Abstract: A construction tool and method for use for administering a fastener and an associated cap to secure fabrics, paper, sheets, and/or panels to a substrate is provided. The tool can be a hybrid tool that utilizes a) energy stored in a spring, the energy harvested upon engagement of the tool with a surface, to move a cap and/or a fastener to an advancement station, and b) energy stored in a power source, such as a battery, to advance the fastener through the cap and apply the fastener/cap combination to a substrate. The hybrid tool can utilize both energy harvested from mechanical motion and energy stored in an onboard power source to function. A related method of using the tool is provided.

Abstract: A softwall mining method and device. Each of a plurality of mining devices comprise a supporting portion, an earth moving portion and a coupling mechanism for advancing the earth moving portion into a mining face, and for advancing the supporting portion toward the earth moving portion. Supporting portions of the devices are locked together to anchor movement of the earth moving portions, and earth moving portions of the devices are separately locked together to anchor the movement of the supporting portions.

Abstract: Slurryable ore where the overburden is unstable and subject to collapse is mined from substantially parallel elongated main trenches connected by a perpendicular trench at the bottom of the mineral seam. A plurality of softwall mining devices supported by face equipment is placed in the perpendicular trench. The devices slurry the mineral material and move into the mineral seam as the overburden sloughs behind the mining devices. The subsided overburden is supplemented as necessary with injected material. Slurried mineral flows to the parallel trenches for removal to the surface. After the softwall devices have advanced the length of the parallel trenches, the devices are withdrawn and placed in additionally developed trenches elsewhere in the ore reserve.

Abstract: A mineral mining installation has a plough guided for movement along a scraper-chain conveyor. Roof supports are connected to the conveyor with the aid of shifting mechanisms which employ boom-type guide linkages designed to co-operate with a compact controller to adjust the tilt of the conveyor and the cutting horizon of the plough. The controller employs a plate-like guide block guided for up and down motion at the goaf side of the conveyor. An hydraulic piston and cylinder unit is disposed alongside the goal side of the conveyor and pivots a cranked lever to raise or lower the guide block. The guide block is coupled to a headpiece of an associated one of the boom linkages so that the motion of the guide block is transferred to the headpiece.

Abstract: A method for drilling a tunnel in rock which utilizes a drilling apparatus comprising a drill head having tools therein and at least one conveying tube is disclosed. The method utilizes roller units which support the conveying tube to transmit the forward driving force from a power unit at the rear end of the apparatus to the drill head.

Abstract: A cutting machine for mining minerals from a seam thereof, the machine executing reciprocal movements parallel to the face of the seam and being provided with switches for generating signals indicative of the direction of movement of the machine for controlling the removal of protective bumpers on support structures located forwardly of the machine and for moving support structures against the face of the seam and relocating bumpers rearwardly of the machine.

Abstract: A process for automatic ploughing during the winning of coal and the like in a longwall working with a hydraulic advancing lining with individual support units controlled by an electro-hydraulic control means. A plough guide is shifted automatically in stages by the plough cutting depth after passage of the plough by means of rams allocated to the support units and the support units are automatically shifted up as a function of the plough movement. The support units are positioned in support groups of which a plurality in each case are offset relative to one another in the shifting direction by the plough cutting depth and/or a multiple thereof. During the ploughing run only those support units of which the residual stroke of the shifting rams still available for shifting the plough guide is smaller than the plough cutting depth are automatically re-located in each case at a distance behind the passing plough.

Abstract: A mining apparatus of the type in which a mining machine excavates a mining face, especially a coal face in a subterranean mining application, and has a plurality of emitters of electromagnetic waves of different character diverging toward receivers on the individual walking props. The walking props are provided with a control unit which, in response to leading and trailing zones of the respective magnetic beams and/or an overlap region of the two beams, causes the advance of the walking prop as the mining machine travels past it to follow the excavation of the mining face.

Abstract: A shield tunnelling machine is provided that includes a cylindrical shield body; a rotary cutter head disposed on a front end of the shield body and provided with a face plate having one or a plurality of slits extending in the radial direction; and intermediate support member for supporting a plurality of cutter bits respectively having forward bit portions and backward bit portions in each of the slits; a support structure for supporting the intermediate support member swingably around an axis extending in the radial direction; a member for movably guiding the support structure in the axial direction of the shield body; and a cylinder device and a piston for moving the support stucture in the axial direction of the shield body to move the cutter bits toward and away from the front face of the face plate, the face plate and the guide member sharing the excavation force exerted against the cutter bits.

Abstract: A guide for a mineral mining machine, such as a plough, is composed of guide structures at the mineral face sides of the pans of a scraper-chain conveyor. Each guide structure defines upper and lower passages through which a chain for driving the machine passes. The passages are closed off from the mineral face side by a side plate or cover and from the top by means of a head plate. The head plate is detachable and is secured to, or located against, the side plate. The head plate and side plate have upstanding projections which form part of a guide rail for the machine. A foot plate projects beneath the lower passage to support the machine on the floor of a mine working. The guide structure preferably has reinforced end pieces fabricated by casting and the head plate lies between corresponding wall portions of these castings.

Abstract: Disclosed is a plough mining installation for the underground working of minerals, preferably those occuring in thin seams, which incorporates plough bodies interlinked by rigid rods into a ploughing system reciprocating along the face due to a reciprocatory means consisting of an immovable hydraulic ram and a plurality of movable hydraulic rams. Spaced apart along a frame of the installation, the movable hydraulic rams are linked to each other by articulated joints resting on slides arranged to travel on longitudinal guide means. Thus, the ploughing systems is capable of reciprocating through a distance equalling the length of the aggragate stroke of all the hydraulic rams.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the cutting horizon of a mineral winning plough comprises means for pivoting the guide along which the plough moves. The guide is fixed to the face side of the conveyor, and said means acts on the goaf side of the conveyor. Said means comprises a plurality of control devices, each of which has an upstanding plate fixed to the goaf side of the conveyor, an abutment member pivotally connected to the base of the upstanding plate, and an actuator arranged between the abutment member and the upstanding plate. The actuators are effective to pivot the conveyor relative to the abutment members. Each actuator comprises a hydraulic ram and a toggle linkage which magnifies the working stroke of the ram.

Abstract: A mineral mining installation includes a longwall conveyor and a plurality of roof support units positioned side-by-side on the goaf side of the conveyor. The conveyor is braced longitudinally by a block bracing system having a plurality of hydraulic bracing rams each of which is disposed at an acute angle to the conveyor. The bracing rams act between the conveyor and floor girders of the roof support units. Each bracing ram is attached to a respective floor girder by means of a bracket. Each bracket has first and second bracket parts welded together, the first bracket part comprising means for connecting the bracket to its floor girder, and the second bracket part forming an extension of the first bracket part and carrying a pivot joint member for pivotally supporting the cylinder of the associated bracing ram. The first bracket part is a standard cast member, to which second bracket parts of differing lengths can be welded.

Abstract: A self-advancing support apparatus for protecting mine gate crossings, and optionally for engaging the reversing/driving head of a longwall and/or gate conveyor. The support apparatus has at least two side by side desired construction but expediently of a construction identical with that of the support unit at the longwall face to which said unit is connected via a coupling element. Each unit includes a base, a canopy, and connected between them, expediently by articulation, bracing elements as well as advancing elements and holding devices mounted on the base, and if so desired, for advancing the reversing/driving head of the longwall conveyor, a guide track extending in the direction of the gate conveyor, and an actuating/controlling unit. A holding mechanism is provided for engaging the reversing/driving head of the longwall conveyor and has at least two degrees of freedom of movement.

Abstract: A mineral mining installation is provided for use in a steeply-inclined longwall working. The installation comprises a ladder-shaped support frame, and a plurality of roof support units. The support frame extends along the entire length of the longwall working, and has a pair of generally parallel longitudinal beams interconnected by a plurality of transverse beams. The roof support units are positioned between the longitudinal beams, and are supported on the transverse beam. Each of the longitudinal beams comprises a plurality of beam sections pivotably connected together end-to-end. The support frame comprises a plurality of detachably connected sub-frames, each of which comprises a respective transverse beam and a respective beam section of each of the longitudinal beams.

Abstract: A mineral mining installation comprises a longwall conveyor, a plough movable to and fro along a guide fixed to the face side of the longwall conveyor, and a drive station at one end of the longwall conveyor. The drive station includes a drive frame supporting drive means for driving the longwall conveyor. A support beam is provided at the goaf side of the drive station. The support beam extends substantially parallel to the drive frame. A floor plate extends beneath the drive frame. The goaf-side end portion of the floor plate is supported on the support beam by means of a lifting device, whereby the goaf-side end portion of the floor plate can be moved up and down relative to the support beam by the lifting device.

Abstract: A longwall mineral mining installation comprises a scraper-chain conveyor having a scraper assembly, a first straight conveyor portion extending along the longwall working, a second straight conveyor portion extending along a roadway positioned at one end of the longwall working, and a curved conveyor section connecting the two straight conveyor portions. A guide assembly is provided for guiding the scraper assembly around the curved conveyor section. A guide is fixed to the face side of the first straight conveyor portion, and a winning machine is reciprocable along the guide. A drive station is mounted on the goaf side of the first straight conveyor portion in the region of the curved conveyor section. A drive sprocket is rotatably mounted on the face side of the first straight conveyor portion in said region. The drive sprocket drives the winning machine via a drive chain. A drive shaft drivably connects the drive station and the drive sprocket.

Abstract: A mineral, e.g., coal, mining installation employs a winning machine, such as a plough, equipped with cutting means and which is moved back and forth along a mineral or coal face and along a scraper-chain conveyor as is known per se. Roof support units are arranged along the goaf side of the conveyor and employ roof bars projecting across the roof of the working towards the mineral face. Shifting rams are provided to alternately advance the conveyor and the roof support units as the winning work progresses. The roof bars of the units are pivotably connected to forwardly-projecting components which act as carriers for swinging nozzles emitting high-pressure water jets which impinge on the face to create a channel at the roof zone thereof. The position of the channel can be adjusted by pivoting the carriers with the aid of hydraulic devices.

Abstract: A device for mining thick coal strata comprising a plough pressed in the ion of the floor by a ram, whereas in the vicinity of the roof the plough is pressed by a unit fixed to a canopy of the lining. The unit is provided with guides on which the plough is supported through a slide. A lever of a distributor is deflected by the plough and causes the unit to extend by an amount equal to the web of the plough.

Abstract: The invention provides a shortwall mining machine comprising an assembly, which preferably is articulated and has a protective canopy. The assembly is arranged parallel to a shortwall mineral face, and a cutter is hauled along a guide on the assembly to cut the face. As the face is cut the assembly is moved towards the face by use of rams connected between the assembly and stay units located in roadways adjacent the face. The cutter may be a scraper bucket or a plough, and is hauled across the face by either one motor in one of the roadways, or by two motors, one located in each roadway. The cutter may be steered by use of jacks on the assembly located in the roadways.

Abstract: A mineral winning installation employs a longwall scraper chain conveyor at the mineral face with roof supports arranged at the goaf side of the conveyor. A winning machine, such as a shearer or plough, moves back and forth alongside the mineral face to skim or cut mineral. The machine carries its own drive means which is electrically powered and which drives a pinion, for example, meshing with a toothed rack. An independent constructional assembly arranged at the roof or floor has a multi-sectioned rail or plate carrying the toothed rack. In addition, the rail or plate supports a sealed guard housing containing an electric live track and a further sealed housing containing pressurized water. The machine has a pick-up arm which engages with a contact sliding along the electric track to supply electric power to the drive means and a conduit which has a water collector displaceable along the water housing to supply water to the machine for dust suppression.

Abstract: A conveyor-mounted mining machine incorporates at least two driving units. Each unit comprises a linearly drivable member operatively engaged with a driven wheel coupled by a clutch to a driving wheel drivingly engaged with a stationary part of the conveyor. With the clutch engaged, linear motion of the linearly drivable member imparts rotary drive to the driving wheel so as to propel the machine along the conveyor. The driving units are operated sequentially so that a continuous drive effort acts on the machine.