Extensible and retractable vacuum air transport system.

摘要

Pneumatic vacuum transport system for following the advance and retreat of a continuous mining machine (10) in a coal seam and for conveying the coal to a remote location. The system comprises a positive displacement air pump (154) providing a source of vacuum air, conduit sections (206) being sealingly interconnected in end-to-end relation to form a conduit string connected at one end to the continuous mining machine so as to receive coal particles, a telescopic conduit assembly (242) connectible to the other end of the conduit string, coal particle separating means (272) between the telescopic conduit assembly and the vacuum side pump having rotary air lock discharge means for discharging the separated coal particles from the vacuum environment of the separating means without substantial effect on the pressure thereof, particle filters in series between the separating means and the suction side of the pump having rotary air lock discharge means for discharging filtered particles from the vacuum pressure environment of the filter means without substantially effecting the pressure thereof, a bypass valve (314) between the telescopic conduit assembly and the filter means normally disposed in a closed position to enable the source of vacuum pressure provided by the pump to be communicated to the miner in a series vacuum air circuit through the conduit string, the telescopic conduit assembly, the seperating means and the filter means and movable into an open position to provide a separate circuit through said open valve in series with the filter means which bypasses the conduit string, and the telescopic conduit assembly, the telescopic conduit assembly being operable to permit the conduit string to be moved by the continuous mining machine during the advancing movement thereof while the vacuum air circuit is completed therethrough by virtue of the bypass valve being in closed position, the telescopic conduit assembly being operable to enable a conduit section to be added to the conduit string when the bypass valve is in open position to bypass the vacuum air circuit from the conduit string and the telescopic conduit assembly.