Disclosed is an articulated assembly of two links for a ballast removal chain, a first of the two links comprising a single-piece member having two flanges which are parallel to one another and each of which has a through-hole, a second of the two links comprising a single-piece member comprising a guide flange that is inserted between the two parallel flanges of the first link, the guide flange being penetrated by a guide hole, the articulated assembly further comprising a hinge pin that is inserted into the guide hole and the through-hole in each of the two parallel flanges. The guide hole is reinforced by a bushing designed to receive the hinge pin and rotatingly guide the hinge pin relative to the single-piece member of the second link. The through-hole in one of the two parallel flanges comprises a flat portion cooperating with a flat section of the hinge pin so as to prevent the hinge pin from rotating relative to the single-piece member of the first link.

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.