Mining machine and method
First Claim
1. A mining machine comprising:
- a shearing head mounted on a moveable carriage, said shearing head being for mining product from a scam as said moveable carriage traverses from aide-to-side across a mining face of said seam on rail means which extend from side-to-side across the seam at least 2D co-ordinate position determining means carried entirely by one of the movable carriage and the rail means for determining the absolute co-ordinate position in space of one the movable carriage and the rail means at each of a plurality of locations along the rail means, said position determining means providing current absolute co-ordinate position outputdata signals therefrom;
processing means connected to receive the output data signals and to generate and to generated further signals to control rail moving means associated with said machine, so said rail moving means will attempt to displace a trailing part of said rail means a distance towards said seam based on the determined current absolute co-ordinate position of that part of the rail means as distinct from an expected co-ordinate position, to assume a co-ordinate position of an intended profile for the next pass, said processing means operating with said rail moving means at various locations along the length of the rail means, so that on the next pass of said moveable carriage, said shearing head will attempt to cut to the intended profile.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for a mining machine which moves in passes across a seam to be mined using absolute coordinates is disclosed. The machine is carried on rail and co-ordinates of the rail are measured along the length of rail. The rail is then moved to a new position for a next pass, and the distance of moving is determined from the co-ordinates previously measured. By knowing the co-ordinates, the rail can be moved to assume a desired profile, so that a desired profile of the seam can be achieved on the next pass. Co-ordinates of the up and down movement of a shearing head can also be measured and stored with the co-ordinates along the rail to provide a profile of the seam being cut, and so that on a next pass the intended position of the shearing head can be predicted and moved accordingly.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A mining machine comprising:
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a shearing head mounted on a moveable carriage, said shearing head being for mining product from a scam as said moveable carriage traverses from aide-to-side across a mining face of said seam on rail means which extend from side-to-side across the seam at least 2D co-ordinate position determining means carried entirely by one of the movable carriage and the rail means for determining the absolute co-ordinate position in space of one the movable carriage and the rail means at each of a plurality of locations along the rail means, said position determining means providing current absolute co-ordinate position outputdata signals therefrom;
processing means connected to receive the output data signals and to generate and to generated further signals to control rail moving means associated with said machine, so said rail moving means will attempt to displace a trailing part of said rail means a distance towards said seam based on the determined current absolute co-ordinate position of that part of the rail means as distinct from an expected co-ordinate position, to assume a co-ordinate position of an intended profile for the next pass, said processing means operating with said rail moving means at various locations along the length of the rail means, so that on the next pass of said moveable carriage, said shearing head will attempt to cut to the intended profile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of controlling a mining machine having a moveable carriage carrying a shearing head so said shearing head will cut to an intended profile, said method comprising:
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mounting said carriage on rail means so said carriage will be able to traverse from side-to-side across a seam to be mined;
providing a co-ordinate position determining means mounted entirely on one of said rail means and said movable carriage;
generating with the position determining means position signals of the current absolute 2D co-ordinate position in space one of said rail means and said movable carriage at each of plurality of locations along the rail means to processing means as said machine passes from side-to-aide across the seam;
generating output signals processed from said position signals to control rail moving means, effecting operation of said rail moving means so a trailing part of said rail means will be displaced a distance forwardly toward said seam based on the current co-ordinate position of the rail means or said movable carriage as distinct from an expected co-ordinate position, operating said rail moving means at various positions along the length of the rail means so said rail means will attempt to be in said intended profile so that on a next pass of said moveable carriage said shearing head will attempt to cur the intended profile. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification