[0001] The subject of the invention is a rope spooler unit for windlass designed to transport
cargo using the hoisting rope in an open system in mining cross-cuts and workings
inclined at an angle of 40° in potentially explosive methane atmosphere and in the
workings with a coal dust explosion risk.
[0002] Known windlass rope spooler units used in mining windlasses are characterized by
the fact that they are based on a separate structure using mechanical components,
which consists of chains, gears and drive - often a manual one. These solutions often
do not work well in difficult mining conditions and often do not provide a sufficiently
large tractive force.
[0003] The present invention aims to provide a solution for rope spooler with a more robust
design, thanks to the use of the compact enclosure which ensures the stability and
durability of the unit, providing for rope spooling coil to coil and layer on layer.
[0004] The rope spooler unit used for spooling the rope on the drum of the transport windlass,
working together with the guide roller assembly detachably connected to the base according
to the invention is characterized in that it is controlled by the windlass control
unit and is detachably connected to the windlass substructure from the side of rope
winding on the drum, and it features a base to the arms of which ends of the hydraulic
cylinder with two-sided piston rod are releasably fastened using pins, and to the
body of the hydraulic cylinder, a clamping ring is fixed integrally, which is detachably
connected to the rope guiding rollers assembly, and there is a strip that prevents
rotation of the cylinder, the longitudinal axis of the hydraulic cylinder being parallel
to the axis of rotation of the transport windlass drum.
[0005] An advantage of the rope spooler is uniform arrangement of the individual coils of
the rope on the drum and the successive layers of the rope, whereby coils are adjacent
to each other closely so that a rope of greater length can be wound on the drum, and
the rope is neither deformed nor worn rapidly.
[0006] The subject of the invention is illustrated in the sample embodiment in the accompanying
drawing, with fig. 1 showing the front view of the transport windlass equipped with
rope spooler, fig. 2 showing a side view of the transport windlass equipped with rope
spooler, fig. 3 showing a top view of the transport windlass equipped with rope spooler,
fig. 4 showing the front view of the rope spooler, fig. 5 showing the side view of
the rope spooler, and fig. 6 showing the top view of the rope spooler.
[0007] As shown in the figure, the rope spooler
11 is attached to the substructure
8 of the transport windlass
21 from the side of rope entry
10 to the drum
9 and is used for winding the rope
10 and the proper adjustment of rope
10 winding. It consists of a base
1 to the arms
17 and
17' of which ends
19, 19' are detachably mounted using pins
18, 18', and of the hydraulic cylinder
2 with two-sided piston rod
4, to the body
3 of which a clamp
20 is fixed integrally, to which a guide rollers assembly
5 guiding the rope
10 onto the drum
9 is detachably connected. The rope spooler assembly
11 does not require using a separate power supply unit, because it is integrated into
the control system of the windlass
21, which enables controlling it directly from the main control panel. The rope spooler
unit
11 is working together with a rope drum
9 assembly. After winding of the rope
10 on the drum
9 is started, there is a change in position of the rollers
5 correlated with the change in position of the hydraulic cylinder body
3. The cylinder
3, extending its piston rod
4 causes the linear movement of the cylinder
3 in either direction and thereby move the rollers
5 guiding the rope
10 on the drum
9 of the transport windlass
21. This enables uniform, multi-layered arrangement of rope
10 coils on the drum
9.
The transport windlass
21 also has a guiding roller
16 assembly, detachably connected to the base
8 of the windlass, placed behind the rope spooler
11. It is situated in such a way with respect to the lower edge of the cable drum
9 shell that the incoming rope
10 is continuously pressed against the drum
9 shell. This ensures constant coil-to-coil arrangement of the rope
10.
[0008] The longitudinal axis
6 of the hydraulic cylinder
2 is parallel to the axis of rotation
12 of the transport windlass
21 drum
9. Rollers
5 guiding the rope
10 on the drum 9 and the strip
7 that prevents cylinder body
3 rotation are fixed to the hydraulic cylinder
2 body
3.
[0009] The rope spooler
11 works together with a hydraulic power unit
13 which provides power for the brake assembly - the maneuvering brake
14 and the safety brake
15, so that the rope spooler
11 assembly does not require a separate power unit but it is integrated into the entire
control system of the transport windlass
21. The rope spooler
11 assembly is equipped with a overflow valve
13 which limits the maximum pressure in the hydraulic system. The overflow valve
13 in the non-energized position allows free movement of the hydraulic cylinder
2 controlling the position of the rollers
5 guiding the rope
10. If one of the coils of the overflow valve
13 is energized, it allows the operator to adjust the position of the guide rollers
5, resulting in the appropriate winding of the rope
10 on the drum
9. An additional check valve of the overflow valve
13 prevents the return of oil to the pressure filter.
