GB2233012A

GB2233012A - Cutting machine

Info

Publication number: GB2233012A
Application number: GB9012577A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alfred Zitz; Franz Wels
Original assignee: VOEST ALPINE ZELTWEG; Voest Alpine Zeltweg GmbH
Current assignee: VOEST ALPINE ZELTWEG; Voest Alpine Zeltweg GmbH
Priority date: 1989-06-15
Filing date: 1990-06-06
Publication date: 1991-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 2010-06-06
Also published as: DE4018154A1; GB2233012B; DE4018154C2; ATA147089A; PL285636A1; AU5704890A; GB9012577D0; CS296990A3; AT392512B; CZ279614B6; FR2649141A1; FR2649141B1; ZA904361B; AU633323B2; PL164409B1

Abstract

In a cutting machine (1) comprising a chassis (2), loading equipment (7) arranged on a machine frame (3) for being liftable and lowerable and a cantilever arm (4) being supported on the machine frame (3) for being swivelable at least around a horizontal axis (6) and having rotatably supported thereon cutting heads, or, respectively, cutting rolls (5), the chassis (2) is connected with the machine frame (3) for being shiftable in longitudinal direction of the machine. The shifting of the machine frame (3) relative to the chassis (2) is preferably effected via a cylinder-piston-aggregate (10) extending in longitudinal direction of the machine. <IMAGE>

Description

:P:3;3 (2) 1_:2-1 1 CUTTING MACHINE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention refers to a cutting machine comprising OR m a caterpillar \Chassis, a loading equipment being arranged on a machine frame for being lifted and lowered and a cantilever arm being supported on the machine frame for being sWivelable at least around an horizontal axis and having rotatably supported thereon cutting heads or cutting rolls.

Description of the Prior Art

When effecting cutting work by means of such cutting machines the penetrating operation is, as a rule, effected such that the machine is, during the penetrating operation,moved in direction to the drift face. The extent of the required penetration is different in dependence on the use of the cutting machine and can, in case of excavating machines, be 3/4 of the diameter of the cutting rolls or, respectively, cutting heads. When driving drifts in harder rock,the extent of penetration is, in the rule, in the magnitude of half of the diameter of the cutting roll or, respectively, cutting head, and it is not easily possible to exactly adjust the depth of penetration when moving the whole machine by means of a caterpillar chassis. In dependence on the properties of the drift floor, the caterpillars are subject to slippage earlier or later, so that it is not possible to immediately 1 U determine the depth of penetration by measuring the travelled Dath on the caterpillars.

Therefore, it has already been proposed to effect the penetrating operation %Tith the cutting machine assiuming a stationary position, and a cutting machine being suitable for such a procedure can, for example, be derived from ATPS 3 86 457. In this known arrangement, only the cutting arm is moved during the penetration operation relative to the machine frame by means of a rocker arm and takes along the ponveying means and, respectively, the loading ramp by means of a connecting link in a predetermined length ratio. There have also already been proposed telescoping cutting arms, in which case, however, the loading equipment remains in its original position during the penetrating operation so that complete clearing of the drift floor is not easily made sure. For the purpose of advancing the loading equipment, it is necessary to move the whole machine in case of such arrangements. From GB-A 21 63 797 there has finally become known an embodiment of a drift advancing machine of the initially mentioned type, in which a sliding carriage is supported within the machine frame for being shiftable in longitudinal direction, noting that the cutting tool is linked to this sliding carriage with interposition of a cantilever arm. The conveyor means is equally supported within thi-s sliding carriage and is taken along in longitudinal direction by means of the sliding carr--age.

It is a common feature for all previously.mentioned constructions that extensive adaptations must be effected in a cutting machine of usual construction for providing the possibility to effect penetration work with the cater s pillar chassis standing still. When providing rocker arms for swivelling the cantilever arm in direction to the drift face, there is changed the kinematics of the rocker arm and usual equipment provided for preventing any collision of a cantilever arm with a loading ramp can only be used in a limited^aegree if they are not adapted to be equally readjusted in a corresponding manner. For the purpose of supplying the energy for the cutting motor there are, as a rule, mounted seDarate energy supplying devices on the machine frame, so that in case of swivelling or, respectively, displacing the cantilever arm a correspondingly flexible supply conduit must be provided for supplying energy to the cutting arm. Such flexible conduits are relatively sensible with respect to down-falling rock and can thus be more easily become damaged than stationarily installed and correspondingly protected conduits. When shifting and displacing the swivelling axes of a cantilever arm, there results simultaneously with a change in the swivelling geometry also a change of the load acting on the machine frame and transmitted into the machine frame, respectively, so that, as a rule, it is not possible to reliably resist during the penetrating operation the same forces as in case of a cutting operation in which the cutting arm is not G linked to the machine frame in its forwardly swivelled position. SUMMARY OF THEINVENTrON

The invention now aims at providing a device of the Initially mentioned type by means of which it is possible to effect cutting during the penetrating operation with the caterpillar chassis standing still without therefore necessitating adaptation on the cutting machine. The Invention aims In particular at avoiding any flexible energy supply conduits, which can only difficultly be protected, and at making sure an optimum load distribution in the machine frame in any position of the cutting arm. The construction according to the invention shall further be suitable to modify without great expenditure machines not being suitable for effecting penetrating operation with the caterpillar chassis being arrested such that the penetrating operation becomes possible with the caterpillar chassis standing still. For solving this task, the invention consists. based on a cutting machine of the initially mentioned type, in principle In that the caterpillar chassis.is connected with the machine frame for being shiftable in longitudinal direction of the machine. On account of the machine frame itself being connected with the caterpillar chassis for being shiftable in longitudinal direction of the machine, the kinematics of the link between loading ramp and cantilever arm or, respectively, cutting arm is not changed:n any stage of the penetrating operation, so that existing equipment for preventing collisions can be used without any change. On account of shifting now the whole machine frame relative to the caterpillar chassis, there are, in contrast to known constructions. shifted in longitudinal direction of the drift and relative to the caterpillar chassis not only the cutting arm and optionally part of-the loading equipment but also the energy supply equipment mounted on the machine framet which results in a displAcement of the weight in direction to the foremost end section of the caterpillar chassis also in case of a short shifting path and in a correspondingly better support of the reaction forces becoming effective when effecting j penetrating ope-ratidii. The stability o-tlC-Pxa,chine is thus further increased on account of shifting the whole machine frame relative to the caterpillar chassis when effecting penetrating operation, and higher reaction forces can be resisted without the danger of slipping caterpillars. The feature to shiftably support the whole machine frame in longitudinal direction of the machine and relative to the caterpillar chassis provides, however, the possibility to adapt existing machines in a particularly simple manner, noting that it is, for this purpose, only necessary to separate the caterpillar chassis from the machine frame and to again connect the caterpillar chassis with the machine frame with interposition of corresponding guiding elements extending in longitudinal direction of the machine. For such a connectionthere can, for example, be used the same - 6 mounting points as were originally provided for mounting the caterpillar chassis on the machine frame.

In a particularly simple manner, the construction according to the invention is selected such that the caterpillar chassis has at both mutually facing inner longitudinal sides guiding elements extending in longitudinal direction of the-machine and being connected with guide means on the longitudinal sides of the machine frame in a form-locking manner. Such guiding elements extending in longitudinal direction of the machine can be of relatively small size, so that, even after having separated the caterpillar chassis -from the machine frame and after having again assembled these constructional parts with interposition of the corresponding guide means, there results neither an increase is of the total constructional height of the machine nor a substantial increase of the width of the machine so that the original capability of travelling on uneven floor and the original manoeuverability is substantially maintained.

The length of the guide means in longitudinal direction of the machine can be limited to the extent as is required for the penetrating operation and be selected such that a substantially unchanged stability of the unit formed of caterpillar chassis and machine frame is maintained in any shifted position. Preferably, the arrangement is selected such that the length of the guide means on the machine frame or on the caterpillar chassis is at least half the diameter of the cutting heads or, respectively, cutting rolls.

For the purpose of making sure a reliable support of the supporting forces, the guiding elements of the caterpillar chassis are advantageously designed as claws embracing a guide rail or, respectively, a sliding ledge. of the machine frame. in such an arrangement, the constructional height and the ground clearance of the machine can be maintained substantially unchanged and the reaction forces generated when effecting penetration operation can reliabl be received by the drift floor via the caterpillar ly chassis.

In principle, it would be sufficient to design the support means or, respectivelylguide means of the caterpillar chassis at both sides of the machine frame independent one from the other if there is Drovided a corresponding coupling of the shifting drive means at both sides of the machine frame between machine frame and caterpillar chassis. For the purpose of preventing the possibility to shift both caterpillar chassis, independent one from the other, into an undesired position, the arrangement can advantageously be selected such that the caterpillar chassis comprises an auxiliary frame, In particular transverse strutsfor connecting the caterpillars one with the other, thereby obtaining a maximum stability without a substantial increase of the constructional height.

When using such an auxiliary frame, in particular when using tran"erse struts, the relative shifting movement between caterpillar chassis and machine frame can be effected with one single, common cylinder-,-p-tston-aggregate, for which purpose the arrangement is advantageously selected such that at least one cylinder-piston-aggregate extending in longitudinal direction of the machine is arranged for acting on the machine frame and on a transverse strut of the auxillary frame. BRIE5?' DESCRIPTIT'OR ^OF' THE' DRAWING in the following, the invention Is explained in greater detail with reference to an example of embodiment schematically shown in the drawing.

in the drawing Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a cutting machine according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic top plan view of a caterpillar chassis together with part of the machine frame and Figure 3 shows a section along line III-III of Figure 2. DETZ'ILED- DESCRIPTION OF' THE' PREFERREIY EMBODIMENT

In Figure 1, a cutting machine designated by the reference numeral 1 can be moved on a caterpillar chassis 2. A cantilever arm 4 comprising cutting tools 5 is swivelably supported on a machine frame 3 for being swivelable around a horizontal axis 6. A liftable and lowerable loading equip merit 7 is additionally linked on the machine frame 3 and transfers material picked up from the drift floor to a conveyor 8 extending substantially in longitudinal direction of the mach--ne and has, if desired, arranged its end located remote from the drift face in known manner for being liftable 9 - is and lowerable.

For the purpose of shifting the whole machine frame 3 relative to the caterpillar chassis 2 in direction of the schematically indicated twinarrow 9, there is provided a cylinder-.--piston-aggregate 10 as will be explained in greater detail with reference to the subsequent Figures.

in the schematic top plan view shown in Figure 2 in an enlarged scale, there is again designated by 2 a caterpillar chassis and is Indicated by 3 a part of the machine frame. The center line of the cutting machine is designated by 11. At both sides of the machine frame 3, there are provided sliding ledges or, respectively, guide rails 12 which extend In longitudinal direction of the machine and which are guided within guide means 13 on the caterpillar ch.ass:s., An auxiliary frame is used for connecting the caterpillar chas.sis., noting that in Figure 2 there are shown transverse struts for connecting both caterpillar chassis, said transverse struts being designated by 14. Within the area of the longitudinal center 11 of the cutting machine, there is again shown the hydraulic cylinder 10 for shifting the machine frame 3 relative to both caterpillar chassis, noting that the linking point linking the cylinder.-piston-aggregate 10 to a transverse strut 14 is designated by 15 and the linking point on the machine frame is scheinAticAlly indicated by 16. When shifting the machine;Erame 3 relative to both caterpillar chassis 2 during performing a penetrating operation, both caterpillar chassis -Ln, remain at rest and the machine frame is shi.7Cted in longitudinal direction of the machine into the posItion Indicated by 3'. The length of the guide means, in the embodiment shown, of the sliding ledges and guide rails 12, is, in this case, dimensioned such that the machine frame can be shifted for at least half of the diameter of the cutting tools 5 shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 3, the design of the guide means is shown in greater detail. On the caterpillar chassis 2, the guide means 13 are designed as claws partially embracing the guide rails or, respectively, sliding ledges 12 being connected with the machine frame 3. For connecting both caterpillar chassis, there is again used an auxiliary frame, in particular there are used transverse struts 14 on which one end of the cylinder-piston-aggregate 10 is fixed at 15.

The sliding guide means formed of the claws or, respectively, the sliding cheeks 13 and of the guide rails or, respectively, sliding ledges 12 can, in this case, be -given approximately the same constructional height as has the caterpillar chassis 2, so that no change whatsoever is necessary at the mounting points for the auxiliary aggregates of the cutting machine. In particular, the claws or, respectively, sliding cheeks-13 can be provided at those positions on both caterpillar chassis 2 on whichr as a rule, the machine frame is directly mounted on both caterpillar chassis 2. By arranging the auxiliary frame at a low level and by arranging the cylinder-pistonaggregate 10 for shifting the machine frame 3-relative to both caterpillar chassis 2 below. the bottom plate of the machine frame 3 as is shown in greater detail in Figure 3,1 an increase of the constructional height of the cutting machine can be avoided. The transverse struts 14 of the auxiliary frame extend, as seen in delft advancing direction, over an only short length, so that this also does not result in detracting from the bottom clearance and the manoeuvrability of the cutting machine.

Mounting and fixing in position of the machine frame 3 on both caterpillar chassis is, in this case, effected in a simple manner such that the machine frame 3 is inserted with its sliding ledges 12 into the sliding guide 13 of the caterpillar chassis, whereupon the end portion, designated by 17, of the claw-shaped guide means 13 is superpositioned and connected with the other sliding parts, as is schematically indicated by 18.

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Claims

What is claimed is;

1. Cutting machine '(1.) comprising a caterpillar chassis (2), a loading equipment C7)-being arranged on a machine frame (3) for being lifted and lowered and a cantilever arm (4) being supported on the machine frame (3) for being swivelable at least around a horizontal axis (16) and having rotatably supported thereon cutting heads or cutting rolls (5), characterized in that the caterpillar chassis (2) is connected with the machine frame (3) for being shiftable In longitudinal direction of the machine.

2. Cutting machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the caterpillar chassis (.2) has at both mutually facing inner longitudinal sides guiding elements (13) extending in longitudinal direction of the machine and being connected with c ide means (12) on the longitudinal sides ju of the machine frame (3) in a form-locking manner.

3. Cutting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the length of the guide means (12, 13) on the-machine frame (3) or on the caterpillar chassis (2) is at least half the diameter of the cutting heads or, respectively, the. cutting rolls (5).

4. Cutting machine as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized In thgt the guide elements (13) of the caterpillar chassis (2) are designed as claws which embrace a guiding:kall or, respectively, sliding ledge (12) of the machine frame (.3),

5. Cutting machine as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the caterpillar chassis (2) has an auxiliary frame, in particular transverse struts (14) for connecting the caterpillars one with the other.

6. Cutting machine as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that at least one cylinder-piston-aggregate (10) extending in longitudinAl direction of the machine is arranged for acting on the machine frame (3) and on a transverse strut (14) of the auxiliary frame.

Published 1990atThe Patent Office. State House, 66 71 High Holborn, London WC1R4TP.Further copies inky be obtained from The Patent Office Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BRS 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary cray, Kent, Con- 1,67