US2730345A - Mining machine with radially adjustable boring arm - Google Patents

Description

Jan. l0, 1956 w. w. sLoANE 2,730,345

MINING MACHINE WITH RADIALLY ADJUSTABLE BORING ARM Filed Dec. 1'7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lll/:x Y A INVENTOR.

WILLIAM VV. SLOANE ATTO RN EY Jan. 10, 1956 w. w. SLOANE 2,730,345

MINING MACHINE WITH RADIALLY ADJUSTABLE BORING ARM Filed Dec. 17, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6l 7| |572 6o 66 l INVENTOR. WlLLIAM W. SLGANE ATTORNEY United States Patenftif-O ce MENING MACHINE WITH RADIALLY ADJUST- ABLE BORING ARM William W. Sloane, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois This invention relates to improvements in mining machines adapted to remove coal or similar material from the face of the mine, and more particularly to mining machines of the type having one or more laterally spaced, radial boring arms with cutting devices thereon adapted to cut bores in advance of the machine. The present invention is especially designed as an improvement over the form of mining machine disclosed in the application of Frank Cartlidge and Frank A. Lindgren, Serial Number 255,058, filed November 6, 1951, owned by the assignee of the present invention wherein the cutter bit supports on the outer ends of the boring arms are telescopically mounted for endwise extension by power means operating from the supporting frame of the rotatable boring member and effective through the drive shaft for said rotatable boring element to adjust the extension of the radial arms while the boring element is in operation.

'i he principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of adjusting mechanism for both extension and retraction of the arms radially of the boring element while the latter is in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from time to time as the following description proceeds.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the vertical plane passing through the axis of rotation of a boring element constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a front end View of the in Figure l; v

Figure 3 is a detailed section taken on line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a detailed section taken on line 4 4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken longitudinally of the axis of rotation of the boring element and showing a variant form of planetary drive gearing which can be used in connection with my invention.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 4, a mining machine support or frame is indicated generally at at the front end of which is mounted a boring element indicated generally at 11 adapted to be rotated by power on a generally horizontal axis in advance of the mining machine. In practice, machines of the kind to which my invention relates frequently have two or more similar boring elements rotating on parallel axes so as to cut contiguous bores. Since my present invention is directed more particularly to features of a single boring element, only one such boring element need be shown or described herein.

The boring element 11, shown in Figure l, consists of a radially elongated, hollow supporting frame 12 having an integral hub 13 rotatable in suitable bearings 14 in a gear housing 15 secured to the front end of the main support 10. The cutter arm support 12 is generally hollow and has a pair of radially extending cutter arms 16, 16

boring element shown 2,730,345 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 mounted for endwise telescopic movement relative thereto. Each cutter arm has a cutter bit support 17 on its outer end, extending at a right angle forwardly therefrom, and having a plurality of detachable cutter bits 18, 18 at its inner, outer and forward end portions.

The boring element 11 may also be provided with a tapered drill-like member projecting forwardly concentric with the hub 13.

The inner ends of the radially extending cutter arms 16, 16 are telescopically adjustable in the hollow frame 12 along two parallel guideways 20, 20 formed closely adjacent each other on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the boring element (see Figure 3). These guideways have wear plates 21 and 22 along the side and front inner faces thereof, engaged by bolts 23, 23 in the hollow frame for adjusting said wear plates relative to the cutter arms when necessary. Each of the guideways 20 has a vertically extending slot 25 opening rearwardly along its inner face through which extend a bracket 26 fixed to the rear face of the respective telescoping arm 16. Each of the brackets 26 has an enlarged end portion 27 in which is threaded a screw shaft 28.

As will be seen from Figure l, each screw shaft 2S has its outer end journalled in a bearing support 29 carried on the inner face of the hollow frame 12 adjacent the aperture 3G through which its respective cutter arm 16 projects. The inner end of each screw shaft 23 is journalled in a pair of bearing supports 31, 32 projecting inwardly and fixed to the end of the side face of the hollow frame 12. The two screw shafts 28, 2S rotate on parallel, laterally spaced axes, but are disposed in endwise oset relation to each other toward opposite ends of the hollow frame. l

The hub 13 of the boring element has an adjusting shaft 35 extending axially therethrough and journalled on longitudinally spaced bearings 36 and 37 therein. The outer end of the adjusting shaft 35 may also have a reduced end portion 38 journalled in a cross web 39 of the hollow frame 12, which cross web also forms a part of the guideways 20 for the cutter arms 16. A worm 40 is fixed 011 the outer end of the shaft 35 inengagement with worm wheels d1, 41 lixed on the two screw shafts 28, 28 between their respective bearing supports 31 and 32.

The dual sets of worm gearing and screw shafts are arranged to cause simultaneous telescopic extension or retraction of the cutter arms 16, 16 in the hollow frame 12 when the adjusting shaft 3S is rotated in one Adirection or the other.

The hub 13 of the boring element may be driven through any suitable power-driven gearing, in the form shown in Figure 1 a gear 45 being fixed on the hub intermediate its ends, and driven by a gear 46 on shaft 47, from any suitable power source on the supporting frame 10.

Referring now to the means for operatively connecting the hub 13 with the adjusting shaft 3S so as to rotate the latter in one direction or the other mainly by power from said hub, I provide a planetary gear mechanism generally indicated at 50, having one element operatively connected with the hub 13 of said boring element, a second element operatively connected with the adjusting shaft 35 and a third element arranged for positive rotation by power in one direction or the other under the control of the operator.

In the illustrative form of planetary mechanism shown in Figure l, a bevel gear 51, forming one element of the planetary system, is fixed on the adjusting shaft 35 and is meshed with a plurality of planetary gears 52, 52, herein three in number, mounted in a cage 53, which cage forms the second element of the planetary. Said cage is loosely mounted on the inner end of the hub 13. The planetary gears 52 are also meshed with a double bevel gear 54 loosely mounted on the hub, which last-named gear, forms` a third element of the planetary. Bevel f gear 54 is driven from the hub 13 through a bevel gear 55 supported on a pinM 56 fixed on the housing 15 and meshed with a bevel gear 57 carried on the hub near its outer end. Y

'.Rotation of 'thecageSS is effected by a reversible motor (notfshown) under control of the operator in any conventional manner, and connected through a shaft 60 having a pinion 61 thereon meshed with external gear teeth 62 formed about the cage 53.

As will be seen from Figure 1, the bevel gears i), 54 and 57 are all of the same pitch diameter. Assuming that the cage 53 is held stationary by the motorshaft 60, the bevel gear 55 serves as an idler to rotate gear 54 in the opposite direction at the same speed. The planetary gears 52 will also serve as idlers to rotate the bevel gear 51 fixed to shaft 35 at the same speed and in the same direction as the hub 13. Accordingly, so long as the control motor connected to shaft 60 is deenergized and said shaft is maintained in a stationary position, the adjusting shaft 35 will rotate in unison with the boring element as a whole, without causing any rotation of the two screw shafts 28 which effect endwise movement of the telescoping cutter arms 16, 16. When the control motor connected to control shaft 60 is rotated in one direction however, pinion 61 will tu-rn the cage 53 bodily in the same direction so as to rotate the cage into a new angular position. This change in angular position will be reflected in either a corresponding speed-up or reduction in speed of the bevel gear 51 with respect to the bevel gear 54 so as to cause rotation of the adjusting shaft 35 and worm 40 relative to the hub 13, thereby causing uniform rotation of the two screw shafts 28. Rotation of the screw shafts 28, in turn, produce inward or outward movement of the arms 16, depending upon the direction in which the screw shafts are rotated.

The variant form of planetary gear mechanism shown in Figure 5 is similar in principle to that shown in Figure 1 but uses spur gears instead of bevel gears. In this case, a spurgear 65 is keyed on the adjusting shaft 35 and is meshed with aplurality of planetary gears 66 on a cage 67. The cage is loosely mounted on the adjusting shaft 35. The planetary gears 66 are also meshed with an internal gear 68 on a gear member 69, also loosely mounted on the shaftv 35. The gear member 69 carries a second internal gear 70 meshed withta pinion 71 on stub shaft 72 fixed to the gear casing 15. The pinion 71 is also meshed with a gear 73 on the inner end of the boring element hub 13.

The planetary gear. mechanism of Figure 5 has such gear ratios that, when the cage 67 is held stationary by and hub 13 will rotate at the same speed and in the same direction. -Any change in angular position of the cage'67 by rotating the control shaft will be reflected in either a corresponding speed-up or reduction in speed of the adjusting shaft 35 relative to the hub 13 so as to produce an inward or outward movement ofthe arms 16, depending upon which direction the control shaft is rotated.

Although I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wishto be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a mining machine having a frame and a power-driven boring element rotatably mounted thereon, including a hub and at least one cutter carrying arm adjustable radially of said hub, means for adjusting the position of the arm relative to said hubincluding a shaft extending concentrically through .an axially of said hub and operably connected with the arm at the front end thereof to move the latter in response to rotation of the shaft relative to the hub, the improvement comprising a first gear fixed on said shaft, a planetary gear meshed with said first gear and journalled on a carrier concentrically mounted with respect to said hub and shaft, a second gear rotatably mounted concentrically with the first gear, the shaft and the hub, and also meshed with said planetary gear, a third gear journalled on the frame and meshed with the second gear, and a fourth gear fixed on the hub and meshed with the said ,third gear, and means for rotating said carrier reversely about the axis of said hub and shaft, including a control shaft disposed on an axis parallel with the axis of said hub and shaft.

References vCtedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 584,422 Smith June l5, 1897 1,333,491 Hughes Mar. 9, 1920 1,335,723 Campbell Apr. 6, 1920 1,603,621 McKnlay Oct. 19, 1926 1,726,963 McKinlay Sept. 3, 1929 1,953,402 Graham Apr. 3, 1934 1,993,948 Schroeder Mar. 12, 1935 1,999,091 v.Ebert Apr. 23, 1935 2,367,555 Arney Jan. 16, 1945 2,370,675 McCoy Mar. 6, 1945 2,392,556 Seppeler Jan. 8, 1946 2,657,916 Von Stroh Nov. 3, 1952

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