Support for movable segments in a rack for a drum cutter mining machine

Claim 1

In combination with a drum cutter mining machine, a rack device carried by a face conveyor which includes a plurality of conveyor pan sections adjoined together end-to-end forming clearances between the joints while the face conveyor extends along the path of travel by the mining machine at the working face of an underground mine, said mining machine including drive gear means to drivingly engage the rack device which includes the combination of: a plurality of elongated rack segments each having rack gear teeth at spaced intervals along the extended length thereto to mesh with said drive gear means, said plurality of elongated rack segments consisting of movable rack segments bridging said joints between the conveyor pan sections and immovable rack segments each extending along a single conveyor pan section, rack holders fixedly connected to said conveyor pan sections for supporting said elongated rack segments, and pivot shafts extending transversely to the extended lengths of each elongated rack segment to couple said elongated rack segments to said rack holders, each movable rack segment being coupled for longitudinal movement through gap distances formed with the pivot shafts for the movable rack segment, said gap distances being greater in magnitude than said clearance between adjoined conveyor pan sections bridged by the movable rack segment, said immovable rack segments being coupled by the pivot shafts to rack holders for immovable support thereby.