Mining systems with guidance systems
AssigneeSeneca Industries Inc.
InventorsTimothy J. Myers, Michael Cline, John Dickinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and equipment have been developed that combine the use of continuous miners, flexible conveyor trains, and longwall mining techniques to provide flexible and efficient removal of resources from subterranean formations. Some systems for use in a mining operation include: a continuous miner configured to cut material from a face; a plurality of powered roof supports positioned along the face; and a guidance system operable to receive a location signal based on relative location of the continuous miner along the face and to send a control signal to the plurality of powered roof supports positioned along the face.
Claims29
A system for use in a mining operation, comprising:
- a continuous miner configured to cut material from a face;
- a plurality of powered roof supports positioned along the face;
- a guidance system operable to receive a location signal based on relative location of the continuous miner along the face and to send a control signal to the plurality of powered roof supports positioned along the face;
- and
- a cable reel assembly operable to store, feed, and receive a cable attached to the continuous miner wherein:
- the cable reel assembly is mounted on one of the plurality of powered roof supports;
- and
- portions of the cable reel assembly are movable between a plurality of positions along an axis of symmetry of the powered roof support on which the cable reel is mounted.
A system for use in a mining operation, the system comprising:
- a continuous miner configured to cut material from a face;
- a plurality of powered roof supports positioned along the face;
- and
- a guidance system operable to receive a location signal based on relative location of the continuous miner along the face and to send a control signal to the plurality of powered roof supports positioned along the face;
- wherein the location signal received by the guidance system includes the relative location of the continuous miner as indexed based on the position of the continuous miner as indexed based on a cable reel assembly;
- and
- wherein the location signal received by the guidance system includes a zero position triggered by a sensor that recognizes when a cable reel of the cable reel assembly pivots as the continuous miner proceeds down the face.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.