GB1602464A - Apparatus for controlling a cable - Google Patents

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A CABLE (71) We, PERARD ENGINEERING LIM TOTED, a Britsh Company of Brittain Drive, Codnor Gate Industrial Estate, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3QB, 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: This invention relates to apparatus for controlling a cable dragged by a machine running on a track and is especially concerned with controlling a supply cable to a mineral winning machine which runs on a face conveyor in a longwall mining installation. In such an installation, the supply cable (two supply cables are usually provided in a coal mine, one supplying electricity and the other supplying water) leads to a central point along a face (often about 200 yards) and is looped for most of the travel of the machine. It is known to provide a trough for controlling, i.e. constraining a cable to reduce the risk of the cable snagging and being damaged. One such arrangement, which also provides openable gates for closing the top of the trough is disclosed in Patent Specifciation No. 1220872.

The present invention provides an improved apparatus for controlling a cable.

According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus for controlling a cable dragged by a machine running on a track, the apparatus comprising a trough including opposite side walls, each provided with a lip, one of the side walls being pivotally mounted for angular movement away from the other side wall, means resiliently biasing said one wall towards the other wall to hold the lips in mutual engagement to permit enclosure of a major part of the cable in the trough, the lips being movable apart against the bias by passage of a portion of the cable extending between the lips from the machine.

The invention also resides in longwall mining apparatus comprising a spill plate for attachment to a mineral face conveyor, a goaf side wall pivotally attached to the spill plate to define a trough therewith for receiving a supply cable, dragged along in use by a winning machine at the face side of the spill plate, the spill plate and the goaf side wall being provided with lips, means resiliently biasing the goaf side wall towards the spill plate to hold the lips in mutual engagement so as to close the top of the trough, the lips being movable apart against the bias by passage of a portion of the supply cable extending from the machine to the trough between the lips.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment of figure 1; and Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic sectional views showing modifications to the apparatus.

Referring to figure 1, looped cable control apparatus is shown attached to a longwall face conveyor 11. The conveyor, as is conventional, is in relatively articulated sections (not shown) and the apparatus is similarly in sections, such as 12, 13, each section being secured to a corresponding conveyor section.

Each section of the apparatus comprises a spill plate 14 having a horizontal top portion 14a projecting to the goaf side and provided with an upwardly rolled end defining a hollow cylindrical rail or lip 15. The lips of adjacent sections are joined together by connectors 16 having socket engagement with the lips. Each spill plate carries a clevis rail 18 for attaching self-advanceable supports.

At spaced intervals along the spill plate, a pair of parallel lugs 20 are fixed to the clevis rail 18 and project to the goaf side of the spill plate. An upright member 21 is pivotally mounted between the lugs of each pair by a spindle 22. At its upper end, each upright member 21 terminates in a socket member 25. A helical spring 26 is mounted between each two adjacent socket members 25, by engagement of a hollow spigot 29 in the socket member 25, the spigot extending into the ends of the two adjacent springs. A pin 27 secures the spigot in the socket member, the pin extending along a chord of the crosssection of the spigot so as not to obstruct the hollow passage through the spigot.

The springs 26 also bridge the join between adjacent sections, so that a continuous lip 30 is defined along the whole length of the installation, the lips being, for the most part, resilient.

The two lips 15, 30 are biased into contact with each other, the two lips being horizontally side by side. The bias is provided by resilient blocks 31 (figure 2) (made, for example, of Neoprene). Such blocks are provided, one between the lugs 20 of each pair, and between plates 20a, 20b extending between the lugs 20. The block seats on a horizontal arm 19 of the upright member 21 and is urged by the arm against the clevis rail 18. The clevis rail 18 is secured to the spill plate 14 and the lugs 20 and extends along the whole length of the section 12. One of the walls 20a to the goaf side of the other wall 20b, is lower in height than the other wall, the height being less than the depth of the resilient block 31, so as not to obstruct deformation of the block as the upright 21 is moved outwardly.

An enclosure is defined between the spill plates 14, the upright members 21 and the clevis rail 18 and the electric and water supply cables 34, 35 for a winning machine are contained in the enclosure. The winning machine is not shown, but rides, in conventional manner, on top of the conveyor 11, being guided by a trapping 10 between the spill plates and the conveyor.

Each upright member 21 comprises a pair of spaced bars 21 a, 21b permitting threading of a length of flexible sheet material along the length of the apparatus, through the resultant slots defined in each upright member. The sheet material may be a conveyor belt length 36. A continuous goaf side wall is, therefore, defined by the upright members and the belt length 36. Debris is, therefore, prevented from entering the enclosure. The clevis rail 18 provides a smooth sliding surface for the cables.

A cable feeding device 40 is mounted for sliding movement on the rigid lip 15. This device is dragged along by the winning machine and is fixed to the machine by a plate 41, pivotal linkages 42 connecting the plate to the feeding device 40. The linkages permit some transverse movement of the machine relative to the feeding device, which is guided along the spill plates 14.

The feeding device 40 has an aperture which receives the cables 34, 35, the aperture being defined between a pair of curved surfaces 44, 45, whose axes are transverse to the length of the installation, and between longitudinally extending walls 46, 47. The feeding device extends downwardly from the rigid lip 15 between this lip and the resilient lip 30 to lead the cables into the enclosure.

The upright members 21 adjacent the feeding device are forced pivotally outwardly against the bias of the resilient blocks 31 and the adjacent springs 26 are deflected and mould themselves to some extent around the feeding device. As a result, only a very small gap is caused in the top of the enclosure by the feeding device.

A rigid lip may replace the resilient lip 30, but, in this case, a long slit is formed between the lips, gradually diminishing in width away from the feeding device.

Referring now to figure 3, a modification is shown in which the position of the upright 21 is adjustable to control the pressure between the lips 15, 30. This pressure is preferably sufficiently low to prevent injury should fingers be trapped between the lips. The upright is provided with a pivoted arm 19 as in the first described embodiment and the resilient block 31 is housed in the same manner between lugs 20 and walls 20a, 20b.

A plate 50 is interposed between the resilient block 31 and the arm 19, the plate 50 resting on the face side wall 20b. A bolt 51 is screwengaged in the arm 19 and fixed to the plate 50. Adjustment of the bolt, so as to increase the deformation of the block 31, increases the force exerted by the resilient lip 30 on the rigid lip 15 and vice versa.

Referring to figure 4, the construction shown is identical to that of figures 1 and 2, except that the lugs 60 are fixed directly to the spill plate 14, no clevis rail being provided. In this embodiment, brackets 61 are provided to replace the clevis rail. The spaced lugs 60 define the bottom of the enclosure, so that any debris getting into the enclosure falls through the bottom. A plate may, however, be mounted on the lugs to provide a smoother surface on which to drag the cables.

Referring to figure 5, a modification is shown, in which the pivoted uprights 21 are replaced by extensible and retractable uprights 121. Each upright 121 is mounted directly below the rigid lip 15 and urges the resilient lip 30 vertically upwardly into contact with the bottom of the rigid lip 15. The upright 121 comprises a sleeve 122 telescopically housing a plunger 123, which bears against a compression spring 124 in the sleeve. The compression spring 124 replaces the resilient block 31 of figures 1 to 4. The sleeve 122 is fixed to a bracket 125, in turn bolted to the clevis rail 18. The feeding device has, of course, to be of different design, as as to extend horizontally between the lips, Figure 6 shows a modification of the arrangement of figure 5, in which the rolled end of the spill plate, defining the rigid lip 15 extends downwardly from the horizontal portion 14a instead of upwardly.

Claims (18)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for controlling a cable dragged by a machine running on a track, the apparatus comprising a trough including opposite side walls, each provided with a lip, one of the side walls being pivotally mounted for angular movement away from the other side wall, means resiliently biasing said one wall towards the other wall to hold the lips in mutual engagement to permit enclosure of a major part of the cable in the trough, the lips being movable apart against the bias by passage of a portion of the cable extending between the lips from the machine.

2. Longwall mining apparatus comprises ing a spill plate for attachment to a mineral face conveyor, a goaf side wall pivotally attached to the spill plate to define a trough therewith for receiving a supply cable, dragged along in use by a winning machine at the face side of the spill plate, the spill plate and the goaf side wall being provided with lips, means resiliently biasing the goaf side wall towards the spill plate to hold the lips in mutual engagement as so to close the top of the trough, the lips being movable apart against the bias by passage of a portion of the supply cable extending from the machine to the trough between the lips.

3. Longwall mining apparatus according to Ckaim 2, wherein the lip provided on the goaf side wall is resilient along a major part of its length.

4. Longwall mining apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the lip provided on the goaf side wall is constructed from a plurality of helical springs connected in axial alignment.

5. Longwall mining apparatus according to Claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein the goaf side wall comprises a plurality of pivotally mounted uprights to which the corresponding lip is secured, said biasing means acting on the uprights so as to urge the lip thereon into engagement with the lip on the spill plate.

6. Longwall mining apparatus according to claim 5, including cladding mounted on the uprights to define an uninterrupted goaf side wall.

7. Longwall mining apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the uprights have slits extending longitudinally thereof in which the cladding is located.

8. Longwall mining apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cladding is flexible.

9. Longwall mining apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 8 as appendant to claim 4, including a socket member on each upright and spigots secured in the sockets, the helical springs being mounted on said spigots in abutment with the socket members.

10. Longwall mining apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 9 wherein each upright has an arm which projects towards the spill plate, below the trough and engages with the biasing means.

11. Longwall mining apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the biasing means is a resilient block.

12. Longwall mining apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, including adjustment means for adjusting the position of the arm relative to the biasing means, so as to adjust the pressure exerted by the goaf-side-wall-lip on the spill-plate-lip.

13. Longwall mining apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein each upright is extensible and retractable and the biasing means urges the upright towards its extended state so as to bias the lip thereon against that on the spill plates.

14. Longwall mining apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each upright comprises telescopically engaged members, the biasing means being a helical spring housed in the upright.

15. Longwall mining apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 14, together with a supply-cable feeding device adapted for securance to a winning machine and mounted on the lip on the spill plate for guided movement therealong, the feeding device extending between the lips and having an aperture for receiving the supply cable to direct the latter into the trough.

16. Longwall mining apparatus according to claim 15 comprising a member for attachment to a mineral winning machine, and a pivotal linkage mounted between the member and the feeding device so as to permit relative movement between the member and the feeding device transverse to the length of the apparatus.

17. Longwall mining apparatus constructed substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

18. Longwall mining apparatus constructed substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings as modified according to any one of figures 3 to 6.