Abstract: An agricultural sweep has a main body with a cutting edge including a tip and winged portions extending away from the tip. The tip and winged portions have hardfacing material on them. In the improvement, the width of the hardfacing material on the tip is greater than the width of the hardfacing material on the winged portions, thereby conforming the location of hardfacing material to a soil pressure gradient along the cutting edge. A new method for applying a hardfacing material to an agricultural sweep includes the steps of (a) determining a face pressure gradient resulting from soil passing across the face and applying hardfacing material to those portions of the face at which the gradient exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: An improved roof support system for a mine or the like is of the type which includes a pair of plates secured to a roof of the mine at opposite sides thereof adjacent opposing ribs of the mine and an enlongated reinforcing member extending horizontally and transversely of the mine between the pair of plates. The reinforcing member has a first rod and a second rod threadably joined to an adjustable sleeve for joining the first rod and the second rod while being able to vary an overall length of the reinforcing member. Each of the rods has a bolt head thereon including a transversely extending working surface. Each of the plates has an opening therein for respective receipt of the bolt heads of the first rod and the second rod of the reinforcing member therethrough. Each of the plates has a force bearing surface adjacent the opening therein which is capable of respectively making contact at least a part of working surface of the first rod and the second rod.