US 4,225,189 AGranted

Continuous mining machine and cutter drum drive therefor

AssigneeNational Mine Service Company

InventorMaurice K. LeBegue

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Abstract

A cutter drum member of a continuous mining machine is rotatably mounted on the front end of the machine. The drum member includes an intermediate section and a pair of canted end sections. Cutting elements extend from the surface of the respective drum sections and provide a continuous cutting pattern along the entire length of the drum member. Input drive shafts extend through rear openings between the adjacent ends of the intermediate section and the end sections. Rotation is transmitted from the input drive shafts through meshing bevel gears and planetary gears to rotate the intermediate section. The adjacent ends of the intermediate section and end sections include meshing gear teeth secured to the external surface of the sections so that the canted end sections are driven by the external meshing gear teeth. Passageways formed between the gear teeth on the external cylindrical surfaces of the drum sections facilitate the flow of dislodged material between the gear teeth to prevent material from accumulating between the teeth and thereby ensure positive drive to the canted end sections.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A continuous mining machine comprising,

an elongated body portion mounted on propelling means,
a drum member rotatably mounted forwardly of said body portion, said drum member having cutting elements extending therefrom,
said drum member having an intermediate section and a pair of end sections, said end sections extending angularly to said intermediate section so that certain of said cutting elements mounted on said drum member overlap along the front of said drum member to provide a continuous cutting pattern along the front of said drum member,
said drum member intermediate section and at least one of said pair of drum member end sections forming an opening therebetween,
input drive means extending through said opening for rotating said drum member intermediate section,
said drum member intermediate section and at least one of said pair of end sections each having a convexly shaped external surface,
external meshing gear means nonrotatably secured to said convexly shaped external surfaces of said drum member intermediate section and of said pair of drum member end sections respectively for transmitting rotation of said input drive means from said drum member intermediate section to one of said pair of end sections, and
said external meshing gear means being selectively spaced on said convexly shaped external surfaces to provide portions of said convexly shaped external surfaces between said external meshing gear means for urging the movement of dislodged material away from said convexly shaped external surfaces upon rotation of said drum member.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.