Arch Mineral Corporation

Conoco Inc.

David A Christopher

Larry G Offutt

Rhea W Bockhorst

Stephen D Lauer

Apparatus for controlling the operation of a mining system including a continuous miner, a tramming conveyor and a load-out vehicle operatively connected to the tramming conveyor. The apparatus includes a master computer processor on the continuous miner and at least one slave computer processor under the direction of the master computer processor for controlling elements of the mining system other than the continuous miner. A pair of parallel data communication highways connect the master computer processor and the slave computer processor and the functional status of the data communication highways is monitored. A radio communication path is provided between the master computer processor and the mining system. The master computer processor operates the mining system in an automatic mining mode of operation when both data communication highways are functional and operates the mining system in a reverse mode of operation if either data communication highway fails to function. In the reverse mode, all mining operations stop and the mining system can be reversed out of a mine hole. The master computer processor operates the mining system in a manual, radio controlled mode of operation if both data communication highways cease to function.

Apparatus and method for continuous mining

Apparatus for continuous mining

A method and device for sensing hole parameters while drilling a borehole, and transmitting the sensed data to a remote receiver. Data are transmitted in digital format as a series of audible binary pulses generated by a solenoid acoustically coupled to the drill pipe. In a preferred embodiment, data transmission occurs automatically during periods of drilling inactivity.

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Idamay, WV, United States of America

David A Christopher