US813508A - Mining-machine. - Google Patents

Description

. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

B. R. MERRILL. MINING MACHINE. APPLIOATION rmzn AUG. 22, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

cm 0 9 4 7 2 R E F D E T N E T A P 2 O N E2 Lm m G HH RC m INN R M M R L P P A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN R. MERRILL, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A. JEFFREY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

'MINING-NIACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed August 22, 1902. Serial No. 120,6 80.

T0 00M whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. MERRILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view, some of the parts being broken away, showing a mining-ma chine embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the motor and engine and showing also parts of the carriage and of the bed in section. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the engine and motor.

The machine considered as a whole is similar to those heretofore in use in having a bedframe and a carriage sliding thereon for supporting the cutting apparatus and the power mechanism.

The bed consists of longitudinal side bars A A, supported at intervals by cross-girders a, having upright arms a, which are secured to the main bars A. At the bottoms and .along the sides these crossbars a are pro vided with longitudinal shoe-like bars a At the front end there is a bottom cross-bar a which is longer than those at a a and which permits the rear part of the bed to be narrow and yet allows the use of a cutting apparatus which is wide at its front end.

At the rear end the bed is provided with a cross-bar a, which not only serves to hold the parts together, but also provides means for moving the machine, as bars or other tools can be readily engaged therewith.

The bed-bars A have secured to them longitudinally-arranged rack-bars B with upwardly-turned teeth.

Upon the bed-frame of this construction is mounted the traveling apparatus, which carries the cutting devices and also the gearing and motor or engine. This carriage is made up of two main parts, the platform or frame, which supports the gearing, shafting, and motor or engine, and the cutter-frame. The cutter-frame is designed for the holding and guiding of a chain provided with cutters and may be of any preferred sort. The one shown comprises a front cross-head O, a central thrusting frame or bar C, and tapering side guide-bars C converging rearward to- Ward the center bar or frame C. The crosshead 0 is formed of top and bottom plates 0 c, with spacing bars or plates between them, together with sprocket-wheels C C One of the spacing bars or plates of the cross-head O has rearwardly-projecting arms C to which is secured the central thrusting device C. This consists of two longitudinal bars 6 c which are riveted or otherwise secured to the arms C of the cross-head and which extend back to points near the rear of the machine. They are held spaced and braced by means of a cross-plate 0 which has vertical flanges 0 that permit it to be firmly riveted to the bars 0 The front end of the bar or plate 0 is adjacent to the rearward-extending arms C of the cross-head, and it extends back to points somewhat ahead of the rear ends of the bars 0 At the said rear ends there is a plate or bar C. At its rear the thrusting member C is provided with the cross members 0 0 which are adapted to support the adjustingscrew D, which is used to take up slack in the cutter-chain by moving the rear cutter-chain sprocket relative to the thrusting member C in the well-known manner.

The rear end of this chain-frame is adjustably connected to the platform, frame, or support for the shafting and gearing. This support or frame consists, as shown, of a plate having a horizontal part E, which is fitted to the bed to slide longitudinally thereon, it having at the front end the drooping part c and a supplemental drooping portion c, together with a rear portion 6 having projec- 'tions 6 The above-described chain-frame has its rear end between the drooping parts 6 and e of the motorframe. It is held by means of a vertical bar or rod F, provided with a threaded aperture to receive the above-mentioned screw D. This rod. F is detachable from the engine -plate, though normally rigidly secured thereon, it being seated in apertures in the parts 6 c. It has a clamping washer and nut at the upper end and a head at the lower end, so that it can be loosened when desired or can be fastened with the utmost rigidity. It is preferably cylindrical or adapted to turn somewhat, so that in case of great strain upon the screw-rod there can be a yielding,

When it is desired to adjust the chainfr'ame forward relatively to the motor-frame, this is accomplished after first loosening the vertical rod F and then turning the screw-rod D in the proper direction, and after adjustment the vertical rod F is again clamped in position.

I The machine is driven by means of a motor or engine adapted to be actuated by a fluid agent, preferably compressed air. This motor comprises a casing having the two parts H H each nearly cylindrical in shape and the intermediate smaller parti cylindrical walls at g 9 The vertical walls of the outer cylindrical parts are represented by g and the bottom plate or wall by g, these being preferably cast integral. At the center of each of the circular sections of the bottom wall there is a bearing-boss h, which projects downward. In each of the side cylindrical parts H H of the casing there is mounted a vertical shaft H, each shaft being ournaled at its lower end in one of the bearing-bosses h. The cover or top wall of the casing g is preferably detachable from the lower part of the casing, though secured thereto tightly by bolts g. This top wall 9 has bearing-bosses 9, one for each of the shafts I-I. Each shaft H has secured to it a cylindrical piston-carrier H thepiston-plate itself being illustrated at H.

In the central part of the casing there is mounted a valve cylinder or roll H This roll is carried by the shaft h, which is mount ed at its lower end in the boss or bearing h in the bottom Wall or plate g. It has a cut-out portion h, adapted to register with each of the piston-plates I-I alternately. At 7L2 there is an inlet-port for compressed air or steam, and at 7L3 there is an exhaust-port, there being one of these inlet and exhaust ports for each of the cylindrical parts H H At the lower end of each of the shafts H and rigidly fastened thereto is a spur-pinion K. These engage with the large spur-wheel L, mounted on the vertical shaft Z, held in boxes carried by suitable brackets secured to the platform or frame of the motor and gearing. The pinions K both being of the same size it will be seen that they not only impart the same power and speed to the large gear L, but also that they are so connected as to cause the cylinders or rollers H to rotate together and in the same direction.

The valve cylinder or roller H is connected with the shafts H by means of the gearwheels H H so that the valve also rotates synchronously with the piston parts.

With a driving mechanism of the character described I am enabled to impart motion to the master-gear L, the chain-wheel M, and the other parts driven thereby with much less gearing and fewer parts and less metal than have been required in machines of this class heretofore.

From the shaft 1 can be taken the power for moving the carriage forward and back.

The entire carriage can be simultaneously advanced along the bed as follows: 0 O are pinions engaging with the racks B above de= scribed. These pinions are rigid with the shaft P, which is mounted in bearings at p in the platform or frame extension e This shaft can be rotated slowly in one direction or rapidly in the opposite direction. Q is a worm on the aforesaid shaft Z. It engages with a wor1n-wheel Q upon a shaft g, which is mounted in suitable bearings upon the engine-platform. This shaft g has'a beveled gear-wheel Q, which engages a bevel-wheel Q on a longitudinally-arranged shaft q in a bracket-bearing g This shaft g carries a worm Q which engages with the worm-wheel Q mounted loosely on the shaft P. The aforesaid shaft 9 carries also a gear-pinion R, which engages with a gear-wheel R also mounted loosely on shaft P. The wheels Q and R can be alternately connected to the shaft P by the clutch S, which is feathered or splined to the shaft. When the clutch engages with the wheel Q the speeds and directions of the parts are such that the carriage is slowly advanced. When the clutch is withdrawn from the wheel Q and engaged with wheel R the carriage is rapidly withdrawn along the bed, the wheel Q moving in one direction with a relatively slow speed, while the wheel It moves in the opposite direction with a relatively high speed. With this clutch can be combined any suitable mechanism for moving it automatically or for moving it by hand, or both. In my earlier application, Serial No. 25,811, filed August 3, 1900, I have shown a mechanism which can be employed for this purpose. The lever S, pivoted to the platform E or a suit able support thereon and having parts engaging with the clutch, can be used, as readily understood. Compressed air is admitted to the motor through the inlet-ports at b from a hose or flexible conductor, which is attached at T or T. It travels past the valve at t to the passage-way at t, then along the duct t until it reaches the inlet-port h As the piston-carrier H turns it brings its air passageway V to the port 72 and air passes through the carriage or roll from the bottom to the top and escapes through the ports 12 into the cylinder behind the piston-plates H and causes the rotation of the parts H and the shafts H. As soon as the plate H reaches the intermediate roll H the recess h in the latter permits the passage of the said part H and the latter escapes from the roll H just as the cylindrical surfaces of the parts H and H come into contact again and just as it reaches the inlet-port W. The plate H begins to enter the recess h just after it has passed the exhaust-port h The two sets of parts (each set having a roll H a shaft H, and an external cylinder, &c.) are arranged oppositely to each other with respect to the intermediate roll H so that the motor is practically a double-acting one, maintaining IIC substantially continuous application of power to the gearing and through that to the cutters and the carriage-moving mechanism.

What I claim is 1. In a mining-machine, the combination with the bed-frame, the carriage adapted to move forward and back thereon, and the cutting apparatus on the carriage, of the two rotary engines arranged side by side within the longitudinal planes of the bed-frame, and having the axes of their en inc-shafts in avertical plane transverse to t e said bed-frame, the vertical shaft Z, the gearing between said shaft and each of said engine shafts, the sprocket-wheel on said vertical shaft engaging with and driving the cutter-chain, and a train of power transmitting devices interposed between said vertical shaft and the carriage-advancing mechanism on the bedframe.

2. In a mining-machine, the combination with the bed, the carriage adapted to move relatively thereto and the cutter-chain on the carriage, of the sprocket-wheel engaging with and driving the said chain, the vertical shaft Z to which the sprocket is secured, the Worm on said shaft for transmitting power to the carriage advancing mechanism, the ear- Wheel on said shaft, and the two vertica engine-shafts having their axes of rotation in a plane transverse to the carriage-frame and in front of the said driving sprocket-Wheel, the casings of said motors being arranged Within the longitudinal planes of the sides of said bedeframe, the rotary pistons connected With and rotating said shafts and driving-pinions on said shafts engaging with and driving said gear-wheel Z on the sprocket-shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mining-machine, the combination of the bed-frame, a carriage-frame adapted to move forward and back thereon, an endless cutter-chain on the carriage-frame, two rotary, elastic fluid engines arran ed side by side on the carriage frame and aving the axes of their rotary-engine shafts in a vertical plane transverse to the said carriageframe, and power transmitting mechanism interposed between said rotary-engine shafts and both the cutter-chain and the bed-frame and adapted both to actuate the said cutterchain and to cause the carriage to move forward and back along the said bed-frame.

4. In a mining-machine, the combination with the bed-frame, the carriage-frame adapted to move forward and backthereon, and the endless cuttercarrier on the carriageframe, of two rotary elastic-fluid engines arranged side by side on the carriage-frame and having the axes of their rotary-engine shafts in a vertical plane transverse to the said carria e-frame, a vertical counter-shaft common to 0th of said engine-shafts, gearing similarly connecting each of said rotary-engine shafts to said counter-shaft, power-transmitting mechanism interposed between said counter shaft and said cutter carrier, and Eower transmitting mechanism interposed etween said counter shaft and said bedframe adapted to cause the carriage to move forward and back along the said bed-frame.

5. In a mining-machine, the combination with a bed-frame, a carria e-frame arranged to move forward and bac thereon and an endless cutter-carrier on the carriage-frame,

F. C. KOCHENDERFER, C. A. DoDDs.

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