Mineral bits and mounts

An apparatus for use during excavation and mining operations, the apparatus comprising:

• a mount having a receptacle;
• and
• a mineral bit having a front region and an opposite rear region, the mineral bit comprising:
• a head portion;
• a mounting portion secured to the head portion, at least part of the mounting portion being configured to be releasably retained in the receptacle of the mount;
• a front rounded transition disposed in the front region of the bit between the head portion and the mounting portion and configured to provide a clearance between the head portion of the bit and the mount when the mounting portion is releasably retained by the mount, the front rounded transition having a radius of at least 20 percent of a front-to-rear length of the mounting portion;
• and
• a rear shoulder surface disposed on the head portion in the rear region of the bit and configured to interface with the mount when the mounting portion is releasably retained by the mount.

A mineral bit for use during excavation and mining operations, the bit comprising:

• a head portion;
• a mounting portion, at least part of mounting portion being configured to be releasably retained in a receptacle of a mount, the mounting portion having an interlocking feature for engagement with the mount, the interlocking feature being configured to prevent withdrawal of the bit from the mount along a receptacle axis but to permit withdrawal of the bit from the mount by rotation of the bit relative to the mount about a rotation axis different from the receptacle axis;
• and
• a front rounded transition disposed in a front region of the bit between the head portion and the mounting portion, the front rounded transition having a radius of at least 20 percent of a front-to-rear length of the mounting portion.

A mount for releasably retaining a mineral bit, the mount comprising:

• a receptacle for receiving at least a portion of the bit;
• an interlocking feature for engagement with the bit, the interlocking feature being configured to allow withdrawal of the bit from the mount by rotation of the bit in a withdrawal direction relative to the mount;
• and
• an access hole to the receptacle configured to permit access to a bit-removal tool for initiating rotation of the bit in the withdrawal direction when the portion of the bit is received in the receptacle.

A method for withdrawing a mineral bit from a mount having a receptacle into which a portion of the bit is releasably retained where a first interlocking feature of the bit is engaged with a second interlocking feature of the mount to prevent withdrawal of the bit along a receptacle axis, the method comprising:

• accessing the receptacle of the mount with a bit-removal tool;
• using the bit-removal tool to initiate rotation of the bit in a withdrawal direction relative to the mount;
• further rotating the bit in the withdrawal direction relative to the mount to disengage the first and second interlocking features;
• and
• withdrawing the bit from the mount.