GETTING EQUIPMENT FOR LONGWALL WORKING FACES IN MINES

摘要

An elongated conveyor is to extend along a mine face and has a bottom, one longitudinal side facing towards and another longitudinal side facing away from the mine face. An elongated casing is mounted on the conveyor at the other side thereof and extends along the conveyor upwardly of the bottom. The casing has two vertically spaced longitudinally extending cylindrical guide tracks each formed with a longitudinal slot at a side of the casing. Mounting members are spaced along the casing and each fixedly embraces the respective guide track. A ground-engaging support structure is carried by the mounting members and projects downwardly of the bottom adjacent the casing. An endless reciprocating drive chain having an upper and a lower run is received in the respective guide tracks, and a coal plough is located at the aforementioned one side of the conveyor and has a rigid connecting portion which extends beneath the bottom face to the casing and is connected with the one run of the chain so that the connecting portion and the coal plough are reciprocated lengthwise of said conveyor when the chain reciprocates in the guide tracks. The connecting portion is in part relieved of the weight of the conveyor and casing due to the ground-engagement by the support structure.