Peabody Coal Company

John A Campbell

Daniel J Moynihan

William D Roper

Earl C Willis

Furniture leg shoe

A dust control system for a mining machine, particularly for controlling respirable dust in coal mining operations, comprising a ductwork system having intakes adjacent the cutter head of the mining machine, a fan for drawing air through the ductwork system, a flooded bed scrubber in the ductwork system upstream from the fan for entraining dust, including respirable dust, in the air in droplets of water, air flowing through the scrubber carrying the dust-laden droplets of water downstream from the scrubber, a sump below the ductwork system between the flooded bed scrubber and the fan, a demister in the ductwork system above the sump for separating the dust-laden droplets of water and directing them into the sump, and a pump for pumping the dust-laden water from the sump to a point adjacent the cutting head. A method of controlling dust is also disclosed.

Dust control system and method of operation

Apparatus for and method of controlling the mining by a mining machine of a seam of material (e.g., coal) overlying or underlying a stratum of undesired material (e.g., clay) to reduce the quantity of undesired material mined with the desired material, the machine comprising a cutter movable up and down and adapted to cut down into a seam of coal on being lowered. The control apparatus comprises a first electrical signal constituting a slow-down signal adapted to be automatically operated to signal when the cutter has cut down into a seam of desired material generally to a predetermined depth short of the interface between the seam and the underlying stratum for slowing down the cutting rate as the cutter approaches the interface, and a second electrical signal adapted to be automatically operated subsequent to the first signal for signalling when the cutter has cut down through the seam to the interface for stopping the cutting operation, thereby to avoid mining undesired material with the desired material. Similar signalling may be provided on an upward cut to avoid cutting into the overlying stratum.

Gauging apparatus and method, particularly for controlling mining by a

A mine roof-bolter machine having an extensible conveyor running therethrough operates behind a continuous miner machine. As the continuous miner advances, the roof-bolter advances from position-to-position while installing roof bolts and plates, and the extensible conveyor gives and takes the slack between the continuous miner and the roof bolter and feeds mined material to a surge car behind the roof bolter.

Advance method and apparatus for mining

Connected support sections for a mineral face conveyor are individually supported on the forward sides of chocks which move in towards the rib of a panel behind a mining machine. Backfill is transported to the mined area behind the moved-up chocks via a conveyor supported from connected support sections on the rear sides of the chocks.

Mining method and apparatus

An articulated ancillary support for a conveyor is attached onto the forward side of a mine roof chock by extensible means which, when retracted towards the chock, shifts the ancillary support from a normal condition in which it occupies an area of relatively wide lateral extent to another condition in which it overlies an area of relatively narrow lateral extent, freeing a large portion of the space under the chocks to clear the way for a retreating continuous miner.

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Mascoutah, IL, United States of America

John A Campbell