E
SECTION E — FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  
EARTH DRILLING; MINING
 E21
EARTH DRILLING; MINING
 E21

Note(s)

In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:

  • "drilling" covers boring and vice versa.

 E21C
MINING OR QUARRYING
 E21C

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers methods or apparatus specific to mining or quarrying. [3]
  2. This subclass does not cover, even though they may be disclosed only for mining or quarrying, drill bits, bore reamers, core taking devices, drilling pipes or rods, handling, racking or connecting arrangements for drilling pipes or rods, counterboring or enlarging drilled holes, flame drilling, or other drilling apparatus, which are covered by subclass E21B[3]
 E21C 1/00 - 
E21C 3/00
Drilling machines
 E21C 1/00
Rotary-drilling machines (rotary-drilling machines in general B23B; rotary earth drilling E21B 3/00; driving of shafts, galleries or tunnels E21D)
 E21C 1/02
·  with a continuous rotation of the tool, with or without variable speed gearing
 E21C 1/04
·  ·  with slipping or elastic transmission
 E21C 1/06
·  with a to-and-fro rotation of the tool
 E21C 1/08
·  with an intermittent unidirectional rotation of the tool
 E21C 1/10
·  with a built-in feeding device (feeding devices E21C 5/00)
 E21C 1/12
·  with percussive action superimposed on a continuously-rotating tool always in contact with the working face
 E21C 3/00
Drilling machines with reciprocating tool that is intermittently turned when out of contact with the working face (portable percussion tools in general B25D)
 E21C 3/02
·  Machines in which the tool is connected to an impulse member
 E21C 3/04
·  Hammer drilling machines in which the tool is hit by an impulse member
 E21C 3/06
·  Means for driving the impulse member
 E21C 3/08
·  ·  by a rotating mechanism
 E21C 3/10
·  ·  ·  formed as centrifugal hammers
 E21C 3/12
·  ·  ·  with spring-mounted reciprocating masses
 E21C 3/14
·  ·  ·  ·  with elastic joining of the drive to the push-rod by double buffer springs
 E21C 3/16
·  ·  by electromagnets
 E21C 3/18
·  ·  directly by a piston of an internal-combustion engine
 E21C 3/20
·  ·  directly by liquid pressure
 E21C 3/22
·  ·  ·  working with pulses
 E21C 3/24
·  ·  directly by air, steam, or gas pressure
 E21C 3/26
·  ·  ·  working with pulses
 E21C 3/28
·  Intermittent turning of tool obtained by rifled-bar or ratchet device
 E21C 3/30
·  ·  driven by separate motor
 E21C 3/32
·  with arrangements for automatic stopping when the tool is lifted from the working face or suffers excessive bore resistance (pick hammers E21C 37/24)
 E21C 3/34
·  Arrangements for locking the drill to the hammer or to the machine
 E21C 5/00 - 
E21C 11/00
Details of drilling apparatus
 E21C 5/00
Devices for feeding tool to working face (feeding devices for metal-boring machines B23B)
 E21C 5/02
·  Screw-and-nut feed mechanism
 E21C 5/04
·  Cam, rack, or like feed mechanism
 E21C 5/06
·  Flexible drawing means, e.g. cables
 E21C 5/08
·  Means for driving feed mechanism
 E21C 5/10
·  ·  Separate motor, e.g. compressed-air motor or cylinder (E21C 5/11 takes precedence)
 E21C 5/11
·  ·  combined with supporting means, e.g. feed legs
 E21C 5/12
·  ·  Weight or spring drive
 E21C 5/14
·  ·  Automatic feed by jump or recoil of the drilling machine
 E21C 5/16
·  with arrangements for automatically interrupting the feed when the tool suffers excessive bore resistance
 E21C 7/00
Dust eliminating or dust removing while drilling (equipment for preventing the formation of dust by slitting or dislodging machines E21C 35/22; exhausting dust from mines E21F 5/20)
 E21C 7/02
·  by exhausting dust-loaded air
 E21C 7/04
·  using exhaust air from the drill motor for blowing-off the dust
 E21C 7/06
·  by foam
 E21C 7/08
·  by liquids
 E21C 7/10
·  ·  Liquid flushing installations
 E21C 7/12
·  Preventing exhaust air from the drill motor from blowing-off towards the working face
 E21C 9/00
Supporting, guiding or centralising devices for boring rods (handling, racking, connecting E21B 19/00)
 E21C 11/00
Supports or guides for drilling machines; Columns to which the machine is clamped (feed legs E21C 5/11; slitting machines mounted on supports E21C 25/64; guiding, slitting, or dislodging machines E21C 35/08)
 E21C 11/02
·  Drill wagons (trucks for slitting or dislodging machines E21C 29/24)
 E21C 25/00 - 
E21C 39/00
Cutting; Slitting; Dislodging
 E21C 25/00
Cutting machines, i.e. for making slits approximately parallel or perpendicular to the seam (dislodging machines with slitting means E21C 27/02, E21C 27/10, E21C 27/18)
 E21C 25/02
·  Machines slitting solely by one or more percussive tools moved through the seam
 E21C 25/04
·  ·  Cutting crowns or other tools (percussion drill bits E21B 10/36)
 E21C 25/06
·  Machines slitting solely by one or more cutting rods or cutting drums which rotate, move through the seam, and may or may not reciprocate
 E21C 25/08
·  ·  Mountings for the rods or drums
 E21C 25/10
·  ·  Rods; Drums; Picks
 E21C 25/12
·  ·  ·  Picks (general features of picks E21C 35/18)
 E21C 25/14
·  ·  with equipment for cleaning the slit (associated with cutter chain machines E21C 25/50)
 E21C 25/16
·  Machines slitting solely by one or more rotating saws, cutting discs, or wheels
 E21C 25/18
·  ·  Saws; Discs; Wheels
 E21C 25/20
·  Machines slitting solely by one or more reciprocating sawing implements or reciprocating cutter chains; Shaker conveyers with cutting means
 E21C 25/22
·  Machines slitting solely by one or more cutter chains moving unidirectionally along jibs
 E21C 25/24
·  ·  with flat jibs only
 E21C 25/26
·  ·  with curved jibs only
 E21C 25/28
·  ·  Chains or chain guides; Picks for same
 E21C 25/30
·  ·  ·  Chain guides
 E21C 25/32
·  ·  ·  ·  specially adapted for curved jibs
 E21C 25/34
·  ·  ·  Chains
 E21C 25/36
·  ·  ·  ·  Couplings for links
 E21C 25/38
·  ·  ·  Picks (general features of picks E21C 35/18)
 E21C 25/40
·  ·  ·  ·  integral with links of chains
 E21C 25/42
·  ·  ·  ·  Attachment of the picks to the links of chains
 E21C 25/44
·  ·  ·  ·  ·  by wedge or taper
 E21C 25/46
·  ·  ·  ·  ·  by resilient means
 E21C 25/48
·  ·  ·  ·  ·  by means of screws or pins
 E21C 25/50
·  ·  with equipment for cleaning the slit (associated with rotary-rod or rotary-drum machines E21C 25/14)
 E21C 25/52
·  Machines incorporating two or more of the slitting means according to groups E21C 25/02, E21C 25/06, E21C 25/16, E21C 25/20 and E21C 25/22
 E21C 25/54
·  Slitting by unguided cutter cables or cutter chains or by unguided tools drawn along the working face by cables or the like (dislodging by planing means E21C 27/32; propulsion by haulage cables E21C 29/14)
 E21C 25/56
·  Slitting by cutter cables or cutter chains or by tools drawn along the working face by cables or the like, in each case guided parallel to the face, e.g. by a conveyer, by a guide parallel to a conveyer (pressing the conveyer equipped with tools toward the working face E21C 35/14)
 E21C 25/58
·  Machines slitting by drilling hole on hole
 E21C 25/60
·  Slitting by jets of water or other liquid
 E21C 25/62
·  Machines for making slits approximately perpendicular to the seams either level with, or above or below the level of, the machine
 E21C 25/64
·  Slitting machines guided solely by hand and either carried by hand or mounted on supports (supports or guides for drilling machines E21C 11/00; hand-held power-operated tools E21C 37/22)
 E21C 25/66
·  Machines for making slits with additional arrangements for drilling
 E21C 25/68
·  Machines for making slits combined with equipment for removing, e.g. by loading, material won by other means (slitting machines combined with planing means E21C 27/18; removing chippings E21C 35/20)
 E21C 27/00
Machines which completely free the mineral from the seam
 E21C 27/01
·  specially adapted for removing overhanging coal
 E21C 27/02
·  solely by slitting (rods, drums, picks, for same E21C 25/10; saws, discs, wheels E21C 25/18; chains, chain guides, picks, for same E21C 25/28)
 E21C 27/04
·  ·  by a single chain guided on a frame with or without auxiliary slitting means
 E21C 27/06
·  ·  ·  with a slewing frame
 E21C 27/08
·  ·  with additional means for cutting the mineral into blocks
 E21C 27/10
·  by both slitting and breaking-down
 E21C 27/12
·  ·  breaking-down effected by acting on the vertical face of the mineral, e.g. by percussive tools
 E21C 27/14
·  ·  breaking-down effected by force or pressure applied to side of slit, e.g. by wedges (breaking-down by means inserted in boreholes E21C 37/00)
 E21C 27/16
·  ·  ·  with means for both slitting and breaking-down
 E21C 27/18
·  by both slitting and planing
 E21C 27/20
·  Mineral freed by means not involving slitting
 E21C 27/22
·  ·  by rotary drills with breaking-down means, e.g. wedge-shaped drills
 E21C 27/24
·  ·  by milling means acting on the full working face
 E21C 27/26
·  ·  by closely adjacent cutter chains acting on the full working face
 E21C 27/28
·  ·  by percussive drills with breaking-down means, e.g. wedge-shaped tools
 E21C 27/30
·  ·  by jaws, buckets, or scoops that scoop-out the mineral
 E21C 27/32
·  ·  by adjustable or non-adjustable planing means with or without loading arrangements (by percussed planing means E21C 27/46)
 E21C 27/34
·  ·  ·  Machine propelled along the working face by cable or chain
 E21C 27/35
·  ·  ·  ·  Ram-ploughs
 E21C 27/36
·  ·  ·  Machine self-propelled along the working face
 E21C 27/38
·  ·  ·  Machine stationary while planing in an arc
 E21C 27/40
·  ·  ·  Machine and its planing tool making alternative step-wise movements along the working face
 E21C 27/42
·  ·  ·  combined with scraper or collector box
 E21C 27/44
·  ·  ·  Planing knives
 E21C 27/46
·  ·  by percussed planing means
 E21C 29/00
Propulsion of machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral from the seam
 E21C 29/02
·  by means on the machine exerting a thrust against fixed supports
 E21C 29/04
·  by cable or chains
 E21C 29/06
·  ·  anchored at one or both ends to the mine working face
 E21C 29/08
·  ·  ·  Anchoring arrangements (for anchoring of conveyers only E21F 13/00)
 E21C 29/10
·  ·  ·  Cable or chain co-operating with a winch or the like on the machine
 E21C 29/12
·  ·  ·  Machines propelled by thrust or pull against a part alternately anchored to, and released from, a cable or chain
 E21C 29/14
·  ·  by haulage cable or chain pulling the machine along the working face
 E21C 29/16
·  ·  ·  Winches or other means for pulling cable or chain (winches per se B66D)
 E21C 29/18
·  ·  ·  Coupling and uncoupling machine to cable or chain
 E21C 29/20
·  ·  with safety devices operating in the event of breakage of the cable or chain
 E21C 29/22
·  by wheels, endless tracks, or the like
 E21C 29/24
·  ·  Trucks carrying the machine while working
 E21C 29/26
·  ·  ·  with means for adjustably positioning the machine on the truck
 E21C 29/28
·  ·  ·  ·  adjusting the height of the whole machine
 E21C 31/00
Driving means incorporated in machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral from the seam
 E21C 31/02
·  for cutting or breaking-down devices
 E21C 31/04
·  ·  imparting both a rotary and reciprocating motion
 E21C 31/06
·  ·  actuated by an endless cable or chain
 E21C 31/08
·  for adjusting parts of the machines
 E21C 31/10
·  for slewing parts of the machines
 E21C 31/12
·  Component parts
 E21C 33/00
Trucks or other devices for transporting machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral from the seam
 E21C 33/02
·  with equipment for loading or unloading the machine on to, or from, the truck
 E21C 35/00
Miscellaneous items relating to machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral from the seam
 E21C 35/02
·  Locking equipment for slewable parts
 E21C 35/04
·  Safety devices (operating in the event of breakage of a haulage cable or chain E21C 29/20)
 E21C 35/06
·  Equipment for positioning the whole machine in relation to its sub-structure
 E21C 35/08
·  Guiding the machine
 E21C 35/10
·  ·  by feelers contacting the working face
 E21C 35/12
·  ·  along a conveyer for the cut material
 E21C 35/14
·  ·  ·  Equipment for pressing the conveyer towards the working face
 E21C 35/16
·  ·  by making use of the timbering, filling, or other supports
 E21C 35/18
·  General features of picks, e.g. use of special materials (picks for slitting machines E21C 25/12, E21C 25/38)
 E21C 35/20
·  General features of equipment for removal of chippings, e.g. for loading on conveyer
 E21C 35/22
·  Equipment for preventing the formation of, or for removal of, dust (removing dust while drilling E21C 7/00)
 E21C 35/24
·  Remote control specially adapted for machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral (control in general G05)
 E21C 37/00
Other methods or devices for dislodging with or without loading (breaking-down by means inserted in slits E21C 27/14)
 E21C 37/02
·  by wedges
 E21C 37/04
·  by devices with parts pressed mechanically against the wall of a borehole
 E21C 37/06
·  by making use of hydraulic or pneumatic pressure in a borehole
 E21C 37/08
·  ·  Devices with pistons, plungers, or the like pressed locally against the wall of the borehole
 E21C 37/10
·  ·  Devices with expanding elastic casings
 E21C 37/12
·  ·  by injecting into the borehole a liquid, either initially at high pressure or subsequently subjected to high pressure, e.g. by pulses, by explosive cartridges acting on the liquid (slitting by jets of water E21C 25/60; blasting by explosives F42D)
 E21C 37/14
·  ·  by compressed air; by gas blast; by gasifying liquids
 E21C 37/16
·  by fire-setting or by similar methods based on a heat effect (drilling by use of heat E21B 7/14)
 E21C 37/18
·  by electricity
 E21C 37/20
·  by ultrasonics
 E21C 37/22
·  Hand tools or hand-held power-operated tools specially adapted for dislodging minerals (slitting machines guided solely by hand E21C 25/64)
 E21C 37/24
·  ·  Pick hammers (drilling machines with reciprocating tool E21C 3/00; pneumatic hammers in general B25D)
 E21C 37/26
·  Chisels or other cutting tools not mentioned before
 E21C 39/00
Devices for testing in situ the hardness or other properties of minerals, e.g. for giving information as to the selection of suitable mining tools
 E21C 41/00 - 
E21C 51/00
Methods of mining or quarrying; Open-pit mining; Layouts therefor
 E21C 41/00
Methods of mining (E21C 43/00, E21C 45/00 take precedence); Layouts (for peat E21C 49/00)  [3]
 E21C 41/02
·  for brown coal
 E21C 41/04
·  for hard coal
 E21C 41/06
·  for ores
 E21C 41/08
·  for rock salt; for potash salts (obtaining by dissolving out of boreholes E21B 43/28)
 E21C 41/10
·  for oil-bearing deposits
 E21C 41/12
·  for stone, e.g. marble
 E21C 41/14
·  for other specified minerals, e.g. gold, mercury, other heavy metals, sulphur, slate; for clay
 E21C 43/00
Methods for preparing for the gasification of coal underground (methods for generating gas C10B)
 E21C 45/00
Methods of mining placers; Hydraulic monitors or other hydraulic machines for obtaining minerals out of alluvial deposits
 E21C 47/00
Machines for obtaining, or the removal of, materials in open-pit mines (obtaining peat E21C 49/00)
 E21C 47/02
·  for coal, brown coal, or the like (dredgers or soil-shifting machines per se E02F)  [3]
 E21C 47/04
·  ·  Conveyer bridges used in co-operation with the winning apparatus  [3]
 E21C 47/06
·  ·  Cableway conveyers used in co-operation with the winning apparatus (underground hauling E21F 13/00)
 E21C 47/08
·  ·  Devices for cutting-out partings, e.g. layers of sand between seams of coal
 E21C 47/10
·  for quarrying stone, sand, gravel, or clay
 E21C 49/00
Obtaining peat; Machines therefor (treating peat C10F)
 E21C 49/02
·  by excavating
 E21C 49/04
·  by digging in the form of peat sods
 E21C 51/00
Apparatus for, or methods of, winning materials from extraterrestrial sources (cosmonautics B64G)  [2]