Abstract: The system for digging subterranean galeries comprises a cutting tool articulated on a frame and mounted so as to be movable along the height of the mine face. This frame is provided with ground support means and with propulsion means for following the progress of the cutting, the articulation point of the cutting tool being situated in the upper half of the system in operating position. The articulation point of the cutting tool may be situated on a member movable with respect to the frame and movable in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of advance. The shaft bearing the cutting tool may be mounted on two bearings, one of which is movable vertically to give the tool an oblique path in a pre-determined direction.

Abstract: A continuous mining machine includes a body portion mounted on endless tracks and a boom member extending forwardly from the body portion with a cutter drum member rotatably mounted on the front end of the boom member. The cutter drum member has an intermediate drum section and a pair of end drum sections. A pair of driven input shafts are drivingly connected to the pair of end drum sections respectively. Intermediate drive shafts extend from the end drum sections into the ends of the intermediate drum section. The intermediate drum section is formed by a pair of releasably connected housing sections. A connecting plate is positioned within and nonrotatably secured to each housing section. Each connecting plate includes planar faces that engage corresponding planar faces provided on the end of the respective intermediate drive shaft.

Abstract: The cutting head (6) is a hollow cutting head and rotatably supported on a carrier (11). Water is supplied to the nozzles of the cutting head (6) via a supply tube (29) rigidly connected to the carrier (11) in the axis of rotation and opening into a distribution chamber (30) within the cutting head (6). From this distribution chamber (30) the water is fed via passages into annular gaps (43, 46) extending in axial direction. Passages (47, 48) are opening into these annular gaps (43, 46) for supplying the water to the nozzles. A sealing (31) is only required where the water supply tube (29) is opening into the distributing chamber (30).

Abstract: A continuous mining machine includes a body portion. A longitudinally extending conveyor support frame is positioned on the body portion. A pair of parallel spaced side walls are positioned outboard of the conveyor support frame. A unitary stabilizing member is pivotally connected at an upper end to the lower edge portions of the side walls and extends transversely between the side walls beyond the width of and below the conveyor support frame. A lower end of the stabilizing member is adapted for movement into and out of engagement with the mine floor. A pair of piston cylinder assemblies for actuating the stabilizing member are connected to and positioned outboard and laterally of the side walls. The piston rods of the assemblies are intermediately connected to the lateral edges of the stabilizing member.

Abstract: A conveyor gathering systems suitable for use with a continuous narrow seam mining machine is disclosed. The system is a single continuous conveyor extending from the auger or cutting head to the rear or discharge end of the machine and is particularly useful with a dozer gathering head. Conveying of the mined material is achieved by an endless conveyor comprised of "flight bars" attached at each end to two drive chains. The single continuous conveyor is driven from the rear of the mining machine, may pivot up and down, and makes a very small diameter, 180 degree turn around, at the front of the mining machine adjacent the auger or cutting head. Because the conveying system uses a single continuous system of flight bars, the tensions on the conveyor can be significantly reduced such that the conveyor drive motor can be selected having a work capacity less than one half of other systems.

Abstract: A continuous mining machine includes a body portion having a longitudinal axis and mounted on endless tracks. A boom member extends forwardly from the body portion with a cutter drum member rotatably mounted on the front of the boom member. The cutter drum member has an intermediate drum section and a pair of canted end drum section. The intermediate drum section is spaced from the end drum sections to provide openings therebetween. The boom member has front end portions extending through the openings to rotatably support the cutter drum member. Input drive shafts extend from drive motors on the body portion forwardly from the boom member at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body portion through the openings. In each end drum section meshing spiral bevel gears connect the input drive shaft through a planetary gear train to the end drum drive shaft. Rotation is transmitted from each end drum drive shaft to a drive shaft for rotating the intermediate drum section.

Abstract: A continuous mining machine has a mobile body portion with a boom member pivotally secured thereto and extending forwardly therefrom. A cylindrical drum member is rotatably mounted on front of the boom member and includes a cylindrical intermediate section and a pair of end sections extending outwardly from the intermediate section. Cutting elements for dislodging material from a mine face extend from the respective drum sections. The cutting elements of the end sections are spaced from the adjacent cutting elements of the intermediate section by a pair of openings separating the intermediate section from the end sections respectively. A pair of nonrotatable housing assemblies extending forwardly from the boom member extend around the pair of openings. Each housing assembly has a tubular portion through which input shafts extend to transmit rotation to each of the end sections and therefrom by shafts extending from the end sections to the intermediate section to rotate the intermediate section.

Abstract: Apparatus for and method of controlling the mining by a mining machine of a seam of material (e.g., coal) overlying or underlying a stratum of undesired material (e.g., clay) to reduce the quantity of undesired material mined with the desired material, the machine comprising a cutter movable up and down and adapted to cut down into a seam of coal on being lowered. The control apparatus comprises a first electrical signal constituting a slow-down signal adapted to be automatically operated to signal when the cutter has cut down into a seam of desired material generally to a predetermined depth short of the interface between the seam and the underlying stratum for slowing down the cutting rate as the cutter approaches the interface, and a second electrical signal adapted to be automatically operated subsequent to the first signal for signalling when the cutter has cut down through the seam to the interface for stopping the cutting operation, thereby to avoid mining undesired material with the desired material.

Abstract: A portable dig out tool for removing clogged silage from the lower part of a silo after the normal unloading equipment has failed. The tool is adapted to be manually inserted and withdrawn through an access opening in the lower portion of the outer wall of the silo. An arrangement is provided for swinging rotating cutter drums to attack and remove the packed silage.

Abstract: A continuous mining machine is propelled on endless crawler tracks and includes a body portion with a boom extending forwardly therefrom. The boom rotatably supports a drum having peripherally extending cutting elements. A boom stabilizer mounted on the boom includes a plate member pivotally connected at one end to the boom rearward of the drum. A piston cylinder assembly is pivotally mounted on the boom member and includes an extensible piston rod that is pivotally connected to the opposite end of the plate member. Extension of the piston rod pivots the plate member upwardly to a preselected height where the plate upper surface lies on a line tangent to the cutting path of the cutting elements at the top of the drum. When the drum is positioned adjacent the mine roof for sumping into the mine face, the stabilizing plate abuts the mine roof with the cutting elements displaced from the mine roof. As the drum is sumped forward the stabilizing plate prevents the drum from climbing the face into the mine roof.

Abstract: A drum cutter includes a machine body having at the opposed ends, pivot shafts extending parallel to the mine floor at right angles to the direction of travel by the machine body along a coal face. Two support arms each include two laterally-spaced bores at one end thereof to selectively receive a projected portion of a pivot shaft extending toward the mine face. A lever is mounted onto each of the support arms adjacent the bores in the end thereof. A cutter drum projects from the free ends of the support arms at the coal side of the machine body. Hydraulic jacks, supported by the machine body, are coupled to the levers for pivoting the arms to position the cutter drum supported thereby. A motor is supported within a casing attached to the stow side of each support arm. The motor is coupled through gearing to the cutter drum. The projected end of the casing is supported by a bearing member secured to the extension of the machine body and provided with a bore to receive the pivot shaft.

Abstract: A stack feeder is described for use in association with a stack mover arranged to advance a haystack in the longitudinal direction of the stack feeder. The feeder includes a base frame and a flail assembly located above the base frame and positioned transversely with respect to said longitudinal direction. Means are provided coupling the flail assembly to the base frame for pivotal movement with respect to the frame about a horizontal axis so that the flail assembly can be moved up and down along an arcuate path above the frame. The flail assembly includes a rotary flail and a hood which extends longitudinally of the flail. The flail is made up of an elongate support rotatable about a horizontal axis, and a plurality of knives carried by the support for action on a haystack in use. Means are provided to move the flail assembly along said arcuate path. The feeder also includes means for rotating the flail at a relatively high speed. Conveyor means are supported on the base frame below the flail assembly.

Abstract: A continuous mining machine having a rotary cutter drum provided with internal drive motors. The drive motors extend on opposite sides of the support boom for the rotary cutter drum and each motor is within the axial extent of the cutter drum on each side of the support boom.

Abstract: A method of operating a machine having a constant depth linear cutting head which is retrofitted to a continuous mining machine replacing the rotary head. By altering the usual configuration of the cutting head from the high speed rotating type with a large number of bits, as is currently being used, to one employing a non-rotary type head with 10 percent or less of the usual number of bits, and also operating a combined sumping and shearing action without the bits exiting the coal face being cut, less respirable dust is produced at the mine face. In addition to decreasing the dust and amount of menthane gas - when coal is mined - which is liberated, our method also produces more coal on the average for each cut in the mine face by deeper constant depth cuts in the 3- to 6-inch range by first sumping into the mine face and then shearing the face, without withdrawing or rotating the point attack bits.

Abstract: The triangular-shaped rotary head mounted on an eccentrically driven shaft rotates at a low speed in a path determined by a ring/pinion gear ratio, such that cutting tools mounted on the apices of the triangular-shaped rotary head follow a square path entering the face of the coal seam to be cut at a top corner and making a long linear vertical cut at a constant depth of approximately one and one-half times the diameter of the rotary head greatly reducing dust generation and methane ignition potential, while increasing productivity.

Abstract: An excavating and loading system includes an excavating wheel assembly at the front thereof and a plurality of conveyors for conveying material from the excavating wheel assembly upwardly and rearwardly. The excavating wheel assembly includes at least one excavating wheel which is wider than the overall width of the following portion of the system. A supporting and housing apparatus rotatably supports the excavating wheel and includes portions which engage the ends of the excavating wheel. Apparatus is provided for raising and lowering the supporting and housing apparatus to raise and lower the excavating height of the excavating wheel assembly and thereby vary the grade of the excavation. The excavation wheel is provided with means for positively moving the walls of a plurality of buckets between digging and dumping positions.

Abstract: A silage unloader is disclosed for use in cutting silage from silage stored in a silage trench or the like. The unloader comprises a frame means which is adapted to be connected to the three-point hitch of a tractor or the like. A vertically disposed boom means is secured to the frame and extends upwardly therefrom and comprises telescopically mounted boom members. A reel boom is secured to the boom means and extends therefrom and has a silage cutting reel means rotatably mounted on the outer end thereof about a horizontal axis. A double acting hydraulic cylinder is provided within the boom means for raising and lowering the boom means, reel boom and reel. An auger conveyor means is provided on the frame means below the reel means so that the cut silage will be gathered thereby and conveyed to a blower means for blowing the silage to a feed wagon, truck or the like. The boom means, reel and conveyor are hydraulically powered while the blower means is powered by the tractor PTO.

Abstract: A drive chain for transmitting power to a rotatable cutter head of a mining machine. The mining machine is of the type having a rotary cutter drum mounted at the forward end of the mining machine frame. The cutter drum has helical auger flights with cutter bits mounted on their periphery. Electric motors are provided on either side of the mining machine to provide power for rotating the cutter drum. A drive and cutter chain transmits the power from each electric motor to the rotary drum. The drive chain comprises roller chain links with offset sidebars. Each drive chain is relatively narrow having but a single row of links. Some of the links are cutter links which carry cutter bits. Selected portions of the cutter links and the sprockets are cut away to prevent entrapment and build up of foreign matter.

Abstract: An underground mining apparatus and more particularly an underground mining apparatus having a disintegrating head portion thereof carried by an improved pivotal linkage arrangement.

Abstract: A mining machine of the type wherein the rotary mining head comprises at least one rotatable support carrying a plurality of cutter drums. The support is rotatably driven through a gear box including gearing connected to the support by a plurality of drive shafts, thereby providing the mining head with substantially increased power and torque, for the employed diameter of drive shaft, while also providing other described advantages. Each of the drive shafts is connected to the gearing through a clutch whereby the load is divided between the drive shafts and the shafts are automatically disconnected from the gearing in the event that the mining head encounters high resistance to its driven rotation.

Abstract: A mechanism for cutting hard earth formations such as rock comprises a prime mover vehicle such as a crawler tractor having a back plate fixed thereto. An elongated cutter bar framework is secured to the back plate in pivotal manner by means of a tool bar structure that is pivoted directly to the back plate. A motor mechanism such as a linear fluid motor is interconnected between the tool bar and the vehicle structure and is controllably operative for establishing particular angular relationships of the cutter bar framework relative to the formation to be cut and having the effect of controlling the depth of the cut being made.

Abstract: A trim chain take-up sprocket assembly for a mining machine or the like. The sprocket assembly comprises a pair of opposed and axially aligned spindles constituting mirror images of each other, each spindle having a hub rotatively mounted thereon on suitable bearing means. Each hub has at its outboard end a plurality of sprocket teeth and at its inboard end an annular flange. The hub flanges lie in abutting relationship at the longitudinal center of the sprocket assembly and are detachably joined together. Each spindle at its outboard end has a hydraulically actuable piston-cylinder arrangement adapted to engage an abutment surface on the mining machine whereby the entire sprocket assembly may be shifted longitudinally of the mining machine to take up slack or impart slack to the one or more trim chains engaged by the sprocket assembly. Washer-like spacer means are removably affixable to the pistons of the sprocket assembly to retain the assembly in adjusted position.