High Volume Excavating, ripping and Loading Apparatus and Methods

A method of rope dozer excavating, ripping and loading earthen material comprising a new excavating rope dozer pulling/pushing material down from top of the overburden pile to a receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor, combined, loading a mining truck much quicker, eliminating need of a typical excavator or rope shovel to swing ninety degrees left or right with each bucket load to fill a mining truck.

• the new method having ability to pull/push material to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor and start charging the conveyor while the truck is not there, charging the conveyor and receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor with passes, to load the truck once in place, in less than half the required time the old method requires—trucks having to wait for the excavator to make five to seven passes, typically 30 seconds each, or rope shovel making four to five passes, typically 35 seconds each, the new method enabling the trucks to make more trips per hour,
• The new method creates substantial additional production when pulling dozer u blade back to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor using both “slot dozing” and “downhill roll” advantages plus additional “gravity material” that will fall naturally per the angle of repose of the pile,
• The new method will not require a full pass up through the pile to fill the bucket each pass as current rope shovels require, as the bulldozer u-blade or other optional attachment buckets can be filled in a shorter pass, just cycled halfway back to the top full pass and make several short half passes pulling down and charging the receiving area,
• The new system will have a ripper assembly attached to the rear of the pivoting arm/bulldozer u blade and ability to lower the shanks into the material being moved, both on the return cycle to the top of the overburden pile and on the pull back down to the toe, segregating and agitating the material to allow easier pull of blade through the material to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor,
• The new method has the conveyor cantilevered over the truck side for center loading of the body minimizing off-center loading and suspension maintenance problems.
• The new method with cantilevered conveyor allows for trucks to pull under the discharge and minimizes “spot” time,
• The new method allows for the cantilevered conveyor to be extended to load the truck from the cab end or tail end where there is not enough room on the bench for the truck to pull in sideways or turn around.
• The new method uses winches pulling through a series of pullies and sheaves creating a compound mechanical advantaged pull that creates huge pull force requiring less horsepower to pull the bulldozer u blade or other optional attachments, with ripper assembly and shanks actuated ripping—through the material, in some cases through material that had needed drilling and blasting to be loaded verses being ripped and loosened,
• The new method has winches that can be powered electrically or hydraulically or by new diesel invertor electric packages being tested on large dozers allowing use on sites that do not have electrical grid and transformers needed for electric rope shovels.