US341240A - Coal-digging apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J, W. HBWITT. GOAL DIGGNG APPARATUS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. HEVITT, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

COAL-DIGGING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,240, dated May 4, 1886.

Application filed Septcmher 2, 1885. Serial Xo. 175,934. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN WV. HEWITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coal-Digging Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of theinvention is to provide means whereby the vein of coal may be undercut, so that the superposed mass may bel dragged down quickly and at little expense.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a top plan view ofthe apparatus; Fig. 2, a side elevation showing the operating mechanism of the rotarycutter; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the opposite side from that shownin Fig. 2, showing the mechanism for drawing the machine forward over its track.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre spending parts throughout the different views.

A is the track or bed, having preferably at least one of its rails a grooved. The track is divided in two sections, a a2, which are connected together by a pivot-joint in one rail. rlhe object of this construction is to allow the machine to be worked on short passages, where it would be impossible for the Vfull length of the track or bed to be placed. Upon this track or bed slides the frame B of the machine. Said frame has upon one side an extension, b, extending laterally for several .feet and in close proximity to the plane of the track. The object of said extension is to carry the outer extremity of the rotating cutter-bar C. Said bar is secured to extension bby alaterally-swinging bearing, c. The opposite extremity of said bar is provided with a sliding bearing in frame B.

Secured to the bar C near its sliding bearing is a diagonallycentered disk, D, whose periphery works in a plate, d, attached to frame B. The object of this construetionis togive the bar G,when revolving, a laterally-re ciprocating motion, and thereby cause the cutters to cut over the space occupied by the swinging bearing c.

Secured to the bar C is a chain-wheel, E, about which and about a second chain-wheel, E, passes a driving-chain, e. The Wheel E is borne by a shaft, whose outer extremity carries a gear-pinion, e. The latter meshes with a wheel, F, carried by the driving-shaft f. On one extremity of said shaft is a drivingpulley, (or, if preferred, a crank connected with an engine carried by frame B,) and on the other extremityis an eccentric, G. Upon this eccentric works a pit1nan,\H, whose free extremity is adj ustably secured in a vslotted curved lever, I. The free extremity of said lever works loosely on a shaft, Zt, and carries a pawl, t', which works into the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, K, also carried by said shaft. A second pawl, Z', secured to frame B,prevents backward movement of the shaft. 'i i Attached to the outer extremity of' shaft k is a chain wheel or drum, L, around which passes a chain, Z. rlhe latter passes from the wheel under a pulley, Z, and thence to the far end of the track or bed, where it is secured.

The cutters which are secured to bar C may be of any desired form and arrangement.

The operation of the inventionis as follows: The track or bed is laid along the side of the seam of coal and the machine placed in position. The chain Z is then secured in place and power applied to the machine. transmitted through the medium of the mechanism already described, causes the revolving cutter-bar to rotate with great velocity,there by cutting away the coal tothe depth of about four feet and to a height of about eight inches.

Said power, A

Simultaneously with the revolution of the cutters the eccentric G, through the medium of the pitman H, lever Land itspawhcauses the ratchet-wheel, and with it the chain-drum L, to revolve, and thus by means of chainZdrags the machine forward over its bed and feeds the cutters to the coal. Vhen the machine has reached the end of the track, the latter is moved forward and the aforegoing operation repeated, and so on. The coal,afterbeing undercut in the aforegoing manner, is dragged down by the miners with their picks, this being a matter of comparatively small trouble, the chief difeultyand the hardest work of the miners consisting in the aforesaid undercutting.

Having thus described claim is l. rlhe combination of the frame B, having side extension, b, open front slot, d, the rotary cutter-bar C, and the diagonal disk D on said bar, the bar C being arranged in front bear- IOC ings. of said frame and extension, as and for point in front of frame,where itis fastened, as

the purpose specified. and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination WiththefrztmeB carl T ing the cutter mechanism, of the eceehtrior JOHN W HEWITT' 5 on shaft f, the pitman H, the loose and slotted Vitnesses;

aro lever I, the shaft 7c, having paw] 13 and ROBERT HEWITT, ratchet-wheel K, the drum L, and the chain Z, C. SHALER, l passing from its shaft under a pulley, Z, to a JOHN M. ROBB. l

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