US551508A - Mining-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model) i 4 Sheets8heet l.

I E. s. MGKINLAY.

MINING MACHINE. No. 551,508. Pai-,55555 De@e 17, 1895.

E. S. MGKINLAY.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Modem MINING MACHINE.

No. 551,508. Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

.Illrrll H Tizi/miur mw ANDREW BSBIHAMPHOTBU'KG-WASNINGTUKD C (No Model) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. S. MGKINLAY. MINING MACHINE.

Patented Dee. 17, 1895.

IllliL (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E. S. MGKINLAY.

MINING MAENB;

Patented Dec. 17, 1895.

l No. 51,508.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

EDVARD S. MCKINLAY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

MINING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent N o. 551,508, dated December 17, 1895.

Application filed July ll, 1888. Serial No. 279,696. (No model.)

To @ZZ wwm it may concer/t:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. MCKINLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining-"lilachines, of which the following' is a specification, refer ence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for mining coal, it pertaining more especially to machines of the kind used in the longwall system of mining, in contradistincticn to what are known as heading machines.

illy improved mechanism comprises a frame adapted to be made stationary to serve as a bed and as a support for the moving parts; a carriage or traveling frame adapted to move forward and back on the said bed; a cutting mechanism, preferably of the form of a horizontally-mountcd bar revolving on its longitudinal axis and shod with cutters; a bracing-frame behind the cutter-bar, with a bearing for the outer end of the latter, and extending backward andvoutward to the carriage, it being preferably more or less nearly triangular in general outline; power devices on the carriage for eifecting the rotation of the cutting mechanism, and means for feeding forward the carriage when the cutters are in operation.

Of course I am aware of the fact that heretofore miningmachines have been used, or proposed, having more or less of the features of construction above broadly suggested; but serious difficulties have been experienced in attempting to operate the machines of the earlier forms, and as a result of them I have been led to the present improved construction.

In the drawings I have showui one form of the machine embodying the features of improvement, this being selected for purposes of illustration, and it will be readily seen by those skilled in such devices that there can be more or less modification without departv ing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure l. is a top plan view of one of the improved machines. Fig. 2 is a plan of some of the parts, the others being removed to more clearly show the relations of those illustrated.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. l is a vertical transverse section on the line ai, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar section on the line y 11j, Fig. 3. Fig. (i is a transverse section on the line z e, Fig. 2. Fig. is a partial longitudinal section of the feed-cylinder and its piston and rod. Fig. S is a partial top plan view of the same. Fig. 9 is avertical section showing the coupling for the side bars of the bed. Fig. lO shows the cutter-supporting frame. Figs. 1l, l2, and I3 show a machine modified in the driving-motor.

As shown in the drawings, the bed-frame is mainly composed of tubes A A', they being preferred on account of. the greater strength in proportion to the weight of metal, though a framing can be constructed of other wellknown parts. This frame can be made as long as is required. I have shown a simple and advantageous method of uniting the tube-sections longitudinally. U, is a short section of tubing of an exterior diameter equal to the interior diameter of the tubes A A. It is utilized by inserting it part way into the adjacent'ends of the tube-sections- It can be fastened to one of the tubes permanently and to the other detachably, or it can be made rigid with both as requirements may dictate. This frame is fastened in place by means of j ack-screws, with frames and girts joining one side tube A with the other A. The joining girts or bars are formed with a central part B or nipples C integral with the eyepiece B', the

of the latter there are wrench-rods tlg by which the screws can be turned so as to lift the parts B A A' upward.

E E represent jack-screws each having a IOO hand-wheel E" and being adapted to engage with a threaded eye E2 carried by the large stirrup E3. The lower ends of the legs of the latter iit into sockets at E'l on the cross-bar B. The screws E are adapted to reach up to and be forced against the roof of the mine and when they are turned in the proper directions they firmly bind the framework in proper position. Io By means of the screws D the `machine can be adjusted relatively to the horizon into any position ordinarily required, and at the same e time the said screws can be utilized to co-operate with the screws E to iirmly brace the I5 whole machine.

The tubes A .A/ serve as a support for the operating and movable part-s of the mechanism. The latter comprise the power devices and the cutting devices and such means for supporting them as will constitute a suitable carriage.

l prefer to provide f-our large eyepeces F F' F2 F3 and to cast them integral with the carriage-plate having the cross-bar portion-s ff and the longitudinal connecting part f2;

but these or their equivalents may be mad-.e separately and secured together in any .suitable way.

4 o The parts F F' at the rear .of the carriage are-v formed with seats at h upon which the enginecylinders H are bolted. F3 of thecarriage are projected upward som-ew-hat and are formed with bearings for the crank-shaft I, the vcranks t .1 of which are respec-tively connected with the engines. The crank-shaft carries a gear-wheel J which meshes with a wheel J on Va horizontal .axis

incr nearly .in the plane of the carriage-.plate 5o ff' f2, .and which in tur-n drives :a pinion .J2

connected with a Vcutting mechanism to be The carriage-plate is projectedl forward .somewhat as .at F4 to provide suilil Ycient strengthand is .formed ithaniopeningj 5 5 to permit the mountingof the wheel 5. r[his described.

shaft j is mounted in boneslat j which .are

carried by pilates ,i2 bolted to the .top 4of the omhge'plate :as .shown .at jl,

Through the .parts last described power is 6o transmitted from the engines to the .cutterbar, which .is indicated as a whole .by K IKC The forward eye parts F2 F3 Volf the carriage are eX-tended downward somewhat below the s tubes A A' and .are formed with vtransverse bearings at 7o yk' in which the cutter-bar K isf` The cutter-bar is `extended latermounted.

The eyepieces F F F2 F3 have an interior diameter such that they can nt snugly 'The front pants F2 LS, which is preferably hollow, as shown.

ally from the side of the machine to the required distance and the laterally-extended portion is provided with cutters 7a2. If preferred, the projecting part K may be made 7o separately from the part K mounted on the carriage; but under most circumstances l prefer to make them in one piece.

At the outer end the cutter-bar has a supplemental bearing in a shoe L, which is formed upon or secured to a bracing-frame that is situated back of the cutter-bar. This frame as a whole is indicated by fm, it having, when `made as shown, a bar or plate m which lies substantially parallel to the line of the cutterbar and a backwardly and outwardly extending bar or plate m', and one or more crossbars m2. The part m is bolted to the rear eyepiece F of the carriage and preferably joins the part m near the shoe and bearing at 8 5 L. Thus the bracing-frame gives a strong and iirin support for the cutter-bar, preventing bending or displacement of the latter if any of the cutters .should strike a hard un yielding substance. This frame also supports 9o the mechanism which removes tbe cuttings from behind the cutter-bar. The part m is extended across the machine under the carriage to the `Opposite end of the cutter-shaft K and carries a short chain-.shaft N mounted in bearings at This shaft receives power from the yshaft K through bevel-wheels O O and it enga-ges with the chain P which extends to the .distant end 4of the cutter-bar. there being Va second chain-shaft N mounted upon the aforesaid frame m m or immediately behind the end of the cutter-bar.

W'hen the machine is in operation, the motion of the shaft K K is transmitted through wheels Q O Aand shaft N to the chain which is caused to `engage with the .slack or cuttings made by the bar `and .draw them out from the kerf `and into and across the open space between Ithe ground and the bed and thus prevent them from piling up near the face of the coal. The carriage is advanced upon the bedframe while the cutting is being effected by means of the following devices.

Q represents a cylinder which is mounted upon :the bed in the :rear of the carriage. It .is provided with .a piston R and a piston-rod An air, steam, kor other motive agent can be admitted .to it from the feed-pipe .at T. The cylinder is united .to the carriage-.plate f by 12o -a hinge latq.

In Figs. 11 to 13 a machine is illustrated modi-fied `as to the powerdevices. Instead of IOO IIO

-empioyinganenginm l mount on the Acarriage .anelectric .motor H, having .itsarrnature-shaft I 2 5 l .provided with :a wonm 4J', engaging with and actuating aworm-wheel J rlfhis latter wheel J `is on .a cross-shaft which yis provided with a spur-wheel 'meshing .on .a smaller wheel on.

.an intemnzediate shaft, which in turn dri-ves 13o .gear-wheel .J2 lon .shaft iK. shaft `is mounted .bearings or standards The armaturewhich project upward from the carriage-plate. The other parts of the machine are similar to those in the machine above described.

The operation of the machine will be readily understood from the above description and on examining the drawings.

The machine is placed so that the carriage shall move substantially parallel to the wall of coal, the cutter-bar being inserted into an under-cut produced in any preferred way.

The bed is put into the desired position by means of the adjusting devices. Generally it will want to be substantially horizontal, but not always, for, as is Well known, the veins of the coal vary in their position relative to the horizon. It is desirable to have the kerf formed as near the bottom of the vein as possible, so as to avoid the necessity of subsequently removing the layer of coal between the kerf and the floor. Themeans of adjustment which I provide areof value in this connection. If the circumstances are such that the carriage can make a long traverse on vthe bed, the cross connecting parts B B are slipped along the parts A A to the required vby adding sections in front or in the rear if necessary, so that a cut can be made the whole length of the long wall virtually without removing the machine at all, although it is true both the carriage and the bed will change their positions by reason of the onward travel of the carriage and by reason of consecutive adding of sections to the front ends of the side supports and removing sections from time to time from the rear end if necessary. After sections have been added to the side supports in front, the cross-connecting parts B B with their jack-screws and adj usting-screws can be released from the roof and loosened relatively to the bed, and again slipped forward and then fastened to both bed, roof and floor for another onward movement of the carriage. After the bed has been put into proper position firmly, the air or other motive agent is admitted to the cylinders H and also to the feeding-cylinders Q. The engines through the crank-shaft I and the gear-ivlieels J J J 2 transmit rotary motion to the cutter-bar K K and at the saine time the carriage is pressed forward by means of the feed-cylinder and piston.

It is well known that there are serious obj ections to any of the ordinary positive feeds, such as racks and pinion, threaded bars and nuts, &c.,on account of the varying resistance offered by the material attached by the cutters. These difficulties have been particularly serious in attempting to operate long-wall cutting-machines as heretofore made, because the sudden increase in resistance made at frequent intervals by the cutting apparatus gives sudden reactionary strains on the carriage and bedframe, and this has been the case heretofore to such an extent that, as is well known, there has never been any successful long-wall cutting-ma-V Vwhich the carriage shall be advanced by an agency adapted to yield if the resistance to the cutters should increase beyond a certain degree. In operation, the carriage and cutter-bar advance through the softer material with a speed proportional to its hardness and proportional to the pressure in the feed-cylinder Q and to its several dimensions. If substances such as sulphur balls or veins are met by the cutters and they resist the advance of the cutters with a back-pressure too great for the lastdescribed ratio, the feed device will remain more or less nearly stationary; but the cutters continue revolving at a high rate of speed, in fact at a somewhat higher speed than when they were advancing With a normal rapidity, and thisl increase in the speed of the cutters when cutting through a harder body I have found to be a matter of great advantage. After the obstructing mass has been passed, the airfeed device will again press the carriage forward.

Although I have shown in the drawings a machine of the longwall-cutting type and have above referred to that class more particularly, yet it will be seen that a number of the features of my invention can be readily applied to machines of the other form-to Wit, the heading-machines-to advantage. Thus, for instance, I believe myself to be the first to have arranged the three essential elements of a mininginacliineto wit, the stationary bed, the carriage, andthe cuttingapparatus-dn the way I have shown and described whether the cutting apparatus is thrust forward in front or projected laterally. Itis Well known that one of the chief objects with undercutting-machines lis to produce the herf as near the floor-line as possible.

In the present construction, it will be seen I virtually suspend the cutting apparatus below the carriage and below the bed, and by the devices which accomplish this and those which effect the vertical adjustment the cutters can be taken as close to the floonline as is desired. The engines project above the bed and the cutting apparatus lies below the bed so that the parts of the carriage are well balanced and cramping or binding on the bed is avoided, the feeding device being applied between the power mechanism and the cutE ting apparatus. However, in this respect, there can be more or less modification without departing from the essential features of the invention.

That I claim is- IOO IIO

l, In a mining ynfraohrre, the eombinarop. with the horizontally moving Carriage argl the Cutting apparatus thereon, of the bed hagpg Clamping devices for seeming elle maelrae to elle rooi and to @he loor of alle mine, meagre, Tier adjusting the bafl relapively to the :floor and two parallel eide rapporte far the ge ranged horizontally and ee-erga@ mflepead early of each .other ao @ha elampilg leviees., a reeel meehaniem ior moving the riage relar-ivelyro the leed, and gearag for mating the careers While @ha .eafri ee le acl vaneng., .eubepantially ,ser forth.

In a mining maehpa che eombipalfpn with elle earl-lage ami alle pairing apparapae thereon, of "bed having parallel egliepaible Side Supports :for alle aarriagg aprl erase Supporpa sleraollably gommate@ to both yo f .Said parallel eide grrpperpg, alla epppprb on gifle being mor/'able -ipldepepdeaply gf alla@ .en elle other., eaelr being 7previfiled al; :the Wrh moana .Splostap-tally as get fertig for Qiriag it 11o .emmer .similar eeppertrviherelvy The lated .earl be egrenrleel, .eplretapbialfly ae Soie fiorell- 3. Ina mining grappige, @he ambigua-pion:

with the carriage and purging appapaps of abecl haring parallelexeenglele eige @apporre l formed of hollow -urloipga arret the arnese para or infames pletaollaby seorrrefl to the yea-lrl aapf ports inside .of their ende, gai@ erase. boingsppportedon elle :floor lzrreeperafleplyef f each other .andai pheeirle Supper-fee, :spbspaa S parallel .te ariel bellied elle .errater parJ rlle .ta-ll? as set form.

.4. Ina mi-ning machine, elle emplearlog with the earriage and the opening .apparaif s i thereon., of :the bed haring alle @roes bars or real lines no .the roof 2 and Hoor Aof rho mino, and phehiorizoppal Side 1 supports for .the Xearrage formeel .of .hollorv .tubes ipseebons.dehaehable from eaeh other, and .cleaohably secured .in llorrzopfealaeaie in the said erf-oss pars orrames 1eme@ gto-E .and eylrrfler, l the .eylimer being hinged te plaeearrage arl. atllle piepen pearl-,11gagainst frames .clamped on ver gather by mlresifneertecl into @hose aforesaid, subsoemtarl y Ina mining machine., alle eomilonationl with the horizontally mowmg @mago and the cutting yal)Ilaraa.S shereorl, of lille :bed

- 7.. la ami lng readline: elle Combination with the garrlage and the .earring appararue, of the, lle-.Cl ha-Yigg the Side .Supporte for the earriage orraefl lef hollew rapes .irl seerielre paired lo epd afp-.d elle grose @opneming pieeee .ereg aflapiefl ra Slide ,longitudiv rra-illy in `erlrer d' etoa lepg elle eide eupperrg, ape :OY-er e joint begreep @he lube geelpge., ae per 4 rer-r1.1.-

:8- la a leeg Wall gr gifle-erw raining me- -pzlge eemlrpapioa with fille side .Suppere ,rl .AQ of @he boil, e? alle er. Se 1eoprreerrrg 'bare .B B, laarpg epee or gardes rlre. laterally 'proie-.etang or arme l)J elle elampe C fer birding Sale elarepemhe .SereWe D', argl ille or bipelpg Sererre' E, Sub- ;ially as Sep prllr,

\.9 Irl a piping 'maelrpe alle webinar-ion .t-lge 'bed a-.nel alle .ear-r,a-ge9 0f the larerally prf-.ejeeipg garter bar,- rlle Cleaner Chair -johaip slaafr :prepararse .to elle entrer r r parare@ the perrelrrheele reepeeively 011 Said ter par anclealfl Shaft eorrleererl ,Cl ely pegerher, errbealrrally as set forth.

l0.. In .a ,wiping maelape, elle .Combination righehe b eel, @he earriage Slielipg thereon, .and meapg fseeprlpg said bed slarenarily to alle ileor .am roof, of lille feeding meehapiem for .elle oarragegenesring of a pieren IOO

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