IMPROVEMENTS IN MINERAL MINING INSTALLATIONS

A mineral mining installation with a plough guided on a guide member at the mineral face side of a longwall conveyor. The guide member is part of a trough-like frame which receives the conveyor therein. A plurality of rods extend beneath the frame and conveyor. Each rod has a head slidably received between the floor of the working and a part of the guide member; the rods being used to vary the position of the guide member to control the cutting position of the plough. Each rod is pivotably connected to a lever which is in turn pivotably connected to a bracket at a goaf side wall of the frame. Each lever is connected to a shifting ram and the levers and brackets have bores for receiving locking pins. These pins can selectively clamp the levers whereby the rams can be used to shift the installation or displace the rods via the levers to effect the control of the plough.