Mining machine gatherer with fence and arcuate disc vanes

Abstract

A continuous mining machine particularly adapted for low overhead coal seams having a relatively small diameter cutterhead of the non-oscillating or fixed head type driven by chains that also cut coal and convey it rearwardly to a gathering head mounted on the front of the machine. The gathering head carries a pair of counter-rotating discs having vanes cooperating with conveyor fences for sweeping and discharging coal to a conventional conveyor mounted on the machine chassis.

I claim:  .[.1. Conveying apparatus including: 
     
        discs..]. 2. .[.The conveying machine of claim 1 wherein:.]. .Iadd.Conveying apparatus including: a chassis mounted conveyor traveling from the front of the chassis rearwardly;   a gathering head including a pair of counter-rotating discs rotatively mounted on said gathering head to sweep material landing on the gathering head centrally and rearwardly of said gathering head to conveyor;   each of said discs including a plurality of upstanding angularly spaced vanes, each of which extends outwardly from the center of the disc and has at least a portion thereof extending at an angle to the radius of the disc and in a direction counter to the rotary direction of the disc; and   a fence extending from adjacent the center of each said disc to a side of said conveyor for cooperating with said vanes to guide material on said discs to said conveyor;   said vanes passing beneath said fences during the rotation of said discs; and wherein .Iaddend.   each of said vanes curves outwardly from adjacent the center of the disc and in a direction counter to the rotary direction of the rotation of the   
     
     
        disc. 3. .[.The conveying machine of claim 1 wherein:.]. .Iadd.Conveying apparatus including: a chassis mounted conveyor traveling from the front of the chassis rearwardly;   a gathering head including a pair of counter-rotating discs rotatively mounted on said gathering head to sweep material landing on the gathering head centrally and rearwardly of said gathering head to said conveyor;   each of said discs including a plurality of upstanding angularly spaced vanes, each of which extends outwardly from the center of the disc and has at least a portion thereof extending at an angle to the radius of the disc and in a direction counter to the rotary direction of the disc; and   a fence extending from adjacent the center of each said disc to a side of said conveyor for cooperating with said vanes to guide material on said discs to said conveyor;   said vanes passing beneath said fences during the rotation of said discs; and wherein .Iaddend.   each of said vanes is curved so that each portion of the vane forms approximately a right angle with a said fence as the vane travels   
     
     
        progressively beneath the fence. 4. The conveying machine of claim 3 wherein: 
     
     
       said discs are circular in shape. 5. The conveying machine of claim 3 wherein: said discs are oval in shape.  .[.6. Conveying apparatus comprising conveyor means, gathering means operatively associated with said conveyor means for supplying material thereto, said gathering means including at least one disc rotatably driven in a predetermined rotary direction and a plurality of vanes on said disc and swept-back in the direction of the rotation of the disc, and fence means extending from adjacent the center of said disc towards said conveyor means cooperative with said vanes for guiding material on said disc to said conveyor means, said vanes passing   
     
     
        below said fence means during the rotation of said disc..]. 7. .[.Conveying apparatus according to claim 6,.]. .Iadd.Conveying apparatus comprising conveyor means, gathering means operatively associated with said conveyor means for supplying material thereto, said gathering means including at least one disc rotatably driven in a predetermined rotary direction and a plurality of vanes on said disc and swept-back in the direction of the rotation of the disc, and fence means extending from adjacent the center of said disc towards said conveyor means cooperative with said vanes for guiding material on said disc to said conveyor means, said vanes passing below said fence means during the rotation of said disc, and .Iaddend.wherein each said vane is curved whereby each portion of the vane forms approximately a right angle with said fence means as said vane passes progressively beneath said fence means.  .[.8. In a mining machine, a chassis, boom means carried by said chassis, rotary cutter head means carried by said boom means, conveyor means extending along said chassis, and gathering means operatively associated with said conveyor means for supplying material thereto, said gathering means comprising a plurality of counter-rotating discs and vanes on said discs, said vanes extending outwardly from adjacent the centers of their respective discs towards the peripheries thereof and having outer ends adjacent said peripheries, and said outer end of each vane trailing an inner portion thereof in the rotary direction of the rotation of the respective disc, and fence means extending from adjacent the center of each said disc towards a side of said conveyor means for cooperating with said vanes to guide material on said discs to said conveyor means, said vanes passing beneath said fence means during the rotation of said discs..]. .[.9. A mining machine according to claim 8, wherein said discs extend outwardly of opposite sides of said conveyor means whereby said conveyor means is centrally of said discs, and said fence means for each said disc extends towards the side of said conveyor means most adjacent to the disc..]. .[.10. Conveying apparatus comprising conveyor means, gathering means operatively associated with said conveyor means for supplying material thereto, said gathering means comprising a plurality of counter-rotating discs and vanes on said discs, said vanes extending outwardly from adjacent the centers of their respective discs towards the peripheries thereof and having outer ends adjacent said peripheries, and said outer end of each vane trailing an inner portion thereof in the rotary direction of the rotation of the respective disc, and fence means extending from adjacent the center of each said disc towards a side of said conveyor means for cooperating with said vanes to guide material on said discs to said conveyor means, said vanes passing beneath said fence means during the rotation of said discs..]. .[.11. Conveying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said vanes angle in the direction opposite to the rotary direction of the rotation of their respective discs as they 
     
     
        extend outwardly thereon..]. 12. .[.Conveying apparatus according to claim 10,.]. .Iadd.Conveying apparatus comprising conveyor means, gathering means operatively associated with said conveyor means for supplying material thereto, said gathering means comprising a plurality of counter-rotating discs and vanes on said discs, said vanes extending outwardly from adjacent the centers of their respective discs towards the peripheries thereof and having outer ends adjacent said peripheries, and said outer end of each vane trailing an inner portion thereof in the rotary direction of the rotation of the respective disc, and fence means extending from adjacent the center of each said discs towards a side of said conveyor means for cooperating with said vanes to guide material on said discs to said conveyor means, said vanes passing beneath said fence means during the rotation of said discs, and .Iaddend.wherein said vanes arcuately extend in the direction opposite to the rotary direction of 
     
     
        their respective discs as they extend outwardly thereon. 13. Conveying apparatus according to claim .[.10,.]. .Iadd.12, .Iaddend.wherein said 
     
     
        discs are circular. 14. Conveying apparatus according to claim .[.10,.]. .Iadd.12, .Iaddend.wherein said discs are oval. .Iadd. 15. A mining machine comprising a chassis, boom means carried by said chassis, rotary cutter head means carried by said boom means, conveyor means extending along said chassis, and gathering means operatively associated with said conveyor means for supplying material thereto, said gathering means comprising a plurality of counter-rotating discs and arcuate vanes on said discs, said discs extending outwardly of opposite sides of said conveyor means whereby said conveyor means is centrally of said discs, said vanes on each said disc extending arcuately outwardly on the disc towards the periphery thereof in the direction opposite to the rotary direction of the rotation of the disc and having outer portions adjacent such periphery trailing inner portions of the vanes in such rotary direction, and fence means extending from centrally of each said disc towards the side of said conveyor means most adjacent to the disc for cooperating with said vanes to guide material on said discs to said conveyor means, said vanes passing beneath said fence means during the rotation of said discs. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. A mining machine according to claim 15, wherein each of said vanes is curved so that each portion of the vane forms approximately a right angle with its said fence means as it passes progressively beneath such fence means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. A mining machine comprising a chassis, boom means carried by said chassis, rotary cutter head means carried by said boom means, conveyor means extending along said chassis, and gathering means operatively associated with said conveyor means for supplying material thereto, said gathering means comprising a plurality of counter-rotating discs and curved vanes on said discs, said discs extending outwardly of opposite sides of said conveyor means whereby said conveyor means is centrally of said discs, said curved vanes on each said disc extending arcuately outwardly on the disc towards the periphery thereof at an angle to the radius of the disc and in the direction opposite to the rotary direction of the rotation of the disc, and fence means extending from centrally of each said disc over the disc towards the side of said conveyor means most adjacent to the disc for cooperating with said curved vanes to guide material on said discs to said conveyor means, said fence means for each said disc extending at least substantially to the periphery thereof, and said curved vanes passing beneath said fence means during the rotation of said discs. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18. A mining machine according to claim 17, wherein each of said vanes is curved so that each portion of the vane forms approximately a right angle with its said fence means as it passes progressively beneath such fence means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. A mining machine according to claim 17, wherein said discs are oval.