US2841378A - Corner sprocket mechanism for boring type mining machine - Google Patents

Description

July 1, 1958 J. KARLOVSKY 2,841,

CORNER SPROCKET MECHANISM FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed April 5, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

INVENTOR Jerry Karlovsky 4. m

July 1, 1958 J. KARLOVSKY 2,841,378

CORNER SPROCKET MECHANISM FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1957 D'Cl ' INVENTOR.

Jerry Karlovsky ATTORNEY y 1, 1953 Q .J. KARLOVSKY CORNER SPROCKET MECHANISM FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed April 5, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. By Jerry Karlovsky ATTORNEY CORNER SPRUCKET MECHANISM FOR BORING TYFE EVENING MACHINE 3 Claims. (Cl. 262-7) This invention relates to improvements in mining machines of the multiple boring type, and has for its principal object to provide an improved mechanism for laterally retracting and extending the corner sprockets for the cutter chain on the bottom cutter bar, cooperating with upright pusher plates mounted on said bottom cutter bar at opposite sides of a conventional gathering conveyor.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a side View of a mining machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of one end of the lower cutter, bar, the corner chain sprocket, the pusher plate, and parts associated therewith, and showing the moving parts in fully extended position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but with the parts in retracted position and with the cutter chain omitted;

Figure 4 is a detail section taken on line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a mining machine of the conventional multiple boring type is indicated at 10 in Figure 1, having a main frame 11, on crawler treads 12, and an auxiliary frame 13 mounted as usual for tilting adjustment relative to the main frame. A pair of boring heads 14 are mounted side by side for rotation in advance of the auxiliary frame, each of said boring heads including a plurality of radial arms 15 with forwardly projecting cutter supports 15a thereon for cutting a plurality of concentric kerfs in the mine face. A cuttings conveyor 16 is disposed longitudinally along the main frame with a cuttings receiving throat 17 opening adjacent the floor level, to the rear of the cutter heads (see Figure 2).

The auxiliary frame 13 has upper and lower cutter chain carrying bars 18 and 19 supported thereon and extending horizontally immediately behind the cutter heads for removing the depending and upstanding cusps of mineral left between the boring heads. These cutter bars are each vertically adjustable by hydraulic jacks, one of which jacks is seen in Figure 2, consisting of a cylinder 20 mounted on the front face of the auxiliary frame 13, and with a piston 20a connected to the lower cutter bar 19.

The construction and arrangement of the parts above mentioned are well known in the art, so need not be described in greater detail excepting as to the novel features which constitute the present invention.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 show one end of the lower cutter bar 19, which is similar at the opposite end (not shown). Said cutter bar has a chain guide 21 with an upstanding rib 22 along its outer end. An upright pusher plate 23 rates Patent is mounted for lateral slidable movement along the upper face of the chain guide 21. Said plate has a groove 24 along its bottom edge slidably engaging the rib 22. A shoe 27 having a lower groove 28 is pivoted on pin 29 projecting forwardly from a carrier 36). Said shoe slidably embraces the upper edge of the plate 23 adjacent its outer end. Said carrier is vertically slidable at its rear end to a T-slot 31 in an upstanding projection 32 formed integral with the lower cutter bar. Said carrier is normally urged downwardly by a spring 33 abutting the upper end 32a of the projections 32.

A back-up shoe 34 for the pusher plate 23 projects upwardly from the cutter bar 19 and is connected to the upstanding projection 32 of the latter by a rib 35, as seen in Figure 4.

A cutter chain 36 of conventional link construction is guided for movementalong the chain guide 21 and passes to or from the outer end of the latter around an idler sprocket 37 mounted adjacent the lower, outermost corner of the pusher plate 23. In the form shown, the sprocket is rotatably mounted on antifriction bearings 38, 39 supported on a pin 40, fixed as by welding to the pusher plate, as shown in Figure 6.

As seen in Figure 3, the lower edge of the pusher plate 23 has an outwardly and downwardly inclined end portion 41 at its outer end, which cooperates with a rounded surface 42 at the extreme end of the cutter bar guide 21, so that an upward camming action is exerted on the outer end of the pusher plate and the corner sprocket carried thereby when they are retracted bodily inwardly toward the center of the machine.

The pusher plate 23 is retracted and extended by hydraulic cylinder 45, pivotally connected at its inner end to an upright support 46 on the cutter bar, and having a piston rod 47 pivotally connected by pin 48 to the pusher plate adjacent the upper corner of the latter.

The lower outer corner of the pusher plate on which the sprocket 37 is mounted is preferably formed with an arcuate edge 49 substantially concentric with said sprocket, and approximating the cutting range of the cutter chain 36 as it passes around said sprocket, as seen in Figure 3. The'outer edge of the pusher plate above the arcuate edge 49 is provided with an extension 50, preferably made of a semifiexible material such as rubber, with its lower edge curved on an arc approximating the cutting range of the adjacent boring head 1 The use and operation are as follows:

When the pusher plate 23 and the corner sprocket 37 are in normal fully extended position, as shown in Figure 2, the pusher plate is disposed to one side of the conveyor throat 17 in position to crowd the cuttings on the mine floor forwardly into position to be engaged by the arms of the adjacent boring head 14'which are rotated as usual in the direction to sweep the cuttings inwardly along the mine floor toward the conveyor throat, for loading on the latter. In this fully extended position of the pusher plate, the corner sprocket 37 has its periphery disposed in aligned position with the cutter chain and its guide on the lower cutter bar 19 so as to direct the cutter chain in its normal cutting operation.

In this cutting position the arcuate outer edge 49 of the pusher plate blocks the escape of loose material rearwardly along the curved side wall portion cut by the cutter chain as it passes around the corner sprocket, and the extension 50 above the arcuate edge 49 blocks loose material from esca ing rearwardly along the side wall or rib cut by the adjacent boring head 14. In this fully extended position the pusher plate is urged downwardly by the spring 33 to maintain engagement between the rib 22 and the groove 24 along the bottom edge of said pusher plate.

When it is desired to retract the cutter chain and is v 3 sprocket from its fully extended position, as for instance, when withdrawing the machine from the working face for transportation to another place in the'rnine, the lower cutter bar119 is raised by the hydraulic cylinder and piston 2t) and 20a to a position substantially as shown I in Figure 3. The pusher plate 23 is also moved in-' wardly by the hydraulic cylinder .5 and piston rod 47 toca position substantially as shown in' Figure 3. During this inward lateral movement of thepusheriplate the caniming surface formed by the outwardly and downwardly inclined portion 41 of the pusher plate rides upwardly over the adjacent end of the cutter bar guide'21 so that the sprocket '37 is moved both inwardly and up-1 advance of the machine, upper and lower cutter bars mounted on said frame'rearwardly of and normally" disposed generally tangential to the vertical diameters of the boring heads, a longitudinally extending conveyor on the frame having a cuttings receiving throat opening 7 ing said outer ends of the pusher plates when the pusher adjacent the floor level between said boring heads, pusher plates on opposite sides of said conveyor throat mounted on and slidable relative to said lower cutter bar upwardly and laterally inwardly toward retracted positions and laterally outwardly and downwardly toward extended positions, idler sprockets for the cutter chain of said lower cutter bar rotatably mounted on and carried by" the outer ends of said'pusher plates, said pusher plates 7 having guide means adjacent their outer ends slidably cooperating with guide means on the lowercutter bar for elevating said outer ends of the pusher plates with their idler sprockets when the pusher plates and sprockets are moved toward said retracted positions and for lowerplates and sprockets are moved toward said extended positions, and power means for bodily extending or retracting the pusher plates and sprockets.

V 2. The structure of claim l in which the guide meanst cam surfaces. p V

3. The structure of claim 1, and vertically yieldable on-the pusher plates and low er cutterbar have coacti ng means normally urging the pusher plates downwardly into slidable contactrwith the lower cutter bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,801,836 Risse Aug; 6, 1957

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