AUTONOMOUS MOBILE CONVEYOR SYSTEM

• US 20120146387A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: SHATTERS, Aaron R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,820,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 299/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 41/008 frames mounted on wheels or caterpillar for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/08 Shifting conveyors or other transport devices from one location at the working face to another guiding mining machines along conveyors for the cut mineral E21C35/12; in combination with mine roof supports for step-by-step movement E21D23/00

Abstract

A conveyor system for a use with mining machine is provided. The conveyor system may have a plurality of conveyor segments operatively connected end-to-end, a first of the plurality of conveyor segments also being configured to connect to the mining machine. The conveyor system may also have a plurality of mobile base supports each being configured to support one of the plurality of conveyor segments, and at least one controller for communication with the mining machine and the plurality of mobile base supports. The at least one controller may be configured to determine a desired location of the mining machine different from a current location of the mining machine, and to determine a required trajectory of the plurality of conveyor segments based on the desired location of the mining machine. The at least one controller may also be configured to communicate the required trajectory to each of the plurality of mobile base supports to move the mobile base supports into alignment with the required trajectory.

Claims

1. A conveyor system for a mining machine, comprising:

a plurality of conveyor segments operatively connected end-to-end, a first of the plurality of conveyor segments also being configured to connect to the mining machine;

a plurality of mobile base supports each being configured to support one of the plurality of conveyor segments; and

at least one controller for communication with the mining machine and the plurality of mobile base supports, the at least one controller being configured to;

determine a desired location of the mining machine different from a current location of the mining machine;

determine a required trajectory of the plurality of conveyor segments based on the desired location of the mining machine; and

communicate the required trajectory to each of the plurality of mobile base supports to move the mobile base supports into alignment with the required trajectory.

2. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mobile base supports is configured to determine a movement required to reposition itself along the required trajectory.

3. They conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the required trajectory is determined before movement of the mining machine from the current location to the desired location.

4. The conveyor system of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of mobile base supports is further configured to implement the movement as the mining machine moves from the current location to the desired location within constraints imposed by adjacent segments of the plurality of conveyor segments.

5. The conveyor system of claim 4, wherein the constraints include at least one of a length and a minimum curvature radius of the adjacent segments.

6. The conveyor system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of conveyor segments has a finite length and is transversely flexible.

7. The conveyor system of claim 6, wherein the required trajectory is a general s-curve.

8. The conveyor system of claim 7, wherein:

a free end of a last of the plurality of conveyor segments is connected to a processor;

the at least one controller is further configured to determine a desired location of the processor different from a current location of the processor; and

the required trajectory of the plurality of conveyor segments is further determined based on the desired location of the processor.

9. The conveyor system of claim 8, wherein a curvature radius of each of the plurality of conveyor segments becomes smaller as the processor nears the mining machine.

10. The conveyor system of claim 9, wherein the required trajectory at a machine end and at a processor end is generally parallel with an axis passing through the processor and the mining machine.

11. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is a worksite controller located remotely from the plurality of conveyor segments and configured to communicate with the plurality of mobile base supports wirelessly.

12. The conveyor system of claim 1, further including a plurality of communications modules, each of the plurality of communication modules being associated with one of the plurality of mobile base supports and in communication with the at least one controller.

13. The conveyor system of claim 1, wherein the mining machine is a reclaimer and the conveyor is configured to connect to a base portion of the reclaimer to receive material from a chute of the conveyor.

14. A method of transporting material, comprising:

processing material at a current first location;

transporting the material along a current first trajectory from the current first location to a current second location;

determining a desired third location at which to process material;

determining a desired second trajectory along which to transport material between the desired third location and the current second location; and

communicating the desired second trajectory to a plurality of mobile base supports of a conveyor system to move the conveyor system into alignment with the desired second trajectory.

15. The method of claim 14, further including determining a required movement of each of the plurality of mobile base supports based on the desired second trajectory.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the required movement includes determining a required movement based on length and curvature constraints imposed by adjacent segments of the conveyor system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the desired second trajectory is a general s-curve.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the desired second trajectory is generally parallel at end points to an axis passing through the end points.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the required movement for each of the plurality of mobile base supports is determined before movement of material processing from the current first location to the desired third location.

20. A mining system, comprising:

a reclaimer located at a current first position;

a processor located at a current second location;

a plurality of conveyor segments operatively connected end-to-end, a first of the plurality of conveyor segments also being operatively connected to the reclaimer and a last of the plurality of conveyor segments operatively connected to the processor, wherein each of the plurality of conveyor segments has a finite length and is transversely flexible;

a plurality of mobile base supports each being configured to support one of the plurality of conveyor segments; and

at least one controller in communication with the reclaimer and the plurality of mobile base supports, the at least one controller being configured to;

determine a desired location of at least one of the reclaimer and the processor different from the current first and second positions;

determine a required trajectory of the plurality of conveyor segments based on the desired location, the finite lengths of the plurality of conveyor segments, and minimum radius curvatures of the plurality of conveyor segments; and

communicate the required trajectory to each of the plurality of mobile base supports to move the mobile base supports into alignment with the required trajectory,

wherein each of the plurality of mobile base supports is configured to move into alignment with the required trajectory as the one of the reclaimer and processor moves and as limited by adjacent conveyor segments.