Mine equipment recovery system

摘要

An equipment recovery system for high risk environments such as high wall mine shafts has a vehicle that rides on a track including applications where a push-beam conveyor may serve as the track. The vehicle has a guide to keep it on the track and a hitch for attaching a recovery cable. The vehicle is remotely operated from outside the mine, has a power train for moving the vehicle, an implement for performing tasks, and carries an onboard power source and electrical control boxes to power and control the vehicle and implement. The vehicle may communicate with an outside operator station via an Ethernet cable and may employ and Ethernet extender for that purpose. The vehicle may have a camera to transmit video images. The vehicle may be operated from a high wall miner control center or from an operator station on a self propelled support vehicle.

主权项

1. A mine equipment recovery system comprising:
a recovery vehicle configured to ride on a push-beam conveyor in a mine, the push-beam conveyor having a top surface with two edges and two sides with one of the sides joined to the top surface at each edge, the top surface and two sides running the length of the conveyor and enclosing the working elements of the conveyor, the top surface and sides defining the width of the conveyor, said recovery vehicle comprising;
a body having a forward end and a rear end and two sides connecting said forward end and said rear end of said body;a drive train mounted on said body, said drive train comprising an axle with a set of wheels, said set of wheels being spaced narrowly enough to ride on the top surface of the push-beam conveyor;a guide on each said side of said body, each said guide extending downward from its respective side to below the level of the top surface of the push-beam conveyor maintaining said vehicle on the push beam conveyor;electrical control boxes mounted on said body, said electrical control boxes comprising communication elements for receiving commands from outside of the mine and transmitting commands to other elements mounted on said body;a power source mounted on said body, said power source powering said drive train and said electrical boxes;an implement mount on said forward end of said body; and,a hitch on said rear end of said body, said hitch for retrieval of said recovery vehicle.