Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3~9
.
This invention relates to eone erushers and more
partieularly to sueh crushers which have fabricated upper
and lower main frames. In addition, this invention
relates to sueh eone crushers which inelude anti-spin
meehanisms and erusher settlng indieators.
This is a division of eopendiny Canadian Patent -
Applieation Serial No. 335,731, filed Septernber 17, 1979.
Cone erushers, whieh are deviees well known in
the art, are deviees whieh are adapted to receive large
pieces of hard material sueh as, for exam~le, large
ehunks of roek and to reduee them to a lar~e number of
smaller pieces which are of a generally uniform size.
The crushers whieh are presently widely used in the con-
erete and aggregate industry have nurnerous character-
istics which make them less than ideal. For example,
such crushers must have extra-ordinarily strong main
frames due to the fact that they are subjeet to extreme
meehanical stresses. For this reason, arnong others,
such erushers have generally been provided with cast
frames. Although sueh east frames have generally proved
to be of suffieient strength, the eost of their manu-
faeture is quite high and they are therefore, from an
eeonomic point of view, less than completely sa-tis-
faetory. In an effort to overcome this negative aspect
it has been proposed to fabricate the lower portion of
the main frame of such a crusher from pre-formed com-
ponents rather than to east it and to thereby obtain
substantial savings. An examp]e oE such a cone crusher
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~4731~
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 inclucles cast members, in par-
ticular, this patent teaches a structure utilizing
a cast center hub. The industry, recognizing the ad-
vantages of fabricated main frames for crushers has attempted
l~lc~}:)/ ,
~73~
to provide main frame structures which are completely fa~ricated,
that is, contain only plate and forged members and contain no
cast members. An example of a crusher frame which is constructed
from only fabricated members is provided by U.S. Patent No. 3,843,
068 which is fabricated solely from pre-formed components which
are welded together. Such structures, although providing defini~e
advantages over the earlier cast structures are nevertheless not
completely satisfactory in that they frequently require great
numbers of components to fulfill their function. For example,
the last noted patent includes an adapter plate for permitting
the mating of 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 because a
greater number of prefabricated sections requires a greater
number of welds. This, in turn, provides the opportunity for
unsatisfactory welds and results in increased expense in that
each of the welds must be (or should be) inspected either by
X-ray or ultra-sonic techniques or both.
As indicated above, the function of 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 crusher, the magnitude
of the crushed material which will be provided by the crusher
unit, that is, the crusher setting. Presently known crusher
setting indicators are not, however, completely satisfactory
in that they are either mechanically complex and expensive or
they do not provide information regarding the size of the
material to be provided by the crusher with a desired degree of
accuracy. It is, of course, possible to accurately and
inexpensively determine the crusher setting by
pc/~ 3 -
~73~9
measuring the size of the material after it passes through the
'crushing chamber and is emitted from the crusher but such
information is obviously of less utility than is knowledge of
the crusher setting prior to operation of the crusher~
Cone crusher's of the type here under discussion include
a gyratory member generally referred to in'the art as a mantle.
Due to the construction of the crusher, the gyrating mantle has
a tendency to rotate in a first direction when the crusher is
not under load, that'is when the crusher is not in the process
of crushing mat'erial. Further, the mantie 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 additional 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 known frequently are in the
form of devices which absolutely bar the rotation of the mantle
in the first direction while permitting the mantle to freely
rotate in the second direction. The utility of such mechanisms
has provéd to be less than completely satisfactory because
absolu*ely barring the rotation of the mantle in the first
direction, may, under conditions where the mantle is being urge~
in the first direction with sufficient force, result in the
destruction of components of the crusher.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Xt is therefore an important object of the present
invention to provide an improved cone crusher structure by means
of which th~ aforesaid drawbacks and disadvantag~s may be most
efficaciously avoided.
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7~
It is an object of the present invention to
provide an improved cone crusher anti-spin mechanism
by means of which the aforenoted drawbacks and dis-
advantages may be most efficaciously avoided.
It is a still further object of the instant
invention to provide an anti-spin mechanism for a cone
crusher which inhibits the rotation of the crusher
mantle in a selected direction but which nevertheless
permits such rotation in the event the mantle is urged
in such direction with a force exceeding a pre-selected
magnitude.
It is yet another object of the instant in-
vention to provide an anti-spin mechanism for a cone
crusher which prevents damage to the crusher by re-
leasing the crusher mantle for rotation in an otherwise
undesired direction when the mantle is urged in said
direction by a force exceeding a pre-selected magnitude.
According to the instant invention there is
provided an anti-spin mechanlsm for a cone crusher,
the cone crusher including a gyratory mantle which is
urged to rotate in a first dlrection when the crusher
is under load and in a second direction, opposite to
the first direction, when the crusher is not under load,
comprising a reservoir containing a fluld, a fluid
pump positioned within the reservoir and coupled to the
mantle, the pump adapted to urge the fluid in a firs-t
flow direction when the mantle rotates in the first
direction and to urge the fluid in a second flow
direccion, opposite to the first flow direction, when
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the mantle rotates in the second direction, the force
with which the pump urges the fluid to flow being
directly related to the Eorce with which the mantle is
urged to rotate, a first valve positioned in the
reservoir and coupled to the fluid pump, the first valve
arranged to provide a fluid flow path only when the
pump urges the fluid to flow in the first flow direction,
and a second valve positioned in the reservoir and
coupled to the fluid pump, the second valve arranged
to provide a fluid flow path only when the pump urges
the fluid to flow in the second direction with a force
exceeding a predetermined magnitude.
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 conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~IE 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;
Fig. 3 is a plan veiw taken along lines 3-3
of ~ig. l;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view taken
along lines ~-~ of Fig. l;
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, .
.~ 31g
Fig. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional plan view
of the crusher setting indicator of the instant invention;
Fig. 6 is a detailed 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. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
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 is
illustrated
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73~
~-~ a feed hopper (although feed hoppers are yenerally considered
'by the art to be separate from, and not form part of, a crusher
frame, the feed hopper herein will be described as if it ormed
part of the upper main frame portion) generally indicated at 1
which includes a fabricated tubular member 3j which member may
be fabricated.from bend rolled steel plate. A fabricaked member
5, which has the general cross-sectionai configuration of a
truncated cone and a fabricated member.7 which also has the
general cross-sectional configuration of a truncated cone are
both welded, at their upper peripheries, to the member 3. The
members 5 and 7 are also welded to one another along their
contiguous.lengths, it being noted that the member 5 is longer
than the member 7. A fabricated tubular member 9 is welded at its
- upper periphery to the.lower periphery of the truncated member 5
and to the.side.of the member'7. The tubular member 9.is further
'welded, at its lower periphery, to an annulus ll, the combination
of the tubular member 9 and annulus ll having an L-shaped cross-
sectional configuration. The annulus ll is formed with a plurality
of holes therein and it is khereby adapted to be firmly affixed
to an annulus 13, which is formed with a plurality of countersunk
threaded holes, by any conventional means, for example, by screws
such as the.one indicated at lS.
An upper crushing member or concave 17 having the
general cross-sectional configuration of a truncated cone is cast
from an extremely hard and long wearing material such as, or`
example, manganese steel, and it is formed with a plurality of
gripping or hook members, one of which is indicated at l9. The
conca~e 17''is m2intain~-'in~positio~-by'a.plurality of gripping n~mbers 21 which
pa-s-s~'throug~ ap;ertures 20 form~d in the annulus 13, which c~ripping members 21
may have any desired configuration. In the embodiment
P~ 8 -
.
illustrated in Fig. 1, the gripping members 21 each have a "T"
shaped cross-section although a member having a "J" shaped cross-
section could also be utilized. Conventional tightening nuts, .
such as those indicated.at 22 serve to draw the gripping members
21 upwardly, thereby drawing the concave 17 upwardly to its
desired position. An annulus 23, oriented so as to be parallel to
both the annuli 11 and 13 is positioned in the vicinity of the
lower end of the concave 17.
. A.plurality of gussets or ribs 25 which are oriented
orthogonally with respect to the.annuli 13 and 23 are welded to the
annuli 13 and 23 so as to form a rigid support therebetween. The
ribs 25 are e~ually.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 there-
through so as to facilitate the lifting of the upper portion of the
fabricated main frame of the crusher when separation of the upper
and lower main frame portions is desiredO As indicated above,.the
crusher may include 16 of the ribs 2.5 and, for example, four of the
ribs, spaced ~0 apart, might be formed with apertures such as the
one indicated at 27~
A fabricated -tubular member 29, which may be formed of
bend rolled sheet steel, is welded at its upper periphery to the
annulus 23. Apertures such as the one indicated at 33 are formed
at ~arious locations about the 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 when such access is required.
., .
A nu~ber of ribs, for example, four, most clearly shcwn in
dotted lines in Fig. 4 are uniformly spaced about the circumference
pc/ ,,~
of the upper main frame portion-of the crusher. The ribs 30,
which have "U" shaped cross-sectional configurations (the open
ends of the "U" abutting the tubular member 29 and the closed
end of the "U" extending in a radially outwa.rd 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 made of a long wearing
material such as low carbon steel and which may be formed by
rolling, is tack 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 memher 29.which would
be caused by the action of the crushed 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 i5 welded to the lower peripheries of the
tubular member 29 and the "U" shaped rib 30. The annulus 37 is
formed ~ith 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.
The above-described upper frame is also des-
-- 10 --
pC/;1~ X
:
~7~1~
cribed and is claimed in above-identified parent application
Serial No. 335,731.
Turning now to a description of the lower 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 annulus 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 rolled steel plate, is
weIded to the annulus 45 at.the outer periphery thereof. An
annulus 49, oriented to extend orthogonally relative to the
member 47 is welded thereto interjacent the ends thereof. The
annulus 49 is formed with a.plurality of apertures 51 being so
located as to.be in.alignment with the apertures 38 which extend
through the annulus 37. It may therefore be seen that the annuli
37 and 49 may be.rigidly attached to one another by, for example,
a bolt and nut combination such as indicated at 53 thereby
.
accomplishing the connection of the upper and lower main frame
portions.
A plurality of ri~s or gussets~61,~for example, three
(most clearly seen in Fig. 3 r are welded to the forged center
hub 41 and to a fabricated tubular member 63 which may be formed
of bend rolled sheet steel. The tuhular member 63 extends
orthogonally relative to the annulus 49 and the member 63 is
welded., at its upper periphery, to the
.
pC//~
`` 31'1~73~
: ~ annulus.45, to the tubular member 47 and to the annulus
49, thereby imparting substantial strength and rigidity
to the fabricated lower main frame portion,
The above-described lower main frame is des-
cribed and is also claimed in copending Canadian,divi-
, sional application Serial No. 399,583, filed March 26,
1982.
' A driving,mechanism is, as is conventional,
provided for the crusher of the instant invention in a
manner which will be explained 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 circular aperture in the tubular mem~er 63,.the aper-
ture 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 Eormed as a
'
.
~' ' ' ,
'.
.
~ - 12 ~
mab/
,;
rolled steel plate, is welded to the annulus 45 at the outer per-
iphery thereof An annulus 49, oriented to extend orthogonally
relative to the member 47 is welded thereto interjacent the ends
thereof. The annulus 49 is formed with a plurality of apertures 51
being so located as to be in alignment with the apertures 38 which
ex.tend through the annulus 37. It may therefore be seen that the
annuli 37 and 49 may-be rigidly attached to one another by,.for
example, a bolt and ~ut combination such as indicated àt 53 thereby
accomplishing.the connection of.the upper and lower m~in frame portions.
A plurality of ribs or gussets 61, for example, three
(most clearly seen in Fig. 3), are ~elded to the forged center hub
41 and to a fabricated tubular member 63 which may be formed of bend
rolled sheet steel. The tubular member 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 welaed
! to the annulus 45, to the tubular member 47 and to the annulus 49,
thereby imparting substantial strength and rigidity to the
fabricated lower main frame portion.
A driving mechanism is, as is convent:ional, providea for
the crusher of the instant invention in a manner which will be explaine~
..
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 circular aperture
in the tubular member 63, the aperture formed extencling 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 therefxom/ or,
alternati~ely, the annulus 45 may originally be formed as a
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~L~473~
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 sha~t, which is indicated generally a-t 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 illustrate~ in Fig. 1 shows the drive shaft 71 driving the
cone crusher by means of a conventional bevel gear which is
indica-ted generally at 73.
As was noted above with respect to the ribs 61, a number
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. The ribs 67, therefore, also impart substantial
strength and rigidity to the fabricated lower main frame portion ana
differ from the ribs 61 only in that the ribs 67 do not extend
upwardly to the annulus 4~ as do the ribs 61, the ribs 67 terminatiny
at the drive shaft housing member ~9.
Turning now to a description of the internal structure
of the cone crusher, it is seen that the crusher includes a forged
shaft 81 having at least two lubrication pa~hs 83 formed therein.
Additional lubricational paths, such as those indicated at 85 are
also ~ormed in the sha~t 81. It is also appropriate to note at this
point that the tubular hub 41 is formed with a stepped bore indicated
at 82. The stepped bore 82 is formed with an internal diameter
which is sliyhtly greater than the internal diameter of the hub 41
in the lowest portion thereo~ so as to Eacilitate the insertion o~
the shaft 81 into the center hub 41. Surrounding the shaft 81,
which is stationar~ during the operation of the crusher, is an
eccentric sleeve 91. The eccentric sleeve 91, which is driven hy
pc/' . ~ ~
31~
the drive shaft 71 through the mechanism of the bevel geax 73,
extends upwardly to a point beyond the uppermost portion of the
shaft 81 and downwardly to a bearing 93 which is in turn supported
by the hub 41, the bearing 93 acilitating the rotation of the
eccentric sleeve about the shaft 81. To reduce the wear of both
the shaft 81 and the eccentric 91, a bearing-of relatively soft alloy
metal may be positioned between 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 including lead, tin
and antimony may be coated onto one or both of .the bearing surfaces
as is the case in the embodiment illustrated.
The interior of the tubular shaft 81 serves as a piston
char~ber, indicated at 95, and a piston 97 is positioned tberein.
The piston 97 is actuated by hydraulic fluid which is provided by a
mechanism, not shown, through a conventional tubing and coupling
cornbination, generally indicated at 99, to a section of conventional
tubing indicated at 101. The tubing 101, together with aconventional .
hydraulic coup~ing, extends.through a passage, indicated at 103,
formed in the hub 41 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 yenerally at 108. The frame 108 i5 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 approprîate to note
that, for reasons which will be discussed below, a gas containing
bag 111 is positioned within the hydraulic fluid accumulator 107.
As previously noted, the interior of the shat 81 serves as the
, .
piston chamber 95, and as illustrated, the chamber extends through
the bottom of the shaft 81. To prevent the hydraulic fluid within
the charnber 95 from exiting through the bottom of the shaft
pc/ ~ ~ - 15
31g
- 81 a conventional plug or bleeder flange 113 is inserted 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. An air tube 115, supported at its lower 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 lower end, in a valve
117 positioned, for protection, in a groove in the plug 113. In
this manner air trapped ~elow the piston 97 may be released into
the atmosphere through 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.
Formed in the support cone bearing seat 125 is a lubrication passage
127 which is aligned with the lubrication passage 83 formed in the
shaft 810 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 ak the lower end of the
clutch housing 131. The support cone 141 is in annular abutting
relationship with the eccentric sleeve 91 and ~he support cone 141
extends downwardly for almost the entire length of the sleeve 91.
To reduce the wear of both the sleeve 91 and the support cone 141
a layer of relatively soft alloy metal is coated onto one or both
of the bearing surfaces of the cone 141 and the sleeve 91.
A steel flywheel 148 is connected to the eccentric 91 by,
for example, a bolt such as the one indicatea at 152 and -~he fly-
wheel 148 is arranged to rotate with the eccentric 91. Connected
between the suppoxt cone 141 and the flywheel 148 is a grease
filled labyrinth seal indicated generally at 161, the purpose of
pc/ ; X - 16 -
731~
which is to prevent grit such as particles of rock, rock dust, etc.
from entering the internal structure of the cone crusher where such
particles would cause excessive wear. The labyrinth seal includes
a pluarlity of tubular sealing rings 163. In the embodiment here
illustrated, there are four such rings 163, two of which are upper
sealing rings, extending ~ownwardly from the support cone 141 and
two of which are lower sealing rings, each of which extends upwardly
from the flywheel 148. It will be noted that the sealing rings i63
are arranged in an interlacing relationship so that grease injected
into the voids between the rings 163 will effectively prevent grit
from entering the internal structure of the crusher. As most clearly
.
illustrated in Fig. 6, one or more grease fittings, indicated at 165,
are provided about the periphery of the labyrinth seal 161 and these
fittings 165 are connec-ted, by means of tubing 167, to a port 169
formed in the radially outwardmost one of ~he sealing rings 163. A
wear collar 181, which collar may be made of Iow carbon steel, is
welded to the support cone 141, the collar 181 extending generally
in the area of the upper half of the seal 161. The wear collar 181
thus prevents damage to the labyrînth seal structure 161 which might
be caused by crushed material, which has passed through the crushing
chamber, striking the sealing rings 163.
Supported by the support cone 141 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 1~3 which
has a generally flared tubular or bell-like configuration. The
collar lg3 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 hydraulic nut assembly
- 17 -
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~7~
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 chamber and to protect the
uppermost portion of the internal structure of the cone crusher.
Turning now to a more detailed descriptian of the
hydraulic nut 195, it may be seen that-a nut 201 is threaded onto
the externally threaded clutch housing 131 forcing the collar 193 '
downwardly and'thereby urging the mantle 191 into snug engagement
with'the support cone 141. To increase the downward force applied
by the collar 193 to the mantle l91, a hydraulic pump, not shown,
applies, via tubing 203, h~draulic fluid under pressure to a
chamber bounded by the lower 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 downwardly. The nut 201 cannot,
however~ move upwardly hecause it is threaded onto the clutch
housing 131. The pressure of the hydraulic fluid thus forces the
collar 193 downwardl~. When the system has been pressurized to a
desired degree (the collar urged downward with a predetermined
force), a lock nut ~05 is threaded onto the outer periphery of the
nut 203 (which nut 203 is threaded externally as well asinternally),
until the nut 205 is snug against the collar 193. At this time the
hydraulic pressure may be released and'the nut 205, the nut 201 and
the collar 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, faur, in which
axially extending holes are formed. The 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-
surface of ~he feed plate 197, thereby permitting screws, such as the one
pc/ ~ ~ - 18 -
73~
indicated at 209, to hold the feed plate in po.sition.
. Suppor-ted by the support cone bearing seat 125 and
connected thereto by a conventional 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 universai joint 223 to an
anti-spin mechanism, indicated.~enerally at 225. The anti-spin
mechanism 225, which is most clearly shown in Fig. 2, includes a
hydraulic motor or-pump 231. The drive shaft of the motor is
connected, by means of the collar 233, to the universal joint 223.
.. : .
Fixedly positioned 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 t~e open area in which the shaft 221 is located and, by means
of ports tnot sh.own~, 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 ~alva 245, and a
relief valve 247, each of ~hich is conventional and which may be
hydraulically coupled in any conventional manner. For reasons which
will be.discussed below a length of tubing 24g extends from the
manifold to the lower portion of the reservoir 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 pro~ided by locating the manifold and ~otor in the
lower portion of the reservoir 241, thereby insuring an adequate
supply of hydraulic fluid for the operation of the ~nti-spin
mechanism without the need of tubing such as that indicated at 249.
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~urther, although the check valve 245 and the relief valve 2~7 are
illustrated as being at opposite sides of the reservoir 241 with
the manifold 243 positioned therebetween~ other:hydraulicaily
equivalent conigurations could obviously be utilized. For example,
an arrangement wherein the relief valve, the check Yalve 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 boktom of the reservoir chamber, would
clearly provide an equivalent structure. The shat of the motor
231 which is, as previously noted, coupied to the shaf-t 221 by means.
of the universal ~oint 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 o~vious that the rotation of
the clutch housing, the support cone 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 examplet 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 with-
in the lubrication path 83 formed in-the shaft 81 and the rod may
be made of any suitable material, for example, steel. .The uppermost
portion of the rod ?81 is in contact with the support cone bearing
seat 125 and its lowermost portion, indicated at 285, extends into
a lubrication fitting 283 located just below the lowermost por-tion
of the lubrication path 83. It is appropriate to
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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. The lower
portion of the rod 281 bears (may be formed or fitted with) a series
of gear teekh (a rack) indicated generally at 287. A pinion gear
291 is mounted on any convenient supportr for example, on a plate
extending from the bleeder flange 113. The'pinion gear 291 is
arranged for rotation about a shaft 293 which shaft is in turn
supported by ~he 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. l, 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 arranged for linear vertical movement corresponds directly
to the vertical position vf the mantle 191. The ~ertical pos'ition
of the rod 281 may therefore be used to indicate the crusher s~tting,
that is! the size to which the cone crusher will reduce material
provided thereto. For the purpose of pro~iding a direct calibrated
crusher setting reading the pinion gear 291 may be coupled 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 calibratèd 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. - 21 -
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At this time it is appropriate to note that for tne
rod 281 to provide correct crusher setting readings it is necessary
that the rod 281 be maintained in an abutting relationship wi~h the
bearing seat 125. It will therefore be understood that it is
~ecessary to provide a mechanism.which'will bias or urge the rod 281
upwardly so that it is maintained in direct contact with the under-
surface of the bearing seat 125. In the embodiment illustrate,d the
'biasing ~echanism includes a pair of sealing rings (acting as piston
, rings~ 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 conventional 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 be~ween the rings 301.and
303. The lubricating oil, which is always flowing into the
lbbrication 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 th~ bearing seat
125. To accommodate the rings 301 and 303 and to provide space for
the vertical movement of the ring 303, a stepped bore J indicated at
307, is'provided in the shaft 81. The stepped bore, ~hich 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 accommodate the excursions of the rod
281. Upward movement of the ring 303 within the stepped bo~e will,
of course compress any ambient air trapped between the uppermost
portion of the stepped boreand''t~e-ring 303. Inasmuch as such compression
of a~bient air would cause undesired res.istance to the up~ard movement of the
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rod 281, a venting port, indi.cated at 309, is provided
in the shaft 81. The port 30~, which extends into the
stepped bore 307, per.mlts air which would o-therwise be
txapped to escape, thereby permitting the rod 281 to
move upward more easily.
Of course, the rod 281 may be maintained in
abutting relationship with the bearing sea-t 125 by other,
equivalent arrangements, not shown. For example, the
upper portion of the bore of the shaft 81 could be en-
10 . larged and the bottom of a spring could be fix~dly posi-
tioned at the lower terminus of the enlarged bore. In
this arrangement a collar could be fixedly connected
to the rod 281 near the top por-tion thereof and the top
of the spring could be fixedly connected to the under-
side of the collar,.thereby compressiTIg the spring be~
tween the lower terminus of the enlarged bore and the
collar attached to the rod 281. The compressi.on force
of the spring thus woulcl serve to urge the rod 281 up-
wardly. Clearly, selection of a spring having sui~able
parameters would be a simple matter of engineering design,
it being understood that such parameters would, in part,
be dependent upon the weight of the rod and the distance
between the collar and the lower terminus of the en~
larged bore. It is thus seen that an arrangemen-t utilizing
a spring to maintaln the uppermost porti.on of the rod
281 in contact with the underside of the support cone
bearincJ seat 125, which spring arrangement is a viable
alternative for the piston arranyemen-t il]ustrated, has
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~ ~7~9
been described.
The above-described crusher setting indicator is
also described and is claimed in a copending Canadian.
Divisional application Sèrial No. 399,584 , filed
~larch 26, 1982.
Turning now to Fig. 6, the flywheel 148, the
uppermost part of the tubular member 47, a lab~rinth
seal 150 and the telescoplng l.abyrinth seal 161 are
shown in greater detail. The flywheel 148, which ma~
be made of steel, is bolted (as indicated at 152 in Fig.
. 1) to the lower portion of the eccentric sleeve 91. and
rotates therewith. To prevent grit, for example, rock
dust, from entering
'
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,
`
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..
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.
into the interior of the crusher through the space between the
rotating flywheel 148 and the stationary member 47, the grease
filled labyrinth seal, indicated at 150 t iS provided. A grease path
321, which is connected to a standard grease fitting 323, is formed
w'ithin the member 47, thus providing a path through which grease
may be injected into the voids of the seal. 'It is appropriate to
note at this point, because it is most clearly shown in Fig. 6, that
the lower sealing rings 163 arè connected by, for example, screws
such.as the one indicated at 331, to the flywheei 1480 In this
manner the required support for the lower sealing rings 163 of the
labyrinth seal 161 may be provided.
' Turning now briefly to Fig. 7, the siotted annulus 45 is
illustrated in detail. In particular, it will be noted tha~ the
tubular member. 69, which forms'the housing for the drive shaft 71,
is welded to the walls of the slot,~which slot is indicated at 341.
In addition, Fig. 7 clearly illustrates the annular natur~ of, and
the concentric relationship between, the shaft 81, the hub 41, the
hub shoulder 43 and the annulus 45. ~ '
OPERATION 0~ THE CRUS~R
As previously indicated, the function of the crusher is
to receive large pieces of hard material and to reduce the large
pieces to a number of smaller pieces of relatively uniform size.
In operation, chunks of a material such as rock are fed into the
feed hopper 1. The pieces of rock drop into the crushing chamber,
which is defined by the area bounded by the concave 17 and the
mantle 191, where they are then crushed, or compressed, or frac~ured
hy striking one another, resulting in their breakage into smaller
pieces. The size of the pieces passing through the crushing cha~ber and out of
the crusher unit is determined by the space between the mantle 191 and the
concave 17. This space or distance
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is in turn controlled, as previously indicated, by the piston 97.As is clear from Fig. 1, linearly upward movement of the piston 97
causes the mantle 191 to move upward, that is, closer to the concave
17, whereas lowering the piston 97 causes the mantle 191 to move
downwaxd, further from the stationary concave 17. To effect the
vertical movement of the mantle 191, hydraulic fluid i5 pumped into,
or withdrawn, through the tubing and coupling combination 99. After -
the mantle 191 has been positioned at the vertical le~el desired,
the combination 99 is effectively removed from the system by, for
example, closing a valve ~not shown) and the vertical position of
the mantle 191 is thus set. As is well kn~wn in the art, however,
large pieces of material which are too hard to be crushed (reduced
in size) by the action of the mantle and concave occasionally enter
the unit. It is because of th.is fact that the accumulator 107 and
the gas filled bag 111 are provided. In the event that a large
piece of excessively hard material ~frequently referred'to in the
art as "tramp metal") is provided to the crusher, the mantle 191-
will obviously be forced downwardIy. The downward movement of the
mantle will, in turn, cause the piston 97'~o move downwardly, thereby
forcing some of the hydraulic fluid in the piston chamber 95 and/or
the tubing 101 into the accumulator 107, (it having been noted above
that the combination 99 has been effec~ively removed from the system).
Because hydraulic fluid is not compressible, while gas'is, ~he
incre~sed pressure on the gas in the bag 111, caused by th~ increased
quantity of hydraulic fluid in the accumulator 107, will cause the
compression of both the gas bag 111 and the gas therein. After the
mantle 191 has been forced downward by the tramp metal a distance
sufficient to'permit the tramp metal to pass between ~he mantle 191 and ~he
concave 17 ~and the metal is passed b~ the crusher), the compressed gas in the gas
- 26 -
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-- bag 111 expands, forcing hydraulic fluid back into the cha~ber g5
and thereby raising the piston 97 to the level at which it was prior
to the entry of the tramp metal into the crushing chamber.
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 detenMne,
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 involYed 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.
The mantle 191 undergoes continuous wearl however, and thus merely
knowing the hei~ht to which the seat 125 has been raised is in-
sufficient to permit an operator to accurately determine the dist~nce
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 maximum height which is, of course, the
height at which the mantle 191 contacts the concave 17. Under such
conditions it is a simple matter for the operator to "zero" a gauge
or other indicator controlled by the pinion qear 291 so as to
indicate "zero", that isl the absence of space between the concave
and mantle. The operator 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 compens~es for man~e and concave
wear and accurately reflects the true spacing therebetween.
Pcr~ 27 _
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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. The desired gyratory motion of the
mantle is here provided for b~ the rotation o~ 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 as 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 *he art, however,
that the mantle 191 also rotates as the eccentric ~1 rotates notwith-
standing the fact that the bearing surface between the support cone
141 and the eccentric 91 i5 ~ell lubricated (as will be more fully
described below) in an attempt to reduce friction and wear. In
particular, 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 direction as the eccentric 191. It is ~urther
known in the art that when the crusher is in the process of crushing
mater~al, that is, when it is under load, the m~ntle 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
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~7~9
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. To prevent mantle
rotation in the no-load direction the anti-spin mechanism 225 is
utilized. In particular, the anki-spin mechanism is arranged so
that the mantle.l91 may rotate in the load direction 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 torotate
1n 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 through the manifold
243 and the tubing 249O 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,
: 20 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 shown. 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 ~he motor housing
231 to rotate in such direction as well) then, rather than risk the possible
PC~ - 29 -
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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. To
accomplish this end the spring maintaining the relief valve 247
in a closed condition is so selected as to permit the lubricating
fluid to open the valve 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-resetting. Thus
when the mantle 191 has been forced to rotate in the no-load
direction (the relief valve 247 has opened) and the force applied
to the mantle 191 is subsequently reduced to a level below that
necessary to overcome the countervailing spring force of the valve,
the spring will again close 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 paths83 and 127, the fact that the lubricating fluid
fills the chamber within the clutch housing 131 and within the
reservoir ~41, and the fact that the same lubricating fluid may
be utilized to urge the crusher settiny indicator rod 281 upward,
have already been discussed. Nevertheless, it is believed
appropriate at this point to briefly note the major features of
the system. Initially, it is appropriate to indicate that the
lubricating fluid is not merely injected into the crusher system
where-it remains inactive but, rather, that th~ overall lubrication system,
so~e portions of which are not illustrated, is a constantly circulating system.
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PC~
As a starting point, it may be noted that lubricatiny fluid flows
into the lubrication paths 83 via the fitting ~83~ The 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.chamber 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 se.at 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 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 $he foregoing description of
the preferred embodiment of the present invention is for purposes of
illus$ration only and that the various structural and operational
features as herein disclosed are susceptible to a number of modif-
ications and changes none of which entail any departure from ~he spirit and scope
of the present invention as defined in the hereto appended claims.
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