GB2238765A

GB2238765A - Support apparatus for a movable track

Info

Publication number: GB2238765A
Application number: GB9015033A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Joseph Bird; Wayne Edwards; David Alan Hedley
Original assignee: Hanning Ltd
Current assignee: Hanning Ltd
Priority date: 1990-07-07
Filing date: 1990-07-07
Publication date: 1991-06-12
Also published as: GB9015033D0

Abstract

Support apparatus indicated generally at 10 comprises track means indicated generally at 12 and runners 14, 16. The runners 14 hang from a track 22 to support an article hung below. The runners 16 are permanently attached to a fixed support 18 to allow a track 20 to hang from them. The runners 14 can move along the track 22, and the runners 16 can move relative to the track 20. Consequently, the tracks can be moved relative to the fixed support 18, and the article being supported can be moved relative to the tracks and the fixed support. The apparatus is for particular use in a mine roadway, the runners 14 being attached to a cable feeding power to a machine which can be advanced along the roadway. <IMAGE>

Description

Support Apparatus The present invention relates to support apparatus such as apparatus of the type sometimes referred to as an overhead monorail system.

Overhead monorail systems are used in factories for moving heavy objects such as machinery. A pe-rmanent monorail is installed overhead around the factory. Items to be moved are hung from runners on the monorail, so that the articles can then be moved along the monorail while being supported by it.

A similar system has been proposed for use in mines for supporting machines or cables which supply machines, for instance. The machine or other supported apparatus can be advanced or withdrawn along the monorail.

Additional sections of monorail are attached to the front of the monorail as the roadway in which the apparatus is installed increases in length. However, this can disrupt work in the mine until the additional section has been installed.

The present invention seeks to obviate or mitigate these or other disadvantages.

According to the invention, there is provided support apparatus comprising track means and runners, the runners co-operating with the track means to allow relative movement of the runners along the track means, and the runners including first runners which, in use, are attached to an article to be supported, and second runners which, in use, are attached to a fixed support, whereby, in use, the track means may move relative to the fixed support, and an article being supported may move relative to the track means and to the fixed support.

The track means preferably comprises a first track along which the first runners may move relative to the track means, and a second track along which the second runners may move relative to the track means. The tracks may be provided by first and second track members which are attached together. The track members are preferably so attached as to allow the first and second runners to extend away from the track means in generally opposite directions. The track means and the first runners are preferably so adapted and arranged as to allow an article to be supported to hang by the first runners on the track means. The track means and the second runners are preferably so adapted and arranged as to allow the track means to hang by the second runners from the fixed support.

The track means may comprise closure means operable to prevent the runners being disengaged from the track means. The track means may be operable to allow second runners to be released from engagement with the track means or to be brought into engagement therewith, whereby the track means may be moved along a line of second runners to come into engagement with second runners with which there has not been previous engagement, and to be disengaged from second runners with which the track means was previously engaged.

The apparatus may further comprise additional second runners for attachment to the fixed support ahead of the track means to allow the track means to be advanced to engage the additional second runners.

Preferably the co-operation of the runners and the track means is provided by rotating members mounted on the track means or a runner and constrained to run along a surface provided on a runner or the track means, respectively. The track means may comprise one or more flanges which provide surfaces as aforesaid. The track means may comprise a channel section member having flanges located alongside the mouth of the channel to provide surfaces along which rotating members located in the channel may run. The track means preferably has two channels and associated flanges, as aforesaid, to provide separate tracks for the first and second runners.

The invention also provides support apparatus of the type defined above, for use in a mine, the first runners being adapted to be attached to a cable at intervals along the length of the cable so that, in use, the cable hangs on the first runners from the track means and may be extended or retracted by movement of the first runners along the track means1 and the second runners are adapted to be attached to the roof of a mine roadway so that, in use, the track means may hang on the second runners from the roof and may move along the roadway by movement of the track means relative to the second runners, and wherein the track means are operable to allow second runners to be released from engagement with the track means or to be brought into engagement with the track means, whereby additional second runners may be attached to the roof ahead of the track means as the roadway is cleared, and the machine may be advanced along the roadway by advancing the track means to engage new second runners ahead, and to release second runners behind, while the cable and machine remain supported.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a vertical section through apparatus according to the present invention; and Figs. 2A to 2D are side'elevations of the apparatus in use, at various stages of operation.

Fig. 1 shows support apparatus indicated generally at 10, comprising track means indicated generally at 12 and runners 14, 16. The runners 14, 16 co-operate with the track means 12 as will be described, to allow relative movement of the runners 14, 16 along the track means 12. The first, or lower runners 14 are attached in use to an article to be supported (not shown). The second, or upper runners 16 are attached in use to a fixed support 18. Thus, the track means 12 may move relative to the fixed support 18, and an article supported by the lower runners 14 may move relative to the track means 12 and the fixed support 18.

In more detail, the track means 12 comprises an upper channel member 20 and a lower channel member 22.

The two channel members 20, 22 are identical in form. Each consists of a generally square-section channel having a slot-like mouth 24 which opens upwardly or downwardly, respectively. Each mouth slot 24 is bounded by flanges 26 which extend along the whole length of the channel members 20, 22.

The lower runner 14 has a chassis located in the lower channel member 22 and on which wheels 30 are mounted. The wheels 30 are located to either side of the chassis and have a diameter which is less than the internal depth of the channel, so that the wheels 30 may freely rotate to run along surfaces 32 provided by the flanges 26 to either side of the slot 24. Two hooks 34 are attached to the chassis by means of a rigid elongate intermediate member 36 which extends down through the slot 24.

Thus, the hooks 34 allow an article to be hung from the runner 14 and to be supported on the lower channel member 22. The wheels 30 allow the runner 14 and hence the article being supported to be moved relative to the track means 12 by rolling the wheels 30 along the surfaces 32.

The upper runner 16 incorporates a chassis and wheels 42, similar to those of the lower runner, located in the upper channel member 20 so that the wheels 42 may run along inner surfaces 44 of the flanges 26 around the slot mouth 24 of the upper channel member 20. A rigid elongate intermediate member 46 extends up through the slot 24 to terminate in a mounting plate 48 by means of which the runner 16 is securely attached to the support 18, for instance by means of bolts (not shown).

A plurality of runners 16 are provided along the length of the track means 12 in order to support the track means which is otherwise unsupported. The weight of the track means 12 keeps the wheels 42 in contact with the surfaces 44 and this in turn allows relative movement of the runner 16 and the track means 12, during which the runners can move along the channel. The track means 12 may thus be moved in relation to the support 18.

The channel members 20, 22 are both closed at both ends. The lower channel member 22 may be permanently closed at both ends. The upper channel member 20 may be closed by closure means (not shown) which can be opened, for reasons which will become apparent from the following description.

The remaining drawings show one example of the way in which apparatus according to the invention can be used.

Fig. 2A shows a length of track means 12 supported on the roof 18 of a roadway in a mine, by means of a plurality of upper runners 16 positioned at intervals along the track means 12. Thus, the track means 12 is hanging on the runners 16 from the roof 18.

Below the track means 12, there is a tractive machine 50 supplied with power through a cable 52 from a power supply 54. The cable is attached at regular intervals along its length to lower runners 14 of the type described above, which run in the lower channel member of the track means 12. Thus, as can be seen from Fig. 2A, the cable 52 hangs by the runners 14 from the track means 12, in a series of serpentine loops between the machine 50 and the supply 54. Additional runners 14 may be used, as shown, to allow the machine to be hung from the track means 12, and the supply could also be hung, if desired.

The illustrated machine 50 is a tractive machine for use in cutting or clearing a face 56 to extend the roadway further forward. The machine can be moved along the track means 12 in order to work at the face 56. The supply cable 52 is neatly and safely supported behind the machine 50. If the machine is required to advance or withdraw for any reason, this can be simply achieved by running the runners 14 along the track means 12. The weight of the cable 52, the machine 50 and the supply 54, if hung, will be supported at all times, so that such movement is relatively easy. Alternatively, it may be desired to support and move the machine and supply in other ways, only using the support apparatus for the cable.

Eventually, the face 56 will be cut away to an extent which requires the machine 50 to be advanced further than is possible with the track means in the position shown in Fig 2A. This situation is indicated in Fig. 28, after the machine 50 has been withdrawn from the face 56. In order to allow the face 56 to be further worked, additional upper runners 16 are now installed at positions 60 ahead of the track means 12, and aligned with the upper channel member 20 of the track means 12.

In the drawing, three such additional upper runners 16 are shown. The installation of such runners is expected to be a relatively easy and quick operation. After they have been installed, the closure means which prevent upper runners 16 leaving the upper channel member 20 are opened at both ends of the track means 12. This allows the whole track means 12 to be advanced towards the face 56. As it does so, it will reach the additional upper runners 16 so that these will be bought into engagement with the track means. Similarly, runners 16 which have previously been in engagement with the track means 12 will become disengaged at the other end of the track means.

The track means can thus be moved up towards the face 56, to the position shown in Fig. 2C. (Only one runner 16 is shown after release from the rear of the track means 12). It will be apparent from the above that at all times, the apparatus provides full support for the apparatus suspended from it.

The machine 50 can then be advanced along the track to the face 56. At this stage, the separation of the machine 50 and the supply 54 is at its greatest, but this is compensated for by some of the loops of cable opening, as indicated in Fig. 2C. The loops are free to open or close in this way because the runners 14 from which the loops are supported are free to move along the track means 12.

Once the machine 50 and the track means 12 have been advanced to the new position, it would normally be appropriate to advance the supply 54, as indicated. in Fig. 2D, either by moving it along the track means, or otherwise. After this has been done, the arrangement of the machine 50, the cable 52, the supply 54, and the apparatus 10 is the same as it was when illustrated in Fig. 2A except that the whole arrangement has moved forward along the roadway.

The complete system can continue to advance along the roadway as it is cut or cleared, by repeatedly installing additional runners 16 ahead of the track means 12 as has been described and then moving the track means 12 and the components supported from it to take advantage of the new runners 16. Runners which become disengaged behind the track means 12 can either be removed, for instance for re-use ahead of the track means 12, or can be left in position to allow the track means 12 to be withdrawn along the whole length of the roadway after operation, for instance to support the cable 54 as it is removed from the roadway.

It will be apparent from the above description that many variations and modifications can be made to the apparatus described without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In particular, many different forms of track and co-operating runners could be used. For the application just described, it is preferable to use captive lower runners 14, and upper runners which are captive except when released to allow the track means to advance. However, other applications may not require the runners to be captive in this way.

The track means is described as being constructed from two track members which are attached together, but a single track member providing-two tracks, such as an I-beam, could be used. In the case of an I-beam, the flanges would provide tracks for runners, being connected together by the web. The runners have been described as having wheels running along the track, but the reverse situation could apply in which rotating members form part of the track and the runners have surfaces constrained to run along the rotating members. It should also be borne in mind that throughout the above description, the term "runner" has been used for simplicity in relation to the parts 14 and 16, even though the runners 16 are fixed, because in each case, relative movement of the runner along the track can occur.

Wnilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

Claims:

1. Support apparatus comprising track means and runners, the runners co-operating with the track means to allow relative movement of the runners along the track means, and wherein the runners include first runners which, in use, are attached to an article to be supported, and second runners which, in use, are attached to a fixed support, whereby, in use, the track means may move relative to the fixed support, and an article being supported may move relative to the track means and to the fixed support.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1. wherein the track means comprise a first track along which the first runners may move relative to the track means, and a second track along which the second runners may move relative to the track means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tracks are provided by first and second track members which are attached together.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the track members are so attached as to allow the first and second runners to extend away from the track means in generally opposite directions.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the track means and the first runners are so adapted and arranged as to allow an article to be supported to hang by the first runners on the track means.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the track means and the second runners are so adapted and arranged as to allow the track means to hang by the second runners from the fixed support.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the track means comprise closure means operable to prevent the runners being disengaged from the track means.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the track means are operable to allow second runners to be released from engagement with the track means or to be brought into engagement therewith, whereby the track means may be moved along a line of second runners to come into engagement with second runners with which there has not been previous engagement, and to be disengaged from second runners with which the track means was previously engaged.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus comprises additional second runners for attachment to the fixed support ahead of the track means to allow the track means to be advanced to engage the additional second runners.

10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the co-operation of the runners and the track means is provided by rotating members mounted on the track means or a runner and constrained to run along a surface provided on a runner or the track means, respectively.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the track means comprises one or more flanges which provide surfaces as aforesaid.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the track means comprises a channel section member having flanges located alongside the mouth of tie channel to provide surfaces along which rotating members located in the channel may run.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the track means has two channels and associated flanges, as aforesaid, to provide separate tracks for the first and second runners.

14. Support apparatus according to any preceding claim, for use in a mine, the first runners being adapted to be attached to a cable at intervals along the length of the cable so that, in use, the cable hangs on the first runners from the track means and may be extended or retracted by movement of the first runners along the track means, and the second runners are adapted to be attached to the roof of a mine roadway so that, in use, the track means may hang on the second runners from the roof and may move along the roadway by movement of the track means relative to the second runners, and wherein the track means are operable to allow second runners to be released from engagement with the track means or to be brought into engagement with the track means, whereby additional second runners may be attached to the roof ahead of the track means as the roadway is cleared, and the machine may be advanced along the roadway by advancing the track means to engage new second runners ahead, and to release second runners behind, while the cable and machine remain supported.

15. Support apparatus substantially as described above, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.