GB1567931A - Loading means for use with a conveyor - Google Patents

Description

(54) LOADING MEANS FOR USE WITH A CONVEYOR (71) We, GEWERKSCHAFT EISENHijTTE WESTFALIA, a body corporate organised and existing under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, of 4670 Linen, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a loading means for transferring material to a conveyor and more particularly to such means used in connection with driving tunnels, trenches or similar excavations or used in connection with mineral, e.g., coal winning operations.

In the context of tunnel driving, it is known to use a drive shield and a material cutting machine and to withdraw the spoil through the shield with the aid of one or more conveyors. Material which does not fall onto the head or front end of the conveyor has to be loaded by hand or by additional mechanical devices. Often, the debris or spoil accumulates in a large quantity at the foot of the working face and this necessitates halting the excavation work to permit the material to be moved away. Although various forms of loading mechanisms have been employed, they have not proved to be wholly successful, especially since they generally load material laterally into the conveyor.

A general object of this invention is to provide an improved loading means.

According to the present invention, such a loading means comprises pivotable blades or arms and piston cylinder units for moving the blades in oscillatory manner back and forth over a transfer surface, wherein the blades each have a substantially wedge or triangular-shaped cross section with a loading face extending at a steeper angle to the transfer surface than an opposite face whereby material contacted by the blades is transferred predominantly by the loading faces of said blades. Loading means made in accordance with the invention may use a ramp to form the transfer surface and in the context of tunnel driving the ramp can locate at the floor or the working face giving rise to a particularly simple compact construction transferring material directly to the end of the conveyor.It is possible to constructionally unite the head of the conveyor with the loading means. Preferably, the blades move in unison to execute simultaneous loading and return strokes.

To further enhance its loading capabilities the loading means may also employ devices for lateral feeding. Rotatable bladed wheels can be provided for this purpose and conveniently, these wheels can be mounted on platforms at either side of the conveyor.

The loading means has application in fields such as mineral winning and tunnel driving and here the loading means can be installed beneath a heading or cutting machine utilizing a raisable and lowerable jib carrying a rotary cutting tool such as a drum or cylinder. Preferably this jib can be rotated longitudinally so that the tool acts over the upper or lower section of the working face. Because of its compact design the loading means will not obstruct the jib in its operation.

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

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of a tunnel driving apparatus employing loading means made in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the loading means shown in Figure 1.

By By way of example, loading means made in accordance with the invention is emp- loyed with a tunnel driving apparatus which has a drive shield 10. The shield 10 is in known manner, composed of a series of elongate members or planks 11 arranged side-by-side in parallel relationship to form a cylindrical array. The members 11 have cutting edged 11' at the forward ends. The members 11 are supported and guided for longitudinal displacement on a frame 12.

The members 11 are shifted in the driving direction , either individually or in groups, with the aid of hydraulic rams (not shown) connected between the members 11 and the frame 12. The rams are double acting and serve to alternately advance the members 11 and the frame 12 in known manner.

A material cutting device in the form of a heading machine 13 is arranged in the shield 10.

The machine 13 has a motor 14 which is itself guided for movement in the direction or on else is carried by a support guided for such movement. The guiding function is performed by parallel guide tracks or rails 15 mounted in the shield 10 e.g., on the frame 12. Hydraulic rams 16 serve to displace the motor 14 along the rails 15. A mounting structure 18 is pivotably connected to the motor 14 or its support by way of bearing 17. The structure 18 can thus pivot about an axis which coincides with the axis of the shield 10 or tunnel and extends in the driv ing direction V . A jib 19 is in turn pivoted to the structure 18 by means of a pivot joint 20 extending laterally of the shield 10. The jib 19 can be swung up and down by means of piston and cylinder units 21 coupled between the jib 19 and its mounting structure 18.The jib 19 carries a rotary cutting appliance such as a drum 22 at its free end.

The drum 22 is rotated in the direction of arrow S in Figure 1 by operation of the motor 14.

The entire device 13 enables the drum 22 to be brought into a variety of cutting positions to attack a working face at the front of the tunnel. Thus, as shown in Figure 1 the drum 22 can rotate in the direction S commencing at the top of the face and the jib 19 swung downwards to move the drum 22 over an arcuate path indicated by the chain-dotted line; this is the so-called overcast operation. Alternatively, the drum 22 can commence at the bottom or floor level rotating in the opposite direction to arrow S and the jib 19 can be swung upwards to move the drum 22 over an arcuate path as indicated also by the chain dotted line in Figure 1; this is the so-called undercast operation. The change between these cutting actions would be accomplished by swivelling the structure 18 through 1800.

The loading means of the invention is arranged beneath the heading machine 13 and operates in conjunction with a feeder conveyor 23 preferably a scraper-chain conveyor. The conveyor 23 has loading head generally designated 24 which is diposed just above the floor of the working in the forward zone and the conveyor 23 inclines upwardly from this head as shown in Figure 1. The loading means as here embodied has platforms 25 arranged at the sides of the conveyor 23 and its head 24 rotatable bladed wheels 26 mounted on the platforms 24. In addition a loading ramp 27 is providing a transfer surface is disposed in front of the head 24 and the platforms 25.

The ramp 27 has a width somewhat greater than the combined width of the platforms 25 and the conveyor 23. The ramp 27 has its front lower edge located substantially level with the front cutting edge 11' of the shield members 11. Two loading blades or arms 28 are mounted above the ramp 27 for oscillatory motion as represented by arrows P in Figure 2. Each arm 28 is operated by a piston and cylinder unit 30 to swivel about a pivot joint 29. Each unit 30 is double-acting and has its piston rod articulated to a bracket 31 mounted to some convenient part of the shield 10. The cylinder of each unit 30 is hinged to an elbow lever 32 so that by extending and retracting the unit 30 the associated arm 28 can be swung back and forth over the ramp 27.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the arms 28 each have a substantially wedge or triangular cross-section, more particularly forming a scalene triangle, with an area 28' tapering towards the ramp 27. The forward edge of each arm 28 is denoted 28". Each arm 28 has a lower face 28"' extending parallel to the upper surface of the ramp 27 and a rear loading face 28"" approximately perpen dicularly thereto.

During operation of the tunnel driving apparatus, spoil or debris from the face is detached by the drum 22 and falls onto the ramp 27. By retracting the units 30, the arms 28 swivel in the direction of the working face and the edges 28" pass through the material without effecting any substantial movement thereof. In any event material movement is restricted by the working face.

If the units 30 are then extended, the rear loading faces 28"" push the material over the ramp 27 onto the loading head 24 of the conveyor 23. By oscillating the arms 28 back and forth by alternately extending and retracting the units 30 the material can be transferred to the conveyor 23. Any material which falls or is otherwise displaced onto the conveyor 23 by the rotation of the wheels 26. When the machine 13 is arranged to cause the drum 22 to operate undercast the drum 22 can be brought directly in front of the ramp 27 and material is then also coveyed by the drum 22 directly onto the ramp 27 to assist in the loading operation.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Loading means for transferring material to a conveyor; said loading means comprising pivotable blades or arms and piston and cylinder units for moving the blades in oscillatory manner back and forth over a transfer surface, wherein the blades each have a substantially wedge or triangularshaped cross-section with a loading face extending at a steeper angle to the transfer surface than an opposite face, whereby material contacted by the blades is transferred predominantly by the loading faces of said blades.

2. Loading means according to claim 1, wherein there are further provided rotatable bladed wheels for feeding material laterally to the conveyor during use.

3. Loading means according to claim 2, wherein the bladed wheels are mounted on platforms for location at the sides of the conveyor.

4. Loading means substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

5. A tunnel driving apparatus employing loading means according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. A mineral winning apparatus employing loading means according to any one of

Claims (1)

1. claims 1 to 4.

   7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, and further comprising a scraper-chain conveyor for receiving material from the loading means.

   8. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the loading means is arranged within a drive shield of the apparatus, and the apparatus also has a rotary cutting device carried by a jib which is capable of being raised and lowered and swivelled about its longitudinal axis.

   9. A tunnel driving apparatus substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated, in the accompanying drawings.