Mining machine

Abstract

A mining machine ( 20 ) inclu ding a launch vehicle ( 11 ) which drives an auger flight ( 21 ). The extremity of the Auger flight ( 21 ) is a cutter head ( 22 ). An inert gas is delivered to adjacent the cutter head ( 22 ) by a tube ( 50 ). The cutter head ( 22 ) is also provided with a ground penetrating radar antenna ( 42 ) as well as a microwave transmitting/receiving device ( 47 ) which transmits and receives microwave signals for the purposes of controlling the cutter head ( 22 ) and transmitting information gathered by means of the antenna ( 42 ).

The claims defining the invention are as follows:  
     
         1 . An auger mining machine, said machine including a cutter head and an auger flight attached to the cutter head, said cutter head including: 
 a cutter head body;    a cutter drum mounted on a forward end of the body; and wherein said machine further includes:    internal duct means extending from a rear portion of the flight to near the cutter drum for the delivery of a gas to adjacent the cutter drum.    
     
     
         2 . The machine of    claim 1    wherein said ducting means includes a tube extending through each flight, with adjacent ends of adjacent tubes being connected for the ducting of said inner gas.  
     
     
         3 . The machine of    claim 2    wherein said ducting means includes branch tubes adjacent said cutter head for the deliver of the inner gas to adjacent the cutter head.  
     
     
         4 . A cutter head of an auger mining machine that forms a mine tunnel in a seam, the cutter head being adapted to be rotatably driven about a longitudinal axis of the head to form the tunnel, and wherein the head includes a ground probing radar antenna that rotates about said axis for the purposes of examining the seam surrounding the tunnel.  
     
     
         5 . The cutter head of    claim 4    further including a transmitted device, operatively associated with the antenna to transmit electromagnetic signals to a location remote from the cutter head.  
     
     
         6 . The cutter head of    claim 4    or    5    further including a gas sensor operable to produce a signal indicative of a gas level in the tunnel.  
     
     
         7 . A cutter head of an auger mining machine, said cutter head including: 
 a hollow body;    a cutter drum mounted on a forward end of the body; steering means mounted on the body and actuable to aid in steering the cutter head;    motor means to cause movement on the steering means; and    means to receive and respond to an electromagnetic signal to cause operation of said motor means to aid in directing said cutter head.    
     
     
         8 . The cutter head of    claim 7    wherein said steering means including a steering skid mounted on the body for movement in a direction which is generally transverse of the cutter head and adapted to slidably engage internal surfaces of a tunnel being formed by the cutter head.  
     
     
         9 . The cutter head of    claim 8    wherein said skid is ring shaped so as to generally surround said body.  
     
     
         10 . The cutter head of    claim 9    wherein said motor means are hydraulic cylinders extending between said body and said skid to cause relative movement therebetween.  
     
     
         11 . An auger mining machine having a cutter head and a following auger flight, said cutter head including an electric motor, and wherein said machine further includes a source of electric power, for said motor, contained within the cutter head auger flight, said source being adapted not to receive electric power from an external means during mining operation of the machine.  
     
     
         12 . The auger mining machine of    claim 11    wherein said power source is at least one battery.  
     
     
         13 . The cutter head of    claim 12    wherein the means to generate electric power is an alternator mounted so as to be generally displaced from an axis about which the machine rotates.