Mining machine having adjustable length cutting drum

Claim 2

In a mining machine, a chassis, a boom mounted on said chassis for vertical movement thereto, an elongated mining head including supporting means and rotatable cutter support drums carried by said supporting means, said cutter support drums comprisiNg drums at the opposite ends of said mining head movable for varying the length of said mining head and said cutter support drums also comprising therebetween drums mounted laterally spaced one from another longitudinally of the mining head to be retained in relatively fixed laterally spaced apart positions during operation of the machine, means mounting said mining head on said boom, said supporting means containing a bore, means generally centrally of said bore dividing said bore into a cylinder adjacent each end of the bore, a piston movably in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons being connected to said end drums to be fluid actuatable for moving said end drums to vary the length of said mining head, cutter means carried by said drums for cutting along said mining head during rotation of said drums, said cutter means including cutters mounted on said laterally spaced apart drums for cutting along the therebetween space and such cutters being at least the primary means for cutting along such space, and driving means connected to said drums for rotatably driving said drums.

Claim 3

A mining machine according to claim 1, wherein said bore dividing means comprises valve means for controlling the communication of said cylinders with a source of pressure fluid.

Claim 4

A mining machine according to claim 2, wherein said valve means comprises a valve for normally preventing exhausting of fluid from the ends of said cylinders most adjacent to said valve means.

Claim 5

A mining machine according to claim 3, further comprising means for causing said valve to be responsive upon supply of fluid to the other end of a said cylinder to permit fluid to be exhausted from said most adjacent ends of said cylinders.

Claim 6

A mining machine according to claim 1, wherein said driving means comprises motor means and clutchless interconnecting means drivingly interconnecting said motor means with said drums to cause said motor means to rotatably drive said drums.

Claim 7

A mining machine according to claim 5, wherein said motor means includes a plurality of motors and said clutchless interconnecting means for each motor comprises a plurality of intermeshing gears in said mining head on intersecting axes.

Claim 8

A mining machine according to claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes mounting arms extending between adjacent ones of the cutter support drums.

Claim 9

In a mining machine, a chassis, a boom mounted on said chassis for vertical movement thereto, an elongated mining head including axial supporting means and a plurality of rotatable cutter support drums carried by said supporting means, said cutter support drums comprising end drums at the opposite ends of said mining head and a plurality of therebetween drums laterally spaced apart along the length of the mining head, said end drums being laterally movable to extend and retract the length of said mining head and said laterally spaced apart drums being mounted to be retained in relatively fixed laterally spaced apart positions during operation of the machine, means mounting said mining head on said boom on an axis transverse to said boom, said mounting means including mounting arms projecting between adjacent ones of said laterally spaced apart drums, said supporting means containing an elongated bore, means within said supporting means containing an elongated bore, means within said bore generally centrally thereof dividing said bore into a cylinder adjacent each end of the bore, a piston movably in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons each being connected to the thereadjacent end drum to be fluid actuatable to laterally move such end drum for extending and retracting the length of said mining head, means for supplying pressurized fluid to said cylinders, cutter means carried by said end drums and said laterally spaced drums for cutting along said mining head during rotation of said drums, said cutter means including cutters carried by said laterally spaced apart drums for cutting along the therebetween spaces and suCh cutters being the sole means for cutting along such spaces, and driving means connected to said drums for rotatably driving said drums.

Claim 10

In a mining machine, a chassis, a boom mounted on said chassis for vertical movement thereto, an elongated mining head including axial supporting means and a plurality of rotatable cutter support drums carried by said supporting means, said cutter support drums comprising end drums at the opposite ends of said mining head and a plurality of therebetween drums laterally spaced apart along the length of the mining head, said end drums being laterally movable to extend and retract the length of said mining head and said laterally spaced apart drums being mounted to be retained in relatively fixed laterally spaced apart positions during operation of the machine, means mounting said mining head on said boom on an axis transverse to said boom, said mounting means including mounting arms projecting between adjacent ones of said laterally spaced apart drums, said supporting means containing an elongated bore, means within said supporting means containing an elongated bore, means within said bore generally centrally thereof dividing said bore into a cylinder adjacent each end of the bore, a piston movably in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons each being connected to the thereadjacent end drum to be fluid actuatable to laterally move such end drum for extending and retracting the length of said mining head, means for supplying pressurized fluid to said cylinders, cutter means carried by said end drums and said laterally spaced drums for cutting along said mining head during rotation of said drums, said cutter means including cutters carried by said laterally spaced apart drums for cutting along the therebetween spaces and suCh cutters being the sole means for cutting along such spaces, and driving means connected to said drums for rotatably driving said drums.

Claim 11

A mining machine according to claim 8, wherein said bore dividing means comprises valve means for controlling the communication of said cylinders with a source of pressurized fluid.

Claim 12

A mining machine according to claim 9, wherein said driving means includes a plurality of drive motors and clutchless interconnecting means connecting said mining head adjacent each of its ends with one of said drive motors to cause said drive motors to rotatably drive the drums of said mining head.

Claim 13

A mining machine according to claim 10, wherein said clutchless interconnecting means for each drive motor includes a first gear around said supporting means and a second intermeshing gear in said mining head on an axis nonparallel with that of said first gear.

Claim 14

A mining machine according to claim 11, wherein said mounting arms include a mounting arm adjacent the longitudinal center of said mining head containing passage means which forms a portion of said pressurized fluid supply means.

Claim 15

A mining machine according to claim 11, wherein said clutchless interconnecting means includes portion projecting through said mounting arms.

Claim 16

A mining machine according to claim 9, wherein said valve means includes a valve for normally preventing exhausting of fluid from the ends of said cylinders most adjacent to said valve means.

Claim 17

In a mining head for a mining machine, supporting means, rotatable cutter support drum means carried by said supporting means and at opposite ends of the mining head comprising cutter drums laterally movable for extending and retracting the mining head, said supporting means containing a bore, means generally centrally of said bore dividing said bore into a plurality of cylinders, a piston movably in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons being connected to said support drums to be fluid actuatable for laterally moving said support drums to extend and retract the mining head, and means for supplying pressurized fluid to said cylinders.

Claim 18

In a mining head for a mining machine, supporting means, rotatable cutter support drum means carried by said supporting means and at opposite ends of the mining head comprising cutter drums laterally movable for extending and retracting the mining head, said supporting means containing a bore, means generally centrally of said bore dividing said bore into a plurality of cylinders, a piston movably in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons being connected to said support drums to be fluid actuatable for laterally moving said support drums to extend and retract the mining head, and means for supplying pressurized fluid to said cylinders.

Claim 19

A mining head according to claim 15, wherein said bore dividing means comprises valve means for controlling the communication of said cylinders with a source of pressurized fluid.

Claim 20

In a mining head for a mining machine, elongated supporting means, rotatable drum means carried by said supporting means, said drum means including end drums and a plurality of intermediate drums laterally spaced apart along the length of said supporting means intermediate said end drums, said end drums being laterally movable to extend and retract the length of the mining head and said laterally spaced apart drums being mounted to be retained in relatively fixed laterally spaced apart positions, said supporting means containing a bore, means within said bore generally centrally thereof dividing said bore into a cylinder adjacent each end of said bore, a piston movably in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons each being connected to the thereadjacent said end drum to be fluid actuatable for moving such end drum to extend and retract the length of the mining head, cutter means carried by said end and laterally spaced apart drums for cutting along the mining head during rotation of said drums, said cutter means including cutters carried by said laterally spaced apart drums for cutting along the therebetween spaces and such cutters being the sole means for cutting along such spaces, and means for supplying pressurized fluid to said cylinders.

Claim 21

In a mining head for a mining machine, elongated supporting means, rotatable drum means carried by said supporting means, said drum means including end drums and a plurality of intermediate drums laterally spaced apart along the length of said supporting means intermediate said end drums, said end drums being laterally movable to extend and retract the length of the mining head and said laterally spaced apart drums being mounted to be retained in relatively fixed laterally spaced apart positions, said supporting means containing a bore, means within said bore generally centrally thereof dividing said bore into a cylinder adjacent each end of said bore, a piston movably in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons each being connected to the thereadjacent said end drum to be fluid actuatable for moving such end drum to extend and retract the length of the mining head, cutter means carried by said end and laterally spaced apart drums for cutting along the mining head during rotation of said drums, said cutter means including cutters carried by said laterally spaced apart drums for cutting along the therebetween spaces and such cutters being the sole means for cutting along such spaces, and means for supplying pressurized fluid to said cylinders.

Claim 22

A mining head according to claim 17, wherein said bore dividing means comprises valve means.

Claim 23

A mining head according to claim 18, wherein said valve means comprises a valve normally preventing exhausting of fluid from the ends of said cylinders most adjacent to said valve means and actuatable upon supply of fluid to the other end of one of said cylinders, to permit fluid to be exhausted from said most adjaceNt ends of said cylinders.

Claim 24

A mining head according to claim 19, further comprising individual piston rods connecting said pistons to their respective end drums, the piston rod for the piston in said one cylinder containing a chamber communicating with said other end of said one cylinder, and said valve means being provided with means received in said chamber and communicating with said valve for supplying fluid from said chamber to said valve to actuate the latter.

Claim 25

A mining machine according to claim 9, wherein said valve means comprises a valve normally preventing exhausting of fluid from the ends of said cylinders most adjacent to said valve means and actuatable, upon supply of fluid to the other end of one of said cylinders, to permit such exhausting.

Claim 26

A mining machine according to claim 21, further comprising individual piston rods connecting said pistons to their respective end drums, the piston rod for the piston in said one cylinder containing a chamber communicating with said other end of said one cylinder, and said valve means being provided with tubular means slidably extending into said chamber and communicating with said valve for supplying fluid from said chamber to said valve to actuate the latter.

Claim 27

In a mining machine, a chassis, a boom mounted on said chassis for vertical movement thereto, an elongated mining head including supporting means and rotatable cutter support drums carried by said supporting means, said cutter support drums comprising drums at the opposite ends of said mining head movable for varying the length of said mining head, said supporting means containing a bore, means generally centrally of said bore dividing said bore into a plurality of cylinders, a piston movable in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons being connected to said end drums to be fluid actuatable for moving said end drums to vary the length of said mining head, and driving means connected to said cutter support drums for rotatably driving said drums.

Claim 28

In a mining machine, a chassis, a boom mounted on said chassis for vertical movement thereto, an elongated mining head including supporting means and rotatable cutter support drums carried by said supporting means, said cutter support drums comprising drums at the opposite ends of said mining head movable for varying the length of said mining head, said supporting means containing a bore, means generally centrally of said bore dividing said bore into a plurality of cylinders, a piston movable in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons being connected to said end drums to be fluid actuatable for moving said end drums to vary the length of said mining head, and driving means connected to said cutter support drums for rotatably driving said drums.

Claim 29

In a mining machine, a chassis, a boom mounted on said chassis for vertical movement thereto, an elongated mining head including supporting means and rotatable cutter support drum carried by said supporting means, said cutter support drums comprising drums at the opposite ends of said mining head movable for varying the length of said mining head, said supporting means containing a bore, valve means dividing said bore into a plurality of cylinders and controlling the communication of said cylinders with a source of pressure fluid, a piston movable in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons being connected to said end drums to be fluid actuatable for moving said end drums to vary the length of said mining head, and driving means connected to said cutter support drums for rotatably driving said drums.

Claim 30

In a mining machine, a chassis, a boom mounted on said chassis for vertical movement thereto, an elongated mining head including supporting means and rotatable cutter support drum carried by said supporting means, said cutter support drums comprising drums at the opposite ends of said mining head movable for varying the length of said mining head, said supporting means containing a bore, valve means dividing said bore into a plurality of cylinders and controlling the communication of said cylinders with a source of pressure fluid, a piston movable in each of said cylinders of said bore, said pistons being connected to said end drums to be fluid actuatable for moving said end drums to vary the length of said mining head, and driving means connected to said cutter support drums for rotatably driving said drums.