Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The invention relates ~o the mounting of material
working tools~ such as percussive toolsJ to mounted tools
themselves and to systems or machines utilising such toolsJ
and has particular J but not exclusive, reference to mining
operations utilising a manipulable impact type mi~eral winning
head.
It is often desired to MOUnt a percussive toolJ such
as a mineral winning head of a mining ~achineJ on a linkage or
boom by which it can be manipulated relative ~o material, such
as a mineral aceJ to be worked. Power-operated linkages of a
type affording substantially universal movement in a confined
space are disclosed in our co-pending Applica~ion No. 279J755.
AnotherJ and perhaps relatively simple, ~ype of mount is a boom-
like arrangement as disclosed in our Patent No. 969530 in con-
nection with a walking type rock breaker intended primarily for
driving headings into a mineral face. Both o thess types of
mounts have in common a requirement that an impact type tool be
mounted for rotation at the end o~ the linkage or boom concernedg
and this, in turn, imposes a requirement for the actual rotational
mounting, including in particular its drive transmission means,
to be capabla of withstanding impact shocks that will inevitably
be transmitted thereto by operation o the tool. This latter
requirement can be particularly difficult to meet where~
as with the universally manipulable linkages of our Application
No. 279755, it is intended ~hat the impact tool
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head and the linkages occupy a minimum space, when the use
envisaged herein of a compart gearing arrangement between a
drive motor and the mineral tool head, such as an epicycllc
type gear~ may be particularly susceptible to shock and
present great problems in protection therefrom.
Similar problems may arise with other types of tool
say off-centre loaded grinders or cutters, wher~ shock
forces and/or eccentric or other~ise asymmetric loadings
may have to be withstood by a mounting arrangement. ~ :
It is an object of this invention to provide9 in or
for a percussive tool~ a rotation permltting mount that
will allow the use of a compact ~ear box, for example of
epicyclic type, in the ro~ational driYe to an impact type
tool, or a boom or part of a mounting linkage ~herefore~
A general aspect of the invention concerns a material
working tool having a first axis of working operation and
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~ a second axis about which the tool is rotatable for
~ posltioning purposes relati~e to material being worked,
':! the second axis being transverse of the first axis, the
tool comprising a body housing drive means for its working
operation along said firs~ axis9 and a mount for said body
which mount includes a rotary transmisslon de~ice rom
separate dri~e means for rotating said tool body about
said second axis~ the de~ice being in a relatively massi~e
mount part, an o~ltpu~ part of said transmission device
with a coupling to said tool body to serve and so ro~ate
~l said tool body~ and clamp means located at and operate on
`~ said output part to secure that output~part against
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movement relative to said relatively massive mount part
during material working operation of said tool in
- protecting other parts of said transmission device against
forces transmitted to said body in working operation of
S said tool along said first axis~
In one embodiment of the invention there is provided
a percussive tool mount including a drive trans~ission
device by which rotation is to be imparted to the tool
: relative to a mounting linkage or boom, or to such a
boom or link2ge or part thereof~ and selectively operable
clamping, gripping or locating means for securely locating
at least i~pact or other transmitted force susceptible
part or parts of the said device in operation of the ~ool~
` and preferably relative to the said mounting link or
~ 15 boomO Other aspects of this invention concern tools
; incorporating such a mount, and/or machines9 such as
mining machines~ utilising such a tool _
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The clamping means may be operable relative to, and
preferably directly on, a casing of the gear system, and to
this end may inc~ude separate but simultaneously operable
clamps spaced about the axis of rotation and the peripher~
5. of the gear system casing.
In one embodiment of the invention utilising an epicyclic
gear box immediately adjacent to an impact tool head~
: individual pressure-fluid-operated braking elements are
intercoupled for simultaneous operation and are interlocked at
10. least with percussive operation of the tool so as to be
actuated into clamping action for the duration of percussive
or impacting actionO Such braking elements may be additionall~
I or alternatively interlocked with the application of
~, rotational drive to the gear box for repositioning of the
.~ 150 percussive tool by rotation so as to be actuated into their
¦ clamping state except when such rotational drive is applied~
Tne braking elements may conveniently include hydraulically
operated pistons supplied from the same source as a hydraulic
` motor for appli.cation of said rotational drive and/or operation
. 200 of said percussive tool.
As indicated above, in modificatiorLs of such an embodi_ent
of the in~entiont the gear box may actuate an intermediate
linkage to the tool which may be of substantial length, and
may even be applied at the opposite end of a mounting linkage
25. or boom to that at which the tool head itself is located.
One embodiment of the invention will now be specifically
. descri.bedl by way of example, with reference to the
l accompanying drawings, in which:-
-.~ Figure 1 is a sectional view through an impact type
mi ning head mount;
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Fi~ rG - is a par~ially detalled cross-section of the
moll~t o~` ~' g~lre 1 showing details of one cla-llping Tnearls;
~ i~ure 3 is a dr~tailed further sectional view of
the clal~iping means of ~igure 2; and
5. ~;g~ure ~ is a diagram o a sui-table electro-hydraulic
control system.
In the drawings, a manipulator arm or boom 10 has
an inte~ral or otherwise rigidly secllred head 11 with
a central transverse bore 12 for holsin~ a rnount for an
10. impact type mineral winning head 13 that is to be rotatable
in the bore 120 ~o this end, it is pro~ided with or
secured relative to a hollow shaft or open ended casing
14 that fits within the b~re 12 and has spaced peripheral
bearing surfaces 15 for cooperating with matchingly
15. disposed bearing surfaces 16 ~n the interior of the bore
12. Externally of the head 11 at the impact head side9
the shalt or casing 14 has a flan,e 17 with an annular
bearing surface 18 cooperating with a bearing surface
19 on the head 11.
20. . ~he shaft or casing 14 forms the exterior element of
an epic~clic gear box and has a shor-t central shaf-t 21
keyed thereto at 22 and to a planet gear carrier 23
journalled in a s-ta-tionary element 24 of the epicyclic
~ gear box.
.~ 25. ~he stationary elemen-t 24 is a bell-like member with
a bearing 25 in an aperture 26 through its crown for a
neck part of theplanet wheel carrier 23 which has a
f1ange part 26 carr~ing an axle or stub shaft 27 for a
toothed planet gear wheel 28. ~he gear wheel 28 meshes
with a toothed ring gear 29 fixed to the ;.nterior
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of the stationary element ~4, and also with a central
toothed shaft 31 or a gear wheel therein axially aligned
with the sha~t 21.
The shaft 31 has an extension 32 with an axial
splined bore 33 for receiving a drive shaft 34 of a suitable
drive motor 35, for example a hydraulic mo~or. The extension
32 is journalled externally at 38 in a boom head ~losure
plate 39 which is indicated generally at 41 as being
secured both to the motor casing and a flange 42 of the
bell-like stationary member ~4.
This type of epicyclic gear box is a particul~rly
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compact structure, as can be seen from its being housed
wholly within the boom head 11, but requires protection
agalnst the o~ten very severe impact shocks from a typical
percussive mining head, say of the type to which our
patent No. 937835 relates. It is therefore proposed
herein that the shaft or casing 14 be clamped relative to
the comparatively moving head 11 at least during operation
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of the mining head.
In order to achieve such clamping, the shaft or
casing 14 is provided with a central peripheral recess 45
which is shown as having a chamfered side wall and a flat
base for cooperating with a correspondingly shaped brake
pad elements 46 mounted in bores through the side walls
of ~he head 11. In the particular example illustratedi
the head ll is of generally octagonal shape a~ its exterior
~ surace and has four such brake elemen~s at diametrically
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opposed faces~ through bores disposed centrally thereo~ and
indicated generally by bore axes 47~ ~hese bore~ 47
ha~e an inner portion conforming to th~ brake beari~g
pads, an intermediate portion 49 of the greater diameter
5. and an external portion 51 of ~till greater diameter as
defined by the annular steps 52 and 53. ~hese i~termediate
and outer portions of the bores serve to house and locate
flanged brake cylinders 54 and cylinde:r cover plates 55.
The cover plate 55 shown in ~igure 2 has an inwardly
10. extending central dome cooperating with a dished brake
actuator piston 56 mounted in sealing arrangement therein.
~he fl~nges of the brake actuator pistons are shown as
forming with a rim of the cover plate inlets 60 for
hyd~aulic fluid from passageways 61 formed in the head 11
15. for common s~pply of hydraulic actuating fluid ~rom port
62 to ensure that all o~ the brake pistons are operated
at the same time so as to symmetrically lock or ~lamp the
shaf~ or casing 140 ~his will ensure that~ after
repositioning of the tilt angle of the mining head while
. 20~ the brake cylinders are unpres~urised, subsequent
pressurisation thereof will cause the entire epicyclic
gear box assembl~ to be protected against the effects o~
impact shocks. In this respect attention is drawn to
the cooperatingly formed mating surfaces at the mouth of the
bell-like statisnary member 24 and the ~ha~t or casing
140 I~ Fi~ure ~ special treatment~ such as stelliting9 o~ brake
shoe and its ~ating surface is indicated at 65 and the brake
piston retaining circlip is referenced 660
In practice, the same supply of hydraulic fluid may be
applied both to actuation of the braking units and to
operation of the mining head, so that accidental damage
through impact shocks is avoided. Alternatively,
of course, an interlock may be provided between two
5- separate systems, one for energising the brake s~stem and
the other for driving the mining head~ It ma~ be further
preferred to have the brake actuator pi.stons unpressurised
only when adJustment of the tilt of the mining head is
required~ so a3 to avoid the possibility of the mining
10~ head twisting under its own weight about the gear box
axis when not actually being used for mining operation~
In this case, it may be preferred for pressure-fluicl
. for the braking system to be a separate supply9 so that
. it will operate even in the event of failure of the main
15. mining head supply system, and/or to be interlocked
to an accumulator in the mining head supply~
~ ~he particular embodiment described has been assumed
.~ to be hydraulically driven, however pneumatic drive i9
. . equally possible, and the drive motor 35 ma~ be of any
20~ suitable type~ for example electric, if the conditions of
~ use allow.
.~ Various modifications are, of course, possible, for
example in relation to positioning and feeding operating
fluid through it is preferred that ~he brake units be
~' 25~ symmetrically disposed about the gear box axis,
: - whatever number are used. ~he shaps o~ the boom head 11
~ is also capable o~ variation and a mining head may be
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mounted on a carria~e secured to th~ shaft or casing 14
for rotation, the head itself being slidable in that
carriage. As has been mentioned above embodiments of th~
inven~ion are particularly applicable to min:ing heads or
other percussive tools utilising a tool drive hammer
actuator piston that is driven on its impact:ing stroke by
pressurised fluid that is compressed during a preferably
hydraulically powered retraction stroke of that piston and
~ refe~ence is directed to patent specification no. 93/835
.~ lO for further information.
It is also preferred that embodiments of this invention
be applied to manipulable tool mounting linkages specifically
- for mining heads, as referred to in application no. 279755
to which reference is also directed for further inormation.
; One suitable ~lectro-hydraulic control system is shown
in Figure 4~ where the brake uni$ and hydraulic head rotation
~otor are sho~n diagrammatically at 70 and 71 and the
percussive head at 72. Hydraulic pressure and return lines
739 74 are shown connected to a motor direction control
20 valve 75 and a brake deactivation valve 75. Valve 75 is
solenoid-opera~ed be~ween direction reversing positions via
solenoids 77, 76 over elec~rical lines 79, 8Q, respectively,
:~ from a swi~ch 81~ preferably of joy stick type with a
three-arm csntact maker 82 spring loaded to a non-contact-
making state. Valve 76 is also solenoid-operable from a
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bi~ssed rest state as shown via solenoid 83 and electrical
line 84 from the switeh 81~ specifically fro~ either of two
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~ontacts 85, 86 thereoî :mad~ on different direckion~ of
mo~or rotatio~ by E3~m8 87, 88 of the contact me~ber 82.
When in itB rest state, valve 76 CQllneCtS bra:~¢h 89 of
the pre~sure line ?3 to h~srdraulic lix~e 90 to power the brake
unit ~o. When ~olenoid-operated9 ~r~lve 76 connect~ lirLe 90
. to dra:in line j74 to release the brak~ ~it 70 and allow
.~ operation of motor ~1 due to pilo~operated valve 9'1 operated
via pilot piston 92 over branch line 9~ from hydraulic line
goO In its pilo~operated state v~lve 9~1 iB sho~m bridging
10. hydraulic line~ 94 a~a 95 from valve 75. Valve 91 has a
biassed rest sta~e, assumed whe~ the pilot line 9~ is
unpressurised~ where the lines 94 ~nd ~35 Are coImected to
! drive the motor 71 in a direction dependin~ o~ which of lines
¦ g4 and 95 18 pressurised accordi~g to the state of valve 75
15D It ~hould therefore be apparent that the brake unit
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.~ 70 will be released only whe~ valve 76 ~s operated b~
I energisation of its solenoid drivs on operation of switch ~1
;¦ to select a direction of motor drive. Also~ it is only then
.~ that the pilot line 9~ will be unpressurised to allow valve
20~ to assume ita motor ~ri~e permitting state~
¦ A ~ormally open v~lve 96 is also shown in branch 97
provided from pressure l~ne 7.3 to drive percussive operation
. of the hammer 7~ This valve 96 is shown at98 a~ beiQg
solenoid~operated over branc~ 99 from electrical line ~4
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to clo~e only when the brake un~t control valve 76 i
energised to release ~he brake unit, ~o that impacting of
the hammer72 is prevented when the ~rake uni~ i8 released~
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I It ~ll b~ ~ppreciated that the particular arrangeme~t
, illustrated could be modified by havi~g the ~ralYe 96
! h~draulic~lly operated via a pilot, by the ~alve 9~ being
~ole~oid operated, or by omitti~l~; valve 96 and h~ g the
5c~ hammar 72 driven from the line 90. ,~ O9 o:3~ cour~e~ the
valve 91 need :llot bridge the li~e~ 5 wh~ pilot
operated, but cou~d simply block them9 i~,ei. be o~ llo~mally
orf ~ype ~.
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