The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Richard J Wilson

Wallace W Roepke

Roger J Morrell

David P Lindroth

Jerome A Gunn

A lockout safety device used in combination with a conveyor pullcord syst The device is used to tension and then lock the conveyor system's pullcord in the tensioned position which action renders the conveyor inoperative. Several embodiments are disclosed each of which is portable, simple in structure, inexpensive, compact in size, and useable anywhere along the length of the pullcord. Each functions to cam its surface against and thereby tension the pullcord which then allows it to be locked in that position. In the preferred embodiment, two sets of parallel members are pivotably joined together with each set having a pin to engage the pullcord on one side while the pivot engages it on the other side.

Pullcord lockout device for a conveyor system

A rotatable mounting block with a coal cutter bit which reduces the amount of wear to the bit. The cutter bit is fixed within the bore of a bit holder and moves in unison therewith within the mounting block. Positive rotation of the holder/bit is provided by a ratchet sleeve and pawl which interact with spiral slots on the lower extending end of the bit holder. The pawl prevents rotation of the ratchet sleeve in one direction (downward) so that the cutter bit will rotate during movement into the mounting block's bore as inwardly facing sleeve teeth are cammed in the slots of the bit holder. On the upward stroke of the bit/holder within the mounting block, the ratchet sleeve is free to rotate as a strong Belleville spring--also in the mounting block--forces them upward to the original position.

Mounting block to rotate coal cutter bits

A method and the apparatus for implementing the method to provide temporary ground support in a mine. After an auger or other type of hole has been bored in an underground mine, at least one inflatable bladder with a fluid conduit therethrough is inserted into the hole. Once the bladder is inflated it expands to fill the hole's diameter and to act as a plug. Thereafter, fluid is forced through the fluid conduit past the bladder and into the hole cavity to act in conjunction with the bladder as a ground support for the hole. Appropriate fluid valves, meters, and conduits are placed at the input to the fluid conduit to control and measure the fluid being forced into the bladder and the hole cavity. Quick connect-disconnect couplings are provided when two or more bladders are connected seriatim and placed within the hole.

Borehole aerostatic ground support system

A coal mining apparatus and its method of use in which a continuous mining machine removes and transfers cut material reducing airborne respirable coal dust generated in the cutting and collection process. The conventional high speed head rotating with the bits going forward at the top is replaced by a triangular shaped dished out linear cutting head rotating with the bits mounted at the apexes going rearward at the top. This produces a box cut in the mine face with a square cross-section. After the head has made a box cut by sumping the full head diameter beginning at the mine floor, it is sheared upwardly producing a linear shear cut. This shear step is at a constant depth equal to the complete cutting head diameter. The modified cutting head is used as part of the loading and transfer mechanism. This is accomplished by reversing its direction of rotation and cutting on the upstroke from floor to roof so that the head acts as a bucket collecting the cut coal, then transferred to an adjacent transport system which allows the cut coal to be loaded and conveyed away from the mine face without further dust generation due to free fall fracture on the floor or intermediate handling by a dust generating gathering head mechanism. To insure that the coal is consistently discharged at the proper position, a movable bridge conveyor and follower assembly is used with the cutting head.

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Richard J Wilson