Longwall mining machine, conveyor and traction cable arrangement

Claim 1

MINING MACHINE, ADAPTED TO BE DISPLACED ALONG AN ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS BACK AND FORTH IN A LONGITUDINAL PATH ADJACENT TO A MINE FACE, HAVING FORWARD CUTTING MEANS THEREON FOR OPERATIVELY ENGAGING SUCH MINE FACE FOR THE EXTRACTION OF MINERAL THEREFROM, SLIDE SURFACE MEANS THEREON FOR ENGAGING SLIDABLY SUCH ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS TO MAINTAIN THE MINING MACHINE IN NORMAL RELATION TO SUCH LONGITUDINAL PATH, A PAIR OF SEPARATE LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED SPACED APART LUG RUNNER MEANS THEREON POSITIONED TRANSVERSELY REARWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CUTTING MEANS, WHICH LUG RUNNER MEANS ARE ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN GUIDE GROOVE MEANS OF SAID ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS FOR STABILIZED GUIDANCE OF THE MINING MACHINE IN RELATION TO SUCH LONGITUDINAL PATH AND EACH OF WHICH LUG RUNNER MEANS IS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO AN APPROPRIATE END OF A TRACTION CABLE MEANS USED TO DISPLACE THE MINING MACHINE ALONG SUCH ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS FOR EXTRACTION OF MINERAL FROM THE MINE FACE, AND ELONGATED AXIAL COMPOSITE GUIDING ELEMENT MEANS CAPABLE OF ONLY LIMITED DEVIATION FROM THE NORMAL AXIS THEREOF INTERPOSED LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN SAID LUG RUNNER MEANS, WHEREBY TO ASSIST IN GUIDING THE MINING MACHINE ALONG SUCH ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS WITHOUT DEVIATION SUBSTANTIALLY FROM THE NORMAL LONGITUDINAL PATH THEREOF WITH SUITABLE ADJUSTMENT OF SAID GUIDING ELEMENT MEANS BY SUCH LIMITED DEVIATION TO ACCOMMODATE UNEVENNESS IN THE NORMAL LONGITUDINAL DISPOSITION OF SUCH ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS AND IN TURN SUCH LONGITUDINAL PATH CAUSED BY THE PARTICULAR CONDITIONS OF MINING OPERATION.