lot, J. Rock Mech. Mi,'l. Sci. Vol. 9, pp. 355-361. Pergamon Press 1972.

Printed in Great Britain

L I N E SPACING OF PICKS F O R EFFECTIVE CUTTING

1. EVANS
Mining Research and Development Establishment, National Coal Board, Stanhope Bretby,
Burton-upon-Trent, Staffs
(Received 24 August 1971)
Abstract--The tensile theory of the cutting of mineral by pick action, already successfully used
to explain many aspects of pick behaviour, is extended to predict the optimum lateral distance
between pick centres for maximum utilization of 'side-splay' between adjacent channels cut by
picks.
Theory indicates that this value is about 3-4 times the pick width for picks of simple chisel
shape.
Experimental results which are available are roughly in agreement with this estimate.

1, INTRODUCTION
THE positioning of picks on a cutting head is a matter which is extremely important in the
design of machines to be used for mechanical cutting of coal and rock. If picks are well
positioned relative to one another, the machine stands a good chance on prima facie grounds
of cutting efficiently, i.e. of producing material in a desirable size range, with economic use
of power and minimum fines; if badly positioned, an excessive amount of power will be used
and a super-abundance of fines produced.
These consequences follow from the nature of coal and rock as engineering materials.
They are weak in tension, and effective cutting depends upon the exploitation to the maxi-
murn of this tensile weakness. This is best exemplified by the action of a simple wedge (Fig.
1). A wedge gains initial entry into coal or rock (hereafter referred to as 'mineral') by virtue
of the concentration of stress under a sharp edge. In this process mineral is ground or
abraded away to leave a small entry crevice. For further entry the wedge pushes apart the
buttresses of the entry crevice and sends cracks radiating away from its edge. If one of these
cracks intersects a free surface a major breakage of the mineral results, associated with the
formation of large pieces of broken material.
Interaction between individual picks arises in the following way: picks on cutting heads
are in general disposed in a pattern which can be resolved into a series of parallel lines, these
lines being traced out by the tip of a pick as the head revolves or is translated. On a shearer,
for example, the lines are circles with respect to the axis of the drum. The pick pattern is such
that in a complete revolution a particular line is traced by possibly more than one pick. On a
plough, each pick describes an individual line as the cutting head is translated.

FIG. 1. Cutting action of a simple wedge.

355
356 I. EVANS

Suppose a pick A [Fig. 2 (a)] attacks a plane surface of mineral, travelling in a straight
line and taking constant depth of cut. If the pick is of simple chisel shape it will leave a
channel as shown. Suppose pick B is in an adjoining line, cutting the mineral either simul-
taneously with A or immediately after A. Pick B produces a similar channek If the channel
cut by B is at a considerable distance from that of A (i.e. the 'line spacing' is large), the
two channels will not interact. When the next picks of the pattern come around in positions
'A' and 'B' they will merely deepen the channels already cut. The surface of the mineral will
have a series of isolated channels, with lands of mineral between that do not break down
easily. This is a situation which leads to 'hard' and uneconomic cutting.
If, however, channel 'B' is somewhat nearer to channel 'A' [Fig. 2 (b)], the two will
interact. The lower corners of the channel are formed by the edge of each pick, and cracks
from the edges radiate out not only in the direction of cutting but also sideways towards the
adjoining channel. With sufficient proximity between channels 'A' and 'B' the two sets of
corner cracks will interact and the whole of the intervening land between the two channels
will be broken out. When the next picks of the pattern come around they will be faced in
effect with a fresh surface, again approximately plane, and the cutting sequence will be
repeated. The maximum use of the 'side-splay' from the picks constitutes economic cutting,
and the pick pattern should be designed so as to repeat perpetually the sequence of cuts that
will produce it.

-U U--
(a) Line spacing excessive.

(b) Picks at optimum line spacing.

F1o. 2. Interaction of picks.

If the channels 'A' and 'B' are too close together, the intervening mineral will certainly be
brol~en but it will be small in amount in relation to that broken from the two channels.
There is thus an optimum value of the lateral distance between adjoining channels, already
defined as the line spacing, which it is our purpose to try to estimate.

2. THEORETICAL M O D E L
2.1 Extent of side-splay
A theory of the cutting of mineral by wedge-shaped picks, involving an assumption of
tensile breakage, has already been published [1]. It has given a reasonably satisfactory
explanation of many aspects of the action of picks, including the variations of the forces
involved, both in the direction of cutting and outward from the mineral, as functions of the
characteristic angles of a sharp pick, and the effect on these forces of blunting. It was also
used to make a prediction of the superiority of the simple chisel-shaped pick over others of
more recondite geometry, a prediction that has been borne out in practice. Altogether, the
theory has been valuable in guiding the large measure of pick standardization which has
 LINE SPACING OF PICKS FOR EFFECTIVE CUTTING 357

been achieved in the National Coal Board in the last decade. It will now be shown that the
theory can be used to indicate the optimum separation of picks [Fig. 2 (b)] for promoting
lateral break-out between the cut channels.

FI6.3. Simple geometric characteristics of a chisel-shaped pick.

It is assumed that a cut is being taken in a plane surface with a simple chisel-shaped pick
(Fig. 3). A section of the cut is shown in Fig. 4 (a). It is assumed that break-out attributable
to side-splay starts from the corners of the cut and propagates towards the surface, the lines
of breakage making an angle a with the horizontal.

3
(a) Break-out attributable to side-play.

P
C/L 2

IA k

(b) Forces acting on half-section of cut.

~ ~ ~ Neutralaxis
i
(c) Bending of material before breakage.

FIG. 4. Forces producing break-out.

The following parameters are specified [Fig. 4 (b)]:

d = depth of cut
co ~-- breadth of cut = length of chisel edge
The model is assumed to be two-dimensional, extending uniformly at right angles to the
plane of the diagram. We consider unit extent of this model.
ROCK 9/3---e
 358 I. EVANS

At breakage, the following forces act on the mineral o f section A O B C :

(a) A force acting out o f the coal. If the total outward force on the pick is P, the
force on section A O B C is ½P, acting at the midpoint of BC.
(b) A tensile force along BO o f value t. BO, where t is the tensile strength o f the
mineral.
There is also an u n k n o w n distribution o f forces over the centre line AC~ ~'igure 4 (c)
illustrates the suggestion that as the mineral is being prised away it bends like a beam under
the action o f the force on the pick acting outwards f r o m the mineral. The m a x i m u m ten-
sile stress in the extreme fibre c a n n o t exceed t, and the total force across the centre
1
line on one side o f the neutral axis c a n n o t exceed J.~-d. 1 It is taken here to be a
plausible estimate o f the nature o f the forces across the centre line that they form an anti-
clockwise couple o f m o m e n t 2-t.
~ ~,~d.½d = ~td 2.
We make the assumption, used in previous applications o f the tensile theory, that just
before breakage the mineral is in effect being rotated a b o u t O, and that P can be f o u n d in
terms o f t by taking m o m e n t s about O. This process gives:

t l 4- d cot cz)
,P(:~w ~td 2 l- ~-td2/s n2a II)
or

P == td(cosecZa + ,~)/cot a --~- lk

where
~0

d
We now make the other assumption used in the tensile theory, viz. that o f m i n i m u m
force, dP/da = 0 giving

2 cot a (cot c, + lk) -- cosec 2 a ÷ ~. (2)

With some rearranging, this yields a quadratic equation in tan a:
5 tan 2 a -- 2k tan ~ -- 4 -= 0

with the solution:

tan a == ~ {k -{- (k z -~- 20) ~ } (3)
the negative solution being physically inadmissible.

2.2 Interaction o f two side-splay patterns

The two adjoining channels o f Fig. 2 (b) will clearly interact when the breakage surfaces
reach a c o m m o n point between them, for in this situation all the original surface o f the
mineral has been removed except for the theoretical apex o f the wedge that is left. The
separation s between pick centres for this to happen is given by:
s == co -j- 2d cot a
or
s/o) == 1 + 2 cot a/k. (4)
Inserting the value o f cot a implicit in equation (3), we obtain
s/,o = ~{1 + (1 + 20/k2)~}. (5)
 LINE SPACING OF PICKS FOR EFFECTIVE CUTTING 359

If separation is less than that given by equation (5), the breakage patterns actually overlap
and the residual wedge is reduced in size. Geometrically speaking, in terms of the construc-
tion used, there will always be a small wedge left no matter how close the pick lines approach
each other.
However, it is known in practice that for certain proximities the intervening land is
effectively demolished. On the grounds of simple theory it is difficult to say what the critical
distance is. However, one takes note of the fact that at the proximity defined by Fig. 4 (a)
and equation (4), a tensile crack radiating from the pick head has succeeded in reaching the
surface. Figure 1 illustrates the point that other cracks are probably being propagated
in the medium and at a certain juncture will interact with those from another pick. The
suggestion is made, as a basis for further investigations, that equation (5) defines the pick
separation which facilitates the breakage of a web of mineral by the interaction of adjoining
channels, the interaction either removing the intervening land or weakening it to an extent
which renders its removal easy by subsequent picks cutting in lines 'A' and 'B'.
Values of s/o~ from equation (5) have been calculated, and the function is shown graphi-
cally in Fig. 5. The curve decreases monotonically as k is increased. Physical intuition would
give an answer which is not at variance with this finding. One feels that side-splay would be
more effective for a given pick at greater depths of cut. As picks become very wide, relative
break-out would become insignificant, hence the asymptotic value of s/co for large k would
be expected to be unity.

~l~De p t h

! ~Sop.,~tion

x
10] •

4 interaction between Cuts

I m m w i t h breakdown of intervening land
• 2
x - n o i~lteraetion effect
E m = marginal interaction effect

T
cc 4

,/
• , rheoretica[ C U l V e

1 Asymptotic
f value
o4
0 0"5 10 1.5 2.0
WIDTH/DEPTH

F[o. 5. Optimum line spacing in relation to pick width and depth of cut.

3. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
Some relevant experimental results on rock and coal cutting have recently been communi-
cated to the author by POMEROYand ROBINSON [2]. They used chisel-shaped picks of widths
6.4, 12.7 and 25.4 mm (~, ½ and 1 in.) and carried out sequential cuts of 12.7-ram ({-in.)
1 in). Their results are given in Table
depth at separations ranging from 12.7 to 76.2 mm (,,:-3
1 together with the authors' comments on the breakage pattern.
 TABLE 1. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS (BARNSLEY HARDS) (POMEROY AND ROBINSON [2])

Reference Depth of Width of pick Pick spacing Comments by

letter cut (mm) (mm) (mm) Spacing/width Width/depth Pomeroy and Robinson Designation

12-7 6"4 50.8 8 0-5 Slight evidence t h a t . . , coal ridges m

19'1 6'4 50-8 8 0-33 formed between successive tool paths m
12.7 6"4 12.7 2 0'5 Benefitting from relief ,/
12"7 6.4 25-4 4 0.5 Some relief to following tool m
12.7 12.7 25-4 2 1 Greater relief: pattern similar to a <
>-
12.7 6.4 38.1 6 0.5 N o help (relief) apparent x Z
12-7 12.7 38.1 3 1 Interaction between blades significant v'
12.7 6.4 50-8 8 0.5 Narrow picks tend to form substantial
cores
12.7 12.7 50"8 4 1 Pattern conforms closely to b
12.7 6-4 63.5 10 0'5 Grooves can be considered independent
12.7 12.7 64.5 5 1 Blades form linking pattern, but second m
and third sequences remain difficult
12.7 12.7 76.2 6 1 Tools acting independently x
 LINE SPACING OF PICKS FOR EFFECTIVE CUTTING 36l

On the basis of these comments the present author has given one of the following designa-
tions to the various cuts:
,/--signifies undoubted interaction between cuts, with breakdown of the intervening
land of mineral
~'~--signifies no effect of interaction
m--signifies a marginal effect, where some interaction is seen or suspected
These points are plotted on the graph in Fig. 5. It can be seen that for k = 0.33 and k = 0.5~
the experimental designations are reasonably well in accordance with theory. For k = 1.0
interaction seems to have occurred at s/w = 4, where theory would have predicted no
interaction; however, this is the only point which is seriously at variance with theory. On
the whole, considering the approximations involved in the theory, and the uncertainties in
description of the experimental breakage pattern, agreement is not too bad.

4. DISCUSSION
In practice small values of k, width/depth, would not be employed as they would lead to
large forces on individual picks, perhaps larger than the picks could bear. From that point
of view, and from what is known about effective cutting, the values aimed at would lie
between about 0.5 and 2.0. Theory indicates that separation/width ought to be somewhere
between 2 and 5.
Clearly in any practical system a fixed value must be chosen. On the whole one would
want to take greater advantage of deep cuts rather than shallow cuts, and a value of 4 might
be thought to be a good compromise.
The theoretical value for the cut of square section (k = 1) is about 3. As a result of
empirical tests this cut had been found to be an efficient one, and the value s/~o = 3 was the
one adopted for the large-pick shearer drum [3].
It would not seem to be of the highest relevance to attempt to state a unique recommended
value, as there may be differences between minerals which would favour, within a defined
range, one value rather than another. However, theory serves a useful purpose in narrowing
down the preferred range of spacing width to the region of 3-4.

REFERENCES
1. EVANS1. A Theory of the Basic Mechanics of Coal Ploughing,Proceedings of the International S),mpositolt
oll Mining Research, University of Missouri, Vol. IIp. 761, Pergamon Press (1962).
2. POMEROYC. D. and ROBINSONDELLAJ. Private communication (1970).
3. BARKERJ. S., POMEROYC. D. and WmTTAKERD. The MRE large-pick shearer drum. Min. Engr No. 65,
323 February (1966).