Dust suppression means for mining machines

Claim 2

Dust suppression means for a mining machine provided with a rotary pick-carrier mounted on a hollow drive shaft, comprising a releasably fixed tube adapted to extend along the axis of the hollow drive shaft for feeding dust suppression fluid from the body of the machine towards the carrier, a distributor adapted to be mounted within, for rotation with, the carrier for feeding fluid to different angular portions of the carrier, a phasing element mounted on, for rotation with, the tube and arranged to cooperate with the distributor so that in operation when the carrier is rotating fluid is fed sequentially to selected portions of the carrier, first means which rotate with the tube, second means adapted to be mounted on the body of the machine and cooperable with the said first means, and a resilient element resiliently urging one of the means into the cooperating position so as to normally prevent the first means, the tube and the phasing element rotating, the said one means being capable of being moved against the action of the resilient force out of the cooperating position to allow rotation of the first means, the tube and the phasing element, the second means being remote from the axis of the tube so as to expose the first means which thereby is accessible to an operator and is manually rotatable by the operator when the said one means is out of the cooperating position to virtually any desired angular position, the resilient element returning the said one means to the cooperating position when released by the operator to lock the first means in the desired position, the first means not extending in a direction away from the tube beyond the second means.

Claim 3

Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the second means comprise a spring loaded pawl located in a fluid inlet flange securable to the machine body and the first means comprises a ratchet wheel.

Claim 4

Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 2, in which the teeth of the ratchet wheel permit rotation of the wheel against the action of the spring load pawl in one direction only.

Claim 5

Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the said second means comprise a ring of teeth and the first means comprises a spring loaded member having a projection engageable with the teeth.

Claim 6

Dust suppressions means as claimed in claim 4, in which the means comprise two slidably engaged members and a spring acting between the members.

Claim 7

Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the phasing element comprises a disc having an arcuate recess.

Claim 8

Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 6, in which one end face of the discs cooperates with the distributor.

Claim 9

Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 1, in which the phasing element comprises a generally D-shaped phasing member.

Claim 10

Dust suppression means as claimed in claim 8, in which the outer curved surface of the generally D-shaped phasing member cooperates with the distributor.

Claim 11

A mining machine having with a hollow drive shaft, a rotary pick-carrier mounted on the hollow drive shaft, and dust suppression means comprising a releasably fixed tube extending along the hollow drive shaft for feeding dust suppression fluid from the body of the machine towards the carrier, a distributor mounted within, for rotation with, the carrier for feeding dust suppression fluid to different angular portions of the carrier, a phasing element mounted on, for rotation with, the tube and arranged to cooperate with the distributor so that in operation when the carrier is rotating dust suppression fluid is fed sequentially to selected portions of the carrier, first means which rotate with the tube, second means mounted on the body of the machine and cooperable with the first means, and a resilient element resiliently urging one of the means into the cooperating position so as to Normally prevent the first means, the tube and the phasing element rotating, the said one means being capable of being moved against the action of its resilient force out of the cooperating position to allow rotation of the first means, the tube and the phasing element, the second means being remote from the axis of the tube so as to expose the first means which thereby is accessible to an operator and is manually rotatable by the operator when the said one means is out of the cooperating position to virtually any desired angular position, the resilient element returning the said one means to the cooperating position when released by the operator to lock the first means in the desired position, the first means not extending in a direction away from the tube beyond the second means.

Claim 12

A mining machine having with a hollow drive shaft, a rotary pick-carrier mounted on the hollow drive shaft, and dust suppression means comprising a releasably fixed tube extending along the hollow drive shaft for feeding dust suppression fluid from the body of the machine towards the carrier, a distributor mounted within, for rotation with, the carrier for feeding dust suppression fluid to different angular portions of the carrier, a phasing element mounted on, for rotation with, the tube and arranged to cooperate with the distributor so that in operation when the carrier is rotating dust suppression fluid is fed sequentially to selected portions of the carrier, first means which rotate with the tube, second means mounted on the body of the machine and cooperable with the first means, and a resilient element resiliently urging one of the means into the cooperating position so as to Normally prevent the first means, the tube and the phasing element rotating, the said one means being capable of being moved against the action of its resilient force out of the cooperating position to allow rotation of the first means, the tube and the phasing element, the second means being remote from the axis of the tube so as to expose the first means which thereby is accessible to an operator and is manually rotatable by the operator when the said one means is out of the cooperating position to virtually any desired angular position, the resilient element returning the said one means to the cooperating position when released by the operator to lock the first means in the desired position, the first means not extending in a direction away from the tube beyond the second means.

Claim 13

A mining machine as claimed in claim 10, comprising exhaust means for feeding escaping dust suppression fluid to atmosphere.