Conveyor drive including a fluid coupling and a step-up gearbox

A longwall conveyor drive including a motor including a motor output shaft, a drive sprocket, and a gearbox drivingly connected to the drive sprocket. The drive also includes a fluid coupling drivingly connected to the gearbox, and a step-up gearbox located between the motor and the fluid coupling. The step-up gearbox includes a housing attached to the output end of the motor, a first gear stage rotatably supported within the housing and drivingly receiving the motor output shaft and rotating at a first speed, and a second stage gear set rotatably supported within the housing and in driven contact with the first stage gear set and rotating at a higher speed, the second stage gear set including an output shaft connected to the fluid coupling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a conveyor drive, and, more particularly, to a longwall conveyor drive including a fluid coupling and a gearbox.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a longwall conveyor drive with a higher motor output speed. The higher motor output speed increases the power of the longwall drive.

More particularly, this invention provides a longwall conveyor drive including a motor including a motor output shaft, a drive sprocket, and a gearbox drivingly connected to the drive sprocket. The drive also includes a fluid coupling drivingly connected to the gearbox, and a step-up gearbox located between the motor and the fluid coupling. The step-up gearbox includes a housing attached to the output end of the motor, a first gear stage rotatably supported within the housing and drivingly receiving the motor output shaft and rotating at a first speed, and a second stage gear set rotatably supported within the housing and in driven contact with the first stage gear set and rotating at a higher speed, the second stage gear set including an output shaft connected to the fluid coupling.

Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Use of “consisting of” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass only the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof. Further, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward”, “rearward”, “left”, “right”, “upward” and “downward”, etc., are words of convenience in reference to the drawings and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2is a longwall conveyor drive10including a motor14, a drive sprocket18, a gearbox22connected to the drive sprocket18, a fluid coupling26connected to the gearbox22, and a step-up gearbox30located between the motor14and the fluid coupling26.

The step-up gearbox30includes a housing34, a first gear stage38supported within the housing34and adapted to receive the motor output shaft42, and a second stage gear set46in driving contact with the first stage gear set38, the second stage gear set46including an output shaft50connected to the fluid coupling26, the second stage gear set46being supported within the housing34.

More particularly, the motor14includes a motor output shaft42. The gearbox30is drivingly connected in a conventional manner to the drive sprocket18. The fluid coupling26is drivingly connected in a conventional manner to the gearbox22.

The step-up gearbox housing34is attached to the output end of the motor54. The first stage gear set38is rotatably supported within the housing34and drivingly receives the motor output shaft42and rotates at a first speed, and the second stage gear set46is rotatably supported within the housing34and in driven contact with the first stage gear set38and rotates at a higher speed.

More particularly, the first gear stage38includes a first gear58mounted within the step-up gearbox housing34and attached to and driven by the motor output shaft42, and a second gear62mounted within the step-up gearbox housing34and attached to a step-up gearbox shaft74, the second gear62being driven by the first gear58. Whenever a gear is attached to or drivingly connected to a shaft herein, it is either by a spline, or alternatively by a key or a similar conventional means of attaching a gear to a shaft.

The second stage gear set46includes a third gear66mounted within the step-up gearbox housing34and attached to the step-up gearbox shaft74. The third gear66is larger than the second gear62. The second stage gear set46further includes a fourth gear70mounted within the step-up gearbox housing and drivingly connected to the step-up gearbox output shaft50, that in turn is driving connected to the fluid coupling26. The fourth gear70is driven by the third gear66and is smaller in diameter than the first gear58. As a result, the rotational speed of the output shaft50is faster than the rotational speed of the motor shaft42. In the preferred embodiment, the motor shaft42rotates at 1500 revolutions per minute, and the output shaft50rotates at 1800 revolutions per minute.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following claims.