A CONTINUOUS MINER HAVING A SUMPING FRAME [001] This application is a divisional application of Australian Patent Application No. 2008207529, which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [002] This invention relates to mining machines including a cutting drum mounted on a sumping frame, and more particularly, to such machines with mechanisms to improve the stability of the mining machine as the cutting drum sumps forward. [003] In the art of underground mining such as applied to the mining of coal from underground seams solid mineral is mined by providing mobile mining apparatus having mining head adapted by means of articulated mountings for dislodging the mineral in a substantially continuous manner. In practice such continuous mining operations often have comprised alternating sump and shear cutting cycles wherein the mining head is first actuated through a sump or horizontal cut into the mine face preparatory to a shear cut, and then through the shear or vertical cut across the face surface to dislodge mineral there from and to provide clearance for the advancing mining apparatus to pass. Subsequently the mining apparatus is trammed forward into the clearance cut by the mining head on tracks or the like to again position the apparatus adjacent the face surface for another sump and shear cutting sequence. Commonly, such continuous mining apparatus has also been adapted to automatically gather and load the mineral dislodged by the repeated cutting sequences into haulage means such as shuttle cars. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [004] The present invention provides a mining machine comprising: a support frame supported for movement by a crawler drive mechanism, the support frame defining a longitudinal axis; a sumping frame moveably coupled to the support frame, the sumping frame being moveable relative to the support frame in a first direction along the longitudinal axis and a second direction such that the sumping frame may be extended and retracted relative to the support frame, the sumping frame including a support boom and a cutting drum coupled to an 1 7401932_1 (GHMatters) P94525.AU.1 PETAK end of the support boom, the support boom pivotable about a boom axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cutting drum rotatable about a drum axis parallel to the boom axis; and a drill platform coupled to the support frame, the drill platform including a support plate, an actuator, a drill, a roof support, and a shield coupling the drill and the roof support to the support plate, the actuator being coupled to the support plate and extending the support plate relative to the support frame to engage a floor, the shield being coupled to the support frame to maintain the drill and the roof support in an upright position, the drill and roof support being extendable relative to the support frame to engage a roof, wherein the support plate and the shield are secured relative to the support frame while the sumping frame is moved relative to the support frame. [005] The mining machine can further comprise a second drill platform coupled to the support frame, the second drill platform including a support plate, a shield, a drill coupled to the shield, and a roof support coupled to the shield, the support plate being extendable relative to the support frame to engage a floor, the shield being coupled to the support frame to maintain the drill and the roof support in an upright position, the drill and roof support being extendable relative to the support frame to engage a roof, wherein the second drill platform is secured in a position relative to the machine when the sumping frame is moved relative to the support frame. [006] The mining machine can further comprise a gathering head for gathering mined material, the gathering head being pivotally coupled to the sumping frame, and an actuator for pivoting or extending the gathering head relative to the support frame. [007] The support frame can include a pair of channels, and the sumping frame includes a pair of pins slidably received within the channels, wherein the sumping frame is moveable relative to the support frame by sliding the pins within the channels. [008] The shield can be coupled to the support frame by a pivot arm for maintaining the shield in an upright position relative to the support frame. [009] In an embodiment described there is a continuous miner including a support frame having a support frame front, and a sumping frame mounted on the support frame for forward and rearward movement relative to the support frame. The sumping frame has a sumping frame front, 2 and the miner further includes a cutting drum pivotally mounted on the sumping frame, the cutting drum being positioned near the sumping frame front. The miner also includes a gathering head for gathering mined minerals pivotally mounted on the sumping frame front, and a hydraulic cylinder for pivoting and fixing the gathering head relative to the sumping frame in both the raising and lowering directions. The continuous miner also includes a first drilling platform pivotally mounted on the support frame front, a second drilling platform pivotally mounted on the support frame front and spaced apart from the first drilling platform, a hydraulic cylinder for pivoting and fixing the first drilling platform relative to the support frame independently of the second drilling platform, and a hydraulic cylinder for pivoting and fixing the second drilling platform relative to the support frame independently of the first drilling platform. [010] In another embodiment described there is provided a continuous miner including a support frame having a support frame front, a first drilling platform pivotally mounted on the support frame front, a second drilling platform pivotally mounted on the support frame front and spaced apart from the first drilling platform, and means for pivoting and fixing the first drilling platform relative to the support frame independently of the second drilling platform, and means for pivoting and fixing the second drilling platform relative to the support frame independently of the first drilling platform. [011] The first and second drilling platforms each include a support plate, and wherein each of the drilling platforms is pivotally mounted on the support frame front by each drilling platform including a first pivot arm on one side of the support plate and a second pivot arm on the other side of the support plate, and wherein each of the means for pivoting and fixing the drilling platform includes a hydraulic cylinder extending between the frame front and the drilling platform. [012] In yet another embodiment described there is provided a continuous miner including a support frame, a sumping frame mounted on the support frame for forward and rearward movement relative to the support frame, the sumping frame having a sumping frame front, a cutting drum pivotally mounted on the sumping frame, the cutting drum being positioned near the sumping frame front, gathering means for gathering mined minerals pivotally mounted on the 3 7401932_1 (GHMatters) P94525.AU.1 PETAK sumping frame front, and means for pivoting and fixing the gathering means relative to the sumping frame in both the raising and lowering directions. [013] Another embodiment described provides a continuous miner including a support frame having a support frame front, a sumping frame mounted on the support frame for forward and rearward movement relative to the support frame, the sumping frame having a sumping frame front, a cutting drum pivotally mounted on the sumping frame, the cutting drum being positioned near the sumping frame front, gathering means for gathering mined minerals pivotally mounted on the sumping frame front, means for pivoting and fixing the gathering means relative to the sumping frame in both the raising and lowering directions, a first drilling platform pivotally mounted on the support frame front, a second drilling platform pivotally mounted on the support frame front and spaced apart from the first drilling platform, means for pivoting and fixing the first drilling platform relative to the support frame independently of the second drilling platform, and means for pivoting and fixing the second drilling platform relative to the support frame independently of the first drilling platform. [014] The first and second drilling platforms each include a support plate, and wherein each of the drilling platforms is pivotally mounted on the support frame front by each drilling platform including a first pivot arm on one side of the support plate and a second pivot arm on the other side of the support plate, and wherein each of the means for pivoting and fixing the drilling platform includes a hydraulic cylinder extending between the frame front and the drilling platform. [015] The means for pivoting and fixing the gathering means can include a hydraulic cylinder extending between the frame front and the gathering head. [016] The means for pivoting and fixing the gathering means can include two spaced apart hydraulic cylinders extending between the sumping frame front and the means for gathering mined minerals, each cylinder being on an opposite side of the gathering means. [017] The gathering means can be a gathering head. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 4 [018] Figure 1 is a side view of a continuous mining machine. A boom having a cutter drum mounted on the end of the boom is shown in various cutting positions. [019] Figure 2 is a top view of the continuous miner, with the cutting drum removed. At the right end of the machine, the sumped position of the gathering head is shown in ghost. At the left end, the discharge conveyor is shown in various positions. [020] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the support frame of the continuous miner. [021] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sumping frame assembly of the continuous miner. [022] Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of the bottom of the continuous miner. [023] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the rightmost drill platform as shown in figure 2. [024] Figure 7 is a side view, when looking at the top of the mining machine in Figure 4, of the rightmost drilling platform shown in the raised position and the leftmost drilling platform shown in the lowered position. [025] Figure 8 is a schematic view of the connection of hydraulic cylinders that extend between the drilling platforms and the support frame. [026] Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [027] As illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the invention 10 is a mobile underground mining apparatus commonly referred to as a continuous miner. [028] The continuous miner 10 includes a mobile crawler base 14 carrying a support frame 12 on which is pivotally mounted adjacent the forward end or sumping frame front 19 thereof a sumping frame or assembly 20 including a forwardly extending boom 22 pivotally connected to 5 7401932_1 (GHMatters) P94525.AU.1 PETAK the sumping frame 20 and adapted to swing vertically intermediate a mine roof 26 and a floor 16. The sumping frame 20 is mounted on the support frame 12 for forward and rearward movement relative to the support frame 12. More particularly, the support frame 12 has a support frame front 17. The miner 10 also includes gathering means 28 for gathering mined minerals, the gathering means 28 being pivotally mounted on the sumping frame front 19, as further explained below. [029] The miner 10 also includes a cutting drum 18 attached to the end of the boom 22, and the cutting drum 18 is positioned near the sumping frame front 19. The cutting drum shown schematically at 18 may assume any of numerous well known forms such as a transversely extending cylindrical drum rotatably secured adjacent the forward most end of boom 22. A driving motor (not shown) is connected to the drum 18 as by a suitable drive train (not shown) to power the drum 18 in rotation whereby suitable cutter bit members (not shown) carried thereon are adapted to tear or gouge coal or other minerals from a mine face (not shown) as the head 18 is advanced into the mine face during mining. [030] More particularly, the gathering means for gathering mined minerals is a well-known gathering head 28. The gathering head 28 is pivotally carried adjacent the forward end 19 of the support frame 12, and extends forwardly there from generally adjacent the support boom 22 to gather the coal dislodged by the cutting drum 18. The gathering head 28 moves the minerals, such as coal, inwardly and rearwardly as by means of oscillating gathering arms (not shown) and a flighted chain conveyor 32 toward a well known loading boom 34 also carried by the sumping frame 20 adjacent the rearward end thereof and extending rearwardly there from. Boom 34 includes thereon any suitable powered conveying means (not shown) such as a flighted chain conveyor similar to the conveyor 32 for conveying coal received from the gathering head 28 rearwardly into any suitable hauling means (not shown) such as shuttle cars or the like. [031] Still more particularly, the sumping frame 20 is mounted on the support frame 12 as follows. As illustrated in Figure 4, the sumping frame 20 includes a forward sliding pin 40, and a rearward sliding pin 42. As illustrated in Figure 3, the support frame 12 includes forward channels 44 that receive the forward sliding pins 40, and rear channels 46 that receive the rearward sliding pins 42. The sumping frame 20 is caused to move relative to the support frame 6 12 by the extension or retraction of a hydraulic cylinder 48 (see Figure 4) connected between the sumping frame 20 and the support frame 12. More particularly, there are a pair of such hydraulic cylinders 48 (only one is shown) on each side of the sumping frame 20. [032] As best shown in Figure 5, the continuous miner 10 also includes a first drilling platform 50 pivotally mounted on the support frame front 17, a second drilling platform 54 pivotally mounted on the support frame front and spaced apart from the first drilling platform 50 (see Figures 2 and 5), means 58 for pivoting and fixing the first drilling platform 50 relative to the support frame independently of the second drilling platform, and means 62 (see Figure 8) for pivoting and fixing the second drilling platform 54 relative to the support frame 12 independently of the first drilling platform 50. [033] More particularly, as best shown in Figure 6, the first and second drilling platforms each include a support plate 66, and each of the drilling platforms is pivotally mounted on the support frame front 17 by each drilling platform including a first pivot arm 70 on one side of the support plate and a second pivot arm 74 on the other side of the support plate. Each of the means 58 and 62 for pivoting and fixing the drilling platform is in the form of a hydraulic cylinder extending between the support frame front 17 and the respective drilling platform. A front shield 67 (see Figures 5 and 6) extends from the forward edge of each support plate 66, and a third pivot arm 75 on the inboard side of the drilling platform above and spaced apart from the second pivot arm 74 is pivotally connected between the support frame front 17 and the front shield 67 to further aid in maintaining the drilling platform in an upright position when the drilling platform is located above the mine floor. A drill 69 and a temporary roof support 71 are also mounted on the front shield 67. An operator's shield 73 is also attached to the outboard side of the front shield 67. [034] As shown schematically in Figure 8, each of the cylinders 58 and 62 is independently connected through its own respective valves 75 and 76 to a high pressure line 77, for independently extending the respective hydraulic cylinder, and independently connected through its own respective valves 78 and 79 to a low pressure line 80 for retracting the respective hydraulic cylinder Thus the valves permit each drilling platform is be fixed independently in a particular position. This has the advantage of providing further structural support or stability, as 7 7401932_1 (GHMatters) P94525.AU.1 PETAK needed on either side of the support frame 12, when the sumping frame 20 is slid forward along the support frame 12. This arrangement also has the advantage of providing assistance in positioning the continuous miner 10 in correct vertical orientation to the mined face [035] The miner 10 also includes means 82 for pivoting and fixing the gathering means relative to the sumping frame in both the raising and lowering directions. More particularly, the means 82 for pivoting and fixing the gathering means includes a hydraulic cylinder 86 extending between the frame front and the gathering head. And still more particularly, two spaced apart hydraulic cylinders 86 extend between the sumping frame front and the means for gathering mined minerals, and each cylinder 86 is on an opposite side of the gathering head. A valve arrangement similar to that shown in regards to the hydraulic cylinders 58 and 62 is used to fix the gathering head 28 in a particular position. This has the advantage of providing further structural support or stability to the continuous miner 10 when the sumping frame 20 is slid forward along the support frame 12. [036] Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following claims. [037] It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention. [038] While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all modifications which would be obvious to those skilled in the art are therefore intended to be embraced therein. [039] It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country. [040] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word 8 "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention. 9 7401932_1 (GHMatters) P94525.AU.1 PETAK