Connie A Allen

US Patent:

20060087443, Apr 27, 2006

Filed:

Mar 18, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/083353

Inventors:

Larry Frederick - Huntsville AL, US
Patricia Nichols - Madison AL, US
Dwight Medley - Fayetteville TN, US
Connie Allen - Brownsboro AL, US

International Classification:

G08B 21/00
G08B 23/00

US Classification:

340686600, 340573400

Abstract:

A safety system for mining equipment is provided having a proximity-based system with a marker field generator in an explosion-proof housing. The generator has a resonant circuit with an inductive reactance that is provided by a ferrite rod wound with an electrical conductor. Also provided is an RF receiver to receive information about the strength of the generated marker field from a sensing device used by a worker. The system provides for a personal alert device, carried by personnel to be kept at a safe distance from the mining machine, the personal alert device being capable of detecting the marker field. Also disclosed is a geosteering system that stops the cutting of a continuous miner when the cutter reaches an interface between a mineral being mined and an adjacent formation that is not to be mined.