Information Circular 8747

Moving Lon~wall Shield Supports

at the York Canyon <:oal Mine,
Raton, N. Mex.

By Richard H. Oitto. David W. Wisecarver, and William E. Sikes

l:NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Cecil D. Andrus. Secretary
BUREAU OF MINES
This publication has been cataloged as follows:

oitto, Richard H
Moving longwall shield supports at thE' York canyon cool
mine, Raton, N. Mex. / by Richard H. Ditto, David W.
Wisecarver, and William E. Sikes. [Washington]: Bureau of
Mines, 1977.

19 p. : ill. ; 26 cm. (Information Clrcular - Bur e u of Mine

8747)
Performed jointly by (he Bureau of ~Iines .J.nd th e Kai se r Ste el
COrpOrQl ion.
I. (oal mines and mining New Mexic o - ReHon. 2. Mining engi-
neering. 3. ~tine rimbering. I. Wi c ca rver, David W., joinl author.
II. Sikes, William r::.., joint author. III. Klli~I'r Steel Corporation.
rv. Uniled St a re . Bureau of Mine s . V. Title. VI. Series: ,lnitcd
Slales. Bure n u of Mine s. Informat ion circular Bur~au of Mines i
8747)
TN23.U71 no. 8747 622.06173
U.S. Dept. of the Inr. Libr.uy
 CONTENTS

Abstract. ....... ... .... ... .......................... .... .............. 1

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Acknowledgmen t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Longwall support s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Preparations for terminating longwall iace............................. 4
Removal of longwall equipment except shields........................... 5
Removal of shield supports............................................. 7
Installation of equipment at next panel. ...... .. ...................... 15
Discussion ..................... I It. ,. ......... a .. 19

iLLUSTRATIONS

1. Longwall shield support test site at York Canyon

underground coal mine... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Hemscheidt 320 HSL two-legged shield support............. ....... 3
3. Diagrarrnnatical view of the caliper shield......................... 4
4. Timber stored inside the shields. ....... ............... .... ..... 7
5. Shield with roof canopy lowered free from roof........ ...... ...... 8
6. lnstalling wooden crossbar over lowered shield... .... ........... 9
7. Building wooden crib at gob side where shield was withdrawn....... 11
8. Turning shield parallel to longwall face.......................... 11
9. Preparing to pull shield onto sled................................ 12
10. Shield chained to sled ready for pulling to headgate... .... .... ... 12
11. Sled and shield on way to headgate with tailgate hoist
rope being pulled behind........................................ 13
12. Shield ready for pulling from sled onto trailer........... ... ..... 13
13. Shield loaded on trailer..... ............ ... .................. 14
14. Shield and trailer being pulled to next panel.... ................ 15
15. Shield and trailer being backed into starting room.... ... ..... .... 17
16. Shield normal to panline at new face.... ...... .............. ... 17
17. Shield extended against roof and shield ready for extending....... 18
 M(1VING LONGWALL SHIELD SUPPORTS AT THE YORK CANYON COAI-
MINE, RATON, N. MEX.

by
Richard H. Oitto, 1 David W. W i s e c a r ~ e r ,and
~ William E. Sikes.3

ABSTRACT

The Bureau of Mines and K a i s e r S t e e l Corp. a r e c o o p e r a t i v e l y d e m o n s t r a t -

i n g t h e s h i e l d - t y p e r o o f s u p p o r t i n t h e l o n g w a l l mining o f a 1 0 - 1 / 2 - f o o t - t h i c k
c o a l b e d a t t h e York Canyon mine n e a r Raton, N . Mex. A s p a r t o f t h e demon-
s t r a t i o n , t h e s h i e l d s u p p o r t s have b e e n s u c c e s s f u l l y and s a f e l y moved
from a completed l o n g w a l l f a c e t o a new l o n g w a l l f a c e . When t h e s e s h i e l d
s u p p o r t s w e r e moved i n 1976 t h e y w e r e t h e l a r g e s t and h e a v i e s t l o n g w a l l sup-
p o r t system i n u s e i n U.S. c o a l m i n e s . The s h i e l d s u p p o r t s , p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r
moving them, t h e a c t u a l move, and i n s t a l l a t i o n a t t h e new f a c e a r e d i s c u s s e d .

INTRODUCTION

The Bureau o f Mines and K a i s e r S t e e l Corp, a r e c o o p e r a t i n g i n a program

t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h e s h i e l d - t y p e r o o f s u p p o r t i n t h e l o n g w a l l mining o f a 10- t o
1 1 - f o o t - t h i c k c o a l seam a t t h e York Canyon m i n e n e a r R a t o n , N . Mex. The s h i e l c l
s u p p o r t s y s t e m a t t h e York Canyon mine, among t h e f i r s t t o be i n t r o d u c e d t o
U . S . c o a l m i n i n g , i s b e i n g t e s t e d t o d e t e r m i n e i t s v a l u e and a p p l i c a t i o n t o
l o n g w a l l m i n i n g problems from t h e s t a n d p o i n t s o f economics, e n g i n e e r i n g , and
s a f e t y . S p e c i f i c a l l y , t h e o b j e c t i v e s s e t f o r t h by t h e Bureau o f Mines a r e t o
( 1 ) d e m o n s t r a t e and t e s t a s h i e l d - t y p e l o n g w a l l s u p p o r t s y s t e m under v a r i e d
mining c o n d i t i o n s , ( 2 ) e v a l u a t e t h e o p e r a t i o n , a d v a n t a g e s , and d i s a d v a n t a g e s
o f t h e equipment a s a p p l i e d i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , and ( 3 ) d i s s e m i n a t e t h i s
i n f o r m a t i o n t o t h e mining i n d u s t r y . I n a d d i t i o n t o o r i ~ i i n a lp l a n s , t h e sup-
p o r t system i s equipped w i t h a l o n g w a l l l i g h t i n g s y s t e m t o t e s t and e v a l u a t e
b o t h t h e e f f e c t i v e n e s s and t h e impact o f i l l u m i n a t i o n on l o n g w a l l m i n i n g .

The program i n c l u d e s mining o f t h r e e l o n g w a l l p a n e l s a t t h e York Canyon

mine w i t h planned p r o d u c t i o n of a b o u t 1,200,000 t o n s o f raw c o a l . P a n e l l a y -
o u t s a r e g i v e n i n f i g u r e 1. P a n e l 4N, now c o m p l e t e d , had a f a c e l e n g t h o f
550 f e e t . The p a n e l l e n g t h of 4N was s h o r t e n e d b e c a u s e two f a u l t s were i n t e r -
c e p t e d , e a c h o f which had 5 f e e t o f d i s p l a c e m e n t a t t h e f i n a l 4N f a c e . Mine
management knew t h a t one f a u l t might be e n c o u n t e r e d and t h a t i t had a

Il.1ining e n g i n e e r , Denver Mining Research C e n t e r , Bureau o f Mines, Denver, Colo.

2 ~ u p e r v i s o r ymining e n g i n e e r , Denver t l i n i n g R e s e a r c h C e n t e r , Bureau o f Mines,
Denver, Colo.
3
Mining e n g i n e e r , York Canyon Mine, K a i s e r S t e e l Corp., Raton, N . Mex.
2

LJLJ~l _ 6 ORTH

LONG NALl PA Nn
5 ORTH

D LJc:::=J CJ
-
0 CJ r=J-LJ -
CJ - u L.J
-0 -0-[=:]
,~ Sto rt' I'lQ r Oom 5 NORT H
LO GWAL L PANEL

o 200 40()
I I I
Scale, ' ''11 1

FI GUR E 1. . Longwoll s hi e ld s upport tes t site a t Yor k Canyon underground coal mine~

d i s placeme nt o f 12 feet ahE'ad or whe r e mining in 4N was or iginally scheduled

to s top. The dis t a nce tha t the fault pe ne tra ted in to 4N panel and its dis-
pla cemen t i n th e pane l could not be p r ed i cted. Mining of 4N was started ~nd
continued on the pr emise t ha t t he pa ne l would be dbor t ed ~t that paint of
mining, a f t e r int e r ce p t , that t he f ault-induc ed problemR made longwall mining
impra c ti ca l. Thi s s toppi ng pOint was reac hed a f te r 1,600 feet of mining Bnd
a fau lt di sp l ace ment o f 5 fe e t in ea ch of two faults .

. In i ti a l contact with one Ldllit wa s mad e some. 12.0 feet before tertnination,
and en gine e r s care fu l ly observed i nc re a s e s in displacement as mining
progr ess ed and probl ems i n negoti a ting the s hields forward. As conditions
worsened , min mana gement dec ided to con t inue panel ~N to clear the next cross-
cut in 4N e nt r y and the n mov e th e lon gwall t o the adjacent 5N panel. Thus
bC3an the und e r ground prepara ti ons and move of the largest and heaviest 100g-
wall shield sup port system in use at that time in U.S. mine s. The methods and
techniqu e s o f t his move, spe c i fical ly th e handlinR a nd transport of the
shield s and the roof support me thod s u s ed to f acilit a te the move and intiure
miner safety, are the primary sub j ect of thi s Bureau of Min e s report.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Spe c i a l a cknowl edgment is due Harry H. Elkin, longwall superintendent,

York Canyon mi ne , who gr aciously contribut e d his knowledge and time to provide
d e ta il s ab out moving the shi~ld supports and to review the draft of this
report. Acknowledgme n t is made to Thomas A. Morgan, physical scientist,
Denve r Mi ning Research Cen t e r, who pho to graphed several of the action scenes.
 .)

LONGWALL SUPPORTS

The 4N long~3ll s upport sys t em had 116 s hie ld support~ of the type
(Hem s cheid t 320 HSL) 4 illustr a t ed in fi gure 2 . This support is a c api1er
:i hil:, ld type wherein (1) hyd rau li c or spring - actu a ted side sea lin g plat es are
used to provide skin-to- skin con t ac t and r educ e f lushin g of go b between the
supports and (2) th e can opy moves in a circular arc about the ma in hinge point
as it i s raj!,ed or lowe r ed. Wi d th of the supports is 59 in c hes . Maximum
he ight i s 147 inche s , and closed heigh t is 59 inc hes . Weight i s ab out 11-1/ 2
ton s .

Major and ba s i c pa rt s of t he ca l iper shie ld a r e s hown in f igure 3. The

base (~) is a t win-b eam art icu l a ted ar rangement whe re one beam can be lifted
relativ~ to the oth e r, a fea t ure whic h faci lit at e s s e lf-cleaning ; through
alt e rn ate raisin g and block i ng, r ai s i ng o f the ent i re shield can be accom-
pli s hed. The gob shi e ld ( ~ ) l i nks the base and cano py and is att ached by
he~vy pinsj the ang led gob s hi eld p rovid e s prot e ction from a nd s up port of th e
gob. The two hydrauli c legs (f) have a s upport c a pacity of 176 tons ea ch,

FIGURE 2. - Hemsc heidt 320 HSL two- legged shield support.

4 Re fe renc e to sp ec ifi c equipment does no t impl y e ndorsement by the Bureau of

Mines.
4

E D are double a cting , and are

equipped with mechanical
extensions to enhance opera-
tion and increase range. A
roof canopy (Q) linked to
the gob shield, covers the
F work area and transfers roof
load to gob shield and sup-
port base. :\dditions and/or
accessories to the roof
A canopy are the extension (~)
and the face guard (I). The
canopy extension has 20
A Split-bese skid o Roof canopy inches of travel and permits
8 Gob shield E E)(tenslble roof canopy the operator to adjust the
c Support leg (2) F Face guard
canopy tip to the face as
seam hei~ht changes. The
FIGURE 3~ - Diagrommaticol view of the caliper shield. face guard can be placed
against the face to provide
support and protection
against coal bumps and falls. lt is also useful in the overhead installation
of wire mesh. Hydraulic components such as rams, valves, and control blocks
round out the complete shield.

~he shield is operated with the operator stationed on the support itse lf.
However, hydraulic design is such that through interconnection ~nd hose
changes, a shield can be operated from control valves on an adjacent shield.
This feature is extrem~ly useful during the move of the shields after a 10ng -
wall panel is terminated.

PREPARATIOf~S FOR TERMINATING LONGWALL FACE

Shutting down a shield-support 10ngwall for movin g the equipment to

another panel requires prep a rations that are mad e while the last face cuts or
webs are being mined. One preparation is placing wi re mesh over the top and
rear ot the shields to preve nt gob from flushin g into the work site when a
shield is withdrawn. Another preparation is making room for withdrawing the
shields, which must be pulled toward the longwall face while being turned
parallel to it.

The installation of wire mesh for restraining gob was started when 11
cuts (23 f e et) of coal were left to mine. Startin g with cut 1 and continuing
through cut 10, heavy-duty chain-link fencing in 5- f oot-\vide sections was fed
over the top of the roof canopies from the front and parallel to the face as
each shield was lowered f or advancing after the shearer passed by. The ends
of the sections of fencing were joined wit h wire along the entire face, as
were the sides when more sections of fencing were added as subsequent cuts
were mined. Mesh that protruded in front of the roof canopies was conven-
iently kept out of the path of the shearer drums by attaching the mesh to th~
shield face guards, which were retracted as the she a r e r a pproached.
 j

Chain-link fencing by its elf i s not strong enough to hold back :',ob v!hen ,:1
shi e ld is withdrawn, s o support for the mesh was a lso installed. As cuts L
throu gh 6 we re mined, 4-inch I-b eams 15 feet long wer e placed parallel to the
fa c e over the roof canopies. One line of beams was installed the len~~th of
the fac e for each of the five cuts (cuts 2 th rou g h 6). The beams \Jt.~n~ plac,_~d
under the mesh and chained to it.

As cuts 7 t hrou gh 9 were mi ned, corruga te d steel mats 1/8 inch thick by
1 foot wide by 15 fe et long wer e us~d in pl ace of I-beams. The orir,inal pl~n
called for 6-inch I-beams because bad roof was expected and the rows UL bean~
would be directly over the roo f canopies when the shield supports were
advanced tor the last time. However, the roof appeared solid, so corrugated
mat~ were used instead. Later, during shield removal the roof deteriorated
luore than ~xpected, necessita ting building cribs to support it.

To make room along the fa c e for withdrawing the shields, they were not
advanced when cuts 10 ~nd 11 were taken, leaving a distance of about 4 feet
from the face to the front of the roof canopy extensions in their fODvard
po si tion. With the extensions r e tract e d, this distanc~ was about 6 f ee t.

Bec ause tht shields wer e not advance d during fi nal mining, arran gelllent;;)
had to be made for advancing the fac e conveyor for the final web (cut 11).
Before the last cut was started, the connecting rods [rom the doubl~-acting
rams to the conveyor wer e di sconnected from the conveyor, and a spacer vJas
placed bl. : tween t he conveyor and connec t ing rod s to pu sh the conveyor to thE'
face.

While the final cut was b e ing taken, the 4-foot span of exposed roof
being 1eEt above it was supported as the shearer advanced toward the headgate.
The wire mesh was extended forward across the roo f to the face and thre~
fourths of the way dmvn th e face for protection from falls of face coal. A
wooden post wed ged between the floor and roof in front of each shield held the
mesh aga i nst t he f ace . On top of each post a nd extending over the front of
each roo f canopy was a wooden plank 3 inches thick by 12 inches wide by ~ leet
long that helped hold the mesh in place and supported the roof between th~
fac e and the roof canopies. Roof in the fault area was given additional
~upport using roof bol t mats on 2-foot cent e rs secured by 6-foot-10ng steel
roof bolts grouted their entire length with resin. When the final cut was
compl e ted, loose coal in the face, head~ate, and tail~ate areas was shoveled
by ha nd onto the conveyor.

REHOVAL OF LONGWAl..L EQUIPMENT EXCEPT SllIELDS

Af t e r mining was completed, the lump breaker on the stage load e r, the
st age loader, the headgate entry belt conveyor, the shearer, and the armored
face conveyor were disassembled and removed in that order. Dis assembly was
limited to taking off protruding parts that could be damaged and separatin~
major components to reduce wL'ight or bulk. Components that could be towed
easily were pulled behind scoop trams or scoop tractors; other components
were hauled in the scoop of scoop trams, except for the shearer and face con-
v~yor pans, which were hauled on trailers. It~ms needing shop work were taken
out of the mine for repairs be for e being t ak e n to the next longwall panel.
6

The lump breaker, st~ge loader, dnd belt conveyor did not require any
special or unique removal procedure, but the shearer did. [he procedur~ for
removing the shearer consi s ted o f opening the f a ce conveyor chain so that the
headgate drive of the conveyor could be moved aside, extending the pans of the
face conveyor into the intersect i on of the fa ce and he adgate entry, running
the shearer onto the extended panlin e , liftin g the s hearer, r emoving the pans
under it, positioning two low-bed trailers hooked in tandem und er ne ath the
shearer, and lowering the shearer onto the t r ai lers which in tandem formed a
bed long enough for it. Ch ai n hoists a ttached to crossbars bolted to the
roof and posted at both ends raised and l owe r ed the shearer. A scoop tram
pulled the trailers and carried the she arer haul age cha in in its scoop.
Because the shearer was being replaced, it was hauled out o f the mine.

After the shearer was removed, the head gate drive of the fac e conveyor
was r~~dttached and the conveyor chain wa s r econnect ed so that the face con-
veyor could haul L4 spill plat es to the headgat e . The s e spill plates were
from face conveyor pans not needed at the nex t longwall face, which was
shorter. Also, the face conveyor hauled to the f ace a rea crib blocks, cap
pieces~ and wed~es which wer e stored inside the shi e lds between the legs and
gob shield until needed during recove ry of the shield supports (fig . 4). When
the face conveyor was no longer needed for hau lin g hardware to the headgate
and timber to the f ace, the chain was opened and r un to the headg a te using the
drive unit and hauled to the next pan e l minu s the exc es s chain not needed at
the shorter new face. Next removed were the emergency s top controls, electri-
cal cables and water hose s in the conveyor cabl e -hose trough, and headgate
drive compll,te with underframe and ram bar, wh i ch went a s a unit via the shop
for repairs to the next panel.

Before the conveyor tail drive and pans were removed, a loading dock was
constructed at the headgat e e nd of th e f ace for c onv e ni e nce in loading pans,
and later shield supports, onto a low-bed trail e r. Dock construction com-
menced by taking up bottom a t the int e rs ect i on of th e longwall face and
headgate entry and then building a timb er wa ll aga inst the bank of the dock;
this wall was the same height as the bed of the l ow-bed trailers. A 100-
horsepower drum hoist set up in the entry provided the power tor pulling the
tail drive and pBns of the fac~ conveyor along th~ tace and onto a trailer.

The conv~yor pans were removed in s~t~ of three, that is, the panline was
disconnected at every third pan. Spill plates and ramp plates were left
att3ched to the pans except for those on the extra pans not needed at the new
face.
 ..
f

FIGUR E 4. - T imber stored insid e th e sh ields.

REMOVAL OF SHI ELD SUPP ORTS

Removal of th e fac e conv eyor lef t an uno bstruc te d wor k a r a be tween the
fa c e and shields for in s talli ng track f ro m the headga t e e ntry t o t he tai l gat e
for haul i ng the shields to t he headg a t e doc k . The f loor a long the f a ce wa s
graded, and then pairs o f 40- pound ra ils we r e laid pa ra lle l on wooden c r o ss-
ti es . Ste e l hook- end tie rod s es ta bl i shed and ma in t ai ned th e t r a ck gage .
Crosstj ...:::; and rods were both s pac ed 3 t o 5 feet apart. An occ asi on al rock
bolt installed throu:;h a cro ss ti e a nd an c hored i n the floor retard ed s i deward
movement o f th e track.

The vehi c l e us ed on tlh'. tr ack wa s a s l ed made from a t hick, fl at, r ec t an-

gular steel plate wider and lo nge r than t he ba s e of a shi e ld support. Th e
pl a te or sled slid dir ec t ly on t he rail s and had guid e s under ne a th a t both
ends tha t t ouched the in ne r s id es o f t he r a i ls t o keep the s led straight on
the track. Eye s welded near each corn e r o f t he s l ed prov i ded ho l es fo r chai n-
ing a load to the ~led. A IOO-horsepower drum hoist (tugger hoi st ) a t t he
8

head gat e and a 40-horsepowl.!r hoist at the tail ga t e pulled the sl e d forward and
backward along the track.

A st ee l ramp plal~ that abutted aga i ns t the end o f the track provided thr
grade for moving a shield upward tram t h e floor onto thl' sled. The ramp had
guide rail s between which a shield slid to lin~ it up for soin g str a ight onto
the sled.

Shield removal st a r ted wit h the last ~hi e ld at the t a il gate a nd p roceeded
toward th e headp,~te. The pro c edure for movin g a shi e ld fro m it s plac e in line
at th e f a ce to the head gate dock and onto ~ t rail er fo l lows:

1. Changed hydrauliC hos e arrangeme nt s o that shi e ld to be r~muved was

controlled from its neighbor on the he adga te Side, i f th is was not already th e
st:!tup.

2. Moved split rings (collar) f or r egul ating l eg travel to top Het o f

grooves on leg extensions so that shield l eg s could be r e tracted to mlnLmum
mining height. Lmvered shil'ld until roof ca nopy was fr ee from roof (fig. 5).

FIGURE 5. - Shield with roof canopy lowered free from roof.

 J. l{vtrac ted s id e pl ate and wired i t t o gob s hi e ld.

4. Cl eaned d e bri s fro m aroun d connec t ing rod s of doubl e - acti ng r am ,

r , ~tr acte d r am, r a i sed c onn e cting r od s ab ove fl oor, a nd ti ed t he m in place.

S. Att ac hed on e s heave blo ck to s e l f -c e nt e ri ng bra cket f or r am conne ct -

in g r od s and t wo more she ave blocks t o l ower pa rt of a hyd rauli c pro p set at
the fa c e be t we e n r oof and f loor 15 feet t owa rd ta i l gate f r om sh i e ld t o be wi t h-
d rawn . (Rock bolt s a nchored in the f loor were tr i ed f or anc hori ng s heave
blo cks a t t he fa ce bu t pul l ed l oose . ) Passed wire r ope fro m a 40-ho rsep owe r
d rum ho i s t a t tai l ga t e t hro ugh sheave blo cks t o get a 3-10-1 me c ha ni ca l adv n-
t age wit h e nd o f ro pe at ta c hed to se l f - cen t er i ng b ra cket on shi e l d.

b. Ro tr acted roo f canopy exten sion a nd pi nned i t in pl ace .

7. Lowered s hi eld t o lowest min in g heigh t.

8. Using the roof C;lOO py as a work pl a tform, replac ed th e po s t- pl ank s et

wi t h a l - f oot- d i ame t e r woode n c r o ss bar ove r th e s hield ex t e nding f rom th e
f ace to th e gob ( f ig . 6). A si ng l e hyd r aulic prop pl ac ed nea r t he f ac e e nd of
th e c r ossba r pi vo t ed th e cro s sbar and hel d it agai nst t he roof.

FIGURE 6. Installin g wo oden cross bar over lowered shield.

10

9. Placed single hydraulic props as needed for overhead support.

10. Removed coal and rock from between roof canopy and gob shi~ld.
Swung roof canopy flush against gob shield and chained it to gob shield.

11. Disconnected hydraulic hoses from adjacent shield and coupled loose
ends to protect them frolll dirt and damage.

12. Changed hydraulic hose arrangement on second and third shields from
end so that second shield was controlled from third shjeld. this control
transfer prevented the second shield, which was supportin~ the roof next to
the shield being moved, from being released should its controls be bumped by
the shield being moved.

13. Pulled shield toward face while turning it to aim front end at tail-
gate. Sheave blocks were repositioned as neceosary to turn shield. The
single hydraulic props for temporary roof support were relocated as necessary
while shield was being turned.

14. Placed a ItT" support con~isting of an I-beam on top of ,] hydraulic

prop under the gob end of wooden crossbar previously installed with a single
prop under its face end (item 8). ihe prop was offset 5 feet toward tailgate
from crossbar to leave room for building a crib ~Igains t gob where the shield
carne out.

15. Built an open crib with lO-inch by IO-inch by 3-foot blocks in

cavity left by shield at gob side (fig. 7).

16. Pulled and jockeyed shield until it was parallel to face (fig. 8)
and rear end lined up with "ramp plate. Pulling and jockeyin;~ was done with
tailgate and headgate hoists and various she~ve block locations plus a hydrau-
lic prop used horizontally to push against shield.

17. Raised ram connecting rods at rear of shield to clear floor and tied
in place, chained track sled against ramp plate, and pulled shield up ramp
plate and onto sled using headgate hoist (fig. 9).

lB. Unchained sled) chained shield to sled using boomers (chain tighten-
ers) to tighten chains, attached headgate hoist rope to sled (fig. 10), and
pulled shield to dock at headgate (fig. 11). A worker followed the loaded
sled to stop the hoist operator should the shield or ~led hang up enroute.
The tailgate hoist rope was pulled by the sled to the he adg ate for returning
the sled.
FIGURE 7. Building wooden crib at gob s;de where shield FIGURE 8. - T urning shield parallel to lon gwall face.
was withdrawn.

I-'
I-'
 t--'
N

FIGURE 9. - Preparing to pull shield onto sled. FIGURE 10. - Shield chained to sled ready for pulling to
headgate.
 1 '
.' .J

f IGUR Ell. - Sled and shie Id on way to head- FIGURE 12. - Shield rL;ady for pullin g from
gate wit h tailgat e hOi s t ro pe :';ied onto truiler.
being pulled beh ind .

19. Unchained s hi e ld fr om s l ed, chained sled to tr a ck , and pull ed shi eld

onto low- bed tra i le r us in:'. h eadgate hoist (f igs . 12 ~md 13).

20. Chained shi e ld t o trai ler us in g bo omers t o tighten chain s , and

pullnd tra iler to nex t pane l with a sc oop t r am ( f i g . 14).

~l. Pulled sled back to t a ilga t e end of track '>li th any timbe r and equip -
mend needed loaded on it.

22 . Replac ed hydrauli c prop s holdin g wood e n crossbar with wood e n posts

1 foot in diameter a t e ac h e nd . Ce nter-post e d c ros:.bar lau~r when space und er
crussbar was no lon ge r needed for turnin g shi e ld s .
14

FIGURE 13. - Shi eld loaded on troi ler.

Occasionally a Hhield tipped over wh ' l e be ing pu l led and turned. They
were righted easily with no damage using a chain hoist attached to the roof
canopy of the adjacent shield.

As shield recovery progressed toward the headgRt e , th e tr ack wa s taken up

at the tailgate end as necessary to keep the end oi the track ahead of shields
being removed.

Also, as r~cov~ry progressed, additional open cribs spaced about 15 feet

apart were built from the floor to the roof in the center of the opening,
between the face and gob, to support the root, which had started to exert
heavy loads on the wooden crossbars.

After all the shields were removed, the hydra ulic pump and reservoir for
powering them were hauled by scoop tram to the next panel.
 15

FIGURE 14. ~ Shi idd and trailer being pulled to next panel.

INSTALLATI ON OF EQUI PMENT AT NE XT PANEL

Th e start i ng room in whi ch th e l on gwall equipment was installed in the

new pane l wa s 9 feet hi gh by 18 f ee t wide by 450 feel long. Roof bolt mats
and s teel roo f bolt s s upport ed th e roo f . The bolt~ were 6 feet long and on 4-
foo t c e nters across a nd a lon g th e star t ing room. No support was needed for
t he 9-foot-hi gh coal fa c e s.

The longwall equipmen t was inst a l l ed in the starling room and head~ate
en t ry in the reverse order thaL it was r emoved fro m the previous panel with
on e e xc e ption--the f ace conv~yor panline, which came out before the shields,
wen t i n ahL'ad of t he shie Ids. The f ace equipment was brour,ht in Lhrough the
tai lga te entry) the s hor t e s t rout e with the most headroom tram the old f ace to
th e nevJ face.

The fac~ conveyor pans came dir e ctly from the old face to the new f a ce)
whe r e they were unlOAded and ins t al le d upon arrival. Trailers carrying the
pan s wer e backed into the st a rting room from the tailgate end by scoop trams.
Af te r the set of pans on a t railer was ti ed tu somethin g solid, such a s pan s
already installed on the f loor, t he sc oop trnm pulled the trailer out from
under the pans. As the pan s were c onne cted, a wire rop e from a drum hoist was
16

advanced t hrou:.,;h the bo t tom t rou gh of the pan 1 i ne . The ho i s r l a t e r Pi) lI ed the
conve yor chain throu gh the bottom trough . Drag c rea t ed by pulling the chain
along the floor through the 450-foot - lon g conveyor trough was reduced by remov-
ing some fli ght s . Those l e ft on the c ha in were 10 feet apart. The r~st of
the flights were put back on the cha i n afte r i t was in place on the head and
t a il driv e sproc kets a nd could be mov ed und e r powe r.

Aft e r the conveyor panline was in place, the s h ield supporLs ~rrived
directly from the old fac e , exce pt, of cour se , the excess shi e lds not ne eded
at th e new, shorter fac e , which were hauled e l sewhere . The trailer hauling a
shield wa s backed into the s t a rtin g room (fig . 15 ) from the tail gate end to
the spot where the shie ld was to be in s ta lled and wa s backed up to the panline
at the sharpest a ng le obta inable, about 45 . The shield was uncha ined from
the trailer, chained to the panline, and pull e d of f the tr ail er by jerking the
traile r out f rom under it wi th t he scoop tram.

To move a s hi e ld perpendicular to the panlin e f rom its 45 a ng le, tirst a

s coop tram nudged i t a ro und unt il t he sh i e ld wa s approximat e l y norma l to the
panline (fig. 16) and opposit e t he clev is on t he pa nl i ne to which i ts ram-
connectin g rods would be conne c t ed. Then the chai ns , wire , and pins holdin!~
the r:lm-conn ec tin g rod s , side plat e , roof cano py , a nd c a nopy ex ten sions in
plac~ were removed; the hydrau l ic hoses were connected to the shi e ld alon gside;
a nd the s hield wa s ex tended upward part way to make room for working under the
roof ca nopy. A spare hydra ulic pack powe red th e shie lds sinc e the hydraulic
pack at the old f ac e was needed for t he r emova l of shie ld s the r e . Nex t t he
ram conn e ctin g rods wer e chai ned to th e pa nlin e cleV i S, a nd by alt e rnat e ly
operating t he r am and t ak i ng up slack in the c hain , the s hi eld was pulled up
to the pan li ne a nd the connecting rods were co nnected t o the cl evis.

Alineme nt and spac i ng of the shi e ld to it s neighbor were accompl[shed by

either pu s hi ng aga i n s t th e ne i ghbor wi th t he sid e plat e to ipcreas e the spac-
illg or USin g t he side p late a nd a cha in t o pull the s hi e ld clo se r to its
nei ghbor. Af te r the shi e ld wa s proper ly a lin ed and s pa ced, the l eg exten s ions
wer e adjus ted for the mining hei gh t and the ro of canopy was se t again s t the
roof (fig . 17).

The new shea r i ng mac hine arr iv ed a t t he panel on t wo low-bed trailers in

tandem, which were po s itione d at the tai lga t e e nd of the panlin e . The n the
s hearer wa s r ai sed, the t rail er s were pull ed out, t he pan line wa s extended,
the shea re r was lowered on t o the panline, and the drums a nd cowl s we re
attached.

After th e shearer was p l ac ed on th e panlin e , t he he ad a nd ta il drives of

the face conve yor wI're att a ched to the panline and the installat i on of the
conveyor chai n was compl e ted. With the f ace conveyo r ha rdware in place, ne x t
install ed were the powpr cables , pu l l- c ord swi tch boxes , pu ll cord, shearer
haul age chain, and a gSO-volt transforme r.

Last in th e installation se quenc e were the pump s t at ion for t he shields,

methane sensor, gob end of the en try be l t conveyor, s tage ludder, lump breaker,
and master cont r o l for stage loader.
 ]7

FIGURE 15. ~ Shield and trailer being backed into starting roo m.

FIGURE 16. ~ Shield normal to panline at new face.

18

FIGURE 17. - Shield (foreground) extended against roof and sh ield (background) ready for
extend ing.
 19

DISCUSSION

The shield move posed an unusual problem to the York Canyon mine
engineers and miners, who were ~xperienced only in moving 5-l/2-ton chock-typ~
supports from faces 6 to 7 feet high and over relaLively smooth bottom. Upon
completion of panel 4N, the mine rs were fa c ed with moving a much h~avi~r
support (twice as heavy as the cho c ks) over a sof t , faulted, and rolling floor.
Further, roof control would be more difficult at 10-fout heights than at 7-
foot heights.

Because of these differences, the move was made in an unhurried and

caut i ous manner, particularly during the early stages. The initial plan for
moving the shield supports was tentative and subject to changes. Changes in
procedure were incorporated as soon as a need \~as evident. It reqUired only
the move of ~ few shields to determine the hookups, winching, and loading
procedure to best move the support out of line and load it onto the sled. As
the work progressed, the competency and t e amwork of the miner s improved, and
lost motion decreased as a workable system was developed and practiced.

Forty-eight shifts were required to complete the move which was conducted
on a two-shit-per-day, S-day-workweek schedule. The crew size ranged f rom 5
to 10 workers, depending upon how many extra workL'rs were available for train-
ing in the shield recovery and reinstallation activities. Some 1,400 tons o f
cumbersome and unwieldy steel supports were transported safely from panel 4N.
There were no injuries.

I n the 4N pan e l the shi e lds were loaded on a sled which was winched along
a rail track to a loadin~ dock. This method was used because the floor was
soft as well as uneven. Because floor condi t ions in the next panel (5N) will
be the same, this method will be repeated.

A change planned for the SN panel is to roof-bolt the entire roo f in t he

ending room from headgate to tailgate and to use I -beams in lieu of steel mats
for wire mesh support. I -beams will provide a more competent and consisten t
roof and substantially decrease the need of crib support along the abandoned
face.

US . GOVERNMEN I PRINTING OFFICE ' 1977-703 -0 0 1/85 I N T. - B U. O F MIN ES , P GH . , PA . 2.233 7