Roof fall separating and removing apparatus and method for use in thin seam highwall mining

摘要

A thin seam highwall mining machine has a cutter head for mining coal from a seam while advancing forwardly into a mined hole, a power head anchored to a bench at the surface, and multisection pushbeam extending therebetween housing a conveyor therein. The machine is provided with structure for removing fallen roof rock from the hole and preventing jamming of the machine in the hole by rock accumulation. The structure includes a partition which keeps the fallen rock from mixing with the mined coal, and guide members which direct fallen rock onto the conveyor from the partition as the machine is being withdrawn from the hole. A pair of upstanding rearwardly diverging guide members fixed to the partition direct rock onto the conveyor through an opening in the partition overlying the forward end of the conveyor. One of the guide members carries an advancing conveyor surface having rock advancing bits which rotate and crush the rock while advancing it toward the opening. The pushbeam conveyor includes counter-rotating augers with rock crushing bits thereon which further crush the rock as it is removed.