Support structure for reversing station in an underground mining conveyor

Abstract

A support structure for drive or reversing stations of conveyor or extraction devices in underground mining is described. The support structure has a substructure and an articulated support which may be configured to be vertically adjustable relative thereto by means of a lifting device. At least one spacer element is provided which is configured to be installed between the substructure and the articulated support. A lifting device has two pairs of lifting cylinders whose lifting cylinders are arranged diagonally opposite one another in corner areas of the articulated support and can be actuated in pairs, and that as the spacer element for a lifting stage at least four, preferably six, distance members are provided of which two in each case are placeable in pairs underneath the pair of lifting cylinders which is not loaded during a lifting process.

1 . A support structure for drive or reversing stations of conveyor or extraction devices, the support structure comprising:
 a substructure;   an articulated support;   a lifting device configured to vertically adjust the articulated support relative to the substructure, the lifting device including two pairs of lifting cylinders to be actuated in pairs, each pair of lifting cylinders being arranged diagonally opposite one another in corner areas of the articulated support; and   at least one spacer element configured to be installed between the substructure and the articulated support, each spacer element comprising at least four distance members of which two in each case are placeable in pairs underneath the pair of lifting cylinders which is not loaded during a lifting process.   
     
     
         2 . The support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance members and/or the substructure are provided in their areas located underneath the lifting cylinders with guide recesses or bolt sockets in which extending piston rods of the lifting cylinders engage with positive locking action by their relevant end areas and are supported on a stop face which is located a little underneath the upper side of the distance members or substructure. 
     
     
         3 . The support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance members are of identical design. 
     
     
         4 . The support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance members are lockable positively to one another, to the substructure, and/or to the articulated support. 
     
     
         5 . The support structure according to  claim 4 , wherein the distance members are provided with downwardly or upwardly projecting bolt pins which in the installed state fit into matching bolt sockets in further distance members arranged above or below or in the substructure or in the articulated support. 
     
     
         6 . The support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance members are lockable to one another and/or to the substructure or to the articulated support by means of securing elements such as, for example, safety screw connections or bolt wedges. 
     
     
         7 . The support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the securing elements are formed as bolt pins with an oblong head, the oblong heads being pushable through oblong holes arranged on the distance members, the substructure, and/or the articulated support, and being turnable by about 90° for positive locking connection. 
     
     
         8 . The support structure according to  claim 7 , wherein the bolt pin is provided with a threaded section onto which a locking nut is screwable. 
     
     
         9 . The support structure according to  claim 6 , wherein the securing elements or their bolt pins are screwable to locking nuts provided as hammer nuts in order to secure the distance members to one another or to the substructure and to the articulated support. 
     
     
         10 . The support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance members of two superposed spacer element layers are arranged off-set relative to one another. 
     
     
         11 . The support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein six distance members are provided for each lifting stage. 
     
     
         12 . The support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance members are formed as profiled strips having a roughly double T- or I-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         13 . A method for vertically adjusting a support structure for drive or reversing stations of conveyor or extraction devices, the support structure comprising an articulated support to be vertically adjusted relative to a substructure, the method comprising:
 supporting the articulated support solely at two diagonally opposite corner areas of the articulated support; and   if increasing a height, placing a pair of distance members underneath the other two diagonally opposite corner areas of the articulated support at which the articulated support is not supported; and   if decreasing a height, removing a pair of distance members from underneath the other two diagonally opposite corner areas of the articulated support at which the articulated support is not supported.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 translocating the supporting of the articulated support from the two diagonally opposite corner areas of the articulated support to the other two diagonally opposite corner areas of the articulated support;   if increasing a height, placing another pair of distance members underneath the two diagonally opposite corner areas of the articulated support at which the articulated support is not supported; and   if decreasing a height, removing another pair of distance members from underneath the two diagonally opposite corner areas of the articulated support at which the articulated support is not supported.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of supporting is performed by means of a pair of lifting cylinders.