Abstract
An excavating, ripping and loading apparatus and method. The excavating, ripping and loading apparatus includes a platform, structured over an elevating conveyor, a suspended boom supporting a pivoting arm with attached dozer u-blade below, pulled down on an arc to a receiving/gathering area, feeding the elevating conveyor, center loading a large mining truck. A ripper assembly is attached to the rear of the bulldozer u-blade. The ripper assembly has double-edged shanks which can be actuated to rip and loosen material in both directions. The pivoting arm with bulldozer u-blade is pulled back up to the top of the pile and back down to the receiving area by winches/winch drums through a series of pullies and sheaves creating compound mechanical advantaged pull. The excavating, ripping and loading apparatus will be structured over crawlers or wheels for mobility.
Claims
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19. An excavating rope dozer, ripping, and loading apparatus of claim 18. comprising: a reversing rope dozer including an upper platform supporting a suspended boomsupporting a pivoting arm with a bulldozer u blade attached, pulling/pushing material down to a receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor, working in combination together to load mining trucks, all structured over crawlers or wheels for mobility; the pivoting arm/bulldozer u blade operates in reverse of a standard rope shovel, reaching up and pulling/pushing material down from the top of a overburden piledown to a receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor; the pivoting arm operates on a much steeper arc downhill than a tractor driven bulldozer could operate: the platform also supports winches, power systems to operate the winches, an operator's cab, and boom brace/cable support; the pivoting arm has a bulldozer u-blade or other optional attachment attached at the bottom; the pivoting arm has hydraulic cylinders to pivot the bulldozer u-blade or other optional attachment forward and upward or rearward and downward; the pivoting arm or the bull-dozer u blade or other optional bucket/dipper attachments have a bulldozer ripper assembly attached to the rear with a single shank or a multiple shank capacity, ripping material on pull back to the top of the overburden pile and/or ripping material on pull back down to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor; the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor has an apron with gathering arms/blades to feed material across the apron to the elevating conveyor; the elevating conveyor elevates material to a height above the mining truck bed, or a feeder/sizer loading a movable over-land belt; the reverse rope dozer and the elevating conveyor work in-line with the conveyor or upper structure rotatable above the conveyor, either structured over crawlers or wheels for mobility; the pivoting arm/bulldozer u blade is pulled down to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor and back to upper top of the overburden pile position via winches pulling rope through a series of pullies/sheaves creating a compound mechanical advantaged pull, pulling wire rope or synthetic rope, simultaneously and in unison; minimizing length of rope needed and decreasing the time to wind in; the pivoting arm/bulldozer u blade pulls/pushes material to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor, charging the elevated stacking conveyor and loading additional passes onto the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor, charging the system while a truck is not there, to load the truck as efficiently as possible once there, loading the truck much quicker, allowing the trucks to make more trips per hour, eliminating trucks from the normal spreada spread being a loading tool and number of trucks assigned to it to keep a truck in place for the loading tool to loadsaving truck fuel, maintenance, tire, operator cost and emissions.
20. The excavating rope dozer, ripping dozer loading apparatus of claim 19. wherein said pivoting arm/bulldozer u blade includes a hydraulic cylinder within a tube allowing the movement of the pivoting arm/bulldozer u blade in and out creating crowd force, or wherein, said pivoting arm/bulldozer u blade is constructed of two rectangular tubes known as twin-legged dipper handle with a torsion box and rack and pinion mechanical geared system to move the arm in and out for crowd force instead of a hydraulic cylinder.
21. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19. wherein blade/bucket optional attachments to the pivoting arm used to pull/push material, include a bulldozer U blade, or a bulldozer carry-dozer blade, or a modified upright excavator bucket, or a modified dipper bucket, are all incapable of lifting the material, the material being pulled/pushed being loaded determining which is needed.
22. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim wherein the pivoting arm or blade/bucket attachments are equipped with a bulldozer ripper assembly attached to their rears, when ripper shanks are lowered into the material, having ability to rip, segregate and loosen the material.
23. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19. wherein the ripper assembly has ability to be actuated on pull down to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor, or, on the pull back up cycle pulling blade/bucket to upper starting position at the top of the pile, or both.
24. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 23. wherein the ripper shanks will have cutting edge on both front and back edges allowing ripping and segregating while pulling down through the material or in reverse back up to the top of the pile.
25. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19 wherein the winches pulling the arm down or pulling the arm back up, are pulled through series of pullies and sheaves creating multiplied compound mechanical advantaged pull, requiring less diesel power, allowing use on sites where sufficient electrical line power is not available.
26. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19. wherein the winch/winches pull on either end of the pull-down rope or either end of the pull-up ropeequally, simultaneously and in unison, equalizing pull on either end of the bulldozer u-blade or other optional bladepulling/pushing the blade straight.
27. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 26. wherein the winches keep the ropes tensioned while rope is feeding out while the opposite set of ropes are pulling down or up.
28. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19. wherein the power needed to operate the winches and hydraulics needed for mobility can be generated by line power on site, or by diesel power onboardon sites where electrical voltage needed for powering electric shovels is not available.
29. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19 wherein the power and gear drives for winches will be designed for the specific application the apparatus will work in, including the power needed to rip through the overburden, wherein the power plant may be driving one drive shaft with hydraulic gear drive driving four winch drums if material fractures easily, or a power plant may be driving two gear boxes driving two sets of winches, one for pull up and one for pull down, either having more pulling power based on the overburden pull through requirements.
30. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19 wherein the ripping ability will loosen bank/un-shot materials that needed to be blasted before, saving significant power and drilling cost.
31. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19 wherein making use of winches pulling the blade down to the receiving area and using winches pulling the blade back up to top starting position through series of sheaves and pullies create huge compound advantaged pull, requires less horsepower thus creating fewer emissions.
32. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19. wherein having the ability to charge the elevating conveyor with material and pull additional passes onto the receiving/gathering-apron while a truck is not there, then filling the truck much more efficiently once the truck is in positionallows more trips for the trucks each hour per spread, which is normally four to seven trucks per spread, a spread being the loading tool and trucks needed to keep it productive, allowing greater fuel savings, lower maintenance cost and emissions generated by fewer trucks.
33. The excavating rope dozer, ripping and loading apparatus of claim 19. wherein when using apparatus in extreme cold temperatures where the flights may freeze and the material being mined sticking to the flights, the sides of the conveyor can be closed off by panels, the panels insulated and exhaust from the engines fed into the cavity then created under the upper flight movement going up and above the return flight movement to the bottom, heating the area, with final exhaust release at upper top end of the conveyor.
34. A method of rope dozer excavating, ripping and loading earthen material comprising a new excavating rope dozer pulling/pushing material down from top of the overburden pile to a receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor, combined, loading a mining truck much quicker, eliminating need of a typical excavator or rope shovel to swing ninety degrees left or right with each bucket load to fill a mining truck. the new method having ability to pull/push material to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor and start charging the conveyor while the truck is not there, charging the conveyor and receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor with passes, to load the truck once in place, in less than half the required time the old method requirestrucks having to wait for the excavator to make five to seven passes, typically 30 seconds each, or rope shovel making four to five passes, typically 35 seconds each, the new method enabling the trucks to make more trips per hour, The new method creates substantial additional production when pulling dozer u blade back to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor using both slot dozing and downhill roll advantages plus additional gravity material that will fall naturally per the angle of repose of the pile, The new method will not require a full pass up through the pile to fill the bucket each pass as current rope shovels require, as the bulldozer u-blade or other optional attachment buckets can be filled in a shorter pass, just cycled halfway back to the top full pass and make several short half passes pulling down and charging the receiving area, The new system will have a ripper assembly attached to the rear of the pivoting arm/bulldozer u blade and ability to lower the shanks into the material being moved, both on the return cycle to the top of the overburden pile and on the pull back down to the toe, segregating and agitating the material to allow easier pull of blade through the material to the receiving/gathering/elevating conveyor, The new method has the conveyor cantilevered over the truck side for center loading of the body minimizing off-center loading and suspension maintenance problems. The new method with cantilevered conveyor allows for trucks to pull under the discharge and minimizes spot time, The new method allows for the cantilevered conveyor to be extended to load the truck from the cab end or tail end where there is not enough room on the bench for the truck to pull in sideways or turn around. The new method uses winches pulling through a series of pullies and sheaves creating a compound mechanical advantaged pull that creates huge pull force requiring less horsepower to pull the bulldozer u blade or other optional attachments, with ripper assembly and shanks actuated rippingthrough the material, in some cases through material that had needed drilling and blasting to be loaded verses being ripped and loosened, The new method has winches that can be powered electrically or hydraulically or by new diesel invertor electric packages being tested on large dozers allowing use on sites that do not have electrical grid and transformers needed for electric rope shovels.
35. (canceled)
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an excavating and loading apparatus according to the present invention with truck.
[0039] FIG. 2 is an expanded side elevation view of the excavating and loading apparatus of FIG. 1.
[0040] FIG. 3 is a right-side front view of the excavating and loading apparatus showing rear of blade attachment and ripper attached to rear of blade and better perspective of winch drums and pullies.
[0041] FIG. 4 is a left side front view of the excavating and loading apparatus showing better view of the cab, winches, pullies and sheaves.
[0042] FIG. 5 is an upper view from right of the excavating and loading apparatus showing better routing of the winch, winch ropes, rope pullies and sheaves, and boom and arm.
[0043] FIG. 6 is a side view of the excavating and loading apparatus showing the arm pivoting through its' full stroke from top of shot bench down to the receiving area and the ripper assembly actuating its'shanks into the material down at the toe of the pileloosening material as it is pull through the material back up to the top starting positionand then retracted for the blade gathering material on its'next pass down to the receiving area.
[0044] FIG. 7 is a side view showing the excavating upper assembly mounted on slewing bearing allowing it to pivot left or right off the center line of the conveying assembly.
[0045] FIG. 8 is a top view of the excavating and loading apparatus showing the upper excavating assembly pivoting left or right off the venter line of the conveying assembly.
[0046] FIG. 9 is a top view of new method for cleaning old benches that have material sluffed off over years using the new excavating and loading apparatus pivoted on narrow bench and against narrow bench wall with conveyor dumping into truck from either end or over side if bench wide enough for truck to back around.
[0047] FIG. 10 shows three common bull-dozer blade configurations that are options for attachment to the arm on the new excavating and loading apparatus according to the present invention.
[0048] FIG. 11 shows an excavator bucket, and a dipper bucket with ejection blade as option for attachments for the arm of the new excavating and loading apparatus, with ripper assembly attached to its rear showing double edged shank inserted, according to the present invention.
[0049] FIG. 12 is a side view showing an optional style arm, a ridged twin leg arm, that can be used having two rectangular members verses a tube and having a mechanical gear style crowd system verses hydraulic cylinder style crowdsystem.
[0050] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the winch drive pulling ropes through series of pullies and sheaves explaining the mechanical advantaged compound pull force pulling the blade down in direction down to the receiving area and explain how the winches pull simultaneously and in unison. The same pulling force will be applied to the pull-up mechanical advantaged compound pull forcepulling the arm back up to its starting position at the top of the pile.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0051] With reference to FIG. 1 there is shown a side view of a combination self-loadingself rippingmaterial gatheringelevating conveyortruck loading apparatus according to the present invention showing a boom 24 supporting pivoting arm 48pivoting at pivot point 25 and pivoting arm 48 having preferred attachment bulldozer u-blade 60 attached at lower bottom and having winches 30a, pulling pull-up rope 32 attached to the rear of arm 48 pulling the arm back up to the top of pile 61. Pull-down winches 34a 34b will pull-down rope 36 simultaneously in unisonpulling pivoting arm 48 with u-blade 60 attacheddown through loosened material 65 to receiving area 55 and then winch 30a will pull pivoting arm 48 with u-blade 60 back to toe 62 of the pile at which point ripper assembly 51 will start actuating ripper shanks 54 which can be single shank or multiple shanks, penetrating and fracturing the material 65 from the toe of pile 62 as needed all the way back up to the top of bank 61. While the pivoting arm 48 is reversing to the top 61 and ripping the material 65, the gathering blade 44a will close, sweeping material on receiving area 55 across to the conveyor 52 and material is carried up conveyor 52 to a height above truck bed 57 and discharged into truck from conveyor drive discharge point 56. The conveyor 52 will have depth sensors detecting desired load height at the mouth and speed up or slow down gathering arms 44a to maintain the depth desired. Conveyor 52 can be either a rubber belt conveyor or an apron-feeder style conveyorwhich is comprised of bulldozer undercarriage componentsrollers, chains, idlers, sprockets and take-ups commonly used on D9, D10, and D11 bulldozers. The problem with using rubber-belt conveyors is starting the belt conveyor up underload and having the drum drive pully slipping, and not being able to charge the conveyor with materialwhile the truck is not there. They could be used if they were fed after start-up and not charged. The apron-feeder, the preferred conveyor, can be charged and helps load the truck as quickly as possible, which is the goal. The conveyor drive discharge drive 56, discharging material over the truck bed 57, can be driven mechanically via D11 drive system using chain driven from a standard D11 dozer drive packageengine, transmission, planetary drive gears. It can also be driven through hydraulic drive package using hydraulic planetary gear box or even through new D11 electric drive package. Arm 48 is actuated within tube 49 having hydraulic cylinder allowing the arm to move in and out, known as crowdallowing the arm to penetrate the pile 65 deeper without moving entire system forward.
[0052] With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown a right-side view of a combination self-loadingself rippingmaterial gatheringelevating conveyortruck loading apparatus according to the present invention. The reverse shovel self-loading component, boom 24 is supported by wire or synthetic ropes 26 tied off to a brace 27. The boom 24 also supports four sheaves at the upper end having pull-back grooved sheaves 28a-28b-29a-29b (in alignment) each having independent sheaves side by sidewhich are driven by pull-up winches 30a and 30b. Pull-up rope 32 is used to pull arm 48 back to the top of pile 61 and the pull-down rope 36 is used to pull the arm 48 down towards the receiving area 55. Once material is pulled to the receiving area 55, cylinders 46 will push blade 44a across apron floorpushing/feeding excess material to the live elevating conveyor 52 carrying the material up to the discharge drive point 56. The system is structured over crawlers 50 for mobility. The bulldozer u-blade 60 or other optional attachments are attached at the bottom of arm 48 which pivots at pivot point 25. Attached to the rear of bulldozer u-blade 60 or other optional attachment buckets/blades will be a bulldozer ripper assembly 51 with ripper shank 54 or multiple shanks. Arm 48 will have hydraulic cylinders 59a and 59b attached to the rear of the u-blade 60 to push the movement of the u-blade 60 or other optional buckets or blades forward and upward or rearward and downward. There will be pullies 40a and 40b (hidden) attached to the rear of the arm 48 and pullies 42a and 40b (hidden) attached to the front of u-blade 60 or other optional blade/bucket attachments. Ropes 32 and 36 are tied off to winch drums on platform and run through series of sheaves and pullies to create compound advantaged pull force.
[0053] Pull-up drums 30a and 30b on platform create a compound pull, starting at winch drum 30b where rope will be attached and wound around winch drum, then pulling rope 32 up through sheave 28a then down to right side pully 40a on right side rear of u-blade 60 and then back up to 28b then down through cross sheaves 45a and 45b back up to double sheave 29b, down to pulley 40b at rear left back of u-blade 60back up through sheave 29a then back to winch drum 30awhere rope 32 will be attached and wound equallydrums 30a and winch drum 30b attached on drive shaft pulling simultaneously and equally enabling stronger and quicker rope pull up. The drums will be large diameter helping rewind ropes faster and having grooves and level winds, if needed, to help rope rewind evenly.
[0054] The winch drives can be driven electricallyif line-power is available, diesel powering hydraulic pump drives, or new D11 diesel electric, or diesel mechanical using bulldozer drive. The preferred is hydraulic driving planetary gear drive boxes with hydraulic bypass relief valves to release pressure in case arm and/or the u-blade attachment incurs embedded rock exceeding its power, so operator can reposition the u-blade using u-blade movement forward, rearward, and up and down cylinders 59a and 59b to break-out the rock or use the ripper assembly 51 and ripper shank/shanks 54 to dislodge the rock. The combination of gear reduction through the planetary gear box driving the shafts with drums 30a or 30b and either drums 34a or 34b pulling simultaneously through series of sheaves and or pullies will create huge compound pulls on pull back ropes 32 or pull up ropes 36.
[0055] Once material is pulled down onto the receiving area 55, gathering blades 44a on left side of receiving area 55 or gathering blades 44b on right side of receiving area 55, powered by hydraulic cylinders 46 at the receiving area 55, will feed material to the conveyor 52 which will elevate material up to discharge drive height 56. Crawlers 50 will move the system from place to place and left to right along toe of the pile 62.
[0056] With Reference to drawing FIG. 3 shows a left-side view of the system turned slightly, showing better view of how winch drums 30a and 30b pull arm 48 with u-blade 60 and ripper assembly 51 and ripper shank/shanks 54 back to the receiving area 55. Both winch drums 34a and 32b are attached to rope 36 which is extended from 34a out on left side to pully 42a then back to cross sheave 43a at platform feeding rope 36 over to the right side, then back to u-blade 60 and back to 34b. Winch drums 34a and 34b are attached to a drive shaft and are pulling rope 36 simultaneouslyequalizing pulls on pullies 42a and 42b at either end of u-blade 60. When rope 36 is paying out as pull-up rope 32 is pulling the arm with u-blade 60 and ripper assembly 51 back to up position at top of pilethere will be a slight tension on rope 36 to keep it taut. Likewise, when rope 32 is paying out as pull-back rope 36 is pulling the arm and u-blade down to the receiving area 55there will be a slight tension on rope 32 to keep it taut. Note: either steel wire rope or synthetic rope can be used, synthetic rope weighing less and depending on winch drum diameter and width, using preferred grooved drums, it may allow having winch drums 30a and 30b and winch drums 34a and 34bbeing attached to the same drive shaft (that configuration not shown) which may be driven from both endsrequiring less machining and support bearings. When 30a and 30b are pulling arm down34a and 34b will be putting tension on ropes and feeding out and visa-versa when ropes 34a and 34b pulling arm back up30a and 30b will be applying tension while feeding rope out.
[0057] Winch drums 30a and 30b are attached to rope 32 at either end and rope 32 is fed out from either end to sheaves 28a and 28b at the top of the boom then down to pullies 40a and 40b at rear of the arm 48 and u-blade 60 then back up around sheaves 29a and 29b at the top of the boomthen back to cross sheaves 45a and 45b, again using one rope tied to winch drums 30a and 30b both pulling simultaneously in unisonpulling arm 48 with u-blade attachment 60back up to starting position at top of pile or half way back if gravity material has flowed down.
[0058] Exact routingpull-back rope 32 tied off to winch 34a is fed up and over sheave 28a then down and around pully 40a then back and around sheave 28b then back towards platform 35 to cross sheave 45a and across to 45b then back up to top of boom sheave 29b and down to and around pully 40b then back up and around sheave 29a and back to and tied off to winch 30b.
[0059] Also shown is a better view of receiving area 55 showing gathering blades 44a and 44b and cylinders 46 that will push gathering blades 44a and 44b across the receiving areafeeding material to elevating conveyor 52.
[0060] With Reference to drawing FIG. 4 is showing a right side view of the system turned slightly to the right showing the operators cab 35 and better view of cross pully 43b as rope is fed across from right side 43a and rope 36 is then fed down to pully 42b attached to left side of the u-blade 60 and through it and then back to left side winch drum 34b which is attached to same drive shaft as winch drum 34a.
[0061] The conveyor drive package 54 can be a bulldozer mechanical drive turning planetary drives boxes driving bulldozer undercarriage chain 58 turning main drive shaft discharge 56 or preferred would be new D11 electric drive through inverters driving planetary gears boxeseliminating need for chain 58.
[0062] With Reference to drawing FIG. 5 is shown a left side upper view giving a better view of pull-down winch 34a pulling rope 36 through pully 42a attached to the u-blade 60then rope 36 being fed up to cross sheave 43a back at platform and across to 43bthen back to right side of blade 60 pully 42b (hidden) then back to winch drum 34bpulling arm 48 with u-blade 60 attacheddown to receiving area 55. By attaching end of rope 36 to winch 34a and the other end of the rope 36 to winch drum 34bthey, pulling simultaneously and in unisoncreates mechanical advantage and pulling together pulls the rope in faster. To pull arm 48 with u-blade 60 attached up, winch drums 30a and 30b pull the arm 48 back to the top of pilepulling rope 32 having one end anchored to winch drum 30a and the either end of rope 32 tied off at winch drum 30b. Rope 32 is fed from winch drum 30b up through sheave 29bdown to pully 40bback up through sheave 29aback to cross sheave 45bover to cross sheave 45aback to sheave 28bdown to pully 40aback up to sheave 28aand finally back to winch drum 30acreating a compound mechanical advantaged pullboth winch drums pulling simultaneously and in unison. A better view of conveyor 52 is shown. A better view of operators cab 35 is shown. Sheet metal or fiberglass enclosure will cover the winches and power systemsover the winch area is not shown.
[0063] With Reference to drawing FIG. 6 shows arm 48 being actuated throughout its cycle, known as a pass, pulling down through the pile to the receiving area 55 and the arm 48 being pulled back up to the top of pile 61. As pull-down rope 36 is pulled down by winch drums 34a and 34bthe u-blade 60 is pulled through the ripped material 65 with blade cylinders 59a and 59b (hidden behind 59a) being actuated lowering the u-blade 60 down into the loosened materialfilling the u-blade 60 as it is being pulled down to the receiving area 55. As the u-blade 60 fillsthe operator can move the u-blade 60 using cylinders 59a and 59b to push the u-blade 60 forward lifting the blade upwards allowing material to be pushed above the loosened materialespecially if using optional bulldozer carry-dozer blade 60c attachment (shown on FIG. 10). The crowd 49 option attached to arm 48 can be used to move arm 48 in and out as the pile deepens. While pulling down, ripper assembly 51, attached to rear of u-blade 60, is can be retracted in up position or actuated down to rip material 65 on the downward movement if needed back down to the toe 62the shanks having optional front and back cutting edges. Dozers just rip in one direction, while the new system will rip in either directionpulling back up to the top pf pile or pulling down to the receiving area. As the u-blade 60 reaches the receiving area 55 the arm 48 pass is completed halfway onto receiving area 55just before the embedded conveyor 52 within receiving area 55 is reached and the u-blade 60 is then flipped forward and uppushed all the way forward by cylinders 59a and 59bfilling material up and over the conveyor 52. The conveyor 52 is embedded slightly so the u-blade 60 cannotencounter the conveyor 52. At that point, drums 30a and 30b pulling pull-up rope 32 is actuated to pull arm 48 and blade 60 back up to top of pile 61. During pull back when u-blade 60 reaches the toe of the pile 62the cylinders of ripper assembly 51 can be actuated which thrust the ripper shank 54 or multiple shanks down into the material 65 and it rips fracturing the material through its stroke/arc back up to the top of the pile 61. If material via gravity has slide down and enough that only needs half pass/cycle on returnback up to the topthe operator can retract u-blade cylinders 59a and 59b back downtilting the u-blade 60 back down behind the pile and just go part way back up to top of pile 61 and start his next pull-down pass. Depending on material being loaded and how well the ripper shank/shanks 54 penetrates and agitates the shot materialmuch loose material will slide/gravity feed down on its own. In most applications and depending on how much gravity material slides on its own, many short passes halfway back to the top of pile will be made, increasing production dramatically. When bull-dozingpushing material with dozersthere is a technique used called slot-dozing to help with production. The operator tries to stay in straight line push repeatedlywhich our system will naturally pull straight line back to the receiving areacreating a pocket with sides/mounds on left and rightand enables the bladein our case u-blade 60to use the side mounds to create more material to naturally accumulate in center of blade and add up to 20% more material being pushed each cycle/pass. Also, by pushing downhill, in our case pulling downhill, much steeper than the dozer can push, the more roll-advantage it will gain, increasing production up to an additional +20%. A dozer normally will work on no more than 25 degrees downhill pushas it must back up that grade for each pass down. In our case we will be pulling the material down at a much steeper angleup to 45 degreesas shown in our arc, gaining an even more downhill roll advantage. On u-blade 60 return, back to top for next pass down, the u-blade 60 is pivoted up by blade cylinders 59a and 59b and swung on arc above the material quickly being pulled up by rope 32 and winch drums 30a and 30bwhen not needing ripping/fracturing. Some materials may not need ripping each pass.
[0064] With Reference to Drawing, FIG. 7 shows the system with main platform 41 sitting on slewing bearing 37 allowing the upper excavating component to pivot left or right off center of the conveyor. The power centers 39 are structured on the main platform 41 and counterweight 33 as well. This allows the excavating component to fan around allowing the conveyor to sit in one position perpendicular to the material being loaded and trucks to pull under the conveyor discharge easily. This is the preferred configuration. A second configuration, the total system could be in a straight alignment with the conveyor and turn left to right by actuating the crawlersturning the whole system which will require the trucks to pull under the discharge in different positions. Also, the total system could be structured over a turntable slewing bearing structured just above the crawlers having ability to turn up to 360 degrees above the crawlers. The 360-degree slewing bearing would be much more expensive and be overkill.
[0065] With Reference to Drawing FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the system showing the self-loading boom fanning left and right off-center line of the conveyor.
[0066] With Reference to Drawing FIG. 9 is shown plan view of a method and an application where the system will work on old benches on copper, gold mines, or other ore mines, that were open pit step benched down many years ago whereby the material over time has deteriorated and sluffed off the vertical wall onto the narrow bench. It shows the system working on bench 82 with bench 80 on level above and bench 84 on the level below. The advantage is the ability to reach out with u-blade 60 and pull material to the receiving area 55 and charge the conveyor 52 while a truck 86 is not there. Many benches will be too narrow for an excavator or electric shovel to operate without charging their bucket and having to swing 180 to 270 degrees, each pass, to load 3 to 5 passes on each truckwhile the truck must sit and wait. As the system will be charged while the truck is not therewhen the truck returnsit will load the truck in a quicker timeframe than required by the number of passes of the excavator or shovel and produce much more hourly. The system can be safely away from the wall and load the truck away from the wall. The conveyor can be cantilevered out and up over the truck 86 allowing it to be loaded front to back versus over the side. The conveyor can cantilever over the cab and canopy and load from front to rear. As some benches may be very narrow and limit the trucks'ability to turn around, a truck could be autonomously driven from front and rear out onto the bench safely and quickernot having to turn around. The Loading system could be operated autonomously for safety as well. There are hundreds of miles in old step down benched mines in large open pit mines where this method will apply.
[0067] With Reference to Drawing FIG. 10 shows three attachment blades/buckets that can be attached to arm 48 that are common bulldozer blades used on heavy-duty mining dozers. The first and most common is known as a universal bladeand referred to also as a u-blade 60. Second is a straight u-blade 62a and third is called a carry-dozer blade 62b which is used in looser material whereby the blade is charged easier and can be laid back whereby the material is carried above the ground like a front-end-loader bucket once charged. All the blades can have the ripper assembly 51 and ripper shanks 54 holders/pockets attached to their rears.
[0068] With Reference to Drawing FIG. 11 is shown additional optional buckets that could be attached to arm 48one being a heavy-duty dipper bucket used on electric shovels. To stack the material at the receiving area 55 over the recessed conveyor 52, the dipper bucket 62c will need an ejection top plate 67 pushed through an arc by cylinder 69to its finished position 68ejecting the material at the receiving area 55 (not shown on this drawing). The fifth bucket shown on FIG. 11 is a standard excavator bucket 62deither backhoe or front shovel versionthat can be attached to arm 48.
[0069] Most material will require ripper assembly 51 attached to the rears of the optional blade/bucket attachments and ripper shanks 54a having edges on both reverse and forward edges so they can be actuated on either reverse or forward pulls or both in reverse and forward directions, loosening material, making it easier/quicker for the blade/bucket on its' next pass
[0070] With Reference to Drawing FIG. 12 is shown a different style arm 48a and crowdshown in fully extended crowd positionwhereby instead of a round tube with cylinder for crowd being used, the arm 48a is two rectangular tubes/structures attached to boom, known as twin-leg dipper handle with torsion box and rack and pinion mechanical geared system 49a to move the arm 48a in and out for crowd instead of a hydraulic cylinder.
[0071] Also, shown is open area on either side of the conveyor 52, when used in very cold conditions, panels will be added to either side and area between heated by exhaust heat from the main engines or radiant heaters, to heat the flights to lessen material from sticking to them.
[0072] With Reference to Drawing FIG. 13 is a plan view showing platform 35 with winches 34a and 34b mounted thereto with drive shaft 34c connecting and driving both, and gearbox 34d connected to drive shaft 34c creating gear reduction if needed to additionally compound the pull. The rope 36 is connected and tied off to both winch drum 34a and 34b equally with the rope 36 coming off winch drum 34a going out to pully 42a which is connected to the left end of the blade 60 and then the rope is directed back to sheave 43a attached at the platform then across to sheave 43b also attached at the platform and directed back to pully 42b which is connected at the right end of blade 60 and then directed back to winch 34b on the platform. With both winch drums 34a and 34b pulling rope 36 simultaneously and in unison will equalize the rope pullpulling both ends of the blade 60 in straight path towards the platform 35 and in line with the receiving area. Each line pulling through the series of two pullies 42a and 42b and sheaves 43a and 43b compounds the pull creating four to one line pull. Additional pullies and sheaves could be added to create huge additional pull forces, however, each line added creates additional rope that needs to be pulled inwhich takes time. Shown is adding an additional pulley 43c at the middle of blade 60 and the additional line needed running from sheaves 43a and 43b out to pully 43c the center of blade 60 which would create six to one line pull. Again, by adding additional pullies and sheaves, you add additional lengths of rope and requiring time to winch that rope in. Key feature within the four-way or six-way line pull is pulling the blade 60 equally, simultaneously and in unison. By creating compound mechanical advantaged pull, less horsepower is needed to create that force, needing less fuel and can allow diesel powered systems versus electrically powered rope shovels that require power infrastructure some sites do not have available.
[0073] Pull up rope 32 used to pull the arm in returnback up to the top of the pile to start the pull of rope 36 pull back down its next cycle/passuses the same compound mechanical advantaged pull.
