Abstract: A self-advancing mine roof support is provided, in addition to the normal manually operable control valve means for controlling raising and lowering of the roof-engaging structure of the support and operation of the advancing means, with an automatic sequence control valve means operable in response to a control signal from a position removed from the support, for example from an adjacent support, and an isolating valve means arranged so that control of the various operations can be effected either by means of the manually operable means or from the safety of a location spaced away from the support being controlled by means of the automatic valve means each independently of the other.

Abstract: A control device for controlling hydraulically actuated equipment, the device comprising a fluid distributing block and a plurality of control valve units detachably mounted side-by-side on the block, the block being formed with an inlet opening, an outlet opening, a plurality of control line openings, a plurality of delivery openings, a plurality of return openings, a plurality of valve unit communicating openings, and internal passage means, the said internal passage means connecting the inlet opening with each of the delivery openings, connecting the outlet opening with each of the return openings, and connecting the control line opening with respective corresponding ones of the valve unit communicating openings.

Abstract: A mine roof support control monitoring system in which at least some of a row of self advancing mine-roof supports at a mine face each include means for providing data relating to successive advances of that support. This data is accumulated by other means of the system and stored to give readily available indicationsof differences of actual support advances. The system preferably further includes means for pre-energizing the advance mechanisms of such supports to eliminate data relating to slack or tolerance.

Abstract: Apparatus for remotely operating self-advancing supports or the like at a long-walled pit face of a coal mine comprises a receiver attached to every group of the supports which are arranged in front of and along the long-walled pit face, each of the receivers having a specific frequency, hydraulic cylinders attached to the support for causing the support to be operated, electromagnetic valves connected to the receiver to control the hydraulic cylinders, and a portable operating means including keys for specifying the groups of the supports, key switches for specifying the supports to be operated, and a transmitting circuit having operating switches, wherein operating signals are applied from the operating means via the radio system to the receivers.