STABILIZATION SYSTEM FOR A MINING MACHINE

• US 20150167462A1
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Underground Mining LLC (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Joy Mm Delaware Incorporated (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Wade, Colin Anthony, Jonker, Jacobus Ignatius
• Granted Patent: US 9,670,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 25/06 Machines slitting solely by one or more cutting rods or cutting drums which rotate, move through the seam, and may or may not reciprocate
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 25/16 Machines slitting solely by one or more rotating saws, cutting discs, or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 27/24 by milling means acting on the full working face , i.e. the rotary axis of the tool carrier being substantially parallel to the working face similar machines for tunneling E21D9/1026
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 31/12 Component parts
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 35/00 Details of, or accessories for, machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral from the seam, not provided for in groups E21C25/00 - E21C33/00, E21C37/00 or E21C39/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 35/06 Equipment for positioning the whole machine in relation to its sub-structure
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 35/08 Guiding the machine
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 35/10 by feelers contacting the working face
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 35/24 Remote control specially adapted for machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/102 by a longitudinally extending boom being pivotable about a vertical and a transverse axis
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/108 Remote control specially adapted for machines for driving tunnels or galleries for machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral E21C35/24
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/06 Transport of mined material at or adjacent to the working face

Abstract

A mining machine including a frame, a cutting head moveably coupled to the frame and pivotable about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to a first mine surface, and a first actuator for stabilizing the frame relative to the first mine surface. The first actuator is coupled to the frame and includes a first end extendable in a first direction to engage the first mine surface. The extension of the first actuator is automatically controlled based on measurements of at least one indicator of the force between the first actuator and the first mine surface.

Claims

1. A mining machine comprising:

a frame;

a cutting head moveably coupled to the frame; and

a first actuator for stabilizing the frame relative to a mine surface, the first actuator being coupled to the frame and including a first end extendable in a first direction to engage the mine surface, the operation of the first actuator being automatically controlled based on measurements of a time required for the first actuator to extend to a position such that at least one indicator of a force between the first actuator and the mine surface reaches a predetermined value.

2. The mining machine of claim 1, further comprising a second actuator for stabilizing the frame relative to the mine surface, the second actuator being coupled to the frame and including a first end extendable in a second direction to engage the mine surface, the operation of the second actuator being automatically controlled based on measurements of a time required for the second actuator to extend to a position at which at least one indicator of the force between the second actuator and the mine surface reaches a predetermined value.

3. The mining machine of claim 1, further comprising a second actuator for stabilizing the frame relative to a second mine surface, the second actuator being coupled to the frame and including a first end extendable in a second direction to engage the second mine surface, the operation of the second actuator being automatically controlled based on measurements of a time required for the second actuator to extend to a position at which at least one indicator of the force between the second actuator and the second mine surface reaches a predetermined value.

4. The mining machine of claim 1, further comprising a headboard pivotably coupled to the first end of the first actuator and configured to engage the mine surface.

5. The mining machine of claim 4, wherein the headboard is pivotably coupled to the first end of the first actuator by a ball-in-socket joint.

6. The mining machine of claim 4, wherein the headboard has a substantially triangular profile.

7. The mining machine of claim 1, further comprising at least one spacer positioned between the first end of the first actuator and the first mine surface.

8. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is a hydraulic cylinder, and the at least one indicator of force between the first actuator and the mine surface is a hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic cylinder.

9. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is a hydraulic cylinder, and further comprising a directional control valve for controlling fluid flow into and out of the first actuator in order to extend and retract the first actuator.

10. The mining machine of claim 1, wherein the cutting head is pivotable about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the mine surface and includes at least one oscillating cutting disc.

18. The mining machine of claim 7, wherein the first actuator is a hydraulic cylinder, and further comprising a directional control valve for controlling fluid flow into and away from the first actuator in order to extend and retract the first actuator.

11. A mining machine comprising:

a frame;

a cutting head moveably coupled to the frame, the cutting head being pivotable about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to a first mine surface; and

a first actuator for stabilizing the frame relative to the first mine surface, the first actuator being coupled to the frame and including a first end extendable in a first direction to engage the first mine surface, the extension of the first actuator being automatically controlled based on measurements of at least one indicator of the force between the first actuator and the first mine surface.

12. The mining machine of claim 11, further comprising a second actuator for stabilizing the frame relative to a second mine surface, the second actuator being coupled to the frame and including a first end extendable in a second direction to engage the second mine surface, the extension of the second actuator being automatically controlled based on measurements of at least one indicator of the force between the second actuator and the second mine surface.

13. The mining machine of claim 11, further comprising a headboard coupled to the first end of the first actuator and configured to engage the first mine surface.

14. The mining machine of claim 13, wherein the headboard is pivotably coupled to the first end of the first actuator by a ball-in-socket joint.

15. The mining machine of claim 13, wherein the headboard includes a substantially triangular profile.

16. The mining machine of claim 11, further comprising a spacer positioned between the first end of the first actuator and the first mine surface.

17. The mining machine of claim 11, wherein the first actuator is a hydraulic cylinder, and the at least one indicator of force between the first actuator and the first mine surface is a hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic cylinder.

19. A method for stabilizing a mining machine relative to a first mine surface and a second mine surface, the method comprising:

extending a first actuator toward the first mine surface until at least one indicator of the force between the first actuator and the first mine surface reaches a predetermined value;

retracting the first actuator by a first predetermined distance;

extending the first actuator by the first predetermined distance plus an offset distance;

extending a second actuator toward the second mine surface until at least one indicator of the force between the second actuator and the second mine surface reaches a predetermined value;

retracting the second actuator by a second predetermined distance; and

extending the second actuator by the second predetermined distance plus an offset distance.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising saving a first parameter value corresponding to the position of the first actuator at which the at least one indicator of the force between the first actuator and the first mine surface reaches a predetermined value.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising comparing the saved first parameter value with a maximum permitted parameter value;

and

aborting the method for stabilizing the mining machine if the saved first parameter value is greater than a maximum permitted parameter value.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein saving the first parameter value includes saving an extension time for the first actuator to extend to the position at which the at least one indicator of the force between the first actuator and the first mine surface reaches the predetermined value.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein saving the first parameter value includes saving an extension length for the first actuator to extend to a point at which the at least one indicator of the force between the first actuator and the mine surface reaches the predetermined value.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein extending the first actuator includes extending the first actuator at a predetermined speed.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein extending the first actuator toward a mine surface includes extending a hydraulic cylinder toward the mine surface until a pressure within the cylinder reaches a predetermined value.