Mining Publication: Protective Structures for Low-Coal Shuttle Car Operator

This report discusses the Bureau of Mines efforts to develop partial protective structures for operators of low-coal shuttle cars. In coal seams 48 in high or less, full-coverage canopies are generally difficult or may be impossible to implement on high-speed face equipment owing to the restrictions they impose on the operator's vision and comfort. Limited coverage is one alternative that provides an acceptable level of operator protection in thin-seam applications were conventional full-coverage canopies cannot be used. Three possible limited-coverage design scenarios (roll bars, sliding canopies, and flip-top canopies) were designed, fabricated, and evaluated for low-coal shuttle cars. All three designs were determined to be feasible and desirable for low-coal shuttle car application.