Introduction

The purpose of this work was to Investigate the rate at which coal is delivered from the underground working face by gathering arm type loaders as employed on continuous mining machines, to identify the factors - geometrical , geological, mechanical, or procedural - which affect the delivery rate, and to develop quantitative rate-descriptive equations for the loading function. The mathematical techniques employed were factor analysis and multiple linear regression. It was determined that the coal-cutting function of the continuous mining machine is the factor that primarily Influences the loading function The geometrical factors -the dimensions of the work area In relation to the dimensions of the mining machine -were the factors of secondary influence. Fifty-five percent of the experimental variation in the loading function was explained in terms of the six most prominent Independent variables. It is expected that this work will be useful In operations-research studies as applied to underground coal mining, and with refinement will enable mine planners to select equipment based on the operating characteristics of the equipment and the mining conditions.