Abstract:
A mining system for advancing and retrieving a material transfer unit, such as a car, sled, beam or other vehicle commonly used in the mining industry to transport ores or minerals from a mine, into and out of a mine. A single material transfer unit is connected to a winch system which is actuated to advance the unit into the mine. A winch system is actuated to retrieve the unit from the mine with its load of mined product. The load is then removed from the transfer unit outside the mine so that it may be advanced back into the mine to retrieve another load.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/477,804 filed Jun. 11, 2003. The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/862,255 entitled “Platform And Driver For Coal Mining System,” now abandoned Ser. No. 10/862,205 entitled “Advancer for Coal Mining System” now abandoned and Ser. No. 10/862,254 filed Jun. 7, 2004, entitled “Shield System For Coal Mining” now U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,632, all incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is generally related to an improved system for coal mining. More particularly, the invention is directed to a winch for high wall mining. 
   DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
   Highwall mining is generally a method of mining whereby a remote controlled continuous miner is sent into a face of coal, or other ore, from an outside bench to mine or cut such ore out from under the overburden above. The continuous miner will generally cut out the ore in widths ranging from six to twelve feet in width and up to fourteen feet in height, depending on the size of miner used. As the miner is remotely controlled from outside into the ore, units for transferring the mined ore, called “cars” or “beams,” are sequentially sent into the mine, forming a continuous train and transferring the ore from car to car to the outside bench. Various methods are incorporated into the units for transferring the ore, including conveyors, chains and screws. Likewise various methods are used to power the transferring units, including electrical power, hydraulics and/or mechanical drive shafts. The cars or beams are generally either coupled or pinned together, allowing some degree of deflection between them to improve negotiation of the rough surface in the mine. 
   On the outside of the mine, a launch platform is positioned to receive the transferred material as it is discharged from the rear car or beam and direct it either to a truck or stockpile via belt conveyors and/or chain conveyors. The launch platform also acts as a staging area to insert and retrieve the cars as needed and also act as a drive station to either hydraulically, electrically or mechanically drive or push the cars into the mine. 
   Additional roof problems are created by not controlling the direction of the miner precisely as it is driven into the mine. If the miner is not steered properly, the pillar or rib in between two mines can be cut. When the system cuts through the pillar exposing the width of two cuts, which can be as much as twelve feet in width each, twenty feet or more of unsupported roof is exposed. This greatly increases the potential for major roof falls, thus increasing the potential for entrapment. 
   Systems commonly used today require significant force to push the transfer units and the miner into particularly deep mines. In deep mines, this force often causes the cars to buckle up and down throughout the hole binding. Because of this, the depth to which they can be pushed is limited. 
   Current disclosed methods of remote mining in ore deposits such as coal generally employ a mining machine that excavates mine openings to some distance from the seam exposure on the surface and a system for conveying the mined ore to the surface. In most of the present systems, the system for conveying consists of multiple conveyors which are advanced into the mine openings from the surface. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,644,753 and 6,220,670 issued to Mraz disclose a method and apparatus for mining of aggregate material from a seam which includes a mining apparatus and a self-propelled conveyor capable of advancing or retreating in the seam on its own power and an advancing and steering arrangement for the mining apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,465, also issued to Mraz, discloses a system for removing a self-propelled vehicle from a downwardly sloping mine. U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,699 discloses a system for using a tow rope to advance and retrieve control lines for a miner independent of the movement of the miner. 
   U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,112,111, 5,232,269, 5,261,729 and 5,364,171 to Addington et al. disclose an assembly of conveyors and a mining machine advanced into the seam without interrupting the flow of aggregate material by separate means designed to pull at the forward end and push at the rearward end. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,397 to Marshall et al. discloses an assembly of conveyors interconnected with a mining machine and a driving device located outside the seam and consisting of rack and pinion or, alternately, reciprocating cylinders, linear tracks, linear or rotary drives, chains, cables or other mechanical devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,807 to Zimmerman discloses a guidance assembly for extending and retracting an assembly of conveyors into and out of the seam. U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,055 to Oslakovic et al. discloses a multi-unit train of conveyors having a self-propelled unit at each end coupled to intermediate units, each end unit being capable of towing the intermediate units. U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,402 to Alspaugh et al. discloses a train of wheeled conveyor sections pulled into the mine opening and pushed out of it by a self-propelled mining machine. Buckling of the train is avoided by the grooves made by the mining machine in the floor, said grooves spaced the same distance as the treads of the wheels carrying the conveyor sections. 
   At present, as the interconnected assembly of the mining machine and a plurality of material handling units is advanced some distance into the seam from a launch vehicle located on the outside, the axial force within the assembly becomes excessive with respect to its length and the assembly becomes less rigid. As a consequence, it becomes difficult to steer the mining machine located at the front of the assembly and the conveying assembly itself can become unstable, which limits the penetration depth of mining. 
   The interconnected assembly of miner and cars/beams underground are exposed to roof falls and possible entrapment and great loss if not recovered. Also, on the bench, the cars/beams have to be stacked and stored and delivered to and from the platform as the system penetrates into or retreats out of the hole. Having only one material handling device verses multiple cars/beams would substantially decrease the equipment at risk underground in event of roof fall and eliminate bench storage space required to store cars/beams. 
   Having multiple material transfer units underground, connected as a train of cars or beams, that are constructed of mechanical drive shafts, chains, sprockets, belts, belt rollers, belt drives and/or electrical drives increases the likelihood of component failure and decreases the availability of the system. Even in the event roof conditions require a system of shields to protect transport of the mined material, a single material transfer unit can be winched in and out of a mine within the shields and still reduce the likelihood of component failure and increase the availability of the system. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for advancing a material transfer unit for mined material into and out of mines. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved system for advancing a shielded or unshielded material transfer unit into and out of mines. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for removing a miner and/or a material transfer unit from within a mine in the event either becomes entrapped. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved mining system which reduces or eliminates down time caused by falling rocks or cave-ins. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved mining system which provides increased control of the material transfer unit at greater mine depths. 
   It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved mining system which provides greater directional control of the miner and transfer units. 
   Finally, it is an object of the present invention to accomplish the foregoing objectives in a safe and cost effective manner. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An improved mining system for advancing mining equipment, such as a car, a buggy, a beam or a sled, into and out of a mine, includes a winch system and at least one winch rope connected to the mining equipment which is actuated by the winch system. The mining equipment may travel on wheels, rails or a flat bottom surface and may include sidewall rollers on the external surface of the sidewall of the equipment to prevent the sidewalls from contacting the wall of the mine. The mining equipment may also include a device for preventing the forward and rearward ends of the equipment from extending into the floor of the mine while the equipment is being advanced into and out of the mine, such as an upturned nose element. The winch system may be a single winch or multiple winches and may be located on a miner located within the mine or external to the mine on a platform. If a platform is used, it preferably includes a system for unloading the mining equipment, such as a scraping blade, once the mining equipment is removed from the mine. An actuation system causes the winch means to advance the mining equipment into the mine. When the mining equipment is to be removed from the mine, an actuation system causes a winch to pull the mining equipment out of the mine. Multiple actuation systems are used to actuate multiple winches if multiple winches are used. In the preferred system, one winch is connected to the mining equipment by means of a winch rope which is actuated to advance the mining equipment into the mine while a second winch is connected by means of a second winch rope which is actuated to retrieve the mining equipment from the mine. Preferably, the mining equipment includes a guide for the winch rope or ropes. If desired, or as needed, shields may be placed within the mine and the mining equipment may be advanced into and out of the mine within the shields. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is plan view of preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 1   a  is an exploded view of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view showing an alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2   a  is an exploded view of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a plan view showing an alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3   a  is an exploded view of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view showing an alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4   a  is an exploded view of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of a sled as may be used in the present invention; 
       FIG. 5   a  is side view of the sled shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 5   b  is a center cut view of the sled shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 5   c  is end view of the sled shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 5   d  is end view of the sled shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 5   e  is end view of the sled shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 5   f  is a side view of the sled shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 6  is side view of a platform as may be used in the present invention; 
       FIG. 6   a  is an exploded view of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 6   b  is a side view of another platform as may be used in the present invention; 
       FIG. 6   c  is an exploded view of  FIG. 6   b;    
       FIG. 6   d  is an exploded view of  FIG. 6   b;    
       FIG. 7  is a cut side view showing a miner discharge conveyor as may be used in conjunction with the present invention; 
       FIG. 7   a  is plan cut view of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 7   b  is an end view of  FIG. 7 ; and 
       FIG. 8  is an end view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   ELEMENT LIST 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
               110 
               Coal or ore 
             
             
                 
               115 
               Mined hole 
             
             
                 
               120 
               Highwall 
             
             
                 
               130 
               Auger style continuous miner 
             
             
                 
               133 
               Drum style continuous miner 
             
             
                 
               135 
               Miner discharge conveyor 
             
             
                 
               137 
               Pull back winch 
             
             
                 
               140 
               Return sheaves 
             
             
                 
               145 
               Shield 
             
             
                 
               147 
               Guide rollers/Fairleads 
             
             
                 
               149 
               Pull pin 
             
             
                 
               150 
               Sled 
             
             
                 
               151 
               Stiffener plates 
             
             
                 
               153 
               Sled side frames 
             
             
                 
               154 
               Sled wheels 
             
             
                 
               155 
               Sled floor plate 
             
             
                 
               157 
               Sled nose 
             
             
                 
               160 
               Platform 
             
             
                 
               161 
               Miner/water/control cable rollers 
             
             
                 
               163 
               Pull out sling 
             
             
                 
               164 
               Side rollers 
             
             
                 
               165 
               Main pull out winch rope 
             
             
                 
               167 
               Haul back rope 
             
             
                 
               169 
               Side discharge cross conveyor 
             
             
                 
               171 
               Lower guide sheaves 
             
             
                 
               180 
               Surge feeder 
             
             
                 
               185 
               Surge feeder conveyor 
             
             
                 
               200 
               Driver-puller-scraper 
             
             
                 
               203 
               Ejection blade 
             
             
                 
               205 
               Ejection blade lift cylinder 
             
             
                 
               211 
               Driver-puller-scrapper chain 
             
             
                 
               213 
               Hold down beam 
             
             
                 
               215 
               Hold down rollers 
             
             
                 
               217 
               Driver-puller-scrapper sprocket 
             
             
                 
               225 
               Belly conveyor 
             
             
                 
               230 
               Control cab 
             
             
                 
               232 
               Pull out winch 
             
             
                 
               233 
               Haul back winch 
             
             
                 
               234 
               Corner post 
             
             
                 
               237 
               Upper Guide sheaves 
             
             
                 
               245 
               Electrical/mechanical room 
             
             
                 
               247 
               Fleet angle compensators 
             
             
                 
               250 
               Floor opening 
             
             
                 
               255 
               Rope guides 
             
             
                 
               256 
               Guide rollers 
             
             
                 
               257 
               Cable treys 
             
             
                 
               457 
               Ejector arm 
             
             
                 
               459 
               Driven ejector blade 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-8  show several embodiments of the present invention. As shown, the invention can be used with different types of winch rigging arrangements to pull a non-motorized or motorized, sled or buggy, transferring mined material into and out of a mine. As used herein, the term “sled” is meant to include any type of vehicle used in the mining industry to transport ores or minerals from within a mine to the outside, including but not limited to sleds, cars, buggies, beams, etc. The present invention is suitable for use with any type of continuous miner used in the mining industry. 
     FIGS. 1 and 1   a  generally show a sled being pulled into and out of a mined hole  115  by three winch ropes. More particularly, the plan view in  FIG. 1  shows an auger style miner  130  in a mined hole  115  cutting into the coal or ore  110 . The sled  150  is being winched back to the miner  130  by haul back ropes  167  which run through return sheaves  140  attached to the rear of miner  130 . When winching is complete, the sled  150  receives mined material fed from rear of the miner  130  over the miner discharge conveyor  135 . The winches  232  and  233  are located on the deck of a platform  160  and pull the winch ropes  165  through the lower guide sheaves  171 . The main pull out rope  165  runs down through the lower guide sheaves  171  to the pull out sling  163  which is attached to either side of the sled  150 . The platform  160  sits outside of the hole  115  being mined into the highwall  120  on a bench. At the rear of the platform  160  is a side-discharge cross feed conveyor  169  which will either feed to trucks, a storage pile or a stacker conveyor. One winch  232  is used to pull out the main pull out winch rope  165  and one winch  233  with a divider in the center is used to pull out the haul back ropes  167 . Alternatively, two winches  233  can be used to winch the haul back ropes  167 . 
     FIG. 2  shows a plan view of another winch line arrangement showing the haul back rope  167  running continuously down through the lower guide sheaves  171  and through the side of the sled  150 . The rope  167  then winds around three return sheaves  140  located on the rear of the miner  130  and the rear of the sled  150 . Upon exiting the third return sheave  140 , the rope  167  extends through the opposite side of the sled  150  and back to the platform  160 . The haul back rope  167  is either attached to a tie off point or run through the lower return sheave  171  up to the winch. The haul back rope  167  can be either powered through two winch drums or one split by divider plate. This type of arrangement provides a distinct mechanical advantage by providing almost twice the line pull force of the size rope used. This advantage can be used as safety factor if pull out force is needed due to rock fall. If the sled  150  is pulled back to the miner  130 , then sufficient force is generated to pull out the miner  130  as well. 
     FIGS. 3 and 3   a  show an alternate winch arrangement in which two pull back winches  137  attached to the rear of a drum style continuous miner  133  pull the sled  150  back to the drum style continuous miner  133 . The main pull out winch rope  165  is still pulled from the outside platform  160 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 4   a  show yet another embodiment of a winched sled  150  being used to transfer mined material from inside a mine to outside the mine. In this embodiment, a surge feeder conveyor  180  is positioned behind the miner  130  to receive mined material slowly from the miner discharge conveyor  135  while the sled  150  is winched out with its load. Once the sled  150  returns from unloading and is winched under the surge feeder conveyor  185 , the surge feeder conveyor  185  quickly feeds mined material onto the sled  150  as the sled  150  is pulled out from under the surge feeder conveyor  185 . Once the sled  150  is full, the surge feeder conveyor  185  slows down to receive mined material from the miner discharge conveyor  135  and the sled  150  is high speed winched to the outside platform  160 . A unique ejector system cleans the mined material from the sled  150  at outside platform  160 . 
     FIGS. 5-5   f  show different views of a sled  150  which can be used with the present invention. Although a sled is shown, other types of transport devices, such as cars, beams or buggies, whether shielded or not, whether flat-bottomed, wheeled or on rails, can be used with the present invention.  FIG. 5  shows a plan view of the sled  150  as used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The sled floor plate  155  has an attached sled nose  157  to keep it from digging into mine floor. The sled has side frames  153  to keep mined material being transferred from spilling to outside. 
     FIG. 5   b  shows an end view cut midway along the length of the sled  150  showing the side frames  153  and the gusset stiffened plates  151  attached to help support the side frames  153 , both of which are welded to the floor plate  155 . 
     FIG. 5   c  shows an end view of the sled  150 . The end of the sled  150  includes guide rollers or fairleads  147  for guiding the haul back rope  167  through the side frame  153 . A pull pin  149  is shown on the pull out end which attaches to a pull out sling  163 . 
     FIG. 5   d  shows an alternate end view of the sled  150  that includes rollers  161  that may be used to guide the miner, water and control cables through the side frame  153 . 
     FIG. 5   e  shows another alternate end view of the sled  150 . Side rollers  164  may be used to keep the sled  150  off of mine rib walls while the sled  150  is being pulled out of and into the mine. The side rollers  164  may also be used to keep the sled  150  properly guided through highwall shields  145 , in the event shields  145  (see  FIG. 8 ) are used to protect the miner  130  or sled  150  from falling rock or cave-ins. 
     FIG. 5   f  shows a side view of the sled  150  with wheels  154  which can be used when floor conditions allow. If the floor conditions are so poor that the sled bottom  155  is dragging, a sled  150  without wheels can be used. 
     FIG. 6  shows an outside platform  160  onto which the sled  150  is pulled outside of the mined hole  115  to have mined material removed. The pull out winch  232  pulls rope  165  through the upper guide sheave  237  and the lower guide sheave  171 . The rope  165  is attached to a pull pin  149  on the sled  150  such that when the winch  232  pulls the rope  165 , the sled  150  is pulled out of the mined hole  115  onto the platform  160 . The haul back winch  233  is used to pull the sled  150  back into the hole  115  to the continuous miner  130  for another load. The haul back winch  233  pulls its rope  167  through another set of sheaves off-set from the pull out winch  232  sheaves  171  &amp;  237  to get the rope from the pull out winch  232  to the sled side frames  153 . The pull out winch  232  and the haul back winch  233  can be configured as one to pull the sled  150  into and out of the mine, in a manner similar to a clothes line. In this embodiment, a slip clutch releases additional rope as needed. Fleet angle compensators  247  can be used to keep the winch rope  165  &amp;  167  wound properly if needed. 
   To empty the mined material from the sled  150 , the driver/puller/scraper  200  is lowered into the sled  150  and driven over the driver-puller-scrapper chain  211  while being held down by the hold down rollers  215 . As the driver/puller  200  is driven, the ejection blade  203  ejects the mined material onto the side-discharge cross-feed-conveyor  169  to be conveyed to either side for stockpiling. The corner post  234  can have hydraulic leveling devices to raise and lower the platform  160 , if desired. Also shown is an electrical/mechanical control room  245  which includes electrical and mechanical controls for the system and may included hydraulic pumps and controls if needed. 
     FIG. 6   a  is an exploded view of  FIG. 6  showing the haul back rope  167  attached to the rear of the sled  150 . The ejection blade lift cylinder  205  lifts the ejection blade  203  so the sled  150  can pass underneath. 
     FIGS. 6   b  and  6   c  show an alternate embodiment of a platform having a belly conveyor  225  within its structure. An ejection blade  203  is lowered into the sled  150  and, as the haul back rope  167  is pulling the sled  150  back into the mined hole  115 , the mined material is ejected off the sled  150  onto the belly conveyor  225  which carries the mined material back to the side-discharge cross feed conveyor  169 . 
     FIG. 6   d  shows a side view of a driver-puller-scrapper  200  with an ejector arm  457  and a driven ejector blade  459  in the up position so the sled  150  can pull underneath. Also shown are hold down rollers  215  attached around a hold down beam  213  to keep the driver-puller-scraper sprocket  217  in the chain driver-puller-scraper chain  211 . 
     FIGS. 7 ,  7   a  and  7   b  show a continuous miner discharge conveyor  135  positioned to discharge mined material onto a surge feeder conveyor  185  which can be either a chain or a belt. The surge feeder  180  is a holding device to accept material from the miner discharge conveyor  135  slowly as the sled  150  is winched out, discharged and returned beneath the surge feeder conveyor  185  or to the tail end of the surge feeder conveyor  185 . Once the sled  150  has returned, the surge feeder conveyor  185  is sped up, thus feeding mined material onto the sled  150  quickly. Once the sled  150  is filled, the surge feeder conveyor  185  is slowed down again to build another load.  FIG. 7   a  shows cut plan view under the top showing the same.  FIG. 7   b  shows an end view of same with the sled  150  pulled up beneath the surge feeder conveyor  185 . The surge feeder conveyor  185  can be used within shields  145 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , to load a sled  150  pulled in and out of a mined hole  115  through shields  145  by winches as well. 
     FIG. 8  shows an alternate embodiment for winching sleds  150  into and out of mines, whereby a non-motorized sled  150  is being winched into and out of a mine through shields  145  such as those described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/862,254, entitled “Shield System For Coal Mining,” now U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,632, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In poor roof conditions, the shield  145  provides additional protection against falling rocks or roof cave-ins. The pull out rope  165  is slid through floor opening flaps  250  in the floor of the shield  145  so the shield  145  can be inserted onto a platform  160  while the sled  150  is inside the shields  145  either exiting the mine with a load or returning into the mine to be loaded with mined material. The shields  145  can also be connected to one another while the sled  150  is making its trip. The haul back rope  167  travels through rope guides  255  on the outside of the shield  145 . The view shown is a cut view which does not show the pull out rope  165  attached to the sling  163  and to the ends of the sled  150 . Guide rollers  256  are preferably attached to the sides of the sled  150  to guide it though the shields  245 . Cable treys  257  are preferably provided on either side of the shield  145  forte continuous miner, water and control cables if needed. 
   While the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.