A continuous mining machine has a rotatable cutter head which is slidably mounted on a feed bar which in turn is slidably mounted on a support bar carried by a movable carrier. A cable extends over a sheave which is mounted on one end of the feed bar where one end of the cable is connected to the cutter head and the other end fixed with respect to the support bar. Means are provided for sliding the feed bar longitudinally with respect to the support bar whereby the cutter head will slide along the feed bar at twice the velocity that the feed bar slides with respect to the support bar.