A composite climb structure includes a climber, a horizontal planar structure, and a ramp coupled on to a base plate. The horizontal planar structure and the ramp are collinearly situated on opposite sides of the climber. The climber is pressed by a robotic vehicle moving on to it from the horizontal planar structure, the climber being pressed to a final position, wherein the angle of elevation (BOC) of the climber is same as the angle of elevation of the ramp, thereby facilitating traversal of the robotic vehicle from the horizontal planar structure on to the ramp.

A system for determining the position and orientation of a cutter module relative to a frame of a highwall miner is provided. The cutter module is attached to the highwall miner by a string of push beams and moveable relative to the highwall miner. A reel is rotatably mounted to the highwall miner frame and configured to feed out a hose chain that supplies fluid to the cutter module. A fiber optic shape sensing system is associated with the cutter module is configured to receive strain information from the fiber bundle and compute the location of at least one position of the fiber bundle that is associated with the cutter module relative to the reference frame.

A method of controlling a shearer is disclosed. The shearer may be configured to travel along a longwall face to extract material with a first cutting drum and a second cutting drum. The method may include setting a first cutting profile including a plurality of desired positions (Di) to be approached by the first cutting drum in a first travel direction (E). Further, the method may include determining a plurality of actual advancing vectors (vi) indicating a change of a position of the shearer resulting from advancing the shearer towards the longwall face. The method may also include determining a plurality of shearer orientations (Oi) along the longwall face. In addition, the method may include generating a second cutting profile to be approached by at least one of the first cutting drum and the second cutting drum in a second travel direction (F) of the shearer.

A method of controlling a shearer is disclosed. The shearer may be configured to travel along a longwall face to extract material with a first cutting drum and a second cutting drum. The method may include setting a first cutting profile including a plurality of desired positions (Di) to be approached by the first cutting drum in a first travel direction (E). Further, the method may include determining a plurality of actual advancing vectors (vi) indicating a change of a position of the shearer resulting from advancing the shearer towards the longwall face. The method may also include determining a plurality of shearer orientations (Oi) along the longwall face. In addition, the method may include generating a second cutting profile to be approached by at least one of the first cutting drum and the second cutting drum in a second travel direction (F) of the shearer.

A distributed coal cutting device for a Longwall face of a coal mine includes coal cutting units, where each coal cutting unit includes one coal cutting machine and two hydraulic supports, the two hydraulic supports are arranged side by side, the arrangement direction of the two hydraulic supports is parallel to the coal wall of the Longwall face, and the coal cutting machine is connected with one of the hydraulic supports. According to the device, multiple coal cutting machines are used for simultaneously carrying out coal cutting operation, and single-point coal cutting is changed into multiple-point simultaneous coal cutting, so that the coal cutting production capacity and the production efficiency are greatly improved. The multiple coal cutting machines can derive multiple control modes, so that the production flexibility and adaptability are improved.

A distributed coal cutting device for a Longwall face of a coal mine includes coal cutting units, where each coal cutting unit includes one coal cutting machine and two hydraulic supports, the two hydraulic supports are arranged side by side, the arrangement direction of the two hydraulic supports is parallel to the coal wall of the Longwall face, and the coal cutting machine is connected with one of the hydraulic supports. According to the device, multiple coal cutting machines are used for simultaneously carrying out coal cutting operation, and single-point coal cutting is changed into multiple-point simultaneous coal cutting, so that the coal cutting production capacity and the production efficiency are greatly improved. The multiple coal cutting machines can derive multiple control modes, so that the production flexibility and adaptability are improved.

A cable handling system for a longwall mining machine is disclosed. The longwall mining machine includes a shearer configured to move along a pan line to mine material along a mine face. The cable handling system includes a service line configured to carry one or more supply lines to the shearer for facilitating shearer operation. Further, a plurality of interconnected trays accommodates the service line. Moreover, a controller is configured to determine a profile of the pan line; detect one or more parameters associated with the service line in relation to the profile of the pan line; and determine a likelihood of at least a portion of the service line dislodging from the plurality of interconnected trays based on the one or more parameters exceeding a predefined threshold.

A vertical lifting type drum coal-mining machine without a rocker arm includes a central control box, left and right cutting and lifting reduction gear boxes, left and right guide rail fixing box bodies, left and right traction reduction gear boxes, and left and right traveling gear boxes. The left and right cutting and lifting reduction gear boxes are provided with slideways in fit with lifting guide rails of the left and right guide rail fixing box bodies. Lifting cylinders drive the left and right cutting and lifting reduction gear boxes to make lifting motion. A cutting gear reduction mechanism adopts two-stage fixed-axle gear transmission and two-stage planetary gear transmission, is free from multiple idler pulley groups and has simple transmission chain. The fit between the lifting guide rails and the slideways enables the entire machine to be compact in structure, and the reliability and stability of operation are improved.

A vertical lifting type drum coal-mining machine without a rocker arm includes a central control box, left and right cutting and lifting reduction gear boxes, left and right guide rail fixing box bodies, left and right traction reduction gear boxes, and left and right traveling gear boxes. The left and right cutting and lifting reduction gear boxes are provided with slideways in fit with lifting guide rails of the left and right guide rail fixing box bodies. Lifting cylinders drive the left and right cutting and lifting reduction gear boxes to make lifting motion. A cutting gear reduction mechanism adopts two-stage fixed-axle gear transmission and two-stage planetary gear transmission, is free from multiple idler pulley groups and has simple transmission chain. The fit between the lifting guide rails and the slideways enables the entire machine to be compact in structure, and the reliability and stability of operation are improved.

A guide shoe for a mining machine includes an elongated shoe body, a slot, an insert coupled to the shoe body, and a retainer secured to the shoe body. The shoe body includes a first end, a second end, a first wall, and a second wall. The slot extends between the first end and the second end along a slot axis, and the slot extends along the first wall and the second wall. The insert is positioned between the shoe body and the slot axis and extends along at least a portion of a perimeter of a cross-section of the slot. The insert includes an end positioned adjacent the first end of the shoe body. The retainer abuts the end of the insert to secure the insert against movement relative to the shoe body in a direction parallel to the slot axis.