GB229095A - Improvements in or relating to coal-cutting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

229,095. Cowlishaw, Walker, & Co. (1920), Ltd., and Moore, M. S. Feb. 19, 1924. Coal - cutting machines of the bar or chain type, in which the cutting-member is carried by a gear-head which is bodily movable in a vertical direction in relation to the base of the machine to cut in horizontal planes at different levels, are provided with clutchcontrolled expanding mechanism operable by the power unit of the machine to effect the aforesaid bodily movement of the gear-head to different heights above the base. The drive to the chain 6 of a cutter-chain machine is transmitted from the motor 8 through gearing 18, 16, 17, a splined shaft 10 and a sprocket 11 which is carried on a sleeve 12 slidable on the shaft 10. The cutter and other elements are carried on a movable housing 13 slidable on the shaft 10 and connected by screwjacks 19 - - 21 to the fixed housing 14. Each jack engages a nut 22 rotatable in the housing 13 and is rotated to move the cutter and housing 13 by means of a worm 23, slidable on the shaft 10, engaging a worm wheel 24 on a shaft 25 to which it is clutched by a clutch 27. Each end of the shaft 25 carries a worm 29, 30 engaging wheels 28 associated with the nuts 22 of jacks 20, 19 respectively, while the third jack 21 is driven from the shaft 25 by bevel wheels 32, shaft 31, and worm 33. Normally, when the clutch 27 is thrown in, the screw-jacks will elevate the cutter, and lowering will be manually effected by a crank handle attached to either end of shaft 25, but lowering may be done by reversing the drive of the power-unit rotor. Bolts 34 or the like secure the housing 13 in its elevated position by being screwed to the intermediate frame 35. The worm 23 may also be used for slueing the cutter, a second shaft 36, worm wheel 37 and clutch 38 being provided. A reversible drive comprising bevel gears 39, 40 and clutch 43 for clutching either to the shaft 36, is connected with the slueing worm wheel 47 through bevel wheel 41 and worms 44, 46, the wormwheel 47 being connected with the cutter jib by a bolt 48. By applying a crank handle to the end of shaft 36 the jib may be slued by hand. For cutting at or about pavement level, the housings 13, 14 are taken off the frame and their position reversed, so that the housing 13 hangs from the housing 14 by means of the screwjacks. To enable the cutter to be driven, the intermediate frame 35 carries a driving pinion 51 and a pinion 50 connected by a gear wheel 53 with a pinion 51, Fig. 3, either pinion 50 or 51 being engageable by the pinion 18 according to the position of the housing 14. The machine may be mounted on a base plate or skid 55 or may, for fitting purposes, be mounted on track wheels driven by the power-unit through the splined shaft and a clutch. Or the machine may have both base and wheels as in Specification 197,034. Instead of screw-jacks, toggle mechanism or other expanding devices may be used. When applied to a cutter-bar machine, where the inner end of the bar would be in the vertical plane of the shaft 10, the latter would be replaced by a telescopic shaft.