Continuous miner mid-conveyor drive

1. A continuous miner comprising:

a mining portion;

a support frame connected to the mining portion;

a discharge portion pivotally attached to the support frame, the discharge portion configured to swing laterally relative to the support frame about a pivot axis;

a conveyor extending across the support frame and discharge portion, the conveyor moving mined material from the mining portion to the discharge portion, the conveyor including a conveyor chain, a rear roller, and a front roller; and

a conveyor drive system for driving the conveyor chain, the conveyor drive system located on a bottom surface of the continuous miner and including a drive member located between the rear roller and the front roller that is engaged directly with the conveyor chain.

2. The continuous miner of claim 1 , wherein the drive member is a drive sprocket and wherein the conveyor drive system includes a retention roller, the conveyor chain engaged with both the drive sprocket and the retention roller, the retention roller located above the drive sprocket and positioned between the drive sprocket and a portion of the conveyor chain moving from the mining portion toward the discharge portion.

3. The continuous miner of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor drive system is located between the rear roller and the pivot axis.

4. The continuous miner of claim 3 , wherein the drive member is a drive sprocket, and wherein a ratio of a distance between an axis of rotation of the rear roller and an axis of rotation of the drive sprocket, and a distance between the axis of rotation of the drive sprocket and the pivot axis is between approximately 0.5 and 2.0.

5. The continuous miner of claim 4 , wherein the ratio is between approximately 0.75 and 1.5.

6. The continuous miner of claim 5 , wherein the ratio is between approximately 0.9 and 1.1.

7. The continuous miner of claim 3 , wherein the conveyor drive system is located approximately halfway between the rear roller and the pivot axis.

8. The continuous miner of claim 1 , wherein the rear roller redirects the conveyor from a direction in which the conveyor is moving from the mining portion toward the discharge portion to a direction in which the conveyor is moving from the discharge portion toward the mining portion.

9. The continuous miner of claim 1 , wherein the mining portion and discharge portion are coupled to the support frame at opposite ends thereof.

10. The continuous miner of claim 1 , wherein the mining portion includes a plurality of rotary cutting heads.

11. The continuous miner of claim 10 , wherein the mining portion includes a cutting head boom attached to the support frame and the rotary cutting heads.

12. The continuous miner of claim 1 , further including a loading pan pivotally attached to the support frame.

13. The continuous miner of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor chain forms a continuous loop within the continuous miner.

14. The continuous miner of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor includes a plurality of flight bars attached to the conveyor chain.

15. A continuous miner comprising:

a mining portion including a plurality of rotary cutting heads and a cutting head boom, the cutting head boom having a first end and a second end, the rotary cutting heads attached to the cutting head boom at the first end;

a support frame pivotally attached to the second end;

a loading pan pivotally attached to the support frame, the loading pan having a top surface inclined at a downward angle relative to the support frame;

a discharge portion pivotally attached to the support frame, the discharge portion configured to swing laterally relative to the support frame about a pivot axis;

a conveyor extending across the support frame and the discharge portion, the conveyor moving mined material from the mining portion to the discharge portion, the conveyor including a conveyor chain, a rear roller in continuous contact with the conveyor chain, and a front roller in continuous contact with the conveyor chain, the conveyor chain forming a continuous loop about the rear roller and front roller; and

a conveyor drive system for driving the conveyor chain, the conveyor drive system located on a bottom surface of the continuous miner and including a drive member located between the rear roller and the front roller that is engaged directly with the conveyor chain.

16. The continuous miner of claim 15 , wherein the drive member is a drive sprocket and wherein the conveyor drive system includes a retention roller, the conveyor chain engaged with both the drive sprocket and the retention roller, the retention roller located above the drive sprocket and positioned between the drive sprocket and a portion of the conveyor chain moving from the mining portion toward the discharge portion.

17. The continuous miner of claim 15 , wherein the conveyor drive system is located between the rear roller and the pivot axis.

18. The continuous miner of claim 17 , wherein the drive member is a drive sprocket, and wherein a ratio of a distance between an axis of rotation of the rear roller and an axis of rotation of the drive sprocket, and a distance between the axis of rotation of the drive sprocket and the pivot axis is between approximately 0.5 and 2.0.

19. The continuous miner of claim 18 , wherein the ratio is between approximately 0.75 and 1.5.

20. The continuous miner of claim 19 , wherein the ratio is between approximately 0.9 and 1.1.