Method of steering a mining machine
First Claim
1. A method of steering a double-ended ranging drum mining machine in a seam in which the machine has a leading cutting drum arranged to cut mineral from a face to a distance at or near the interface of the mineral and an adjacent roof stratum, and a trailing cutting drum arranged to remove residual material from the face and to form a floor, the method comprising the steps ofpositioning a first current cut roof follower means at or adjacent the centre of the machine,measuring the machine tilt using second means,estimating coal thickness using third means and generating algorithms therefromwhereby the height difference between points on the current cut roof can be calculated to control and steer the leading and trailing cutting drums, the algorithms being generated in such a manner that cumulative errors along or towards the face are minimized or eliminated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of steering a double-ended ranging drum mining machine including the steps of positioning a first current cut roof follower at or adjacent the center of the machine and measuring the machine tilt by a second sensor. The coal thickness is estimated by using a third sensor and the data gathered is used in generating algorithms therefrom whereby the height differences between points on the current cut roof can be calculated to control and steer the leading and trailing cutting drums. The algorithms are generated in such a manner that cumulative errors along or towards the face are minimized or eliminated.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of steering a double-ended ranging drum mining machine in a seam in which the machine has a leading cutting drum arranged to cut mineral from a face to a distance at or near the interface of the mineral and an adjacent roof stratum, and a trailing cutting drum arranged to remove residual material from the face and to form a floor, the method comprising the steps of
positioning a first current cut roof follower means at or adjacent the centre of the machine, measuring the machine tilt using second means, estimating coal thickness using third means and generating algorithms therefrom whereby the height difference between points on the current cut roof can be calculated to control and steer the leading and trailing cutting drums, the algorithms being generated in such a manner that cumulative errors along or towards the face are minimized or eliminated.
Specification