US2744607A - Floor clean-up arrangement for continuous miner - Google Patents

Description

May 8, 1956 J. D; RUSSELL FL OR CLEAN-UP ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Filed Jan. 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 EMMA W J .H. I:

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FLOOR CLEAN-UP ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Filed Jan. 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lll" 1220922202: N a J53??? .(Qfizzssell.

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FLOOR CLEAN-UP ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Filed Jan. 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q? omzey.

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FLOOR CLEAN-UP ARRANGEMENT FOR commuous MINER Filed Jan. 28, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 8, 1956 J. D. RUSSELL 2,744,607

FLOOR CLEAN-UP ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTINUOUS MINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 28, 1950 r' 2,744,607 Ice Patented M y 8,

FLOOR CLEAN -UP ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTINUOUS MINER John D. Russell, Franklin, Pa., assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 28, 1950, Serial No. 141,137

7 Claims. (Cl. 193-9) This invention relates to mining apparatus and more particularlyto an improved floor clean-up arrangement for a mining and loading apparatus of the kind known as a continuous miner, and associated with the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism of the miner for cleaning up any loose material which falls to the mine floor during the mining operation.

In mining and loading apparatus of known types and particularly in a continuous miner of the type disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 102,995, and the copending application of John R. Sibley, Serial No. 102,996, both filed on July 5, 1949, the coal or other mineral is dislodged from a solid mine vein by means of a vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism mounted on a mobile base which travels over the floor of the mine. The attacking and disintegrating mechanism is mounted on the base to move rectilinearly in a horizontal direction to effect its sumping movement inthe mine vein near the floor level, thereafter to swing upwardly in vertical planes in an arcuate path, and finally to retract rectilinearly in a horizontal direction at the roof level from the mine vein. The disintegrating mechanism acts to tear the coal or other mineral from the mine vein and to disintegrate the coal or other mineral and serves to convey the disintegrated material rearwardly from the face of the mine vein and to discharge the disintegrated material onto the conveying means of the apparatus. During its sumping, swinging, and withdrawal operations some disintegrated material falls from the attacking and disintegrating mechanism and from the face of the mine vein onto the mine floor in advance of the mobile base and in order to enable efficient operation of the apparatus this loose material must be cleaned up from the mine floor and loaded onto the conveying means. The present invention contemplates improvements over such known types of mining and loading apparatus in that an improved floor clean-up arrangement is provided associated with the attacking and disintegrating mechanism whereby, any loose coal or other mineral on the mine floor is gathered and collected in the range of action of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism so that when the latter is lowered into its sumping position near the floor level it engages the loose material so gathered and collected and moves the same from the mine floor and conveys it rearwardly from the face of the mine vein onto the conveying means of the apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved mining and loading apparatus. Another object is to provide an improved continuous miner having novel floor clean-up means associated therewith whereby any loose material on the mine floor is gathered and collected in the zone of action of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism of the miner so that the attacking and disintegrating mechanism may move the loose material so gathered and collected rearwardly from the face of the mine vein. Yet another object is to provide an improved pusher and conveyor arrangement mounted on the continuous miner and which is disposable at the floor level for gathering loose material on the mine floor and for collecting the material so gathered in the zone of action of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism of. the miner thereby to enable effective cleaning up of the floor as mining progresses. A further object is to provide an improved pusher and conveyor scroll arrangement'for gathering loose material which has fallen to the mine floor during the mining operation. A still further object is to provide improved mounting means for the pusher and conveyor scroll arrangement. These and other objects and advantages'of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

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

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view and Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the forward portion of a continuous'miner in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is incorporated;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged'longitudinal vertical section taken on the planes of line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view, with parts shown in plan, showing the pump drive and a portion of the drive gearing for the attacking and disintegrating mechanism.

I Fig. 5 is an enlarged developed detail section taken through the automatic control valve for the scroll swing cylinders.

. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the plane of the line 66 of Fig. 3, showing the pusher and conveyor scroll arrangement with the scrolls in rearward retracted position.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the conveyor scrolls in extended forward position.

' and conveyor scrolls in raised transport position above the floor level.

Fig. 12 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of line 1212 of Fig. 3, illustrating details of the pusher frame.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross section taken on the plane, of line 13-13 of Fig. 8.

Fig. .14 is a detail vertical section taken on the plane of line 1414 of Fig. 12, illustrating the pivotal mounting for one of the scroll housings.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section taken on the plane of line 1515 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary front end view of the pusher and conveyor scroll arrangement shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged detail, cross section taken on line l717 of Fig. 16, showing the scrollhousing structure.

Fig. 18 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the hydraulic system.

The present invention is shown incorporated in a continuous miner of the type shown in my copending application, Serial No. 102,995, and the copending Sibley 'application, Serial No. 102,996, above referred to. The floor clean-up arrangement is an improvement over that disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 95,673, filed May 27, 1949, now abandoned and which has been replaced by continuation-in-part application Serial No. 139,631, filed January 20, 1950, and the copending application to A. LeeBarrett, Serial No. 115,742, filed September 14, 1949. Evidently, various features of the invention may be incorporated inmining and loading apparatus of other types.

The continuous miner disclosed herein generally comprises a mobile support or base 1 having a frame 2 which has swiveled thereon, to swing about a vertical axis at 3, a horizontal supporting frame or turntable 4. This turntable has a horizontal frame portion 5 projecting forwardly in advance of the base 1, and guided on this horizontal frame portion for horizontal movement rectilinearly thereon in a radial direction relative to the axis of turn table-rotation is a sliding frame or support 6 on which a swingable frame or bar structure 7 is pivotally mounted, on a horizontal transverse axis at 8, to swing in a vertical plane with respect to the sliding frame, and to swing horizontally with the swiveled supporting frame or turntable 4 relative to the base 1. The vertically swingable frame or bar structure 7 extends forwardly in advance of the turntable 4, with its pivotal axis located, When the sliding frame 6 is retracted, a substantial distance in advance of the base, so that the sliding frame always overhangs the front end of the base a substantial distance above the mine floor as shown in Fig. 2. The swingable frame structure 7 carries a mine vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism generally designated 9, for dislodging and disintegrating the coal or other mineral in relatively wide vertical segments from a solid coal seam or mine vein. A front loading conveyor 10 on the sliding frame 6 extends forwardly and downwardly beneath the attacking and disintegrating mechanism (as shown in Fig. 3) for receiving the disintegrated material discharged from the attacking and disintegrating mechanism and for delivering it rearwardly. In view of the full illustration in the Russell and Sibley applications above referred to of the arrangements for receiving material from the front loading conveyor 10 and delivering it to a point at the rear of the apparatus, further description and illustration thereof are herein unnecessary.

The vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9 includes the bar or frame structure 7 about which there are guided for orbital movement several parallel endless disintegrating chains 12, each being equipped with disintegrating elements 13. The chains are driven by sprockets 14 (Fig. 3) mounted on and driven by a horizontal, transversely extending, splined shaft 15 to the opposite ends of which power is delivered by gearing 16 (partially shown in Fig. 4) enclosed in gear casings 17; the gearing being driven through telescopic shafting 18 by motors 19 carried at the sides of the turntable and relative to which the sliding frame 6 is slidable. The bottom runs of the chains move forwardly while the top runs thereof move rearwardly. The motors 19 drive through transmission mechanism 20 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) the front loading conveyor 10. This front loading conveyor, the gear casings 17 and their contained gearing, and the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9 are adapted to be advanced and retracted with the sliding frame 6 with respect to the turntable by hydraulic cylinder and piston devices 21 (Figs. 3, 4 and 10), to which fluid under pressure may be supplied from a pump embodied in the continuous miner, as hereinafter described. This pump is fully disclosed in the Russell and Sibley applications mentioned above. The feeding devices 21 as shown in Fig. 10, cornprise horizontal, longitudinally extending, double acting cylinders 26 connected at 27 to the turntable frame and containing reciprocable pistons 28 having their piston rods 29 extending forwardly from the front ends of the cylinders and connected at 30 to the sliding frame 6, as is fully disclosed in the Russell and Sibley applications above referred to. The attacking and disintegrating mechanism may be swung upwardly in vertical planes about its pivot 8 by hydraulic cylinder and piston devices 31 as is fully disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 139,631 mentioned above, and these devices include single acting fluid cylinders 33 mounted at the sides of the swingable frame 7 and connected through pivoted links or levers 34 and flexible chain segments or sections 35 to the gear casings 17 carried by the sliding frame 6. When fluid is supplied to the cylinders 33 the pistons contained therein are forced outwardly in the cylinders, and this changes the angle of the levers 34 to the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9 and since the rear ends of the levers cannot move downward, being sustained by the chain sections 35, of necessity the connections of the front ends of the levers with the bar structure 7 must move upwardly, and accordingly upswing of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism is accomplished by the admission of fluid under pressure to the cylinders 33. Since this swingstructure for the attacking and disintegrating mechanism is fully disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 139,631 above referred to, further description thereof is herein unnecessary.

By the provision of this swinging mechanism for the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9, a substantial space is provided beneath the sliding frame 6 in advance of the base, for receiving the improved pusher and conveyor scroll arrangement generally designated 36 which, in this instance, acts in conjunction with the attacking and disintegrating mechanism in the cleaning up of any loose material which has fallen to the mine floor in advance of the base. In this novel construction. the loose material on the mine floor is not moved rcarwardly directly onto the forward end of the loading conveyor as in my copending application Serial No. 139,63l, but, in this instance, the loose material on the floor is gathered and collected beneath the attacking and disintegrating mechanism wherein it may be engaged by the latter and moved forwardly, upwardly and rearwardly by the disinte' rating chains onto the front loading conveyor 10.

Now referring to the specific structure of the pusher and conveyor scroll arrangement 36 it will be noted that pivotally mounted on bearings 40 supported by caps 41 secured to vertical side frames 42 of the frame of the front loading conveyor 19 is a swingable frame 43 which is arranged between the side plates of the conveyor frame. The caps 41 support a tubular shaft 44- which has a centrally located circular flange 45 which serves as a guide for the chain of the front loading conveyor as shown in Fig. 9. Thus, the frame 43 may swing in a vertical plane about an axis aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tubular shaft 44. The pivoted frame 43 has vertical side plates 46 which pivotally engage the rear bearings 40, and these side plates at their forward portions carry bearings 47 in which a horizontal transverse shaft 48 is mounted as shown in Fig. 12. The longitudinal axis of the shaft 48 is arranged parallel with the pivotal axis of the frame 43 and supports, at the inner sides of the plates 46, bearings 49 on which vertical side plates 59 of a pivoted pusher frame 51 are mounted. The pusher frame 51. has a horizontal forward projection 52 which has a plane transverse vertical front pusher surface 53 and which is arcuately recessed at 54 (see Fig. 16) at its sides with a plane top surface 55 arranged centrally between the side recesses. The bottom walls of the arcuate side recesses curve inwardly and upwardly toward the plane top surface and respectively lie in the surfaces of cylinders located with their axes parallel and extending longitudinally of the pusher frame in the manner shown in Fig. 16. Projecting from the front surface 53 of the pusher frame are spaced lugs 56 having forwardly and upwardly inclined bottom surfaces 57 to reduce the possibility of the pusher frame digging into the floor as it is advanced, by causing the frame to ride up over any obstructions on the floor. The pusher frame 51 has pivotally connected thereto at 58 at its sides shrouding links 59 which are in turn pivotally connected at their rear ends at 66 to lugs integral with the conveyor frame. The links 59 cooperate with the pivoted frame 43 to provide a parallel motion mounting for the pusher frame 51 whereby the latter is maintained substantially horizontal as the frame 43 is swung about its pivot. Pivoted at 62 on the conveyor frame beneath the front loading conveyor is a single acting fluid cylinder 63 containing a reciprocable piston 64 having its piston rod 65 projecting forwardly from the front cylinder head and pivotally connected at 66 to lugs 67 integral with the rear portion of the pivoted frame 43. Thus, by supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinder 63 the piston 64 may be moved to effect swinging of the frame 43 upwardly about its pivot thereby to elevate the pusher frame 51 above the mine floor. When fluid is vented from the cylinder 63 the frame 43 may swing downwardly to bring the pusher frame down onto the mine floor. Also, the pivoted frame 43 and the links 59 cooperate to provide a floating mounting for the pusher frame whereby the latter may freely ride up and down as it moves over an uneven floor surface. For preventing excessive downward movement of the pusher frame 51 relative to the conveyor frame lugs 68 on the swingable frame 43 are engageable with abutment'lugs 69 at the sides of the conveyor frame as shown in Fig. 15. Thus, as the pusher frame moves over the mine floor as the sliding frame 6 is advanced and a substantial depression in the floor is encountered the lugs 68 engaging the abutment 69 prevent the pusher frame from moving down too far and thus, prevent the swinging frame 43 from swinging rearwardly past center. Projecting from the sides of the pusher frame 51, as shown most clearly in Figs. 12 and 14, are superimposed lugs 71 between which lugs 72 on scroll housings 73 are loosely interfitted and the lugs 71 have aligned vertical openings for receiving pivot pins 74 with which the lugs 72 are pivotally engaged. The pivot pins are loosely mounted in the openings in the lugs 71, with the openings of oval cross sectional shape as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 12, so that the scroll housings 73 when in their forward positions (Fig. 7) have some freedom of vertical tilting movement, as well as horizontal swinging movement, with respect to the pusher frame. By the provision of such limited tilt of the scroll housings the latter are free to ride up over any small obstructions on the mine floor. The lug openings which receive the pivot pins '74 are so shaped, however, that when the scroll housings are retracted (Fig. 6), the pins have no lateral movement, and the scroll housings are held rigid against vertical tilt.

Each conveyor scroll arrangement includes a conveyor scroll or spiral conveyor in the form of a helix 75 mounted on a tubular shaft 76 journaled solely at its outer end in spaced bearings 77 (see Fig. 8) supported by a housing 79 secured to the scroll housing and providing an outer closure for the scroll housing. The inner ends of the scrolls are open and generally conical plugs 80 are secured to the inner ends of the scroll shafts. Each scroll housing, as shown in Figs. 8 and 17, extends more than half way around the scroll and has a substantially semi-cylindrical inner surface 81 with which the outer peripheraledges of the scroll vanes engage to supplement the outer bearings 77 in the mounting of the scroll for rotation. Each scroll housing has a bottom lip 82 which is beveled or inclined and which is adapted to move over the floor and to direct loose material toward the scroll as the housing is moved forwardly and outwardly as later explained. The conveyor scrolls gather the loose material on the mine floor and move it inwardly toward the curved recesses 54 in the pusher frame and as the latter is moved forwardly with the sliding frame 6 it acts as a bulldozer to pile up the material on the floor beneath the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9. Thus, the material is gathered and collected beneath the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9 so that when the latter is swung downwardly toward its sumping position at the floor level the bottom runs of the disintegrating chains 12 engage the collected material on the floor and move it forwardly and upwardly, and then the top runs of 'the chains move the material rearwardly along the top of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism to discharge onto the front loading conveyor 10.

Each scroll shaft 76 has fixed thereto intermediate its bearings 77 a spur gear 85 which is enclosed in the housing 79. Mounted on the housing 79 is a conventional hydraulic motor 86 having a spur pinion 87 fixed to its power shaft and meshing with a spur gear 88 fixed to a shaft 89 journaled in bearings 90 supported within the housing 79. Fixed to the shaft 89 is a spur gear 91 meshing with a spur gear 92 journaled on a shaft 93 suitably supported within the housing 79. The gear 92 meshes with and drives the spur gear 85. These scroll drives are similar to those disclosed in mycopending ap plication Serial No. 139,631. Double acting cylinder and piston devices 95 are provided for swinging the scroll housings 73 horizontally about their pivots" relative to the pusher frame 51, and include fluid cylinders 96 loosely pivotally connected at their inner ends at 97 to lugs 98 projecting "from the sides of the pusher frame, to swing horizontally and to tilt slightly in a vertical direction. Reciprocable in these cylinders are pistons 99 having their piston rods 100 projecting outwardly from the outer cylinder heads, and the piston rods are loosely pivotally connected at 101 at their outer ends to the rear sides of the scroll housings 73. Liquid under pressure may be supplied to the motors 86 from a dual pump 102 carried by the sliding frame 6 (Fig. 4) and driven from one of the motors 19 through a belt and pulley connection 103 and a telescopic universal drive shaft 104, in the manner disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 139,631 mentioned above.

Now referring to the hydraulic system shown in Fig. 18 it will be noted that the pump 102 has its suction side connected by a conduit 105 to a liquid reservoir 106, and the separate discharges of the pump are connected by conduits 107 and 108 to the inlet sides of the hydraulic scroll driving motors 86. The exhaust sides of these motors are connected by branch conduits 109 to a conduit 110 leading back to the reservoir 106. As disclosed in the above mentioned Russell and Sibley applications Serial Nos. 102,995 and 102,996, the continuous miner has a motor driven pump 111 having its suction side connected by a conduit 112 to a liquid reservoir 113, and the discharge side of this pump is connected-by conduit 114 to the pressure passage of a conventional slide valve mechanism 115. The discharge passage of this valve mechanism is connected by conduit 116'back to the reservoir 113. This valve mechanism includes a valve box having parallel bores for respectively receiving slide valves 117, 118, and 119 of the conventional balanced spool type, provided with suitable operating handles. The bore containing the slide valve 117 is connected by conduits 120 and 121 to the opposite ends of the cylinders 26 of the cylinder and piston devices 21 for feeding and retracting the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9. The bore containing the slide valve 118 is connected by a conduit 122 to the cylinder 63 for elevating the pusher frame 51 and the conveyor-scroll housings 73 carried thereby. The bore containing the slide valve 119 is connected by conduit 123 to the cylinders 33 of the cylinder and piston devices for swinging the attacking and disintegrating mechanism upwardly in vertical planes. A relief valve connection 124 connects the conduit 120 back to the reservoir 113 to protect the feed cylinder and piston devices 21 against excessive pressures while a similar relief valve connection 125 leads from the conduit 123 back to the reservoir 113 to protect the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9 in the event of a roof fall with the attacking and disintegrating mechanism raised and the valve 119 in closed position. Fluid flowing to the rear end of one of the feed cylinders 26 may flow through an axial passage 126 (see Fig. 10) in the piston rod to a conduit 127 which leads to an automatic control valve device generally designated 128 which is mounted on one of the gear casings 17 carried on the sliding frame 6. A conduit 129 leads from this valve device to branch conduits 130 which communicate with the inner ends of the cylinders 96=of the swing devices 95 for the conveyor scrolls. Fluid flowing to the front end of the other feed cylinder 26 may flow through a passage 131 (see Fig. 10) in the piston rod to a conduit 132 which is connected by branch conduits 133 to the outer ends of the swing cylinders 96. A pressure relief valve device 134 and conduits 135 and 136 are adapted to permit the passage of fluid from the conduit 129 to the conduit 132 if a predetermined pressure is exceeded in the scroll swing devices 95.

The automatic valve device 128 has a casing 138 which is mounted to move with the sliding frame 6 relative to the motors 19, and has a bore 139 containing a twospool slide valve 141) (Fig. suitably packed at 141 and 142 and normally biased towards closed position by a spring 143. This valve has a peripheral groove 144 and is provided with a valve stem 145 projecting from the rear end of the casing and which is engagcablc with a front end surface 146 on the casing of one of the motors 19. The groove 144 is long enough to permit connection, in the open position of the valve in Fig. 5 between a supply groove 147 which communicates with the conduit 127 and a groove 148 which communicates with the conduit 129 leading to the inner ends of the scroll swing cylinders 96. It will be evident that fluid under pressure will be supplied to the conduit 129 only when the valve 140 is in retracted position as shown in Fig. 5 and as soon as the valve and the casing 138 has moved far enough forwardly to let the valve 140 move to the other end of its casing under the influence of the spring 143,

the fluid delivery to the conduit 129 will be interrupted u and the fluid, practically speaking, will be entrapped within the cylinder and piston devices 95. Communicating with the groove 147 is a passage 150 in the valve casing 138, and this passage is connected to a chamber 151 which contains an automatic check valve 152 normally held against its seat by a spring 153. A passage 154 in the valve casing connects the opposite side of the valve seat from the chamber 151 to the groove 148. it will thus be seen when fluid under pressure is supplied to the conduit 127, past the valve 149, to the conduit 129 the check valve 152 is maintained closed, but when the conduit 127 is connected to exhaust during retraction of the feed devices 21 the check valve 152 automatically opens to drain the fluid from the conduit 129 back to the reservoir. Thus, before the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9 is fed forwardly by the devices 21 the swing-devices 95 swing the conveyor scrolls to the extended position shown in Fig. 7, and before the attacking and disintegrating mechanism is retracted by the devices 21 the inner ends of the swing cylinders 96 are vented past the check valve 152 and the conveyor scrolls are swung inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 6 by the fluid entering the outer ends of the scroll swing cylinders through the conduit 1,32. In the event one or both of the conveyor scrolls should engage an obstruction during forward movement of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism the relief valve 134 will automatically open to prevent the building up of excessive pressures in the swing cylinders 96.

Again referring to the conveyor scroll devices it will be noted that the upper parallel motion arms 59 are of substantial horizontal extent and serve to shroud the underlying mechanism to prevent the loose material on the mine floor which piles up on the pusher frame from dropping rearwardly between the outer sides of the conveyor frame and the scroll housings. Mounted on outward projections 155 on the upper arms 59 are flexible deflector elements 156 which extend down over the inner open ends of the conveyor scrolls and which coact with the tops of the conveyor housings when the conveyor scrolls are in extended position as shown in Fig. 7 to prevent the piled-up material at the inner ends of the scrolls from passing rearwardly over the tops of the scroll housings. The upper forwardly and downwardly inclined surface 157 of the swingable frame 43 cooperates with the front plane surface 53 on the pusher frame to move the collected matorial on the mine floor in a forward direction with a bulldozer action to bring the collected material into the zone of action of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism for the purpose heretofore described. Substantially no material passes up over the surface 157 of the swingable frame onto the forward end of the front loading conveyor 10.

The general mode of operation of the improved con tinuous miner is as follows: When the continuous miner is suitably positioned with respect to the working face of the mine vein, the motors 19 may be started to effect rapid circulation of the disintegrating chains 12 in their orbits and the swivel frame or turntable 4 may then be 5 turned, in the manner disclosed in the Russell and Sibley applications, to locate the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9 near one of the side walls or ribs of the mine passageway, and as the attacking and distintegrating mechanism is positioned laterally it may be swung downwardly about its pivot under the control of the slide valve 119 for the swing cylinders 33 to locate the outer end of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism near the level of the mine floor. Fluid may then be trapped in the swing cylinders 33 and the turntable and base may then be held in a stationary position, and fluid under pressure may be supplied under the control of the slide valve 117 to the rear ends of the feed cylinders 26 to effect sliding of the frame 6 forwardly relative to the turntable and base, to sump the outer portion of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism into the mine vein. When the motors 19 are started to effect drive of the disintegrating chains the pump 102 is concurrently driven and fluid under pressure is supplied to the hydraulic motors 86 which drive the conveyor scrolls. As fluid under pressure flows to the rear end of the feed cylinders 26 it concurrently flows through passage 126 and conduit 127 past the automatic control valve device 128 to the conduit 129 and thence to the cylinders 96 of the swinging devices for the conveyor scrolls to effect swinging of the latter forwardly and outwardly to their extended position shown in Fig. 7 so that when the attacking and disintegrating mechanism 9 is advanced during sumping the conveyor scrolls move the loose material on the mine floor inwardly and the pusher frame 51 piles up material on the floor in advance thereof, thereby to collect material beneath the attacking and disintegrating mechanism in the zone of action of the latter to enable the disintegrating chains 12 to engage and move the collected material forwardly from the mine floor and then upwardly and rearwardly along the top of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism to discharge onto the front loading conveyor 10. When the attacking and disintegrating mechanism is sumped in fluid under pressure may be supplied to the swing cylinders 33 under the control of the slide valve 119 to effect upswing of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism in an arcuate path to tear out and disintegrate a wide vertical segment of the mine vein and during this dislodging operation the disintegrated material is moved by the top runs of the disintegrating chains rearwardly to discharge onto the front loading conveyor. When the outer portion of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism reaches the level of the mine roof fluid flow to the swing cylinders 33 may be interrupted and the fluid may be entrapped therein by the slide valve to hold the attacking and disintegrating mechanism in raised position. The slide valve 117 may then be operated to effect fluid supply to the forward ends of the cylinders 26 to retract the sliding frame 6 relative to the turntable and base thereby to withdraw the attacking and disintegrating mechanism from the mine vein. When fluid is supplied to the front ends of the cylinders 26 it concurrently flows through passage 131 and conduit 132 to the outer ends of the swing cylinders 96 for the conveyor scrolls, to move the latter rearwardly and inwardly to the posh tion shown in Fig. 6. When the slide valve 117 is positioned to effect fluid supply to the front ends of the cylinders 26 the rear ends of thesecylinders are connected to exhaust and as a result the fluid entrapped in the inner ends of the scroll swing cylinders 96 is vented past the check valve 152 back to the reservoir 113, so as to enable the conveyor scrolls to swing rearwardly and inwardly. When the attacking and disintegrating mechanism ap proaches its retracted position the valve stem 145 engages the surface 146 of one of the casings of one of the motors 19 to move the valve 140 to its retracted open position shown in Fig. ready to supply fluid to the rear ends of the scroll swing cylinders 96 when fluid is again supplied to the rear ends of the feed cylinders 26. As the attacking and disintegrating mechanism moves back and forth with the sliding frame 6 the pusher frame 51 rides over the mine floor and the floating mounting for the pusher frame enables the latter to ride freely up and down as it moves over an uneven floor surface, and the parallel motion links 43, 59 maintain the pusher frame in a horizontal position. The stops 68 engaging the abutments 69 prevent the pusher frame from dropping down too far into a depression in the floor. When the slide valve 118 is properly positioned fluid under pressure may be supplied to the tilt cylinder 63 to effect swinging of the frame 43 upwardly about its pivot relative to the front conveyor frame to raise the pusher frame and conveyor scrolls into transport position above the floor level, and when the valve 118 is positioned to vent the cylinder 63 the frame 43 may swing down about its pivot to bring the pusher frame and conveyor scrolls onto the mine floor. Since the manner of use of the continuous miner is fully disclosed in the Russell and Sibley applications, Serial Nos. 102,995 and 102,996 and the general manner of op eration of the floor clean-up devices is disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 139,631, further description of the manner of operation thereof is herein unnecessary.

As a result of this invention an improved continuous miner is provided whereby any loose material which has fallen to the mine floor during the dislodging operation is effectively gathered and collected on the mine floor beneath the attacking and disintegrating mechanism so that when the latter is in its lowered position it engages the material so collected and moves it from the mine floor onto the main loading conveyor of the miner. By mounting the gathering devices at the opposite sides of a pusher frame and by causing the gathering devices to swing forwardly and outwardly as the attacking and disintegrating mechanism is sumped into the solid mine vein, any loose material on the mine floor is moved beneath the attacking and disintegrating mechanism into the zone of action of the disintegrating chains thereby to enable etfective cleaning up of the floor in advance of the mobile base of the miner. The provision of the novel mounting means for the pusher frame and conveyor scrolls enables the pusher frame and conveyor scrolls to ride freely over the mine floor and to be readily elevated from the mine floor when desired. Moreover, the novel pivotal mountings for the conveyor scrolls permit the latter when in forward extended position (Fig. 7) to tilt upwardly relative to the pusher frame as they pass over an uneven or rolling floor and permit the pusher frame and scrolls to move upwardly should they encounter some obstruction on the floor. By coordinating the scroll swing cylinders with the feed cylinders for the attacking and disintegrating mechanism the conveyor scrolls are automatically swung outwardly before the attacking and disintegrating mechanism is advanced and are auto matically retracted before retraction of the attacking and disintegrating mechanism. The clean-up mechanism is not only flexible in operation and relatively compact, but is also comparatively simple and rugged in design, well adapted for its intended purpose. These and other uses and advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

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 modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

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

1. A floor clean-up mechanism comprising a support, a front floor engaging frame, pivotal connections between said support and said frame whereby the latter may swing up and down so as to move freely over the mine floor, and gathering devices including housings projecting laterally from the sides of said frame and pivotally mounted on said frame to swing horizontally relative thereto and to tilt in a vertical direction, conveyor scrolls arranged in said housings for moving loose material on the mine floor inwardly toward said frame, pivotal mounting means for said scroll-housings including pivots permitting vertical tilt thereof when said housings are swung forwardly and outwardly relative to said frame and including means for precluding such vertical tilt of said housings when the latter are in their retracted inner positions, and means for raising said frame above the mine floor when said scroll housings are in retracted position.

2. A floor clean-up mechanism comprising a support, a front floor engaging frame, pivotal connections between said support and said frame whereby the latter may swing up and down so as to move freely over the mine floor, and gathering devices including housings projecting later-- ally from the sides of said frame and pivotally mounted on said frame to swing horizontally relative thereto and to tilt in a vertical direction, conveyor scrolls arranged in said housings for moving loose material on the mine floor inwardly toward said frame, pivotal mounting means for said scroll-housings including pivots permitting vertical tilt thereof when said housings are swung forwardly and outwardly relative to said frame and including means for precluding such vertical tilt of said housings when the latter are in their retracted inner positions, and means for raising said frame above the mine floor when said scrollhousings are in retracted position, said pivotal mountings including vertical pivot pins carried by said housings and lugs on said frame having openings for receiving said pivot pins, and said openings being laterally elongated in one direction so that when said scroll-housings are in their forward outer positions said pins are free to rock slightly in said elongated openings to permit such limited vertical tilt of said scroll-housings.

3. A floor clean-up mechanism comprising a support, a front floor engaging frame, pivotal connections between said support and said frame whereby the latter may swing up and down so as to move freely over the mine floor, and gathering devices including housings projecting laterally from the sides of said frame and pivotally mounted on said frame to swing horizontally relative thereto and to tilt in a vertical direction, conveyor scrolls arranged in said housings for moving loose material on the mine floor inwardly toward said frame, pivotal mounting means for said scroll-housings including pivots permitting vertical tilt thereof when said housings are swung forwardly and outwardly relative to said frame and including means for precluding such vertical tilt of said housings when the latter are in their retracted inner positions, and means for raising said frame above the mine floor when said scroll-housings are in retracted position, said pivotal mountings including vertical pivot pins carried by said housings and lugs on said frame having openings for receiving said pivot pins, and said openings being laterally elongated in one direction so that when said scroll-housings are in their forward outer positions said pins are free to rock slightly in said elongated openings to permit such limited vertical tilt of said scrollhousings, said lug openings being so arranged that said pivot pins when said scroll housings are retracted are held against rocking movement to prevent vertical tilt of said housings relative to said frame whereby when the latter is elevated the scroll-housings are prevented from sagging-down with respect to said frame.

4. In combination, conveying means movable forwardly over the floor of a mine, and a floor clean-up device associated with said conveying means and movable forwardly therewith for gathering loose material on the mine floor and for moving the material so gathered inwardly over the mine floor to a point in advance of said device whereby the loose material is collected in a pile on the mine floor for removal onto said conveying means, said clean-up device including a centrally located pusher frame for imparting a positive pushing action to the loose material on the floor as said frame is moved forwardly and rotary gathering devices mounted at and projecting laterally from the sides of said frame and movable forwardly therewith for gathering loose material at the sides of said frame and for moving the material so gathered inwardly toward said frame, said frame having recesses at its sides and said gathering devices consisting of conveyor scrolls having open ends for discharging material into said recesses, said frame having a transverse pusher surface extending between said gathering devices rearwardly of said recesses for obstructing movement of the collected material rearwardly toward said conveying means as said device is advanced with said conveying means.

5. In a floor clean-up device, the combination comprising a movable support, a relatively movable, centrally located, transversely arranged pusher movable over the floor of a mine, and connections between said support and said frame for permitting free up and down movement of said frame relative to said support, said pusher frame movable forwardly over the mine floor to pile up loose material on the floor with a bulldozer action, conveyor scrolls mounted at the sides of said pusher frame for moving loose material on the mine floor at the sides of said frame inwardly toward said pusher frame whereby the loose material is piled up on the mine floor in advance of said pusher frame, said pusher frame having side recesses provided with upwardly curved bottom surfaces extending toward the center of said frame, said conveyor scrolls having open inner ends for discharging material inwardly into said recesses.

6. In a floor clean-up device, the combination comprising a movable support, a relatively movable, centrally located frame resting on and movable forwardly over the floor of a mine, and connections between said support and said frame for permitting free up and down movement of said frame relative to said support as said frame rides over the mine floor, and gathering devices mounted at the sides. of said frame for moving loose material on. the mine floor at the sides of said frame inwardly toward said frame, said connections consisting of parallel motion links pivotally connected to said support and to said frame to maintain the latter in a horizontal position during such free up and down movement, said links being superimposed and the upper links being relatively wide and extending over said frame beyond the sides thereof to shroud the spaces between said frame and said gathering devices to prevent loose material from falling down between said frame and said gathering devices.

7. In a floor clean-up device, the combination comprising a movable support, a relatively movable, centrally located pusher frame movable over the floor of a mine, and connections between said support and said frame for permitting free up and down movement of said frame relative to said support, said pusher frame movable forwardly over the mine floor to pile up loose material on the floor, gathering devices mounted at the sides of said pusher frame for moving loose material on the mine floor at the sides of said frame inwardly toward said pusher frame whereby the loose material is piled up on the mine floor in advance of said pusher frame, said connections consisting of parallel motion links pivotally connected to said support and to said frame to maintain the latter in a horizontal position during such free up and down movement, said links being superimposed and the upper links being relatively wide and extending over said frame beyond the sides thereof to shroud the spaces between said frame and said gathering devices to prevent loose material from falling down between said frame and said gathering devices, said upper links carrying flexible members at the sides thereof and said flexible members coacting with said gathering devices for reducing the movement of loose material rearwardly of the latter thereby to confine the loose material in the paths of movement of said gathering devices.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,143,897 Flexner et al. June 22, 1915 1,446 985 Nelson Feb. 27, 1923 1,573,728 Manning Feb. 16, 1926 1,726,604 Amen Sept. 3, 1929 1,791,662 Davis Feb. 10, 1931 1,839,625 Whaley Jan. 5, 1932 1,866,789 Barber July 12, 1932 2,099,981 Joy Nov. 23, 1937 2,269,781 Osgood Jan. 13, 1942 2,425,695 Fees Aug. 12, 1947 2,588,283 Osgood Mar. 4, 1952

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