Shearer loader
The modular and height-adjustable drive unit design for drum shearer loaders addresses inflexibility and maintenance challenges, enhancing adaptability and reducing costs while improving operational efficiency and safety.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- EICKHOFF MINING TECHNOLOGY GMBH
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-28
AI Technical Summary
Existing drum shearer loaders for longwall mining face challenges with inflexible drive unit designs that require extensive disassembly for maintenance, limit adaptability to varying mining conditions, and complicate access to components, leading to prolonged downtimes and increased costs.
The drive units are made height-adjustable and modular, with a frame element forming the load-bearing structure, allowing separation of components like the winch gearbox and wheel housing gearbox, and incorporating adapter plates for adjustable conveying width, along with separate power and hydraulic distribution units for improved accessibility and adaptability.
This design enhances flexibility and reduces maintenance complexity, lowers investment and inventory costs, improves operational safety, and increases power density, enabling the same shearer to be used across different mining scenarios with reduced downtime.
Smart Images
Figure EP2025083626_28052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] ECKH0230
[0002] November 20, 2025
[0003] KN-AC
[0004] drum shearer loader
[0005] The invention relates to a drum shearer loader for longwall mining, comprising a machine body which can be moved along a longwall conveyor in the longitudinal direction of the longwall by means of a drive device, at least two drum arms pivotably attached to the machine body, at the free ends of which a cutting drum is rotatably mounted, wherein the machine body has a supporting structure and wherein the drive device has two or more drive units, each with at least one drive motor, a winch gearbox and a wheel housing gearbox.
[0006] The applicant offers such drum shearers, for example, in its image brochure (EXPERIENCE HAS NO SUBSTITUTE; Eickhoff Bergbautechnik GmbH; 09 / 2017; available at: https: / / www.eickhoff-bochum.de / sites / default / files / field / upload / 2017 09 ukenqlis ch imaqebroschuere berqbautechnik low. pdf; last accessed on November 12, 2024). In these drum shearers, the load-bearing structure of the machine body is formed by the housings of the individual components, which are clamped together using a tie rod system. This tie rod system allows the machine body, which is divided into functional components transversely to the machine's longitudinal direction, to be clamped, thus creating a load-bearing structure and ensuring the stability of the assembly. The housings of the individual components are positively connected to each other using pre-assembled screws before the tie rod system is tightened.The components, including the drive unit, are thus an integral part of the supporting structure. This design of the machine body is advantageous because the components can be transported individually to the underground site and then assembled there to form a complete machine body. To withstand the forces and loads encountered, the housings of the components must be correspondingly robust.
[0007] This also applies to the drive units of the drive system. The drive motor, winch gearbox, and wheel housing gearbox form a single, fixed unit that is an integral part of the machine body's load-bearing structure. This means that in the event of a defect or maintenance, the entire drive unit or large parts of the machine body must be disassembled, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. This leads to longer downtimes and reduces productivity, as the drum shearer is out of operation for an extended period.
[0008] The modular design of the drive units means that the drum shearer is limited to specific mining conditions and cannot be easily adapted to different working heights, face thicknesses, or conveyor widths. Furthermore, this drive unit design makes access to individual components difficult and maintenance complex.
[0009] The object of the invention is therefore to further develop the drum shearer loader with the drive device in such a way that the drum shearer loader is more flexible in use overall.
[0010] To this end, the invention proposes, starting from a drum shearer loader of the type mentioned at the outset, that the supporting structure of the machine body is formed by a frame element and that the drive units can be fixed to the frame element in a height-adjustable manner via connecting means.
[0011] The height adjustability of the drive units allows the same drum shearer to be used in longwall faces of varying thicknesses. This reduces the need to maintain different machine types for different operating heights and simplifies planning and logistics. This also applies to the conveying height, i.e., the maximum height to which coal can be transported on the longwall conveyor beneath the drum shearer. The ability to flexibly adapt the drive unit means that the same drum shearer can be used for various mining scenarios. This leads to better utilization of the drum shearer and reduces investment and inventory costs. Overall, the drive unit can also be lighter, as the housings are not an integral part of the load-bearing structure. Instead, the load-bearing structure is formed by the frame element.
[0012] A further development of the invention provides that the frame element has installation space and the drive units are each modularly constructed such that the winch gearbox is arranged in the installation space and the wheel housing gearbox can be fixed offset to the outside of the frame element. This spatial separation of the components allows for efficient use of the available installation space and simplifies access to the drive components for maintenance work.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment, an adapter plate is arranged between the wheel housing drive and the frame element. The conveying width can be adjusted via the thickness of the adapter plate. Furthermore, the adapter plate contributes to reducing mechanical stresses, which reduces wear on the drive unit.
[0014] A further development of the invention provides that the frame element comprises two sub-frame elements which are connected to each other in the longitudinal direction of the struts via tensioning devices. For example, a tie rod system, as described in German patent application DE 3401707 A1, can be used as the tensioning device. However, other tensioning devices using bolted connections or similar are also possible. This design increases the stability and strength of the machine body, as the tensioning of the sub-elements enables a uniform load distribution along the drum shearer. By dividing the frame element into two sub-frame elements, the two sub-frame elements can be assembled on-site, thus simplifying transport to the mining site.Preferably, each sub-element of the frame assembly has an installation area in which a power distribution device and / or a hydraulic distribution device is arranged. Each sub-frame assembly provides specific installation areas for the power and hydraulic distribution units. This separation allows for clear spatial organization and ensures better accessibility to the individual components. The clear spatial separation of the power and hydraulic systems not only increases operational safety but also improves ease of maintenance. While known drum shearers use a central electrical power distribution device, it is advantageous to divide the power distribution between two power distribution devices. This allows the electrical power, which can exceed 4 MW, to be fed in and distributed between the power distribution devices.Accordingly, the electrical functional units such as transformers, frequency converters, etc., can be made smaller. In particular, the housings of the power distribution unit can be made lighter, since the housings no longer contribute to the load-bearing structure of the machine body, resulting in an overall power density (W / kg) up to twice as high compared to the power distribution units of conventional drum shearers. A further advantage is that the division of the power distribution unit allows the use of standard supply lines and connectors used in mining.
[0015] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The drawings show:
[0016] Figure 1: schematically depicts a state-of-the-art drum shearer in 3D view;
[0017] Figure 2: schematic isometric sectional view of a drive unit of a drum shearer according to the prior art; Figure 3: schematic 3D view of an electric drive unit of a drum shearer according to the invention;
[0018] Figure 4: schematically a partial frame element of a drum shearer according to the invention in a 3D view;
[0019] Figure 5a-c: schematically a drive unit of a drum shearer according to the invention, which is arranged in three different positions on a partial frame element, in 3-D views;
[0020] Figure 6: schematic representation of a drum shearer loader according to the
[0021] Invention in an exemplary embodiment in a side view from the offset side.
[0022] Figure 1 shows a drum shearer known from the prior art. The drum shearer has a machine body 1, which is divided into individual functional units 2. The supporting structure of the machine body 1 is formed by the housings of the functional units 2. The functional units 2 also include a drive device with two drive units 3. The housings of the functional units 2 are clamped in the longitudinal direction S of the face by means of a tie rod system (not shown). Furthermore, the drum shearer has two drum arms 4, which are pivotably attached to the machine body 1. Cutting drums 5 are arranged at the ends of each drum arm 4. In addition, a drive device with two drive units 3 is arranged on the machine body 1. The drum shearer is moved along a face conveyor 6 by means of the drive units 3.The housings of the functional building units 2, which are braced by the tie rod system, form the supporting structure of the machine body 1 and must therefore be able to absorb the loads and forces that act on the machine body 1 during the operation of the drum shearer.
[0023] Figure 2 shows a drive unit 3 according to the prior art. The drive unit 3 comprises a wheel housing gearbox 3a, a winch gearbox 3b, and a drive motor 3c, which are designed as a single, fixed unit. This means that in the event of a defect or maintenance, the entire drive unit 3 or large parts of the entire machine body 1 must be disassembled. Furthermore, the block-like design of the drive units 3 means that the drum shearer is limited to specific mining conditions and cannot be readily adapted to different working heights, face thicknesses, or conveying widths.
[0024] Figure 3 shows a drive unit 3 of a drum shearer according to the invention. The drive unit 3 has a modular design, such that the wheel housing gearbox 3a, the winch gearbox 3b, and a traction motor 3c are designed as individual modules. Furthermore, the drive unit 3 is provided with bores 7a, which correspond to bores (see Figure 4) on the frame element. The winch gearbox 3b is driven by the traction motor 3c. The force is transmitted via the winch gearbox 3b to the wheel housing gearbox 3a and finally, via a pinion gear, i.e., the last gear in the wheel housing gearbox 3a, to a pinion. In this embodiment, each of the two drive units 3 has a tractive force of 1010 kN. The traction speed is between 13 and 27 m / min.
[0025] Figure 4 shows a partial frame element 8a of a frame element in an offset 3D top view. The frame element 8 has an installation space 9, which is divided here into a first installation area 9a and a second installation area 9b. The first installation area 9a serves to accommodate a power distribution device (not shown) and a hydraulic distribution device (not shown). The second installation area 9b is used to accommodate parts of the drive unit 3 (see Figures 5a-c). Bores 7b are provided on the outer surface of the partial frame element 8 to attach the drive unit 3 to the partial frame element 8. In this embodiment, one partial frame element 8 weighs 18 t. To form the supporting structure of the machine body 1, two such partial frame elements 8 are joined together to form a frame element using a tie rod system (see Figure 6).Maintenance of the energy distribution device (not shown), the hydraulic distribution device (not shown) and the drive unit 3 (see Figure 3) can be carried out via the offset and ceiling-side open areas of the subframe element 8.
[0026] Figures 5a-c show the drive unit 3, which is arranged in three different positions on the partial frame element 8. The winch gearbox 3b is located in installation area 9b within the frame element 8 and is not visible from this perspective. Due to its arrangement in installation area 9b of the frame element 8, the winch gearbox 6b is not part of the load-bearing structure of the machine body 1. Therefore, the winch gearbox 6b can be made significantly lighter overall. While the winch gearbox 6b in a conventional shearer of similar size weighs 14 t, the winch gearbox 6b in the shearer according to the invention weighs only 4 t.
[0027] As shown in Figure 5b, the drive unit 3 can be arranged at different heights (H, H+H') on the frame element 8. For this purpose, the drive unit 3 is fixed at the desired height by means of screw connections through the corresponding bores 7a, 7b on the frame element. The height difference H' between the arrangement in Figure 5a and Figure 5b is 500 mm in this embodiment. A cover plate 10a is attached to the frame element 8 above the drive unit 6. This serves to protect the interior area 9b from dirt. The conveying height of the drum shearer can be adjusted via the height adjustment.
[0028] In Figure 5c, an adapter plate 11 is additionally arranged between the winch gearbox 3b and the wheel housing gearbox 3a. The conveying width of the drum shearer can be increased by means of the adapter plate 10b. In this example, the extension X' is 200 mm. Figure 6 shows a drum shearer according to the invention in a side view from the offset side. In this embodiment, the machine body 1 has two partial frame elements 8. The two
[0029] The subframe elements 8 are braced against each other in the longitudinal direction S of the struts by means of a tie rod system (not shown) and form a frame element 11. Alternatively, other bracing means can be used instead of the tie rod system employed here. The frame element 11 forms the load-bearing structure. In other embodiments according to the invention, the frame element 11 can also be formed in one piece. The subframe elements 8 have an installation space 9 inside. The functional components 2 are arranged in the installation space 9. In this view, an energy distribution device 12 is arranged in each of the two subframe elements 9. In addition, a hydraulic distribution device (not shown here) is arranged in the installation space 9 of each of the frame elements 8. Finally, drive units 3 are shown, which are arranged on the frame elements 8 in a height-adjustable manner according to the invention.
[0030] Reference symbol list:
[0031] 1 Machine body
[0032] 2 functional building unit 3 drive unit
[0033] 3a Wheel arch gearbox
[0034] 3b Winch gearbox
[0035] 3c drive motor
[0036] 4 Roller arm 5 Cutting roller
[0037] 6 longwall conveyors
[0038] 7a, b Drill holes
[0039] 8 subframe elements
[0040] 9 Installation room 9a, b Installation area
[0041] 10a Cover plate
[0042] 10b Adapter plate 11 Frame element
[0043] 12 Energy distribution device
[0044] H height
[0045] S strut longitudinal direction
Claims
Patent claims 1. Drum shearer loader for longwall mining, comprising a machine body (1) which is movable along a longwall conveyor (6) in the longitudinal direction (S) of the longwall by means of a drive device, at least two drum arms (4) pivotably attached to the machine body, at the free ends of which a cutting drum (5) is rotatably mounted, wherein the machine body (1) has a supporting structure and wherein the drive device has two or more drive units (3) each with at least one drive motor (3c), a winch gearbox (3b) and a wheel housing gearbox (3a), characterized in that the supporting structure of the machine body (1) is formed by a frame element (11, 8) and the drive units (3) can be fixed to the frame element (11, 8) in a height-adjustable manner by means of connecting means.
2. Drum shearer loader according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame element (11, 8) has installation space (9) and the drive units (3) are each modularly constructed such that the winch gear (3b) is arranged in the installation space (9) and the wheel housing gear (3a) can be fixed offset on the outside of the frame element (11, 8).
3. Roller shearer loader according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that between the wheel housing drive (3a) and An adapter plate (10b) is arranged on the frame element (11, 8).
4. Drum shearer loader according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the frame element (11 ,8) has two sub-frame elements (8) which are connected to each other via tensioning means in the strut longitudinal direction (S).
5. Drum shearer loader according to claim 4, characterized in that the partial frame elements (8) each have an installation area (9) in which a power distribution device (12) and / or a The hydraulic distribution device is arranged.