Cutter drum assembly for a continuous mining machine

A mining machine cutter drum assembly comprising,

• a drum member having cutting elements extending therefrom,
• said cutting elements being arranged on said drum members to provide a continuous cutting pattern along the length of said drum member,
• said drum member including an intermediate section and a pair of end drum sections, said pair of end drum sections extending outwardly from the ends of said intermediate drum section respectively,
• drive means for rotating said drum member, said drive means including a pair of intermediate drive shafts each having a first end portion drivingly connected to said pair of end drum sections respectively and a second end portion positioned within said intermediate drum section,
• said second end portions having a plurality of planar driving faces,
• means for rotatably supporting said intermediate drive shaft second end portions axially in said intermediate drum section,
• said intermediate drum section having a split construction to form a pair of separate housing sections having opposed planar surfaces positioned in surrounding relation with said intermediate drum drive means,
• means for releasably joining together said pair of housing sections in assembled relation around said intermediate drum drive means,
• drum connecting means secured to said pair of housing sections for drivingly connecting said pair of housing sections to said intermediate drum drive means, and
• said drum connecting means having a plurality of planar driving faces connected in complimentary engagement with said planar driving faces of said intermediate drive shafts to transmit rotation from said intermediate drum drive means to said intermediate drum section.

A continuous mining machine comprising,

• a body portion,
• propelling means supporting said body portion for advancing said body portion,
• a boom member pivotally secured to said body portion and extending forwardly therefrom,
• a drum member rotatably mounted on the front of said boom member transversely to said body portion, said drum member having cutting elements extending therefrom,
• said cutting elements being arranged on said drum member to provide a continuous cutting pattern along the length of said drum member,
• said drum member having an intermediate drum section and a pair of end drum sections, said pair of end drum sections extending outwardly from the ends of said intermediate drum section respectively,
• drive means extending from said body portion for rotating said drum member, said drive means being nonrotatably connected to said pair of end drum sections,
• intermediate drum drive means extending from said drive means into said intermediate drum section for rotating said intermediate drum section,
• means for rotatably supporting said intermediate drum drive means axially in said intermediate drum section,
• said intermediate drum section including a pair of housing sections positioned in surrounding relation with said intermediate drum drive means,
• each of said housing sections having a center portion and a pair of flared end portions extending outwardly from said center portion,
• said center portion having a semicircular configuration,
• said flared end portions having flanges with bores extending therethrough,
• said center portions of said pair of intermediate housing sections being positioned in abutting relation and in surrounding relation with said intermediate drive means so that said flanges of said respective flared end portions are abutting and said bores are aligned,
• means for releasably joining together said pair of housing sections in assembled relation around said intermediate drum drive means, said means extending through said aligned bores to secure said pair of housing sections together,
• drum connecting means secured to said pair of housing sections for drivingly connecting said pair of housing sections to said intermediate drum drive means, and
• said drum connecting means being releasably positioned on said intermediate drum drive means to transmit rotation from said intermediate drum drive means to said intermediate drum section.

A continuous mining machine comprising,

• a body portion,
• propelling means supporting said body portion for advancing said body portion,
• a boom member pivotally secured to said body portion and extending forwardly therefrom,
• a drum member rotatably mounted on the front of said boom member transversely to said body portion, said drum member having cutting elements extending therefrom,
• said cutting elements being arranged on said drum member to provide a continuous cutting pattern along the length of said drum member,
• said drum member having an intermediate drum section and a pair of end drum sections, said pair of end drum sections extending outwardly from the ends of said intermediate drum section respectively,
• drive means extending from said body portion for rotating said drum member, said drive means being nonrotatably connected to said pair of end drum sections,
• intermediate drum drive means extending from said drive means into said intermediate drum section for rotating said intermediate drum section,
• means for rotatably supporting said intermediate drum drive means axially in said intermediate drum section,
• said intermediate drum section including a pair of housing sections positioned in surrounding relation with said intermediate drum drive means,
• means for releasably joining together said pair of housing sections in assembled relation around said intermediate drum drive means,
• drum connecting means secured to said pair of housing sections for drivingly connecting said pair of housing sections to said intermediate drum drive means,
• said drum connecting means including a plurality of connected pairs of plate members positioned within said intermediate drum section,
• said plate members each including a first surface and a second surface,
• said first surface being secured to a respective one of said pair of housing sections,
• said second surface being adapted to engage said intermedi
• said intermediate drum housing sections being positioned around said intermediate drum drive means so that said plate members of one of said housing sections abut said plate members of the other of said housing sections to form pairs of said plate members surrounding said intermediate drum drive means, and
• said pairs of abutting plate members being releasably connected to nonrotatably secure said pairs of abutting plate members to said intermediate drum drive means.