Apparatus for hauling coal through a mine

A coal haulage system engageable with a movable low profile wheeled dolly and supporting a portion of a continuous belt conveyor's upper flight and lower flight, said coal haulage system comprising:

• (a) frame structure comprising:
• a pair of tubular side members in parallel, spaced-apart relationship running in the longitudinal direction of said coal haulage system, said tubular side members carrying a dolly by engaging the wheels of said dolly, said tubular side members each having a first end and a second end, said tubular side members each comprising square tubing configured such that each of its side walls is oriented at a substantially 45.degree. angle to the horizontal;
• (ii) a plurality of transverse cross-members, said cross-members being attached to and extending between both of said tubular side members and fixedly holding said tubular side members in said spaced-apart relationship;
• (iii) a plurality of mounting members, said mounting members being configured to touch the surface said frame structure rests upon, said mounting members being directly attached to bottom portions of said tubular side members;
• and
• (b) each said first and second end of each of said tubular side members being configured to mate with a connecting member which additionally mates with a correspondingly configured end of an adjacent side member, said connecting member comprising square tubing configured such that each of its side walls is oriented at a substantially 45.degree. angle to the horizontal, said connecting member being smaller in size than said tubular side members such that the connecting member is placeable within the space between the side walls of said tubular side members.

A coal haulage system comprising at least one rectilinear assembly engageable with a movable low profile wheeled dolly and supporting a portion of a continuous belt conveyor's upper flight and lower flight, said at least one rectilinear assembly comprising:

• (a) a pair of spaced-apart, parallel rails running in the longitudinal direction of said rectilinear assembly, said rails each having a first end and a second end, said rails being held in their spaced-apart configuration by a plurality of transverse cross-members which are attached to both of said rails, the combination of said rails and cross-members comprising a frame structure of which said rails provide the vertical and longitudinal structural strength of said frame structure and said cross-members provide the transverse structural strength of said frame structure, each of said rails being hollow;
• (b) a portion of said conveyor mounted on said frame structure, said conveyor having an upper flight and a lower return flight, said conveyor running longitudinally between said rails, said conveyor including means for transporting coal fragments;
• (c) a plurality of mounting members for supporting said conveyor against the surface said rectilinear assembly rests upon, said mounting members being attached to said frame structure;
• and
• (d) a joining mechanism for joining said rails to similar rails of adjacent rectilinear assemblies, said joining mechanism being located at each of said first and second ends of both of said rails and within the hollow space of those rails, said joining mechanism being operationally attached to said rails and similar rails of adjacent rectilinear assemblies for each of said pair of parallel rails.

A coal haulage system comprising at least one rectilinear assembly engageable with a movable low profile wheeled dolly and supporting a portion of a continuous belt conveyor's upper flight and lower flight, said at least one rectilinear assembly comprising:

• (a) a pair of spaced-apart, parallel rails running in the longitudinal direction of said rectilinear assembly, said rails each having a first end and a second end, said rails being held in their spaced-apart configuration by a plurality of transverse cross-members which are attached to both of said rails, the combination of said rails and cross-members comprising a frame structure of which said rails provide the vertical and longitudinal structural strength of said frame structure and said cross-members provide the transverse structural strength of said frame structure, said each rails comprising square tubing configured such that each of its side walls is oriented at a substantially 45.degree. angle to the horizontal and thereby disposed so as to engage V-shaped wheels of a movable low profile dolly;
• (b) a portion of said conveyor mounted on said frame structure, said conveyor having an upper flight and a lower return flight, said conveyor running longitudinally between said rails, said conveyor including means for transporting coal fragments;
• (c) a support structure for supporting said conveyor, said support structure being attached to said frame structure;
• and
• (d) a joining mechanism for joining said rails to similar rails of adjacent rectilinear assemblies, said joining mechanism being located at each of said first and second ends of both of said rails, said joining mechanism comprising square tubing configured such that each of its side walls is oriented at a substantially 45.degree. angle to the horizontal, said joining mechanism being smaller in size than said rails such that the joining mechanism is placeable within the space between the side walls of said rails.

A coal haulage system engageable with a movable low profile wheeled dolly, said coal haulage system comprising:

• (a) a plurality of sections joined together to form a continuous dolly track and a continuous belt conveyor having upper and lower flights, each said section including a frame structure comprising:
• (i) a pair of dolly supporting tubular side members in parallel, spaced-apart relationship running in the longitudinal direction of said coal haulage system, said tubular side members engaging the wheels of said dolly, said tubular side members each having a first end and a second end;
• (ii) a plurality of transverse cross-members, said cross-members being attached to and extending between both of said tubular side members and fixedly holding said tubular side members in said spaced-apart relationship;
• (iii) a plurality of mounting members, said mounting members being configured to touch the surface said frame structure rests upon, said mounting members being directly attached to bottom portions of said tubular side members;
• (iv) means for joining the tubular side members of two adjacent said frame structures in end-to-end relationship;
• (b) a plurality of connecting members acting as said joining means and configured to mate with said tubular side members of each section, each said connecting member having a tubular shape that is operably connected to either a first or second end of one of said tubular side members of a first section of the plurality of sections, and is additionally operably connected to either a first or second end of one of said tubular side members of an adjacent second section of the plurality of sections;
• and
• (c) means for directing a belt conveyor so that its upper and lower flights travel in a longitudinal direction along each of said sections forming a continuous means for hauling coal from a receiving point of said coal haulage system to its discharging point.