Support structure for rotary sensor

A rotary sensor assembly comprising:

• a sensor including a sensor housing and a rotor, the sensor housing having an interior chamber, the rotor positioned within the interior chamber and rotatable relative to the sensor housing about a rotor axis, the sensor detecting the angular position of the rotor relative to the sensor housing about the rotor axis;
• a shaft including a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the rotor, the shaft supported for rotation relative to the sensor housing about the rotor axis;
• a support housing portion including a bore extending along a support axis;
• and
• a member at least partially positioned in the bore, the member coupled to the second end of the shaft, the member movable relative to the support housing portion in a direction parallel to the support axis in response to deflection of the second end of the shaft relative to the rotor axis.

A mining machine comprising:

• a chassis including a drive mechanism for moving the chassis relative to a mine surface;
• at least one cutting assembly including an arm and a cutting mechanism, the arm pivotably coupled to the chassis and pivotable about an arm axis, the cutting mechanism supported for rotation on the arm and including a plurality of cutting bits for engaging a mine face;
• a sensor assembly coupled to one of the chassis and the arm, the sensor assembly including a sensor housing and a rotor, the sensor housing having an interior chamber, the rotor positioned within the interior chamber and rotatable relative to the sensor housing about a rotor axis, the sensor assembly detecting angular displacement of the rotor relative to the sensor housing about the rotor axis when the arm pivots relative to the chassis about the arm axis;
• a shaft including a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the rotor, the shaft supported for rotation relative to the sensor housing about the rotor axis;
• a support housing portion including a first bore and a second bore, the first bore extending along a first axis, the second bore extending along a second axis oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the first axis;
• a first member at least partially positioned in the first bore, the first member coupled to the second end of the shaft, the first member movable relative to the support housing portion in a direction parallel to the first axis in response to deflection of the second end of the shaft away from the rotor axis;
• and
• a second member coupled to the other of the chassis and the arm, the second member at least partially positioned in the second bore, at least one of the support housing portion and the second member is movable relative to the other of the support housing portion and the second member in a direction parallel to the second axis and in response to deflection of the second end of the shaft away from the rotor axis.