Material handling apparatus for a mining machine

A flexible material handling apparatus adapted to be installed on a full face heading machine is provided, comprising a material handling member and a linkage member coupled together in a head-tail manner by a joint connection, the linkage member at the other end may be coupled to a frame of a heading machine. The entire apparatus may be retracted to rest on the side of the machine frame, and maintained there by certain locking means. The material handling member may be swivelled about two separate vertical axes and be brought outward to an oblique front position, where one or more locking means may be included to secure the material handling member fixed in place relative to the machine frame.