GB237105A - Improvements in and connected with coal mining machines - Google Patents

Abstract

237,105. Tugwood, R. J., (Jeffrey Manufacturing Co.). Aug. 8, 1924. Coal-cutting machines.- A mining - machine comprises a long base or frame slidable over the mine floor, a conveyer mechanism mounted longitudinally upon the frame, and a forwardly projecting cutter mechanism used first for undercutting &c., and then, after the coal is broken down, for moving fragments to a point within the influence of the conveyer, the entire machine being moved laterally over the floor whether cutting or conveying. The machine comprises a base plate 1 carrying a supporting framing from the front end of which projects the rigidly mounted framing 34 supporting an endless cutter chain 35; behind the cutter mechanism is the driving motor 4, having on each side inclined troughs 7 containing an endless chain conveyer 10 which delivers to a further endless chain conveyer 89 pivoted forwardly to its driving shaft so as to be laterally movable and delivering to trams &c. The motor 4 drives a shaft 28, Fig. 5, through gearing 32, 31, and this shaft, through a clutch 43, may be coupled directly, or through reducing gearing 45, 47, to an aligned shaft 40 which drives the cutter chain through bevel gearing 41 and a sprocket 38 ; the direct drive is employed when cutting and the low speed drive for conveying operations. The rear end of the shaft 28 drives a vertical shaft 27, Fig. 6, through bevel gearing 29, the shaft 27 driving through bevel gearing 25, 23 a shaft 21 which drives the conveyers 10, 89, through sprockets 20, 91, respectively; the shaft 27 also drives a shaft 51, Figs. 6 and 7, through worm gearing 49, 50. Disc clutches 63, controlled by nuts 66 driven by gears 71 on a hand-driven shaft 72. may connect the shaft 51 to aligned shafts 54, 55 which may be connected to loose haulage drums 57, 58, either directly or through low speed gearing, by clutches 75. Guide pulleys 83 - - 88 are arranged for co-operation with the haulage cables which effect the desired movements of the machine. In a modification, the shaft 39 carrying the cutter-chain driving-sprocket 38 is extended upwardly and an upper frame 93, Figs. 9 and 9, rigidly connected to a lower frame 109, is pivoted to this shaft so that it may be moved out of the way durng cutting operations, while during conveying operations it occupies the position shown and is fixed to the cutter chain frame 34 by a coupling bar 110; cutter chains 94, 108 move round the frames 93, 109 to assist the conveying operations, the chain 108 being driven by the idler sprocket of the chain 94, while the chain 94 is driven from the shaft 39 by a clutch controlled by a lever 100, which lever is locked by a pin 102 and also, when the auxiliary conveying devices are swung into their rearward position, engages beneath a bar on the machine to provide an additional safeguard. A scraper 116 may be detachably connected to the cutter chain frame 34 during conveying operations.