US2769627A - Loop cutter chain guide and drive structure - Google Patents

Description

J. F.- JOY Nov. 6, 195

2,769,627 LOOP CUTTER CHAIN GUIDE AND DRIVE STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 6, 1950 fimezzior: Jaseplz fiJay. WW, 422027269 J. F. JOY

Nov. 6, 1956 2,769,627 LOOP CUTTER QHAIN GUIDE AND DRIVE STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Fil'ed Nov. 6 1950 i i view- Y [www.502- JasepZz Lfi/Qy.

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United States Patent LOOP CUTTER CHAIN GUIDE AND DRIVE STRUCTURE Joseph 1*. Joy, Pittsburgh, Pa.,.assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application November 6, "1950, Serial No. 194,259. Divided and this application December 12, 1952,.Serial No. 325,652

2 Claims. (Cl. 26229) This invention relates to mining apparatus and more particularly 'to aguide mounting and drive structure for the endless loop cutter chain of a coal mining apparatus of the square face loop cutter type.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved mining apparatus. Another object is to provide an improved guide mounting and drive structure for an endless loop type cutter chain. Yet another object is to provide an improved mining apparatus of the square face loop cutter type having anopen centered, rectangular frame and improved cutting means in the form of an endless loop cutter guided for circulation about the rectangular frame and having improved driving means for the endless loop cutter. A further object is to provide animproved endless loop type cutter chain and an open centered guide frame about which the cutter chain is guided for circulation'in an orbital path and'having improved driving meansfor the cutter chain. A still further object is to provide 'an improved endless loop type cutter chain having teeth on certain of its links and a toothed drive wheel engaging the link teeth for driving the chain. Still another object is to :provide an improved rectangular guide frame structure for an endless loop cutter chain. These .and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

This application is a division of my copending app1ication,iSerial No. 194,259, filed November -6, 1950.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice. i

In these drawings:

"Fig. 1 is a plan view of a miningapparatus in which an illustrative form of the invention is embodied.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, illustrating a portion of the cutter chain drive. i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 3-3of Fig. 2, withparts omitted to facilitate illustration. V V

Fig. -'4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the plane of Fig. 2, showing the cutter chain and its guide.

The mining apparatus in which the invention is embodied is herein of the square face loop cutter type and generally comprises a portable base 1 which may be of any suitable type for moving the apparatus over the floor of a mine both during the cutting and dis lodging operation and during maneuvering and tramming of the apparatus, and carried by the base is a main frame 2. The main frame 2 carries a conventional motor 3, arranged horizontally and longitudinally of the main frame, and mounted on the forward portion of the main frame in a transverse upright position across the front end of the apparatus is a rectangular, open-cen- 'tered guide frame 4 providing a guideway 5 in which an endless loop cutter 6 is guided for circulation in an orbital path. The guide frame is herein of laterally elongated, generally rectangular shape and :has .a rectangular central opening .7. Also arranged 'onthe main framezin advance of the motor z-is aigearihousingfi and extending between'theztoppfithe guide frame 4, centrally between the .sides of the latter, and the top of the .gear housing is a brace arm or strut :9 which rigidly braces the upper portion of the :guide frame.

The endless loop cutter 15, which travels along .a rec- 'tangular orbital path about the guide frame, is in the form of a pivoted slink critter chain comprising a series of chain blocks 10ipi-votally connected bypivot elements or studs 11 to intermediate-strap links 12. As shown most clearly in "Fig. 3, :the "chain iblOCkS comprise outer plates 13 and :inner plates 14 secured together by the studs and the "studs haveintermedia'tezenlarged cylindrica'l portions 15 providing :opposed shoulders and spacing the inner zandouter'plates',-and a nut 16is threaded on the outer threaded portion-of each stud to hold :the plates in rigidspaced relation with the intermediate strap links 12 pivotally engagingatheenlarged intermediate portions of the studs. fBhe outer plates 'have lateral lugs 17 in which cutter bits 18 are mounted. Theloop cut- :ter chain per se is fully :disclosed in my copending application, :Sen'alNo. 217,332, filed .March 24, 1951, which is a continuation-impart nf-application Serial No. 194,259 mentioned above.

The inner plates "14 of the chain blocks of the endless loop cutter have teeth 19 which, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, areengage'dhy the teeth of a large horizontal spur .gear or toothedelement20. :As shown Fin Fig. 2, the motor 3 -has keyed to :its power shaft 21 'a bevel pinion 22 Imeshing with a large zbev'elrgear 23 secured :to avertical shaft 24 suitably :journaled for rotation within the gear :housing 8. Secured to the :shaft 24, above the beveled :gear 23, is a-spur pinion '25 meshing with and'drivinga large spur .gear 26 having its hub suitably 'journaled on -a vertical shaft 21, "the :latter in :turn being suitably journa'led for rotation -with the :gear housing. A conventional sliding ftoothed or gear :clutch 28 is shiftable by .a shifteryoke 29 for-connecting the gear-hub to the shaft 27. This shiftersyoke is provided with suitable operating connections including [an operating handle .30 (Fig. 1) conveniently located exterior-1y of the :gear housingeat :OIIB side "of the machinefram'e. Keyed ito the lower end of the shaft 27 and arranged inia'horizontal gear chamber 31 formed within the lower portion of i'the main frame is 'a spur, gear132 which engages and drives the largezspur gear 20. The gear 20, as shown in Fig. 2, is arranged in the gear chamber 3:1;and the guide frame is Ihorizontally recessed or cut away at 33 so that the :gear 2t) may extend forwardly into driving engagement with rthe .teeth on the endless cutterachain. Thus, when the clutch 28 is connected, Ethe loop cutter chain 26 may be rapidly circulated along its rectangular-shaped orbital :pathabout the guideway of the rectangular eguide frame '4.

, .As the machine is advanced toward the coal Eface during the mining foperation, the :endless loop cutter chain cuts out a rectangular core of coal which enters the open center of the rectangular guide frame and as the core is formed a pair of wedge type breaker devices or coal bursters 35 and associated drills 36, which are mounted on and extend longitudinally of the main frame, penetrate the core and break away or dislodge the same with a wedging or bursting action and the dislodged core falls in fragments onto a horizontal receiving plate 37 from which it is conveyed by an endless flight conveyor 38, the latter moving the dislodged coal upwardly and rearwardly of the apparatus to a convenient point of delivery remote from the coal face. Since the breaker wedge devices and drills and their mode of operation are fully disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 194,259 above referred to and do not per se enter into the present invention further description thereof is, herein unnecesfour coacting parts rigidly secured as byscrews 42,-cer- 'tain of which are shown in Fig. 1, vengaging lugs 43 on 'the adjacent joining ends of the parts. The horizontal receiving plate 37 overlies and provides'the top of the gearchamber 31' (Fig. '2) and flares'out laterally at 44 at its forward portion to' substantiallythe full width of the'cutter frame and has upright side retaining walls 45 secured to the upright side frameiparts 40 of-the guide frame '4. The bottom cross. frame part provides a 'straight'portion 41' of the'guideway for the bottom run of the loop cutter chain, and the bottom guideway portion has a plane surface 42 along which the chain moves at the point of contact of the teeth of the gear 20 with the chain-teeth 19. The plane guideway surface provides a backing surface against whichthe chain reacts during meshing contact of the gear-teeth with the chain-teeth.

The general mode of operation of the improved mining apparatus is fully disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 194,259 mentioned above and therefore detailed description thereof is herein unnecessary. During runmng of the motor 3 with the clutch 28 connected,

the endless loop' cutter chain 6 may be rapidly circulated in its orbital path on its guide frame through the bevel gearing 22, 23, spur gearing 25, 26, vertical shaft 27 and' spur gearing 32 and 20, the teeth of the latter en'- gaging the teeth 19 on certain'of the links of the cutter of such width as to receive said guide frame, saidguide frame being laterally elongated and comprising upright side frame members and top and bottom cross frame members, said frame members having rearwardly located lugs near their adjacentjoining ends and detachable securing elements engaging said lugs for securing said frame members together, said securing elements arranged in longitudinal parallelism with and rearwardly of said chain. The driving gearing is completely housed within the machine and is compactly arranged within the lower portion of the machine frame and is so positioned as to efliciently effect drive of the cutter chain without restricting the passage of the core ofcoal into the open center of the rectangular cutter frame. By forming the driving teeth integral with certain of the links of the endless cutter chain and by arranging the driving gear in the manner disclosed with its teeth in direct driving contact with the'chain teeth, a powerful and effective driveis provided. Other advantages of the invention willtbe clearly apparent to thoseskilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one 'form Which-the invention'may assume in practice, it will be understood that-this form of the same is shown for purposes; of illustration and that the invehtion'may be modified and embodied in various other forms without, departing from its spirit or'the 'scopeof the appended claims. f

What I claim'as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: t r {'I 1 a 1. In a mining apparatus, a support having an opencentered rectangular" guide frame mounted in a transverse upright position'onthe forward portion of said support, said upright frame having 'a guideway about its margin, and an endless loop cutter chain guided for orbital circulation along said guideway, said chain having forwardly located cuttersarranged to cut. a kerf cross frame members close to the latter.

2.1m a mining apparatus, a base frame having an open-centered rectangular guide frame mounted in a transverse upright position on the forward portion of said base frame, said upright frame having a guideway extending thereabout, an endless loop cutter chain guided for orbital circulation along said guideway, said chain having forwardly located cutters arranged to cut a kerf in the mineral of a solid mine vein, said cutters beingof such Width as to form a kerf for receiving said guide frame as cutting'progresses, said guide frame having a transverse bottom horizontal portion for 'receiving' mineral dislodged from the mine vein, said base frame having a lower portion underlying and supporting said horizontal portion of said guide frame, a horizontal plate overlying and secured to said horizontal bottom portion of said guide frame, said lower portion of said base frame and said plate entering the kerf formed by said cutters as the apparatus advances, the top of said horizontal upper plate disposed substantially in the plane of the bottom of the opening at the center of said rectangular guide frame, said base frame having a horizontal chamber ar- I projecting through said last mentioned opening, said gear having peripheral gear.teeth, and gear teeth on said chain with which said gear has driving engagement, the

chain gear teeth moving along a straight path disposed tangential of said gear and the teeth of said gear lying in horizontal planes parallel with the top surface of said upper plate. w

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS" 689,242

Stutt Dec.'17, 1901 923,713 Schwarting June 1, 1909 1,443,578 Kline Jan. 30, 1923 1,507,421 Peale v Sept. 2, 1924 1,585,916 Holmes May 25, 1926 1,903,771 Bowman Apr. 18, 1933 2,093,448 Joy Septy21, 1937 2,246,225 Van Etten June'l7, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 6, 1952

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