Drum turning mechanism for continuous miners and longwall shearers

Abstract

A mining machine including a cutting drum, a plurality of bits mounted on the cutting drum, a base, and a boom extending between the base and the cutting drum for mounting the drum on the base. The mining machine further includes a primary cutting drum turning mechanism attached to the boom and in driving connection with the cutting drum for causing cutting movement of the cutting drum at a cutting drum cutting speed, and a secondary cutting drum turning mechanism attached to the boom and in driving connection with the cutting drum for causing turning movement of the cutting drum at a speed much less than the cutting drum cutting speed.

1 . A mining machine including: 
 a cutting drum,    a plurality of bits mounted on the cutting drum,    a base,    a boom extending between the base and the cutting drum for mounting the drum on the base,    a primary cutting drum turning mechanism attached to the boom and in driving connection with the cutting drum for causing cutting movement of the cutting drum at a cutting drum cutting speed, and    a secondary cutting drum turning mechanism attached to the boom and in driving connection with the cutting drum for causing turning movement of the cutting drum at a speed much less than said cutting drum cutting speed.    
   
   
       2 . A mining machine in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said primary cutting drum turning mechanism includes 
 a gear case attached to the boom,    a cutter motor attached at one end to the gear case and attached to the boom and in driving connection with the cutting drum through the gear case,    a hollow motor drive shaft supported within said cutter motor, and    a torque shaft extending through the hollow shaft and transmitting motor power to the gear case, with one end near said gear case and another end opposite the gear case attached to said secondary cutting drum turning mechanism.    
   
   
       3 . A mining machine in accordance with  claim 2  and further including 
 a clutch housing mounted on the other end of the cutter motor and including a clutch assembly,    and wherein said torque shaft end opposite the gear case is attached to the clutch assembly, and said clutch assembly is attached to said secondary cutting drum turning mechanism.    
   
   
       4 . A mining machine in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said primary cutting drum turning mechanism includes 
 a gear case attached to the boom, a cutter motor attached at one end to the gear case and attached to the boom and in driving connection with the cutting drum through the gear case, and    means connecting said cutter motor other end to said secondary cutting drum turning mechanism.    
   
   
       5 . A mining machine in accordance with  claim 2  wherein said means connecting said cutter motor other end to said secondary cutting drum turning mechanism is a shaft assembly.  
   
   
       6 . A mining machine in accordance with  claim 5  and further including a clutch housing mounted on the other end of the cutter motor and including a clutch assembly, 
 and wherein said shaft assembly is attached to the clutch assembly, and said clutch assembly is attached to said secondary cutting drum turning mechanism.    
   
   
       7 . A mining machine including: 
 a cutting drum, a plurality of bits mounted on the cutting drum, a base, a boom extending between the base and the cutting drum for mounting the drum on the base,    a primary cutting drum turning mechanism attached to the boom and in driving connection with the cutting drum for causing cutting movement of the cutting drum at a cutting drum cutting speed, said primary cutting drum turning mechanism including    a gear case attached to the boom,    a cutter motor attached at one end to the gear case and attached to the boom and in driving connection with the cutting drum through the gear case,    a clutch housing mounted on the other end of the motor and including a clutch assembly,    a hollow motor drive shaft supported within said cutter motor, and    a torque shaft extending through the hollow shaft and transmits motor power to the gear case, with one end near said gear case and another end opposite the gear case attached to the clutch assembly and    a secondary cutting drum turning mechanism attached to the boom and in driving connection with the cutting drum for causing turning movement of the cutting drum at a speed much less than said cutting drum cutting speed, said secondary cutting drum turning mechanism comprising an adapter having a shaft and including torque shaft connecting means for connecting said adapter shaft to said torque shaft, and    means for rotating said adapter at a speed significantly slower than said cutting drum cutting speed.    
   
   
       8 . A mining machine in accordance with  claim 7  wherein said torque shaft connecting means includes an overrunning clutch.  
   
   
       9 . A mining machine in accordance with  claim 8  wherein said means for rotating said adapter at a speed significantly slower than said cutting drum cutting speed comprises a hydraulic motor.