Rotary driven rock cutting equipment

Claim 2

Rock cutting equipment comprising: a. a frame; b. at least one rock cutting tool supported in said frame; c. resilient buffers, connected to said tool, said tool being supported for limited axial movement in either direction against said resilient buffers; d. at least one rotor housed within said frame; e. at least one swinging hammer carried by said rotor, said hammer being adapted to strike said tool; and f. means for traversing said frame across a rock face with said tool in contact therewith.

Claim 3

Rock cutting equipment as claimed in claim 1 in which the striking face of the hammer is made as a replaceable insert.

Claim 4

Rock cutting equipment comprising: a. a frame; b. at least one rock cutting tool supported in said frame; c. a rotor housed within said frame; d. at least one free swinging hammer carried by said rotor, said hammer being adapted to strike said tool; e. means for traversing said frame across a rock face with said tool in contact therewith; and f. a control mechanism, connected to said tool and said traversing means, for varying the speed of movement of said frame by said traversing means so as to limit the energy applied to said tool by said hammer in accordance with pressure applied to said tool.

Claim 5

Rock cutting equipment comprising: a. a frame; b. at least one rock cutting tool supported in said frame; c. a rotor housed within said frame; d. at least one free swinging hammer carried by said rotor, said hammer being adapted to strike said tool; e. means for traversing said frame across a rock face with said tool in contact therewith; and f. a control mechanism, connected to said tool and said traversing means, for varying the speed of movement of said frame by said traversing means so as to limit the energy applied to said tool by said hammer in accordance with pressure applied to said tool.

Claim 6

Rock cutting equipment as claimed in claim 3 in which the hammer is held inoperative unless a predetermined minimum pressure is applied to the tool.

Claim 7

Rock cutting equipment as claimed in claim 3 in which the speed of the means for traversing the frame is controlled and dependent on the maximum pressure applied to the tool and the position of the tool relative to the frame.

Claim 8

Rock cutting equipment as claimed in claim 3 including a catch which holds said hammer inoperative and wherein said control mechanism includes means, responsive to the position of said tool relative to said frame, for controlling said catch, said hammer being held inoperative in a position in which the hammer is swung back relative to its pivot and the direction of rotation of said rotor.

Claim 9

Rock cutting equipment comprising: a. a frame; b. a rock cutting tool supported in, and movable with respect to, said frame; c. a rotor housed within said frame; d. a free swinging hammer carried by said rotor, said hammer being adapted to strike said cutting tool; e. means for moving said frame forward across a rock face with said tool in contact therewith; and f. means, connected between said tool and said moving means, for controlling movement of said hammer and said frame, said control means including a resilient buffer for restraining rearward movement of said tool, a pressure arm connected to said buffer, said pressure arm being movable in parallel with the direction of movement of said tool, means, operative by said pressure arm, for preventing said hammer from free swinging when relatively light pressure is exerted on said tool, and means, operative by said pressure arm, for changing the speed of movement of said frame when relatively heavy pressure is exerted on said tool.

Claim 10

Rock cutting equipment comprising: a. a frame; b. a rock cutting tool supported in, and movable with respect to, said frame; c. a rotor housed within said frame; d. a free swinging hammer carried by said rotor, said hammer being adapted to strike said cutting tool; e. means for moving said frame forward across a rock face with said tool in contact therewith; and f. means, connected between said tool and said moving means, for controlling movement of said hammer and said frame, said control means including a resilient buffer for restraining rearward movement of said tool, a pressure arm connected to said buffer, said pressure arm being movable in parallel with the direction of movement of said tool, means, operative by said pressure arm, for preventing said hammer from free swinging when relatively light pressure is exerted on said tool, and means, operative by said pressure arm, for changing the speed of movement of said frame when relatively heavy pressure is exerted on said tool.