Apparatus for continuously conveying coal from a continuous mining machine to a remote floor conveyor

摘要

An apparatus for use in a conveyor train for continuously conveying a supply of coal provided by a machine working at a mine face to a remote floor conveyor is provided. The apparatus includes at least one propelled conveyor assembly which may be pivotally connected to a combination of other like propelled conveyor assemblies and conventional bridge conveyor assemblies to form an articulated conveyor train ending from the machine to the remote floor conveyor. Each conveyor assembly has a conveying mechanism, with a receiving section and a discharge section that transports the supply of coal from the receiving section to the discharge section. The propelled conveyor assembly includes first and second crawler units disposed below and rotatably mounted to the propelled conveyor assembly. Each of the first and second crawler units includes a pair of longitudinally coextensive parallel endless track assemblies selectively independently drivable in either direction so as to permit the crawler unit to be pivoted horizontally. A leading frame assembly of the propelled conveyor assembly includes inboard and outboard sections constructed and arranged to pivot vertically about a inboard and outboard horizontal pivot axes, and a trailing frame assembly of the propelled conveyor assembly is constructed and arranged to pivot vertically about a trailing horizontal pivot axis.