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Automatic longwall mining system and method

  • US 4,228,508 A
  • Filed: 09/29/1978
  • Issued: 10/14/1980
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1977
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An improved method of controlling the operation of a longwall excavating machine which during a working trip works the face of a longwall excavation, particularly a power loader mounted for movement along the length of a face conveyor, or the like, the method being of the type wherein a coal-seam interface-shape program is stored in a programmable control arrangement operative for causing the excavating machine to excavate in accordance with the stored program during at least one working trip,the improvement comprising:

  • using coal-seam interface sensor means to generate data indicative of true coal-seam interface-shape conditions;

    feeding said data into the programmable control arrangement and causing the latter to compare said data against the stored coal-seam interface-shape program and ascertain the error in the stored coal-seam interface-shape program relative to the true coal-seam interface conditions detected by the sensor means;

    and causing the programmable control arrangement to automatically and gradually modify the stored coal-seam interface-shape program in ongoing depedence upon the ascertained error to thereby automatically and continually update the stored coal-seam interface-shape program followed by the excavating machine.

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