Patents by Inventor Andreas Johannes WESTPHALEN

Andreas Johannes WESTPHALEN has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Control method for longwall shearer
    Patent number: 9810066
    Abstract: A method of controlling a shearer is disclosed. The shearer may be configured to travel along a longwall face to extract material with a first cutting drum and a second cutting drum. The method may include setting a first cutting profile including a plurality of desired positions (Di) to be approached by the first cutting drum in a first travel direction (E). Further, the method may include determining a plurality of actual advancing vectors (vi) indicating a change of a position of the shearer resulting from advancing the shearer towards the longwall face. The method may also include determining a plurality of shearer orientations (Oi) along the longwall face. In addition, the method may include generating a second cutting profile to be approached by at least one of the first cutting drum and the second cutting drum in a second travel direction (F) of the shearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Johannes Westphalen, Euan Kirkhope, Siddartha Saikia, Hrishikesh Ranjalkar
  • CONTROL METHOD FOR LONGWALL SHEARER
    Publication number: 20160123145
    Abstract: A method of controlling a shearer is disclosed. The shearer may be configured to travel along a longwall face to extract material with a first cutting drum and a second cutting drum. The method may include setting a first cutting profile including a plurality of desired positions (Di) to be approached by the first cutting drum in a first travel direction (E). Further, the method may include determining a plurality of actual advancing vectors (vi) indicating a change of a position of the shearer resulting from advancing the shearer towards the longwall face. The method may also include determining a plurality of shearer orientations (Oi) along the longwall face. In addition, the method may include generating a second cutting profile to be approached by at least one of the first cutting drum and the second cutting drum in a second travel direction (F) of the shearer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR GLOBAL MINING EUROPE GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Johannes WESTPHALEN, Euan KIRKHOPE, Siddartha SAIKIA, Hrishikesh RANJALKAR