Patent ID: 8028814

Claim:
A conveyor apparatus, comprising: a continuous conveyor belt for carrying coal or ore discharged from a continuous miner; a top slider insert for supporting the coal-carrying or ore-carrying continuous conveyor belt; a plurality of floor-supported bottom stands 26 for holding the top slider insert and having two (2) vertical/horizontal alignment pins 30 , a tubular cross member 29 for supporting a bottom belt, a return belt slider 35 , a plurality of floor support skid plate assemblies 34 , a plurality of locking plate assemblies 33 constructed from two locking receiver plates 40 , and a gusset 44 for reinforcing the floor supported bottom stand 26 and floor support skid plate assembly 34 ; and a truss-reinforced side rail assembly 22 having clearance truss bar 52 double bent to strengthen a side rail 51 and further having a connecting plate 50 for increasing the yield of the side rail 51 and forming a solid linkage to the locking plate assembly 33 and further having a reinforced shim plate 54 for reinforcing a locking pin hole 53 and connecting plate 50 and vertically stabilizing the truss reinforced side rail assembly 22 ; wherein said conveyor apparatus is capable of being held in position by belt tension and further is capable of being held in position optionally by locking pins 32 and further is capable of rapid and efficient extendable, retractable construction in the mine, and wherein the continuous haulage system further is capable of handling larger and heavier pieces of equipment and wherein the continuous haulage system further is capable of being pulled to a different position in an underground mine as a complete unit.