Mining apparatus having an improved coupling assembly

A mining apparatus for forming a borehole in an earth formation comprising:

• a miner, comprising:
• a frame, having a forward end and a rearward end;
• and
• a forward cutter assembly connected to the forward end of the frame for excavatingly engaging the earth formation;
• at least one carrier, each carrier having a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end of one of the carriers being removably connectable to the miner and the rearward end of the carrier being removably connectable to the forward end of one other carrier, each carrier comprising:
• a carrier frame, having a forward end, a rearward end, a first side and a second side;
• and
• coupling means comprising:
• at least one male coupler on one end of the carrier frame, each male coupler comprising:
• a stem having a first end, a second end, an upper side, a lower side, a first side and a second side;
• and
• a connector end having a first end, a second end, an upper side, a lower side, a first side and a second side, the second end of the connector end being connected to the second end of the stem and the connector end being shaped and positioned on the stem to provide a shoulder, the upper side of the stem being substantially coplanar with the upper side of the connected end and the lower side of the stem being substantially coplanar with the lower side of the connector end;
• at least one female coupler on the opposed end of said carrier frame, the female coupler on each carrier frame being adapted to receive the male coupler on one of the other second carrier frames to connect the carrier frames in an end to end relationship when the male coupler is operatively engaged with the female coupler, each female coupler comprising:
• a body member having an upper side, a lower side, a first side, a second side, a rearward end and a forward end, a first slot being formed in the body member through the upper side and extending a distance through the body member terminating with a lower surface spaced a distance from the lower side of the body member, a second slot being formed in the body member through the upper side and extending a distance through the body member terminating with a lower surface spaced a distance from the lower side of the body member, the second slot intersecting the first slot and the rearward end of the body member, the first slot being shaped to receive and accommodate the connector end and the second slot being shaped to receiver and accoomodate a portion of the stem in a connected position of the male coupler and the female coupler, the shoulder on the male coupler being engagable with a portion of the body member formed by the first slot to cooperate in maintaining the male coupler and the female coupler in the connected position, the first slot and the second slot being shaped and positioned so the connector end of the male coupler is insertable into the first slot in the female coupler in an insert position of the male coupler and so the male coupler is movable from the insert position to a connected position moving the stem of the male coupler into the second slot and moving the coupling means into a connected position, the body member of the female coupler including a forward recess in one of the walls formed in the body member by the first slot, generally opposite the wall intersected by the second slot, the forward recess extending a distance into the body member generally toward the forward end of the body member and extending from near the lower surface formed in the body member by the first slot a distance generally toward the upper side of the body member, the forward recess being spaced a distance from the upper side of the body member, the connector end of the male coupler being insertable into the first slot to the insert position wherein the first end portion of the connector end is disposed generally near the lower surface in the body member and a portion of the connector end generally near the first end thereof being disposable in the forward recess in the connected position;
• and
• means connected to the carrier to movingly support the carrier.

A mining apparatus for forming a borehole in an earth formation, comprising:

• a miner, comprising:
• a frame, having a forward end and a rearward end;
• and
• a forward cutter assembly connected to the forward end of the frame for excavatingly engaging the earth formation;
• at least one carrier, each carrier having a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end of one of the carriers being removably connectable to the miner and the rearward end of the carrier being removably connectable to the forward end of one other carrier, each carrier comprising:
• a carrier frame, having a forward end, a rearward end, a first side and a second side;
• coupling means comprising:
• a first male coupler and a second male coupler, the first and second male couplers being secured in a substantially parallel spaced relationship on one end of each of the carrier frames;
• and
• a first female coupler and a second female coupler, the first and second female couplers being secured in a substantially parallel relationship on one end of each of the carrier frames, opposite the end with the male couplers, the first and second female couplers on one carrier frame being substantially alignable with the first and second male couplers on another carrier frame so that the first and second female couplers on one carrier frame operatively engage the first and second male couplers of another carrier frame to connect the respective ends of the two carrier frames, the first and the second female couplers each comprising:
• an axle support bracket having one end connected to the female coupler and extending a distance angularly therefrom to provide an angularly extending guide surface, the guide surface of the axle support bracket connected to the first female coupler being engageable with a male coupler for guiding the male coupler toward a connected position with the first female coupler and the axle support bracket connected to the second female coupler being engagable with a male coupler for guiding the male coupler toward a connected position with the second female coupler, the axle support bracket on the first female coupler being positioned with respect to the axle support bracket on the second female coupler so the guide surfaces on the axle support brackets cooperate in guiding the male couplers into connected positions with respect to the first and the second female couplers;
• and
• means connected to the carrier to movingly support the carrier.

A carrier having a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end of the carrier being removably connectable to a rearward end of a second carrier, and the rearward end of the carrier being removably connectable to a forward end of a third carrier, each of said carriers comprising:

• a carrier frame, having a foward end, a rearward end, a first side and a second side;
• coupling means comprising:
• a first male coupler and a second male coupler, the first and second male couplers being secured in a substantially parallel spaced relationship on one end of the carrier frame;
• a first female coupler and a second female coupler, the first and second female couplers being secured in a substantially parallel relationship on one end of the carrier frame opposite the end with the male couplers, the first and second female couplers on one carrier frame being substantially alignable with the first and second male couplers on another carrier frame so that the first and second female couplers on one carrier frame operatively engage the first and second male couplers of another carrier frame to connect the respective ends of the two carriers frames;
• and
• an axle support bracket having one end connected to the female coupler and extending a distance angularly therefrom to provide an angularly extending guide surface, the guide surface of the axle support bracket connected to the first female coupler being engagable with a male coupler for guiding the male coupler toward a connected position with the first female coupler and the axle support bracket connected to the second female coupler being engagable with a male coupler for guiding the male coupler toward a connected position with the second female coupler, the axle support bracket on the first female coupler being positioned with respect to the axle support bracket on the second female coupler so the guide surfaces on the axle support brackets cooperate in guiding the male couplers into connected positions with respect to the first and the second female couplers;
• and
• means connected to the carrier to movingly support the carrier movement through the earth formation.

A carrier having a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end of the carrier being removably connectable to a rearward end of the second carrier, and the rearward end of the carrier being removably connectable to a forward end of a third carrier, each of said carriers comprising:

• a carrier frame, having a forward end, a rearward end, a first side and a second side, comprising:
• a first carrier beam having a forward end and a rearward end;
• a second carrier beam having a forward end and a rearward end, the second carrier beam being spaced in a substantially parallel relationship with the first carrier beam, and the forward ends of the first and second carrier beams forming the forward end of the carrier frame and the rearward ends of the first and second carrier beams forming the rearward end of the carrier frame;
• and
• means for supporting the first and second carrier beams in the substantially parallel, spaced apart relationship;
• and
• coupling means comprising:
• a first male coupler and a second male coupler, the first and second male couplers being secured in a substantially parallel spaced relationship on one end of the carrier frame, the first male coupler being secured to the forward end of the first carrier beam and the second male coupler being secured to the forward end of the second carrier beam;
• and
• a first female coupler and a second female coupler, the first and second female couplers being secured in a substantially parallel relationship on one end of the carrier frame opposite the end with the male couplers, the first and second female couplers on one carrier frame being substantially alignable with the first and second male couplers on another carrier frame so that the first and second female couplers on one carrier frame operatively engage the first and second male couplers of another carrier frame to connect the respective ends of the two carrier frames, the first female coupler coupling means being secured to the rearward end of the first carrier beam and the second female coupler being secured to the rearward end of the second carrier beam;
• and
• means operatively connected to the first and second female couplers to movingly support the carrier movement through the earth formation, comprising:
• a first axle secured at one end thereof to the first female coupler of the coupling means;
• a second axle secured at one end thereof to the second female coupler of the coupling means;
• a first wheel mounted on the first axle;
• and
• a second wheel mounted on the second axle.

A carrier having a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end of the carrier being removably connectable to a rearward end of a second carrier, and the rearward end of the carrier being removably connectable to a forward end of a third carrier, each of said carriers comprising:

• a carrier frame, having a forward end, a rearward end, a first side and a second side;
• coupling means comprising:
• at least one male coupler on one end of the carrier frame, each male coupler comprising:
• a stem having a first end, a second end, an upper side, a lower side, a first side and a second side;
• and
• a connector end having a first end, a second end, an upper side, a lower side, a first side and a second side, the second end of the connector end being connected to the second end of the stem and the connector end being shaped and positioned on the stem to provide a shoulder, the upper side of the stem being substantially coplanar with the upper side of the connector end and the lower side of the stem being substantially coplanar with the lower side of the connector end;
• and
• at least one female coupler on the opposite end of the carrier frame, the female coupler being adapted to receive the male coupler of one of the other carrier frames to connect the carrier frames in an end-to-end relationshp when the male coupler of one carrier frame is operatively engaged with the female coupler of one of the other carrier frames, each female coupler comprising:
• a body member having an upper side, a lower side, a first side, a second side, a rearward end and a forward end, a first slot being formed in the body member through the upper side and extending a distance through the body member terminating with a lower surface spaced a distance from the lower side of the body member, a second slot being formed in the body member through the upper side and extending a distance through the body member terminating with a lower surface spaced a distance from the lower side of the body member, the second slot intersecting the first slot and the rearwrd end of the body member, the first slot being shaped to receive and accommodate the connector end and the second slot being shaped to receive and accommodate a portion of the stem in a connected position of the male coupler and the female coupler, the shoulder on the male coupler being engageable with a portion of the body member formed by the first slot to cooperate in maintaining the male coupler and the female coupler in the connected position, the first slot and the second slot being shaped and positioned so the connector end of the male coupler is insertable into the first slot in the female coupler in an insert position of the male coupler and so the male coupler is movable from the insert position to a connected position moving the stem of the male coupler into the second slot and moving the coupling means into a connected position, the body member having a forward recess in one of the walls formed in the body member by the first slot, generally opposite the wall intersected by the second slot, the forward recess extending a distance into the body member generally toward the forward end of the body member and extending from near the lower surface formed in the body member by the first slot a distance generally toward the upper side of the body member, the forward recess being spaced a distance from the upper side of the body member, the connector end of the male coupler being insertable into the first slot to an insert position wherein the first end portion of the connector end is disposed generally near the lower surface in the body member and a portion of the connector end generally near the first end thereof being disposable in the forward recess in the connected position;
• and
• means connected to the carrier to movingly support the carrier movement through the earth formation.

A coupling assembly for connecting two members comprising:

• a male coupler connected to one member comprising:
• a stem having a first end, a second end, an upper side, a lower side, a first side and a second side;
• and
• a connector end having a first end, a second end, an upper side, a lower side, a first side and a second side, the second end of the connector end being connected to the second end of the stem and the connector end being shaped and positioned on the stem to provide a shoulder;
• and
• a female coupler connected to the other member comprising:
• a body member having an upper side, a lower side, a first side, a second side, a rearward end and a forward end, a first slot being formed in the body member through the upper side and extending a distance through the body member terminating with a lower surface spaced a distance from the lower side of the body member, a second slot being formed in the body member through the upper side and extending a distance through the body member terminating with a lower surface spaced a distance from the lower side of the body member, the second slot intersecting the first slot and the rearward end of the body member, the first slot being shaped to receive and accommodate the connector end and the second slot being shaped to receive and accommodate a portion of the stem in a connected position of the male coupler and and the female coupler, the shoulder on the male coupler being engageable with a portion of the body member formed by the first slot to cooperate in maintaining the male coupler and the female coupler in the connected position, the first slot and the second slot being shaped and positioned so the connector end of the male coupler is insertable into the first slot in the female coupler in an insert position of the male coupler and so the male coupler is movable from the insert position to a connected position moving the stem of the male coupler into the second slot and moving the coupling means into a connected position, the body member of the female coupler including a forward recess in one of the walls formed in the body member by the first slot generally opposite the wall intersected by the second slot, the forward recess extending a distance into the body member generally toward the forward end of the body member and extending from near the lower surface formed in the body member by the first slot a distance generally toward the upper side of the body member, the forward recess being spaced a distance from the upper side of the body member, the connector end of the male coupler being insertable into the first slot to an insert position wherein the first end portion of the connector end is disposed generally near the lower surface in the body member and a portion of the connector end generally near the first end thereof being disposable in the forward recess in the connected position, and the upper side of the stem being substantially coplanar with the upper side of the connector end and the lower side of the stem being substantialy coplanar with the lower side of the connector end.