A link for a conveyor chain includes a first portion and a second portion laterally spaced apart from the first portion. The first portion includes a first sprocket-engaging pin, and the second portion includes a second sprocket-engaging pin. The first sprocket-engaging pin and the second sprocket-engaging pin protrude laterally away from one another. The first sprocket-engaging pin and the second sprocket-engaging pin may each have an oblong cross-section. At least one retainer can secure a connecting pin against movement relative to at least one of the first portion and the second portion, and each retainer can be positioned substantially within one of the first portion and the second portion.

An auxiliary transportation and support system used after rapid excavation is provided. The system includes a crushing and transportation device, a roof bolt support device and a side bolt support device. The crushing and transportation device includes a traveling mechanism, a transportation device, a receiving hopper, and a crushing device. The traveling mechanism is located at a bottom of the crushing and transportation device. A chassis is arranged above the traveling mechanism. The transportation device is mounted on the chassis along a traveling direction of the traveling mechanism. The receiving hopper and the crushing device are both arranged on the transportation device. The roof bolt support device includes a roof bolter, a middle roof bolter and a horizontally telescopic arm which is arranged at a head end of the chassis. The roof bolter is coupled to a movable stretching end of the horizontally telescopic arm.

An auxiliary transportation and support system used after rapid excavation is provided. The system includes a crushing and transportation device, a roof bolt support device and a side bolt support device. The crushing and transportation device includes a traveling mechanism, a transportation device, a receiving hopper, and a crushing device. The traveling mechanism is located at a bottom of the crushing and transportation device. A chassis is arranged above the traveling mechanism. The transportation device is mounted on the chassis along a traveling direction of the traveling mechanism. The receiving hopper and the crushing device are both arranged on the transportation device. The roof bolt support device includes a roof bolter, a middle roof bolter and a horizontally telescopic arm which is arranged at a head end of the chassis. The roof bolter is coupled to a movable stretching end of the horizontally telescopic arm.

A conveyor chain includes a first flight including a first side portion having a first aperture, a first flight bar, and a first sprocket-engaging portion. The conveyor chain also includes a second flight including a second side portion having a second aperture, a second flight bar, and a second sprocket-engaging portion. The conveyor chain further includes a connecting pin having a first end portion received within the first aperture and a second end portion received within the second aperture. The connecting pin couples the first and second flights together. The first sprocket-engaging portion is positioned laterally outwardly of the first end portion of the connecting pin and the second sprocket-engaging portion is positioned laterally outwardly of the second end portion of the connecting pin.

Disclosed is a device and method for distributed detection of straightness of a working face of a scraper conveyor based on optical fiber sensing. The device includes a broadband light source, a first optical fiber circulator array, a second optical fiber circulator array, a collimator array, a reflecting film array, a third optical fiber circulator array, and an optical path analyzer. During transmission of light emitted from the broadband light source, the light with different wavelengths is separated via several optical gratings etched on a single-mode optical fiber (SMF), and reaches reflecting films adhered to the working face of the scraper conveyor through first optical fiber circulators, second optical fiber circulators, and collimators. The light with the different wavelengths is then reflected back from the reflecting films, enters the SMF through third optical fiber circulators, and finally enters the optical path analyzer.

The present invention discloses a dendritic reverse underground mining method for a thin coal seam at an end slope of a strip mine. The method includes the following steps: step S1: using a continuous coal mining machine to excavate a main adit toward a boundary of the strip mine along a seam floor; step S2: excavating secondary adits on two sides of the main adit obliquely in a forward direction of the main adit; step S3: transporting the excavated coal out of the main adit by the self-moving belt conveyors; step S4: after the excavating of a secondary adit of the secondary adits is ended, withdrawing the continuous coal mining machine and the self-moving belt conveyor from the secondary adit, and then excavating subsequent secondary adits of the secondary adits in a similar way; step S5: filling the secondary adits, and filling a goaf of the main adit.

Apparatus and methodologies of mining hydrocarbons from a target area within a subterranean formation are provided wherein a first phase involves providing at least one production well having at least one mechanical excavator rotatably disposed therein and rotating the mechanical excavator to convey the mined hydrocarbons from the formation to the surface, and a second phase involves, as the hydrocarbons being mined are depleted, withdrawing the mechanical excavator away from the formation, such that additional hydrocarbons are mined.

A conveyor chain includes a first flight including a first side portion having a first aperture, a first flight bar, and a first sprocket-engaging portion. The conveyor chain also includes a second flight including a second side portion having a second aperture, a second flight bar, and a second sprocket-engaging portion. The conveyor chain further includes a connecting pin having a first end portion received within the first aperture and a second end portion received within the second aperture. The connecting pin couples the first and second flights together. The first sprocket-engaging portion is positioned laterally outwardly of the first end portion of the connecting pin and the second sprocket-engaging portion is positioned laterally outwardly of the second end portion of the connecting pin.

A system for monitoring a condition of a pan line associated with a longwall mining system includes multiple pan segments arranged in a successive manner. Adjacently located pan segments are moveably coupled by an interconnecting joint. An underside of each pan segment defines an opening whose axis is parallel to a plane of the associated pan segment. The system also includes a fiber optic shape sensing system that has a fiber optic cable disposed along the multiple pan segments and located within the opening of each pan segment. A controller coupled to the fiber optic cable detects a shape of the fiber optic cable, identifies a position of each pan segment based on the detected shape of the fiber optic cable, and determines if a fault exists in the interconnecting joints between adjacently located pan segments based on the identified positions of respective ones of the adjacently located pan segments.

A system for monitoring a condition of a pan line associated with a longwall mining system includes multiple pan segments arranged in a successive manner. Adjacently located pan segments are moveably coupled by an interconnecting joint. An underside of each pan segment defines an opening whose axis is parallel to a plane of the associated pan segment. The system also includes a fiber optic shape sensing system that has a fiber optic cable disposed along the multiple pan segments and located within the opening of each pan segment. A controller coupled to the fiber optic cable detects a shape of the fiber optic cable, identifies a position of each pan segment based on the detected shape of the fiber optic cable, and determines if a fault exists in the interconnecting joints between adjacently located pan segments based on the identified positions of respective ones of the adjacently located pan segments.