US 8,672,415 B2 · Advancing longwall system for surface mining

Abstract

A surface mining system for removing material from a mining face generally includes a conveyor extending substantially parallel to the mining face, a miner supported by and moveable along the conveyor, and a conveyor translation device associated with the conveyor and operable to move the conveyor and the miner toward the mining face. A method for advancing a surface mining longwall system generally includes moving the longwall shearer along a face conveyor, operating load translation devices to move the face conveyor and the longwall shearer toward the mining face, resetting a first group of load translation devices, and then resetting a second group of load translation devices. A load translation device generally includes an actuator, a ground drilling device coupled to and moveable with a portion of the actuator, and a frame coupled to and moveable with another portion of the actuator.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A surface mining system for removing material from a mining face, the system comprising:

a conveyor extending substantially parallel to the mining face;
a miner supported by and moveable along the conveyor, the miner including a first cutting surface for removing material from the mining face during movement of the miner in a direction substantially parallel to the mining face, and a second cutting surface for removing material from the mining face during movement of the miner in a direction substantially normal to the mining face;
and
a conveyor translation device associated with the conveyor and operable to move the conveyor and the miner toward the mining face, wherein the conveyor translation device urges the second cutting surface against the mining face.

1 more element

A method for advancing a surface mining longwall system, the system including a face conveyor extending substantially parallel to a mining face, a longwall shearer supported by and moveable along the face conveyor, and a plurality of load translation devices coupled to the face conveyor, the method comprising:

removing material from the mining face by moving the longwall shearer along the conveyor;
operating the plurality of load translation devices to move the face conveyor and the longwall shearer toward the mining face;
engaging a cutting surface of the longwall shearer with the mining face such that the cutting surface cuts into the mining face;
resetting a first group of the plurality of load translation devices to prepare the first group for a subsequent operation to move the face conveyor, the resetting occurring while a second group of the plurality of load translation devices remains substantially stationary;
and
after resetting the first group of the plurality of load translation devices, resetting the second group of the plurality of load translation devices for the subsequent operation to move the face conveyor, resetting of the second group of the plurality of load translation devices occurring while the first group of the plurality of load translation devices remains substantially stationary.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Advancing longwall system for surface mining

Life of this patent

Advancing longwall system for surface mining

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20