Shortwall mining machine
AssigneeCoal Industry (Patents) Limited
InventorRonald L. J. MacRae
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a shortwall mining machine comprising an assembly, which preferably is articulated and has a protective canopy. The assembly is arranged parallel to a shortwall mineral face, and a cutter is hauled along a guide on the assembly to cut the face. As the face is cut the assembly is moved towards the face by use of rams connected between the assembly and stay units located in roadways adjacent the face. The cutter may be a scraper bucket or a plough, and is hauled across the face by either one motor in one of the roadways, or by two motors, one located in each roadway. The cutter may be steered by use of jacks on the assembly located in the roadways.
Claims5
A shortwall mining machine, for use on a shortwall face having a roadway at each end thereof, comprising:
- (a) a substantially rigid elongate frame assembly adapted to be arranged along the length of the face, the assembly comprising a series of articulated sections adapted to be rigidly locked together;
- (b) mineral cutting means guided by the assembly;
- (c) moving means adapted to be arranged in the roadways to move the machine towards the mineral to be won;
- and
- (d) steering means adapted to be located in at least one of the roadways and to be connected to at least one of the sections for adjusting the cutting horizon of the cutting means and thereby to steer the machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.