Patent ID: 9163503
Filing Date: 2015-10-20
Classification: E21F

Abstract:
1. A mine scoop machine comprising a body structure having a front end section and a rear end section, said front end section having a longitudinal axis, support wheels on said front end section and steering wheels on said rear end section, a material scoop on said front end section of said body, said scoop having a bed portion, upstanding opposing side portions, and an upstanding rear wall portion, said front end section being open to allow for insertion of said bed portion under a material load, a load ejection blade mounted on said scoop for movement longitudinally of said scoop between a load position adjacent to said upstanding rear wall portion and a load ejection position adjacent said open front end section, an operator controlled power means for moving said ejection blade selectively between said positions for loading and unloading said scoop, a mine dusting unit mounted on said front end section of said body rearwardly of said load position of said ejection blade, said dusting unit comprising a dust hopper having a rear wall section a front wall section, a bottom wall section and side wall sections, and a top hatch cover, a rock dust transport auger having a shaft supporting an auger flight section is positioned in a lower portion of said hopper and extending outwardly through said front wall section and through rock dust discharge structure affixed to the exterior surface of said front wall section of said hopper, said discharge structure having an augered dust discharge cavity into which said auger extends and into which the augered dust is received, said discharge cavity having a dust outlet port and an air inlet port, a source of pressurized air is positioned external to said hopper and is connected into said air inlet port externally of said hopper, whereby the pressurized air will rapidly jet the dry dust out through said dust outlet port for transport to and through a mine dusting conduit without any significant exposure of the dust to ambient moisture.