Patent GB-151030-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in coal loading machines
IPC: E21D9/12
Filed: 1919-03-11
Abstract: 151,030. Joy, J. F. March 11, 1919. Conveying -apparatus; conveying from working face in mines and the like; spreading-apparatus. -Relates to machines for conveying coal from the working face to tubs; of the kind in which gathering arms draw the coal towards a conveyer which carries it to a second conveyer, in turn delivering to the tubs. The first-mentioned conveyer delivers the coal to a storage hopper, from which it is transferred to the tubs by the secondmentioned conveyer at convenient times. The coal is gathered from the floor or torn down from the vein by arms mounted on a shoe A, Fig. 1, and pushed on to a vertically and horizontally movable endless-chain scraper conveyer B which delivers it to the storage hopper C. An endlesschain scraper conveyer D, Fig. 1<a>, which can be swung horizontally, transfers the coal from the hopper C to the tub E. Uniform loading of the tub is attained by moving it relatively to the discharge end of the conveyer D during the operation. When a full tub is being replaced by an empty one the conveyer D is put out of action, but the transfer of coal to the hopper C by the conveyer B is not interfered with. The gathering device, conveyers, &c. are all driven through safety slipping clutches which prevent damage to the gearing &c. should these parts meet with resistance. The machine is carried by a truck F the wheels of which can 'be steered. and which is driven and braked electrically. Each gathering arm 48, Fig. 2, is knuckle-jointed to a hub member 41 mounted on a stub shaft 39 projecting from a disk 22 and provided with a projection 42 in which the end of a guide rod 43 is received. The guide rod passes through a swivelling socket member 44 on the shoe A. The points of the arms 48 and the cutter teeth 55 are detachable. Each disk 22 is mounted on a stub shaft secured to the base plate of the hollow shoe, and is provided on its under side with bevelled gear teeth which mesh with a gear freely mounted on the end of the shaft 9 of the conveyer B. This latter gear rotates with the shaft 9 when engaged by a sliding clutch-member thereon which is shifted by a fork and link mechanism connected by a rod 33, Fig. 1, to the operating handles 35, so arranged that either one or both of the clutches may be operated from either side of the machine. The shoe can be moved vertically by handles 58. The scraper bars 63 of the conveyer B are secured to parallel chains 60 which pass round sprockets on the shafts 9, 62 and run between a partition 64 and the flanges of the I-beams 5. The driving shaft 62 is mounted in adjustable lubricated roller bear ings 65 and is connected by chain sprocket gearing 94 to the shaft 84, Fig. 16. which is journaled in the tubular shaft 85. The shaft of the motor 67 is connected to the shaft 85 by double chain sprocket gearing, and the shafts 84, 85 are connected by a safety slip clutch comprising a series of disks 87 of which alternate ones are keyed to shaft 85 and to casing 86 carried by the shaft 84. The friction between the disks can be varied by altering the compression of the spring 91. which 'bears against a disk 90 provided with rods 92 bearing against the end one of the disk: 87. The chain 94 is kept taut by an idler 95 mounted in the end of a pivoted arm 97. One end of a bolt 100 is retained in a lug 99 on the arm 97, and between a washer 102 on the other end of the bolt and a bracket 101 on the side rail of the frame 74 is placed a spring 103. Rods 105, Fig. 1, are slidablv mounted in brackets 104 on the side rails of the frame 74, and are urged towards the rear of the machine by springs 106. The forward end of each rod is connected to a cable 105 which passes round an idler 109 on the frame, below an idler 110 carried by a bracket on the frame of the conveyer B, and is led round idlers 112, 113 on the frame to a winding drum 114 mounted on shaft 115. The inner flange 132 of each drum is toothed and is engaged by a pawl 133 mounted on the frame 74. The shaft 115 carries a hub member 117 to which alternate disks of a safety slip clutch 119 are secured. The remaining disks are keyed to a casing 118 which is freely mounted on the shaft 115 by its hub 120 and is connected to the shaft 62 by chain sprocket gearing. A ring 121 carrying rods 122 which bear against the end one of the disks 119 is normally urged away from the disks by the spring 123, but is forced towards them by a cam 124, Fig. 2a, mounted on an arm 307. The end 308 of the arm is connected to an endless cable 309, Fig. 16, which passes around sheaves 310 arranged at each corner of the frame 74. Near the forward end of each side of the frame the cable is connected tn a hand lever. By rocking either one of these levers in one direction, the disks 119 are packed tightly and the conveyer B is swung about the pivot 77. By swinging one lever in the opposite direction the clutch is loosened and rotation of the shaft 115 stops. As soon as the conveyer B reaches its highest position the safety clutch will slip and breakage of the gears is prevented. The conveyer B is lowered by gravity when the pawls 133 are withdrawn by winding the cords connected to them on to a shaft carried by the angle bar 305 on the front of the frame. The scraper bars 175 of the conveyer D are secured to parallel chains 172 which pass round sprockets on the shafts 177, 168 and run between a partition 174 and the flanges of the I-beams 173. The driving shaft 168 is connected by spur gearing to the shaft 166, which is driven through bevel gears 164, 165, Fig. 15, by the armature shafts of a pair of motors 162. These motors project through openings in the sides 69 of the hopper and are supported on a framework at the lower part of the hopper which is rigidly fastened to a ring 159. The motors 162 and gearing are protected from coal by inclined plates 178 connected to the hopper. The conveyer D is in two sections, the side beams of which are connected by a pivot 183, Fig. 1<a>, passed through castings 182, 184 secured to the sections. The ends of stub shafts 186 are secured in sockets 185, universally mounted in the castings, and the shafts are rotated through worm gearing 187, 188 by a hand wheel 189 when it is desired to raise or lower the section d. An electro-motor 190, Fig. 1<a>, is supported by the beams 173 of conveyer D and through a friction clutch and chain and sprocket gearing drives the sprocket wheel 203. A chain 210 passes round a sprocket 209 co-axial with sprocket 203 and a sprocket 208, and carries a fork 213 which straddles the rear board 216 of the tub E to be loaded.. During loading the motor 190 is actuated and the tub E is moved gradually and uniformly away from the discharge end of the conveyer D. The chain 210 and fork may also be moved by hand to shift the tub. The flange of each traction wheel 221 is formed with teeth which gear with spur wheels 222, Fig. 22, mounted to slide freely on transverse shafts 223 driven by motors 229. Each motor is supported bv a frame which can be tilted laterally about pivots 226. Brake wheels 234 on the shafts 223 are engaged by brake shoes 235 which are mounted on pivot 236 and connected by toggle levers 238 to a fixed lug 237. The toggle levers are attached to a rod 240 which is extended into and connected to the movable core 241 of a solenoid 242. The rod 240 is normally held within the solenoid by a spring 244. The solenoids are in circuit with motors 229 so that the brakes are only taken off when machine is moved. A motor 246, Fig. 1, through a slipping clutch &c., drives a shaft 256, Fig. 20, into the ends of which rods 259 are threaded. The rods 259 are connected by bellcrank 261 to the actuating rods 263 of toggle levers 264, Fig. 21, which apply clamping jaws 271 to the flanges of the ring 159 on the hopper C when it is desired to prevent its rotation. If the hopper C is free to rotate and shoe A is in contact with the ground, operation of the drum 136 or 137 swings conveyer D and not B. If the hopper C is locked and conveyer A is raised, the rear conveyer D does not move, but the shoe A and conveyer B are swung horizontally. Each wheel 221 is mounted on an axle 288, Fig. 24, between legs 287 which depend from a disk 285. Ball bearings 283 are placed between the disk 285 and an inverted bowl-shaped member 278 which is secured by lugs 277 to the frame bars of the truck F for the front pair, and to the tilting frame for the rear pair. The pair of wheels at each end is connected by a rod 289, Fig. 22, which is attached by pivots 291 to castings 290 secured against the inner face of the inner leg 287. The central portion of the rod is loosely connected to a lug 294 on a collar 293 threaded on the shaft 252 at the rear, which is driven through chain and sprocket gearing by motor 298 and at the front is driven by hand wheel 301 for steering. The hopper C includes a lower portion 68 with rearwardly directed parallel sides 69 and an upper removable channel member 70. On the upper edge of the member 70 is mounted a ring member 71, Fig. 15, having three spaced flanges between which is a drum 73 and a trackway 72 for rollers 76 carried by brackets 75. These brackets are arranged transversely to a rectangular frame 74, which they support slightly above the top of the ring 71. The forward bracket 75 carries a pin 77 which extends through a vertically elongated slot 78 in a casting 79 rigidly secured to the conveyer B. The part 68 of the hopper carries a channelled ring member 159, Fig. 15, in which run rollers 158 carried bv the side rails and crossbars of the truck F. The side rails 173 of the conveyer D are rigidly secured to the hopper C adjacent the ring 159. The conveyer is swung in horizontal position by a cable 135, Fig. 16, which passes round the drum 73 and around drums 136, 137 which are driven by a worm 139 on a shaft 140. Sprockets 141 on shaft 140 engage the conveyer chains 60. Each drum 136, 137 forms the casing of a safety sli