Patent GB-654985-A (GB)
Title: Timber setting machine
IPC: E21D11/03
Filed: 1948-04-01
Abstract: 654,985. Load handling machines; hydraulic jacks. JOY MANUFACTURING CO. April 1, 1948, No. 9216. Convention date, May 8, 1947. [Class 78 (iii)] [Also in Groups X and XXIX] A machine for supporting roof timbers or cross-bars against a mine roof during setting of the props or insertion of the rib pins comprises an electrically driven rubber-tyred vehicle 1, Fig. 14, adapted to carry a load of timbers which are moved on to a swivel saddle 11 at the head of an elevating jack 10 carried by a swivel arm 20 which also carries a retractable floor-engaging jack 70. The timber carrying compartment 8, Fig. 1, extends centrally and longitudinally of the body and is provided at its ends with vertically adjustable guide rollers 12, 121 to facilitate loading and movement of the timbers on to the saddle 11 respectively. The arm 20 is part of a bell-crank lever 20, 23 pivoted at 22 to the underside of the body and is caused to swing horizontally by means of the arm 23, link 24, lever 27 and fluid cylinder 33, a curved extension 39 of the body forming a guide and forward support for the arm 20. The jack 10 comprises a fluid cylinder 45, Fig. 7, secured to the outer end of the arm 20 and a series of telescopic cylinder and piston sections 48, 49, 50. Reciprocable in the bore 51 of the inner section 50 is a piston 52 having a rod 53 secured to the tiltable spring mounted saddle 11 provided with side flangers 63. Secured to the arm 20 rearwardly of the jack 10 is a fluid cylinder 66 provided with a piston 67 and rod 68, to the lower end of which a foot piece 70 is secured by a ball-and-socket connection, the foot piece 70 being held in its inoperative retracted position by a tension spring 76. In operation a cross-timber from the compartment 8 is moved lengthwise over the vertically adjustable rollers 12<1> to the saddle 11 turned to a longitudinally extending position as shown in Fig. 3 and the timber is centrally positioned when the saddle 11 together with the timber is turned into a position cross-wise of the machine body as shown in Fig. 15. The arm 20 is then swivelled, the jack 10 elevated to bring the timber against the mine roof in the desired position and the floor jack 70 extended, all being locked in their positions and propping &c. is then effected. A power saw 15, Fig. 1, is provided to cut timbers and props to the desired lengths together with a cable reel mechanism 13 for the power conductor cable for the electric motors. The power for the hydraulic system is supplied by an electric motor 7, Fig. 1, which drives a pump 100 having its intake connected to a reservoir 102 of oil by a conduit 101, Fig. 13. The pump discharge is connected by a conduit 103 to a valve mechanism 105 which at the discharge end is connected by a conduit 106 back to the reservoir. The valve mechanism 105 comprises four sections, the sections 107, 108, 109 having bores containing slide valves 110, 111, 112 of the balanced spool type provided with operating handles, while the section 113 contains a relief valve 114. The section 107 is connected by conduits 115, 116 to the opposite ends of the fluid cylinder 33 which actuates the swivel arm 20, and is connected to discharge through conduit 106. When the slide valve 110 of section 107 is in neutral position, both conduits 115, 116 are closed, trapping the liquid in the cylinder 33 to lock the piston 34 against movement and thereby firmly holding the arm 20 in its selected position. The sections 108, 109 are connected to a hand valve device 118 by conduits 117, 119 respectively which are provided with check valves 120, 121 to permit fluid flow to the device 118 but to prevent reverse flow. The device 118, Fig. 8, comprises a horizontal casing 122 having end chambers 123, 124 connected by a transverse passage 125 and connected by conduits 126, 127, Figs. 8, 13, respectively to the fluid cylinder 45 of the jack 10 and to the upper end of the fluid cylinder 66 of the floor jack 70. A return conduit 128 connects the passage 125 with the suction conduit 101. End-seated hand-operated valves 129, 130 independently control the communication of the passage 125 with the end chambers 123, 124 and when closed, fluid may flow, under the control of slide valves 111, 112, through conduits 117, 119, end chambers 123, 124, conduits 126, 127 to the elevating and floor jacks. When the slide valves 111, 112 are returned to neutral position, the check valves 120, 121 prevent reverse fluid flow from the jacks which are thus locked in their extended positions. When the valves 129, 130 are opened, the jacks are connected to the suction side of the pump through passage 125 and conduits 128, 101 and retraction of the jacks is effected. Instead of the fluid cylinder jacks, power-operated screw jacks may be used.