The invention relates to a rack arrangement for underground winning installations, comprising bearing brackets which can be fastened to pan sections of a face conveyor of the underground winning installation and have two pin holes each, and comprising rack bars which can be detachably fastened at the pin holes of adjacent bearing brackets via pin connections having connecting pins. The invention also relates to bearing brackets for such a rack arrangement of an underground winning installation, wherein the bearing bracket has two pin holes, at which rack bars can be detachably fastened by means of cylindrical pins which engage in the pin holes.
A rack arrangement of the type in question is known from DE 203 08 996 U1. The rack arrangement serves to advance a shearer loader which is provided with a travel drive, is guided along the face conveyor and meshes, by means of a drive sprocket, with rack teeth in sections of the rack bars in order to move the shearer loader back and forth reversibly in each case between the face ends. A multiplicity of rack bars are laid in a row along the face in order to form a rack with which the shearer loader can be buttressed over the entire travel path. In this case, every individual rack bar is supported with coupling extensions in bearing brackets which are welded to side cheeks of the conveyor usually at regular distances apart. Each pan section normally contains two bearing brackets, such that a rack bar is laid between two bearing brackets, while two further rack bars project beyond each end of the pan section and are supported with their other end on the next bearing bracket of the adjacent pan section. Since the individual pan sections are connected to one another in such a way as to allow angular movement, it is known in each case to make one of the holes in the bearing bracket or in the coupling extension of the rack bars as an elongated hole in order to also compensate for the play with regard to the rack bars overlapping the pan section joint, thereby enabling the rack arrangement to follow the curved course of the face conveyor more effectively.
An object of the invention is to design the rack arrangement and the bearing bracket for easier fitting and to improve the interplay between bearing bracket and rack bars in operational use.
This object and others are achieved according to the invention in that both pin holes are designed as an elongated hole for movably and/or possibly eccentrically accommodating the cylindrical connecting pin, which engages in said holes in the fitted state. In the solution according to the invention, incorrect fitting of a bearing bracket can no longer take place since each bearing bracket has from the outset two pin holes designed as elongated holes, and only one mould is required for producing all the bearing brackets, which are of identical construction. At the same time, the possible play along the entire rack arrangement is improved since all the rack bars can receive sufficient play at both ends or since all the rack bars could be movably mounted on the pan sections. At the same time, the play available overall is increased and in this respect improves the angular mobility of individual pan sections relative to one another, as a result of which possibly even smaller curve radii than hitherto can be made possible.
In a rack arrangement, it is especially advantageous if, as known per se, the rackbars are provided with downwardly pointing coupling extensions close to both bar ends, wherein each coupling extension can be pushed into a pocket formed on the bearing bracket and is provided with a round hole for putting the connecting pin through. To achieve the advantages according to the invention, it is not absolutely necessary for all the bearing brackets to have two elongated holes as pin holes and other bearing brackets can also be used here and there . However, it is in particular advantageous if all the rack bars have coupling extensions with round holes and all the bearing brackets have two pin holes designed as elongated holes each. In addition, it is not necessary for all the connecting pins to sit movably in the elongated holes during operational use, but rather the play could also be varied by adapting the distance between the associated round holes in the coupling extensions or could even be prevented if, for example, the distance between the round holes on the rack bars corresponds only to the minimum distance between the flanks, lying adjacent to one another, of the elongated holes of two successive bearing brackets.
With regard to both the rack arrangement and the bearing bracket it might also be advantageous if the bearing bracket, according to a preferred configuration according to the invention, is provided with an at least upwardly open pocket between a bracket base and a bracket front web. The pocket is preferably open both upwards and downwards. In order to achieve reliable mounting of the rack bars on the bearing brackets, the bracket front web is preferably integrally connected to the bracket base via side webs. Furthermore, in order to be able to compensate for tilting moments, it is advantageous if the bracket front web projects at least partly higher than the bracket base. The bracket base can in particular increase in height from the side flanks to a central section and then preferably has a flat top side in the region of the central section. This measure gives the bearing bracket a relatively deep pocket overall, with acceptable use of material. The entire bracket base preferably extends downwards in a projecting manner, as a result of which a cavity is formed below the central section, said cavity preferably being open to the rear and being defined at the sides by prolongation sections of the side webs. The opening of the cavity toward the rear permits especially easy removal of inserted cylindrical or connecting pins. Furthermore, the widening of the bearing bracket by the centre section, which projects rearwards starting from the pocket, makes it possible for the bearing bracket to be connected, in particular welded, with the rear side directly to a spill plate or angle plate of the goaf-side side cheek.
In an especially preferred configuration, an intermediate wall defining the pocket and provided with the elongated holes is formed between cavity and pocket, said intermediate wall preferably reaching down to the bottom of the bearing bracket, wherein a transverse web is integrally formed at the base between intermediate wall and bracket front web and is arranged centrally and below the two elongated holes in order to design the bearing bracket overall as a torsion- and bending-resistant element of small size and low overall weight. Alternatively, the intermediate wall can at the same time also form the rear wall of the bearing bracket, and the projecting prolongation can be dispensed with.
Further advantages and configurations of a rack arrangement according to the invention and of a bearing bracket according to the invention follow from the description below of preferred exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings.
Further, these and other objects, aspects, features, developments and advantages of the invention of this application will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the Detailed Description of Embodiments set forth below taken together with the drawings which will be described in the next section.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting same,
Of a pan section 4,
Reference will now first be made to
The rear prolongation of the bearing bracket 10, said prolongation being produced by the central section 16, which projects relatively far rearwards, preferably by about two to four times the width of the pocket 13, enables the bearing bracket 10, directly with its rear side 21, to also be welded to the vertically projecting leg section 8A of the angle plate 8 (
For the person skilled in the art, numerous modifications which are to come within the scope of protection of the attached patent claims emerge from the above description. The invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments shown. The distance between the round holes of those rack bars which are fastened between two bearing brackets fastened to the same pan section can also be selected in such a way that the connecting pins sit eccentrically in the elongated holes and therefore little or no play of these rack bars relative to the bearing brackets is allowed. To this end, the distance between the round holes is preferably the same size as the minimum distance between the flanks, lying adjacent to one another, of the elongated holes of two successive bearing brackets.
Further, while considerable emphasis has been placed on the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that other embodiments, and equivalences thereof, can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above can be combined to form yet other embodiments of the invention of this application. Accordingly, it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20 2009 002 021.5 | Apr 2009 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/IB10/51177 | 3/18/2010 | WO | 00 | 9/27/2011 |