US3664138A - Mine roof support control system - Google Patents

Mine roof support control system Download PDF

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Publication number
US3664138A
US3664138A US20324A US3664138DA US3664138A US 3664138 A US3664138 A US 3664138A US 20324 A US20324 A US 20324A US 3664138D A US3664138D A US 3664138DA US 3664138 A US3664138 A US 3664138A
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Prior art keywords
gate
support
control system
sensor
fluidic
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Expired - Lifetime
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US20324A
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English (en)
Inventor
Kenneth Cooper
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Gullick Dobson Ltd
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Gullick Dobson Ltd
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F15—FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL
    • F15C—FLUID-CIRCUIT ELEMENTS PREDOMINANTLY USED FOR COMPUTING OR CONTROL PURPOSES
    • F15C1/00—Circuit elements having no moving parts
    • F15C1/003—Circuit elements having no moving parts for process regulation, (e.g. chemical processes, in boilers or the like); for machine tool control (e.g. sewing machines, automatic washing machines); for liquid level control; for controlling various mechanisms; for alarm circuits; for ac-dc transducers for control purposes
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21D—SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS
    • E21D23/00—Mine roof supports for step- by- step movement, e.g. in combination with provisions for shifting of conveyors, mining machines, or guides therefor
    • E21D23/006—Mine roof supports for step- by- step movement, e.g. in combination with provisions for shifting of conveyors, mining machines, or guides therefor provided with essential hydraulic devices
    • E21D23/0073—Mine roof supports for step- by- step movement, e.g. in combination with provisions for shifting of conveyors, mining machines, or guides therefor provided with essential hydraulic devices with advancing shifting devices connected therewith
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21D—SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS
    • E21D23/00—Mine roof supports for step- by- step movement, e.g. in combination with provisions for shifting of conveyors, mining machines, or guides therefor
    • E21D23/16—Hydraulic or pneumatic features, e.g. circuits, arrangement or adaptation of valves, setting or retracting devices
    • E21D23/26—Hydraulic or pneumatic control

Definitions

  • Each unit has a first OR gate which controls a first interface valve to cause the support to lower and advance itself, a second interface valve causing the support to rebrace itself controlled by a second OR gate interconnected with the first through an AND gate which receives inputs from the first OR gate and a sensor denoting that the advance has been completed, an AND gate receiving inputs from a sensor denoting that the support is rebraced and from the second OR gate to provide an input for the first OR gate of the next unit and a reset signal which is passed through a delay restrictor to reset the first OR gate of the support.
  • the present invention concerns a control system for self-advancing hydraulic mine roof supports.
  • a self-advancing mine roof support sometimes consists of single interface valve, selection of which legs are raised being two support units which are normally both extended against a mine roof but can be advanced by lowering one unit, pushing it forward by means of an advancing ram, re-setting the unit, and lowering the other which is drawn forward by means of the advancing ram and then reset.
  • Another form of mine roof support first pushes a conveyor forward and then lowers itself from the mine roof and pulls itself forward to the conveyor and then resets itself against the roof.
  • roof supports are used in a line along a coal face and are advanced in turn under manual control.
  • a control unit to initiate the various operations to advance a single support and after that operation is completed to advance the succeeding one in the line may be desired.
  • a control system for self-advancing mine roof supports consisting of fluidic logic elements.
  • fluidic logic element There are several types of fluidic logic elements but the perferred form of fluidic logic element is that type relying on wall attachment effects, sometimes referred to as the coanda effect.
  • control system can be designed to carry out the complete sequence automatically it is safest in manned faces to advance the conveyor or the foremost of the support units under direct manual control and only to bring up the support to the conveyor or rearmost of the support units to the foremost by automatic control.
  • FIG. 1 is a side view of a roof support
  • FIG. 2 is a hydraulic circuit diagram for the roof support of FIG. 1,
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the logic used in the system of FIG. 3. v
  • the specific embodiment is a system for controlling a line of mine roof supports, three of which N, NH and N+2 are shown in FIG. 3.
  • Each roof support is'as shown in FIG. 1 and consists of a canopy b and a base 10a urged apart by three pairs of side-by-side legs 10.
  • Each leg 10 is a hydraulic pistonand-cylinder device and another piston-and-cylinder device (the advancing ram) 11 is disposed in the base for pulling or pushing by means of an attachment 11b on a conveyor C.
  • the ram 11 is anchored to the base by brackets 11a.
  • a hydraulic control box 9 which includes, three valves 15, a valve 16 and a hydraulic impedance 17. Only one valve 15 is shown as the other two are identical.
  • Each valve 15 or 16 comprises a closure member 22 or 23 resiliently biassed to seal an aperture or 21 and which can be dislodged by a piston 18 or 19.
  • Each pair of legs 10 is connected through a line 14 and the valve 15 to a line 26.
  • the valve is opened by pressure applied along lines 28 and 24 to the piston 18.
  • the pressure in line 28 is also applied through the impedance 17 to open the valve 16 but because of the impedance 17 this valve 16 opens after valve 15.
  • the pressure in line 28 is applied along line 27, through the valve 16 and line 12 to the ram 11.
  • An alternative input can be applied to the ram 11 through line 13.
  • the control box also includes a unit of a fluidic logic system illustrated in FIG. 4.
  • the supports are powered with hydraulic fluid from lines 31 and there are also fluidic logic lines 32.
  • the lines 32 are compressed air lines.
  • Interface valves between low pressure air and high pressure hydraulics are required as follows:
  • Advance complete S2 Legs set Advance complete is given when the ram has fully retracted or pulled as sensed by a positional sensor 51. Legs set is given when a pressure of approximately 2,000 psi. has been obtained in the legs as sensed by the pressure sensor S2.
  • the word interface is used in the sense of a means for controlling a hydraulic working fluid from the low level fluidic logic signals.
  • valves A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 are used respectively to apply pressures to line 28, line 13, the valve 15 for the front legs, line 26 and the valves 15 for the rear and middle legs.
  • Valves A5 are not shown in FIG. 2 but would take the place of the valve A3 in association with the two other valves 15. Because valves Al and A3 or A5 both apply pressure to a single valve 15 it is necessary to decouple them and this is done by having an additional piston 18a sliding in its own sealed compartment.
  • Each valve A3 or A5 is associated with a single pair of legs but the valves A1, A2 and A4 are associated with the support as a whole.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates diagrammatically that the valves Al to A5 connect alternatively to an outlet 33 or to a pressure source 34.
  • a bistable switch D sets up in a manner such that an OR gate does not cause a RAM PULL operation.
  • an OR/NOR gate G is added. From FIG. 4 it can be seen that if the switch D sets up incorrectly so as to operate an OR gate F to cause a RAM-PULL" operation a signal from the NOR output of the OR/NOR gate G would pass through the OR gate B and cause the switch D set up in the desired state. Once the switch D achieves this state the OR/NOR gate G switches to the OR output which is fed back onto the gate G thus latching the gate G in the OR state.
  • the gate G therefore is only a one shot device to enable the switch D to set up in its desired state when the air is first turned on.
  • the start button B1 can be pressed to provide a sequence initiating signal.
  • the OR gate F will switch to give an output at the OR leg.
  • This output is fed to the RAM PULL interface valve Al which in turn applies pressure on the line 28 to operate the valve 16 causing the ram device 1 l to retract or PULL.
  • the hydraulic circuit is also such as to cause the interface valve Al to operate the three valves 15 which isolate the legs of a mine roof support.
  • the OR gate J however, which is a four input device, will give an output at the OR leg. This output is fed to the LEGS RAISE interface valve A4. Operation of this valve feeds pressure on the lines 26 to the isolating valves 15. These valves are still open due to the pilot pressure from the RAM PULL operation and consequently the pressure will be fed to the legs 10 causing them to extend. When the legs have reached maximum stroke and the pressure built up to its maximum, the pressure sensor S2 will operate giving the PRESSURE SET" signal. This causes the AND gate H to give an output at the AND output.
  • This output is now fed to the re-set side of the switch D through OR gates B and C and a restrictor R. It is also fed to the set side of a switch D on support N+l, via a 9 feet inch length of :41 foot diameter piping and an OR gate A on the support N+1. It is essential that switch D on the support N+l sets before the switch D on the support N resets because otherwise the initiating signal to the support N+l would terminate. This is the reason for the fitting of the restrictor R.
  • Stop Button B 2 resets the switch D through the OR gate C and thus de-energizes the gate F.
  • Front Button B 3 operates a four input OR gate J and an OR gate L. Operation of the gate L actuates the interface valve A3 to cause the isolating valve 15 for the front pair of legs to open and operation of the gate J actuates the interface valve A4 to feed pressure to this valve, the result being to cause the legs to raise.
  • Legs Lower Front Button B 4 controls the OR gate L causing the isolating valve 15 for the front pair of legs to open to the pressure relief line and hence the legs will lower under their own weight.
  • Rear and Middle Button B 5 operates the four input OR gate M. This has the same effect as the button B 3 except that the OR gate M actuates interface valve A 5 to open the isolating valves for the Rear and Middle Legs.
  • the gate P merely ensures that the gate 0 is initially in the off position. If gate 0 is originally ON and gate P original] OFF a signal is fed to the gate O1 to return the gate to OFF. As soon as the gate P is set to ON", it locks itself out of the circuit.
  • the other two inputs of the gates Q1 and Q2 are derived from the gate A and the gate C so operation of either of push buttons B1 or B2 overrides push button B8.
  • valve A4 would be twinned so that one end of the leg would be supplied with pressure fluid whilst the other was vented and the valve 16 and restrictor 17 omitted so line 28 would feed into line 12 directly.
  • a control system for self-advancing mine roof supports consisting of a plurality of identical units for mounting each on one of the supports, each unit comprising a plurality of pneumatic fluidic logic elements interconnected to perform a sequence of operations, one of the logic elements being connected to provide an initiating signal to a logic element of a subsequent unit characterized by the initiating-signal-providing-element also being connected through a delay restrictor to provide a reset signal to its own unit after the subsequent unit has been initiated.
  • a control system having at least one sensor to detect the end of an operation.
  • an interface valve for causing the associated support to release itself from the roof of a mine working and to advance
  • a first fluidic OR gate controlling said interface valve, an initiating signal pneumatic line and a push button to provide alternative initiating signals to said OR gate
  • a first sensor for detecting the end of the advance of the support
  • an interface valve for causing the support to rebrace itself against the roof of a mine working
  • a second fluidic OR gate controlling this interface valve
  • interconnecting means including a first fluidic AND gate receiving one input from the first OR gate and a second input from said first sensor, a second sensor for detecting the support has been rebraced, a second fluidic AND gate receiving one input from said second OR gate and one from the second sensor to apply an initiating signal over the pneumatic line of the following unit, and reset interconnections including the delay restrictor from said second AND gate to said first OR gate.
  • a control system according to claim 3 further comprising manually operable means for pushing an anchorage away from said support.
  • a control system according to claim 2 further comprising interlocking means for ensuring the safety of said pushing.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid-Pressure Circuits (AREA)
  • Lining And Supports For Tunnels (AREA)
  • Acyclic And Carbocyclic Compounds In Medicinal Compositions (AREA)
US20324A 1969-03-26 1970-03-17 Mine roof support control system Expired - Lifetime US3664138A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB05839/69A GB1261110A (en) 1969-03-26 1969-03-26 Improvements in or relating to fluidic logic controlled hydraulic mine roof support systems

Publications (1)

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US3664138A true US3664138A (en) 1972-05-23

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US (1) US3664138A (de)
JP (1) JPS4934883B1 (de)
AU (1) AU1275170A (de)
DE (1) DE2013404A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2035897A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1261110A (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3840047A (en) * 1971-10-28 1974-10-08 Dowty Mining Equipment Ltd Hydraulic apparatus
US4518285A (en) * 1982-03-03 1985-05-21 Gebr. Eickhoff Maschinenfabrik Und Eisengiesserei Mbh Control system for longwall mining roof supports
US4693640A (en) * 1985-10-28 1987-09-15 Bochumer Eisenhutte Heintzmann Gmbh & Co Kg Method of controlling hydraulically actuatable arrangement in underground mining
CN100513746C (zh) * 2002-12-16 2009-07-15 迪芬巴赫控制系统股份有限公司 控制矿山工作面中支撑单元运动的支撑控制器

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2700829C2 (de) * 1977-01-11 1986-04-17 Gewerkschaft Eisenhütte Westfalia, 4670 Lünen Hydraulische Ausbausteuerung
CN102606183A (zh) * 2012-04-10 2012-07-25 重庆友诚自动化工程技术有限公司 便携式矿用液压支架控制器及其控制方法

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3216201A (en) * 1959-10-12 1965-11-09 Coal Industry Patents Ltd Mine roof supports
US3362750A (en) * 1964-10-26 1968-01-09 Dowty Electrics Ltd Mining apparatus having programmed cutting direction and attitude controls
US3495499A (en) * 1965-03-18 1970-02-17 Gullick Ltd Remote control of mine roof supports
US3507122A (en) * 1967-10-18 1970-04-21 Bergwerksverband Gmbh Logical switching systems
US3531159A (en) * 1967-12-14 1970-09-29 Bergwerksverband Gmbh Automatic control systems for use in longwall mine workings

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3216201A (en) * 1959-10-12 1965-11-09 Coal Industry Patents Ltd Mine roof supports
US3362750A (en) * 1964-10-26 1968-01-09 Dowty Electrics Ltd Mining apparatus having programmed cutting direction and attitude controls
US3495499A (en) * 1965-03-18 1970-02-17 Gullick Ltd Remote control of mine roof supports
US3507122A (en) * 1967-10-18 1970-04-21 Bergwerksverband Gmbh Logical switching systems
US3531159A (en) * 1967-12-14 1970-09-29 Bergwerksverband Gmbh Automatic control systems for use in longwall mine workings

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3840047A (en) * 1971-10-28 1974-10-08 Dowty Mining Equipment Ltd Hydraulic apparatus
US4518285A (en) * 1982-03-03 1985-05-21 Gebr. Eickhoff Maschinenfabrik Und Eisengiesserei Mbh Control system for longwall mining roof supports
US4693640A (en) * 1985-10-28 1987-09-15 Bochumer Eisenhutte Heintzmann Gmbh & Co Kg Method of controlling hydraulically actuatable arrangement in underground mining
CN100513746C (zh) * 2002-12-16 2009-07-15 迪芬巴赫控制系统股份有限公司 控制矿山工作面中支撑单元运动的支撑控制器

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2035897A1 (de) 1970-12-24
DE2013404A1 (de) 1970-10-01
AU1275170A (en) 1971-09-23
JPS4934883B1 (de) 1974-09-18
GB1261110A (en) 1972-01-19

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