GB1227216A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,227,216. Railway vehicle undercarriages; elevated railway systems. BECORIT (RESEARCH) Ltd. 21 Aug., 1969 [21 June, 1968], No. 29610/68. Heading B7L. [Also in Division E1] Mineral mining apparatus comprises a face conveyer 10, a coal-getting machine 20 mounted on the conveyer for travel therealong, and driving means 50 for moving the machine including a rail 51 engaged on opposite sides by driven members 55 which are urged towards the rail so as to grip it. The conveyer is connected to self-advancing roof supports 30 and comprises a plurality of articulately connected sections. The driven members 55 are formed by wheels having tyres and driven by hydraulic motors 58, and they are carried by pivoted arms 56 interconnected by hydraulic rams 57 for urging the wheels towards the rail. One of the wheels may be provided on each side of the rail or two may be provided on one side of the rail and one, intermediately positioned between the two, on the other. Only one of the wheels may be driving and the hydraulic rams may be replaced by a turnbuckle. The driven members may be provided on a bogie at one end of the machine and a similar bogie may be provided at the other, the bogies having running wheels engaging an upper flange 53 of the rail 51. Back-up wheels may be urged into engagement with the other side of the flange 53. In a second embodiment, Fig. 3 (not shown), the rail is carried by the roof supports 30 and the wheels engage a vertical web of the rail. The wheels are connected directly to the motors which are pivoted for movement by hydraulic rams to engage the wheels with the rail. In a third embodiment, Fig. 4 (not shown), the wheels engage a horizontal flange, the upper wheels are connected directly to their motors and the lower wheels only are pivoted for movement by hydraulic rams to engage the flange. The wheels may be replaced by an endless belt passing round driven pulleys, the belt having a portion urged into rail contact.