Mineral Winning Pick, Pick Box and Combination

Abstract

A mineral cutter pick ( 1 ) has an oblong section to define leading ( 3 ), trailing ( 4 ) and side ( 5 ) faces of a shank ( 2 ), and has longitudinal and transverse axes ( 6, 7 ). The shank ( 2 ) is provided with a single, circular section through hole ( 16 ) extending orthogonally across its side faces ( 5 ), in which hole ( 16 ) is fitted a resilient member ( 17 ) of circular section with an external diameter to match that of the hole ( 16 ), the resilient member ( 17 ) itself having a coaxial through hole ( 18 ) so as to provide an annulus of constant thickness when uncompressed and adapted, in use, after the pick shank ( 2 ) has been inserted into a shank-receiving aperture ( 22 ) of a pick box ( 5 ), to itself receive, and frictionally retain, a manually insertable, and manually removable, metal pin ( 23 ) adapted to project beyond the side faces ( 5 ).

1 . A mineral cutter pick comprising a shank of generally oblong section so as to have leading and trailing faces that are shorter than the resulting longer side faces, and hence to have a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, an enlarged head formed integrally with the shank and provided at a cutting tip with a carbide insert, with a transition portion between the shank and head incorporating a rear heel and a forward toe, both having under surfaces adapted, in use, to seat on portions of an upper surface of a pick box, wherein the shank has a single, circular section through hole extending orthogonally across its side faces, in which through hole is fitted a resilient member of circular section with an external diameter to match that of the through hole of the shank, the resilient member itself having a coaxial through hole so as to provide an annulus of constant thickness when uncompressed and adapted, in use, after the pick shank has been inserted into a shank-receiving aperture of a pick box, to itself receive, and frictionally retain, a manually insertable, and manually removable, metal pin having ends adapted to project beyond the side faces of the shank, such that the pin is capable of being knocked in from either side of the shank. 
     
     
         2 . A pick as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pin is non-headed. 
     
     
         3 . A pick as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the resilient member is of synthetic rubber. 
     
     
         4 . A pick as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pin is of steel. 
     
     
         5 . A pick box, to receive the shank of a pick in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising
 (i) a body adapted, in use, to be secured by welding to a shearer drum or other rotary mineral winning/cutting head;   (ii) a generally rectangular aperture provided in the body and adapted, in use, to receive a generally rectangular shank of a pick; and   (iii) a through hole extending orthogonally across the body and adapted to intersect the through hole of the resilient member of the inserted shank of the pick.   
     
     
         6 . In combination, a pick as defined in  claim 1 , the shank of which pick is inserted into an aperture of a pick box having (i) a body adapted, in use, to be secured by welding to a shearer drum or other rotary mineral winning/cutting head, (ii) a generally rectangular aperture provided in the body and adapted, in use, to receive a generally rectangular shank of a pick, and (iii) a through hole extending orthogonally across the body and adapted to intersect the through hole of the resilient member of the inserted shank of the pick, and wherein the pick is releasably retained by a metal pin which is capable of being knocked into the intersecting through hole of the pick box and co-axial through hole of the resilient member, from either side of the pick box.