Patents Examined by Michael A. Goodwin
  • Patent number: 10227739
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining and monitoring the mass of the milled material removed by a ground milling machine, comprising mounting a discharge belt on the ground milling machine via a pivot bearing and a tensile connection in such a manner that it can pivot at least about a horizontal axis, determining a tensile force (Fz) exerted by the discharge belt to the tensile connection, calculating a mass flow (qm) of the milled material removed by the ground milling machine from the measured tensile force (Fz) and the conveying speed of the discharge belt, and calculating the loaded mass of the milled material removed by the ground milling machine from the mass flow (qm) and the loading time (t).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: BOMAG GmbH
    Inventors: Niels Laugwitz, Steffen Wachsmann, Maximilian Philippsen
  • Patent number: 10215023
    Abstract: A system for guiding movement of a chassis of a mining machine along a rack includes a shoe and a fluid line for receiving fluid from a fluid source. The shoe is configured to be coupled to the chassis and slidably engage the rack. The shoe is configured to extend at least partially around the rack. The shoe includes a first end, a second end, an inner surface, and an outer surface. At least a portion of the inner surface is configured to be positioned adjacent the rack. The fluid line includes an outlet positioned proximate the shoe for dispensing the fluid at an interface between the shoe and the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Joy Global Underground Mining LLC
    Inventors: Ryan E. Perry, Troy Amsler
  • Patent number: 10208597
    Abstract: A cutter disc for a tunnel boring machine includes a middle disc portion defining a radially outer surface or edge for engaging a surface, a left toothed portion defining a first set of teeth set back from the outer edge, and a right toothed portion defining a second set of teeth set back from the outer edge. In an embodiment, a central bore through the cutter disc is configured to attach the cutter disc to a hub for rotatably mounting the cutter disc on a shaft. In an embodiment, the hub is formed integrally with the cutter disc. The left and right toothed portions provide structural support to the middle portion and facilitate rotation of the cutter disc when boring in soft or mixed conditions, but do not interfere with boring in hard rock conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: The Robbins Company
    Inventor: Carl E. Lenaburg
  • Patent number: 10208593
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bit holder for an earth working machine, in particular a road milling machine, that comprises a bit receptacle in the region of a working side of a support member and that indirectly or directly carries an insertion projection on an insertion projection side of the support member, the support member comprising two stripping surfaces [first or second stripping surfaces] that form a stripping surface pair and are at an angle to one another. In order to achieve a stable and long-lived configuration with such a bit holder, provision is made according to the present invention that the support member comprises at least one further stripping surface that is at an angle to the two stripping surfaces of the stripping surface pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Lehnert, Karsten Buhr, Cyrus Barimani, Günter Hähn, Karl Kammerer, Markus Roth, Bernhard Diessner
  • Patent number: 10202848
    Abstract: The present application relates to a system for supporting a roof of a portion of a mine. The system includes a first plurality of stabilizing members disposed above the roof at a first elevation. The first plurality of stabilizing members originate from a first common location and terminate at a second elevation that is higher than the first elevation. The system further includes a second plurality of stabilizing members disposed above the roof and the first plurality of stabilizing members at a third elevation. The second plurality of stabilizing members originate from a second common location and terminate at a fourth elevation that is higher than the third elevation. The second plurality of stabilizing members are disposed generally perpendicular to the first plurality of stabilizing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: REI, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Brunner, Jeffrey D. Jorgensen, Jeffrey G. Burton, Jeffrey J. Schwoebel, Michael J. Hardin, Forrest Paul Schumacher
  • Patent number: 10196784
    Abstract: In an automotive milling machine, comprising a machine frame, comprising a controller for the travelling and milling operation, comprising a working drum, comprising a transport conveyor, where the transport conveyor is slewable, relative to the machine frame, about a first axis extending essentially horizontally under an elevation angle, and sideways about a second axis extending orthogonally to the first axis under a slewing angle, where the transport conveyor discharges the milled material onto a loading surface of a transport vehicle at a specified conveying speed, and where the controller continuously controls positioning of the milled material automatically via, as a minimum, the slewing angle of the transport conveyor, it is provided for the following features to be achieved: the controller specifies and monitors limit values for a maximum permissible slewing angle range for slewing the transport conveyor variable in accordance with the current operating situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Berning, Sebastian Winkels, Harald Kroell, Tobias Krista
  • Patent number: 10180065
    Abstract: An improved tool is described that has a generally cylindrical slotted shank with a radially bulbous or extending portion adjacent a distal end of the shank, sized to interfere with a bore in which the shank is to be inserted. The dimension of the extending portion can be sized to change the retention force between the shank and the bore as desired. A top of the tool includes a metal carbide-metal disk-metal carbide diamond coated tip sandwich that is bonded inside a bore in the top of the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: The Sollami Company
    Inventor: Phillip Sollami
  • Patent number: 10161248
    Abstract: A method for cooling a refuge chamber (100) with an emergency cooler (10) in an emergency situation includes cooling of a refrigerating agent (22) in a cold accumulator (20) with a cooling device (30) and detecting an emergency situation. Cold being stored in the refrigerating agent (22) of the cold accumulator (20) is released into the refuge chamber (100)—the refrigerating agent (22) of the cold accumulator (20) is exposed for heat transfer with the refuge chamber (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Christian Bode, Sven Neervoort, René Kiewitt
  • Patent number: 10161136
    Abstract: An autonomous guided roofing material removal machine is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Inventors: Mark James Underhill, Tyler Christian Underhill
  • Patent number: 10156139
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for soil disturbance at the back of a shield tunnel, wherein: the apparatus is formed by a fitting I and a fitting II connected by means of three bolts that form equal angles; the fitting I is a short circular pipe; an end surface of a fitting end of the fitting I is provided with a water passage; a pipe wall of the pipe is provided with 2-8 water spouts; the fitting II is a long circular pipe whose inner and outer diameters are consistent with those of the fitting I; a fitting end of the fitting II is provided with two O-shaped water stop rings; a pipe wall of the fitting II is provided with three water inlets that form equal angles and are in communication with the water passage of the fitting I.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: POWERCHINA HUADONG ENGINEERING CORPORATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Wenhua Chen, Jing Hou, Jie Zhang, Yangchun Dai, Kewei Cui
  • Patent number: 10151200
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a set of methods and procedures that may be combined in order to greatly increase the speed of development of an access ramp in a underground hard-rock mine. More particularly, the present invention was designed to target all the bottle-necks comprised by the access operation of a hard-rock mine that employs a RAIL-VEYOR machine. The invention also comprises of an ore production line which consists in the sequential arrangement of a series of mining equipment between the work face and the entrance of a hard-rock mine. The invention also comprises a Hard Rock Mining Access Plan for a hard-rock mine which encompasses two parallel ramps interconnected by cross-cut passageways. Further, invention also comprises a Ground Support Installation method configured to shorten the time required for the installation of ground support inside of a hard-rock mine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: VALE S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel MacIntyre, Peter Golde, Michael Van Der Hooft
  • Patent number: 10151190
    Abstract: Systems and methods for extracting minerals from an underground mineralization zone located below the surface at an oil and gas drilling site. The system includes a vertical drilling means for drilling a vertical bore extending from the surface at the oil and gas drilling site into the mineralization zone, a second horizontal drilling means for drilling at least one horizontal production bore into the mineralization zone. The first horizontal drilling means and the second horizontal drilling means are configured to return material from the mineralization zone to the surface where the mineral content of the material is analyzed and a separator separates minerals, waste and drilling mud from the material. The method includes steps of drilling a horizontal assessment bore, analyzing assessment material for a desired mineral, drilling a horizontal production bore, producing production material containing the desired mineral, and separating the desired material from waste and drilling mud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Inventor: Richard Muriel Cherry
  • Patent number: 10153572
    Abstract: A transmission line segment coupler is for coupling together first and second coaxial transmission line segments each including an inner tubular conductor and an outer tubular conductor surrounding the inner tubular conductor and a dielectric therebetween. The coupler apparatus includes an outer tubular bearing body to be positioned within adjacent open ends of the inner tubular conductors of the first and second coaxial transmission line segments, and an inner tubular bearing body configured to slidably move within the outer tubular bearing body to define a linear bearing therewith. The inner tubular bearing body is configured to define a fluid passageway in communication with the adjacent open ends of the inner tubular conductors of the first and second coaxial transmission line segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: HARRIS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tim Dittmer, Murray Hann, Raymond Hewit, Brian Wright
  • Patent number: 10151201
    Abstract: A mining tool for a drill head of a tunnel boring machine for mining in rock includes a roller cutter fastening device. The roller cutter fastening device is mountable on the drill head for accommodating and mounting a rotatable roller cutter. The roller cutter is interchangeably and rotatably received in the roller cutter fastening device. A sensor arrangement for detecting a mechanical load of the roller cutter is formed at least partially in the roller cutter fastening device and includes at least one load-sensitive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: HERRENKNECHT AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Stefan Barwart, Robert Galler
  • Patent number: 10138728
    Abstract: Controlling an output of a mining system. The control includes receiving, at a processor, a first signal associated with a position of the shearer, determining, using the processor, the position of the shearer based on the first signal, receiving, at the processor, a second signal associated with a load of a conveyor, and determining, using the processor, the load of the conveyor based on the second signal. The method further includes determining, using the processor, an output of the mining system based on the position of the shearer and the load of the conveyor and controlling a speed of the shearer based on the output of the mining system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Joy Global Underground Mining LLC
    Inventor: Gareth Rimmington
  • Patent number: 10124509
    Abstract: A cutting tooth system includes a plurality of substrates, each having a base for attaching to the cutting wheel, and an outer surface opposite the base. A plurality of tooth pockets are integrally formed in the substrate, each tooth pocket having a tooth receiving aperture extending through the outer surface and into the substrate. A cutting tooth has a pocket engagement portion configured for being received in a mounting pocket. The pocket engagement portion defines a pocket engagement length and a shank defining a shank diameter. A cutter portion extends from the pocket engagement portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Randy Runquist, Keith Allen Hoelting
  • Patent number: 10106937
    Abstract: A rotor assembly for a cold planer is disclosed. The rotor assembly may include a rotor chamber that is configured to house a milling drum, and the milling drum may be configured to rotate within the rotor chamber. The rotor assembly may further include a plate movably coupled to the rotor chamber and an upper pulley wheel rotatably mounted to the plate. Furthermore, a lower pulley wheel may be rotatably mounted to the rotor chamber and the lower pulley wheel may be operably coupled to the milling drum such that the lower pulley wheel and the milling drum synchronously rotate. The rotor assembly may further include an actuating mechanism operably coupled to the plate, and the actuating mechanism may be configured to move the plate and the upper pulley wheel between an operation position and a transport position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventor: Craig Hedstrom
  • Patent number: 10087754
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting face alignment and face steering of a longwall mining system. The system includes a detection device mounted in a maingate roadway and a first indicator device mounted on a shearer of the longwall mining system to indicate a position of the shearer to the detection device. The system further includes a controller coupled to the detection device. The controller determines a shearer path of the shearer as the shearer moves along an ore face. The shearer path is determined based on a signal from the first indicator device received by the detection device. The controller generates an indication of face alignment based on the shearer path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Joy Global Underground Mining LLC
    Inventor: Gareth Rimmington
  • Patent number: 10087755
    Abstract: Apparatus for splitting rock, the apparatus comprising: a housing; a drill assembly mounted to the housing and configured to move longitudinally relative to the housing, the drill assembly comprising a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, a drive element for selectively rotating the shaft and a drill bit mounted to the distal end of the shaft for drilling a hole into rock; a splitter assembly mounted to the housing and configured to move longitudinally relative to the housing, the splitter assembly comprising a tether and a wedge, the tether and the wedge being configured to be moved independently relative to one another; wherein the wedge comprises a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the wedge being wider than the distal end of the wedge; wherein the tether comprises a radially-reduced profile when the wedge is disposed proximal to the tether, and wherein the tether comprises a radially-expanded profile after the wedge is moved distally relative to the tether.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Inventor: L. Curtis Beaton
  • Patent number: 10082567
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting face creep of a longwall mining system. The system includes a detection device mounted in a maingate roadway and coupled to the detection device. The controller determines the position of the beam stage loader-armored face conveyor interface based on a signal from the first indicator device, determines a position of a maingate line based on a signal from a maingate indicator device, and determines a position of a belt conveyor based on a signal from a belt conveyor indicator device. The controller further determines a first distance between the position of the beam stage loader-armored face conveyor interface and a maingate line, and a second distance between the position of the belt conveyor and the maingate line. The controller generates an indication of face creep based on the first distance and the second distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Joy Global Underground Mining LLC
    Inventor: Gareth Rimmington