Abstract: A drum cutter mining machine translatable along a longwall conveyor includes an auxiliary cutting drum for breaking up pieces of mineral carried by the longwall conveyor system. The auxiliary cutting drum is supported by a jib and an arm extension affixed in a fixed relationship with a support arm. The auxiliary cutting drum is positioned by the same actuator which pivotally positions the drum-cutter cutting drum at a desired cutting height at the mine roof and other times at the floor. Positioning of the cutting drum at the desired cutting height automatically positioned the auxiliary cutting drum.

Abstract: A drum cutter-loader machine includes discrete units joined together by tie bolts extending transversely to the direction of advancing movement along a face conveyor. The units in succession from the stow side to the working side include a gantry casing supporting winch drive motors and straddling the face conveyor, a transmission box, a winch casing and casing carrying actuators coupled to arms carried by pivots at opposite ends of the winch casing. The arms carry cutter drums driven by motors supported by the arms. A toothed rack at the working face side is engaged by drive wheels driven through gearing in the winch casing and transmission box by the winch motors. The gantry casing is supported at the stow side through runners that engage a guide rail. In one embodiment, the machine is supported by rollers at the working face side on the toothed rack. In a further embodiment, the machine is supported by rollers at the working face side on a machine track.

Abstract: A drum cutter includes a machine body having at the opposed ends, pivot shafts extending parallel to the mine floor at right angles to the direction of travel by the machine body along a coal face. Two support arms each include two laterally-spaced bores at one end thereof to selectively receive a projected portion of a pivot shaft extending toward the mine face. A lever is mounted onto each of the support arms adjacent the bores in the end thereof. A cutter drum projects from the free ends of the support arms at the coal side of the machine body. Hydraulic jacks, supported by the machine body, are coupled to the levers for pivoting the arms to position the cutter drum supported thereby. A motor is supported within a casing attached to the stow side of each support arm. The motor is coupled through gearing to the cutter drum. The projected end of the casing is supported by a bearing member secured to the extension of the machine body and provided with a bore to receive the pivot shaft.

Abstract: A roller crusher is carried by a coal cutting mining machine which is, in turn, carried by a gantry for movement along the frame of a longwall face conveyor. The roller crusher is attached to the coal cutting machine by a U-shaped frame having hinge pins for pivotal movement thereof about a horizontal axis at the end of the machine which faces toward the oncoming stream of coal on the conveyor. The U-shaped frame supports a drive motor that is, in turn, coupled by a gear drive to the roller crusher. A piston and cylinder assembly is controlled to adjustably position the U-shaped frame and thereby the roller. The mining machine has support arms that are pivotal about horizontal axes and carry coal cutting drums to project into the working face of the mine.