Tilting and extending rail system for a mining carrier

Abstract

In a tilting and extending rail system for a mining pump carrier the present invention comprises; pivotal carrier attaching means, sliding rails, accessory attaching means, tilting mechanism and actuating means. In a preferred embodiment, the rail system is utilized to provide vertical and longitudinal adjustment capabilities to an accessory such as a concrete hopper so as to allow motion flexibility and alignment accuracy between the carrier hopper and an adjacent utility vehicle. Therefore, the utility of this invention provides the mining industry with flexible accuracy in aligning an accessory of a carrier as well as providing optimal discharge distance between carrier accessory and discharging unit with a following utility vehicle carrying-on a common task.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:/what I claim as my invention:  
     
         1 . A tilting and extending rail system for a mining carrier comprising: 
 a. a pair of horizontal outer rails having a generally rectangular “C” profile extending a length relatively equal to that of a recessed portion of a mining rear carrier, said outer rails both having an opened end toward the central area of the rail assembly, each having a guide wheel, and connecting members fixedly joining both mirrored outer rails,    b. a pair of horizontal inner rails having a generally rectangular “C” profile extending a length greater than that of the outer rails, said inner rails both having a opened end toward the outer area of the rail assembly, each having a guide wheel, and connecting members fixedly joining both mirrored inner rails,    c. ground contacting supports fixedly attached to each extremity of the inner rails, having a vertical member perpendicularly downwardly and fixedly attached to said inner rail, a ground contacting foot portion having a generally rectangular and planar shape fixedly attached to the lower most portion of the vertical member so as to enlarge the ground contacting area, a diagonal structural support member having a generally rectangular tubular profile, fixedly attached to both a near extremity of each outer rail and to the lower most portion of the vertical member proximal to the carrier at the intersection where the vertical member and ground contacting foot portion meet.    d. a rail carriage fixedly and horizontally attached near and below the ends of the horizontal outer rails distal to the carrier having a generally square tubular form extending outwardly and perpendicularly from the horizontal rails,    e. rail struts fixedly attached to the rail carriage whereby said struts are adapted with perforations therethrough so as to allow the rail carriage to traverse said struts thereby providing additional tensile support to the struts, perforations are provided through each upper portion of the plurality of struts so as to provide pivotal connecting means of a vertical actuator to the struts,    f. pivotal carrier attaching members having a rectangular vertically planar portion on which a pair of vertically planar pivotal rail connecting members are vertically and perpendicularly fixed thereto, perforations are provided trough said pivotal rail connecting members so as to provide pivotal connecting means of an end connector from the horizontal outer rails proximal to the carrier,    g. vertical actuator connecting members located above the carrier deck near the rear most portion of said deck having a square column-like structure fixedly attached to carrier deck, a stem protruding inwardly from upper portion of said column whereby said stem provides pivotal attaching means to a vertical actuator,    h. a vertical actuator who's upper cylinder portion is pivotally attached to a stem on the vertical actuator connecting member, a lower piston portion also pivotally attached to the upper portion of the rail struts,    
     
     
         2 . The horizontal outer rails of  claim 1  wherein a roller is rotationally attached near the portion of the horizontal outer rail distal to the carrier and engaged to travel longitudinally within the opened portion of the horizontal inner rails.  
     
     
         3 . The horizontal inner rails of  claim 1  wherein a roller is rotationally attached near the portion of the horizontal inner rail proximal to the carrier and engaged to travel longitudinally within the opened portion of the horizontal outer rails.  
     
     
         4 . The tilting and extending rail system of  claim 1  wherein the rail assembly is pivotally adjustable by means of a vertical actuator pivotally attached to a vertical actuator connecting member and to rail carriage struts whereby extending the vertical actuator would pivotally lower the rail assembly and when vertical actuator is retracted, the rail assembly would thereby be pivotally raised.  
     
     
         5 . The tilting and extending rail system of  claim 1  wherein the horizontal inner rail assembly is longitudinally adjustable by means of a horizontal actuator pivotally attached to a carrier attaching member and to a rail connecting member whereby extending the horizontal actuator would extend the inner rail assembly distally to the carrier and when horizontal actuator is retracted, the inner rail assembly would thereby be horizontally retracted.  
     
     
         6 . The rail support of  claim 1  wherein the upper portion near each extremity of the rail carriage is adapted with shock absorbing padding so as to absorb the force of the contact between the upper end-portion of the rail support and the lower portion of the carrier deck.  
     
     
         7 . The horizontal outer rail assembly of  claim 2  wherein the mirrored pair of horizontal outer rails are fixedly connected to the rail carriage and additional perpendicularly attached connecting members so as to provide a predetermined and parallel width between each horizontal rail.  
     
     
         8 . The horizontal inner rail assembly of  claim 3  wherein the mirrored pair of horizontal inner rails are fixedly connected to perpendicularly attached connecting members so as to provide a predetermined and parallel width between each horizontal rail, and having an outer dimension in width slightly lesser than the inner dimension in width of the outer rails.  
     
     
         9 . The rail assembly of  claim 1  wherein the inner rail assembly may extend rearwardly and distally from carrier by means of a horizontal actuator's cylinder portion pivotally connected to a fixedly attached connecting member of the outer rail assembly and said horizontal actuator's piston portion pivotally connected to a fixedly attached connecting member of the inner rail assembly whereby extending the actuator piston from its mating cylinder portion effects a rearward movement of the inner rail assembly while the carrier and outer rail assembly remain in a fixed position.