US2666627A - Mining machine with wedgetype cutter - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19, 1954 E. D. M. GULLlcK MINING MACHINE WITH wEDGE-TYPE CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1950 M LMM@ Attorneys E. D. M. GULLICK MINING MACHINE WITH WEDGE-TYPE CUTTER Jan. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1950 Mim mm nvenlor.- ,era/v 50a/cfr A tlorneyI V ed to strip' oi t Patented Jan. 179, 1954 I v TYPE CUTTER" 10 Claims.. (CIJZGZL-SY ,s'lhiisinvcntio re ,i coal cr thmlf I iiofujsly proposed ypeha ing ajcutte'sr head' adaptjjf j f l from@ Scam/,in the advance." 0f the .e' by; W'iidgmg. of .Splitting oi the mieral'alon p ane'approximately par,- allel tothe face of the seam; Where, as is usually is`Y doublezcndedthat is in fach" affita tivo c re are twol such cutter 'eneral not Being Iiiiat'erial to the presentlinvention. lI n order thatvtherelationship of the invVntion to the machine can be adequately under- I chine is; given. i f

stood', the following' brief description of the mak he machine shown is double-ended, comprising mainly a framelike body l, 8, 9, and II), a carriage I l and two'lcutter heads I2 and i3. 'Ifhe body onsstsiof tti/oY transverse end Walls and 8, to4 which theheajds are connected', the'tWo longitudinal guide loa'rsy 9 and I0, on which the carriage is sliably mounted.

` kThe'.carriage incorporates hydraulic propulsion apparatus'. This apparatus includes a vertical hydraulic jack consisting of a cylinder lfd vif/'ith' ai foot' I5, the cylinder being vertically movable in a holder f6 incorporated in the' carriage, and al" pi'ston-operated head il which normally rests upon the holder. The propulsion apparatus also includes'a hydraulic rain unit consisting' of a horizontal cylinder ISAand a'ram i@ extending from both endsof'the'cylinder and engageable at itsends'with the Walls and 3. i

yIn orderv that the machine shall be propelled sayr fro'inleft to' right' (as viewed in'Figs. 1 and 2) the jalclii isoperate'd firstly to depress its foot l5 against` the` floory of the mine and secofndly to lift its head' Il against the mine roof. The' jack thus `eiktendeclr provides a securely an'- chored abutment. Nex'tlthe ram unit is operated -s""tll"a't thev raliiry I9" is'forced to the right, the ranjthu's' erigagingthev/all 8 and pushing the'framelike'body 14H3, with the head I3 leadinfupori the mine "floor towards the right, the gidebars" 9, l sliding through the now sta"- tionaiiycarrie;'gev Il.' The'head I3 now performs its cuttingl stroke Thereafter the jack` is'operateds" that itslrieadis"= loweredv and its" f'oot raised.,V thuscbhtracting the jack and freeing? it from theroofand' floor. Finally, the ram unit is operated's tliia'i'f'tll'ey rain I9' is forced to the lft; therln tlius'eilga/gng the real' ii/"all l S0 that the?cariafg I l isp'shed tdtherigh't. The carriage freelyv slides to' theright hand endl of the'fguijd'ebars; IIl to take up a new position of anchorage'folf AVthe next futtingstrok.' This dbinlijlet 'lH'@yleifopl'atil'lnsf4 Y i nislouifutter" h s i2 and I3 are ofj similar construction, ,Therefore only one of thephea'ds,

" namely therrigh't hand' yh``a' cl I3 is' shown in Fig; 3

and is hereinafter described, y y

Intlie e'xa'rn'plgf each"r cutter vheadv comprises a leadingictten'gilarnged at an intermediate le'il, y"two 'cutters 2'I` and22 aliove the cutter 2-il, ai'oifctter'ad aroof'cutter 2d. The cut- 2,666,627 s s -v ters 20-24 have edges 20A- 24A all nearly in the same vertical plane A-A, Figs. 2 and 3. Both the floor and roof cutters 23, 24 also have horizontal edges 23B, 24B. The floor cutter is associated with a sloping ramp 23C for lifting the coal from the floor and deflecting it sidewise from the path of the machine for conveyance from the mine workings.

Each head is made as a hollow casing 25 inside which the cutters 20, 2| and 22 are mounted. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the cutter 22 is the forepart of one arm 26 of a lever which is pivotally mounted on a vertical-axis ulcrum pin 21 in the casing 25. The arrangement is such that the cutter 22 is laterally movable in relation to the casing 25 and therefore also .in relation to the coal face newly cut by the machine, said face being in the plane A-A and being parallel to the previously cut face B, Fig. 2. As usual in ma.

chines of the type stated, the cutter 22 is of wedge form in plan. The cutter is set at an acute angle to the new coal face.

The cutter 22 is associated with a heel 28 which in the same example is a metal body having a flat vertical face 29 which is approximately coplanar with the cutter edge 22A in the normal working positions of the cutter and heel. The heel 28 is mounted on the rear of the cutter so as to be movable laterally in relation to the casing 25 in unison with the cutter about the fulcrum 21; but, in addition, the heel is slidably mounted on the cutter so as to be movable relatively to it lengthwise thereof; that is, in either direction parallel to the cutter's inclination to the new coal face. The end of the heel 28, including the face 29, is also of wedge form, said end being arranged to act wedgewise against the new coal face in the acute angle between the cutter and the face.

The movements of the heel 28 relatively to the cutter 22 are under the control of the cutter. In the example, this control is exercised by a rearwardly extending arm 30 of the same lever as the cutter arm 26 through the intermediary of hydraulic cylinder devices incorporated in a closed hydraulic system. In the example,.these devices comprise a double-acting cylinder-and-piston device 3|, 32 applied to the heel 28 and two mutually opposed cylinder-and- ram devices 33, 34 and 35, 36 applied to the control arm 30. The piston 32 is connected to the heel by means of a piston-rod 37, and opposite ends of its cylinder 3| are connected by conduits 38, 39 to the outer ends of the cylinders 33 and 35 of the respective cylinder-and-ram devices. The cylinders of these devices are mounted as a unitary assembly in the casing 25 and their rams 34 and 36 engage the arm 30 between them. The arrangement is such that if the cutter 22 moves laterally, so does the arm 30; and this arm moves one ram 34 (or 36) in one direction, the other ram following; and this movement of the rams is associated with a corresponding movement of the piston 32 and of the heel 28 attached to it.

The cylinders 33 and 35 have the same crosssectional area. This area may be so related to the effective area of the piston 32, and the lengths of the two arms 26 and 30 may be so relatively proportioned, that any movement of the cutter edge 22A would be accompanied by a greater movement of the heel face 29.

In operation of the machine, assume that an unusually resistant portion of the seam of coal C is encountered by the cutter 22; this will force the cutter to turn so as to dig more deeply into the new face A--A. The resultant movement of the movable components 32. 34 and 36 of the hydraulic devices is such that the heel face 29 is moved forcibly relative to the cutter edge 22A against the coal face and, by wedging itself in the acute angle between the cutter and the face, will act to turn the cutter 22 laterally back towards its initial position. This return movement of the cutter'will cause the heel lalso to slide back to its initial position under the action of the hydraulic devices. Conversely, should the resistance of the seam be materially reduced, the cutter 22 may tend to withdraw to a shallower depth of cut. This movement will cause a corresponding `but greater withdrawal of the heel face 29 from the coal face with the result that the cutter will be free to return under the reaction of the seam to its proper depth. Again, this return movement of the cutter will have the effect of returning the heel to its normal setting under the action of the hydraulic devices.

Although, in the example, the invention has been described as applied to a single cutter 22, it will be manifest that each of the other cutters 20 and 2| may be provided correspondingly with a heel and hydraulic devices to regulate the cutting depth at levels at which these cutters work.

I claim:

1. A machine for mining coal or other mineral by moving along a seam and of the type stated comprising a cutter head, a cutter which is mounted on said head so as to cut a new face longitudinally of the seam and so as to be movable laterally under the influence of the mineral, said cutter being arranged on the head to make an acute angle with the new face, a heel associated with the cutter and arranged within said angle between the cutter and the face, means for moving the heel laterally relative to the cutter, control apparatus for controlling the operation of said heel-moving means, and means operatively connecting the cutter and said control apparatus, said connecting means acting whenever the cutter moves to cut deeper into the mineral to operate the heel-moving means to thrust the heel wedgewise into the angle between the face and the cutter and thus withdraw the cutter, whereas if the cutter moves to cut shallower the heel is withdrawn by the operation of said heelmoving means so that the cutter can return.

2. A machine according to claim l in which said heel is mounted in combination with said cutter and in which heel-guiding means on said cutter constrains the heel to take part in any lateral movement of the cutter.

3. A machine according to claim 2 in which the heel-moving means and the heel-guiding means together comprise a hydraulic cylinderand-piston device mounted on the cutter and applied to the heel and the control apparatus comprises hydraulic devices which communicate with said first-mentioned device and are actuated by the said connecting means to'actuate this device.

4. A machine for mining coal or other mineral and oi the type stated comprising a cutter head, a cutter which is pivotally mounted on said head so as to be pivotable laterally under the influence of mineral in which a new face is being cut by the cutter, said cutter being arranged on the head to make an acute angle with the new face, a heel mounted on the cutter soas to pivot therewith, the heel being arranged within said angle between the cutter and the face, means for moving the heel linearly relative to the cutter, control apparatus, ,for centrllins the reraion 0f connecting the cutter and said ccntrol apparatus, said connecting means acting whenever the cutter pivots to cut deeper into themineral to operate theheel-moving means to thrust the heel pivoting with the cutter wedgewise into the angle between the face and the cutter and thus withdraw the cutter, whereas if the cutter pivots to vcutshallower the heel pivoting with it is, in addition, withdrawn by the operation of said heelmoving means so that the cutter can return.

5. A machine according to claim 4 in which the heel-moving means comprises a hydraulic cylinder-and-piston Vdevicemounted on the cutter and applied to the heel and the control apparatus comprises hydraulic devices which communicate with said iirst-mentioned device' and are actuated by the said connecting means to actuate this device.

6. A machine for mining coal or other mineral and of the type stated comprising a cutter head, a cutter which is mounted on said head so as to be movable laterally under the iniiuence of mineral in which a new face is being cut by the cutter, said cutter being arranged on the head to make an acute angle with the new face, a double-acting hydraulic cylinder-and-piston device'provided .on

the head, a heel associated with the cutter andv arranged within said angle between the cutter and thevface, said heel being laterally movable relative to the cutter by said device, a control ele-L ment movable with said cutter, hydraulic means operable by said element and hydraulically communicating with said device so as to operate it in Y either direction, said hydraulic device and means constituting a hydraulic control `system such that if the cutter moves to cut deeper into the mineral the heel is advanced relative to the cutter by the cylinder-and-piston device to press against the face and wedge itself into the angle between the face and the cutter in order to withdraw the cutter, whereas if the cutter moves to cut shallower the heel is withdrawn relative to the cutter by said device so that the cutter can return.

'7. A machine according to claim 6 in which the cutter, the heel and the hydraulic cylinderand-piston device are all pivotally mounted on the head so that, when the cutter pivots relative to the head in order to advance or withdraw with respect to the mineral being cut, the said heel and device pivot lwith the cutter.

8. A machine according to claim l in which the heel is a body. that 'is slidable lengthwise of the cutter and has a wedge--lilte end surface adapted to bear'upon the new face cut in the mineral.

9. .A machine according to claim 4 in which the hee1'is a body that is slidable lengthwise of the cutter and has a wedge-like end surface adapted to bear upon the new face lcut in the mineral.

10. A machine according to claim 6 in which the heel is a body that is slidable lengthwise of the cutter and has a wedge-like end surface adapted to bear mineral.

ERNEST DONALD MERTON GULLICK.

Name Date Morgan Aug. 16, 1927 upon the new face cut in the Number

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