Back to results
US 3,950,031 AGranted
Trim chain take-up sprocket assembly for mining machines and the like
OwnerClaude B. Krekelerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerClaude B. Krekelerinventor
Estimating the term…
A trim chain take-up sprocket assembly for a mining machine or the like. The sprocket assembly comprises a pair of opposed and axially aligned spindles constituting mirror images of each other, each spindle having a hub rotatively mounted thereon on suitable bearing means. Each hub has at its outboard end a plurality of sprocket teeth and at its inboard end an annular flange. The hub flanges lie in abutting relationship at the longitudinal center of the sprocket assembly and are detachably joined together. Each spindle at its outboard end has a hydraulically actuable piston-cylinder arrangement adapted to engage an abutment surface on the mining machine whereby the entire sprocket assembly may be shifted longitudinally of the mining machine to take up slack or impart slack to the one or more trim chains engaged by the sprocket assembly. Washer-like spacer means are removably affixable to the pistons of the sprocket assembly to retain the assembly in adjusted position. In another embodiment, the hubs themselves are free of sprocket teeth. The hub flanges are detachably joined to an intermediate sprocket wheel bearing sprocket teeth located at the longitudinal center of the sprocket assembly. In all embodiments the sprocket teeth may be eliminated and an annular flange substituted therefor serving as a roller for the chain engaged thereby.
An adjustable trim chain idler assembly for taking up slack in the at least one trim chain of a mining machine of the type having an elongated body, a cutting drum at the forward end of said body and extending transversely thereof, said cutting drum being rotatably mounted on the end of at least one beam affixed to said body and being shiftable vertically by said beam and at least one trim chain to cut clearance for that portion of said cutting drum rotatably supported on said at least one beam, said idler assembly comprising a pair of spindles, each of said spindles having an inboard end and an outboard end, said spindles being in coaxial, opposed relationship with their inboard ends facing each other, a pair of hubs each having an inboard end and an outboard end, each of said hubs being rotatably mounted on one of said spindles, means for releasably maintaining each of said hubs on its respective one of said spindles, means releasably joining said inboard ends of said hubs, said hubs supporting at least one chain engaging means for said at least one trim chain, means on the outboard ends of said spindles for mounting said idler assembly on said mining machine body transversely thereof and shiftable longitudinally thereof, means at the outboard ends of said spindles for shifting said sprocket assembly longitudinally of said mining machine to increase the distance between said idler assembly and said cutting drum to take up slack in said at least one trim chain and means to maintain said idler assembly in any desired adjusted position with respect to said cutting drum.
In combination a mining machine comprising an elongated body, a cutting drum at the forward end of said body and extending transversely thereof, said cutting drum being rotatably mounted on the end of at least one beam affixed to said body and being shiftable vertically by said beam and at least one endless trim chain passing about and cutting clearance for that portion of said cutting drum rotatably supported on said at least one beam, and an adjustable idler assembly for said trim chain comprising a pair of spindles, each of said spindles having an inboard end and an outboard end, said spindles being in coaxial, opposed relationship with their inboard ends facing each other, a pair of hubs each having an inboard end and an outboard end, each of said hubs being rotatably mounted on one of said spindles, means for releasably maintaining each of said hubs on its respective one of said spindles, means releasably joining said inboard end of said hubs, said hubs supporting at least one chain engaging means for said at least one trim chain, means for mounting said idler assembly on said mining machine body transversely thereof and shiftable longitudinally thereof, means at the outboard ends of said spindles for shifting said idler assembly longitudinally of said mining machine to increase the distance between said idler assembly and said cutting drum to take up slack in said at least one trim chain and means to maintain said idler assembly in any desired adjusted position with respect to said cutting drum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.