DEVICE FOR COOLING THE CUTTERS OF A HEAD FOR UNDERCUTTING AND EXCAVATING THE FRONT

An assembly for cooling the teeth of the cutting heads of a mining machine and, at the same time, the rock face. The cutting heads are rotatably supported and, at the same time, the rock face, the axis of rotation being essentially horizontal. Cooling is performed by water jets distributed by spray nozzles. In order to obtain a sufficient cooling effect for the cutting teeth and the rock face with a water consumption as low as possible, there are provided on the jib arm two groups of spray nozzles for each cutting head. The nozzles of the first group are directed to the region of the teeth in the highest position of the same while the nozzles of the second are directed into the interspaces between the rows of teeth in the said region. The flow of water can be shut off separately for each group of nozzles associated with each of the cutting heads. Since with a mining process in horizontal lines only one cutting head contacts the mining face, in this case flow of water is permitted only to the cutting head which is actually working. Water supply can be shut off separately for each of the two cutting heads.