US Patent 7350875 Underground mining machine

The underground mining machine (10) according to the invention in known manner comprises a machine body (13) movable along a working face (11) and with at least one cutting and rolling unit (14) connected to the machine body by an extension arm (15) and drivable via a gear arrangement (17) mounted in the extension arm by a drive (16) disposed on the machine body. In order to make the drive system of the mining machine simpler, requiring less maintenance, and less subject to wear, according to the invention the gear arrangement comprises a compensating drive shaft (18) extending through the extension and coupled or adapted to be coupled by a first angular gear stage (19) to the drive on the machine body side and by a second angular gear stage (20) to the cutting and rolling unit on the cutting and rolling side.