Articulating Boom Cutting Assembly for Hard Rock Mining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hard rock mining and excavation techniques face challenges such as frequent replacement of mining picks, time-consuming drilling and explosive methods, and operator safety risks due to the hardness of rock and the use of explosives.
Innovation Solution
A cutting assembly for a rock excavation machine featuring a boom with a telescopic and pivotable structure supporting a cutting device, allowing for efficient engagement and fracturing of rock faces with reduced downtime and risk, incorporating a cutter head with a cutting disc and universal joint for effective rock engagement and material handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mining picks are used for hard rock cutting, then rock fracturing can be achieved, but frequent replacement is required resulting in extensive downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a cutting disc with replaceable mining picks that can be quickly changed when worn. The cutting disc assembly is designed as a disposable or easily replaceable component, allowing rapid replacement without replacing the entire cutting mechanism, thus minimizing downtime while maintaining effective rock fracturing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting assembly incorporates an articulating boom with telescopic and pivotable sections that can dynamically adjust position and orientation. This dynamic positioning system allows the cutting device to maintain optimal engagement with the rock face while accommodating movement and wear, extending operational duration between replacements.
2Productivity
If drilling and explosive devices are used for rock fracturing, then rock can be broken, but the process is time-consuming and exposes operators to safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical/explosive mechanism with a mechanical cutting system. A large diameter cutting disc with mining picks mechanically fractures rock through rotational cutting action, eliminating the need for explosive devices and associated safety risks while maintaining effective rock breakdown capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the hazardous explosive component from the rock fracturing process, retaining only the mechanical cutting function. The cutting disc assembly performs rock fracturing through pure mechanical means, removing the harmful factor of explosives while preserving the core function of rock breakdown.
3Ease of operation
If a traditional boom structure is used, then support for cutting device is provided, but maneuverability and positioning flexibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The boom is divided into multiple articulating sections that can independently pivot and telescope. This segmentation allows each section to move independently, providing enhanced maneuverability and positioning flexibility while distributing the structural complexity across modular components rather than a single complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The boom incorporates dynamic articulation joints and telescopic mechanisms that allow real-time adjustment of position and orientation. These dynamic elements enable the cutting device to reach various positions and angles on the rock face, improving operational ease while the modular jointed structure manages complexity through standardized connection points.
Data Source
AI summary
A cutting assembly for a rock excavation machine including a frame. The cutting assembly includes a boom supported on the frame and a cutting device. In some aspects, the boom includes a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion includes a first structure and a second structure slidable relative to the first structure. The second portion includes a first member pivotably coupled to the second structure, and a second member pivotably coupled to the first member. The cutting device is supported on the second member. In some aspects, a material handling device is supported independently of the boom and movable between a retracted position and an extended position independent of the boom.