Dragline bucket rigging and control apparatus

A rigging configuration for a dragline having a rotatable support mounted on a base, a boom assembly projecting outwardly from the support and rotatable therewith, and a bucket suspended from a distal end of the boom assembly by adjustable hoist ropes and controllable by at least one adjustable drag rope extending from the support to the bucket,

• the rigging configuration providing at least first and second boom point sheaves located at or adjacent the distal end of the boom assembly and spaced apart one behind the other by a fixed distance such that the first sheave is located closer to the support than the second sheave,
• first and second hoist ropes entrained over the first and second boom point sheaves, one to each, the first hoist rope being entrained over the first sheave, extending downwardly and being operatively connected solely to a front section of the bucket, the second hoist rope being entrained over the second sheave, extending downwardly and being operatively connected to a rear section of the bucket,
• and the at least one drag rope extending from the support and being operatively connected to the front section of the bucket.

A control system for a dragline of the type having a rotatable support mounted on a base, a boom assembly projecting outwardly from the support and rotatable therewith, and a bucket suspended from a distal end of the boom assembly by adjustable hoist ropes and controllable by at least one adjustable drag rope extending from the support to the bucket, there being at least two adjustable hoist ropes of which the first is operatively connected to a front section of the bucket and the second is operatively connected to a rear section of the bucket, each hoist rope being actuated by hoisting gear arranged to alter the angle of inclination of the bucket in a vertical plane by differential movement of one hoist rope relative to the other,

• the control system using a computer to control the relative movement of the first and second hoist ropes via the hoisting gear, to maintain the bucket in a desired angle of inclination for a mode of dragline operation selected by an operator, wherein
• the dragline includes at least first and second boom point sheaves located at or near the distal end of the boom assembly, spaced apart one behind the other by a fixed distance such that the first sheave is located closer to the support relative to the second sheave, the first said hoist rope being entrained over the first sheave and the second said hoist rope being entrained over the second sheave.

A rigging configuration for a dragline having a rotatable support mounted on a base, a boom assembly projecting outwardly from the support and rotatable therewith, and a bucket suspended from the boom assembly by adjustable hoist ropes and controllable by at least one adjustable drag rope extending from the support to the bucket,

• the rigging configuration providing at least first and second boom point sheaves located at or adjacent the distal end of the boom assembly and spaced apart one behind the other by a fixed distance such that the first sheave is located closer to the support than the second sheave,
• first and second hoist ropes entrained over the first and second boom point sheaves, one to each, the first hoist rope being entrained over the first sheave, extending downwardly and being operatively connected to a front section of the bucket, the second hoist rope being entrained over the second sheave, extending downwardly and being operatively connected to a rear section of the bucket, such that in use, orientation of the bucket in a vertical plane can be controlled to maintain the bucket in a desired angle of inclination for a mode of dragline operation selected by an operator,
• and the at least one drag rope extending from the support and being operatively connected to the front section of the bucket.