Mining machine with cutter drums and sensing apparatus

Abstract

A drum cutter for a mining machine includes spaced-apart pick elements projecting radially therefrom and a disc forming part of a sensing apparatus disposed to follow a preceding one of the pick elements through rotational movement of the drum cutter. A disc is mounted by a pivot pin extending generally parallel with the rotational axis of the drum cutter. A sensor responds to the radial loading on the disc and produces a signal delivered to a controller for an actuator coupled to a pivot arm carrying the drum cutter. The disc is mounted to project radially about 10-20 millimeters beyond the radially-projected distance by a pick element. The sensor is a strain gage, a piezoelectric gage, an induction gage, a capacitive gage or a load cell. The sensor may be mounted within a hydraulically-power piston and cylinder assembly forming the actuator for the pivot arm. When a load cell is used, it filters out and detects pressure variations at peak magnitudes occurring as the disc penetrates the mine face with a rhythmic rotation for producing corresponding electric signals that are delivered to the controller for the pivot arm.