sliding frame 7, have their. pistonrods 1i91pivotallyl connected'at to depending brackets 21 secured to` the swinging frame 8, andl these cylinder andpiston devices serve to swing the vein-attacking andfdisintegrating.mechanism 10 in vertical planesabout the horizontal pivot. 9. A pair of horizontal. fluid operated? cylinder and piston devices 22, shown in dottedf lines in Fig; l, arel arranged longitudinally'beneathf the sliding frame 7 andi are connectedv between the swiveledi frame and the sliding frame for moving the vein-attackingfandi disintegrating mechanism 10 rectilinearlyrelative to the swinging frame in a directionradially with'. respect. to the swively axisS. Mounted' on the side ofthe swinging frameofthemechanism 10 is a sprayv head23 throughwhichwater is discharged for allaying the dust created by the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism. during its operation. An electric conductor cable 24 leads froma suitable source-ofl elec-V tricity to the rear end of the apparatus and extends into.

an electrical control apparatus 25' mounted' onV the rearward portionof the base, and extendingfromthisfelectric control apparatus through a suitable starting switch device 26 are three exible electric conductorf cables 27 which lead to theelectric motor 1.7.- which drives the veinattacking and disintegrating mechanism. Also extending from the rearward portion of the base isa exible water hose 28 leading to-the sprayy head'23, andaflexible fluid pipe 29 leads froma valve boxf30.tothe.uidfoperated cylinder and-piston devices 18. An-electric wire 31 also leads from, the rearwardportion of the base through suitable connections to head lights 32 arranged, in a suitable manner, at opposite sides of the dis-integrating mechanism 10, as shown inl Fig.- 1. While there are shown herein awater hose, three electric conductor cables,

a light wire, and a flexible fluid pipe, it will be understood that the term conductor element is intendedto include all such hose, cables, wire, pipes or other exible conduits. There are six conductor elements shown, but it is not intended to limit the inventionto any particular number of such elements, andinsofaras the invention is concerned, one conductor element, or other ilexible elements to be guided, will suice.

Now referring to the improved guide 1' for the conductor elements, it will, be noted that mounted on the swiveled frame 6 at the top of the motor 17 is a horizontal guide frame 35 comprising a horizontal bottom plate 36' and a horizontal top plate 37. The bottom plate 36 is spaced a slighty distance above the top of the motor to provide space for the cooling coils for the motor andito which the water pipe is connected, as fully described'in the above mentioned copending application. Secured, as by welding, to the bottom plate 36, are vertical side plates 38- which, in turn, have secured to their inner sides, likewise as by welding, suitable angle members 39. The top plate 37 is desirably secured, as by screws 40, to the angle members 39 and may be readily removed when desired. Secured to the side plates 38 are vertical front brackets 41 which are secured, as by screws 42, tothe sides of the forward portion of the motor 17. Vertical rear brackets 43, secured to the bottom of the rearward portion of the bottom plate 36, are secured, as by screws 44, to the sides of the rearward portion of the motor 17. The top and bottom plates and the side platesy provide a horizontal, longitudinal guide. passageway 45, and the rearward ends of the top and bottom plates. are curved at 46 and the side plates are laterally curved at 47 to provide a rearward` widened, bell-mouthed opening48; The exibleconductor elements27, 28, 2 9 and 3.1- extend from Cil the rearward portion of the base through the guide opening50, of a suitable stationary guide member 51 secured by a lateral bracket 52 to the top of the control apparatus 25, and these conductor elements, as they extend from the guide member 51 through the passageway 45 in the guide, are secured together as at 53 and 54 as by clips, adhesive tape or otherwise, and these conductor elements are bound together in the form of a unit and at their intermediate portions are coiled at 55 within the guide passageway. The conductor elements extend forwardly throughl the narrow, parallel-sided, front end 56 of the guide to the motor 17, the cylinder and piston devices 18, the spray head 23, and the head lights 32. The flexible fluid pipesforthe cylinder and piston devices 22 extend from the valve box 30 beneath the motor, and since they do not enter into the present invention, they are not shown herein. Under certain conditions, the water hose for the spray head may be extended below the motor instead of passing through they guide..

The mining apparatus, as.fully described in the copending application, Serial; No. 19,698, above referred to, is propelled by the mobile base to the face of a mineral vein or coal seam, and' uid under pressure may be supplied to suitable swinging devices arranged within the base, in the mannerI described in the copending application, to swing the frame 6 together withzthe vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism, 10 horizontally into the desired vein-attacking position relative to the base. When the vein-attackingl andi disintegrating mechanism 10 is suitably positioned withI respect to the working face, the cylinder and piston4 devices 18=may be operated to lower the outer tipend-of the vein-attackingand disintegrating mechanism to. the oor level, and then Huid under pressure may be supplied to-thecylinder and piston devices 22 to feed the vein-attackingganddisintegratingfmechansim outwardly in a rectilinear directionfto sump the latter within the mineral` or coal. Whenithe sumping operation is completed, fluid under pressure may be supplied to the cylinder and piston devices 18 to swingthevein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism-,upwardly with a rapid and powerful force toward the mine roof to disintegrate the mineral or coal. from the solid; When the outer tip end of the veinattacking and disintegrating mechanism has reached the roof level, the mechanism may be retracted by the cylinder and piston devices-22; By.. swinging the vein-attacking and disintegratingmechanism about the vertical swivel 5 with respect to the baseit may be located in different radial positions-relative to the base to attack and disintegrate the mineral vein or coal seam in a series of vertical segments of theworking face so that the entire width of the working face maybe disintegrated in successive steps. As the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism is adjustedy horizontally, is. swung; in vertical planes, and is moved rectilinearly, the conductor elements 27, 28, 29 and 313 are extendedfandretracted. withl the vein-attacking anddisintegrating mechanism, and when the latter is moved outwardly, the c oil. portions 55 are contracted within the. guide passageway 45, and when the vein-attacking and disintegrating-mechanism is retracted, the coilportions 55 are expanded within the,v guide passageway. The rearward bell-mouth 48 ofthe guide permits swinging of the veinattacking and disintegrating mechanism into different horizontal positions, `as shown in Fig. 6, while providing adequate guiding of the conductor elements. It will thus be evident that as th'e vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism 10-isy adjusted into its different operating positions and is moved during'its operation, the conductor elements are adequately guided within the guide passageway between the bottom and'top plates 36 and 37, and the coiled portions ofthe conductor elements may move laterally within the guide passageway as well as in an endwise directionwith respect thereto during contraction and expansion thereof,

As a resulty of.thisinyentionan'improved coal mining apparatus. is provided having an improved guide for the flexible conductor elements thereof whereby entanglement and possible damage to the conductor elements is substantially avoided. It will further be evident that by the provision of the improved guide arranged and mounted in the manner disclosed, the flexible conductor elements of the apparatus are adequately guided during the various positions of adjustment of the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism. By arranging the intermediate portions of the flexible conductor elements in the form of a coil within the guide passageway of the guide, the coil is contracted and expanded while being adequately guided, during rectilinear sumping and withdrawal movements of the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism. It will further be evident that the improved guide is of an extremely simple and rugged construction which may be readily applied to a conventional coal mining apparatus with a minimum of change. These and other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specically 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 modied and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a base, a frame movably mounted on said base and carrying a mechanism including a driving motor and movable bodily horizontally back and forth with said frame relative to said base, a flexible power conductor leading from said base to said mechanism and having a slack intermediate portion which permits horizontal movement of said mechanism relative to said base without the possibility of the conductor becoming unduly taut, and a horizontal guide mounted on said motor at the top thereof and having guide portions providing a passageway through which the intermediate portion of said flexible conductor passes for supporting and guiding said intermediate portion of said conductor.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide passageway is in the form of a relatively wide horizontal chamber extending across the top of said motor and said intermediate portion of said flexible conductor has a free flexing coil lying on the chamber bottom within said chamber and adapted to ex as said mechanism and said motor move bodily horizontally relative to said base.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frame is also pivoted to swing horizontally relative to said base so that said mechanism and said motor may swing horizontally therewith as well as to move bodily as aforesaid, and said guide passageway has a wide bellmouth at its rearward portion and said passageway is laterally widened to permit horizontal swinging of said mechanism and said motor relative to said base while adequately supporting and guiding said intermediate portion of said exible conductor.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said guide is relatively low and at and is disposed horizontally close to the top of said motor and provides a relatively wide guideway to receive a free flexing coil of said flexible conductor so that as said mechanism and said motor swing horizontally as well as to move bodily as aforesaid relative to said base, the intermediate portion of said flexible conductor is adequately supported and guided.

5. In combination, a base, a frame mounted on said base to move horizontally longitudinally relative thereto, a mechanism including a motor carried by said movable frame and movable bodily horizontally therewith relative to said base, a exible power conductor leading from said base to said mechanism for supplying motive power to said motor and having a slack intermediate portion which permits such horizontal movement of said mechanism and said motor with said frame with respect to said base without the possibility of the conductor becoming unduly taut, and a horizontal guide carried by said motor at the top thereof and having guiding portions providing a low height horizontal chamber through which said conductor passes with a free llexing portion of said conductor lying in said chamber on the chamber bottom and movable relative to said chamber with said conductor portion flexing freely in said chamber as said motor moves bodily horizontally as aforesaid back and forth with said frame.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said frame is also mounted on said base to swing horizontally relative thereto with said mechanism and said motor swinging horizontally therewith, and said horizontal guide on the top of said motor has a wide bell-mouth at its rearward portion whereby the rear side of said chamber is laterally widened to permit horizontal swinging of said mechanism and said motor relative to said base as well as to move bodily horizontally as aforesaid while said intermediate portion of said flexible conductor is adequately supported and guided.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said horizontal guide extends substantially the full width of said motor and said iiexible conductor has a free flexing coil in its intermediate portion and said horizontal guide has its chamber bottom supporting said coil to permit the coil freely to expand and contract within said guide as said motor moves bodily horizontally along a straight path forwardly and rearwardly with said frame relative to said base.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,285,254 Levin Nov. 19, 1918 1,480,003 Morgan Jan. 8, 1924 2,115,641 Levin Apr. 26, 1938 2,121,916 Jacobsen June 28, 1938 2,194,474 Joy Mar. 26, 1940 2,323,493 Sloane July 6, 1943 2,422,353 Hitt June 17, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES Bureau of Mines, R. I. 3843, November 1949, pp. 1l, 12 and Fig. 14.

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