Patent ID: 7523687

Claim:
A longwall conveyor drive including a motor including a motor output shaft, a drive sprocket, a gearbox drivingly connected to the drive sprocket, a fluid coupling drivingly connected to the gearbox, and a step-up gearbox located between the motor and the fluid coupling, said step-up gearbox including a housing attached to the output end of the motor, a first gear stage rotatably supported within said housing and drivingly receiving the motor output shaft and rotating at a first speed, and a second stage gear set rotatably supported within the housing and in driven contact with the first stage gear set and rotating at a higher speed, the second stage gear set including an output shaft connected to the fluid coupling, wherein said first gear stage includes a first gear mounted within the step-up gearbox housing and attached to the motor output shaft, a second gear mounted within the step-up gearbox housing and attached to a step-up gearbox shaft, said second gear being driven by said first gear, and wherein said second stage gear set includes a third gear mounted within the step-up gearbox housing and attached to said step-up gearbox shaft, said third gear being larger than said second gear, and a fourth gear mounted within the step-up gearbox housing and drivingly connected to said step-up gearbox output shaft, said fourth gear being driven by said third gear and being smaller in diameter than said first gear.