Longwall Equipment Having Vertically Adjustable Disc Shearer Loader Guided on the Face Conveyor

Abstract

Longwall equipment for mechanical extraction, especially in underground coal mining, including a face conveyor disposed along a longwall face, a disc shearer loader that includes a machine body that rests, and is guided, upon the face conveyor and includes two shearing discs pivotably disposed thereon, with the machine body extending over the face conveyor and forming a portal that prescribes a maximum loading cross-section of the face conveyor, a lifting mechanism mounted on the machine body for guiding it on the face conveyor in a vertically adjustable manner and for variably adjusting the portal cross-section, a drive element height-adjustably disposed on the machine body and engaging an abutment fixedly disposed on the face conveyor, and shield support units that include top canopies that project toward the disc shearer loader.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . Longwall equipment for mechanical extraction, for example in underground coal mining, comprising:
 a face conveyor adapted to be disposed along a longwall face;   a disc shearer loader that is displaceable on said face conveyor, wherein said disc shearer loader includes a machine body that rests, and is guided, upon said face conveyor, further wherein said machine body includes two shearing discs that are pivotably disposed on said machine body , and wherein said machine body extends over said face conveyor and forms a portal that prescribes a maximum loading cross-section of said face conveyor;   a lifting mechanism mounted on said machine body for guiding said machine body on said face conveyor in a vertically adjustable manner and for variably adjusting the portal cross section;   an abutment fixedly disposed on said face conveyor;   a drive element disposed on said machine body, wherein said drive element is adjustable in height, and wherein said drive element engages said abutment; and   shield support units disposed at an angle relative to said face conveyor, wherein each of said shield support units includes a top canopy that projects toward said disc shearer loader.   
     
     
         12 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein said machine body is adjustable in height in an infinitely variable manner. 
     
     
         13 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein said machine body is adjustable in height during travel of said disc shearer loader. 
     
     
         14 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein both a coal face side as well as an extraction side of said machine body are adjustable in height in a respectively separate manner from one another. 
     
     
         15 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein said lifting mechanism for said machine body is provided with hydraulic drive elements. 
     
     
         16 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein said lifting mechanism for said machine body is provided with electromechanically operating drive elements. 
     
     
         17 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 17 , wherein said lifting mechanism for said machine body is comprised of vertically disposed lifting cylinders that are supported on said face conveyor. 
     
     
         18 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 11 , wherein said lifting mechanism is comprised of two eccentric drives that are spaced-apart on said machine body and are supported on said face conveyor , and wherein horizontally disposed lifting cylinders are provided for respectively acting on said eccentric drives. 
     
     
         19 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 17 , wherein said lifting cylinders are equipped with a displacement measuring system for control of the vertical position of said machine body on said face conveyor. 
     
     
         20 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 18 , wherein said lifting cylinders are equipped with a displacement measuring system for control of the vertical position of said machine body on said face conveyor. 
     
     
         21 . Longwall equipment according to  claim 11 , which includes a device ( 28 ) for measuring a distance between a bottom edge of said top canopies of said shield support units and an upper surface of said machine body.