Apparatus for the continuous underground mining of coal

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS COAL MINING MACHINE HAVING A SUPPORT AND POWER MEANS TO ADVANCE SAID SUPPORT INTO A COAL FACE TOGETHER WITH A PLURALITY OF FORWARDLY EXTENDING AND POWER-DRIVEN CUTTING TOOLS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING FORWARDLY EXTENDING HOLLOW SHAFTS FOR MOUNTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID CUTTERS, A ROTARY BIT MOUNTED ON THE FORWARD END OF EACH OF SAID SHAFTS, A RADIAL ARM MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID SHAFTS AND CARRIED AT ITS RADIAL OUTWARD END A FORWARDLY EXTENDING TREPANNING TOOL WHEREBY UPON ROTATION OF SAID SHAFTS AND FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE AREA OF THE COAL FACE WITHIN THE FORWARD PROJECTION OF THE MACHINE IS FORMED INTO ANNULAR PROJECTIONS DELINEATED BY THE HOLES BORED BY SAID BITS AND THE SLOTS CUT BY SAID TOOLS, A PICK-LIKE BREAK-OUT TOOL CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID ARMS AND MOUNTED THEREON RADIALLY INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF THE COAL FACE, A LONGITUDINALLY RECIPROCABLE ROD POSITIONED WITHIN EACH OF SAID SHAFTS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED AT THEIR FORWARD ENDS WITH SAID BREAK-OUT TOOLS WHEREBY THE LATTER MAY BE SO MOVED INTO AND OUT OF SAID COAL FACE DURING ROTATION OF SAID ARMS, SAID RODS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF THE REAR ENDS OF SAID SHAFTS, AND POWER MEANS CONNECTED TO THE REAR ENDS OF SAID RODS TO RECIPROCATE THE SAME.