US1395996A - Mining-machine - Google Patents

Description

M. P. HOLMES.

MINING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 23,1918. RENEWED MAR. 30. 1921.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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v I I M. P. HOLMES.

MINING MACHINE. APPLICAI|0N FILED .IAY 23,1918. RENEWED MAR. 30. 1921.

1,395,996. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- iiiorrisl? aZ IQQS- atqy.

UNITED. STATES-- PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS P. HOLMES, OF CLAREMONT, NEIV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MINING-MACHINE,

Application filed May 23, 1918, Serial No. 236,225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS P. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Claremont, inthe county of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Mining-Machines, of Which the following face in such a manner as, for instance, to

enable the same to pass directly from its sumping cut to its transverse cutting position by means of a double reeve connection extending from the rear end of the-machine around a guide at the rib and back to the rear end of-fthe machine.

My invention'has for its object to' provide an improved feed controlling 'mechanism for such a machine, which is effective toenable the machine to be controlled in the desired manner. A further object of my invention is to provide improved and simplified feed controlling means which, while not limited thereto, is adapted to use in connection with a standard machine of the type utilizing a chain as a feeding member. Other objects and advantages of my improved construe tion will, however, hereinafter'more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposesof illustration one embodiment which my inventionmay assume in practice.

In these drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a mining machine equipped with my improvement;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the illustrative clamping means.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the machine after the completion of its sumping cut and ready to'begin its transverse cut.

Fig. 4c is a similar diagrammatic view showing the machine and its connections when the machine is makingits transverse cut.

Fig; 5 is a similar diagrammatic View showing the machine a and its connections afterthe completionof-its transversecut.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921. Renewed March 30, 1921. Serial No. 457,028.

and when the same is drawn from the face.

In this illustrative construction, I have shown my invention as applied to use in connection with a standard form of short wall mining machine including a frame 1 having a forwardly projecting cutter bar 2 and a cutter chain 3 movable about the ready to be withbar and driven through suitable driving.

mechanism from a motor 4 carried on the frame. As usual in such constructions, it I\g ill be observed that a feed driving memer chine is also operatively connected to the motor. 4 through mechanism, not shown, and that flexible feeding connections, herein shown -in the form of a flexible feeding chain 6d1'sposed as usual around cooperating idler sprockets 7 and 8, are provided to feed the machine during its cutting operations.- As the specific construction ofgthe machine. however, does not enter into the present invention, it is believed that a more detailed description of the same is accordingly unnecessary.

In my improved construction it will be observed that while one end of the flexible feeding member or chain 6 is connected in the usual manner to a jack 9 located at the left hand rib, the end of the same extending to the right hand rib is extended around a guide sprocket or sheave 10, preferably disposed in a horizontal plane and mounted on a suitable fixed support 11, herein shown to be fixed to the rib at the point usually occupied by the jack, although it may obviously be held in fixed position by any other well known means. As shown, this member 10 is also provided with ratchet teeth 12 around its periphery and a 00613- erating pawl 13 pivoted at 14 on the member 11 and normallydepressed by a spring 15. Around this member, as shown, the end of the chain 6 is carried and then directed back toward the machine frame to which it is adjustably connected through a suitable clamping mechanism hereinafter described, its extremity being preferably removably attached,',as,by a hook 16, to another flexible member forming a continuation of the feed chai-m-herein fihQwn-inthe form of a cable 5 located at the rear end of the ma- 17, which extends between suitable gripping surfaces 18 formed on cooperating gripping members 19 and 20 fixed to the frame 1 at a point adjacent its rear end, as shown. Obviously, these members 19 and 20 may be brought into clamping relation by any de sired means, but it will be noted that herein I have shown the same controlled by means of a suitable hand lever 21 operatively connected to a cam member 22, which in turn cooperates with a cooperating cam member 23 carried on a pin 24. i

In considering the operation of my improved construction, let us refer to Figs. 3, 4, and 5. In Fig. 3 it will be noted that after the machine has completed its sumping cut shown therein, the cable 17 is drawn through the clamping members 19 and 20 until the end of the chain is relatively close to the machine. Then the clamp is set. As a result, when the driving member 5 is started, the rear end of the machine moves away from the rib at approximately a third the speed of movement of the front end of the bar, as the latter swings through its arc toward its normal transverse cutting position. Obviously when the machine has reached this position it will then only be necessary to release the clamping members 19 and 20 in order to eliminate the retarding action of'the rear end of the machine, through the insertion of sufficient slack in the reeve of the feeding membe'rtextending between the sheave and the clamping means. It: will also be evident that, due to the provision of the pawl 13, while the latter will enable the chain to be drawn therethrough as may be necessary during the angling operation, this pawl w1ll, as soon as the clamp is released, then actively engage the chain in such a manner as to cooperate therewith in forming a fixed abutment. In other words, it will be observed that while the pawl is inoperative during the initial angling movement of the machine, it becomes automatically operative as soon as the clamp is released, so that the machine may operate during its transverse out in the same manner as any standard machine of the type utilizing a continuous flexible feeding member. In the use of my improved construction, it will also be observed that at any time thereafter or after the machine has completed its transverse cut, as shown in Fig. 5, itis only necessary for the clamping means 19. 20 to be again adjusted into clamping position in order to enable the machine to be angled around an obstruction or withdrawn from the cut and backed over to the right hand rib in the desired manner.

As a result ofmy improvement it will be .observed that a machine of standard con structionfmay be adapted to the desired refinements of control indicated above without any material addition thereto, the only mechanism necessary to be applied to the machine being the clamping means 19, 20 and the controlling means therefor, which may, and preferably do, form a unit adapted to be attached to the rear end of the ma chine. So far as concerns the cooperating means at the right hand rib, it will also be; observed'that here it is only necessary to provide an exceedingly simple mechanism, as distinguished from the take-up mechanism which has -heretoforebeen necessary. These and other advantages of my improved construction will, however, be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While I have in this application specifically described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form is shown for illustrative purposes only and that the invention maybe modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a'mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, feeding mechanism therefor including a flexible feeding member disposed in front and rear thereof, a fixed guiding member around which the rear end of said feeding member is directedback toward said frame, and an adjustable clamp on the'rear end of said frame controlling the movement of said feeding member.

2. In mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, feeding mechanism therefor including a feed chain 1 said frame, and-means including an adjustable clamp on the rear end of said frame controlling the movement of said feed chain.

3. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, flexible feeding means thereforincluding a member having a portion extending rearward and back toward the rear end of said frame, means on-said frame for varying the length of said portion, guiding means around which said portion extends, and automatically acting controlling means controlling the move ment of said portion relative to said guid lng means.

1. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, flexible feeding means therefor including a member having a portion extending rearward and back toward the rear end of said frame. means on said frame for varying the length of said portion, guiding means around which said portion extends, and automatically acting controlling means for interrupting the movement of said portion relative to said guiding means.

5. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, flexible feeding mechanism thereon including a member having a portion extending rearward and back toward the rear end of said frame, means on the frame for varying the length of said portion, guiding means around which said portion extends, and automatically acting controlling means controlled by the movement of said portion relative to said guiding means.

6. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, flexible feeding means therefor including a member having a portion extending rearward and back toward the rear .end of said frame, means on said frame for varying the length of said portion, guiding means around which said portion extends, and automatically acting controlling mechanism for interrupting movement in one direction of said portion relative to said guiding means.

7. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, feeding mechanism therefor including a feed chain having a portion extending rearward and back toward the rear end of said frame, means onsaid frame for varying the length of said portion, guiding means around which said portion extends, and automatically acting ratchet mechanism controlling the movement of said portion relative to said guiding means.

8. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, flexible feeding means therefor including a member having a portion extending rearward and back toward the rear end of said frame, guiding means around which said portion extends, a flexible connection forming a continuation of said member and between said portion and the rear end of said frame, and clamping means carried on the rear end of said frame and relative to which said flexible connection is slidable at will.

9. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, flexible feeding means therefor including a feed chain having a portion extending rearward and back toward the rear end of said frame, guiding means around which said portion extends, a flexible connection between said feed chain and the rear end of said frame removably connected to said chain, and clamping means on the rear end of said frame relative to which said flexible connec-' tion is slidable.

10. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, flexible feeding means therefor including a member having a portion extending rearward and back toward the rear end of said frame,

fixed rearwardly located guiding means around which said portion extends, automatically cting mechanism controlled by movement of said member for interrupting movement thereof in one direction, and cooperating controlling means on the rear end of-said frame.

11. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, flexible feeding means therefor including a feed chain having a portion extending rearward and back toward the rear end of said frame, a flexible connection between said feed chain and the rear end of said frame removably connected to said chain, clamping means on the rear end of said frame relative to which said flexible connection is slidable, guiding means around which said portion extends, and automatically acting ratchet mechanism controlling the movement of said portion relative to said guiding means,

12. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, feeding mechanism therefor including a flexible feeding member disposed in front and rear thereof, a fixed guiding member around which the rear end of said feeding member is directed back toward said frame, and

means on said frame operative to adjustably control the free length of said backwardly directed portion, said means being constructed and arranged to permit said backwardly directed portion to extend in straight line thereform to said fixed guiding member.

13. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, feeding mechanism therefor including a flexible feeding member disposed in front and rear thereof, a fixed guiding member around which the rear end of said feeding member is directed back toward the frame, and means on the rear end of said frame and manually controllable to adjustably control the free length of said backwardly directed portion, said means being constructed and arranged to permit said backwardly directed portion to extend in a straight line therefrom to said fixed guiding member.

14:. In a mining machine, a frame having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, flexible feeding means therefor including a member having a portion disposed in front thereof and a portion disposed in the rear thereof. said last mentioned portion being carried back toward the rear end of said frame, means on the frame for varying the length of said last mentioned portion, fixed guiding means around which said portion extends, and means operative to automatically limit the rate of movement of the rear end of the machine to a rate not in excess of that of the forward end thereof.

15, In a mining machine, aframe having a cutter bar projecting therefrom, feed- 7 ing mechanism therefor including a flexible feeding member disposed in front and rear thereof, a fixed guiding member, the portion in rear of said frame passing around said fixed guiding member and extending back toward the rear endof said frame, and a plurality of means controlling the rate of movement of the rear end of said machine including manually adjustable means and automatic means for limiting the rate of 10 movement to a predetermined maximum. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MORRIS P. HOLMES. Y

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