Remote controlled high wall coal mining system

• US 4,323,280 A
• Filed: 03/27/1979
• Issued: 04/06/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rocon Mining Company A General Partnership of de
• Original Assignee: Coalex Incorporated
• Inventors: Lansberry, John B., Apt, Jerome Jr., Dury, Joseph D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purser, Ernest R.
• Application Number:
  US06/024,371
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 299/1, 299/18, 299/19, 299/30, 299/56, 299/57, 299/64, 302/64, 285/97
• US Class Current: 299/1.4
• 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 35/24 Remote control specially adapted for machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 17/18 Special adaptations of signalling or alarm devices for mine lifts B66B; gas-sensitive devices per se G01N

Abstract

A high wall mining system including a continuous mining machine, a remote control station outwardly of the high wall from which extend electric cables wound on cable reels which extend to the continuous mining machine enabling the operator to control the machine based upon television pictures transmitted to the control station from television cameras on the machine and the signals from laser and sonar guidance systems provided at the control station in cooperation with elements on the continuous mining machine and an extensible and retractable vacuum air conveyor system for the coal recovered by the mining machine.

Claims

1. A remote controlled coal mining system comprising:

a continuous mining machine having power driven means thereon for moving said machine through successive coal cutting cycles which include an advancing movement along a mined entry in a direction toward the working face,

cable means extending from said continuous mining machine to a remote control station,

light means carried by said continuous mining machine for illuminating portions of the space surrounding said continuous mining machine including the mine seam face disposed forwardly thereof and adjacent portion of the mined entry rearwardly thereof,

television camera means carried by said continuous mining machine for establishing electromagnetic signals indicative of the appearance of the illuminated space within the coal mine seam,

means for transmitting the electromagnetic signals established by said television camera means to said control station,

television receiver means at said control station operatively connected with said transmitting means for converting said signals to a continuous picture of the appearance of at least a selected portion of the illuminated coal mine space,

means for moving a laser beam from a position adjacent said control station along at least two angularly related lines disposed within a common vertical plane perpendicular to the working face of the coal seam,

first laser beam detector means carried by said continuous mining machine adjacent the rearward portion thereof,

second laser beam detecting means carried by said continuous mining machine adjacent the forward portion thereof,

said first and second detectors each including a central laser sensing area aligned respectively in the direction of said vertical plane but displaced vertically with respect to one another, so that said moving laser beam will strike the same along said lines so long as the advancing movement of said continuous mining machine is aligned with said vertical plane,

said first and second detectors each including left and right-hand laser sensitive areas disposed horizontally to opposite sides of the associated central area,

means for transmitting from said detectors to said control station signals indicative of the laser sensitive areas in the lines of said moving laser beam, and

means at said control station connected with said cable means for enabling an operator at said control station to control the coal cutting cycle of said continuous mining machine based on the pictures provided by said television receiver means and the signals indicative of the laser sensitive areas in the lines of said moving laser beam whereby the coal cut during a cycle is cut between the mine roof and floor and the advancing movement is maintained in the direction of said vertical plane.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 including four sonic transducers mounted on opposite sides of said continuous mining machine at the forward and rearward portions thereof, each of said sonic transducers having means for directing successive sonic pulses laterally horizontally to the adjacent side wall of the entry being mined, means for receiving the return of successive sonic pulses from the side wall and of measuring the time of return as a function of distance, means for averaging the measurements of the receiving means of each transducer, and means for transmitting to said control station signal means indicative of the relative average measurements of the receiving means of said four transducers.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 including power operated reel means receiving said cable means in coils thereabout to be paid out and reeled up thereon in response to the power operated rotational movements thereof while said cable means is electrically connected.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 including an extensible and retractable vacuum air system for following the advance and retreat of said continuous mining machine in the coal seam and for conveying the coal cut from the seam by the continuous mining machine to a remote location comprising positive displacement air pump means having a suction side providing a source of vacuum air,

a multiplicity of conduit sections each having means at each end thereof enabling successive sections to be sealingly interconnected in end-to-end relation to form a conduit string connected at one end to the continuous mining machine so as to receive coal particles cut and removed from the seam by said continuous mining machine,

a telescopic conduit assembly connectible to the other end of said conduit string,

coal particle separating means in series between said telescopic conduit assembly and the vacuum side of said positive displacement pump means, said coal particle separating means having rotary air lock discharge means for discharging the separated coal particles from the vacuum environment of the separating means without substantial effect on the pressure thereof,

particle filter means in series between said separating means and the suction side of said positive displacement pump means having rotary air lock discharge means for discharging filtered particles from the vacuum pressure environment of the filter means without substantially effecting the pressure thereof,

bypass valve means between said telescopic conduit assembly and said filter means normally disposed in a closed position to enable the source of vacuum pressure provided by the suction side of said positive displacement pump means to be communicated to said miner in a series vacuum air circuit through said conduit string, said telescopic conduit assembly, said separating means and said filter means and movable into an open position to provide a separate circuit through said open valve means in series with said filter means which bypasses said conduit string, and said telescopic conduit assembly,

said telescopic conduit assembly being operable to permit said conduit string to be moved by said continuous mining machine during the advancing movement thereof while the vacuum air circuit is completed therethrough by virtue of said bypass valve means being in said closed position, said telescopic conduit assembly being operable to enable a conduit section to be added to said conduit string when said bypass valve means is in said open position to bypass the vacuum air circuit from said conduit string and said telescopic conduit assembly.

5. A system as defined in claim 4 wherein said separating means comprises a housing having an inlet for a stream of air having coal particles entrained therein,

baffle means within said housing in a position to be engaged by said inlet stream of air and entrained coal particles for reducing the velocity energy of said coal particles and causing them to move downwardly in an abrupt change of direction,

hopper means below said baffle means for collecting the coal particles moving downwardly from said baffle means, and

air outlet means in said housing rearwardly of said baffle means and above said hopper means,

said rotary air lock discharge means including a power driven pocketed rotor at the lower end of said hopper means.

6. A system as defined in claim 4 wherein said particle filter means comprises a body having a tangential inlet feed tube, an upwardly extending central air outlet conduit leading to the suction side of said positive displacement pump means,

said rotary air lock discharge means comprising a power driven pocketed rotor disposed in a lower apex opening of said hydrocyclone body.

7. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein said telescopic conduit assembly includes a fixed pipe section, a movable pipe section telescopically related to said fixed pipe section, and means including an inflatable seal for sealing said telescopically related pipe sections.

8. A system as defined in claim 7 including means for introducing and exhausting air under pressure to said inflatable seal.

9. A system as defined in claim 4 wherein said by-pass valve means in its closed position is retained therein by a predetermined spring pressure yieldable when the vacuum within the system communicating therewith exceeds a predetermined valve.

10. A system as defined in claim 4 wherein a wheeled carriage assembly is fixed to the central portion of each conduit section.

11. A system as defined in claim 4 wherein said continuous mining machine includes

a track frame,

left and right-hand independently power driven endless track assemblies on said track frame for moving the same in either direction along a mine entry floor and for guiding the same during such movement,

a sump frame mounted on said track frame for power driven horizontal reciprocating movement with respect to said track frame and track assemblies,

coal cutting and gathering means carried by said sump frame for cutting the coal in a coal seam and for gatheringly moving the cut coal to a discharge position located at the central portion of the machine,

an inlet vacuum air duct fixed to said sump frame having a forward inlet opening disposed at said discharge position and a rear end portion of constant cross-sectional configuration,

a cooperating duct section fixedly carried by said track frame having a forward end portion of constant cross-sectional configuration disposed in telescopic relation with respect to the rear end portion of said inlet duct,

and means for sealingly connecting said telescopically arranged portions while permitting telescopic movement to take place in response to the power driven movement of said sump frame.

12. A system as defined in claim 11 wherein said sealing means includes an inflatable annular seal and means for introducing air into said inflatable seal selectively at a plurality of predetermined elevated pressures and atmospheric pressure.

13. A remote controlled coal mining system comprising:

continuous mining machine having power driven means thereon for moving said machine through successive coal cutting cycles which include an advancing movement along a mined entry in a direction toward the working face,

cable means extending from said continuous mining machine to a remove control station,

light means carried by said continuous mining machine for illuminating portions of the space surrounding said continuous mining machine including the mine seam face disposed forwardly thereof and adjacent portion of the mined entry rearwardly thereof,

television camera means carried by said continuous mining machine for establishing electromagnetic signals indicative of the appearance of the illuminated space within the coal mine seam,

means for transmitting the electromagnetic signals established by said television camera means to said control station,

television receiver means at said control station operatively connected with said transmitting means for converting said signals to a continuous picture of the appearance of at least a selected portion of the illuminated coal mine space,

four sonic transducers mounted on opposite sides of said continuous mining machine at the forward and rearward portions thereof, each of said sonic transducers having

means for directing successive sonic pulses laterally horizontally to the adjacent side wall of the entry being mined,

means for receiving the return of successive sonic pulses from the side wall and of measuring the time of return as a function of distance,

means for averaging the measurements of the receiving means of each transducer, and

means for transmitting to said control station signal means indicative of the relative average measurements of the receiving means of said four transducers, and

means at said control station connected with said cable means for enabling an operator at said control station to control the coal cutting cycle of said continuous mining machine based on the pictures provided by said television receiver means and the signals indicative of the relative average measurements of the receiving means of said four transducers whereby the coal cut during a cycle is cut between the mine roof and floor and the advancing movement is maintained in a straight direction.

14. A system as defined in claim 13 including power operated reel means receiving said cable means in coils thereabout to be paid out and reeled up thereon in response to the power operated rotational movements thereof while said cable means is electrically connected.

15. An extensible and retractable vacuum air system for following the advance and retreat of a continuous mining machine in a coal seam and for conveying the coal cut from the seam by the continuous mining machine to a remote location comprising positive displacement air pump means having a suction side providing a source of vacuum air,

a multiplicity of conduit sections each having means at each end thereof enabling successive sections to be sealingly interconnected in end-to-end relation to form a conduit string connected at one end to the continuous mining machine so as to receive coal particles cut and removed from the seam by said continuous mining machine,

a telescopic conduit assembly connectible to the other end of said conduit string,

coal particle separating means in series between said telescopic conduit assembly and the vacuum side of said positive displacement pump means, said coal particle separating means having rotary air lock discharge means for discharging the separated coal particles from the vacuum environment of the separating means without substantial effect on the pressure thereof,

particle filter means in series between said separating means and the suction side of said positive displacement pump means having rotary air lock discharge means for discharging filtered particles from the vacuum pressure environment of the filter means without substantially effecting the pressure thereof,

bypass valve means between said telescopic conduit assembly and said filter means normally disposed in a closed position to enable the source of vacuum pressure provided by the suction side of said positive displacement pump means to be communicated to said miner in a series vacuum air circuit through said conduit string, said telescopic conduit assembly, said separating means and said filter means and movable into an open position to provide a separate circuit through said open valve means in series with said filter means which bypasses said conduit string, and said telescopic conduit assembly,

said telescopic conduit assembly being operable to permit said conduit string to be moved by said continuous mining machine during the advancing movement thereof while the vacuum air circuit is completed therethrough by virtue of said bypass valve means being in said closed position, said telescopic conduit assembly being operable to enable a conduit section to be added to said conduit string when said bypass valve means is in said open position to bypass the vacuum air circuit from said conduit string and said telescopic conduit assembly.

16. A system as defined in claim 15 wherein said separating means comprises a housing having an inlet for a stream of air having coal particles entrained therein,

baffle means within said housing in a position to be engaged by said inlet stream of air and entrained coal particles for reducing the velocity energy of said coal particles and causing them to move downwardly in an abrupt change of direction,

hopper means below said baffle means for collecting the coal particles moving downwardly from said baffle means, and

air outlet means in said housing rearwardly of said baffle means and above said hopper means,

said rotary air lock discharge means including a power driven pocketed rotor at the lower end of said hopper means.

17. A system as defined in claim 15 wherein said particle filter means comprises a body having a tangential inlet feed tube, an upwardly extending central air outlet conduit leading to the suction side of said positive displacement pump means,

said rotary air lock discharge means comprising a power driven pocketed rotor disposed in a lower apex opening of said body.

18. A system as defined in claim 15 wherein said telescopic conduit assembly includes a fixed pipe section, a movable pipe section telescopically related to said fixed pipe section, and means including an inflatable seal for sealing said telescopically related pipe sections.

19. A system as defined in claim 15 including means for introducing and exhausting air under pressure to said inflatable seal.

20. A system as defined in claim 15 wherein said by-pass valve means in its closed position is retained therein by a predetermined spring pressure yieldable when the vacuum within the system communicating therewith exceeds a predetermined valve.

21. A system as defined in claim 15 wherein a wheeled carriage assembly is fixed to the central portion of each conduit section.

22. A continuous mining machine including

a track frame,

left and right-hand independently power driven endless track assemblies on said track frame for moving the same in either direction along a mine entry floor and for guiding the same during such movement,

a sump frame mounted on said track frame for power driven horizontal reciprocating movement with respect to said track frame and track assemblies,

coal cutting and gathering means carried by said sump frame for cutting the coal in a coal seam and for gatheringly moving the cut coal to a discharge position located at the central portion of the machine,

an inlet vacuum air duct fixed to said sump frame having a forward inlet opening disposed at said discharge position and a rear end portion of constant cross-sectional configuration,

a cooperating duct section fixedly carried by said track frame having a forward end position of constant cross-sectional configuration disposed in telescopic relation with respect to the rear end portion of said inlet duct,

and means for sealingly connecting said telescopically arranged portions while permitting telescopic movement to take place in response to the power driven movement of said sump frame.

23. A system as defined in claim 22 wherein said sealing means includes an inflatable annular seal and means for introducing air into said inflatable seal selectively at a plurality of predetermined elevated pressures and atmospheric pressure.