US1406527A - Track-cleaning machine for mines - Google Patents

Description

J. G. BRADLEY AND W. F. METZ. TRACK CLEANING MACHINE FOR MINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1920.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. G. BRADLEY AND W. F. METZ.

TRACK CLEANING MACHINE FOR MINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1920.

a SHEET'SSHEET 2.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922:

I. G. BRADLEY AND W. F. METZ.

TRACK CLEANl-NG MACHINE FOR MINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. 1920.

1,406,527, Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. BRADLEY, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS, AND WILLIAM FIME'IZ, OF BUGKNEB,

' ILLINOIS.

TRACK-CLEANING MACHINE FOR MINES.

Application filed June 18,

To all whom, it may concern.

Be it known that we, JOHN G. BRAnLEY and WILLIAM F. Mn'rz, citizens of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of -Shawnee and tate of Kansas, and Buckner,

in the county of Franklin and State of Illinois, respectively, have invented a new and useful Track-Cleaning Mach1ne for M1nes, of which the following is a spec1ficat1on.

The object of our invention is to provide an efiicient machine for keeping the tracks and haulage-ways in mines clear of coal, ore, dust, dirt and other obstructions. that fall from overloaded cars as they are hauled to the shaft to bev hoisted to the surface. In big mines it has been customary to detail forty or fifty men each night to keep the entries or main channels into the mines clear of coal thathas fallen from cars. The men are constantly exposed to the danger of 00111- sions with passing cars and of contact with live trolley wires and third rails. It is the purpose of our invention to do away with this manual labor and the dangers attendant upon it. 0

We attain the objects of our invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention- Figure 2 is a top plan of same, with a portion of endless conveyor 3 broken away to show. the motor connections;

Figure 3 is a front elevation; and

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of elevator 7 and adjacent mechanism.

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the several views. Referring to the accompanying drawings, we provide a suitable frame 42, connected by cross-bars 38 and 39. The device is mounted on axles 25 which are provided with wheels 24. An inclined endless conveyor or elevator 2 is provided on which are spaced transverse projecting strips 3. The elevator 2 is driven by a sprocket 5 on shaft 43, this sprocket in turn being driven by chain 21 from motor 22. Shaft 20 at the lower end of elevator 2 on which the lower roller 44 on which the elevator runs is mounted, carries a gear 4 which meshes with a gear 19 on a stub shaft 17, which also carries sprocket wheel 16 which drives sprocket 14 by means of chain 15. Sprocket 14 is mounted on shaft 12, and is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 389,999.

connected by link 18 with shaft 17. The upper roller 13 of the floating elevator mechanism is mounted on shaft 12, which shaft is movable in the arcuate slot 29. The floating elevator 7 is. mounted on rollers 13 and 9, as illustrated, and roller 9 is mounted on shaft 10, which is connected by suitable links 11 with upper shaft 12.

WVe provide approximately L-shaped slots 33 in which are slidably positioned the guide pins 31 which are attached to the nose scoop 1 which extends between the rails of the track, dropping some two inches below the top of the rails and clearing the rails on the inside of the track by about two inches. Scoop 1 has about a 30 degree elevation and rises to a height of'about eight inches above the level of the top of the rails. It also has guide pins 30 mounted in slots 45, and is connected with shock springs 32 suitably mounted in the frame sides 6 as shown. These springs allow a play for the scoop 1 of about five or six inches should a diflicult obstruction be met. The provision of the L-shaped slots 33 permits of the scoop 1 being lifted over frogs, switches and other permanent obstruction when necessary. It is held in place by the guide pins 31 and 30. lVe provide suitable plows 34 suitably secured to side frames 6, by means of members 35 to which they are bolted, preferably, or otherwise suitably mounted. Plows 34 are disposed so as to throw material from either rail toward the center of the track. Plows 34 may be made in different sizes to accommodate the machine to entries or tunnels of different widths. We provide a suitable sand box 28. We also provide a suitable trolley 36, carrying the trolley wheel 41 in operative connection with the trolley wire 37. As illustrated in Fig. 2, we provide a suitable driving motor 27 operatively connected by suitable means, as by gears 26, with one of the axles 25. Any suitable means for driving the machine in the tun nels may be employed, however.

As the machine moves forward the coal, ore, dirt, dust, rubbish and other obstructions that have accumulated on the tracks and haulageways in the mine will be scooped up by the scoop 1, the material directly on the tracks being thrown toward center of the tracks by the opposite inwardly tilted front plows 34. As soon as the material beand is not a part of our invention.

gins to pile up it comes in contact with the fins or cross strips 8 on the floating elevator T and will be dragged upward until it passes over the upper edge of the nose scoop 1, and drops onto the main elevator-.2, where it is in turn caught by the cross strips 3 and carried by the elevator 2 to the top of the machine and discharged into chute 23, thence being discharged into a suitable receiver or trailer car A, as indicated in Figure 1. Suitable means for adjusting the angle of chute 23 may be provided, and this chute is provided with sides to prevent the material from again falling onto the track. The trailer A may be any pit car in common e floating reverse elevator 7 rises and falls as the thickness of the accumulating materials may determine. It is the full width of the scoop 1, and is prevented from dragging on the scoop l by two cleats, one on either side, fastened to the frame sides 6 and parallel to the scoop 1. Its only points of security are on shaft 12 which is mounted on the links 18 which in turn are mounted at the lower end on stub shaft 17. The materials to be loaded are held in place by the sides 6 of the elevator frame, which sides 6 rise to a height of eighteen or twenty inches. The floating elevator 7 moves in a reverse direction from the rear main elevator 2, as indicated by arrows in Fi 1. The machine is motor driven. and the e evators are driven by an auxiliary motor 22 as illustrated in the drawings. The direction of chute 23 is determined by a suitable cog ratchet 46.

lVhat we claim is: v

1. In a track cleaning machine for mines, the combination of a wheeled frame, a resiliently controlled longitudinal adjustable scoop having its free bottom edge extending between two tracks and nominally below the surface of the tracks, means for permitting of elevating the edge of the scoop when necessary to pass over frogs in the track, etc., a floating elevator positioned above the scoop and arranged to carry material upward of the scoop, a second elevator positioned to receive material from the first. elevator, means operatively connected for driving the two elevators said means being operatively connected, and power means for driving both elevators said means being operatively connected with one of them.

2. In a track cleaning machine for mines, the combination of a wheeled frame, an adjustable inclined scoop extending between two tracks and having its lower edge positioned normally below the upper surface of the tracks, said scoop having side guide pins, the frame having a slot in which said guide pins are movable to permit of elevating the scoop to pass over frogs and other obstacles in the track, a plurality of elevators arranged for one of the elevators to receive material from the scoop and to convey it to the succeedin elevator, and power means for driving said elevators.

3. In combination with the apparatus described in claim 2 opposite inwardly tilted track plows arranged to discharge material from the tracks toward the center of the scoop, substantially as shown.

4:. In a device of the class described, a motor driven wheeled frame, sides projecting above and beyond the wheeled frame to guide material, a scoop longitudinall and vertically adjustable in the wheeled rame and having its lower edge positioned between and below the upper portion of two tracks, side plows attached tothe frame and discharging material toward the center of a track, means operatively connecting the floating elevator with a direct elevator, a direct elevator having its lower end positioned to receive material from the scoop and the floating elevator, and means for driving the direct elevator.

5. In a track cleaning machine for mines, the combination of a wheeled frame having extended sides, a scoop having its lower edge positioned between two tracks, said scoop having guide pins mounted in slotted portions of the sides of the elevator to control the longitudinal and vertical adjustment of the scoop, resilient means normally holding the scoop in its lowermost position, opposite inclined track plows attached to the sides of the frame and dischar 'ng material toward the center of the track 1n front of the scoop, a floating reverse elevator mounted above the scoop and adapted to carry material onto the second elevator, a direct elevator positioned to receive material from the scoop, and means for operating the elevators.

6. In a track cleaning machine for mines, the combination of a wheeled frame, side plows shaped and positioned to throw material from the rails toward the center of the track, an inclined scoop positioned to pick up material from the center of the track, a reversely driven floating elevator positioned above the scoop and resiliently mounted, means for resiliently mounting the central scoop, a second elevator positioned to receive material from the floating elevator, and means for delivering material from the second elevator to the rear of the machine, whereby the device is adapted for use in underground work, substantially as described.

7. In a track cleaning machine for mines, the combination of a wheeled frame suitable for use on mine railways, side plows suitably shaped and positioned to discharge material from the rails toward the center of the track, an inclined scoop positioned between the rails and adapted to pick up material from the center of the track, the free edge pf said central scoop being positioned rearward of Ill and adapted to receive material therefrom, motor driven means for operating both of 10 said elevators. and material delivery means at the rear of the second elevator, substantially as described.

JOHL G. BRADLEY. WILLIAM F. METZ.

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