Material collecting means for mining machines

Claim 2

In a mining machine, a supporting base, rotary mining head means, means mounting said mining head means on said supporting base, conveyor means extending along said supporting base and having a receiving end for receiving mined material to be conveyed, and collecting means for gathering material mined by said mining head means and directing such material to said receiving end of said conveyor means, said collecting means comprising gathering apron means below said mining head means and said gathering apron means including at least one portion movable relative to another portion thereof for varying the effective width of said gathering apron means, motor means connected to said movable portion of said gathering apron means for moving said movable portion to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, and biasing means connected to said movable portion of said gathering apron means foR resiliently biasing said movable portion from said another portion of said gathering apron means.

Claim 3

A mining machine according to claim 1, wherein said biasing means comprises a spring, and a plurality of interconnected links connect said spring and said motor means to said movable portion.

Claim 4

A mining machine according to claim 2, wherein said spring is a coil spring extending peripherally around said motor means.

Claim 5

In a mining machine, a supporting base, a boom mounted on said supporting base, rotary mining head means carried by said boom forwardly of the forward end of said supporting base, conveyor means extending along said supporting base and having a receiving end for receiving mined material to be conveyed, and collecting means for gathering material mined by said mining head means and directing such material to said receiving end of said conveyor means, said collecting means including gathering apron means comprising a central gathering apron below said mining head means and auxiliary gathering aprons adjacent each of opposite sides of said central gathering apron mounted for movement towards and away from one another to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, motor means connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for moving said auxiliary gathering aprons to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, and biasing means connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for resiliently biasing said auxiliary aprons from one another.

Claim 6

In a mining machine, a supporting base, a boom mounted on said supporting base, rotary mining head means carried by said boom forwardly of the forward end of said supporting base, conveyor means extending along said supporting base and having a receiving end for receiving mined material to be conveyed, and collecting means for gathering material mined by said mining head means and directing such material to said receiving end of said conveyor means, said collecting means including gathering apron means comprising a central gathering apron below said mining head means and auxiliary gathering aprons adjacent each of opposite sides of said central gathering apron mounted for movement towards and away from one another to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, motor means connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for moving said auxiliary gathering aprons to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, and biasing means connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for resiliently biasing said auxiliary aprons from one another.

Claim 7

A mining machine according to claim 4, wherein said biasing means for each said auxiliary gathering apron comprises a spring, and a plurality of interconnected links connect said motor means and said springs to said auxiliary gathering aprons.

Claim 8

A mining machine according to claim 4, wherein said biasing means comprises individual springs for said auxiliary gathering aprons and said motor means comprises individual fluid pressure operated motors for said auxiliary gathering aprons, and further comprising a common set of interconnected links connecting the spring and the motor for each said auxiliary gathering apron to the latter.

Claim 9

A mining machine according to claim 4, wherein said biasing means comprises individual biasing elements for said auxiliary gathering aprons, and said motor means comprises individual fluid pressure operated motors for said auxiliary gathering aprons.

Claim 10

A mining machine according to claim 7, further comprising link means connecting said biasing elements and said motors to said auxiliary gathering aprons, said link means for each auxiliary gathering apron comprising first and second links having inner and outer ends, each said first link being connected at its outer end to one of said auxiliary gathering aprons and each said second link being connected at its outer end to a support fixed with respect to said central gathering apron, said first and second links for each auxiliary gathering apron being pivotally interconnected at their inner ends, and said motors and said biasing elements being connected to said links at the pivotal connection of the inner ends of the links.

Claim 11

A mining machine according to claim 8, wherein said biasing elements each comprise a spring peripherally of one of said motors.

Claim 12

In a mining machine, a supporting base, a boom mounted on said supporting base and projecting forwardly thereof, rotary mining head means supported by said boom, conveyor means extending along said supporting base and having a receiving end for receiving mined material to be conveyed, gathering apron means comprising a main gathering apron mounted below said mining head means for collecting material mined by said mining head means and auxiliary gathering aprons adjacent each of opposite sides of said main gathering apron pivotally mounted for movement relative to said main gathering apron towards and away from one another, to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, movable gathering means operatively associated with said main gathering aproN for directing mined material on said main gathering apron to said receiving end of said conveyor means, said auxiliary gathering aprons having remote sides including generally upwardly extending side walls and said auxiliary gathering aprons also including apron floors unitary with said side walls which extend generally towards one another, biasing means operatively connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for resiliently biasing said auxiliary gathering aprons each from the other, and motor means operatively connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for pivotally moving said auxiliary gathering aprons relative to each other to thereby vary the effective width of said gathering apron means.

Claim 13

In a mining machine, a supporting base, a boom mounted on said supporting base and projecting forwardly thereof, rotary mining head means supported by said boom, conveyor means extending along said supporting base and having a receiving end for receiving mined material to be conveyed, gathering apron means comprising a main gathering apron mounted below said mining head means for collecting material mined by said mining head means and auxiliary gathering aprons adjacent each of opposite sides of said main gathering apron pivotally mounted for movement relative to said main gathering apron towards and away from one another, to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, movable gathering means operatively associated with said main gathering aproN for directing mined material on said main gathering apron to said receiving end of said conveyor means, said auxiliary gathering aprons having remote sides including generally upwardly extending side walls and said auxiliary gathering aprons also including apron floors unitary with said side walls which extend generally towards one another, biasing means operatively connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for resiliently biasing said auxiliary gathering aprons each from the other, and motor means operatively connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for pivotally moving said auxiliary gathering aprons relative to each other to thereby vary the effective width of said gathering apron means.

Claim 14

A mining machine according to claim 10, wherein said biasing means includes individual biasing springs for said auxiliary gathering aprons, and said motor means comprises individual fluid pressure operated motors for said auxiliary gathering aprons.

Claim 15

A mining machine according to claim 11, further comprising link means connecting said biasing springs and said motors to said auxiliary gathering aprons, the link means for each said auxiliary gathering apron including first and second links having inner and outer ends, each said first link being connected at its outer end to one of said auxiliary gathering aprons and each said second link being connected at its outer end to a support fixed with respect to said main gathering apron, said first and second links for each said auxiliary gathering apron being pivotally interconnected at their inner ends, and said motors and said biasing springs being connected to said links at the pivotal connection of their inner ends.

Claim 16

A mining machine according to claim 12, wherein said biasing springs are coil springs peripherally of said motors.

Claim 17

A mining machine according to claim 10, further comprising a common set of interconnected links connecting the biasing spring and motor for each said auxiliary gathering apron to the latter.

Claim 18

A mining machine according to claim 10, wherein said apron floors of said auxiliary gathering aprons taper adjacent towards their forward ends.

Claim 19

A mining machine according to claim 10, wherein said auxiliary gathering aprons are pivotally mounted adjacent their rearward ends for movement about generally vertical axes.

Claim 20

Collecting means for gathering mined material, comprising gathering apron means including a central gathering apron and auxiliary gathering aprons adjacent each of opposite sides of said central gathering apron mounted for movement towards and away from one another to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, motor means operatively connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for moving said auxiliary gathering aprons towards and away from one another, and biasing means resiliently biasing said auxiliary gathering aprons from one another.

Claim 21

Collecting means for gathering mined material, comprising gathering apron means including a central gathering apron and auxiliary gathering aprons adjacent each of opposite sides of said central gathering apron mounted for movement towards and away from one another to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, motor means operatively connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for moving said auxiliary gathering aprons towards and away from one another, and biasing means resiliently biasing said auxiliary gathering aprons from one another.

Claim 22

Collecting means for gathering mined material, comprising gathering apron means including a main gathering apron and auxiliary gathering aprons at each of opposite sides of said main gathering apron mounted for pivotal movement relative to said main gathering apron towards and away from one another, to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, said auxiliary gathering aprons having remote sides including generally upwardly extending side walls and said auxiliary gathering aprons also including transversely extending apron floors unitary with said side walls projecting generally towards one another, biasing means for resiliently biasing said auxiliary gathering aprons one from the other, and fluid pressure operated motor means connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for pivotally moving said auxiliary gathering aprons towards and away from one another.

Claim 23

Collecting means for gathering mined material, comprising gathering apron means including a main gathering apron and auxiliary gathering aprons at each of opposite sides of said main gathering apron mounted for pivotal movement relative to said main gathering apron towards and away from one another, to vary the effective width of said gathering apron means, said auxiliary gathering aprons having remote sides including generally upwardly extending side walls and said auxiliary gathering aprons also including transversely extending apron floors unitary with said side walls projecting generally towards one another, biasing means for resiliently biasing said auxiliary gathering aprons one from the other, and fluid pressure operated motor means connected to said auxiliary gathering aprons for pivotally moving said auxiliary gathering aprons towards and away from one another.

Claim 24

Collecting means according to claim 18, wherein said biasing means includes individual biasing springs for said auxiliary gathering aprons, and said motor means comprises individual motors for said auxiliary aprons, and further comprising lInk means connecting said motors and said springs to said auxiliary gathering aprons, the link means for each auxiliary gathering apron comprising first and second links having inner and outer ends, each said first link being connected at its outer end to one of said auxiliary apron means and each said second link being connected at its outer end to a support fixed with respect to said main gathering apron, said first and second links for each said auxiliary gathering apron being pivotally interconnected at their inner ends, and said motors and said springs being connected to said links at the pivotal connections of their inner ends.

Claim 25

Collecting means according to claim 18, wherein said springs are coil springs peripherally of said motors.