System and method for controlling roof support

1 . A system for controlling a roof support including a base, a canopy for engaging a mine surface, and a shield coupled to the canopy and positioned between a rear end of the base and the canopy, the system comprising:

an actuator operable to extend and retract a link coupled between the base and the shield, wherein extension and retraction of the link generates translational motion of the canopy relative to a mine face while maintaining a height of the canopy relative to the base and a distance between the base and the mine face;

a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a position of an end of the canopy relative to the mine face; and

a controller configured to:

receive the signal indicative of the position of the canopy relative to the mine face,

determine that a portion of a mining machine will contact a portion of the canopy based on the signal, and

operate the actuator to adjust the position of the canopy relative to the mine face while maintaining the height of the canopy and the distance between the base and the mine face.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate an alert to an operator.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal is a first signal, the controller being configured to receive a second signal indicative of at least one of a position of the mining machine and a path of the mining machine, the controller comparing the first signal to the second signal.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines that contact will occur if the controller determines that the portion of the mining machine will be positioned less than a predetermined minimum distance relative to the canopy.

5 . A method for controlling operation of a roof support including a base, a canopy for engaging a mine surface, and a shield coupled to the canopy and positioned between a rear end of the base and the canopy, the method comprising:

generating a signal indicative of a position of the canopy of the roof support relative to a mine face;

determining that a portion of a mining machine will contact a portion of the canopy based on at least the signal; and

operating an actuator to change a length of a telescopic link coupled between the base and the shield, thereby generating translational motion of the canopy relative to the mine face while maintaining a height of the canopy relative to the base and a distance between the base and the mine face in response to determining that the portion of the mining machine will contact the portion of the canopy.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the signal is a first signal, the method further comprising generating a second signal indicative of at least one of a position of the portion of the mining machine and a path of the portion of the mining machine, wherein determining that the portion of the mining machine will contact the portion of the canopy is based on the first signal and the second signal.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising generating an alert to notify an operator in response to determining that the portion of the mining machine will contact the portion of the canopy.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining that the portion of the mining machine will contact the portion of the canopy includes determining that the portion of the mining machine will pass within a minimum predetermined distance of the canopy.

9 . A roof support for a mining machine, comprising:

a base;

a canopy configured to engage a mine roof, an end of the canopy positioned proximate to a mine face, an upper surface of the canopy spaced apart from the base by a height;

a shield coupled to the canopy, the shield positioned between a rear end of the base and the canopy;

at least one jack coupled between the base and the canopy; and

at least one actuator coupled between the base and the shield, operation of the at least one actuator adjusting a position of the canopy relative to the mine face while maintaining the height of the upper surface of the canopy relative to the base and a distance between the base and the mine face.

10 . The roof support of claim 9 , further comprising an extendable link coupled between the base and the shield.

11 . The roof support of claim 10 , wherein operation of the at least one actuator changes a length of the extendable link.

12 . The roof support of claim 9 , further comprising:

at least one sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a position of the canopy relative to the mine face; and

a controller in communication with the at least one sensor, the controller configured to determine that a portion of the mining machine will contact a portion of the canopy based at least on the signal.

13 . The roof support of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the at least one actuator in response to determining that the portion of the mining machine will contact the portion of the canopy.

14 . The roof support of claim 13 , wherein the signal is a first signal, the controller being configured to receive a second signal indicative of at least one of a position of the mining machine and a path of the mining machine and to compare the first signal and the second signal.

15 . The roof support of claim 12 , wherein the controller determines that the portion of the mining machine will contact the portion of the canopy by determining that the portion of the mining machine will pass within a minimum predetermined distance of the canopy.

16 . The roof support of claim 9 , wherein the at least one actuator is operable to extend and retract a link of the roof support, extension and retraction of the link causing the canopy to move in a translational manner relative to the mine face while maintaining the height of the upper surface of the canopy relative to the base and the distance between the base and the mine face.