A connector for coupling a plurality of underground roof supports, each roof support including a canopy. The connector includes a guide configured to be coupled to one of the roof supports, and an actuator having a bore and a rod at least partially positioned in the bore. An end of the rod is slidably coupled to the guide. A cable has a first end coupled to the end of the rod and a second end adapted for connection to another of the roof supports.

An apparatus, system, and method for automated support of a gate entry for underground full extraction mining that includes gathering entry data for a condition of a gate entry by way of a gate entry support. The method also includes determining, by way of the gate entry support, the condition of the gate entry, advancing the gate entry support in response to determining that the condition satisfies an entry condition threshold. The method may also signal a halt condition for a production cycle, if the condition fails to satisfy the entry condition threshold.

An apparatus, system, and method for automated support of a gate entry for underground full extraction mining that includes gathering entry data for a condition of a gate entry by way of a gate entry support. The method also includes determining, by way of the gate entry support, the condition of the gate entry, advancing the gate entry support in response to determining that the condition satisfies an entry condition threshold. The method may also signal a halt condition for a production cycle, if the condition fails to satisfy the entry condition threshold.

A connector for coupling a plurality of underground roof supports, each roof support including a canopy. The connector includes a guide configured to be coupled to one of the roof supports, and an actuator having a bore and a rod at least partially positioned in the bore. An end of the rod is slidably coupled to the guide. A cable has a first end coupled to the end of the rod and a second end adapted for connection to another of the roof supports.

A longwall N00 mining method includes performing a no-entry excavation and non-pillar mining in N working faces of a new district, and the whole district is provided with an air-return dip, a haulage dip and a track dip, wherein the air-return dip and the track dip are located on one end of the district, and the haulage dip is connected to the other end of the district, and connected to the air-return dip. This method can not only ensure ventilation of the whole coal cutting are, but also when mining is performed in each working face in the district, entries can be automatically formed due to top-cutting pressure release by using a part of a gob area, and thereby it is not required to separately excavate any gateroad entry during mining coal nor need to retain any coal pillar, so as to save resources and improve efficiency.

A wear pad for a longwall mining shield base lift. The wear pad includes at least one spanner hole for rotating the wear pad with a lever, at least one threaded retaining hole, and a retaining bolt threaded through the retaining hole until it contacts a cylinder rod to which the wear pad is to be attached.

A longwall N00 mining method includes performing a no-entry excavation and non-pillar mining in N working faces of a new district, and the whole district is provided with an air-return dip, a haulage dip and a track dip, wherein the air-return dip and the track dip are located on one end of the district, and the haulage dip is connected to the other end of the district, and connected to the air-return dip. This method can not only ensure ventilation of the whole coal cutting are, but also when mining is performed in each working face in the district, entries can be automatically formed due to top-cutting pressure release by using a part of a gob area, and thereby it is not required to separately excavate any gateroad entry during mining coal nor need to retain any coal pillar, so as to save resources and improve efficiency.

A longwall mining shield base lift method. The method includes removing an old wear pad and installing a new wear pad.