Abstract: A method for driving tunnels, galleries, shafts or the like with a driving device (1; 2; 15), including: that a cutting head (4) rotating around a general axis of rotation (R) and having cutting elements directed essentially radially outwardly is applied against a rock surface to be worked. The rock cutting elements (13), are formed on cutting rolls (7) are brought to roll against the rock side during pressing against the rock and rotation of the cutting head (4), and the rock cutting elements during rolling are brought to cut sidewardly arranged grooves in the rock surface at a distance from each other. The invention also concerns a rotatable cutting head and a device and a rig for driving tunnels, galleries, shafts or the like.

Abstract: A method and rig for driving tunnels, galleries, shafts or the like. The rig has a movable base unit that over a support unit supports a carrying unit which in turn carries a cutting head having outwardly directed cutting elements. The method includes rotating the cutting head around a general axis of rotation and applying the cutting head against a rock surface to be worked. The carrying unit is swung into a first chosen mutual position in respect of the support unit. The support unit is rotated into a second chosen mutual position with respect to the base unit around an axis that is essentially longitudinal with respect to the base unit. An angle of operation of the cutting head is controllable.

Abstract: A mining machine includes a cutting mechanism with an arm, and a substantial weight of more than a thousand pounds attached to the arm. The mining machine also includes a first disc cutter adapted to engage the material to be mined and mounted on a first disc cutter assembly for eccentrically driving the first disc cutter, the first disc cutter assembly being mounted within the substantial weight. The mining machine also includes at least a second disc cutter spaced apart from the first disc cutter assembly and adapted to engage the material to be mined, and mounted on a second disc cutter assembly for eccentrically driving the second disc cutter, the second disc cutter assembly being mounted within the substantial weight.

Abstract: A mining machine including a cutting mechanism comprising an arm having an arm end, a disc cutter adapted to engage the material to be mined and mounted on the arm end. The disc cutter is driven by the arm into the material to be mined, and the arm further includes a main portion, and a wrist portion pivotally attached to the main portion.

Abstract: In a heading or extraction machine (1) including extraction tools that are movable over the working face, and track walling devices such as anchor drilling and setting devices (9), the machine (1) comprises a platform (6) that is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the machine and carries at least two track walling devices each mounted to be separately displaceable relative to the platform (6).

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media containing instructions for controlling a miner. One system includes a cutter head, a left tram system, a right tram system, and a cutter head controller. The cutter head includes a plurality of bits and a plurality of sections defining at least one recess. The left and right tram systems are configured to move the miner, and the cutter head controller is configured to vary a current speed of at least one of the left tram system and the right tram system to cause the cutter head to alternate back and forth to bring the plurality of bits into engagement with material accumulating within the least one recess.

Abstract: A mining machine includes a cutting mechanism with an arm, and a substantial weight of more than a thousand pounds attached to the arm. The mining machine also includes a first disc cutter adapted to engage the material to be mined and mounted on a first disc cutter assembly for eccentrically driving the first disc cutter, the first disc cutter assembly being mounted within the substantial weight. The mining machine also includes at least a second disc cutter spaced apart from the first disc cutter assembly and adapted to engage the material to be mined, and mounted on a second disc cutter assembly for eccentrically driving the second disc cutter, the second disc cutter assembly being mounted within the substantial weight.

Abstract: A mining machine including a cutting mechanism comprising an arm having an arm end, a disc cutter adapted to engage the material to be mined and mounted on the arm end. The disc cutter is driven by the arm into the material to be mined, and the arm further includes a main portion, and a wrist portion pivotally attached to the main portion.

Abstract: The present invention uses an Oscillating Disc Cutter (ODC) in a controlled manner to cut rock for assay purposes. The ODC (1) is mounted in an elongate guide frame typically in the form of an open box channel (2). The ODC is located on a carriage (3), the carriage itself mounted on guide rails (4) within the channel (2). The apparatus includes drive means operable to drive the carriage (3) in a rectilinear manner along the rails (4) such that the rails (4) define a cutting path. The ODC cuts a groove of controlled width and depth in a rock face, yielding rock chips that can be used for accurate assay of the face.

Abstract: The underground mining machine (10) according to the invention in known manner comprises a machine body (13) movable along a working face (11) and with at least one cutting and rolling unit (14) connected to the machine body by an extension arm (15) and drivable via a gear arrangement (17) mounted in the extension arm by a drive (16) disposed on the machine body. In order to make the drive system of the mining machine simpler, requiring less maintenance, and less subject to wear, according to the invention the gear arrangement comprises a compensating drive shaft (18) extending through the extension and coupled or adapted to be coupled by a first angular gear stage (19) to the drive on the machine body side and by a second angular gear stage (20) to the cutting and rolling unit on the cutting and rolling side.

Abstract: A method of excavating an underground continuous ditch by rotating a chain type cutter 4 while pressing the cutter horizontally against the ground A, with the cutter positioned underground. According to this method, when a lower ground portion is left unexcavated due to a deficiency in traversing force at the lower portion of the cutter particularly during excavation at a large depth, the rotating direction of the cutter 4 is changed from a rake-up direction in normal excavation to a rake-down direction and excavation is performed while the cutter is moved vertically, to excavate the lower ground portion (A1) left unexcavated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for mining of aggregate material from a seam includes a mining apparatus and a self-propelled conveyor capable of advancing or retreating in the seam on its own power and advancing and steering arrangement for the mining apparatus. The self-propelled conveyor, the electric cables and other services for the mining apparatus are protected against the roof falls. The power input for the self-propelled conveyor is provided by continuous drive shafts powered at either one or both ends of the conveyor. Alternately, a unique reciprocating conveyor mechanically powered at either one or both ends of is provided for conveying of aggregate material. An apparatus for assembling the conveyor and receiving of aggregate material is provided at the rear end of the conveyor.

Abstract: An improved road scraper includes a second scraping device mounted at a rear end of a road scraper of a known construction having a first scraping device. Between the road scraper and the second scraping device are disposed a vertical displacement mechanism and a horizontal displacement mechanism. By the actions of these mechanisms, the second scraping device may be extended outwardly from one side of the road scraper for scraping a greater width of the road.

Abstract: A mining machine having a frame undercarriage having forward and rearward ends provided with a traction assembly for driving the frame undercarriage towards a seam face to be mined. A cutting assembly is provided which includes a plurality of rotatable outer elements each having a substantially horizontal rotation axis disposed perpendicularly to the seam face and an assembly for swinging the cutting assembly up and down with respect to the seam face about a horizontal swing axis parallel to the seam face. The swinging assembly is pivotally mounted on the forward end of the carriage to input pivotal movement of the cutting assembly about a vertical pivot axis.

Abstract: A rotary apparatus which can be detachably mountable to a self-propelled vehicle, such as a skid-steer front end loader. The apparatus includes opposing first and second frame members and an axially rotatable work implement having front and rear peripheries and left and right peripheries. The rotary apparatus provides a mechanism for supporting the work implement from the first and second frame members such that the front, rear, left and right peripheries may extend beyond the fronts of the frame members. A mechanism for shifting the position of the work implement in a direction parallel to a line between the first and second frame members is provided such that either one of the peripheries of the work implement may extend beyond the side edge of the first frame member. The capability to shift the work implement beyond the sides of the frame members allows the apparatus to be used to horizontally plane adjacent a vertical wall or obstruction, such as a curb.

Abstract: A coal-cutting machine (1) having an all-round swivelling jib boom (6), on which cutting implements (17) are rotatably supported, and a loading platform (3) comprising a loading platform which can swivel about an axis (4) extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine. The loading platform (3) is angularly, rigidly connected to the swing gear (5) for the swivelling of the jib boom (6) in a horizontal direction and is supported on the machine frame (1) so as to swivel, together with the swing gear (5), about the axis (4) extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine. As a result of this construction which a particularly low overall height is made possible while safely preventing a collision between the jib boom (6) and the loading platform (3).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for bench mining employs a rotating wheel excavator with excavator wheel positioned outwardly to one side of a tractor unit for the excavator so that the tractor unit draws the excavation wheel along a bench line or cut line between different layers of the bench mine. The cutting wheel can either be moved to opposite sides of the tractor unit or a second wheel can be positioned at the other side so that the excavator can operate in both directions of movement.

Abstract: The openpit mining device includes a cantilever arm which is swivellable around a horizontal axis and carries a support or tool carriage. The support or tool carriage is shiftably supported in a transverse relation to the longitudinal axis of the cantilever arm and has tools rotatably supported on it. For this purpose, the head of the cantilever arm carries a rod-type guide and the tool carriage or support carries a rod-type guide. The guide rods are mutually interconnected with interposition of an intermediate carrier. The shifting drive is provided by hydraulic cylinder-piston-aggregates which are arranged between the intermediate carrier and the head and between the intermediate carrier and the support.

Abstract: A roofing materials removal device provides a guide system which secures the device and the operator in position on an inclined roof so that the roof can be traversed at various positions along different travel paths while supported. The removal device comprises a light-weight, durable, wheel supported frame, dual handles for leverage, an electric motor positioned low on the frame to give the device balance and stability. An angled blade reciprocating and riding on linear bearings is connected to spring-mounted tension bars. As the springs force the rear end of the tension bar upward, the forward end of the tension bars pivot downward causing the serrated, leading edge of the blade to slide between the roof covering material and the roof deck. The blade follows the contour of the roof deck dislodging roofing material including nails, roofing felt and shingles. The guide system is positioned on the opposite side of the roof ridge from the removal device.

Abstract: Apparatus for excavating a tunnel of generally quadrilateral cross-section, the apparatus comprising a cutting head having the head being mounted for rotation about a first axis and a second axis to change the angle of inclination of the cutter. The cutter may be retracted on its support and may be moved transversely of the excavation on a slide, horizontally. It may be moved vertically by mounting the head on an arm pivotally mounted or in another embodiment by mounting the head on a vertically movable carrier carried on a slide. This can be used for excavating by making a set of cuts at various angles; first and second slots are generally parallel at the face but the first slots are inclined to the second, and to the face, so that they intersect. A third set of slots may intersect the first and second sets (for example, vertically) to separate the material from the face in convenient-sized blocks.

Abstract: A tunnel is constructed by progressively cutting away a predetermined depth of rock from a face using rotary diamond saws. Slots are cut into the face (12) at an acute angle to the face such that first slots intersect second slots to detach blocks from the face. In one embodiment, the cutter (29) is mounted on a slide which can traverse an elongate guide 26. The guide is carried on an arm (24) which can swivel about its own longitudinal axis. A series of angularly spaced slots are cut into the face through 360.degree. with alternate slots being cut at opposite acute angles to the face so that they intersect. A cylindrical tunnel is produced.

Abstract: There is disclosed a machine including a powered truck-like vehicle having a support base and an apparatus mounted on the base for cutting a drive-in passage across a curbstone, a sidewalk or the like. The apparatus comprises two spaced parallel booms mounted at one end on the base and rail-structure-holding heads connected to the booms and displaceable along them. A rail structure including an elongated upper suspension member, having a non-circular cross section, is mounted on the heads by extension of the suspension member through rotary pillow blocks of the heads of which the cylinders have like non-circular bores. A linkage powered mechanism, interconnecting the heads and the suspension member, allows oscillation of the latter about its longitudinal axis and consequently oscillation of the rail structure of which it is a part. A power jack allows shifting of the rail structure laterally with respect to the booms.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for making small-bore underground tunnels. It contains a working tube which can be advanced in the direction of the developing tunnel, and an excavating unit mounted in the working tube and having an excavating tool. The excavating unit is displaceable in the working tube. The excavating tool has a substantially smaller effective outside cross section than corresponds to the internal cross section of the working tube, and is mounted on the excavating unit so as to be displaceable in directions perpendicular to the working tube axis. Drive means serve for moving the excavating tube within a range of action whose maximum cross section, measured perpendicular to the working tube axis, corresponds at least to the outside cross section of the working tube.

Abstract: A first mobile mining machine for cutting mining tunnels in hard rock, which includes a horizontally swinging wheel-like cutterhead assembly mounted on a crawler and base frame assembly. The cutterhead assembly consists of a transverse horizontal axis wheel-like drum on which are multiple peripherally mounted rolling cutter units.A second mobile mining machine for cutting mining tunnels in hard rock, which includes a horizontally swinging and vertically ranging wheel-like cutterhead assembly mounted on a crawler and base frame assembly. The cutterhead assembly consists of a transverse horizontal axis wheel-like drum on which are multiple peripherally mounted rolling cutter units.

Abstract: A tunnelling machine has a swing unit (31) that is swingable about a horizontal axis (I). The swing unit has a head (50) that rotates about an axis (II) that is transverse to said horizontal axis and passes the horizontal at a distance below the horizontal axis. The head is equipped with a plurality of disc-cutters (53-58, 63) that are arranged to have their cutting edges on an imaginary sphere with a radius of about the same length as the swing radius. Upon simultaneous upward swinging of the swing unit and rotation of the head, the cutters cut both when on the leading side of the head and when on the trailing side. No cutting occurs during the return swing stroke. When the swing unit has been returned, the machine is advanced a step which is somewhat larger than the distance between the two axes, and another upward cutting stroke can be effected.

Abstract: An apparatus for concurrently preparing a ground surface and forming a continuous strip of paving material thereon, and which is characterized by the ability to simultaneously grade the ground surface substantially coextensively with the successive slip forming of the pavement material. The apparatus includes a ground trimmer and a following slip former, with the trimmer being laterally translatable with respect to the slip former so that the concurrent grading and slip forming functions can be performed along a curvilinear path while closely maintaining the lateral alignment of the graded ground surface with the successive placement of the paving material. Thus excessive ground surface is not graded, and no area requiring preparation is omitted.

Abstract: In a cutting machine having a cutter arm which is mounted at one end for universal pivotal movement and which carries at its free end a cutting tool: a walk-on platform covering at least part of the cutter arm, said platform being box-shaped in cross-section and having a width greater than the width of the cutter arm so as to protrude beyond the sides of the cutter arm and said platform having a generally planar top wall and a bottom wall which conforms to and rests on the exterior surface of the cutter arm; and at least one walk-on plate hinged to the platform at a side edge thereof for swinging movement about an axis which is approximately parallel to the axis of the cutter arm, said plate having a width less than the width of the upper wall of the platform movable from a position in which it lies on the top wall of the platform to an extended position in which it is approximately co-planar with the top wall of the platform.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system includes an excavating and wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying the material from the excavating wheel assembly upward and rearwardly. The excavating wheel assembly includes a pair of excavating wheels with a total width wider than the overall width of the following portions of the system. A supporting and housing apparatus extends between the excavating wheels and rotatably supports the same from the front of the vehicle. A power plant is provided and a drive shaft extends down along the supporting and housing means between the two excavating wheels. Gearing is provided in the interior of the wheels and is connected to the drive shaft for powering the excavating wheels. Apparatus is provided for raising and lowering excavation height of the excavation wheel assembly to thereby vary the grade of the excavation.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system includes an excavating wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying the material from the excavating wheel assembly upward and rearwardly. The excavating wheel assembly includes at least one excavating wheel which is angularly disposed with respect to the direction of travel to form an excavation and has digging surfaces on the forward extending end of the excavating wheel. The wheel forms an excavation wider than the following portion of the system. A supporting and housing apparatus rotatably supports the excavating wheel means from the vehicle. Apparatus is provided for raising, lowering and/or tilting the supporting and housing apparatus to position the excavation wheel assembly to thereby vary the excavation. The excavation wheel is provided with means for positively moving the walls of a plurality of buckets between material receiving and material discharging positions.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system including an excavating wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying material from the excavating wheel assembly to the rear of the vehicle. The excavating wheel assembly has an excavating wheel which is narrower than the overall width of the following portion of the system. A yoke engages the ends of the excavating wheel and supports the wheel in a horizontal position. The yoke is pivotally attached to the vehicle and hydraulic cylinders are provided to oscillate the excavating wheel assembly from side-to-side transverse to the direction of movement of the vehicle to form a trench wider than the excavating wheel assembly itself. Means are provided on the vehicle for raising and lowering the excavating height and can be provided to adjust the roll attitude of the excavation wheel assembly. The excavation wheel is provided with means for positively moving walls of a plurality of buckets between digging and dumping positions.