Consolidation Coal Company

Will B Jamison

Francis A May

David R Hazen

John F Burr

Eston F Petry

William N Poundstone

Henry Fleck

Harley G Pyles

A drill rod assembly for use in rotary drilling in a mine roof includes a plurality of releasably engageable drill rod members connected in end to end relation. One end of the assembly receives a cutting bit and the opposite end is drivingly connected to a drill chuck of a drill head. Each drill rod member includes a shank end portion, a socket end portion and a body portion extending between the shank end portion and the socket end portion. The shank end portion of each drill rod member is releasably engageable in the socket end portion of an adjacent drill rod member. The length of the drill rod assembly is progressively expanded to the length required for drilling a bore hole of a preselected depth into a mine roof. The shank end portion of each drill rod member is twisted in a helical pattern forming a plurality of helical faces around the axis of the shank end portion. The socket end portion of each drill rod member has an internal bore formed by a plurality of helical faces. The helical faces of the socket end portion have a lead that corresponds to the lead of the helical faces on the shank end portion. The shank end portion of a drill rod member is insertably received in the socket end portion of an adjacent drill rod member where the respective helical faces are positioned in abutting parallel relation. The application of torque to the drill rod assembly urges the abutting helical faces of the connected drill rod members into increasing frictional engagement to prevent separation of the connected drill rod members as the drill rod assembly is retrieved from the drilled bore hole.

Drill rod and drilling apparatus

A series of individual conveyor assemblies each having an independent endless belt conveyor extending longitudinally thereon are positioned in overlapping relationship. Each conveyor assembly includes a pivotal section adjacent a material receiving end portion thereof and is pinned to a material discharge end portion of a preceding section. The material discharge end portion overlies the material receiving end portion. The pivotal section connecting adjacent conveyors maintains the end portions thereof in material conveying relation as the assemblies extend along a curved path through the mine. A support beam is secured to the mine roof above the connected conveyor assemblies. Each conveyor assembly adjacent the receiving end portions thereof is secured to the support beam by a roller assembly that is longitudinally movable on guide tracks of the support beam. The conveyor assemblies are arranged to move on the support beam in response to the movement of a continuous mining machine and convey the mined material from the continuous mining maching at the rate the machine dislodges the material from the mine face.

Cascading conveyor system

An attachment, such as an operator's compartment or a mine roof drilling and bolting assembly is positioned adjacent the body portion of a self-propelled mine vehicle with the bottom portion of the attachment in slidable contact with the mine floor. In one embodiment a slide assembly for supporting the attachment for upward and downward movement relative to the mine vehicle is pivotally connected by a hinge assembly to the vehicle body. With this arrangement the attachment is operable to move upwardly and downwardly relative to the hinge assembly, which is fixed to the vehicle body. The attachment is operable to pivot about the hinge assembly as the bottom portion of the attachment slides along the undulating surface of the mine floor. In another embodiment the hinge assembly is secured to the attachment and supports guide rails of the slide assembly which are slidably received within a guide member secured to the vehicle body. With this arrangement the hinge assembly moves upwardly and downwardly with the attachment as the guide rails slide in the guide member. The attachment is also arranged by operation of a piston cylinder assembly to be tilted to a preselected position where only the front edge of the rear edge of the attachment bottom portion slides on the mine floor.

Connecting apparatus for hingedly and slidably connecting an attachment

The mining machine has a body portion mounted on a pair of endless propelling tracks which advance the mining machine forwardly in the mine. Pairs of forwardly extending arm members are pivotally connected to the body portion and support at their end portions a skid plate which is positioned transversely across the body portion and arranged to rest on and slide over the mine floor. A first conveyor is supported by the skid plate and receives and directs dislodged material from the mine floor to a second conveyor connected to the end portion of the first conveyor. The second conveyor discharges the dislodged material to the rear of the body portion. A support frame is positioned on the skid plate and horizontally supports a pair of transverse guide rails at the front end of the body portion. A carriage is slidably mounted for transverse movement on the guide rails and includes a rotatable supporting shaft. A transverse support arm having axial spaced cutter shafts positioned thereon is secured to and rotatable with the supporting shaft. Forward movement of the body portion sumps the rotating cutter shafts into the mine face and by rotating the supporting shaft and feeding the carriage laterally on the guide rails a rectangular section is cut from the face. A first roof supporting apparatus supported by the body portion includes a vertically movable beam member arranged to engage the mine roof. A second roof supporting apparatus having vertically movable beam members is connected by piston cylinder assemblies to the body portion and is independently operable of the first roof supporting apparatus to support the mine roof when the first roof supporting apparatus is removed from engagement with the mine roof and advances forwardly with the body portion.

Mining machine having advancing mine roof supports

A self-propelled body portion has spaced parallel vertical plate members that form a longitudinal passageway in which is positioned an endless conveyor. The conveyor includes a material receiving end portion that is maintained in underlapping relationship with the conveyor of a continuous mining machine that dislodges material from the face of the mine and deposits the material onto the receiving end portion of the conveyor. The conveyor transfers the mined material longitudinally of the body portion to a discharging end portion that pivots about a vertical axis relative to the main conveyor and discharges the mined material into a shuttle car. A pair of horizontally extensible drill booms are pivotally mounted to opposed sides of the body portion to swing laterally toward and away from the body portion. Each of the drill booms support at their end portions drill units that are vertically movable into position adjacent the mine roof for drilling bolt holes and installing roof bolts in accordance with a preselected pattern in the mine roof. Vertically and laterally extensible roof supports are mounted on the body portion and temporarily support the mine roof during the roof bolting and mining operations. Additional features include remote control of the continuous mining machine rearwardly thereof at a location beneath a supported section of the mine roof and remote control of adjustable roof support units that are mounted on the continuous mining machine.

Method and apparatus for roof bolting and transferring mined material

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 synchronous machine, operable as both a motor and a generator, is mounted on an electrically powered vehicle, such as a mine shuttle car, and includes a plurality of conductors having connections that are detachably engagable with receptacles of a stationary power bank. Engagement of the conductors with the receptacles supplies variable voltage alternating current power to the machine. The machine is drivingly connected to a flywheel on the vehicle and, operating as a motor, energizes the flywheel to store a preselected amount of mechanical energy. The electrical connection between the vehicle and the power bank is opened after the flywheel has been sufficiently charged. The stored energy in the flywheel is then available to drive the machine as a generator and produce high frequency, three phase, alternating current power. The generated power is transmitted to a full wave silicon controlled rectifier that converts the alternating current power to direct current for powering the traction motors of the vehicle. A variable voltage controller is connected to the rectifier and actuates the rectifier to supply direct current at a selected voltage level. The controller is responsive to an operator foot pedal. By manually depressing the foot pedal to a selected position, the voltage level of the rectified current is controlled. Thus, the speed of the traction motors is adjustable to propel the vehicle at a speed within a given range. After a portion of the energy stored by the flywheel is consumed, the vehicle is returned to the power bank to replenish the energy supply.

Energy conversion apparatus for supplying variable voltage direct

A portable temporary roof support is arranged to be on a mining machine to a location beneath an unsupported portion of a mine roof. The portable temporary roof support has a plurality of piston cylinder devices that are connected by conduits to a source of fluid under pressure on the continuous mining machine. Fluid under pressure from the mining machine first extends the temporary roof support laterally to a location adjacent the entry ribs and thereafter extends the vertical portions of the temporary roof support into abutting relation with the mine roof and the mine floor to support the unsupported portion of the mine roof.

Method and apparatus for mining and supporting the mine roof

A transfer conveyer for a monorail-supported slurry transportation system has a bottom frame which is formed through a 180.degree. arc. An input ramp and an output ramp and rollers are radially journaled along the bottom frame. The side frames are constructed around the bottom frame, and a plurality of rollers is journaled in the side frame. A transport system is attached to the frames, and an apparatus is attached between the transport system and the frame to change the angle of the bottom frame with respect to the horizon. The input and output ramps are also pivotally attached to the frame in order that they may be swung horizontally with respect to the frame to properly align the input and output ramps with the overhead monorail transportation system.

Growing community of inventors

Bethel Park, PA, United States of America

Will B Jamison