Drive mechanism for a longwall mining machine
AssigneeJoy MM Delaware, Inc.
InventorsEdward F. Niederriter, Shawn W. Franklin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive assembly for a mining machine. The drive assembly includes one-and-only-one sprocket and a housing coupled to the mining machine. The housing includes a shoe and at least partially receives the sprocket. The drive assembly also includes a motor and a drive shaft that couples the sprocket and the motor. The drive shaft rotates the sprocket and defines a longitudinal axis. The housing rotates relative to the mining machine about the longitudinal axis and in a face-to-gob direction.
Claims25
A mining machine for extracting material from a mine face, the mining machine engaging a rack to move along the mine face, the mining machine comprising:
- a body;
- a cutter head mounted to the body for cutting into the mine face;
- a motor;
- and
- a drive system including a housing, a drive shaft driven by the motor, and a sprocket at least partially positioned within the housing, the sprocket being coupled to the drive shaft for rotation with the drive shaft, the sprocket configured to engage the rack to move the mining machine along the mine face, the drive shaft defining a longitudinal axis, the sprocket movable relative to the body along the longitudinal axis.
A drive assembly for a mining machine for extracting material from a mine face, the mining machine including a body and a motor supported on the body, the body defining a first side proximate the mine face and a second side opposite the first side, the body being movable along a rack extending along the mine face, the drive assembly comprising:
- a drive shaft configured to be driven by the motor and defining a longitudinal axis;
- a sprocket supported for rotation on the drive shaft and configured to engage the rack such that rotation of the sprocket moves the mining machine along the rack, the sprocket movable along the longitudinal axis while the sprocket engages the rack;
- and
- a housing coupled to the body and including a shoe for selectively engaging the rack to maintain the sprocket in engagement with the rack, the sprocket disposed at least partially within the housing.
A longwall mining system for extracting material from a mine face, the longwall mining system comprising:
- a face conveyor extending substantially along the mine face, the face conveyor having a face side and a gob side,
- a rack extending along the face conveyor;
- and
- a mining machine including
- a body defining a first side proximate the mine face and a second side,
- a cutter head coupled to the body for cutting the mine face,
- a motor,
- a drive shaft driven by the motor and defining a longitudinal axis,
- a sprocket coupled to the drive shaft and driven by the motor, the sprocket engaging the rack to move the mining machine along the mine face, the sprocket movable relative to the body along the longitudinal axis, and
- a housing supported on the body and at least partially receiving the sprocket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.