US3033542A - Overload arrangement for mining planer - Google Patents

Description

y 8, 1962 w ROSLER 3,033,542

OVERLOAD ARRANGEMENT FOR MINING PLANER Filed Aug. 6, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig./

INVEN TOR A/YULFF K SLER United States Patent 3,033,542 OVERLOAD ARRANGEMENT FOR MINING PLANER Wulif Rosier, Altlunen, Germany, assiguor to' Gewerltschfit Eisenhutte Westfalia, Wethmar, near Lunen', Westfalen, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed An 6, 1958, Stet. No. 753,5tl6 1 Claim. (Cl. 262-) This invention relates to a safety device arangement for apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a safety device, such as for example a shear pin, interposed between a drive unit and a driven unit in such location and manner that it is readily accessible.

In order to establish an upper limit for the forces acting from the drive on a mining machine, such as long face mining planets, which include a plow and a conveyor, it is known to provide a safety coupling. The so-ca-lled shear pin safety device is very widely used. The purpose of such break type safety device consists inter alia in preventing the transmission of excessively large forces to the traction means of the mining machine, as might be the case for instance when the latter is blocked. in such a case, if there is no mechanism provided, which by its own breaking interupts the drive, there would be the danger that the traction means of the mining machine would be damaged by the driving forces. Conditions are similar in the case of conveyors, such as double-chain scraper conveyors, the chains of which can jam or be otherwise blocked. In this case, also, the purpose of the safety device by its own breaking is to prevent the transmission of excessively large forces.

In the known plow drives, the shear pin is generally arranged in the chain connected to the plow or else in the plow itself. In the latter case, the plow operator must locate, i.e., uncover the plow member in case the shear pin breaks. With the enormous wall lengths customary today, this may be very difficult and time consuming. Furthermore, the plow in such case must be freed from the coal on it so that the shear-pin can be rep-laced. This is furthermore diflicult also for the reason that the plow is located between'the coal face and the conveyor. The replacement of the shear pin by a new pin is somewhat simpler if the shear-pin is located between the sprocket wheel and the driving shaft. However, even in such case the repair is difficult inasmuch as the space available is very small. Since the mechanic can scarcely get between the face and the drive, the required work must be done from the rear of the conveyor and therefore over the conveyor. If the conveyor is to continue operating, as is frequently necessary, this work is further-more also very dangerous.

The primary object of the present invention is to develop and arrange the safety device means, such as a shear-pin, for the driving of a coal plow or a conveyor in such a manner that replacement can be effected without difficulty, rapidly and in particular without danger of accident.

The manner in which this and other objects are attained according to the invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is set forth.

In the drawings:

PEG. 1 is a top view of a portion of a double-chain scraper conveyor with the plow guided thereon and of the units for effecting the drive of the conveyor and plow; and

FlG. 2 shows a part of the gearing in open condition, partially in section.

The invention provides a mining tool including as operating units a coal plow and a conveyor. One or each 3,033,542 Fatented May 8, 1962 ice of the operating units includes a power receiving means which is linked to drive means by power transmitting.

means. The drive means and the power transmitting means are positioned on the side of the conveyor opposite the plow. The device according to the invention is characterized in that power transmitting means is. connected to power receiving means by a safety device means, such asfor example a shear-pin, which is adapted to fail upon the load thereon becoming excessive and thereby disconnect power receiving means from drive means. The safety device is positioned on the drive means side of the conveyor and hence is readily accessible.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the mining tool includes a plow 15 and a conveyor 11. A guide track 7 is disposed along side the conveyor and serves to guide the plow 15 over a working course paralleling the guide track 7 and also paralleling the mine working face 20. The conveyor 11 is disposed adjacent and along side the working course and is adapted to receive and carry away from the plow material extracted by the plow from the working face.

Drive means for the plow 15 in the form of a motor 17 is operatively connected to the plow through powercan be moved along the working course by the drive means.

The conveyor 11 includes chains 10 which have connected thereto at spaced intervals along the length of the conveyor the scraper bars 9. The conveyor chains 10 are mounted in the chain sprocket wheels 33 and 33a of-the conveyor drive drum 14. Drive means in the form of a motor 12 is operatively connected tothe conveyor drive drum through the power transmitting means 6, and the coupling 21.

According to the invention, the linkage between the plow and its drive means, or the linkage between the conveyor and its drive means, or both, includes a safety device such as a shear-pin, which upon either the operating unit becoming overloaded, will fail and thus disconnect the overloaded unit from its drive means.

In FIG. 2 of the drawing, there is shown interconnection, according to the invention between the conveyor 11 and its drive means 17. As shown in the drawing, the conveyor drive drum 14 has secured thereto conveyor sprocket wheel 33, which in turn is secured to a power receiving shaft 24. Disposed coaxially about the power receiving shaft 24, on the end of the shaft 24 remote from the conveyor drive drum 14 and from the mining tool plow 15, is a hollow shaft 30 which functions as a power transmitting shaft and is operatively connected to the motor 17 by a gear train which includes spur gear 28 keyed to the hollow shaft by key 28a, spur gear 27 which is fixedly mounted on drive means countershaft 25, and the spur gear 26 operatively interposed between the countershaft 25 and the main drive shaft (not shown) of the motor 17. The gear train and power transmitting shaft are disposed in gear housing 13.

According to the invention, the power transmitting means, which includes the said gear train and the hollow shaft 30, is connected to the power receiving means of the conveyor by a safety device disposed in a readily accessible location such as on the side of the gear housing 13 remote from the conveyor 11 and plow 15. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, there is fixedly secured to the hollow shaft 30 by radially extending flange Ella, an outer sleeve 37, and there is fixedly secured to the power receiving shaft 24 an inner sleeve 38, and the Q inner and outer sleeves are connected by a shear-pin 31. The shear-pin 31 is provided with a score line 13a whereby it is conditioned to fail upon the load thereon becoming excessive. In consequence of failure of the shearpin, the drive means and' the power receiving means of the conveyor become disconnected whereby the load on the drive motor 17 is released.

Considering how details of the construction shown in the drawing, the chain sprocket wheel 33 is secured to the conveyor drive drum 14 by bolting 41, and the power receiving shaft 24 is secured to the chain sprocket wheel 33 by bolting 43. The power receiving shaft 24 is mounted in ball and socket roller bearings 44 and 45, the outer races of which are secured to the gear housing 13. Inner bushing 34 and outer bushing 35 are mounted on the power receiving shaft 24 and are interposed between the power receiving shaft and the hollow power transmitting shaft 30.

Connection between the inner sleeve 38 and the power receiving shaft 24 is provided by acollar 48, which is coaxially received by the end portion of the power receiving shaft 24 and is keyed to the power receiving shaft 24 through keyway 49, and radially extending flange 32, which is formed integrally with the sleeve 38 and the collar 43.

Labyrinth seals 36 and 36a are provided, respectively, between the gear housing and radially extending flange 30a, and between the radially extending flange 30a and the radially extending flange 32. An oil way connecting with seal 36a is provided in the radially extending flange 30a. A labyrinth seal 51 is also provided between the sprocket chain wheel 33 and the gear housing 13. This seal includes a seal ring 52 secured to the gear housing 13 by bolting 53.

The drive means countershaft 25 is mounted in ball and socket bearings 55 and 56 and in roller bearings 58 and 59.

It will be apparent from the accompanying drawings that the invention provides means for interposing a safety device in a connection between a mining tool drive means and ope-rating unit. The arrangement can include a power receiving shaft connected to the operating unit and a power transmitting shaft connected to the drive means. One of the shafts has an axially extending opening and receives coaxially in said opening a portion of the other of said shafts, and the shafts can be connected by the safety device which is of such construction that it fails upon the load thereon becoming excessive. Whereas in the embodiment shown in the drawing, the preferred construction is shown, wherein the power transmitting shaft is a hollow shaft and is disposed over the power receiving 5:5. shaft, if desired, the power receiving shaft can be made hollow and the power transmitting shaft disposed coaxially within the power receiving shaft.

While either or both of the operating units can be connected with its or their drive means by a safety device according to the invention, it is particularly desirable to interconnect the plow and its drive means by a safety device according to the invention. This is so because in the course of mining operations, the plow frequently becomes overloaded so that the safety device is frequently called into service.

I claim:

In a drive unit for a mining planer provided with a mining plow movable back and forth along a longitudinally extending conveyor, the drive unit including trans mission gear reduction means, a housing therefor, and

a sprocket wheel for a drive chain, the improvement which comprises said sprocket wheel being mounted on an end of a drive shaft rotatably mounted within said transmission housing and extending transversely through the housing, the other end of said drive shaft extending to the rear side of the conveyor and having connected thereto a disc with a sleeve-shaped flange facing in the direction away from said sprocket wheel, a second disc with a sleeve-shaped flange concentrically positioned with respect to said first mentioned disc and facing in the same direction, said discs and flange-shaped sleeves being dimensioned to provide a free open space within the sleeve-shaped flange of the innermost disc, said second disc being rotatably mounted within said housing, said second disc being d-rivingly connected to said gear reduction means, and a shear pin extending radially through said sleeve-shaped flanges connecting the same for rotation together. i

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 292,095 Carlson Jan. 15, 1884 881,075 Hosking Mar. 3, 1908 1,918,677 Wingquist July 18, 1933 2,739,463 Pfister et al Mar. 27, 1956 2,853,893 Magnuson Sept. 30, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 59,752 France Feb. 17, 1954 (Addition to 1,005,173)

OTHER REFERENCES Coal Age, November 1950, page 92.

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