CA1177857A - Bucket connection for a continuous excavating apparatus - Google Patents
Bucket connection for a continuous excavating apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1177857A CA1177857A CA000437166A CA437166A CA1177857A CA 1177857 A CA1177857 A CA 1177857A CA 000437166 A CA000437166 A CA 000437166A CA 437166 A CA437166 A CA 437166A CA 1177857 A CA1177857 A CA 1177857A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- excavating
- buckets
- boom
- hinge
- pair
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Landscapes
- Excavating Of Shafts Or Tunnels (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The invention provides a continuous excavating apparatus principally designed for use in mining operations and includes an endless bucket line arranged to pass over a boom and driven by a pair of sprockets. Adjacent buckets of the line are connected by a hinge pin having an enlarged end piece at each end of the pin.
The enlarged end pieces, in operation, contact the pair of sproc-kets and roll on them with rolling friction to cause rotation of the center portion of the pins and thereby reduces wear.
The invention provides a continuous excavating apparatus principally designed for use in mining operations and includes an endless bucket line arranged to pass over a boom and driven by a pair of sprockets. Adjacent buckets of the line are connected by a hinge pin having an enlarged end piece at each end of the pin.
The enlarged end pieces, in operation, contact the pair of sproc-kets and roll on them with rolling friction to cause rotation of the center portion of the pins and thereby reduces wear.
Description
~t~785~
The present invention relates generally to powered exca-vating apparatus and more particularly to a combined excavating and conveying apparatus arranged to dig and convey large quantities of material such as ore in a mining operation.
In many mining operations, digging or breakout forced in the neighborhood of 200r000 pounds are required, and at the same time, for practical utilization, the excavating material must be removed at rates approaching 100 tons per hour. With existent equipment these two practical requirements are not achieved. For example, mechanical devices such as backhoes and front end loaders could possibly deliver the requisite forces but have not the capa-city to remove the material in such large quantities. On the other hand, certain boom-mounted rotary heads can remove the material at adequate rates but are not only incapable of delivering the requi-site forces but also establish force components which tend to move the entire machine sideways so as to render its operation imprac-tical.
Both problems are aggravated when one wishes to perform the excavating and conveying operation in a mining tunnel whose lateral dimensions conventionally are no more than six feet high and five feet wide, since the mentioned breakout or digging forces are sufficient to lift or transversely displace the moblie carrier for the equipment. The problems could be alleviated if it were possible, as in some surface applications, to mount a counter-balance weight behind, and in line with, the digging boom or arm, so as to be capable of swinging therewith. In the confined space of tunnel digging or mining, which the present device wishes -to be - ~.. ll'778~i7 capable of, such a solution is out of the ~uestion. In my co-pending Canadian patent application 364,172 filed November 6, 1980 from which the present application is divided, I have shown a solution to these problems.
There is another problem associated with this field of endeavour and caused by the extreme forces of excavation and that is the wear of hinge pins connecting excavating buckets on boom mounted bucket lines.
; According to the present invention there is provided a continuous excavating apparatus comprising an endless excavating bucket line having a plurality of excavating buckets each with teeth for digging; a boom for carrying the bucket line including at its free end a pair of sprockets mounted for rotation on the boom; a plurality of hinge pins commonly connected to adjacent buckets so that both buckets may freely rotate on a pin and, an enlarged end piece at each end of the hinge pins, adapted to contact the pair of sprockets, in operation, and to roll with rolling friction on them to cause the rotation of the center portion of the hinge pins.
Preferably the buckets are pivoted on the hinge pins by piano-type hinges and the hinge pins rotate in the hingQs to distribute hinge and hinge pin wear and to maintain roundness of the hinge pin and the hinges.
The following is a description by way of example of an embodiment of the present invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a continuous ~.~.771357 excavating appara-tus, Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along lines 1 3-3 of Figure 1 illustrating the gimbal mounting of the excavating boom and details of the bucket structure, Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the excavating boom illustrating the hinge pin construc-tion, and Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along line ~ 10 5-5 of Figure 4 illustrating additional structure details.
: With intial reference to Figures 1 and 2, the continuous excavating apparatus embodying the present invention includes a main frame 10 having most of its weight in substantially vertical side walls 12, 14, each formed preferably by a pair of contiguous plates which are welded or otherwise secured at their front, rear, : and the top and bottom edges thereof. The frame plates are joined by transverse braces 16, 18 so that the overall configuration of the frame is in the form of a hollow channel or box-like confi-guration, within which certain additional elements of the appara-tus can be housed, as will be explained in detail hereinafter.
To provide mobility of the heavy elongated main frame 10, a pair of conventional endless tracks 20 are mounted therebelow in a conventional fashion bu-t at a position so that the endless tracks project at the forward end of the main frame 10 therebeyond but are recessed from the rearward end of the frame for a purpase which will become apparent hereinafter. As can be seen, particularly by re~erence to Figure 2, the endless tracks are confined within the lateral contours of the frame so -that its overall width is less ~ ~7~ ;7 than five feet and the endless tracks have a height such that, when added to the heigh-t of -the side pla-tes, provides an overall vertical dimension of less -than six feet. Thus the entire elon-gated frame and the mobile carriers therefor can pass readily through a tunnel having lateral dimensions no more than six feet in height and five feet in width.
To power the endless tracks and certain additional equipment to be described hereinafter, an electric motor 22 of appropriate power is mounted at the rearward end of main frame 10 on one of the mentioned transverse braces, the precise drive arrangement to the endless tracks being conventional and thus not described in further detail.
Adjacent the forward extremity of the elongated main frame 10 the mentioned upper and lower transverse braces 16, are joined rigidly to the side walls 12, 14 to support gimbal pins 24, 26 that rotatably carry an open rectangular gimbal frame which, as best shown in Figure 3, can pivot about a generally upright axis and is, in turn, arranged to pivotally support on a transverse shaft 30 the parallel side plates 32, 34 of an excavating boom, generally indicated at 36, enabling its pivotal adjustment abou-t a transverse axis so that the excavating boom can be pivoted both vertically and transversely an amount sufficient so that its extremity can move beyond the lateral and uprigh-t contour of the described supporting frame, as indicated by phan-tom lines in Figures 1 and 2, thus enabling a tunnel to be excavated which will subsequently allow the passage of the entire frame therethrough.
The side plates 32, 3~ of the excavating boom 36 are held in laterally spaced relation by simple rigid metal braces 38 _ ~ _ 7~3S7 and the outer surfaces -thereof mount balls 40, 42 for universal connection to ball sockets 44, 46 at the forward ends of double-acting hydraulic rams 48, 50 whose opposi-te extremities are uni-versally joined to a forward extension 10a of the main frame 10 by similar ball and socket join-ts 52, 54 to allow the excavating boom : to be adjusted vertically or horizontally through actuation of the hydraulic rams 48, 50 by a hydraulic pump 56 -that is driven by the previously described electric motor 22. One valve (not shown) is associated in a conventional fashion with each hydraulic ram and is arranged to supply hydraulic pressure to one or the other end of its associated ram so that, as will be apparent, if both valves are open in one direction, both hydraulic rams will extend or retract to raise or lower the excavating boom, whereas on the other hand, if one valve is open in one direction while the other is open in the opposite direction, a lateral mo-tion of the boom will occur; for example, to the phantom-line disposition shown in Figure 2.
Between opposite ends of the described boom side plates 32, 34 laterally-spaced sprockets 58, 60 are mounted at the extremities of tubes 62, 64 which are keyed to mounting shafts, one of which is the previously described shaft 30 ~see Figure 3) and the other of which is an idler shaft 66 (see Figure 4) rotatably supported between the side plates 32, 34 at the remote free end of the excavating boom 36. According to this embodiment of the invention each pair of sprockets engages -the enlarged opposite ends of a hinge pin 68 which is arranged in bridging relationship between the laterally-spaced sprockets to rotatably extend through a piano-hinge connection in -the form of in-terdigi-~7'~357 tated hinges 70, 72 a-t the front and rear of adjacent excavating buckets 74, which provide the material excavating elements of the unit. When it is remembered -that considerable forces are encoun-tered during the excavating operation, the enlarged ends of the pin 68 will rotate to provide only rolling friction with the engaged sprocket, thus to reduce sliding friction and extend the useful life of the elements to a considerable extent. Further-more, it will be seen that each hinge pin 68 common to the foremost extremity of one bucket ana the rearmost extremity of the adjacent bucket will rotate in the hinges 70, 72, thus to distribute wear and maintain the roundness of the hinge pin and the hinges.
In consideration of the extreme wear experiences by the digging ends of the excavating buckets, replaceable hard teeth 76 are utilized, and, as best shown in Figure 5, each tooth includes a tongue and groove connection 78 between it and its supporting element, which in turn facilitates replacement thereof after continued wear over an extended period.
The line of buckets mounted on the sprockets is arranged for counterclockwise motion, as shown in Figure 1, when driven by a pair of hydraulic motors 80, 82 which are connected to opposite ends of the sprocket-mounting shaft 30 at the inner end of the bucket line by suitable gear reduction units 84, 86, such hydraulic motors each being capable of delivering as much as 150 horsepower when energized by the hydraulic pump 56 driven by the previously described electric motor 22.
Utilization of the described hydraulic actuating mecha-nism enables a ready ~ariation in the re~uisite power dependent . i 7~357 upon the resistance of -the material being engaged by the line of excavating buckets. When the buckets engage the material, as can be readily visualized by referene to Figure 1, they will be moving in sequence in an upward direction, tending to rotate or pivot the entire machine about a transverse pivot formed at the forward end of the endless tracks. Since this pivot point is forwardly of most of the weight of the heavy frame and the elements mounted thereon, considerable forces may be generated without moving -the frame about this transverse axis, thus to assure the requisite application of force during the excavating operation. Furthermore, if the excavating boom 36 is operating at a lateral angle such as indicated in phantom lines in Figure 2, the reactive force compo-nents tending to rotate the main frame 10 abou-t is longitudinal axis will be counterbalanced by the weight of the opposite side - wall.
Material excavated and carried by the excavating buckets will be dumped therefrom as they pass in succession over the rear sprocket 58 onto a suitable endless conveyor 88 which lies there-under and is mounted for conveyance of material deposited thereon beyond the rear end of the frame at an upper elevation so that the material conveyed on -the belt can be dumped into a suitable truck or other receptacle (not shown) for removal and subsequent processing. The conveyor 88 is supported between the frame plates and is powered by suitable connection to the motor 22.
The present invention relates generally to powered exca-vating apparatus and more particularly to a combined excavating and conveying apparatus arranged to dig and convey large quantities of material such as ore in a mining operation.
In many mining operations, digging or breakout forced in the neighborhood of 200r000 pounds are required, and at the same time, for practical utilization, the excavating material must be removed at rates approaching 100 tons per hour. With existent equipment these two practical requirements are not achieved. For example, mechanical devices such as backhoes and front end loaders could possibly deliver the requisite forces but have not the capa-city to remove the material in such large quantities. On the other hand, certain boom-mounted rotary heads can remove the material at adequate rates but are not only incapable of delivering the requi-site forces but also establish force components which tend to move the entire machine sideways so as to render its operation imprac-tical.
Both problems are aggravated when one wishes to perform the excavating and conveying operation in a mining tunnel whose lateral dimensions conventionally are no more than six feet high and five feet wide, since the mentioned breakout or digging forces are sufficient to lift or transversely displace the moblie carrier for the equipment. The problems could be alleviated if it were possible, as in some surface applications, to mount a counter-balance weight behind, and in line with, the digging boom or arm, so as to be capable of swinging therewith. In the confined space of tunnel digging or mining, which the present device wishes -to be - ~.. ll'778~i7 capable of, such a solution is out of the ~uestion. In my co-pending Canadian patent application 364,172 filed November 6, 1980 from which the present application is divided, I have shown a solution to these problems.
There is another problem associated with this field of endeavour and caused by the extreme forces of excavation and that is the wear of hinge pins connecting excavating buckets on boom mounted bucket lines.
; According to the present invention there is provided a continuous excavating apparatus comprising an endless excavating bucket line having a plurality of excavating buckets each with teeth for digging; a boom for carrying the bucket line including at its free end a pair of sprockets mounted for rotation on the boom; a plurality of hinge pins commonly connected to adjacent buckets so that both buckets may freely rotate on a pin and, an enlarged end piece at each end of the hinge pins, adapted to contact the pair of sprockets, in operation, and to roll with rolling friction on them to cause the rotation of the center portion of the hinge pins.
Preferably the buckets are pivoted on the hinge pins by piano-type hinges and the hinge pins rotate in the hingQs to distribute hinge and hinge pin wear and to maintain roundness of the hinge pin and the hinges.
The following is a description by way of example of an embodiment of the present invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a continuous ~.~.771357 excavating appara-tus, Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along lines 1 3-3 of Figure 1 illustrating the gimbal mounting of the excavating boom and details of the bucket structure, Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the excavating boom illustrating the hinge pin construc-tion, and Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along line ~ 10 5-5 of Figure 4 illustrating additional structure details.
: With intial reference to Figures 1 and 2, the continuous excavating apparatus embodying the present invention includes a main frame 10 having most of its weight in substantially vertical side walls 12, 14, each formed preferably by a pair of contiguous plates which are welded or otherwise secured at their front, rear, : and the top and bottom edges thereof. The frame plates are joined by transverse braces 16, 18 so that the overall configuration of the frame is in the form of a hollow channel or box-like confi-guration, within which certain additional elements of the appara-tus can be housed, as will be explained in detail hereinafter.
To provide mobility of the heavy elongated main frame 10, a pair of conventional endless tracks 20 are mounted therebelow in a conventional fashion bu-t at a position so that the endless tracks project at the forward end of the main frame 10 therebeyond but are recessed from the rearward end of the frame for a purpase which will become apparent hereinafter. As can be seen, particularly by re~erence to Figure 2, the endless tracks are confined within the lateral contours of the frame so -that its overall width is less ~ ~7~ ;7 than five feet and the endless tracks have a height such that, when added to the heigh-t of -the side pla-tes, provides an overall vertical dimension of less -than six feet. Thus the entire elon-gated frame and the mobile carriers therefor can pass readily through a tunnel having lateral dimensions no more than six feet in height and five feet in width.
To power the endless tracks and certain additional equipment to be described hereinafter, an electric motor 22 of appropriate power is mounted at the rearward end of main frame 10 on one of the mentioned transverse braces, the precise drive arrangement to the endless tracks being conventional and thus not described in further detail.
Adjacent the forward extremity of the elongated main frame 10 the mentioned upper and lower transverse braces 16, are joined rigidly to the side walls 12, 14 to support gimbal pins 24, 26 that rotatably carry an open rectangular gimbal frame which, as best shown in Figure 3, can pivot about a generally upright axis and is, in turn, arranged to pivotally support on a transverse shaft 30 the parallel side plates 32, 34 of an excavating boom, generally indicated at 36, enabling its pivotal adjustment abou-t a transverse axis so that the excavating boom can be pivoted both vertically and transversely an amount sufficient so that its extremity can move beyond the lateral and uprigh-t contour of the described supporting frame, as indicated by phan-tom lines in Figures 1 and 2, thus enabling a tunnel to be excavated which will subsequently allow the passage of the entire frame therethrough.
The side plates 32, 3~ of the excavating boom 36 are held in laterally spaced relation by simple rigid metal braces 38 _ ~ _ 7~3S7 and the outer surfaces -thereof mount balls 40, 42 for universal connection to ball sockets 44, 46 at the forward ends of double-acting hydraulic rams 48, 50 whose opposi-te extremities are uni-versally joined to a forward extension 10a of the main frame 10 by similar ball and socket join-ts 52, 54 to allow the excavating boom : to be adjusted vertically or horizontally through actuation of the hydraulic rams 48, 50 by a hydraulic pump 56 -that is driven by the previously described electric motor 22. One valve (not shown) is associated in a conventional fashion with each hydraulic ram and is arranged to supply hydraulic pressure to one or the other end of its associated ram so that, as will be apparent, if both valves are open in one direction, both hydraulic rams will extend or retract to raise or lower the excavating boom, whereas on the other hand, if one valve is open in one direction while the other is open in the opposite direction, a lateral mo-tion of the boom will occur; for example, to the phantom-line disposition shown in Figure 2.
Between opposite ends of the described boom side plates 32, 34 laterally-spaced sprockets 58, 60 are mounted at the extremities of tubes 62, 64 which are keyed to mounting shafts, one of which is the previously described shaft 30 ~see Figure 3) and the other of which is an idler shaft 66 (see Figure 4) rotatably supported between the side plates 32, 34 at the remote free end of the excavating boom 36. According to this embodiment of the invention each pair of sprockets engages -the enlarged opposite ends of a hinge pin 68 which is arranged in bridging relationship between the laterally-spaced sprockets to rotatably extend through a piano-hinge connection in -the form of in-terdigi-~7'~357 tated hinges 70, 72 a-t the front and rear of adjacent excavating buckets 74, which provide the material excavating elements of the unit. When it is remembered -that considerable forces are encoun-tered during the excavating operation, the enlarged ends of the pin 68 will rotate to provide only rolling friction with the engaged sprocket, thus to reduce sliding friction and extend the useful life of the elements to a considerable extent. Further-more, it will be seen that each hinge pin 68 common to the foremost extremity of one bucket ana the rearmost extremity of the adjacent bucket will rotate in the hinges 70, 72, thus to distribute wear and maintain the roundness of the hinge pin and the hinges.
In consideration of the extreme wear experiences by the digging ends of the excavating buckets, replaceable hard teeth 76 are utilized, and, as best shown in Figure 5, each tooth includes a tongue and groove connection 78 between it and its supporting element, which in turn facilitates replacement thereof after continued wear over an extended period.
The line of buckets mounted on the sprockets is arranged for counterclockwise motion, as shown in Figure 1, when driven by a pair of hydraulic motors 80, 82 which are connected to opposite ends of the sprocket-mounting shaft 30 at the inner end of the bucket line by suitable gear reduction units 84, 86, such hydraulic motors each being capable of delivering as much as 150 horsepower when energized by the hydraulic pump 56 driven by the previously described electric motor 22.
Utilization of the described hydraulic actuating mecha-nism enables a ready ~ariation in the re~uisite power dependent . i 7~357 upon the resistance of -the material being engaged by the line of excavating buckets. When the buckets engage the material, as can be readily visualized by referene to Figure 1, they will be moving in sequence in an upward direction, tending to rotate or pivot the entire machine about a transverse pivot formed at the forward end of the endless tracks. Since this pivot point is forwardly of most of the weight of the heavy frame and the elements mounted thereon, considerable forces may be generated without moving -the frame about this transverse axis, thus to assure the requisite application of force during the excavating operation. Furthermore, if the excavating boom 36 is operating at a lateral angle such as indicated in phantom lines in Figure 2, the reactive force compo-nents tending to rotate the main frame 10 abou-t is longitudinal axis will be counterbalanced by the weight of the opposite side - wall.
Material excavated and carried by the excavating buckets will be dumped therefrom as they pass in succession over the rear sprocket 58 onto a suitable endless conveyor 88 which lies there-under and is mounted for conveyance of material deposited thereon beyond the rear end of the frame at an upper elevation so that the material conveyed on -the belt can be dumped into a suitable truck or other receptacle (not shown) for removal and subsequent processing. The conveyor 88 is supported between the frame plates and is powered by suitable connection to the motor 22.
Claims (2)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. Continuous excavating apparatus comprising an endless excavating bucket line having a plurality of excavating buckets each with teeth for digging; a boom for carrying said bucket line including at its free end a pair of sprockets mounted for rotation on said boom; a plurality of hinge pins commonly connected to adjacent buckets so that both buckets may freely rotate on a pin and, an enlarged end piece at each end of said hinge pins, adapted to contact said pair of sprockets, in operation, and to roll with rolling friction on them to cause the rotation of the center portion of the hinge pins.
2. Apparatus as in claim 1 where said buckets are pivoted on said hinge pins by piano-type hinges and the hinge pins rotate in said hinges to distribute hinge and hinge pin wear and to maintain roundness of the hinge pin and the hinges.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000437166A CA1177857A (en) | 1979-11-09 | 1983-09-20 | Bucket connection for a continuous excavating apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US9302079A | 1979-11-09 | 1979-11-09 | |
| US093,020 | 1979-11-09 | ||
| CA000364172A CA1157489A (en) | 1979-11-09 | 1980-11-06 | Continuous excavating apparatus |
| CA000437166A CA1177857A (en) | 1979-11-09 | 1983-09-20 | Bucket connection for a continuous excavating apparatus |
Related Parent Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000364172A Division CA1157489A (en) | 1979-11-09 | 1980-11-06 | Continuous excavating apparatus |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1177857A true CA1177857A (en) | 1984-11-13 |
Family
ID=27166880
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000437166A Expired CA1177857A (en) | 1979-11-09 | 1983-09-20 | Bucket connection for a continuous excavating apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1177857A (en) |
-
1983
- 1983-09-20 CA CA000437166A patent/CA1177857A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |