Patent ID: 8523287

Claim:
A guidance system for mining a seam of material, the seam of material defining a seam plane, the guidance system comprising: a mining machine including a cutter head, the mining machine defining a roll axis extending the length of the machine, a pitch axis extending from one side of the machine to the other side, and a yaw axis extending from a top side of the machine to the bottom side; a carriage including a first emitter, a second emitter, and a third emitter, the first emitter projecting a first laser that is aligned with the seam plane, the second emitter projecting a second laser, and the third emitter projecting a third laser; and a guide assembly including a first indicator and a target, the first indicator being aligned with the second laser, the target being aligned with the third laser, wherein the relative positions of the first indicator with respect to the second laser and the target with respect to the third laser indicate the orientation of the roll axis, pitch axis, and yaw axis relative to the seam plane.