US3343881A

US3343881A - Planer arrangement of carrier having plural pockets mounting cutter plates

Info

Publication number: US3343881A
Application number: US587638A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rassmann Christoph; Georg Werner; Heyer Willy
Original assignee: Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia GmbH
Current assignee: Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia GmbH
Priority date: 1963-04-13
Filing date: 1966-10-12
Publication date: 1967-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1984-09-26
Also published as: DE1186010B

Description

Sept. 26, 1967 Q PLARER `ARRANGRMRNT oF CARRIER HAVING RLURAL RASSMANN ET AL POCKETS MOUNTING CUTTER PLATES Original Filed April 15, v1964 um S United States Patent O 3,343,881 PLANER ARRANGEMENT OF CARRIER HAVING PLURAL POCKETS MOUNTNG CUTTER PLATES Christoph Rassmann, Luuen, Werner Georg, Altluueu, and Willy Heyer, llochum-Gerthe, Germany, assignors to Gewerkschaft Eisenhtte, Westfalia, Lunen, Westphalia, Germany, a corporation of Germany Continuation of application Ser. No. 359,059, Apr. 13, 1964. This application Oct. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 587,638 Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 13, 1963, G 37,520 21 Claims. (Cl. 299-34) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Mining planer arrangement including a pair of spaced apart planer elements interconnected by an intermediate cutting tool carrier member having a plurality of pockets of substantially the same dimensions for correspondingly receiving removably therein the lower portions of cutting tools with the corresponding upper portions of the cutting tools extending upwardly beyond the carrier member and planer elements for extracting mineral from the mine face and/or mine roof, preferably with at least some of the pockets situated in tandem with the cutting tools being of substantially different stepwise longitudinal dimensions such that the upper portions of such tools extend upwardly beyond the carrier member and planer elements in offset stepwise relation to one another in accordance with the differences in their stepwise longitudinal dimensions.

This is a streamlined continuation of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 359,059, tiled Apr. 13, 1964, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a planer arrangement adapted to be conducted back and forth along a mine face for the extraction of mineral and the like, and more particularly to such an arrangement including a pair of spaced apart planer elements linkably interconnected by an intermediate roof cutting tool carrier member having pocket means for receiving one or more roof cutting tools.

It is known in the prior art to construct a mining planer such as a coal planer with two separate planer elements which are articulatingly linked to one another, with each planer element carrying the appropriate cutting tools thereon for winning or extracting coal or other mineral in the particular direction of movement for which such tools are operatively positioned. It has been proposed also to couple the two planer elements together by means of an intermediate member, such that roof cutting tools are mounted on the intermediate member for extracting or tearing down the overhanging or roof coal or other mineral in the mine face being worked. In this case, one or the other alternate group of unidirected roof cutting tools mounted on the intermediate member swings into the operating position, depending upon the direction of movement of the planer arrangement. As the coal or other mineral is undercut by the planer elements during the actual nonnal mine face extracting operations, the roof cutting tools are also in operation. However, as will be appreciated by the artisan, it is not always desirable to cut simultaneously the top coal or roof coal, or other mineral, and the normal mine face coal, or side face coal.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of former constructions including interconnected planer elements utilizing an intermediate member containing roof cutting tools, and to provide instead a planer arrangement adapted to be conducted back and forth along a mine face for the extraction of mineral and the like, in which removable roof cutting tools are provided, whereby to permit conversion from normal planer operations to roof cutting operations.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a planer arrangement of the foregoing type designed to permit the overhanging mineral or roof mineral to be undercut in sections and conveyed directly on to a mining conveyor adjacent the site of operations with a minimum of loss of extracted mineral.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mining arrangement of the foregoing type in which strata of mineral interrupted by unwanted gangue may be worked in a simple and etlicient manner so as to recover, for example, first the lower strata of desired mineral, then the gangue in the form of waste, and thereafter the remaining layer of desired mineral, such that the desired mineral and gangue are not intermixed during the extracting to the extent that losses of valuable material would occur.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a planer arrangement of the foregoing type utilizing slanted or inclined roof cutting tools on an intermediate carrier member, which tools are positioned for slantingly undercutting the roof mineral in longitudinal blocks, in such a manner that the extracted blocks of mineral will slide along the adjacent uncut portion downwardly and outwardly and execute a trajectory terminating at the mining conveyor in connection with which the arrangement is utilized.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the within specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a schematic side view of a planer arrangement in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is schematic partial sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FIG. l and illustrating in phantom a portion of a mining conveyor, and

FIG. 3 is a view of a planer arrangement in accordance with the invention similar to that shown in FIGS. l and 2 but containing roof cutting tools which slant downwardly and outwardly away from the mine face.

It has been found in accordance with the present invention that an improved, versatile planer arrangement adapted to be conducted back and forth along a mine face for the extraction of mineral and the like, may be provided which comprises a pair of spaced apart planer elements linkably interconnected by an intermediate roof cutting tool carrier member, the carrier member having means defining a pocket for receiving removably therein the lower portion of at least one roof cutting tool adapted ,to extend upwardly beyond the carrier member and the planer elements for extracting mineral from the mine roof.

Preferably, the carrier member is provided with a plurality of sub-pockets in tandem, and at least some of the sub-pockets are provided with roof cutting tools, respectively, which are removably inserted at their lower portions therein, such that their upper portions extend upwardly beyond the carrier member and planer elements for extracting mineral from the mine roof. Conveniently, the sub-pockets may be of substantially the same dimensions while the roof cutting tools may be of substantially different step-wise longitudinal dimensions, so that the roof cutting tools may be removably inserted in tandem in the sub-pockets with the upper portions of the roof cutting tools being offset step-wise from one another in accordance with the diiferences in their step-wise longitudinal dimensions. The pockets in the carrier member may be divided into the sub-pockets by intermediate transverse stop means against which the roof cutting tools are adapted to abut. Preferably, the root cutting tools are unidirectional and the stop means are arranged symmetrically with respect to one another to permit the roof cutting tools to be inserted alternately removably in a selective manner for operative cutting engagement in each alternate direction of movement of the arrangement. Generally, the roof cutting tools will be provided in at plate form with exchangeable carbide cutting bits.

Advantageously, the sub-pockets may be provided substantially in the form of transversely narrow longitudinal slots, while the roof cutting tools may be provided in the form of plates of substantially corresponding dimensions, with the plates being removably inserted in the slots and releasably xed in operating position therein by securing means. Among the securing means which may be used are transversely extending pins interconnecting the roof cutting tools with the carrier member at the slots, as well as wedge means interposed between the plate form roof cutting tools and the appropriate sides of the slots in friction contact and pressure engagement therewith.

Specifically, the intermediate cutting tool carrier member includes a pair of transversely spaced apart longitudinally extending laterally side plates secured together along their longitudinal end portions to form the pocket. A pair of vertically spaced apart transversely extending bolts are provided at each end of the carrier member so as to interconnect articulatingly the respective planer element with the corresponding adjacent end portions of the lateral side plates by means of aligned bore means dened therein. With respect to each longitudinal end of the carrier member, the width of the adjacent bore means in either the plate element on the one hand or the side plates on the other hand, in connection with which the lowermost of the corresponding pair of vertically spaced apart bolts is used, is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the arrangement to permit the lowermost bolt to slide longitudinally for providing play between the corresponding linkably interconnected plate element and carrier member. The side plates may be laterally reinforced by superimposed longitudinally extending rib means, and preferably the rib means disposed on the lateral side plate remote from the mine face side of the arrangement includes a downwardly and laterally outwardly slanting guide surface to insure that roof mineral which is extracted will be conducted in the desired direction on to the mining conveyor in connection with which the arrangement is used.

In accordance with one particular embodiment of the present invention, the sub-pockets in the carrier member are positioned perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal 'such that the roof cutting tools in their operating position removably inserted therein, will extend vertically upwardly in a direction perpendicular to the mine floor. On the other hand, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the sub-pockets in the carrier member are positioned at an angle with respect to the horizontal such that the roof cutting tools in their operating position removably inserted therein will extend slantingly upwardly in a corresponding direction toward the mine face.

Referring to the drawing, and especially FIGS. 1 and 2, a planer arrangement is shown in which a pair of spaced apart planar elements 10, having appropriate cutting tools 11 thereon, are interconnected by means of an intermediate roof cutting tool carrier member 12 having the upper ears 13 and the lower ears 15. In this regard, the corresponding planer elements 10 are provided with appropriate ears 14 and 16, respectively, whereby an upper and a lower connection may be provided between each longitudinal end of the carrier member 12 and the appropriate planer element 10. Actually, transverse bolts (not shown) are provided to connect articulatingly the ears 13 and 14 at each longitudinal end of the carrier member, and in a similar manner bolts 17 are provided to interconnect the corresponding ears 15 of the carrier member 12 with the ears 16 of the appropriate planer element 10. The order to provide enhanced flexibility for the linkable connection between the parts in tandem, the bore holes in the appropriate lower ears 15 of the carrier member 12 and/ or the bore holes in the ears 16 of the corresponding planer elements 10 are elongated so as to form a longitudinal slot in the longitudinal direction of the movement of the arrangement, whereby to permit the three interconnected parts to articulate to some extent among one another and thus accommodate any unevenness in the mine floor 37.

Conveniently, the planer elements 10 are also interconnected by means of a slitting plate 18 near the mine floor 37 which contains tools to undercut the mine face before the mineral is won or extracted by the cutting tools of the planer elements 10. As a consequence, the mine face is relieved of pressure in the expected manner, as is known, and in turn there is a facilitation of the actual winning or extraction operations.

Moreover, as may be seen from FIG. 2, a keel or underlying plate 19 is provided on the rearward side of the particular planer element 1t), i.e., remote Ifrom the mine fac-e, and such plate 19 is meant to extend under the mining conveyor 34, shown in phantom, in order to stabilize the position and facilitate the movement of the planer arrangement along the mine face. rIhe use of underlying plates or keels and the use of mining conveyors, such as double chain scraper conveyors, is conventional and appropriate constructions are disclosed in U.S. Patent 2,745,65 l.

The carrier member 12 is provided with the lateral side plates 20 and 21 (see FIG. 2) which are held in spaced parallel relation with respect to one another, by means of end spacers 22. Plate 20 is reinforced with

ribs

23 and 24 while plate 21 is provided with a guide rib 25 extending downwardly and outwardly toward the conveyor 34.

Carrier member 12 contains a pocket dened therein due to the contiguration of the lateral side plates 20 and 21 spaced apart 4by the spacers 22. Appropriate transverse stop means 26 in the form of rods may be provided between the plates 20 and 21 to achieve a plurality of subpockets for removably receiving the

roof cutting tools

27, 2S and 29, which carry exchangeable cutting bits 30, which may be in the form of carbide steel bits. In order to xedly situate the various roof cutting tools within the subpockets, pins 31 may be used to extend through the side plates 20 and 21 as well as through the appropriate

roof cutting tools

27, 28 or 29. Preferably, the pins 31 are xedly inserted through the plate form of the

roof cutting tools

27, 28 and 29 in such a manner that appropriate receiving means within the pocket of carrier member 12 will hold the appropriate roof cutting tool in t-he desired way until the same is removed.

As may be seen in FIG. l, the roof cutting tools in the form of similar trapezoids, Le., with the leading and trailing edges being more or less parallel with respect to one another, and with the interconnecting top and bottom edges being at an angle with respect to one another, chip away at the mineral to be extracted from the mine roof 33 up to a point near the gangue 36 thereabove. The mineral which is chipped away will conveniently fall against the guide rib 25 and pass into the mining conveyor 34. Any mineral falling directly in zfront of the roof cutting tools and carrier member on the side adjacent the mine face being worked will be eventually plowed into the conveyor during the next passage of the planer arrangement along the mine face, for example in the direction of arrow 32, or in the opposite direction as shown by arrow 35 (see FIG. l). The plowing of mineral extracted from a mine face into the mining conveyor adjacent the site of operations is a well known expedient and this may be appreciated `from a consideration of the close proximity of the mining conveyor 34 to the mine face being worked as shown in FIG. 2.

With particular attention to FIG. 2, it will be seen that as the planer arrangement passes along the mine face in the direction of arrow 32, for example, a groove 38 is made in the roof mineral portion so as to form a longitudinal block 39 which will eventually be loosened from the gangue 36 and allowed to fall upon the conveyor 34 so that the same may be removed from the site of mining operations.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIG. 2 but instead of the upwardly directed

roof cutting tools

27, 28 and 29 being perpendicular to the mine iioor 37, roof cutting tools 27', 28' and 29', are slanted upwardly and inwardly toward the mine face and therefore at an angle with respect to the mine floor 37, so as to cut away the roof coal in a correspondingly slanted manner. In this way a slanted ledge 40 is deiined in the face of the roof coal. Accordingly, as the block of roo-f coal is cut apart from the remainder, such block 41 will break oif and slide along the ledge 40 in the desired direction, so that the same will fall directly into the conveyor 34 adjacent the side of the arran-gement containing the planer elements remote lfrom the mine face. Each planer element i0 in this embodiment is similarly provided with a keel or underlying plate 19'. As will be appreciated from FIG. 3 as Well as from FIG. 2, the appropriate keel or underlying plate can overcome the resistance met at the mine face by the planer elements 10' due to the weight of the mining conveyor 34 exerted thereon as well as the weight of any mass being conveyed along the mining conveyor 34.

Accordingly, the present invention contemplates iirst extracting the mine face in the normal manner using planer elements of the instant type, without any roof cutting tools until the top mineral or roof mineral is left suspended without any support therebelow. When the overhanging strip of roof mineral such as coal has achieved a breadth which extends approximately as far as the middle `of the mining conveyor on the offside of the planer arrangement, or when the same has achieved a breadth extending even somewhat farther, if desired, then the roof cutting tools of the instant type are inserted in the carrier member for the purpose of slitting the overhanging mineral in an upwardly directed manner, whereupon the entire block of roof mineral may then be caused to drop as a whole. By the particular arrangement employed, the loosened blocks of roof mineral will automatically fall into the conveyor without loss of valuable mineral and without the need for extra measures to recover mineral which misses the conveyor. Not only Will the guide rib 25 of FIG. 2 assist in guiding the loosened blocks of roof coal into the conveyor, ibut also the employment of roof cutting tools of the type depicted in FIG. 3.

The arrangement of the present invention is particularly applicable where the mineral seam is divided into an upper seam and a lower seam by a more or less thick stratum of gangue. This often occurs in the mining of coal. In such case, the coal can be won or extracted by normal planer operations only to a height Aas far as the gangue. At the point where the gangue overhangs far enough beyond the mine face therebelow being worked, then it may be possibie to free the gangue from the mine face formation by vertically slitting the same upwardly to cause blocks thereof to form and upon loosening to eventually fall. After the removal of the waste gangue, Iand after one or more additional operations necessary to achieve the removal of the gangue and the extraction of the undercoal, if necessary, to expose suicient upper coal in the upper seam for removal, the upper coal may then be cut by the roof cutting tools ofthe invention to cause the loosening and falling of such upper seam coal onto the conveyor in a similarly automatic manner. It will be appreciated that the cutting tools used for removing the gangue may be different from those used for removing the coal thereabove in the upper coal seam, and of course,

the tools for removing the coal in the upper coal seam will necessarily possess a higher reach so as to cut a higher vertical distance into the formation.

Naturally, in order to be able to operate with versatility, the after cutting tools or roof cutting tools usable in accordance with the invention, are inserted in a manner permitting easy removal thereof, such roof cutting tools being appropriately received in the pocket or sub-pockets of the intermediate carrier member. Simply, the carrier member will possess a pocket or a series of sub-pockets open at the top into which the roof cutting tools can be easily inserted, perhaps in tandem in step-Wise relationship.- Of course, the sub-pockets may be of equal size and shape so that roof cutting tools of dilerent size can be inserted into such pockets or sub-pockets for achieving a step-wise offsetting of the cutting edges of the tools. As aforesaid, it is of especial advantage to provide a single pocket in the carrier member which is divided by cross bars or transverse stop means into a plurality of subpockets for receiving the individual plate shaped roof cutting tools. If the cross bars 26 as shown in FIG. 1 are in symmetrical relationship to one another, then the cutting tools may be inserted so as to cut the overhanging roof coal in either direction, as desired, .and this feature may be appreciated from a study of FIG. l wherein an appropriate roof cutting tool 27 is shown in phantom but directed in the opposite direction when the arrangement is conducted in the direction of arrow 35.

The roof cutting tools are conveniently of iiat plate design and the cutting bits may be in the form of replaceable carbide steel cutting bits, secured in place with bolts or the like. In the same way, the cutting tools themselves may be removably positioned in the pocket or sub-pockets of the carrier member by means of pins as shown in FIG. 1, or by wedge means disposed in the space between the appropriate lateral side plate of the carrier member and the particular roof cutting plate tool. While wedge means of the foregoing type will assure a pressure-friction connection, the arrangement may be disassembled as desired by merely tapping out the particular wedge means.

It will be realized that the intermediate carrier member may be arranged such that the normally vertically upwardly directed roof cutting tools may be pivoted so .as to incline the same toward the mine face being worked or the desired inclined tool disposition can be achieved by replacing the carrier member and/ or the roof cutting tools by similar parts which, when assembled, will provide the roof cutting tools inclined toward the mine face at least at their upper end portion. Numerous specific constructional arrangements to effect the desired slanting arrangement will occur to the artisan and be obvious from the foregoing taken in connection with the embodiments actually shown in the drawing.

While, of course, it is possible to utilize the planer arrangement of the invention with the roof cutting tools in place when merely only cutting the coal from the mine face in the usual manner, a much greater amount of power will be required, since the roof cutting tools will be simultaneously in engagement with the roof coal as the normal planer element cutting tools 11 would be in engagement with the mine face or .side face. Even if the roof cutting tools were rearranged in the pocket or subpocket means of the carrier member so that the same did not extend upwardly into engagement with the roof coal at the maximum height, more operating power than would be actually necessary would be used, all to the inefliciency of the mining operation. It will be realized that normally urging cylinders or shifting cylinders, such as those of the type shown in U.S. Patent 2,745,651 noted above, are employed to force the mining conveyor and in turn the planer arrangement against the coal face being worked. It is also possible to release temporarily such urging cylinders during the back and forth travel of the planer arrangement when the top coal 0r roof coal lis being ex'- tracted by the aftercutting roof tools. Hence, the normal lateral cutting tools 11 of the planer elements 19 do not come into play and only the top coal will be extracted during the back and forth movement of the arrangement. This procedure is especially recommended when it is important to remove a vein of gangue alone Without great losses of coal as might occur if simultaneously the side face were also being worked. In such event, the g-angue would be mixed with the side face coal and such side face coal would either be lost with the gangue or eorts would have to be expended to recover the usable coal from the gangue or waste.

In this regard, while the planer elements may be of the conventional design, they will possess preferably an underlying plate extending beneath the conveyor over the full width thereof for greatest stability, with the two planer elements being interconnected near the mine tloor by an appropriate slitting plate carrying tools sufficient to undercut the coal face before the coal is actually extracted -by the planing movement of the cutting tools of the planer elements. By undercutting the side coal face, the same is relieved of pressure at its underside, and of course, the extraction and `break up of the side face coal is thereby enhanced.

Advantageously, by the use of a carrier member construction in which a pocket or sub-pockets are provided and with the use of plates as roof cutting tools which are of the same breadth but of different lengths, the roof cutting tools may be inserted and removed for the desired type of mining operation to be conducted, and the workmen employed for such purposes may be untrained, yet the changeover may be accomplished quickly and perfectly. The cutting tool plates `are generally symmetrical or similar in shape and may assume the form of a trapezoidal plate or even a triangular shaped plate, the same preferably carrying carbide bits at both ends, so that upon reversing the direction of extraction operations, the top or roof cutting tools may be merely inverted in the sub-pockets and the extraction continued. Indeed, by providing the plates used as the roof cutting tools in dilferent lengths in sequence, the cutting edges will be offset from one another in a step-wise manner so that a more effective cutting operation may be carried out. While the instant construction permits interchangeable roof cutting tools to be used depending upon the height of the roof coal to be extracted, it is not always necessary for the groove being cut in the roof coal by the roof cutting tools to extend upwardly to the gangue itself in order to achieve an automatic loosening and dropping of the overhanging roof coal in the form of blocks or chunks into the conveyor. The weight of the blocks or chunks of coal robbed of lateral support as the roof cutting tools `are operated, will soon fall in the desired manner.

The arrangement used in FIG. 3 is of especial importance where it is necessary to prop up the mine roof due to the particular condition of the strata. In this connection, it may be necessary to utilize cantilevered beams extending forwardly a suitable distance as close as possible to the mine face being worked. For this purpose, a slanting set of roof cutting tools may be employed so that the coal in the upper portion of the mine face may be removed to allow further cantilevered beams to extend into the mine face before the lower seam or main seam of coal in the side face being Worked is attacked 4by the normal planer elements. The slanting nature of the cut made in the roof coal will not only achieve the loosening of the roof coal in the desired manner, but also the upper slanting ledge which remains will further guide the loosened coal into the mining conveyor while permitting at the same time working space to allow the extension of the mine roof support as close -as possible to the mine face as will be achieved with cantilevered beams as aforesaid.

Depending upon the angle of the roof cutting tools and the height of the upper coal seam -being worked, the roof cutting tools may be replaced with tools of longer dimen,

sions. As the artisan will appreciate, however, the roof cutting tools of the present invention contemplate thick, thin, high, low, wide, narrow, etc. shapes depending upon the conditions of the mine seam vbeing worked.

While the foregoing specification and drawings are set `forth for purposes of illustration, it will be appreciated by the artisan that various modications and changes may be made wit-hout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the same being limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. Planer arrangement `adapted to be conducted back Iand Aforth along a mine face for the extraction of mineral and the like, which comprises a pair of spaced apart planer elements linkably interconnected by an intermediate cutting tool carrier member, said carrier member having a plurality of pocket means of substantially the same dimensions for correspondingly receiving removably therein the lower portions of cutting tools adapted to extend upwardly beyond said carrier member and said planer elements for extracting mineral from a mineral deposit adjacent thereto and having the corresponding upper portions of said cutting tools extending upwardly beyond said carrier member and said planer elements.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said cutting tools are provided in dat plate form with exchangeable cutting bits.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said pockets are substantially in the form of transversely narrow longitudinal slots and said cutting tools are in the form of plates of substantially corresponding dimensions removably inserted in said slots and releasably xed in operating position therein by securing means.

4. Arrangement laccording to claim 3 wherein said securing means are transversely extending pins interconnecting said cutting tools with said carrier member.

5. Arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the pockets in said carrier member are positioned perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal such that the cutting tools in their operating position removably inserted therein extend vertically upwardly in a direction perpendicular to the mine floor.

6. Arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the pockets in said carrier member are positioned at an angle with respect to the horizontal such that the cutting tools in their operating position removably inserted therein extend slantingly upwardly in a direction toward the mine face.

7. Arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said cutting tools are flat plates having the shape of similar -trapezoids.

8. Planer arrangement adapted to be conducted back and forth along a mine face for the extraction of mineral and the like, which comprises a pair of spaced apart planer elements linkably interconnected by an intermediate roof cutting tool carrier member, said carrier member having means defining a pocket divided into a plurality of sub-pockets of substantially the same dimensions in tandem for correspondingly receiving removably therein the lower por-tions of roof cutting tools adapted to extend upwardly beyond said carrier member and said planer elements for extracting mineral from the mine roof, at least some of said sub-pockets being provided in tandem with such roof cutting tools, respectively, of substantially different step-wise longitudinal dimensions removably inserted at their lower portions in said subpockets and having the corresponding upper portions of said cutting tools extending upwardly beyond said carrier member and said planer elements in offset step-wise relation to one another in accordance with the differences in their step-wise longitudinal dimensions whereby to extract mineral from the mine roof.

9, Arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the subpockets in said carrier member are positioned perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal such that the roof cutting tools in their operating position removably inserted therein extend vertically upwardly in a direction perpendicular to the mine floor.

10. Arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the subpockets in said carrier member are positioned at an angle with respect to the horizontal such that the roof cutting tools in their operating position removably inserted therein extend slantingly upwardly in a direction toward the mine face.

11. Arrangement according to claim 3 wherein said roof cutting tools are flat plates having the shape of similar trapezoids.

12. Arrangement according to claim 8 wherein said pocket is divided into said sub-pockets by intermediate transverse stop means against which said roof cutting tools are adapted to abut.

13, Arrangement according to claim 12 wherein said roof cutting tools are unidirectional and said stop means are arranged symmetrically with respect to one another to permit the roof cutting tools to be alternately removably inserted selectively for operative cutting engagement in each alternate longitudinal direction of movement of the arrangement.

14. Arrangement according to claim 13 wherein said roof cutting tools are provided in flat plate form with exchangeable cutting bits.

1S. Arrangement according to claim 13 wherein said subpockets are substantially in the form of transversely narrow longitudinal slots and said roof cutting tools are in the form of plates of substantially corresponding dimensions removably inserted in said slots and releasably fixed in operating position therein by securing means.

16. Arrangement according to claim 15 wherein said securing means are transversely extending pins interconnecting said roof cutting tools with said carrier member.

17. Arrangement according to claim 15 wherein said securing means are wedge means interposed between the plate form roof cutting tools and the appropriate sides of the slots in friction contact and pressure engagement therewith.

18. Arrangement according to claim 15 wherein said intermediate cutting tool carrier member includes a pair of transversely spaced apart longitudinally extending lateral side plates secured together along their longitudinal end portions to form said pocket, and a pair of vertically spaced apart transversely extending bolts are provided at each longitudinal end of the carrier member which articulatingly interconnect the respective planer element with the correspondingly adjacent end portions of the lateral side plates by means of aligned bore means defined there- 1n.

19. Arrangement according to claim 18l wherein with respect to each longitudinal end of the carrier member. the width of the adjacent bore means in one of the corresponding plate element on the one hand and the side plates on the other hand, in connection with which the lowermost of the corresponding pair of vertically spaced apart bolts is used, is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the arrangement to permit said lowermost bolt to slide longitudinally for providing play between the corresponding linkably interconnected plate element and carrier member.

20. Arrangement according to claim 19 wherein said side plates are laterally reinforced by superimposed longitudinally extending rib means.

21. Arrangement according to claim 20 wherein the rib means disposed on the lateral side plate remote from the mine face side includes a downwardly and laterally outwardly slanting guide surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,073,581 1/1963 Lobbe 299-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,019,110 l/l953 France.

803,109 2/ 1951 Germany. 806,130 6/1951 Germany. 917,482 9/ 1954 Germany. 706,026 3/ 1954 Great Britain.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. PLANER ARRANGEMENT ADAPTED TO BE CONDUCTED BACK AND FORTH ALONG A MINE FACE FOR THE EXTRACTION OF MINERAL AND THE LIKE, WHICH COMPRISES A PAIR OF SPACED APART PLANER ELEMENTS LINKABLY INTERCONNECTED BY AN INTERMEDIATE CUTTING TOOL CARRIER MEMBER, SAID CARRIER MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF POCKET MEANS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIMENSIONS FOR CORRESPONDINGLY RECEIVING REMOVABLY THEREIN THE LOWER PORTIONS OF CUTTING TOOLS ADAPTED TO EXTEND UPWARDLY BEYOND SAID CARRIER MEMBER AND SAID PLANER ELEMENTS FOR EXTRACTING MINERAL FROM A MINERAL DSPOSIT ADJACENT THERETO AND HAVING THE CORRESPONDING UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID CUTTING TOOLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY BEYOND SAID CARRIER MEMBER AND SAID PLANER ELEMENTS.