Tramming mobile mining machine

A mobile mining machine for cutting a tunnel in rock comprising:

• a wheel-like cutterhead assembly means for cutting rock, said cutterhead assembly means having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and having multiple peripherally mounted roller cutter units;
• rotation means for rotating said cutterhead assembly means about its horizontal axis;
• pitch boom assembly means supporting said cutterhead assembly, said pitch boom assembly means causing movement of said cutterhead assembly in a vertical plane;
• swing boom assembly means supporting said pitch boom assembly means, said swing boom assembly means causing movement of said cutterhead assembly and said pitch boom assembly means in a horizontal plane;
• frame means supporting said swing boom assembly means, said frame means having a front frame portion and a rear frame portion, said front frame portion and said rear frame portion being interconnected and adapted to reciprocate axially and to rotate with respect to each other;
• thrust means connecting said front frame portion and said rear frame portion, said thrust means for thrusting forward said front frame portion, said swing boom assembly means, said pitch boom assembly means and said cutterhead assembly means;
• fixed front support means having a front support pad means adapted to anchor against the tunnel floor, and front gripper means adapted to anchor against the tunnel wall, said fixed front support means being slidably mounted on said front frame portion on an axis longitudinal of said mobile mining machine for movement of said fixed front support means and said front frame portion with respect to each other;
• fixed rear support means having rear support pad means adapted to anchor against the tunnel floor and rear gripper cylinder means adapted to anchor against the tunnel wall, said fixed rear support means being fixedly mounted on said rear frame portion;
• attachment link means connecting said fixed front support means and said fixed rear support means;
• front crawler means movable with respect to said front frame portion by front lift cylinder means;
• and
• rear crawler means movable with respect to said rear frame portion by rear lift cylinder means whereby retraction of said front lift cylinder means and said rear lift cylinder means configures said mobile mining machine in a gripping configuration in which said front support pad means and said rear support pad means are anchored against the tunnel floor and whereby extension of said lift cylinder means configures said mobile mining machine in a re-gripping configuration in which said front crawler means and said rear crawler means contact the tunnel floor, such that said front frame portion is moved forward relative to said fixed front support means, said fixed rear support means and said rear frame portion due to forward thrusting of said thrust means when said mobile mining machine is in the gripping configuration, and said fixed front support means, said fixed rear support means and said rear frame portion move forward relative to said front frame portion due to retraction from forward thrusting, by said thrust means when said mobile mining machine is in the re-gripping configuration.

A holding apparatus for mobile mining machine having a front crawler means, a rear crawler means, and a front frame portion and a rear frame portion interconnected by thrust means and adapted to reciprocate axially with respect to each other, said holding apparatus comprising:

• fixed front support means having front support pad means adapted to anchor against the tunnel floor and front gripper cylinder means adapted to anchor against the tunnel wall, said fixed front support means being mounted on the front frame portion to move on an axis longitudinal of said mobile mining machine for movement of said fixed front support means and the front frame portion with respect to each other;
• fixed rear support means having rear support pad means adapted to anchor against the tunnel floor and rear gripper cylinder means adapted to anchor against the tunnel wall, said fixed rear support means fixedly mounted on the rear frame portion;
• attachment link means connecting said fixed front support means and said fixed rear support means;
• and lift means connecting the front crawler means and the front frame portion and connecting the rear crawler means and the rear frame portion for configuring said mobile mining machine in a gripping configuration and a re-gripping configuration.

A muck apron assembly for a mobile mining machine comprising:

• a substantially planar center section adapted to be oriented on the mobile mining machine such that said substantially planar center section is substantially parallel to a tunnel work face;
• a hopper on said center section having a conveyor feed opening adapted to communicate with muck conveyor means;
• substantially planar wing sections pivotally attached to ends of said center section;
• wing section swing cylinder means for pivotal movement of said wing sections between a substantially planar orientation with said center section and a tunnel work face and a substantially perpendicular orientation to said center section and a tunnel work face;
• and
• much apron lift cylinder means connecting for lift-up and lowering said much apron assembly relative to the mobile mining machine.

A cutterhead positioning assembly and holding apparatus for a mobile mining machine having a cutterhead and a front frame portion and a rear frame portion interconnected by thrust means, said cutterhead positioning assembly and holding apparatus comprising:

• pitch boom assembly means supporting said cutterhead and causing vertical movement of said cutterhead;
• swing boom assembly means supported by the frame, said swing boom assembly supporting said pitch boom assembly means and causing horizontal movement of said cutterhead and said pitch boom assembly means;
• fixed front support means having front support pad means adapted to anchor against the tunnel floor and front gripper cylinder means adapted to anchor against the tunnel wall, said fixed front support means being mounted on the front frame portion to move on an axis longitudinal of said mobile mining machine for movement of said fixed front support means and the front frame portion with respect to each other;
• fixed rear support means having rear support pad means adapted to anchor against the tunnel floor and rear gripper cylinder means adapted to anchor against the tunnel wall, said fixed rear support means fixedly mounted on the rear frame portion;
• and
• attachment link means connecting said fixed front support means and said fixed rear support means.