US2808249A

US2808249A - Continuous mining machine having an angularly adjustable cutter head

Info

Publication number: US2808249A
Application number: US590065A
Authority: US
Inventors: James S Robbins
Original assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Co LP
Current assignee: Goodman Manufacturing Co LP
Priority date: 1956-06-07
Filing date: 1956-06-07
Publication date: 1957-10-01
Anticipated expiration: 1974-10-01

Description

J. S. ROBBINS CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE HAVING AN Oct. 1, 1957 ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE CUTTER HEAD Original Filed Oct. 21, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm mm Q I ON NN R.S N no MR 3 S E E W n k l m w oh U. nl Q A e d d fl JIM. .lul. d q a 3 5 o Q R\ H Q o o Q I m f AP p mm 5 an U ATTORNEY J. s. ROBBINS 2,808,249 CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE HAVING AN ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE CUTTER HEAD Original Filed Oct. 21, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 1, 1957 INVENTOR. JAMES s. ROBBINS BY 2 ATTORNEY 1957 J. s. ROBBINS CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE HAVING AN ANGULARLY ADJUSTABLE CUTTER HEAD Original Filed Oct. 21, 1953 s Shets-Sheet s INVENTOR. JAMES S. ROBBINS ZTTORNEY United States Patent Q CONTINUOUS MINING AN ADJ USTABBE CUTTERL' HEAD James-S; Robbins;.St;.-Paul-,-: Minn.; assignor to Goodman Nanufacturing: Company Chicago, 111., a corporation Illinois Continuation ofapplication Serial No. 387,441, October 21,1953; This application*Juhe*-7Q1956, Serial'No. 590,665

1 Claim. (Cl. 262:1

'Phis invention-relates to improvements in mining machines ofthe--multiple boringr-armtypeadapted to cut contiguous bores in'advance of the machine. Such-:machines; commonly known as'McKinlay'type' miners, have acutter head-including: a pair of laterally spaced,, radial boring. arms and auxiliary horizontally disposedupper and-lower cutter-bars,- which 1 follow immediately behind the boring arms to modify the circular bore pattern by producing fiatiiooriandroof-surfaces.

One of the principal objects of-theprese'nt invention is to provide ia-machine of the type above mentioned, wherein thecutter head is-readily adjustable for vertical or lateral tilting angles-with respect toits mobile 'base frame to increase its-flexibility" and maneuverability in mining operations.

A further object is-to provide an-'improved 'and: sim plified--structure, wherein th'e "cutterhead, the 'cutter head drive motors, and the dischargeconveyor are formed as an-"integral unit ton bodily, adjustment -relative to'ithemobile 'base frame:

A still further-object of the invention is to provide'.

an improved threeapoint: mountingznor the cutter head :and-

its associated-parts, to facilitate their adjustment relative t-o'the base'franiez' The present application -is a continuation of my appli cation- Serial No: 387',44l, filed OctoberQl, 1953;110W abandoned.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying-drawings,in which'" Figure 1 isna side'view of a mining'm'achinemadein accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view," with certain details omitted, showing the adjustable support for the rear end of the cutter head conveyor assembly which consists of a pair of hydraulic jacks;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken generally on line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the fluid control system for the hydraulic jacks shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, a mobile base frame, indicated generally at 9, is mounted on parallel

endless treads

10, 10. Said base frame has a relatively low-slung cross member 11 between the endless treads and forms, with said treads, an open longitudinal trough-like space for the reception of the cutter head conveyor assembly, as will presently be described in greater detail. The base frame carries suitable drive motors (not shown) for the endless treads, together with conventional control devices for operating them in unison or at diiierent speeds or in opposite directions for maneuvering the machine, as usual, on the mine floor.

A cutter head, indicated generally at 12, includes a relatively large upright subframe 13 which carries a pair of forwardly projecting

boring heads

14, 14 of conventional form including a plurality (herein three) of radial arms 15. The boring heads 14 are journalled, as usual, in the subframe 13.

Patented Oct. 1 "1957A mounted 'onthe subframe l3 'n'eed-notsbe described herein,-

as they: form no part of thepresent invention.

The cutter headsu-bframe 13m for-m's 'thesole-support for motordrive means f-or the two-boring heads 14. Said motordrive means-herein-consists. of similar but separate electric-motors 35;- 35 mounted integrally with gear reduction casings-35a secured to the :rear' of the' subfrarne 13.- Details of the gearreductionmechanism and the gears for-driving the [boring heads, are not shown herein, as-theyform no part-of-the-present invention.

An'endless-conveyor, indicated'generally :at 37, is rigidly connected to :the subframe. 13, so 1 as to form therewith a separate cutter 'headaconveyor- 'assemblywhich is supported foi bodily adjust-ment relative to the mobile'b'ase frame 9, as willnow-be-describedr- The illustrative means herein shown lior'radjustably supportingthe frontend of the =cutter -hea'deconveyorassembly for eitherlateralor longitudinalttiltingrelative to the mobile baseframe-9-includes-a-pairof laterally spaced, uprighttrunniomsupports38,-.38: at the" front end of the base framew9, which trunnion supports carry inwardly "projecting

trunnionpins

39,39 journalled in bear ings' at-oppositesides of the cuttenhead subframe 13; Asshown in Figure- 3', each trunnion-pin =39 is mounted eecentrically'of ran annularrhubtl j-ournalled in the inner side of a housing-.43 formingpart of ithe uprighttrunnion support 38- The-hub 41-isintegra1-witha gear 44- in housing-'43, which gearmay be rotated manually by a ratchet-handler 45- througha isuitable reduction gear train,- herein consisting; of-a i small-pinion 46 -on stub shaft 47, herein shown-as having its inner end journalledon needle bearings: within the gear 44 and=its hub41.- Said pinion: 46 -is meshed withagear 48 fixed on anotherwshaft- 49. havinga larger pinion 50 meshed withthe aforesaidgea-r 44. in the form shown herein, -the"r,atchet handle has a shaft 45w detachably connecta'ble inasocketed end 4% of the stub shaft 47, so as to permitsaid rat-chet handle to be removed from. the-machine when not inuse.

Each of thetrunnion pins=39 has apartially'sphericali bearing; sleeve 51 rotatablywland slidably mounted thereon; and engaged in a correspondingly; shaped bearingring-52, fitted zimtheside. of the subframe' '1-3,-'as-:shown in Figure: 3, so as to provide, in eifcct, a universal or ball joint for each of the two trunnions, thereby permitting the subframe to assume varying angles, and to tilt on varying axes, relative to the base frame 9. The slidable mounting of the bearing sleeves 51 on trunnion pins 39 permits limited endwise movement of said sleeves to compensate for any increase in distance {between the trunnions and the subfram'e due to varying adjustments of said trunnion pins.

It will now be understood that the two

trunnion pins

39, 39 are each adjustable in a circle so as to vary the position of the axis of lateral or longitudinal tilting movement of the subframe 13 relative to the base frame 9, as may be desired to counteract spiraling of the cutter head, or to make other minor corrections in lateral or up-and-down steering of the machine while it is in use. For instance, if the machine starts to spiral, i. e. cut upwardly on one side and downwardly on the other, one side of the head may be lifted and the other side lowered by moving the proper trunnion pin to a higher position and the other to a lower position. Similarly, minor corrections in steering can be made by adjusting one of the trunnion pins to a more forward position and the other to a more rearward position. Smaller adjustments can, of course, be made by adjusting only one of the trunnion pins. 7

It will be further understood that the adjustment of one or both trunnion pins 39, Ias above described, also permits the cutter head-conveyor assembly to tilt bodily longitudinally of the machine about varying transverse axes, depending upon the relative adjusted positions of the two trunnion pins.

The conveyor 37 has a generally U-shaped frame 55 supporting an endless flight type chain conveyor of any well-known construction. Said conveyor frame is rigidly secured at its front end near the bottom of the cutter head subfra'me 13, and extends at an upwardly and rearwardly inclined angle, so that the chain conveyor receives loose material at the floor immediately to the rear of the lower cutter bar 21, and carries it for discharge into any suitable material-transporting apparatus, such as another conveyor, shuttle car, or the like. In the form shown herein, the conveyor frame 55 is made of substantial strength, so as to provide a support for the rear end of the cutter head-conveyor assembly rearwardly of the

trunnion pins

39, 39. A drive motor 56, having suitable chain drive connections with the rear end of the flight conveyor, is also supported below the rear end of the conveyor frame and forms a part of the cutter headconveyor assembly.

Figures 1 and 2 show the mechanism for tilting the cutter head-conveyor assembly longitudinally of the machine about a transverse axis, herein provided by the trunnion pins 39, :by means of a pair of

hydraulic jacks

75, 75. Said jacks each have double-acting pistons 76, the lower ends of which pistons are connected by lball joints 77 to brackets 78 fixed in laterally spaced relation on the cross member 11 of :base frame 9. The upper ends of the jacks 75 are connected by ball joints 79 to opposite sides of the conveyor frame 55.

The hydraulic control system for the motor devices 75 is shown diagrammatically in Figure 4, wherein a pump 89, which may be either motor or hand-operated, is connected by line 81 to a control valve 82 of any Wellknown construction designed to supply pressure selectively to

lines

83 and 84, respectively, leading by cross connecting

lines

85 and 86 to the upper and lower ends of both

hydraulic jacks

75, 75. As usual, when pressure is supplied to one of the lines, the other line is opened for pressure relief through a line 87 connecting valve 82 to low pressure tank 88.

By reason of the cross-connection of the upper and lower ends of jacks '75 through

lines

85 and 86, as just described, it will be observed that the pistons in the two jacks are free to accommodate themselves automatically to any lateral tilting adjustments of the cutter head-conveyor assembly, so as to provide, in effect, a three-point suspension of the cutter head-conveyor assembly, and the ball-jointed mounting of both upper and lower ends of the hydraulic jacks permits the superposed assembly to shift forwardly or rearwardly as may be necessary to accommodate for forvv'ard or rearward adjustment of the trunnion pins 39. a

It will be especially observed that the

hydraulic jacks

75, 75, with their

cross-connecting fluid lines

85 and 86, will permit the cutter head-conveyor assembly to be tilted laterally relative to the base frame 9 on varying transverse axes defined by the

adjustable trunnion pins

39, 39. v

The use and operation of the machine will now be manifest to those skilled in the art. Adjustment of the trunnion pins 39 can .be readily effected, when necessary, to offset any spiraling of the cutter head, and also to effect any minor corrections in steering of the cutter head as it is being driven into the working face. The frame of the endless conveyor 37, together with the parts suspended from the rear end thereof, such as the conveyor drive motor 56, are spaced a sufiicient distance from the

endless treads

10, 10, so as to afford sufficient clearance for any permissible tilting or lateral swinging adjustments of the cutter head-conveyor assembly as a whole.

Although I have shown and described a centain embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a boring machine, a mobile main frame, an auxiliary frame having a boring head thereon for forming a bore in advance of the machine, supporting means adjacent the front of the machine affording tilting of said auxiliary frame laterally and longitudinally relative to said main frame, and means disposed rearwardly of said support means for supporting said auxiliary frame for lateral and longitudinal tilting on said main frame comprising a pair of laterally spaced generally upright hydraulic jacks flexibly connected for lateral nocking movement between said auxiliary and main frames, and hydraulic pressure means for extending or retracting said jacks including pressure and relief lines each connected to similar ends of said jacks from a fluid line common to said similar ends, to permit interchange of fluid between similar ends of said jacks to accommodate said jacks to lateral tilting of said auxiliary frame, in various positions of extension or retraction of said jacks.

'No references cited.