Horizontally rotatable multi-knuckle boom

Abstract

The mining vehicle for spraying a fluid including a vehicle portion having a propulsion system for propelling the mining vehicle, a boom connected to the vehicle portion, and a hydraulically driven pivot assembly connecting the boom to the vehicle portion. The pivot assembly includes a horizontal axis pivot member to allow the boom to pivot about the vehicle portion about a first horizontal axis. The boom comprises at least three boom arms and a nozzle on an end thereof, with each of the boom arms being pivotable about an adjacent one of the boom arms about a second axis. The second axis is substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal axis.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A mining vehicle for spraying a fluid comprising:
 a vehicle portion having a propulsion system for propelling the mining vehicle;   a boom connected to the vehicle portion; and   a hydraulically driven pivot assembly connecting the boom to the vehicle portion, the pivot assembly including a horizontal axis pivot member to allow the boom to pivot about the vehicle portion about a first horizontal axis;   the boom comprising at least three boom arms and a nozzle on an end thereof, each of the boom arms being pivotable about an adjacent one of the boom arms about a second axis, with the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal axis.   
     
     
         2 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the propulsion system comprises wheels.   
     
     
         3 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 1 , further including:
 a tube system extending between the vehicle portion and the nozzle, the tube system being configured to supply the fluid from the vehicle portion to the nozzle for spraying the fluid out of the nozzle.   
     
     
         4 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the hydraulically driven pivot assembly only pivots relative to the vehicle portion about the first horizontal axis.   
     
     
         5 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the boom arms is extendible.   
     
     
         6 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the at least one of the boom arms that is extendible is a telescoping arm.   
     
     
         7 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the at least one of the boom arms that is extendible has the nozzle on a distal end thereof.   
     
     
         8 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the at least one of the boom arms that is extendible does not have an external actuator for extending the at least one of the boom arms.   
     
     
         9 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the nozzle is pivotable about the end of the boom.   
     
     
         10 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each adjacent pair of the boom arms have an actuator connected thereto for rotating the boom arms relative to each other about the second axis.   
     
     
         11 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the actuator comprises a pair of telescoping tubes.   
     
     
         12 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the actuator is pivotally connected to each of the adjacent pair of boom arms.   
     
     
         13 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vehicle portion has a front edge and a rear edge; and   the hydraulically driven pivot assembly does not extend beyond the front edge of the vehicle portion.   
     
     
         14 . A mining assembly for spraying a fluid comprising:
 a base;   a boom connected to the base;   a hydraulically driven pivot assembly connecting the boom to the base, the pivot assembly including a horizontal axis pivot member to allow the boom to pivot about the base about a first horizontal axis;   the boom comprising at least three boom arms and a nozzle on an end thereof, each of the boom arms being pivotable about an adjacent one of the boom arms about a second axis, with the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal axis; and   a tube system extending between the base and the nozzle, the tube system being configured to supply the fluid from the base to the nozzle for spraying the fluid out of the nozzle.   
     
     
         15 . The mining assembly for spraying the fluid of  claim 14 , wherein:
 at least one of the boom arms is extendible.   
     
     
         16 . The mining assembly for spraying the fluid of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the at least one of the boom arms that is extendible is a telescoping arm.   
     
     
         17 . The mining assembly for spraying the fluid of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the at least one of the boom arms that is extendible has the nozzle on a distal end thereof.   
     
     
         18 . The mining assembly for spraying the fluid of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the nozzle is pivotable about the end of the boom.   
     
     
         19 . The mining assembly for spraying the fluid of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the at least one of the boom arms that is extendible does not have an external actuator for extending the at least one of the boom arms.   
     
     
         20 . The mining assembly for spraying the fluid of  claim 14 , wherein:
 each adjacent pair of the boom arms have an actuator connected thereto for rotating the boom arms relative to each other about the second axis.   
     
     
         21 . The mining assembly for spraying the fluid of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the actuator comprises a pair of telescoping tubes.   
     
     
         22 . The mining assembly for spraying the fluid of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the actuator is pivotally connected to each of the adjacent pair of boom arms.   
     
     
         23 . The mining assembly for spraying the fluid of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the base has a front edge and a rear edge; and   the hydraulically driven pivot assembly does not extend beyond the front edge of the base.   
     
     
         24 . A mining vehicle for spraying a fluid comprising:
 a vehicle portion having a propulsion system comprising wheels for propelling the mining vehicle;   a boom connected to the vehicle portion;   a hydraulically driven pivot assembly connecting the boom to the vehicle portion, the pivot assembly including a horizontal axis pivot member to allow the boom to pivot about the vehicle portion about a first horizontal axis;   the boom comprising at least three boom arms and a nozzle on an end thereof, each of the boom arms being pivotable about an adjacent one of the boom arms about a second axis, with the second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal axis; and   a tube system extending between the vehicle portion and the nozzle, the tube system being configured to supply the fluid from the vehicle portion to the nozzle for spraying the fluid out of the nozzle;   wherein at least one of the boom arms is a telescoping arm having the nozzle on a distal end thereof; and   wherein each adjacent pair of the boom arms have an actuator pivotally connected thereto for rotating the boom arms relative to each other about the second axis.   
     
     
         25 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the telescoping arm does not have an external actuator for extending the telescoping arm.   
     
     
         26 . The mining vehicle for spraying the fluid of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the vehicle portion has a front edge and a rear edge; and   the hydraulically driven pivot assembly does not extend beyond the front edge of the vehicle portion.