Apparatus for supporting the roof of an underground mine working

In a mining machine comprising a body movable in forward and reverse directions of traverse along and adjacent to an upstanding face from which material is to be removed in a mining operation, a cutting element on said body for removing said material and thereby creating a succession of newly exposed elongate roof zones requiring support, and applicator means for applying strips of flexible roof mat, drawn off from a store, in respective positions such that said strips extend with their lengths running longitudinally of respective ones of said newly exposed roof zones, the improvement comprising

• a. means for releasably mounting said applicator means in an operative position of use on said mining machine,
• b. transfer means for moving said applicator means between said position of use and a further position spaced from said position of use, and wherein
• c. the mounting means includes means providing for positional adjustment of the applicator means in a lateral direction towards and away from the face,
• d. retaining means are provided for retaining the applicator means in any of a number of different positions.

In a mining machine comprising a body movable in forward and reverse directions of traverse along and adjacent to an upstanding face from which material is to be removed in a mining operation, a cutting element on said body for removing said material and thereby creating a succession of newly exposed elongate roof zones requiring support, and applicator means for applying strips of flexible roof mat, drawn off from a store, in respective positions such that said strips extend with their lengths running longitudinally of respective ones of said newly exposed roof zones, the improvement comprising

• a. means for releasably mounting said applicator means in an operative position of use on said mining machine,
• b. transfer means for moving said applicator means between said position of use and a further position spaced from said position of use, and wherein
• c. said machine includes guide means defining a path for translatory movement of said transfer means along said mining machine longitudinally of the direction of traverse of the mining machine,
• d. said transfer means comprises a base element mounted in said guide means to be movable therealong but constrained against tilting movement relatively to said guide means.

In a mining machine comprising a body movable in forward and reverse directions of traverse along and adjacent to an upstanding face from which material is to be removed in a mining operation, a cutting element on said body for removing said material and thereby creating a succession of newly exposed elongate roof zones requiring support, and applicator means for applying strips of flexible roof mat, drawn off from a store, in respective positions such that said strips extend with their lengths running longitudinally of respective ones of said newly exposed roof zones, the improvement comprising

• a. means for releasably mounting said applicator means in an operative position of use on said mining machine,
• b. transfer means for moving said applicator means between said position of use and a further position spaced from said position of use, and
• c. biasing means for urging the applicator means upwardly, wherein
• d. the mounting means comprises releasable parts provided, respectively, on a part of the mining machine associated with the cutting element concerned, and on the applicator means, and
• e. the part of the mounting means on the applicator means comprises a parallel link assembly providing for relative vertical movement between the applicator means and the cooperative part of the mounting means on the mining machine.