Cylinder acceleration mechanism

Abstract

A cylinder acceleration mechanism includes a buffer tank that supplies and discharges oil to and from a bottom-side line that is connected to a bottom-side chamber of an actuating cylinder, and an inversion lever having an intermediate fulcrum as a rotation axis. The buffer tank includes a buffer chamber with a variable capacity achieved by a seal lid moving back and forth inside of a case, and extends and reduces a length of a coupling rod provided to the seal lid and projects from the case. A bottom-side branching line branched from the bottom-side line is connected to the buffer chamber. The actuating rod of the actuating cylinder and the coupling rod of the buffer tank are coupled to respective ends of the inversion lever. The actuating rod and the coupling rod extend and retract alternately with respect to each other as the inversion lever turns.

Claims

1. A cylinder acceleration mechanism for an actuating cylinder including a bottom-side chamber and a rod-side chamber each of which has a variable capacity achieved by a piston moving back and forth inside of a tube, a length by which an actuating rod provided to the piston projects from the tube being increased and decreased, the cylinder acceleration mechanism comprising: a buffer tank that supplies and discharges oil to and from a bottom-side line that is connected to the bottom-side chamber of the actuating cylinder, and an inversion lever having an intermediate fulcrum as a rotation axis, wherein the buffer tank includes a buffer chamber with a variable capacity achieved by a seal lid moving back and forth inside of a case, and is configured to extend and to reduce a length by which a coupling rod provided to the seal lid projects from the case, a bottom-side branching line that is branched from the bottom-side line is connected to the buffer chamber, the actuating rod of the actuating cylinder and the coupling rod of the buffer tank are coupled to respective ends of the inversion lever, and the actuating rod and the coupling rod extend and retract alternately with respect to each other as the inversion lever turns.

2. The cylinder acceleration mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the buffer tank is an auxiliary cylinder including an open rod-side chamber.

3. The cylinder acceleration mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the buffer tank has a connection switched by a switching valve to connect to one of a rod-side branching line branched from the rod-side line that is connected to the rod-side chamber of the actuating cylinder, and the bottom-side branching line, the switching valve has a discharging port section that connects a tank-side line extending from the buffer chamber of the buffer tank to the bottom-side branching line, and a supply port section that connects the tank-side line to the rod-side branching line, and normally activates the discharging port section, and a bottom-side pilot line for switching the discharging port section to the supply port section is extended from the bottom-side line or the bottom-side branching line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a breakaway view of an example of a shearer attachment according to the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a hydraulic circuit illustrating a cylinder acceleration mechanism according to the example.

(3) FIG. 3 is a hydraulic circuit illustrating an actuating rod being extended with no load applied.

(4) FIG. 4 is a hydraulic circuit illustrating the actuating rod being extended with a load applied.

(5) FIG. 5 is a hydraulic circuit illustrating the actuating rod being retracted.

(6) FIG. 6 is a hydraulic circuit illustrating another example of the cylinder acceleration mechanism in which one buffer tank is shared between two actuating cylinders.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(7) One embodiment for implementing the present invention will now be explained with reference to some drawing. The cylinder acceleration mechanism according to the present invention is used in a shearer attachment 8 having a hydraulic cylinder as an actuating cylinder 1, as illustrated in FIG. 1, for example. The shearer attachment 8 according to this example includes a fixed jaw 82 that is integrated with a main body frame 81, and a movable jaw 83 that is pivotally attached to the main body frame 81, and that opens and closes with respect to the fixed jaw 82. In FIG. 1, elements such as a bottom-side line 6, a bottom-side branching line 61, a bottom-side pilot line 62, a rod-side line 7, a rod-side branching line 71, a rod-side pilot line 72, and a switching valve 3 that are connected to the actuating cylinder 1 and to a buffer tank 2 are not illustrated, for the convenience of illustration in the drawing.

(8) The movable jaw 83 according to this example has a portion that is pivotally attached to the main body frame 81 as a fulcrum 41, and an actuating rod 14 of the actuating cylinder 1 is pivotally attached to the movable jaw 83 at an actuating rod pivotally attached point 42 that is provided on one side (lower right side in FIG. 1) of the movable jaw 83 facing the fixed jaw 82, being one side with respect to the fulcrum 41. A coupling rod 24 of the buffer tank 2 is also pivotally attached to the movable jaw 83 at a coupling rod pivotally attached point 43 that is provided to an extended part of the movable jaw 83, being extended toward the other side (upper left side in FIG. 1) with respect to the fulcrum 41. The portion extending between the actuating rod pivotally attached point 42 and the coupling rod pivotally attached point 43, with the fulcrum 41 interposed therebetween, is used as an inversion lever 4. The inversion lever 4 is a rotating lever that inverts extension and retraction of the actuating rod 14 and the coupling rod 24 alternately with respect to each other.

(9) The actuating cylinder 1 and the buffer tank 2 are both housed in the main body frame 81. In the actuating cylinder 1 according to this example, a bottom-side end (the upper end in FIG. 1) of a tube 15 is pivotally attached to a cylinder pivotally attached point 811, in a manner enabled to rotate with respect to the main body frame 81, and the actuating rod 14 projecting from the tube 15 is pivotally attached to an actuating rod pivotally attached point 42, in a manner enabled to rotate with respect to the movable jaw 83. In this manner, the actuating cylinder 1 enables the actuating rod 14 to be extended and retracted smoothly, by changing the orientation thereof as the movable jaw 83 rotates.

(10) The buffer tank 2 according to this example is provided as an auxiliary cylinder (hydraulic cylinder) having a bottom-side chamber thereof serving as a buffer chamber 21, a tube thereof serving as a case 25, a piston thereof serving as a seal lid 23, and a rod thereof serving as the coupling rod 24. In the buffer tank 2 according to this example, the bottom-side end of the case 25 (the upper right end in FIG. 1) is pivotally attached to a buffer pivotally attached point 812 in a manner enabled to rotate with respect to the main body frame 81, and the coupling rod 24 projecting from the case 25 is pivotally attached to a coupling rod pivotally attached point 43, in a manner enabled to rotate with respect to the extended portion of the movable jaw 83. In this manner, the buffer tank 2 enables the coupling rod 24 to be extended and retracted smoothly, by changing the orientation thereof as the movable jaw 83 rotates.

(11) The cylinder acceleration mechanism according to this example is provided as a combination of the hydraulic circuit and the inversion lever 4 illustrated in FIG. 2, for example. The actuating cylinder 1 has a bottom-side chamber 11 and a rod-side chamber 12 each of which has a variable capacity achieved by a columnar piston 13 moving back and forth inside of the cylindrical tube 15, and extends and reduces the length by which the actuating rod 14 extending perpendicularly to the surface of the piston 13 from the center of the piston 13 projects from the tube 15. A bottom-side line 6 that extends from a pump (not illustrated) is connected to the bottom-side chamber 11. A rod-side line 7 that extends from the tank is connected to the rod-side chamber 12.

(12) A conventional shearer attachment 8 only has the actuating cylinder 1, the bottom-side line 6, and the rod-side line 7. The cylinder acceleration mechanism according to the present invention includes the buffer tank 2, the switching valve 3, and the inversion lever 4, in addition to the actuating cylinder 1, the bottom-side line 6, and the rod-side line 7. The switching valve 3 is configured to select one of a bottom-side branching line 61 that is branched from the bottom-side line 6, and a rod-side line 71 that is branched from and the rod-side line 7, and to connect the selected one to a tank-side line 33 that is connected to the buffer tank 2.

(13) The buffer tank 2 includes a buffer chamber 21 with a variable capacity achieved by a columnar seal lid 23 moving back and forth inside of the cylindrical case 25, and extends and reduces the length by which the coupling rod 24 extending perpendicularly to the surface of the seal lid 23 from the center of the seal lid 23 projects from the case 25. As mentioned earlier, the buffer tank 2 according to this example is provided as an auxiliary cylinder that is a hydraulic cylinder, and has a structure in which the hydraulic cylinder includes an open rod-side chamber. In the open rod-side chamber, the rod-side end through which the coupling rod 24 is passed may be removed, or may be kept as it is to support the coupling rod 24.

(14) The cylinder acceleration mechanism according to this example has the switching valve 3 for switching between the bottom-side branching line 61 and the rod-side line 71 to be selectively connected to the buffer tank 2. The switching valve 3 has a discharge-side port section 31 for connecting the tank-side line 33 that extends from the buffer chamber 21 of the buffer tank 2 to the bottom-side branching line 61, and a supply-side port section 32 for connecting the tank-side line 33 to the rod-side branching line 71. In FIG. 1, the switching valve 3, although not illustrated, is positioned inside of the main body frame 81 as appropriate, in a manner suitable for the bottom-side branching line 61, the rod-side branching line 71, and the tank-side line 33, for example.

(15) The switching valve 3 according to this example is a three-port two-position switching valve having the discharge-side port section 31 and the supply-side port section 32 each section of which has three ports, two of which are for input, and the remaining one is for output. The discharge-side port section 31 connects the bottom-side branching line 61 to the tank-side line 33, but closes the rod-side branching line 71. Reversely, the supply-side port section 32 connects the rod-side branching line 71 to the tank-side line 33, but closes the bottom-side branching line 61. With such a configuration, by switching the switching valve 3, the line to be connected to the buffer chamber 25 of the buffer tank 2 via the tank-side line 33 is switched between the bottom-side branching line 61 or the rod-side branching line 71.

(16) In the switching valve 3 according to this example, the discharge-side port section 31 is normally activated by being pushed by a coil spring 34 biasing the switching valve 3 from the side of the discharge-side port section 31 so that the bottom-side branching line 61 is connected to the tank-side line 33. In the switching valve 3 according to this example, the supply-side port section 32 is activated by being pushed by an oil pressure generated in the bottom-side pilot line 62 that extends from the bottom-side line 6. In the switching valve 3 according to this example, a spring section side line 72 for supplying or discharging oil filled in a spring section (not illustrated) in which the coil spring 34 is housed is connected to the rod-side branching line 71 through the spring section.

(17) An operation of the cylinder acceleration mechanism according to this example will now be explained. To close the movable jaw 83 of the shearer attachment 8 (see FIG. 1; the same applies below), the actuating rod 14 of the actuating cylinder 1 is extended by supplying oil into the bottom-side chamber 11 via the bottom-side line 6, and discharging the oil from the rod-side chamber 12 via the rod-side line 7, as illustrated in FIG. 3. At this time, if there is nothing between the fixed jaw 82 and the movable jaw 83, no load is applied to the extending actuating rod 11. Therefore, the pressure of the oil in the bottom-side pilot line 62 remains unincreased, so that the switching valve 3 is not switched. Therefore, the buffer chamber 25 of the buffer tank 2 remains connected to the bottom-side branching line 61. The buffer chamber 25 discharges the oil to the bottom-side line 6 by being compressed, and draws in the oil from the bottom-side line 6 by being expanded.

(18) When the actuating rod 14 is extended and causes the inversion lever 4 to turn, the coupling rod 24 retracted, and the seal lid 23 moves back, and the buffer chamber 21 becomes compressed. In this manner, the oil stored in the buffer chamber 21 is supplied into the bottom-side branching line 61, and into the bottom-side chamber 11 of the actuating cylinder 1 via the bottom-side line 6. This means that the total amount of oil sent into the bottom-side chamber 11 is increased, without increasing the flowrate of the oil sent out from the tank by the pump. In this manner, by increasing the total amount of oil sent into the bottom-side chamber 11, the extension of the actuating rod 14 is accelerated.

(19) If the fixed jaw 82 and the movable jaw 83 are to be closed with something nipped therebetween, a load is applied to the extending actuating rod 14, increasing the oil pressure in the bottom-side pilot line 62, and the switching valve 3 is switched, as illustrated in FIG. 4. At this time, a small amount of oil is discharged from the spring section in which the coil spring 34 is housed, into the rod-side branching line 71 via the spring section side line 72. In this manner, the buffer chamber 25 of the buffer tank 2 becomes connected to the rod-side branching line 61. When the buffer chamber 25 becomes compressed, the oil is discharged into the rod-side line 7. When the buffer chamber 25 is expanded, the buffer chamber 25 draws in the oil from the rod-side line 7. Because the fixed jaw 82 and the movable jaw 83 are closed with something nipped therebetween, the switching valve 3 remains switched, until the oil pressure in the bottom-side pilot line 62 drops.

(20) When the actuating rod 14 is extended and causes the inversion lever 4 to turn, the coupling rod 24 is retracted, and the seal lid 23 compresses the buffer chamber 21. This compression causes the oil stored in the buffer chamber 21 to be returned to the tank via the rod-side branching line 71 and the rod-side line 7. This means that the oil stored in the buffer chamber 21 is discharged without any delay so that the rotation of the inversion lever 4 is not obstructed thereby. In this manner, because the extension of the actuating rod 14 is not obstructed by the inversion lever 4, the thrust of the actuating rod 14 is ensured.

(21) When the shearer attachment 8 opens the movable jaw 83, the oil is supplied into the rod-side chamber 12 via the rod-side line 7, and the oil is discharged from the bottom-side chamber 11 via the bottom-side line 6, as illustrated in FIG. 5, to cause the actuating rod 14 of the actuating cylinder 1 to retract. Because there is nothing between the opening fixed jaw 82 and movable jaw 83, no load is applied to the retracting actuating rod 11. Therefore, the oil pressure in the bottom-side pilot line 62 remains unincreased, and the switching valve 3 remains not switched. If the switching valve 3 has been switched in the extension of the actuating rod 11 (see FIG. 4, for example), the switching valve 3 is pushed back by the coil spring 34, and returned to the original position. In this manner, the buffer chamber 25 of the buffer tank 2 becomes connected to the bottom-side branching line 61.

(22) When the actuating rod 14 retracts and causes the inversion lever 4 to turn, the coupling rod 24 is caused to extend and the seal lid 23 is moved forward, so that the buffer chamber 21 is expanded. In this manner, a part of the oil that is discharged from the bottom-side chamber 11 is pulled into the buffer chamber 21 via the bottom-side line 6 and the bottom-side branching line 61, and stored in the buffer chamber 21. By reducing the amount of oil returned from the bottom-side chamber 11 into the tank, the pressure loss is reduced, and the oil is discharged smoothly from the bottom-side chamber 11. In addition, a larger amount of oil is supplied into the rod-side chamber 12 while the pressure of the oil sent into the rod-side chamber 12 is reduced. Because the oil is discharged smoothly from the bottom-side chamber 11, a larger amount of oil is sent into the rod-side chamber 12, and the further extending coupling rod 24 causes the actuating rod 14 to retract via the inversion lever 4, in the manner described above, the retraction of the actuating rod 14 is accelerated.

(23) When the cylinder acceleration mechanism according to the present invention uses a plurality of actuating cylinders, one buffer tank is basically assigned to each of the actuating cylinders. However, if the numbers of actuating cylinders, the inversion levers, and the buffer tanks are all increased, these components no longer fit inside of the main body frame, and the size of the attachment will be increased. To address this issue, one buffer tank 2 may be shared between two actuating cylinders 1, 1, for example, as illustrated as another example of the cylinder acceleration mechanism in FIG. 6. Because the inversion levers 4, 4 connect the actuating cylinders 1 and the buffer tank 2, two inversion levers 4, 4 are provided in a manner corresponding to the number of the actuating cylinders 1, 1, but the coupling rod pivotally attached point 43 is shared. A structure including a plurality of actuating cylinders 1 is found in a shearer attachment in which both jaws are movable.

(24) In the other example of the cylinder acceleration mechanism, the bottom-side line 6 and the rod-side line 7 are both branched into two lines, and the branches of the bottom-side line 6 are then connected to the bottom-side chambers 11, 11 of the respective actuating cylinders 1, 1, and the branches of the rod-side line 7 are connected to the rod-side chambers 12, 12 of the respective actuating cylinders 1, 1. It is also possible to extend two bottom-side lines 6 and two rod-side lines 7 directly from the tank and the pump of the hydraulic unit, and to connect the bottom-side lines 6 to the bottom-side chambers 11, 11, and connect the rod-side lines 7 to the rod-side chambers 12, 12 of the respective actuating cylinders 1, 1. The bottom-side branching line 61 is connected to the bottom-side line 6 at a position nearer to the tank or the pump with respect to the position where the bottom-side line 6 is branched into two. The rod-side branching line 71 is connected to the rod-side line 7 at a position nearer to the tank or the pump with respect to the position where the rod-side line 7 is branched into two.

(25) In the actuating cylinders 1, 1, the oil is supplied into the bottom-side chambers 11, 11, in the same manner, via the respective bottom-side lines 6, 6, and causes the actuating rods 14, 14 to extend in a synchronized manner. In this manner, the inversion levers 4, 4 turn and cause the coupling rod 24 of the buffer tank 2 to retract in a synchronized manner. The buffer tank 2 supplies the oil stored in the buffer chamber 21 into the bottom-side chambers 11, 11 of the respective actuating cylinders 1, 1 via the respective two branched bottom-side lines 6, 6, and accelerates the extension of the actuating rods 14, 14. When a load is applied to the actuating rods 14 of the respective actuating cylinders 1, the oil pressure in the bottom-side pilot line 62 is increased, causing the switching valve 3 to switch thereby, so that the oil in the buffer chamber 21 is return to the tank. Usually, because the two actuating cylinders 1, 1 act equally on the object, the bottom-side pilot line 62 only needs to monitor one of the actuating cylinders 1.

(26) Furthermore, in the actuating cylinders 1, 1, the oil is supplied into the rod-side chambers 12, 12 via the respective rod-side lines 7, 7 in the same manner, causing the respective actuating rods 14, 14 to retract in a synchronized manner. In this manner, the inversion levers 4, 4 turn and cause the coupling rod 24 of the buffer tank 2 to extend in a synchronized manner. In the buffer tank 2, a part of the oil discharged from the bottom-side chambers 11, 11 of the respective actuating cylinders 1, 1 is then drawn into and stored in the buffer chamber 21, and as a result, retractions of the actuating rods 14, 14 are accelerated. In the other example of the cylinder acceleration mechanism, because the oil is sent into the one buffer tank 2 from the two actuating cylinders 1, 1, the capacity of the buffer chamber 21 is set twice of the example explained above (see FIGS. 1 to 5).

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(27) 1 actuating cylinder 11 bottom-side chamber 12 rod-side chamber 14 actuating rod 2 buffer tank 21 buffer chamber 24 coupling rod 3 switching valve 31 discharge-side port section 32 supply-side port section 33 tank-side line 4 inversion lever 41 fulcrum 42 actuating rod pivotally attached point 43 coupling rod pivotally attached point 6 bottom-side line 61 bottom-side branching line 62 bottom-side pilot line 7 rod-side line 71 rod-side branching line 72 spring section side line 8 shearer attachment 81 main body frame 82 fixed jaw 83 movable jaw