Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1137451
B1~CXGROU~D O~ T~E INVI~NTION
This invention relates to cone crushers and more particularly
to such crushers ~ich have fabricated upper and lower main frames.
In addition, this inventio~ relates to such cone crushers which
include anti-spin mechanism5 and crusher setting indicatorsO
Cone crusners, which are deviczs well known in the art, are
aevices which are adapt2d to receive large ~ieces of hard materia~ _
such as, ror exam~le, large chunks of rock and to reduce them to
a large numb-r of smaller pieces which are of a generally uniform
size. The crushers which are presently widely used in the concrete
and aggregate indust~y have numerous characteristics which maXe
them less than ideal For ex~mple, such crushers must have extra-
ordinarily strong main framss due to the fact that they are subject
to extreme mechanical stresses. For this reason, among others,
such crushers have generally been provided wi~h cast frames. Al-
though such cast frames have generally proved to be of sufficient
strength, the cost Oc their manufacture is quite high and they
are therefore, from an economic point of view, less than completely
satisfactory. In an effort to overcome this negative aspec~ it
has been proposed to abricate the lower portion of the main frame
of such a crusher from pre-formed components rather than to cast
it and to thereby obtain substantial savings. An example of such
a cone crusher which includes a fabricated lower main frame portion
is provided in U.S. Patent No. 3,150,839. It is noted, however,
that even this patent teaches a crusher main frame structure which
includes cast me~bers, in particular, this patent teaches a
structure utilizing a cast ce~ter hub. The industry, recognizing
the advantages of fabricated main frames for crushers has attem~ted
.
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1137451
to ?rovide main frame structures which are completely fabricated,
that is, contain only plate and forged members and contain no
cas. membars An example of a crusher frame ~hich is construe.ea
~rom only rabricated memb~rs is provided by U.S. Patent No. 3,843,
006 ;hic;~ is fabricated solely from pre-'ormed components which are
wel~~d tog-.her. Such structures, although p~oviding definite
advan.ages over ths earlier cast structures are nevertheless not
com?le,ely sa.isfactory in tha. they frequently require great
n~bers of components to fullfill their function~ For example,
.he last noted paten. includes an adapter plate for permitting
the mating o~ the center hub with the countershaft which houses
the required motor drive shaft. Clearly, this results in less
than a completely satisfactory solution to the problem beeause h
greater nlmber o} prefabricaied sec-tions requires a greater numb~r
l; of ~elds. ~nis, in turn, provides the opportunity for unsatisfaet-
ory welds and results in increased expense in that each o~ the welds
must be (or should be) inspected either by X-ray or ultra-sonic
tecl~niques or bothO
~ As indieated above, the function o~ a crusher is to provide,
for subsequent use, stones, crushed rock, etc. of a uniform size.
Clearly, therefore, it is important to be able to determine, prior
to operation of the erusher, the magnitude of the crushed material
which will be provided by the erusher unit, that is, the erusher -
set.ing. Presently Xnown crusher setting indieators are not,
2~ however, completely satisfactory in that they are either mechan-
ically complex and expensive or they do not provide inormation
regarding the size of the material to be provided by the erusher
witn a desired degree of accuracy. It is, of course, possible ~o
accurately and inexpensively determine the erusher setting by
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1137451
measuring the si~e of the material after it passes through the
crushing ch~ber and is emitted from the crusher but such informa-
tion is obviously of less utility than is ~nowledge of the crusher
setting prior .o oparation of the crusher.
Cone crushers of the typ~ here under discussion include a
gyratory memb-r generally referred to in the art as a mantle. ~ue
.o the construc~ion of the crusher, the gyrating mantle has a ten-
dency ~o ro,a~e ln a first direction when the crusher is not under
load, that is when the crusher is not in the process of crushing
material. Further, the mantle tends to rotate in a second direction,
opposite to the first direction, when the crusher is under load.
As is well known in the art, rotation of the mantle in the first
(no load) direction is to be avoided because such rotation can
cause addi~ional and extensive wear to the expensive mantle. It
is therefore quite common in the crusher art to provide what is
frequently referred to as an anti-spin mechanism. The mechanisms
presently kno~n frequently are in the form of devices which absolut-
ely bar the rotation of the mantle in the first direction while
permitting the mantle to freely rotate in the second direction. Tke
utility of such mechanisms has proved to be less than co~pletely
satisfactory because absolutely barring the rotation of the mantle
in the first direction, may, under conditions where the mantle is
being urged in the first direction with sufficient force, resul~
in the destruction of components of the crusher~
SU~ RY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an important object of the present invention
to provide an improved cone crusher structure by means of which
the aforesaid drawbacks and disadvantages may be most efficacious-
ly avoided.
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1137451
It is a further object of the instant invention to
provide a cone crusher in which the upper main frame portion
is constructed only from prefabricated components.
It is yet another object oE the instant invention to
provide a fabricated frame for a cone crusher which is equally
as strong as a cast frame.
It is still another object of the instant invention
to provide a fabricated frame for a cone crusher which includes
a minimum number of components.
! 10 It is yet a further object of this invention to provide
a fabricated frame for a cone crusher which can be manufactured
at a minimum cost.
Generally speaking, the objects of the instant inven-
tion are attained by the provision of a fabricated upper frame
for a cone crusher comprising a first annular member, a first
tubular member extending orthogonally relative to the first annu-
~ lar member, the tubular member having first and second ends and
; being fixedly connected, at the first end thereof, to the first
annular member, a second annular member being oriented so as to
be generally parallel to, and spaced from, the first annularmember, the first tubular member being fixedly connected, at the
second end thereof, to the second annular member, a third annu-
lar member being oriented to be generally parallel to, and spaced
from, the second annular member, and a first plurality of cir-
cumferentially spaced ribs fixedly connected between the second
and third annular members.
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In a specific embodiment of the instant invention there is
provided a fabricated frame for a cone crusher comprising a
first annular member formed with a plurality of circumferentially
spaced axially oriented holes extending therethrough, a first
tubular member extending orthogonally relative to the first
annular member, the tubular member having first and second ends
and being fixedly connected, at the first end thereof, to the
first annular member, a second annular member being oriented
so as to be generally parallel to, and spaced from, the first
annular member, the first tubular member, being fixedly connected,.
at the second end thereof, to the second annular member, a
third annular member being oriented to be generally parallel to,
and spaced from, the second annular member, a first plurality
of circumferentially spaced ribs fixedly connected between the
second and third annular members, a tubular center hub, a fourth
annular member, having a slot formed therein, oriented ortho-
gonally relative to the longitudinal axis of the hub, the inner
periphery of the fourth annular member being fixedly connected
to the hub, a second tubular member, having a slot formed there-
in, extending orthogonally relative to the fourth annular mem-
ber, the second tubular member being fixedly connected, at one
end thereof, to the fourth annular member, a fifth annular mem-
ber, formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially
oriented holes extending therethrough, oriented ~enerally parallel
to the fourth annular member, the fifth annular member being
fixedly connected, at the inner periphery thereof, to the second
tubular member, a third tubular member, having an aperture form-
ed therein, oriented to extend orthogonally relative to the fifth
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annular member, the third tubular member being fixedly
connected, at one end thereof, to the fifth annular member,
and a fourth tubular member oriented so that its longitudinal
axis extends generally orthogonally relative to the longi-
tudinal axis of the third tubular member, the fourth tubu-
lar member adapted to extend through the aperture formed in
the third tubular member and the slots formed in the fourth
annular member and the second tubular member, the outer peri-
phery of the fourth tubular member being fixedly connected
to the walls of the apertures and the slots, the plurality
of holes formed in the first annular member being arranged
for alignment with the plurality of holes formed in the
fifth annular member, whereby the first and fifth annular
members are adapted to be removably connected to one another.
The foregoing and other objects of features of the
present invention will be more clearly understood from the
following detailed description thereof when read in con-
junction with the accompanying drawihgs, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE_DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of the cone
crusher of the instant invention;
Fig. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional plan view of
the anti-spin mechanism of the instant invention;
Fig. 2A is a schematic representation of the anti-
spin mechanism shown in Fig. l;
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11374C~
Fig. 3 is a plan view taken along lines 3-3 of
Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along
lines 4-4 of Fig. l;
Fig. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional plan view of
the crusher setting indicator of the instant invention;
Fig. 6 is a detai]ed cross-sectional plan view of
the sealing arrangement of the instant cone crusher; and
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along
lines 7-7 of Fig. l;
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMsODIMENT
Referring now to Fig. 1 there is illustrated the cone
crusher of the instant invention. The crusher includes a frame
which is in two portions, that is, upper and lower main frame
portions, these portions being bolted together to form the
crusher main frame. Turning first to the upper main frame
portion, there ;s illustrated
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a feed hopp2r (although feed hoppers are g2nerally considered by tha
art to be sep~rate from, and not ~orm part of, a crusher frame, the
fe-d hopper herein will be described as if it formed part of the
upper main frame portion) generally indicated at 1 which includes a
~abricated tu'~ul2r me~ber 3, which member may be fabricated from
b-nd rolled steel pla~e. A fabricated member 5, which has the
g-neral cross-sectional configuration of a truncated cone and a
lab-icated me~ber 7 which also has the genaral cross-sectional con-
fi~ralion of a truncated cone are both welded, at iheir upper per-
iphe-ies, to the me~ber 3 The members 5 and 7 are also welded
.o one another along their contiguous leng~hs, it being noted that
'.he member 5 is longer than the member 7O A fabricated tubular
member 9 is w21ded at its u~per periphery to the lower periphery of
the tr~ncated member 5 and to the side of the member 7 The tubular
membar 9 is further welded, at its lower periphery, to an annulus 11,
the combination of the tubular member 9 and annulus 11 having an
L-shaped cross-sectional configuration. The annulus 11 is formed
with a plurality of holes therein and it is thereby adapted to be
firmly affixed to an annulus 13, which is formed with a plurality Oc
countersunX threaded holes, by any conventional means, for example,
by screws such as the one indicated at 15.
An upper crushing member or concave 17 having the general
cross-sectional conLiguration of a truncated cone is cast from an
extremely hard and long wearing material such as, for example,
manganese ste~l, and it is formed with a plurality of gripping or
hooX members, one of which is indi_ated at 19. The concave 17 is
main~ained in position by a plurality of gripping members 21 which
pass through apertures 20 formed in the annulus 13, which gripping
members 21 may have any desired configuration. In the embodiment
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1137451
illustrated in Fig~ 1, the gripping members 21 each have a "T"
shaped cross-section although a mQmber having a "J" shaped cross-
sectioa could also be utilized Conventional tightening nuts,
such as those indicated at 22 serve to dra-~ the gripping members
21 up~a-;dly, thoreby dra~ing the concave 1~ upl~ardly to its desired
position An annulus 2~, oriented so as to b~ parallel to both the
annuli 11 and 13 is positioned in the vicinity oE the lower end of
the concave 17.
A plurality of gussets or ribs 25 which are oriented orthogon-
0 211y ~ith respect to th~ annuli 13 and 23 are weldod to the annuli
13 and 23 so as to form a rigia support therebetween. The ribs 25
are equally spaced circumferentially and there may be, for example,
16 such ribs spaced 22.5 apart, as clearly seen in Fig. 4; A
plurality of the ribs 25 are formed with apertures 27 therethrough
1~ so as to facilitate the lifting of the upper portion of the fab-
ricated main frame of the crusher when separation of the upp-r and
lower main frame portions is desired~ As indicated above, the
crusher may include 16 of the ribs 25 and, for example, four of
the ribs, spaced 90 apart, might be formed ~ith apertures such
as the one indicated at 27.
A fabricated tubular member 29, which may be formed of bend
rolled sheet steel, i9 welded at its upper periphery to the
annulus 23. Apertures such as the one indicated at 33 are forme~
at various locations about ths periphery of the tubular member 29
which apertures may be blocked by, for example, hinged doors such
as the one indicated at 35 so that access may be had to the inter-
ior of the crusher ~hen such access is required.
A number of ribs, for example, four, most clearly shown in
dotted lines in Fig. 4 are uniformly spaced about the circumfsrence
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1137~5~ .
of the upper main frame portion of the crusher. The ribs 30, which have
"U" shaped cross-sectional conEigurations (the open ends of the "U"
abutting the tubular member 29 and the closed end of the "U" extending
in a radially outward direc-tion) are welded, at their upper peripheries,
to the annulus 23. The ribs 30 are also welded, at their open ends, to
the tubular member 29. A tubular wear liner 31, which may be ~ade of a
long wearing material such as low carbon steel and which may be formed by
rolling, is tac~ welded at a number of points to the radially inward
surface of the tubular member 29. The wear liner 31 serves to reduce the
wear of the tubular member 29 which would be caused by the action of the
crused material being processed by the crusher unit and~ of course, the
liner may be removed and replaced when necessary. A number of ribs or
gussets 32, for example, eight such gussets, are welded to the annulus 23,
the tubular member 29, and the wear liner 31 so as to combine the annulus
23, the member 29 and the liner 31 into a rigid structure. A horizontal
annulus 37 is welded to the lower peripheries of the tubular memker 29
and the "U" shaped rib 30. The annulus 37 is formed with a plurality of
apertures 38 formed therein through which bolts may be passed for attaching
the just described upper main frame portion to the lower main frame portion
of the cone crusher, which lower portion will be described in detail below.
Turning now to a description of the lcwer main frame
portion and referring to Fig. 1, it is seen that the lower main frame
portion includes a forged steel center hub 41 which has an annular
shoulder 43 formed at the upper end thereof. An annuIus 45 (which is
illustrated in Fig. 7 and which will be described in greater detail
below) is welded to the hub 41 at the shoulder 43 and a fabricated
tubular member 47, which may be, for example, of bend
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~137D,S~
rollcd steel plate, is ~elded to the annulus 45 at the outer per-
iphery thereof. Pn a~nulus 49, oriented to e~tend orthogonally
relati-~e to the member 47 i9 t~elded thercto interjacent the ends
thereoL. The annulus 49 is formed ~ith a plurality o~ apertures
51 being so located as to be in alignment ~ith the apertures 38
~hich e~tend throusn the annulus 37. It may thereCore be seen
that the annuli 37 and 49 may be rigidly aLtached to one anothsr
by, for e~ample, a bolt and nut combination such as indicated at
53 thereby accomplishing the connection of the upper and lower
main Crame porLions~
A plurality of ribs or gussets 61, for example, three (most
clearly seen in Fig. 3), are welded to the forged center hub 41
and to a fabricated tubular member 63 which may be formed oE bend
rolled sheet steel. The tubular membsr 63 extends orthogonally
relative to the annulus 49 and the member 63 is welded, at its
upper periphery, to the annulus 49. In addition, the ribs 61 are
welded to the annulus 45, to the tubular member ~7 and to the
annulus 49, thereby imparting substantial strength and rigidity to
the fabricated lower main frame portion.
A driving mechanism is, as is conventional, provided for the
crusher of the instant invention in a manner which will be explain
ed below and to this end there is provided, as part of the lower
main frame, a drive shaft housing. The space for the drive shaft
housing is provided by forming, for example, by burning, a circulæ
aperture in t`ne tubular member 63, the aperture formed extending- -
through the tubular member 47 and the annulus 45. It will be
understood of course that the annulus 45 may either be provided as
a complete annulus, a portion subsequently being removed therefrom,
or, alternatively, the annulus 45 may originally be formed as a
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11374Sl
slotted circular plate (the slot having parallel side walls) as indicated
in Fig. 7. A fabricated tubular member 69 which may, for example,
be made of bend rolled sheet steel extends through the aforementioned
circular aperture and forms the drive shaft housing. The drive shaft,
which is indicat~d generally at 71, is of any conventional form and may
be used to drive the inventive crusher in any conventional manner For
example, the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 shows
the drive shaft 71 driving the cone crusher by means of a conventional
bevel gear which is indicated ~enerally at 73.
As was noted a~ove with respect to the ribs 61~ a num~er
of ribs 67, in this embodiment, two (most clearly seen in Fig. 3), are
welded to the center hub 41, the tubular member 63 and to the tubular
member 69. m e ribs 67, therefore, also impart substantial strength and
rigidity to the fabricated lower main frameportion and diffeP frcm the
ribs 61 only in that the ribs 67 do not extend upwardly to the annulus 49
as do the ribs 61, the ribs 67 terminating at the drive shaft housing
member 69.
Thrning now to a description of the internal structure of
the cone crusher, it is seen that the cr~sher includes a forged shaft 81
having at least two lubrication paths 83 formed therein~ Additional
lubricational paths, such as those indicated at 85 are also formed in the
shaft 81. It is also appropriate to note at this point that the tubul æ
hub 41 is formed with a stepped bore indicated at 82. 'rhe stepped bore
82 is formed with an internal dia~eter which is slightly greater than
the internal diameter of the hub 41 in the lowest portion thereof so
as to facilitate the insertion of the shaft 81 into the center hub 41.
Surrounding the shaft 81, which is stationary during the o~eration of the
crusher, is an eccentric sleeve 91. m e eccentric sleeve 91~ which is
driven by
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11374LS~
the drive shaft 71 -throu~h the mechanism of the bevel gear 73,
extends up~ardly to a point beyond the uppermost portion of the
shaft ~1 ~nd do-~n~ardly to a bearing 93 ~hich is in turn supported
by tho hub al, the bearing 93 facilitating the rotation of the
eccent~ic sleeve about the shaft 81. To reduce the wear of both
the shaft 81 and tha eccentric 91, a bearing of relatively soft
alloy metal may be ~osi-cioned bet~een the adjacent bearing surfaces
of the shaft 81 and the eccentric 91, Alternatively, a layer of
relatively soft alloy metal, such as, for example, an alloy includ-
0 ing lead, tin and an.imony may be coated onto one or bo~h of the
bearing surfaces as is the case in the embodiment illustrated.
T'ne interior of the tubular shaft 81 serves as a piston
chamber, indicated at 95, and a piston 97 is positioned therein
The piston 97 is actuated by hydraulic fluid which is provided by a
~5 mechanism, not sho~, through a conventional tubing and coupling
combination, generally indicated at 99, to a section of convention-
al tubing indicated at 101. The tubing 101, together with a con-
ventional hydraulic coupling, extends through a passage, indicatea
at 103, formed in the hub ~1 and the shaft 81. The tubing 101
extends at its other end to a coupling 105 by means of which it is
connected to an accumulator 107. The accumulator 107 is supported
by a frame, indicated generally at 108, The frame 108 is attached
to the lower portion of the main frame by any conventional means
such as, for example, a clamp indicated at 110. It is here appropri
ate to note that, for reasons which will be discussed below, a gas
containing bag 111 is positioned within the hydraulic fluid accumul-
ator 107. As previously noted, the interior of the shaft 81 serves
as the piston chamber 95, and as illustrated, ~he chamber extends
through the bottom of the shaft 81. To prevent the hydraulic fluia
within the chamber 95 from exiting through the bottom of the shaft
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113745~
81 a oonventional plug or bleeder flange 113 is insertecl into the
opening in the shaft 81 and -the plug 113 is affixed to the shaft 81
by any conventional means, such as, for example, the screws shown. ~n
air tube 115, supported at its lc~er end by the plug 113, extends into
the piston chamber 95 and up to the bottom of the piston 97. The tube
115 terminates, at its lc~er end, in a valve 117 positioned, for
protection, in a groove in the plug 113. In tnis manner air trapped below
the piston 97 may be released into the atmosphere throuqh the valve 117.
Supported by the piston 97 is a support cone bearing
seat 125 which may be affixed to the piston 97 by any conventional means
such as a plurality of screws, one of which is illustrated. ~ormed in
the support cone bearing seat 125 is a lubrication passage 127 which is
aligned with the lubrication passage 83 formed in the shaft 81. Supported
by the support cone bearing seat 125 is the support cone bearing 129 and
supported by the support cone bearing 129 is a clutch housing 131.
Supported by and attached to the clutch housing 131 is a support cone 141
which support cone is supported by a circular shoulder 142 formed at the
lower end of the clutch housing 131. m e support oone 141 is in annular
abutting relationship with the eccentric sleeve 91 and the support cone
141 extends dc~nwardly for almost the entire len~th of the sleeve 91.
ID reduce the wear of both the sleeve 91 and the support ccne 141 a layer
of relatively soft alloy metal is coated onto one or both of the bearing
surfaoes of the oone 141 and the sleeve 91.
A steel flywheel 148 is connected to the eccentric 91 by~
for exampler a bolt such as the one indicated at 152 and the flywheel
148 is arranged to rotate with the eccentric 91. Connected between the
support cone 141 and the flywheel 148 is a grease filled lab~rinth seal
indicated generally at 161, the pu~pose of
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1137451
whicll is to prevent grit such as particles of rock, rock dust, ~tc.
from entering the internal structure of the cone crusher where
s~ch particles ~:ould cause excessive wear~ The labyrinth seal
includ~s a pluralit~- of .ubular sealing rings 163. In the er~odi-
men' here illustr~'ed, there are four such rings 163, two of which
are upper sealin~ rings, e~tending do~n~ardly from the support cone
lal and t~;o of ~hlich are lo~er sealing rings, each of w`nich extends
upward'y from t~e fl~heel 148~ It ~ill be noted thai the sealing
rings 163 are arranged in an interlacing relationship so tha,
greas- inject~d in.o .he voids betwean the rings 163 will e~~ective-
ly prevent grit from entering the internal structure of the crusher.
As most clearly illustrated in Fig~ 6, one or more grease fittings,
indica.ed at 165, are provided about the periphery of the labyrinth
seal 161 and these fittings 165 are connected, by means of tubing
1~ 167, to a port 169 formed in the radially outwardmost one of the
sealing rings 163. A wear collar 181, uhich collar may be mada of
low carbon steel, is welded to the support cone 141, the collar
181 extending generally in the area of the upper hal~ of the seal
161. The wear collar 181 thus prevents damage to the labyrinth seal
structure 161 which n~ight be caused by crushed material, ~7hich
has passed through the crushing chamber, striking the sealing
rings 163.
Supported by the support cone 1~1 is a mantle 191 which has
the cross-sectional configuration of a truncated cone. Supported
by the uppermost portion of the mantle 191 is a collar 193 which-
has a generally flared tubular or bell-li~e configuration. The
collar 193 forms part of a hydraulic nut assembly, indicated
generally at 195, which assembly will be more fully described
below. Supported by, and attached to, the hydraullc nut assembly
113745~
195 is a feed plate 197 which may be made of low carbon steel. The
plate 197 serves to distribute the material provided to the crusher evenly
about the crushing c~amber and to protect the uppermost portion of the
internal structure of the cone crusher.
Turning now to a more detailed description of the
hydraulic nut 195, it may be seen that a nut 201 is threaded ont the
externally-threaded clutch housing 131 forcing the collar 193 down~7ardly
and thereby urgingthe mantle 191 into snug engagement with the support
cone 141. Ib increase the downward force applied by the collar 193 to
the mantle 191, a hydraulic pump, not shown, applies, Via tubing 203,
hydraulic fluid under pressure to a chamber bounded by the lcwer portion
of the nut 201 and the upper portion of the collar 193. The hydraulic
fluid thus urges the nut 201 upwardly and the collar 193 downw ædly.
The nut 201 cannot, however, move upw ædly because it is threaded onto the
clutch housing 131. The pressure of the hydraulic fluid thus forces the
collar 193 downwardly. When the syst~m has been pressurized to a desired
degree (the collar urged downward with a predetermined force)~ a lock
nut 205 is threaded onto the outer periphery of the nut 203 (which nut
203 is threaded externally as well as internallyl ! until the nut 205
is snug against the collar 193. At this time the hydraulic pressure may
be released and the nut 2Q5, the nut 201 and the coll æ 193 will maintain
the mantle in place.
It is aPpropriate to note at this time that the nut 205
is formed with a plurality of ears, for example, four, in which axially
extending holes are formed. m e holes formed in the ears 207 are so
spaced as to be in alignment with a plurality of countersunk, threaded,
axially extending holes formed in the under-surf~ace of the feed plate
197, thereby permitting screws, such as the one indicated at 209, to
hold the feed plate in position.
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SuFported by the support cone bearing seat 125 and
connected thereto by a oonven-tional universal joint 219 such as, for
example, a Hooke's joint, is a shaft 221. The shaft 221 is connected, by
means of a conventional universal joint 223 to an anti-spin mechanism,
indicated generally at 225. The anti-spin mechanism 225, which is most
clearly show.n in Fig. 2, includes a hydraulic motor or pump 231. The
drive shaft of the motor is connected, by means of the oollar 233, to
the universal joint 223. Fixedly p~sitioned within the space formed by
the feed plate 197, the nut 205 and the clutch housing 131 is a generally
cubical hydraulic reservoir 241. As will be understood, lubricating fluid;
provided to the cone crusher via the lubricating passages 83 and 127 fills
the open area in which the shaft 221 is located and, by means of ports
(not shown), the interior of the reservoir 241. Fixedly positioned in
any conventional manner within the lubricating oil filled reservoir 241 .
are a manifold 243, a check valve 245, and.a relief valve 247, each of
which is conventional and which may be hydraulically coupled in any
conventional manner. For reasons which will be discussed below a length
of tubing 249 extends frcm the manifold to the lower portion of the
reserv~ir 241 to insure a supply of hydraulic fluid (the lubricating oil)
for the operation of the anti-spin mechanism 225. It should be pointed
out, however, that although the instant arrangement illustrates a manifold
located in the upper region of the reservoir 241, an equivalent structure
could obviously be provided by locating the manifold and motor in the
lower portion of the reservoir 241, thereby insuring an adequate supply
of hydraulic fluid for the operation of the anti-spin mechanism without
the need of tubing such as that indicated at 249. Further, although
the check valve 245 and the relief valve 247 are illustrated as being
at opposite sides of the reservoir 241 with the manifold 243 positioned
therebetween, other hydraulically equivalent configurations could
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~37451
obviously be utilized. For example, an arrangement wherein the relief
valve, the check valve and the manifold are vertically arranged at one
side of the reservoir 241, with the relief valve being positioned
uppermost and the manifold being positioned at the bottom of the
reservoir chamber, would clearly provide an equivalent structure. The
shaft of the motor 231 which is, as previously noted, coupled to the
shaft 221 by means of the universal joint 223 does not rotate. Rather!
the motor 231 is arranged for rotation. The motor, by means of the
motor housing fixedly connected thereto, is connected directly to the
clutch housing 131 and it will therefore be obvious that the rotation
of the clutch housing, the support oone 141 and the mantle 191 will
be directly related to the rotation of the motor 231. Alternatively,
however, it may be desired to attach the motor housing to a conventional
base plate which could, for example, take the form illustrated in Fig. 2
at 261 and to attach the base plate 261 to the clutch housing 131,
thereby accomplishing the same end.
Turning now to Fig. 5, there is illustrated, in detail,
the crusher setting indicator of the instant invention. The crusher
setting indicator includes a tubular rod 281 which is located within
the lubrication path 83 formed in the shaft 81 and the rod may be made
of any suitable material, for example, steel. me uppermost portion
of the rod 281 is in oontact with the support cone bearing seat 125
and its lowe~most portion, indicated at 285, extends into a lubrication
fitting 283 located just below the lowermost portion of the lubrication
path 83. It is appropriate to note at this point that the rod 281,
which is located within the lubrication path 83, is tubular so that
the rod itself may serve as a portion of the path for the lubricating
medium. me lower portion of the rod 281 bears (may be formed or fitted
with) a series of gear teeth (a rack? indicated generally at 287. A
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~13745~
pinion gear 291 is mounted on any convenient support, for example,
on a plate extendiny from the bleeder flange 113. The pinion gear 291
is arranged for rotation about a shaft 293 which shaft is in turn
supported by the plate 289 and the pinion gear is positioned so that
the teeth thereof engage the teeth 287 of the rod 281.
As previously noted, and as seen in Fig. 1, the support
cone bearing seat 125 is in direct contact with, and is vertically
supported by, the support cone bearing 129. Further, the bearing 129 ~ -
is coupled, with respect to vertical movement, to the mantle 191, through
the clutch housing 131 and the support cone 141. It will therefore be
understood that the vertical location of the rod 281, which is arranaed
for linear vertical movement corresponds directly to the vertical position
of the mantle 191. The vertical position of the rod 281 may therefore
be used to indicate the crusher setting, that is, the size to which the
cone crusher will reduce material provided thereto. For the purpose of
providing a direct calibrated crusher setting reading the pinion gear
291 may be o~upled in any conventional manner desired to any conventional
reading apparatus. Thus, for example, the pinion gear 291 might be used
to directly drive a needle type indicator which is calibrated relative
to the diameter of the material processed by the crusher. Alternatively,
the rotation of the pinion gear 291 might be used to drive an intermediate
transducer of any suitable type which would, in turn, provide an
indication of the size of the material discharged by the crusher.
At this time it is appropriate to note that for the
rod 281 to provide correct crusher setting readings it is necessary that
the rod 281 be maintained in an abutting relationship with the bearing
seat 125. It will therefore be understood that it is ne oe ssary to provide
a mechanism w~ich will bias or urge the rod 281 upwardly so that it
is maintained in direct contact with the undersurface of the bearinq
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.
;
11374S~ .
seat 125. In the embodiment illustrated the biasing mechanism
includes a pair of sealing rings (acting as piston rinqs)
indicated at 301 and 303, respectively. The lower sealing
ring 301 is fixed to the shaft 81 in any conventional manner
and the upper ring 303 is fixed to the rod 281 in any convent-
ional manner. One or more ports 305 are formed in the wall
of the rod 81 thereby permitting a portion of the lubricating
oil flowing through the rod to pass into the (piston) chamber
formed between the rings 301 and 303. The lubricating oil,
which is always flowing into the lubrication path 83 (the
rod 281) under pressure, thus provides an upward force which
acts upon the ring 303 urging it upwardly, thereby urging the
rod 281 upwardly and maintaining the uppermost end of the
rod in abutting contact with the undersurface of the bearing
seat 125. To accomodate the rings 301 and 303 and to provide
r space for the vertical movement of the ring 303, a stepped
bore, indicated at 307, is provided in the shaft 81. The
stepped bore, which has a diameter greater than the diameter
of the remainder of the bore (the lubrication path 83) of the
shaft 81, extends, it will be noted, only a distance sufficient
to accomodate the excursions of the rod 28i. Upward movement
of the ring 303 within the stepped bore will, of course
compress any ambient air trapped between the uppermost
portion of the stepped bore and the ring 303. Inasmuch
as such compression of ambient air would cause undesired
resistance to the upward movement of the
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11374S~
rod 281, ~ ven~ing port, indicated at 30~, is prov~ded in the shaft
Bl. The p~rt 309, i~hich extends into the stepped bore 307, permits
air which wOuld other~ise b~ trapp2d to escap2, thereby permitting
~he rod 231 to mo~e up~ard more -asily.
of colrse, the ;-od 281 rnay b~ maintained in abutting relation-
sh~p with the b2aring seat 125 by othe~, e~uivalent arrangem2a~s,
not sh~wn. For example, the upper por~ion of the bore of the shaft
81 could be enlarged and the bot-tom o' a spring could be fixedly
positioned a~ the lower terminus of the enlarged bore. In this
arrangemen~ a collar coula be îixedly connec~ed to the rod 281
near the top portion thereof and the top of the spring could be
fixedly connected to the underside of the collar, thereby compre~-
sing the spring between the lower terminus of the enlarged bore
and the collar attached to the rod 281. Tha compression force of
~ the spring thus would serve to urge the rod 281 upwardly. Clearly,
selection of a spring having suitable parameters would be a simple
matter of engineering design, it being under3to3d that such para-
meters would, in part, be dependent upon the weight of the rod and
the dlstance between the coIlar and the lower terminus of the en-
larged bore. It is ihus seen that an arrangement utilizing a
spring to maintain the uppermost portion of the rod 281 in contact
with the underside of the support cone bearing seat 125, which
spring arrangement is a viable alternative for the piston arrange-V
ment illustrated, has been described.
2; Turning now to Figv 6, the flywheel 148, the uppermost part
of the tubular member ~7, a labyrinth seal 150 and the telescoping
labyrinth seal 161 are shown in greater detail The flywheel 148,
w'nich ma-~ be made of steeI, i9 bolted (as indicated at 152 in Figv
1) to the lo-~er portion of the eccentric sleeve 91 and rotates
33 therewith. To prevent grit, for example, rocX dust, from entering
',~
...... . ....... ._ ..... _ .__.. ___~__ = _ . .
1137~S~
into thc interior of the crusher through the space be~ween the
ro-tating flywheel 1~8 and the stationary member 47, the ~rease
filled labyrinth seal, indicated at 150, is prov;ded. A grease
path 321, which is connected to a standard grease fitting 323, is
formed ~ hin the memb2r ~7, thus providing a path throug'n ~hich
srease m2y be inje_te!l inlo the voids of the seal. It is appropri-
ate .o note at this p~int, because it is most clearly sho~n in
Fig. 6, that tih2 lower sealing rings 163 are connected by, for
example, screws such as the one indicated at 331, to the flywheel
1a8~ Tn this m~nne- the recuired support for the lower sealing
rings 163 of the labyrinth seal 161 may be provided.
Turning now briefly to Fig. 7, the slotted annulus 45 is
illustrated in detail. In particular, it will be noted that the
tubular me~bar 69, tYhich forms t'ne housing for the driva shaft 71,
is welded to the walls of the slot, which slot is indicated at
341. In addition, Fig. 7 clearly illustrates the annular nature
of, and the concentric relationship bet~een, the sha t 81, the
hub 41, the hub shoulder 43 and the annulus 45.
OPERATIO~ OF THE CRUSHER
As previously indicated, the function of the crusher is to
receive large pieces of hard material and to reduce ~he large
pieces to a number of smaller pieces of relatively uniform size.
In operation, chunks of a material such as rock are fea into the
feed hopper 1. The pieces of rock drop into the crushing chamber,
2~ t~hich is defined by the area bounded by the concave 17 and the
mantle 191, ~here they are then crushed, or com~ressed, or fractur-'
ed by striking one another, resulting in their brea'~age into small-
er pieces. 'The size of thè pieces passing through the crushing
chamber and out of the crusher unit is determined by the space
between the mantle 191 and the concave 17. This space or distance
a~ . . .
:
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1137451
is in turn controlled, as previously indicated, by the piston 97. As
is d ear fram Fig. 1, linearly upward movement of the piston 97 eauses
the mantle 191 to move upward, that is, closer to the concave 17,
whereas lowering the pistan 97 eauses the mantle 191 to move dc~nward,
further frc~n the stationary concave 17. Tb effect the vertical movement
of the mantle 191, hydraulic fluid is pumped into, or withdrawn, throucih
the tubing and coupling ccmbination 99. After the mantle 191 has been
positioned at the vertical level desired, the oambination 99 is
effeetively removed frem the system by, for example, closing a valve
(not shown) and the vertical position of the mantle 191 is thus set.
As is well known in the art, hc~wever, large pieces of material whieh
are too hard to be crushed treduced in size) by the action of the rnantle
and eoncave oeeasionally enter the unit. It is because of this faet that
the aeeumulator 107 and the gas filled kag 111 are prc)vided. In the
event that a large piece of excessively hard material (frequently
referred to in the art as "tramp metal") is prc~vided to the erusher,
the mantle 191 will obviously ke forced dc~nwardly. The dc~nward
movement of the mantle will, in turn, eause the piston 97 to move
dc~nwardly, thereby foreing same of the hydraulie fluid in the piston
ehamber 95 and/or the tubing 101 into the aeeumulator 1070 (it having
been noted above that the combination 99 has been effeetively removed
from the system). Because hydraulie fluid is not eompressible, while
gas is, the inereased pressure on the gas in the bag 111, eaused by
the inereased quantity of hydraulie fluid in the aecumulator 107! will
eause the ecmpression of both the gas bag 111 and the gas therein.
After the mantle 191 has been foreed downw æ d by the tramp metal a
distanee suffieient to permit the tramp metal to pass between the mantle
191 and the ooneave 17 (and the metal is passed by the erusherl, the
ecmpressed gas in the gas
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~137451
bag 111 ex~ands, forcing hydraulic fluid back into the chamber 95
and thereby raising the piston 97 to the level at which it was prior
to the entry of the tramp metal into the crushing cha~ber.
As just noted, the size of the material passed by the
cone crusher is dependent upon the spacing between the mantle 191 and
the concave 17. Clearly, it is desirable to be able to determine, prior
to the operation of the crusher, the size of the pieces which the crusher
will provide. Although the structure of the crusher setting indicator
has already been discussed in detail with regard to Fig. 5, it is
believed appropriate at this time to briefly explain the procedure
involved in calibrating, or "zeroing", the crusher setting indicator.
As is well known in the art, it is relatively easy to determine the
vertical position or height to which the piston 97 has raised the support
cone bearing seat 125. m e mantle 191 undergoes continuous wear, however
and thus merely knowing the height to which the seat 125 has been raised
is insufficient to permit an operator to accurately determine the distan oe
between the mantle 191 and the concave 17. Utilization of the instant
crusher setting indicator, however, permits the operator to raise the
piston 97 to its maxlmum height which is, of course, the height at
which the mantle 191 contacts the conca~e 17. Under such conditions it
is a simple matter for the operator to "zero" a gauge or other indicator
controlled by the pinion gear 291 so as to indicate "zero", that is, the
absence of space between the concave and mantle. m e op~rator may then
lower the piston 97 and the indicator controlled by the pinion gear will
accurately reflect the true vertical distance between the concave and
mantle. In this manner the described crusher setting indicator compensates
for mantle and concave wear and accurately reflects the true spacing
therebetween.
3~
- 24 -
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1137~5~
As previously noted, the size of the material provided
by the crusher is determined by the distance between the mantle 191 and
the concave 17. The reducing action of the crusher is, however, as is
well known in the art, provided by the gyration of the mantle relative
to the concave, the gyration of the mantle having the effect of constantly
increasing and decreasing the space between the mantle and the concave.
Ihe desired gyratory motion of the mantle is here provided for by the
rotation of the drive shaft 71 which causes the eccentric sleeve 91
to rotate about the stationary shaft 81. Because the sleeve 91 has an
eccentric configuration, as illustrated and is conventionally known in
the art, the support cone 141 and the mantle 191 firmly affixed to
the cone 41 will gyrate.
At this point it is appropriate to discuss the operation
of the anti-spin mechanism 225 and it is noted that the structure and
operation of the mechanism is most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 2A.
As previously indicated, the mantle 191 gyrates due to the rotation
of the eccentric 91. It is well known in the art, ho~ever, that the
mantle 191 also rotates as the eccentric 91 rotates notwithstanding the
fact that the beæing surface between the support cone 141 and the
eccentric 91 is well lubricated (as will be more fully described below)
in an attempt to reduce friction and wear. In p æticular, it is well
known that when the crusher is operating in a "no-load" condition,
that is, the eccentric 91 is driven and no material is being fed to
the crusher unit, the mantle 191 tends to rotate in the same directien
as the eccentric 191. It is further known in the art that ~hen the
crusher is in the process of crushing material, that is, when it is
under load, the mantle 191 tends to rotate in a direction opposite to
that in which it rotates when it is not under load. The design of
the internal mechanism of the
- 25 -
CC~/ ru ~
S~
crusher unit is, as is conventional in the art, such that mantle
rotation in the "load" direction is permissable while rotation in the
no-load direction is to be avoided because such rotation can cause
extensive wear to the mantle and concave. Ib prevent mantle rotation
in the no-load direc-tion the anti-spin mechanism 225 is utilized. In
particular, the anti-spin mechanism is arranged so that the mantle 191
may rotate in the load direc-tion but will be prevented (within limits
which are more fully discussed below) from rotating in the no-load
direction.
Referring now to Figures 2 and 2A, it will be understood
that when the crusher is under load the motor 231 is caused to rotate in
the "load" direction by the rotation of the clutch housing 131 which is
fixedly connected to the support cone 141. The rotation of the motor
231 in the load direction causes the lubricating fluid within the reservoir
241 to be drawn upwardly through the check valve 225 and the fluid is
returned to the reservoir throu~h the manifold 243 and the tubing 249.
However, when the motor 231 is caused to rotate in the no-load direction
the lubricating fluid is drawn into the manifold 243 through the tubing
249. The fluid cannot, however, be returned to the reservoir chamber
through the check valve 245 because it is a unidirectional valve.
Furthermore, the fluid cannot be returned to the reservoir chamber through
the ball-type relief valve 247 because the valve 247 is biased closed
by the action of a conventional spring loaded mechanism, not shcwn.
In this manner the motor 231 is prevented from rotating in the no-load
direction and the mantle 191 is therefore also barred from rotating
in the no-load direction. In the event, however, that the mantle 191
is urged to rotate in the no-load direction with sufficient force
(urging the motor housing 231 to rotate in such direction as well)
then, rather than risk the possible
- 26 -
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~ .
:
11~7~S~ .
breakage of components of the crusher, the motor 231 is permitted to
rotate in the no-load direction, thereby permitting the mantle 191 to
also rotate in the otherwise undesired direction. Tb accomplish this
end the spring maintaining the relief valve 247 in a closed condition is
so selected as to permit the lubricating f~uid to open the yalve 247
when the fluid pressure applied to the spring is sufficient to overcome
the counter-acting spring force, thereby permitting the fluid to return
to the reservoir and the motor and mantle to rotate. It will further be
understood that the just described anti-spin mechanism is self-resettihg.
mus when the mantle 191 has been forced to rotate in the no-load
direction (the relief valve 247 has oFened) and the force applied to the
mantle 191 is subsequently reduced to a level below that necessary to
overoome the countervailing spring force of the valve, the spring will
again cloæ the valve, once again preventing the rotation of the mantle
191 in the no-load direction.
Turning now briefly to a discussion of the lubrication
system of the crusher, it is first noted that many portions of the system
have already been discussed. Thus, for example the lubricating paths 83
and 127, the fact that the lubricating fluid fills the chamber within
the clutch housing 131 and within the reservoir 241, and the fact
that the same lubricating fluid may be utilized to urge the crusher
setting indicator rod 281 upward, have already been discussed. Never-
theless, it is believed appropriate at this point to briefly note the
major features of the system. Initially, it is appropriate to indicate
thatthe lubricating fluid is not merely injected into the crusher system
where it remains in active but, rather, that the overall lubrication
system, some portions of which are not illustrated, is a constantly
circulating system. As a starting point, it may be noted that lubricating
fluid flows into the lubrication paths 83 via the fitting 283. The
X - 27 -
113745~
lubricating fluid also passes through the ports 85 and thus
between the eccentric 91 and the shaft 81. In addition, the
lubricating fluid fills the charnber bounded by the lower portion
of seat 125, the upper portion of the shaft 81 and the radially
inner portion of the eccentric 91. The lubricating fluid is
further conducted along the path indicated at 127 and coats
the bearing surface between the support cone bearing 129 and
the support cone bearing seat 125. Clearly, therefore, the
fluid also fills the chamber radially outward of the bearing 129
and the seat 125. In addition, the lubricating fluid fills the
chamber within the clutch housing 131 and, as noted above, it
fills the anti-spin mechanism reservoir 241. Additionally, the
lubricating fluid flows into the chamber bounded by the radially
outward portion of the hub 41, the lower portion of the bevel
gear drive assembly 73 and the upper portion of the shaft
housing member 69. The lubricating fluid is conducted from the
last described chamber through a drain coupling 365 (most clearly
seen in Fig. 3) by a pump (not shown) and through a filtration
system (not shown) from which it may be returned to the crusher
- 20 via the fitting 283. It is thus seen that the lubrication
system of the instant crusher insures a constantly circulating
supply of clean lubricating fluid.
It will be understood that the foregoing des-
cription of the preferred embodiment of the present invention
is for purposes of illustration only and that the various
structural and operational features as herein disclosed are
susceptible to a number of modifications and changes none of
which entail any departure from the spirit and scope of the
present invention as defined in the hereto appended claims.
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