Continuous mining machine and control system therefor

Claim 1

IN A MINING MACHINE ADAPTED TO REMOVE MATERIAL FROM A MINE FACE, A FIRST MINING HEAD AND A SECOND MINING HEAD DISPOSED AT THE FRONT OF THE MINING MACHINE ONE ABOVE THE OTHER AND ADAPTED TO BE ADVANCED INTO THE MINE FACE, EACH MINING HEAD INCLUDING MINING MEANS FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROM THE MINE FACE, HYDRAULIC POSER MEANS FOR RAISING THE MINING HEADS, HYDRAULIC POWER MEANS FOR TILTING THE MINING HEADS, HYDRAULIC POWER MEANS FOR SEPARATING SAID MINING HEADS, A FIRST HYDRAULIC PUMP FOR SUPPLYING HYDRAULIC FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO EACH OF SAID HYDRAULIC POWER MEANS FOR OPERATING THE LATTER, INDIVIDUAL CONTROL MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID HYDRAULIC POWER MEANS TO CONTROL THE DELIVERY OF HYDRAULIC FLUID TO THE RESPECTIVE HYDRAULIC POWER MEANS EACH CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING SOLENOID MEANS FOR OPERATION OF THE CONTROL MEANS, TRACTION MEANS FOR PROPELLING THE MINING MACHINE AND ADVANCING THE MINING MEANS INTO THE MINE FACE, CONVEYING MEANS FOR CARRYING MINED MATERIAL AWAY FROM THE MINE FACE AND DISCHARGING SAID MINED MATERIAL AT THE REAR OF THE MINING MACHINE, A HYDRAULIC PUMP FOR DRIVING SAID TRACTION MEANS, A SECOND HYDRAULIC PUMP FOR DRIVING SAID HYDRAULIC FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO THE TRACTION HYDRAULIC MOTOR FOR OPERATING THE LATTER TO DRIVE THE TRACTION MEANS AT LOW SPEED, A HYDRUALIC FLUID VOLUME CONTROL VALVE FOR CONTROL OF THE VOLUME OF HYDRAULIC FLUID DELIVERED TO THE TRACTION HYDRAULIC MOTOR TO VARY THE SPEED OF THE LATTER, HYDRAULIC PILOT MEANS FOR OPERATING THE VOLUME CONTROL VALVE, A PILOT VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE DELIVERY TO THE DRAULIC FLUID TO THE PILOT MEANS FOR OPERATING THE LATTER, SOLENOID MEANS FOR OPERATING THE PILOT VALVE, A FORWARD AND REVERSE VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF HYDRAULIC FLUID TO THE TRACTION MOTOR FOR OPERATING THE CONTION OF OPERATION THEREOF, HYDRAULIC PILOT MEANS FOR OPERATING THE FORWARD AND REVERSE VALVE, A PILOT VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE DELIVERY OF HYDRAULIC FLUID TO THE PILOT MEANS TO OPERATE THE LATTER, SOLENOID MEANS FOR OPERATING THE PILOT VALVE, A HYDRAULIC MOTOR FOR OPERATING THE CONVEYING MEANS, A THIRD HYDRAULIC PUMP FOR DELIVERING HYDRAULIC FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO THE CONVEYING MEANS HYDRAULIC MOTOR FOR OPERATING THE LATTER TO DRIVE THE CONVEYING MEANS, A CONTROL VALVE FOR DIRECTING THE FLOW OF HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM THE THIRD HYDRAULIC PUMP TO THE CONVEYING MEAN HYDRAULIC MOTOR, HYDRAULIC PILOT MEANS FOR OPERATING THE CONTROL VALVE TO DIV ERT THE FLOW OF HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM THE CONVEYING MEANS HYDRAULIC MOTORTO THE FORWARD AND REVERSE VALVE FOR DELIVERY OF HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM BOTH THE SECOND HYDRAULIC PUMP AND THE THIRD HYDRAULIC PUMP TO THE TRACTION MOTOR TO DRIVE THE LATTER AT HIGH SPEED, A PILOT VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE DELIVERY OF HYDRAULIC FLUID TO THE PILOT MEANS TO OPERATE THE LATTER, SOLENOID MEANS FOR OPERATING THE PILOT VALVE, SAID FIRST HYDRAULIC PUMP SUPPLYING HYDRAULIC FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO EACH OF THE HYDRAULIC PILOT MEANS THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE PILOT VALVES THEREFOR.