US2008768A - Gilsonite cutting device - Google Patents

Description

July 23, 1935. c. J. NEAL 2,008,763

GILSONITE CUTTING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l &

July 23., 1935. NEAL, 1 2,008,768

' GILSONITE .CUTTING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "M7; 4% \v Mm Patented July 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

vein of gilsonite, but which may be driven withan electric motor without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the mining of gilsonite, it has always been the practice to mine by hand, the miner using picks to break out the gilsonite in reasonably large pieces, which form is demanded by the trade.

Due to the size and nature of the veins of gilsonv ite, which are more or less narrow and vertical, it

has heretofore been impossible to mine the gilsonite with mechanical means, but by my invention the cut or deep groove may be made in the vein. This groove relieves the pressure of the formation and allows the remaining portion of the vein to be easily mined with hand picks, breaking out in coarse blocky lumps.

These objects I accomplish with the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which I have shown the best and most preferred manner of building my invention,

- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Figure 2 is a plan view or edge view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of the cutting teethand chain.

' Figure 4 is a side elevation of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of a section of the mine along the vein with the shaft shown and with a miner shown in the drift using my cutting device.

Figure 6 is a cross section of a vein with the cut shown therein.

Figure '7 is a side elevation of the cutting portion of my device with the link chain and teeth removed and one side removed to show the support structure therefor.

Figure 8 is a section on line H of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged view of one of the suction ports through the side plate of the cutting device to show the form of the suction ports or holes therethrough.

In the drawings I have shown the device as made of a body A, having an air motor B, therein, said motor being in connection with a'train of gears l, 2 and 3, by the shaft 4 of the motor. The device is handled by a handle C secured to one side of the body and onto the other side of the body I provide a suitable support frame work D of spaced apart members 6 and I carrying guides 8 and 9, said guides extending forward and backward from the body and being slightly curved as shown in Figure 1 and adapted to support the machine upon the floor of the mine. The extreme ends of the guides are turned up to prevent catching upon any protrusions on the floor. Supported between the two members 6 and I, I provide the chain framework E which consists of side plates I 8 and I9 spaced apart by spacer castings l and carrying a sprocket H in the end between the members 6 and I, said sprocket being carried on a shaft l2 driven by the gear 3 to impart motion to the sprocket from the air motor. A sprocket I4 is carried in the free end of the frame work E and around the two sprockets and the frame work I provide a cutting chain F. The chain F is driven by the sprocket wheel I I. The chain F consists of links l and I6 overlapping each other and carrying spacer rollers ll therebetween on the link pins Ila of the chain. The rollers engage the two sprocket wheels II and M and the outer edge or guide rail Illa; of the spacer castings Ill. The

outer or outside links l6 of the chain are made with the oneside extending into cutting teeth 20, the teeth having the point extended outwardly and. forwardly and some of these teeth are bent in and others bent out, while still others are left in alignment so that the chain when cutting will cut away a swath or groove wider than any of the other parts of the device which follow the cutting face of the chain.

Each of the side plates l8 and l9 are provided with ports 2| therethrough with the ports formed with the outside portion 22 thereof having the sides parallel and with the inner portion chamfered or counter-sunk at 23 to allow air to pass therethrough, drawing gilsonite dust therein without clogging the port.

This row of ports is provided through the plates l8 and I9 just inside the inner edge of the casting Ill and a clean out 25 may be provided through one of the plates to enable the operator to clean theentire interior 'of the device, should it become necessary. To draw the dust into the chamber H formed within the sides I! and I5 and the casting I0, I provide an evacuator or suction pump G, having a line 26 attached to the chamber H to draw the dust therefrom and an exhaust line 21 to carry the dust away, either to a sack 28 as shown in Figure 5, or blown out into some other suitable container. The exhauster or evacuator G is driven by a sheave wheel 29 carried on the drive shaft 30 of the evacuator G and said sheave wheel is drivon by a belt 3| which is carried around and drivon by a sheave wheel 33 carried on the endof the shaft 4 of the air motor.

A control lever 35 controls the motor, said lever being formed in the handle C of the device.

It will be obvious that an electric motor can be used instead of an air motor, without changing the construction of the device other than the form of the body A in that portion surrounding the motor, the rest of the cutting device may remain the same. Also control handles 36 and 31 are provided on the sides of the body to enable the operator to drag or control the device by means other than the handle C, should that become necessary during the mining.

The operation of the cutting device is as follows:

The miner starting at the top of a slope turns on the air by the control valve lever 35 and starts the motor B which rotates the train of ears I, 2 and 3 and rotates the shaft i2 which in turn rotates the sprocket wheel H and drives the cutting chain F. The teeth 20 engage the surface of the gilsonite and the weight of the machine and the direction of cut of the teeth pull the machine down into the material being out until the body rests upon the guides 8 and 9. The operator connects the exhaust pipe or line 21 with a bag or sack 28 and with the pipe 2! over his shoulder he places his feet against the back side of the handle 26 and slowly advances the machine down the slope cutting the slot or deep groove along the vein.

The evacuator at the same time will .draw all of the dust made by the cutting teeth into the sack 28 and the operator may change sacks as often as necessary to facilitate his work.

It is intended that the device may be used to cut overhead in the drift, up or down the end of the drift and along the floor of the drift to make one cut of the machine release as much material as possible.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim:

1. In a cutting device for mining gilsonite, the combination of a body carrying a driving motor therein; a cutting chain carried in a suitable frame work suspended from one side of said motor; means to drive said chain; and means to draw dust from the cut into the frame work and exhaust it at the rear of the machine.

2. A gilsonite cutting device comprising an endless chain carrying cutting teeth; a frame work on which said chain is operated; a sprocket to drive said chain; means to drive said sprocket; a dust chamber in said frame work; ports from the chamber through the side wall of the frame work to draw dust into the dust chamber and means to create suction within said chamber and draw the dust from the chamber and blow it into suitable containers.

CHARLES J. NEAL.

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