US3711160A

US3711160A - Mineral winning machines

Info

Publication number: US3711160A
Application number: US00102756A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Mennekes; H Weinhold
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-01-07
Filing date: 1970-12-30
Publication date: 1973-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-16
Also published as: ZA707943B; FR2065383A5; BE757376A; ES384264A1; NL7014840A; JPS4936841B1; DE2000370B2; GB1303718A; CA930751A; DE2000370A1

Abstract

A mineral winning machine composed of a frame slidably guided in gantry-fashion on a conveyor and a carriage displaceably supported within a guideway at the top of the frame. The separation between the carriage and guideway tapers to permit the carriage to move from side-to-side in a horizontal plane under the action of two piston and cylinder units. The carriage supports an arm pivoted to swing in a vertical plane under the action of a further piston and cylinder unit and two rotatable cutting cylinders are disposed on a shaft at the end of the arm. Each cutting cylinder is of cage like construction and formed from two axially offset rings adjoined to the shaft by radial spokes and interconnected by transverse webs. The rings and webs carry cutter bits and during use, mineral detached from a face can pass into the interior of the cutting device to be subsequently thrown out into a conveyor by the movement of the webs.

Description

United States Patent [191 Mennekes et al.

[54] MINERAL WINNING MACHINES [76] Inventors: Werner Mennekes, Weidenkamp 23, 4628 Altlunen; Heinz Weinhold, Wildenbruchstrasse 14, 465 Gelsenkitchen, both of Germany 22 Filed: Dec.-30, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 102,756

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 7, 1970 Germany ..P 20 00 370.7

- [52] U.S. Cl ..299/43, 299/89 [51] Int. Cl ..E21c 25/06 [58] Field of Search ..299 /4254, 72, 299/75,'64, 67, 87, 89

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 ,3 14,723 4/1967 Mennekes ..299/43 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,284,617 H1962 France ..299/75 [451 Jan. 16, 1973 Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser Att0rneyRoberts, Cushman & Grover 57 ABSTRACT A mineral winning machine composed of a frame slidably guided in gantry-fashion on a conveyor and a carriage displaceably supported within a guideway at the top of the frame. The separation between the carriage and guideway tapers to permit the carriage to move from side-to-side in a horizontal plane under the action of two piston and cylinder units. The carriage supports an arm pivoted to swing in a vertical plane under the action of a further piston and cylinder unit and two rotatable cutting cylinders are disposed on a shaft at the end of the arm. Each cutting cylinder is of cage like construction and formed from two axially offset rings adjoined to the shaft by radial spokes and interconnected by transverse webs. The rings and webs carry cutter. bits and during use, mineral detached from a face can pass into the interior of the cutting device to'be subsequently thrown out into a conveyor by the movement of the webs.

PATENTEU JAN 1 8 I975 VIIIIIIII'I" lNVE-NTORS w ERN ER MENNEKES HEINZ WEIN HOLD ATTORNEYS MINERAL WINNING MACHINES BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a mineral winning machine and ,to a mining installation employing such a machine.

In large mine workings, for mining of coal for example, it is often necessary to detach coal separately from short sections of the coal face. This would be a requirement, for example, in the driving of basic roadways or in situations where the use of normal winning machines is precluded. In such cases, short-face winning machines have already been proposed which are guided in gantry-fashion on a conveyor lying alongside the coal face. These machines are normally provided with two cutting cylinders mounted on a pivotable arm. After the cutter cylinders have initially entered into the coal face, the coal can be detached from the face, by moving the machine along the conveyor, and at the same time the coal can be loaded into the conveyor.

upper side of the'frame, the separation between the guideway and the carriage tapering to allow the carriage to be displaced to move the arm from side-to-side in a horizontal plane. In this way, without the conveyor itself being shifted, the cutting devices can be driven into the coal face and thereafter the machine can be moved along the conveyor so that a smooth cut surface extending parallel with the conveyor is obtained. By moving the arm from one side to the other the inclination of the shaft carrying the cutting devices can be varied and this movement is achieved without the provision of a special vertical pivot bolt which was hitherto the case.

In order not to impair the free outflow of the coal from the cutting devices, it is advisable for the conveyor to have a guide rail disposed on its coal face side on which members depending from the machine frame The pivotability of the arm allows the arm to swing in a vertical plane and hence the cutter cylinder can win coal over the entire face.

The arm carrying the cutting cylinders can additionally be movable in a horizontal plane so that both cutting cylinders can participate in the detaching work for each direction of movement of the machine.

The action of the cutting cylinders tends to reduce the detached coal to fine particles and the efficient removal of the detached coal is always a problem with machines ofthe aforementioned kind.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a machine of the aforementioned kind the invention provides that each cutting cylinder be composed of axially offset rings interconnected by means of separate'transverse webs and connected to the shaft by means of separate radial spokes. This cage like construction of the cutting devices ensures that detached mineral, e.g., coal, can pass into the interior of the devices. The coal can enter the interior of the devices from between the spokes and between the webs. It is found that as the devices rotate the coal present in the devices is propelled backwards by the webs and can enter a conveyor.

In other'aspects the inventionprovides a mineral mining installation comprising:

a conveyor extending alongside a mineral face,

a mineral'winning machine having a frame slidably supported in gantry-fashion on the conveyor for movement therealong, said machine additionally including an arm pivoted to said frame to swing in a vertical plane, a shaft disposed at the end of said arm, and rotatable cutting devices mounted on said shaft, each cutting device being composed of guided for movement in a guideway formed at the slidably engage. These members are preferably pivotable about vertical axes. Proper guidance of the machine is thus ensured even when the guide rail has inclined sections.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other features of the invention may become more apparent from consideration of the following description. T

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: v

FIG. 1 is a lateral elevation of a mining installation taken in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the installation shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically the pivotability of the carriage carrying the cutter devices of the winning machine of the installation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a crosssection taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, and i g y FIG. 5 is a cross-section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawing, a mining installation has a' conveyor 11 disposed in front of a coal face I0 to be won. A mine roof support assembly of known kind is shown on the side of the conveyor 11 remote from the face 10. A coal winning machine 13 has a frame 12 which is supported in gantry-fashion on the conveyor II. On the side of the conveyor 11- facing the coal face a ramp plate is arranged which carries at its upper edge a guide rail 15 conveniently of tubular form. The frame I2 of the winning machine 13 is guided for displacement on the rail 15 in the direction of the longitu dinal axis of the conveyor 11 by means of slidable.

members 17 which engage the rail and which are pivotable about vertical pivot pins 18. The frame 12 is also supported and guided for displacement in a guideway 16 disposed on the opposite side of the conveyor ll.

The machine frame 12 carries at the upper end a guideway 19 for supporting and guiding a movable carriage 20. As is depicted in FIGS. 3 to 5, the carriage 20 is wider at itsend 20' remote from the coal face 10 than at its opposite end 20". Thus, at its rear end20' the carriage 20 is guided within the guideway 19 with only slight clearance in respectthereof whereas at the other end 20" the clearance is much greater. As a result of this, the carriage 20 can pivot in a horizontal plane from side to side in relation to the guideway 19, independently of its displacement towardsand away from the coal face and independently of the movement of the machine 13 along the conveyor 11 This side-toside pivoting is achieved without the necessity of a pivot bolt and the necessary displacement of the carriage within the guide 19 is effected by means of two piston and

cylinder units

21 and 22. Thus, if the carriage 20 is'to pivot from one side to the other side in the horizontal direction, then the

units

21, 22 are fed with pressurefluid in the appropriate manner and this can be effected independently of forward movement of the carriage 20 towards the face 10 or simultaneously with such a movement. 7

The carriage 20 is provided with an arm 23 pivoted to swing in a vertical plane on a horizontal spindle. The arm 23 can be displaced in a vertical swinging movement by means of a piston and cylinder units 24, in order to win coal at the lower or upper regions of the face 10.

At the outermost end of the arm 23, two cutting devices or

cylinders

27 and 28 are fitted on a common shaft extending outwardly from both sides of the arm 23. The arm 23 is preferably formed as a hollow piece part so that it can also serve as a gearbox for the gearing used for driving the

cylinders

27,28.

Each

cutting cylinder

27,28 is composed of an external ring 29 and a smaller internal ring 30 situated on the inner side of the ring 29. These

rings

29,30 are connected with one another by means of separate transverse webs 31 distributed over the periphery of the

cylinder

27,28 and radial spokes 32 support the

cylinders

27,28 on the common shaft. The spokes 32 and webs 31 may be formed integrally. The

rings

29,30 and webs 31 are formed with teeth or cutter bits and during use of the winning machine coal can enter the interior of .the I cutter

cylinders

27,28 from the ends, i.e.,

. through the spokes 32, or from the periphery, i.e.,

through the webs As the

cutter cylinders

27,28 rotate, coal which has entered into the

cylinders

27,28 is projected outwardly to the rear by the movement of the webs 31. Thus the coal can be constantly moved of this the coal is detached from the face 10 in relative- 1y small pieces so that it is more suitable to be passed through the interior of the

cutter cylinders

27,28 and into the conveyor 11. 7

We claim:

1. A mineral winning machine comprising a frame, a carriage guided for movement in a guideway formed at the upper side of the frame with a separation between the guideway and carriage which tapers to allow the carriage to be displaced relative to the guideway to move the carriage from side to side in a horizontal plane, an arm pivoted at one end to the carriage to swing in a vertical plane, a shaft mounted at the distal endof the arm transversely thereof, and rotatable cutting devices mounted at the opposite'ends of the shaft, each cutting device comprising axially offset rings interconnected by means of separate transverse webs and connected to the shaft by means of separate radial spokes.

2. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising two piston and cylinder units for displacing the carriage relative to the guideway.

3. A machine according to claim 2, further comprising a piston and cylinder unit for movingsaid arm.

4 A machine according to claim 1, wherein cutter bits are provided on the rings and on the transverse webs.

5. A' machine according to claim 1, wherein the spokes and the webs are aligned radially of the shaft.

formed at the upper side of the frame, an armpivoted to said carriage to swing in a vertical plane, a separation between the guideway and the carriage which tapers to allow the carriage to be displaced to move the arm from side to side in a horizontal plane, a shaft disposed at the free end of the arm and rotatable cutting devices mounted on said shaft, each cutting device being composed of axially-offset rings interconnected by separate transverse webs and connected to said shaft by separate radial spokes.

8. An installation according to claim 7, wherein the conveyor has a guide rail disposed on the mineral face side thereof and the frame has members which s lidably engage the guide rail, the members being pivotal relative to .the'frame about vertical axes.

a: 4- as a

Claims

1. A mineral winning machine comprising a frame, a carriage guided for movement in a guideway formed at the upper side of the frame with a separation between the guideway and carriage which tapers to allow the carriage to be displaced relative to the guideway to move the carriage from side to side in a horizontal plane, an arm pivoted at one end to the carriage to swing in a vertical plane, a shaft mounted at the distal end of the arm transversely thereof, and rotatable cutting devices mounted at the opposite ends of the shaft, each cutting device comprising axially offset rings interconnected by means of separate transverse webs and connected to the shaft by means of separate radial spokes.

3. A machine according to claim 2, further comprising a piston and cylinder unit for moving said arm.

4. A machine according to claim 1, wherein cutter bits are provided on the rings and on the transverse webs.

5. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the spokes and the webs are aligned radially of the shaft.

6. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the inner ring nearest the arm is of smaller diameter than the outer ring.

7. A mineral winning installation comprising a conveyor extending alongside a mineral face, a mineral winning machine having a frame, means for slidabLy mounting the frame in gantry-fashion on the conveyor for movement therealong, said machine further comprising a carriage guided for movement in a guideway formed at the upper side of the frame, an arm pivoted to said carriage to swing in a vertical plane, a separation between the guideway and the carriage which tapers to allow the carriage to be displaced to move the arm from side to side in a horizontal plane, a shaft disposed at the free end of the arm and rotatable cutting devices mounted on said shaft, each cutting device being composed of axially-offset rings interconnected by separate transverse webs and connected to said shaft by separate radial spokes.

8. An installation according to claim 7, wherein the conveyor has a guide rail disposed on the mineral face side thereof and the frame has members which slidably engage the guide rail, the members being pivotal relative to the frame about vertical axes.