A conveyor includes an endless belt, a boot end supporting a portion of the endless belt, a support structure, and a bridge. The endless belt includes a first run and a second run, and the first run extends along a conveyor axis. The support structure includes an end spaced apart from the boot end, a plurality of frames, and a plurality of idler rolls. The frames are spaced apart from one another and aligned with one another in a direction parallel to the conveyor axis. The idler rolls support another portion of the endless belt. The bridge extends between the boot end and the end of the support structure. The bridge is movable in a direction parallel to the conveyor axis relative to at least one of the boot end and the support structure.

A conveyor includes an endless belt, a boot end supporting a portion of the endless belt, a support structure, and a bridge. The endless belt includes a first run and a second run, and the first run extends along a conveyor axis. The support structure includes an end spaced apart from the boot end, a plurality of frames, and a plurality of idler rolls. The frames are spaced apart from one another and aligned with one another in a direction parallel to the conveyor axis. The idler rolls support another portion of the endless belt. The bridge extends between the boot end and the end of the support structure. The bridge is movable in a direction parallel to the conveyor axis relative to at least one of the boot end and the support structure.

A mining system includes: a first tunnel that reaches a dump site and includes a first road surface; a second tunnel that crosses the first tunnel, reaches a mining site, and includes a second road surface positioned above the first road surface; a frame that includes a lower surface provided above the first road surface of the first tunnel and forming a transport passage between the first road surface and the lower surface and an upper surface forming a work road surface, on which a loading machine operates, together with the second road surface; and a moving vehicle that is capable of traveling on the first road surface and is capable of passing through the transport passage.

A method is to excavate main roadways in the upper and lower parts separately and an inclined intake roadway in the central part of the mine and pre-excavate an inclined seam roadway as the first mining face at the boundary on one side of the mine. Staring from the mine boundary, the retreating mining shall be carried out on the first mining face strip by strip with belt conveyors arranged in the upper main roadway and assistant conveying devices in the lower main roadway and inclined intake roadway; the open-off cut of the first mining face shall be built on the underside of the upper main roadway at the boundary of the mine to carry out the downward inclined mining on the strike and along the inclination.

A method is to excavate main roadways in the upper and lower parts separately and an inclined intake roadway in the central part of the mine and pre-excavate an inclined seam roadway as the first mining face at the boundary on one side of the mine. Staring from the mine boundary, the retreating mining shall be carried out on the first mining face strip by strip with belt conveyors arranged in the upper main roadway and assistant conveying devices in the lower main roadway and inclined intake roadway; the open-off cut of the first mining face shall be built on the underside of the upper main roadway at the boundary of the mine to carry out the downward inclined mining on the strike and along the inclination.

A method is provided for removing slack in a chain conveyor driven between a first sprocket and a second sprocket, the first sprocket and the second sprocket rotating in a first direction. The method includes: locking the second sprocket to prevent rotation of the second sprocket in a second direction opposite the first direction; operating the first sprocket in the second direction to position a slack portion between the first sprocket and the second sprocket; and removing at least one chain link from the slack portion.

A method is provided for removing slack in a chain conveyor driven between a first sprocket and a second sprocket, the first sprocket and the second sprocket rotating in a first direction. The method includes: locking the second sprocket to prevent rotation of the second sprocket in a second direction opposite the first direction; operating the first sprocket in the second direction to position a slack portion between the first sprocket and the second sprocket; and removing at least one chain link from the slack portion.

Controlling an output of a mining system. The control includes receiving, at a processor, a first signal associated with a position of the shearer, determining, using the processor, the position of the shearer based on the first signal, receiving, at the processor, a second signal associated with a load of a conveyor, and determining, using the processor, the load of the conveyor based on the second signal. The method further includes determining, using the processor, an output of the mining system based on the position of the shearer and the load of the conveyor and controlling a speed of the shearer based on the output of the mining system.

Controlling an output of a mining system. The control includes receiving, at a processor, a first signal associated with a position of the shearer, determining, using the processor, the position of the shearer based on the first signal, receiving, at the processor, a second signal associated with a load of a conveyor, and determining, using the processor, the load of the conveyor based on the second signal. The method further includes determining, using the processor, an output of the mining system based on the position of the shearer and the load of the conveyor and controlling a speed of the shearer based on the output of the mining system.

Systems and methods for controlling a conveyor in a mining system. The conveyor includes a sprocket, a chain, a hydraulic cylinder, one or more sensors, and a controller. In one implementation, the method includes sensing a characteristic associated with the conveyor, generating a signal based on the characteristic, determining a tension associated with the chain based on the signal, determining an amount of chain stretch based on the tension, and modifying a position of the hydraulic cylinder based on the amount of chain stretch.