Patent ID: 8919538

Claim:
A material extraction system for an underground mine, the system comprising: a material-cutting machine; and a face conveyor for transporting material cut by the material-cutting machine, the face conveyor including: a plurality of line pans positioned adjacent to one another, each line pan including a race having an outer race face and an inner race face, a plurality of flight-bars extending laterally across the line pans and received by the race, each flight bar including an end having an upper guide surface facing the outer race face and a lower guide surface facing the inner race face, and a connecting member extending through the plurality of flight-bars and coupling the flight-bars to one another, wherein lateral movement of any one of the flight-bars causing the upper guide surface to contact the outer race face substantially simultaneously causes the lower guide surface to contact the inner race face, wherein the flight-bars further include a low friction guidance system for guiding the flight-bars along the outer race face of the line pan, and wherein the guidance system comprises a roller extending outwardly from the upper guide surface and contacting the outer race face of the line pan.