Consolidation Coal Company

Francis A May

Will B Jamison

William N Poundstone

Larry Patts

A hollow trolley pole associated with an electrically propelled vehicle has an upper end portion and a lower end portion. A passageway extends downwardly through the trolley pole from the upper end portion to the lower end portion. A trolley wire contact shoe is mounted on the pole upper end portion and slides along an electric power line or trolley wire that is suspended, for example, from a mine roof in an underground mine. An electrical conductor extends from the contact show through the passageway to the lower end portion of the pole which is received within a socket-like connector which is spring mounted in a base member connected to the vehicle frame. The conductor is enclosed within an impact resistant flexible conduit that extends from the passageway in the lower end portion of the pole through the connector and the base member and into a contactor box for connection to a propulsion motor. The conductor is completely enclosed so that it is not exposed to the effects of physical damage from the point it exits the trolley pole and is connected to a circuit breaker on board the vehicle. The circuit breaker is normally maintained in a closed position to provide a continuous flow of current from the trolley wire through the electrical conductor to the propulsion motor. In the event of a short or overload, the circuit breaker trips to interrupt the flow of current through the electrical conductor to the propulsion motor.

Trolley pole

A drill housing includes an internal chamber with a rotatable drill retaining member positioned in the chamber and extending outwardly through the chamber upper open end portion. A hub member is positioned in surrounding nonrotatable engagement with the drill retaining member. A rotary motor is drivingly connected to the hub member to transmit rotation to the drill retaining member. The drill retaining member has a socket for receiving the shank of a drill steel that rotates with the drill retaining member. A first main bearing rotatably supports the hub member, and a stationary bearing carrier supports the first main bearing. A cover plate surrounds the drill retaining member and rotates with the hub member. A bearing seal is positioned between the cover plate and the bearing carrier to seal the first main bearing. The bearing seal has a rotatable portion that rotates with the cover plate and a stationary portion that abuts the bearing carrier. The stationary portion carries an annular seal in sealing relation with the bearing carrier. The annular seal is compressible to absorb lateral and vertical thrust forces from the drill steel and to transfer the forces to the first main bearing. The bearing seal by permitting horizontal and vertical movement to be transmitted outwardly from the drill retaining member, eliminates separation of the annular seal from its supporting surface.

Bearing seal for a drill head assembly

A cylindrical metallic sleeve has opposite end portions and a cylindrical body portion with a longitudinal passageway for receiving the end portions of a conducting cable in overlapping relation. A shaped annular portion is formed adjacent the sleeve end portions and includes an inner, outwardly flared cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface that intersect in a rounded end portion. The outer cylindrical surface is planar and positioned substantially parallel to the sleeve cylindrical body portion so that the insulation surrounding the cables adjacent the sleeve end portions is not abraded upon flexing the spliced cable. The flared inner surface is removed from contact with the overlapping cable end portions in the sleeve to permit flexing of the cable end portions therein without abrading the cables. The sleeve body is crimped into frictional engagement with the overlapped cable end portions. The exposed portions of the spliced conductor cable are enclosed with insulating materials to provide a flexible, insulated cable splice that may be wound around a cable reel and/or guide sheaves.

Method for making a cable splice joining a pair of flexible conducting

A closed compartment for storing multi-conductor electric cable on an electrically powered mobile mining machine is secured to and extends laterally from a sidewall of the vehicle. The storage compartment has a slotted opening in the front portion thereof through which the cable is conveyed. A support frame is secured to the conveyor boom of the vehicle and extends outwardly therefrom and forwardly of the storage compartment. A first traction roller is rotatably mounted and fixed on the support frame between pairs of guide members that serve to direct the cable into the storage compartment. A second traction roller is rotatably mounted in spaced parallel relation above the fixed traction roller and is resiliently supported on the support frame by spring members. The cable passes between the rollers, and the springs maintain the rollers in frictional engagement with the cable. Prime movers, such as hydraulic motors, are drivingly connected to the first and second traction rollers to rotate the rollers in a selected direction to convey the cable into the storage compartment as the vehicle advances toward the power source. When the vehicle stops the pressure of the hydraulic motors is reduced, and the frictional engagement between the rollers and the cable prevents rotation of the rollers and conveyance of the cable. Movement of the vehicle away from the power source exerts a sufficient force upon the cable to reverse rotation of the rollers and feed the cable from the storage compartment at a speed corresponding to the speed of the vehicle. Thus, only that length of cable required to permit operation of the vehicle in the mine is extended from the vehicle with the excess cable stored in a loosely held fashion within the storage compartment.

Cable gathering device

A cylindrical metallic sleeve has opposite end portions and a cylindrical body portion with a longitudinal passageway for receiving the end portions of a conducting cable in overlapping relation. A shaped annular portion is positioned adjacent the sleeve end portions and include an inner, outwardly flared surface and an outer cylindrical surface that intersect in a rounded end portion. The outer cylindrical surface is planar and positioned substantially parallel to the sleeve cylindrical body portion so that the insulation surrounding the cables adjacent the sleeve end portions is not abraded upon flexing the spliced cable. The flared inner surface is removed from contact with the overlapping cable end portions in the sleeve to permit flexing of the cable end portions therein without abrading the cables. The sleeve body is crimped into frictional engagement with the overlapped cable end portions. The exposed portions of the spliced conductor cable are enclosed with insulating materials to provide a flexible, insulated cable splice that may be wound around a cable reel and/or guide sheaves.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Francis A May