An appliance for the storage of coal from the face conveyors during peaks of production or during a stoppage of the outby transport. It may consist of a length of conveyor chain running in high-capacity pans arranged under the delivery end of the gate conveyor. When the trunk conveyor cannot handle the coal from the gate conveyor, the bunker chain is slowly drawn back carrying about 1 st (0.9 t) of coal per yard of chain. The bunker is later discharged by reversing the process.