Abstract: A roof bar for surface support elements having an L-shaped gap sealing plate which is fixed to at least one side of the roof bar and displaceable toward an adjacent roof bar. The vertical section of the roof bar is formed as a buffer plate for engaging a pivoted hydraulic cylinder supported on the roof bar. A horizontal section of the gap sealing plate is held in a guide below the top plate of the roof bar.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a mine roof support, for use at a mineral face, comprising a base member, extensible props means mounted on said base member, a roof-engaging structure mounted on said prop means for application thereby to a roof to be supported, a multi-part flushing screen shield including upper and lower parts arranged on the goaf side of the support, first hinge means mutually connecting the parts of said screening shield ad having a flexible member connecting the upper part of the shield and the roof-engaging structure and which permits movements of the upper part of the shield about an axis lying transversely to the longitudinal direction of the mineral face, and second hinge means connecting the lower part of the shield with the base member and having a hinge axis which lies transversely to the longitudinal direction of the mineral face, whereby the screening shield is pivotally movable with respect to the support not only towards and away from the mineral face but also parallel thereto.

Abstract: A shield support assembly for underground mining operations having a caving shield supported from a ground-engaging structure by a support beam pivotally attached at opposite ends to the shield and the ground-engaging structure, the shield being also pivotally attached to such ground-engaging structure by a pivot which is displaceable longitudinally of such structure by pressure-fluid-operated ram means arranged to act between such structure and the shield, the pivot or an extension of the shield beyond the pivot.

Abstract: A shield support for underground mining operations having a roof bar pivotally mounted on the upper end of a caving shield and laterally extensible aperture sealing plates of L-section arranged along opposite sides of the roof bar and opposite sides of the caving shield, the plates on the roof bar extending back to the rearward edge of the roof bar and the plates on the caving shield extending no further forward than the arc described by the rearward end of the roof bar plates upon pivoting of the roof bar relative to the caving shield.

Abstract: A mine roof support for use at a mineral face comprises at least one prop, a canopy or roof-engaging structure adapted to lie against the roof of a mine working, a base member adapted to lie on a floor of said mine working, and a shield flexibly connecting, by hinge means, said canopy or roof-engaging structure and said base member. Said hinge means have their axes lying in the longitudinal direction of the mineral face and the hinge means connecting the shield to the base member is constructed so as to provide additionally for movement of the shield laterally relatively to the base member. In one preferred construction the axis of said hinge, which as stated lies in the longitudinal direction of the mineral face, is itself pivotable about an axis lying in the advancing direction of the roof support. The hinge connecting the shield to the canopy or roof-engaging structure may be similarly constructed.