Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HAMMER ASSEMBLY FOR A ROTARY MATERIAL CRUSHER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is concerned with a hammer assembly for attachment to a rotor
of a rotary material crusher. In particular this invention is concerned with a
hammer assembly
which reduces the time and the difficulty normally associated with replacing
worn hammers
of a rotary material crusher.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In rotary material crushers, a rotor having hammers attached to a peripheral
portion of the rotor are driven to rotate at speeds from 300 to 800 rpm, which
translates to
linear speeds for the hammers from 5000 to 8000 feet per minute, so as to have
the hammers
impact material such as limestone, and the like, in order to reduce the size
of the material.
Such crushing of material generates high impact forces on the hammers, which
are in turn
transferred to the rotor. In view of the high impact forces, it is important
to provide a robust
means for attaching the hammers to the rotor, but at the same time providing
an attaching
means which enables the hammers to be easily removed and replaced when
excessive wear to
the hammers causes them to be unusable.
Conventional means for attaching the hammers to the rotor, such as bolts, or
the like, have been found to be undesirable, as the above-described impact
forces, besides
acting on solely the hammers, also act on the attaching means in a manner that
makes removal
by conventional means difficult and time consuming.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A consideration in providing a means of attaching the hammers to the rotors,
is
to provide a means which enables replacement of the hammers without requiring
removal of
the rotor from the rotary crushing machine, and without requiring a large
opening in side
plates, or the like, of the machine, that are positioned adjacent ends of the
rotor.
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Another consideration in providing a means of attaching the hammers to the
rotor, is to provide proper means for transferring the tremendous impact
forces from the
hammers to the rotor by positioning any bearing surfaces of the attachment
means at the
proper orientation in relation to the direction of the impact forces.
Aspects of the present invention take into account the above-discussed
considerations and provide a means for attaching a hammer to a rotor, which
reduces the time
and difficulty for replacing the hammers found in prior attachment means and
at the same
time provides a robust attachment that is able to withstand the tremendous
impact forces
found in a rotary crushing machine.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a
hammer assembly for attachment to a rotor of a rotary material crusher, said
rotor having a
periphery portion and opposing ends, and being driven to rotate about an axis
of rotation
extending through the ends, said hammer assembly comprising: an adaptor for
attaching to the
rotor, having a base portion and a hammer mounting portion, with the base
portion being
attachable to said rotor at the periphery portion thereof so as to align a
longitudinal axis of the
adaptor parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, said adaptor having a
retainer rod groove
extending through the hammer mounting portion thereof in a direction parallel
to the
longitudinal axis of the adaptor, and a hammer for mounting on the adaptor,
having at least
one impact portion for crushing material, and a mounting portion for
engagement with the
hammer mounting portion of the adaptor so as to align a longitudinal axis of
the hammer
parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, said hammer having a retainer
rod groove
extending through the mounting portion thereof in a direction parallel to the
longitudinal axis
of the hammer, wherein the hammer mounting portion of the adaptor includes
bearing
surfaces facing a direction of impact when crushing material, and the mounting
portion of the
hammer includes bearing surfaces for mating with the bearing surfaces of the
hammer
mounting portion of the adaptor, the hammer assembly further comprising: a
retainer rod for
preventing demounting of the hammer from the adaptor, wherein when the hammer
is
mounted on the adaptor, the retainer rod groove of the hammer faces the
retainer rod groove
of the adaptor, the retainer rod passes through a cavity formed by the facing
retainer rod
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groove of the hammer and the retainer rod groove of the adaptor, and the
diameter of the
retainer rod, the size of the retainer rod groove of the adaptor and the size
of the retainer rod
groove of the hammer are selected such that the hammer is free to move to
enable the bearing
surfaces of the hammer to bear on the bearing surfaces of the adaptor to
transfer impact forces
from the hammer to the adaptor when impact forces from crushing material are
present, with
said retainer rod being free from any of the impact forces.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following
description of embodiments of the invention, which are disclosed with use of
the appended
drawings. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention mounted to
a rotor of a
rotary material crusher;
2a
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FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an adaptor of the first embodiment of the
invention for engaging
a hammer of the invention to attach the hammer to the rotor;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hammer of the first embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a retainer pin of the first embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a retainer rod of the first, second and third
embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 6 is an end view of the hammer assembly of the first embodiment of the
invention for
showing relative sizes of apertures and the retainer rod;
FIG. 7a to 7d are cross-sectional views, in various planes perpendicular to
the longitudinal axes
of the hammer and the adaptor, for showing various features of the hammer
assembly of the first
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention mounted
to a rotor of a
rotary material crusher;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an adaptor of the second embodiment of the
invention for use in
attaching a hammer to the rotor;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the hammer of the second embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a single hammer attached to an adaptor of the
second
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a pair of hammers attached to an adaptor of
the second
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 13 is a front view of the adaptor of the second embodiment of the
invention for indicating
locations for cross-sectional views of FIGS. 14a to 14g;
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FIGS. 14a to 14g are cross-sectional views in various planes perpendicular to
the longitudinal
axes of the adaptor, as indicated in FIG. 13, for showing various features of
the second
embodiment of the hammer assembly of the invention.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention mounted
to a rotor of a
rotary material crusher;
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an adaptor of the third embodiment of the
invention for use in
attaching a hammer to the rotor;
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the hammer of the third embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a pair of hammers attached to an adaptor of
the third
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 19 is a front view of the adaptor of the third embodiment of the
invention for indicating
locations for cross-sectional views of FIGS. 20a to 20d; and
FIGS. 20a to 20d are cross-sectional views in various planes perpendicular to
the longitudinal
axes of the adaptor, as indicated in FIG. 19, for showing various features of
the third
embodiment of the hammer assembly of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A first, second and third embodiment of the invention are described below.
FIG. 1 shows
a rotor 1 of a rotary material crusher. The rotor has a generally cylindrical
shape with a
peripheral portion, indicated at 2, and opposing ends 3. A shaft 4 penetrates
through the rotor
body and extends from each end of the rotor into bearings of the rotary
material crusher. A
means for rotating the rotor is provided on at least one end of the shaft for
connection to a means
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for driving the rotor. An axis of rotation 5 is shown extending through the
shafts and rotor. The
rotor 1 shown in FIG. 1 is the same for use with the first and second
embodiments of the
invention, and similar portions of the rotors shown in the discloser of both
the embodiments are
marked with the same numeric indicators. Arrow R shoes the direction of
rotation.
Disposed at the peripheral portion of the rotor are at least two attachment
grooves 6 for
use in attaching at least two hammers 7 to the rotor. In the embodiment of
FIG. 1, three pairs of
hammers are attached to the rotor. In the following disclosure only one hammer
of a hammer
assembly will be described, however it is to be understood that any number of
attachment
grooves 6 can be disposed circumferentially around the rotor, and any number
of hammers 7 can
be attached along the attachment groove 6. To have attachment grooves disposed
in the
peripheral portion of a rotor is known in the art.
In use of the rotary material crusher, in view of the tremendous impact from
the material
and the abrasive nature of the material being crushed by the hammers 7, it is
necessary to
periodically replace the hammers because of extensive wear at the impact
surface, which
eventually renders the hammer unusable. In certain embodiments it is possible
to merely reverse
the orientation of the hammers, in relation to the direction of rotation of
the rotor, to expose a
fresh impact surface, if the hammers are provided with a second impact
surface. The present
invention can accommodate a hammer having a second impact surface and the
hammer shown in
the drawings of the first and second embodiments, has a second impact surface.
In the present invention an adaptor 8, shown attached to the rotor in FIG. 1
and shown in
perspective and unattached in FIG. 2, is attached to the rotor in attachment
groove 6. The
adaptor 8 is made up of a base portion 9 and a hammer mounting portion 10, as
indicated in FIG.
2. The base portion 9 seats in attachment groove 6, as shown in FIG. 1, and
can be secured to
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the rotor by any known means. As shown in FIG.2, bolt holes, such as those
shown at 11, can be
used for securing the adaptor to the rotor along with wedging blocks, or the
like. The means for
attaching the adaptor to the rotor is not a feature of the present invention.
The feature of the
present invention can be used along with any means of attaching the base
portion 9 of the
adaptor to the rotor. In the first and second embodiments of the invention,
the base portion 9 of
the adaptor is similar.
In use of the present invention, the adaptor preferably remains on the rotor
during
periodic replacement of the hammer, thus reducing the time and labor required
for replacing the
hammer.
When the adaptor is attached to the rotor, the hammer mounting portion 10 of
the adaptor
preferably extends outward in a substantially radial direction in relation to
the axis of rotation 5.
The adaptor shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is configured to accommodate two hammers,
as shown in
FIG. 1, however an adaptor of the invention can be configured to accommodate
solely one
hammer, or more than two hammers.
The hammer mounting portion 10 of the adaptor includes a ridge 12 extending in
the
direction of a longitudinal axis of the adaptor. The hammer is configured to
mate with ridge 12.
FIG. 3 shows a hammer of the invention having impact surfaces 13a and 13b. The
preferred embodiment of the invention features a hammer with two impact
surfaces to enable
reversing of the orientation of the hammer when one of the surfaces is worn.
The two impact surfaces are disposed at an impact portion 14 of the hammer.
Opposed to
the impact portion is a mounting portion 15 of the hammer, for engagement with
the hammer
mounting portion 10 of the adaptor. The mounting portion 15 of the hammer
includes a grooved
portion 16, partially shown in FIG. 3, but better shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6, a
cross-sectional view
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in a direction perpendicular to longitudinal axes of the hammer and the
adaptor, shows hammer
7, adaptor 8 and retainer pin 17, which is described below. As shown in FIG.
6, when the
hammer 7 is mounted to the adaptor 8, the grooved portion 16 of the hammer
mates with the
ridge 12 of the adaptor, to form a tongue and groove type arrangement.
Surfaces of the ridge of
the adaptor and surfaces of the groove of the hammer, which oppose each other
when the
hammer is mounted, are oriented such that surfaces 12a and 12b of the ridge of
the adaptor and
surfaces 16a and 16b of the grooved portion of the hammer face substantially
in the direction of
centrifugal forces resulting from the rotation of the rotor. Also, surfaces
10a and 10b of the
hammer mounting portion of the adaptor, and surfaces 15a and 15b of the
mounting portion of
the hammer face substantially in the direction of impact forces resulting from
the impact of the
material being crushed by the impact surfaces 13a or 13b of the hammer.
Additional surfaces,
which are opposed to each other are described below.
The above-mentioned impact forces must be seriously considered as they are of
a high
magnitude, and any means for retaining the hammer on the adaptor must be able
to remain in a
condition that makes removal of the retainer means still possible after being
subjected to the
impact forces over a period of time.
FIG. 6 shows hammer 7 mounted on adaptor 8, along with a retainer pin 17. The
retainer
pin is shown in perspective in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 4, the retainer pin
includes an end
having head 18 and another end having an aperture 19. A body 20 of the
retainer pin is
dimensioned to pass through an opening 21 in the hammer, as best shown in FIG.
6. Preferably
the body 17 and the head end 18 have a rectilinear shape. Also, preferably the
head end 18 of the
retainer pin fits into a recessed portion 11 of the hammer so as to be at
least partially protected
from impact with material being crushed.
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To retain the hammer on the adaptor, with use of the retainer pin, a retainer
rod 23,
shown in FIG. 6, and also shown in perspective in FIG. 5 is used. The retainer
rod passes
through the aperture 19 in the retainer pin, as well as through an aperture 24
in the hammer
mounting portion of the adaptor, which is disposed in a direction of a
longitudinal axis of the
adaptor, as shown in FIG. 2. The alignment of the retainer rod 23 through the
aperture 19 of the
retainer pin and the aperture 24 of the adaptor is shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6,
the heavy dashed
circle represents the aperture 19 of the retainer pin, the heavy solid circle
represents the aperture
24 of the adaptor, and the light dashed circle 23a represents the retainer rod
23.
The relative sizes and locations of the retainer rod and the apertures of the
adaptor and
retainer pins is an important feature of the invention. The retainer rod is
dimensioned to pass,
freely through the apertures without need of a press or driver, or the like. A
preferred difference
in diameters of the retainer rod 23 and the aperture 19 of the retainer pin
and the aperture 24 of
the adaptor is about 10 mils.
The location of the apertures 19 and 24 in relation to various surfaces of the
hammer and
adaptor are considered, as follows, in order that none of the impact force is
applied to any
portion of the retainer rod 23 or apertures 19 and 24. Such consideration is
important so that
when removal of the hammer is necessary, the retainer rod and apertures are
not deformed in any
way that would prevent the retainer rod from being easily pulled out of the
apertures. Referring
to FIG. 6, when the hammer impacts the material being crushed, surfaces 15a
and 15b of the
hammer bear on surfaces 10a and 10b of the adaptor, to transfer the impact
from the hammer to
the adaptor, and in turn to the rotor. When the hammer is in the position
shown in FIG. 6,
relative to the adaptor, a clearance remains between the apertures 19 and 24,
and the retainer rod
23, in the direction of impact force (F) so that no impact force is applied to
the retainer rod.
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,
When the rotor is not in motion, the hammer may move in relation to the
adaptor to separate
surfaces 10a and 10b from 15a and 15b, and thus apply a force on the retainer
rod 23 resulting
from the weight of the hammer, however such force does not deform the retainer
rod in any
manner.
FIGS. 7 a ¨ 7d show cross-sectional views of components of the hammer assembly
at
sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the hammer, the adaptor,
and the rotor. In FIG.
2 are dashed lines indicating the locations of the cross-sectional views shown
in FIGS. 7a ¨ 7d.
FIG. 7a, in general, corresponds to FIG. 6, however FIG. 7a includes a portion
of the rotor 1.
FIG. 7a is a cross-sectional view taken at a location of one of the retainer
pins 17. FIG. 7b is a
cross-sectional view taken at a location away from the retainer pin 17 and
near an end of a
hammer, for pointing out another surface of the adaptor 8 and hammer 7 which
transfers the
impact force from the hammer to the adaptor. Those surfaces are indicated at
10c and 15c and
extend over a wider area than the surfaces described in relation to FIG. 6.
The surface 10c is in
the same plane as surfaces 10a and 10b. The surface 15c is in the same plane
as surfaces 15a and
15b. FIG. 7c is a cross-sectional view taken between locations of the retainer
pins. FIG. 7d is a
cross-sectional view taken at an end of the hammer assembly and is discussed
further, below.
As discussed above, retainer rod 23 is inserted through apertures 19 and 24 to
retain the
hammer on the adaptor. It is necessary to insert the retainer rod in a
direction from one end of
the rotor to the opposite end of the rotor, as shown in FIG. 1. However it is
not necessary to
remove the hammers by sliding them out in the same direction as necessary for
the retainer rod,
as after the retainer rod is removed, the hammer can be removed by pulling it
outwardly in a
direction indicated by arrow (A) in FIG. 1. As mentioned above, a rotary
crushing machine most
often has side plates near ends of the rotor and access to end portions of the
rotor are difficult.
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In the present invention, only a small access hole in one of the side plates
of the machine
is required for use in mounting the hammer and removing the hammer when
replacement is
necessary. Alternatively, the adaptor can be removed from the rotor prior to
replacing a hammer,
but such method requires more time and labor. To mount the hammer 7 to the
adaptor 8 the
grooved portion 16 of the hammer is placed over the ridge 12 of the adaptor.
Next, each retainer
pin is inserted through the opening 21 in the hammer and further through
retainer openings 25, as
shown in FIG. 6, which are located in the ridge 12 of the adaptor. Next, the
retainer rod 23 is
inserted to pass in turn, through aperture 24 of the adaptor, aperture 19 in
the retainer pin,
aperture 24 of the adaptor, aperture 19 in the retainer pin, and aperture 24
of the adaptor. The
above sequence would be repeated again for a hammer assembly as shown in FIG.
6, having a
single adaptor and two or more hammers.
In order to keep the retainer rod in place, a keeper plate 26 as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 7d is
bolted into place. It is important that the keeper plate and bolt 27 be below
the plane of the end
of the rotor, so as not to make contact with the side plates of the machine
which are disposed
near ends of the rotor. As shown in FIG. 2, a keeper plate recess 28 is formed
at an end of the
adaptor to accommodate the keeper plate and bolt head.
To replace a hammer it is necessary to retract the retainer rod in a direction
opposite to
that described above for inserting the rod. To facilitate the retracting, a
threaded coupling 29, as
shown in FIG. 5, is attached to the retainer rod prior to inserting the
retainer rod when mounting
the hammer to the adaptor. The threaded coupling can also be an integral part
of the retainer rod.
Preferably the threaded coupling has internal threads (female) into which an
extraction tool (not
shown), having external threads (male) of the same size and pitch can be
threaded. After
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threading the extraction tool into the threaded coupling, force can be applied
outwardly to
remove the retainer rod from the hammer assembly.
With the attachment as described, the retainer rod can be rotated while
applying the force
to facilitate the extraction. By having internal threads on the threaded
coupling and using a
thread cap to protect the threads, there is less chance that the threads will
become damaged
during operation of the machine. As shown in FIG. 2, an additional recess 28a
is formed in the
end of the adaptor to accommodate the threaded coupling.
In a preferred embodiment, the adaptor has recesses 28 and 28a in both ends to
enable
insertion of the retainer rod in either direction, as different rotary
material crusher machines can
be accessed easier on one side than the other.
A second embodiment of the invention is described with use of FIGS. 8 to 14.
FIG. 8
shows a rotor 1 of a rotary material crusher. The rotor has the same features
as described above
in describing the first embodiment of the invention. Disposed at the
peripheral portion of the
rotor are at least two attachment grooves 6 for use in attaching at least two
adaptors 31 and two
hammers 30 to the rotor. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, three adaptors 31 and
three pairs of
hammers 30 are attached to the rotor. In the following disclosure only one
hammer of a hammer
assembly will be described, however it is to be understood that any number of
attachment
grooves 6 can be disposed circumferentially around the rotor, and any number
of hammers 30
can be mounted on each adaptor.
The present embodiment of the invention can accommodate a hammer having a
second
impact surface and the hammer shown in the drawings has a second impact
surface, which is
further discussed below.
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In the present embodiment of the invention the adaptor 31, shown attached to
the rotor in
FIG. 8 and shown in perspective and unattached in FIG. 9, is attached to the
rotor in attachment
groove 6. The adaptor 31 is made up of a base portion 32 and a hammer mounting
portion 33, as
indicated in FIG. 9. The base portion 32 seats in attachment groove 6 of the
rotor, as shown in
FIG. 8, and can be secured to the rotor by any known means.
When the adaptor is attached to the rotor, the hammer mounting portion 33 of
the adaptor
preferably extends outward in a substantially radial direction in relation to
the axis of rotation 5
of the rotor. The adaptor shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is configured to accommodate
two hammers,
however an adaptor of the invention can be configured to accommodate solely
one hammer, or
more than two hammers.
The hammer mounting portion 33 of the adaptor includes ridges 34 extending in
the
direction of a longitudinal axis of the adaptor and cavities 35, also
extending in the direction of
the longitudinal axis of the adaptor, and in line with the ridges 34. The
hammer 30 is configured
to mate with ridges 34 and cavities 35 of the adaptor when mounted.
FIG. 10 shows hammer 30 of the invention having two impact surfaces 36a and
36b. The
preferred embodiment of the invention features a hammer with two impact
surfaces, to enable
reversing the orientation of the hammer when one of the impact surfaces is
worn. FIGS. 11 and
12 show perspective views of the adaptor 31 of the invention having one and
two hammers 30,
respectively.
The two impact surfaces are disposed at an impact portion 37 of the hammer. On
a back
portion of the hammer is a mounting portion 38 of the hammer, for engagement
with the hammer
mounting portion 33 of the adaptor. The mounting portion 38 of the hammer
includes a ridge 39
extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the hammer and cavities
40. When the
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hammer 30 is mounted to the adaptor 31, the cavity portions 40 of the hammer
mate with the
ridges 34 of the adaptor 31, to form a tongue and groove type engagement. In a
like manner, the
cavity 35 of the adaptor 31 mates with the ridge 39 of the hammer 30 to form a
tongue and
groove type engagement.
Referring to FIGS. 14a and 14c, surfaces of the ridges and groove of the
adaptor and
surfaces of the ridge and grooves of the hammer, which oppose each other when
the hammer is
mounted, are oriented such that surfaces 41a and 41b of the ridge of the
adaptor and surfaces 42a
and 42b of the groove of the hammer face substantially in the direction of
centrifugal forces
resulting from rotation of the rotor. Also surfaces 43a and 43b of the cavity
of the adaptor and
surfaces 44a and 44b of the ridge of the hammer face substantially in the
direction of centrifugal
forces resulting from rotation of the rotor. Surface 46 of the adaptor and
surface 45 of the
hammer face substantially in the direction of impact forces resulting from the
impact of material
being crushed with the impact surfaces 36a or 36b of the hammer. Surfaces 46
and 45 are shown
also in FIGS. 9 and 10, respectively. Still further, surface 41c of the ridge
34 of the adaptor does
not contact the hammer 30, and surface 44c of the ridge 39 of the hammer does
not contact the
adaptor 31. Therefore, surfaces 41c and 44c are not bearing surfaces as are
the other surfaces
mentioned above.
As mentioned above in regard to the first embodiment of the invention, the
impact forces
must be seriously considered as they are of a high magnitude, and any means
for retaining the
hammer on the adaptor must be able to remain in a condition that makes removal
of the retainer
means still possible after being subjected to the impact forces over a period
of time.
FIGS. 8, 11 and 12 show hammer 30 mounted on adaptor 31. To prevent demounting
of
the hammer from the adaptor, a retainer rod 23, shown in perspective in FIG.
5, is used. The
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retainer rod passes through a retainer rod groove 47 in the adaptor 31, as
well as through one of
two retainer rod grooves 48 in the hammer. The retainer rod grooves 47 and 48,
are disposed in
a direction of the longitudinal axes of the adaptor and hammer as shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10. The
alignment of the retainer rod 23 through the retainer rod grooves 47 and 48 of
the adaptor and
hammer, respectively, is shown in FIG. 14c. The retainer rod grooves face each
other when the
hammer is mounted on the adaptor.
The relative sizes of the retainer rod 23 and the retainer rod grooves 47 and
48 of the
adaptor and hammer, respectively, is an important feature of the invention.
The retainer rod 23
is dimensioned to pass freely through the retainer rod grooves which are
facing each other to
form a cavity. A preferred clearance between the retainer rod 23 and each of
the retainer rod
grooves is about 10 mils. Although the retainer rod grooves facing each other
preferably have
the same radius, it is not required that a radius of the retainer rod groove
of the adaptor and a
radius of the retainer rod groove of the hammer be exactly the same. It is
only important that the
retainer rod is free from any impact forces of the hammers when the hammers
are contacting the
material to be crushed. Also, in order to maximize the cross section of the
ridge 39 of the
hammer, the retainer rod groove 48 of the hammer preferably is more shallow
than the pressure
rod groove 47 of the adaptor, as best shown in FIG. 14c.
An important feature of this embodiment of the invention is that the above-
described
cavity is formed by the facing retainer rod grooves when surfaces 45 and 46 of
the hammer and
adaptor, which face in the direction of the impact forces, are in contact with
each other, as would
be the case when the hammers are encountering material to be crushed. With
such an
arrangement, impact forces are transferred from the hammer 30 to the adaptor
31 when impact
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forces from crushing material are present, with the retainer rod 23 being free
from any of the
impact forces.
This feature of having the retainer rod being free from any of the impact
forces is
common to both the first and second embodiment of the invention. The locations
of the retainer
rod grooves 47 and 48 in relation to various surfaces of the hammer and
adaptor are considered
in order that none of the impact force is applied to any portion of the
retainer rod 23 or retainer
rod grooves 47 and 48. Such consideration is important so that when removal of
the hammer is
necessary, the retainer rod and retainer rod grooves are not deformed in any
way that would
prevent the retainer rod from being easily pulled out of the retainer rod
grooves. Referring to
FIG. 14c and 14f, when the hammer impacts the material being crushed, surface
45 of the
hammer 30 bears on surface 46 of the adaptor 31 to transfer the impact from
the hammer to the
adaptor, and in turn to the rotor. When the hammer is in the position shown in
FIGS. 14c and
14f, relative to the adaptor, a clearance remains between the retainer rod
grooves 47 and 48, and
the retainer rod 23, so that no impact force is applied to the retainer rod.
When the rotor is not in
motion, or not encountering material to be crushed, the hammer may move in
relation to the
adaptor to separate the above recited bearing surfaces, and thus apply a force
on the retainer rod
23 resulting from the weight of the hammer, for example, however such force
does not deform
the retainer rod in any manner.
FIGS. 14a to 14g show cross-sectional views of components of the hammer
assembly at
sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the hammer, the adaptor,
and the rotor. FIG.
13 shows dashed lines AA to GG indicating the locations of the cross-sectional
views shown in
FIGS. 14a to 14g, respectively.
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,
FIG. 14a is a cross-sectional view taken at a location indicated by dashed
line AA having
a ridge 34 of the adaptor and a cavity 40 of the hammer. Recessed portion 50
at a lower portion
of the adaptor is for use in attaching the adaptor to the rotor, and does not
form part of the
invention. The bearing surfaces 45 and 46 are clearly shown in FIG. 14a and
the remaining
cross-sectional view drawings.
FIG. 14b is a cross-sectional view taken at a location indicated by dashed
line BB having
neither a ridge of the hammer or adaptor, or a cavity of the hammer or
adaptor. The opening 11
is solely for securing the adaptor to the rotor and does not form part of the
invention.
FIG. 14c is a cross-sectional view taken at a location indicated by dashed
line CC having
a ridge 39 of the hammer and a cavity 35 of the adaptor. The relationships of
the opposing
surfaces are described above.
FIG. 14d is a cross-sectional view at a location indicated by dashed line DD
having
features similar to those of FIG. 14b, however an opening 11 is not present.
FIG. 14e is a cross-sectional view taken at a location indicated by dashed
line EE having
a ridge 34 of the adaptor. An end face of hammer 30 is shown as a non-
sectioned surface, as the
cross-sectional view is taken between two hammers. Also present are cavity 50
and opening 11,
which are described above.
FIG. 14f is a cross-sectional view taken at a location indicated by dashed
line FF having a
ridge 39 of the hammer and a cavity 35 of the adaptor. The relationships of
the opposing
surfaces are described above. Also present are the cavity 50 and opening 11,
which are also
described above.
16
CA 02742571 2011-06-10
FIG. 14g is a cross-sectional view taken at a location indicated by dashed
line GG having
a ridge 34 of the adaptor and a cavity 40 of the hammer. A recessed portion at
54 is described
below.
It can be seen in FIGS. 9, 14a, 14b, 14d and 14e that retainer rod groove 47
of the adaptor
transitions to a cylindrical bore 54 at various portions of the adaptor that
are away from the
cavities 35. The retainer rod grooves 47 and cylindrical bore 54, preferably
have the same radius
and a common central axis.
As discussed above, retainer rod 23 is inserted into the cavity formed by the
retainer rod
grooves 47 and 48 facing each other, as best shown in FIG. 14c, and into the
cylindrical bore 54
of the adaptor, to prevent demounting of the hammer from the adaptor. It is
necessary to insert
the retainer rod in a direction from one end of the rotor to the opposite end
of the rotor, as shown
in FIG. 8. However it is not necessary to remove the hammers by sliding them
out in the same
direction as for the retainer rod, as after the retainer rod is removed, the
hammer can be removed
by pulling it outwardly in a direction indicated by arrow (A) in FIG. 8. As
mentioned above, a
rotary crushing machine most often has side plates near ends of the rotor and
access to end
portions of the rotor are difficult.
In the present embodiment of the invention, only a small access hole in one of
the side
plates of the machine is required for use in mounting the hammers and removing
the hammers
when replacement is necessary. Alternatively, the adaptor can be removed from
the rotor prior
to replacing the hammer, however more time and labor is necessary when doing
such. To mount
the hammers 38 to the adaptor 31 the grooved portions 40 and ridge portion 39
of the hammers
are placed over the ridges 34 and groove 35 of the adaptor, as shown in FIG.
12. Next, the
17
CA 02742571 2011-06-10
retainer rod 23 is inserted to pass through the cavity formed by retainer rod
groove 47 in the
adaptor and retainer rod grooves 48 in the hammers, and the cylindrical bores
54.
In order to keep the retainer rod 23 in place, a keeper plate 51, as shown in
FIGS. 8, is
bolted into place. It is important that the keeper plate and the head of the
bolt 52 be below the
plane of the end of the rotor, so as not to make contact with the side plates
of the machine which
are disposed near ends of the rotor. As shown in FIGS. 9, 11, 12 and 14a, a
keeper plate recess
53 is formed at an end of the adaptor to accommodate the keeper plate and bolt
head.
To replace a hammer it is necessary to retract the retainer rod in a direction
opposite to
that described above for inserting the rod. To facilitate the retracting a
threaded coupling 29, as
shown in FIG. 5, is attached to the retainer rod prior to inserting the
retainer rod when mounting
the hammer to the adaptor. The threaded coupling can also be an integral part
of the retainer rod.
Preferably the threaded coupling has internal threads (female) into which an
extraction tool (not
shown), having external threads (male) of the same size and pitch can be
threaded. After
threading the extraction tool into the threaded coupling, force can be applied
outwardly to
remove the retainer rod from the hammer assembly.
With the attachment as described, the retainer rod can be rotated while
applying the force
to facilitate the extraction. By having internal threads on the threaded
coupling, there is less
chance that the threads will become damaged during operation of the machine.
An additional
recess, as shown at 28a, can be formed in the end of the adaptor to
accommodate the threaded
coupling as shown in FIGS. 14a and 14g.
In a preferred embodiment, the adaptor has recesses 53 and 28a in both ends to
enable
insertion of the retainer rod in either direction, as different rotary
material crusher machines can
be accessed easier on one side than the other.
18
CA 02742571 2011-06-10
A third embodiment of the invention is described with use of FIGS. 15 to 20.
FIG. 15
shows a rotor 55 of a rotary material crusher. The rotor of this embodiment is
for use in a rotary
material crusher used in what is referred to in the art as a secondary
application. That is for
applications in crushing material of a smaller size than the material crushed
with the
embodiments 1 and 2 described above. The rotor has many of the same features
as the rotor of
the first and second embodiments of the invention. That is ends 56, a shaft 57
and an axis of
rotation 58. Disposed at the peripheral portion of the rotor are at least two
attachment grooves
59 for use in attaching at least two adaptors 61 and two hammers 60 to the
rotor. In the
embodiment shown in FIG. 15, four adaptors and four pairs of hammers are
attached to the rotor.
In the following disclosure only one hammer of a hammer assembly will be
described, however
it is to be understood that any number of attachment grooves 59 can be
disposed
circumferentially around the rotor, and any number of adaptors 61 and hammers
60 can be
attached along the attachment groove 59.
In the present embodiment of the invention an adaptor 61, shown attached to
the rotor in
FIG. 15 and shown in perspective and unattached in FIG. 16, is attached to the
rotor in
attachment groove 59. The adaptor 61 is made up of a base portion 62 and a
hammer mounting
portion 63, as indicated in FIG. 16. The base portion 62 seats in attachment
groove 59 of the
rotor, as shown in FIG. 15, and can be secured to the rotor by any known
means.
When the adaptor is attached to the rotor, the hammer mounting portion 63 of
the adaptor
preferably extends outward in a substantially radial direction in relation to
the axis of rotation 58
of the rotor. The adaptor shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 is configured to
accommodate two
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CA 02742571 2011-06-10
hammers, as shown in FIG. 15, however an adaptor of the invention can be
configured to
accommodate solely one hammer, or more than two hammers.
The hammer mounting portion 63 of the adaptor includes ridges 64 extending in
the
direction of a longitudinal axis of the adaptor and cavities 65, also
extending in the direction of
the longitudinal axis of the adaptor and in line with the ridges 64. The
hammer 60 is configured
to mate with ridges 64 and cavities 65 of the adaptor when mounted.
FIG. 17 shows a hammer 60 of the invention having impact surface 66. FIG. 18
shows a
perspective view of the adaptor 61 of the invention having two hammers 60
attached.
The impact surface 66 of the hammer is disposed at an impact portion 67 of the
hammer.
On a lower portion of the hammer is a mounting portion 68 for engagement with
the hammer
mounting portion 63 of the adaptor. The mounting portion 68 of the hammer
includes ridges 69
extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the hammer and cavities
70 in line with the
ridges. When the hammer 60 is mounted to the adaptor 61, the cavity portions
70 of the hammer
mate with the ridges 64 of the adaptor 61, to form a tongue and groove type
engagement. In a
like manner the cavities 65 of the adaptor 61 mate with the ridges 69 of the
hammer 60 to form a
tongue and groove type engagement.
As best viewed in FIGS. 20b and 20c, wedging blocks 72 and 73, and a back-up
bar 71
are used solely for attaching the adaptor 61 to the rotor 55, and form no part
of the present
invention.
As mentioned above in regard to the first and second embodiments of the
invention, the
impact forces must be seriously considered as they are of a high magnitude,
and any means for
retaining the hammer on the adaptor must be able to remain in a condition that
makes removal of
the retainer means still possible after being subjected to the impact forces
over a period of time.
CA 02742571 2011-06-10
FIGS. 15 and 18 show hammers 60 mounted on adaptor 61. To prevent demounting
of
the hammer from the adaptor, retainer rod 23, shown in perspective in FIG. 5
is used. As best
viewed in FIG. 20c, the retainer rod passes through a retainer rod groove 74
in the adaptor 61, as
well as through a retainer rod groove 75 in the hammer. The retainer rod
grooves face each other
when the hammer is mounted. The retainer rod grooves 74 and 75, are disposed
in a direction of
the longitudinal axes of the adaptor and hammer as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17.
In FIG. 16,
grooves 74 and bores 76 are shown. The grooves 74 transition into the bores 76
in portions of
the adaptor, as shown. The alignment of the retainer rod 23 through the
retainer rod grooves 74
and 75 of the adaptor and hammer, respectively, is shown in FIG. 20c.
The relative sizes of the retainer rod 23 and the retainer rod grooves 74 and
75 of the
adaptor and hammer, respectively, is an important feature of the invention.
The retainer rod 23
is dimensioned to pass freely through the retainer rod grooves which face each
other and together
form a cavity having a dimension greater than a diameter of the retainer rod.
A preferred
clearance between the retainer rod 23 and each of the retainer rod grooves is
about 10 mils.
Although the radius of the retainer rod groove of the hammer and the retainer
rod groove of the
adaptor are preferably the same, such relationship is not required in practice
of the invention. It
is only important that the retainer rod is free from any impact forces of the
hammers when the
hammers are contacting the material to be crushed.
An important feature of this embodiment of the invention is that the cavity
for the
retainer rod is formed when surfaces of the hammer and adaptor which face in
the direction of
the impact forces are in contact with each other, as would be the case when
the hammers are
encountering material to be crushed. With such an arrangement, impact forces
are transferred
21
CA 02742571 2011-06-10
from the hammer 60 to the adaptor 61 when impact forces from crushing material
are present,
with the retainer rod 23 being free from any of the impact forces.
This feature of having the retainer rod being free from any of the impact
forces is
common to the first, second and third embodiments of the invention. The
locations of the
retainer rod grooves 74 and 75 in relation to various surfaces of the hammer
and adaptor are
considered in order that none of the impact force is applied to any portion of
the retainer rod 23
or retainer grooves 74 and 75. Such consideration is important so that when
removal of the
hammer is necessary, the retainer rod and retainer rod grooves are not
deformed in any way that
would prevent the retainer rod from being easily pulled out of the retainer
rod grooves.
Referring to FIG. 20c when the hammer is in the position shown relative to the
adaptor, a
clearance remains between the retainer rod grooves 74 and 75, and the retainer
rod 23, so that no
impact force is applied to the retainer rod. When the rotor is not in motion,
or not encountering
material to be crushed, the hammer may move in relation to the adaptor to
separate bearing
surfaces, and thus apply a force on the retainer rod 23 resulting from the
weight of the hammer,
for example, however such force does not deform the retainer rod in any
manner.
FIGS. 20a to 20d show cross-sectional views of components of the hammer
assembly at
sections perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the hammer, the adaptor,
and the rotor. FIG.
19 shows dashed lines AA to DD indicating the locations of the cross-sectional
views shown in
FIGS. 20a to 20d, respectively.
FIG. 20a is a cross-sectional view taken at a location indicated by dashed
line AA having
a ridge 64 of the adaptor and a cavity 70 of the hammer.
22
CA 02742571 2011-06-10
FIG. 20b is a cross-sectional view taken at a location indicated by dashed
line BB having
neither a ridge of the hammer or adaptor, or a cavity of the hammer or
adaptor. Projection 77 is
solely for securing the adaptor to the back-up bar 71 and does not form part
of the invention.
FIG. 20c is a cross-sectional view taken at a location indicated by dashed
line CC having
a ridge 69 of the hammer and a cavity 65 of the adaptor. The relationships
between the grooves
74 and 75 and the retainer rod 23 are clearly shown.
FIG. 20d is a cross-sectional view at a location indicated by dashed line DD
having
neither a ridge of the hammer or adaptor, or a cavity of the hammer or
adaptor.
It can be seen in FIGS. 16 and 20d that retainer groove 74 of the adaptor
transitions to a
cylindrical bore 76 at various portions of the adaptor that are away from the
cavities 65. The
retainer grooves 74 and cylindrical bore 76 preferably have the same radius.
As discussed above, retainer rod 23 is inserted into the cavity formed by
retainer rod
grooves 74 and 75, as best shown in FIG. 20c and into the cylindrical bore 76,
to prevent
demounting of the hammer from the adaptor. It is necessary to insert the
retainer rod in a
direction from one end of the rotor to the opposite end of the rotor, as shown
in FIG. 15.
However it is not necessary to remove the hammers by sliding them out in the
same direction as
for the retainer rod, as after the retainer rod is removed, the hammer can be
removed by pulling it
outwardly in a direction indicated by arrow (B) in FIG. 15. As mentioned
above, a rotary
crushing machine most often has side plates near ends of the rotor and access
to end portions of
the rotor are difficult.
In the present invention, only a small access hole in one of the side plates
of the machine
is required for use in mounting the hammers and removing the hammers when
replacement is
necessary or alternatively the adaptor can be removed from the rotor prior to
replacing the
23
CA 02742571 2011-06-10
hammers. To mount the hammers 60 to the adaptor 61 the grooved portions 70 and
ridge
portions 69 of the hammers are placed over the ridges 64 and grooves 65 of the
adaptor, as
shown in FIG. 18. Next, the retainer rod 23 is inserted to pass through the
cavity formed by the
retainer rod grooves 74 in the adaptor and retainer rod grooves 75 in the
hammers, and the
cylindrical bores 76.
In order to keep the retainer rod 23 in place, a keeper plate 77 as shown in
FIG. 20a is
bolted into place. It is important that the keeper plate and the head of a
bolt 78 be below the
plane of the end of the rotor, so as not to make contact with the side plates
of the machine which
are disposed near ends of the rotor. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 19, a keeper
plate recess 79 is
formed at an end of the adaptor to accommodate the keeper plate and bolt head.
To replace a hammer it is necessary to retract the retainer rod in a direction
opposite to
that described above for inserting the rod. To facilitate the retracting a
threaded coupling 29, as
shown in FIG. 5, is attached to the retainer rod prior to inserting the
retainer rod when mounting
the hammer to the adaptor. The threaded coupling can also be an integral part
of the retainer rod.
Preferably the threaded coupling has internal threads (female) into which an
extraction tool (not
shown), having external threads (male) of the same size and pitch can be
threaded. After
threading the extraction tool into the threaded coupling, force can be applied
outwardly to
remove the retainer rod from the hammer assembly.
With the attachment as described, the retainer rod can be rotated while
applying the force
to facilitate the extraction. By having internal threads and using a thread
cap for the threads on
the threaded coupling, there is less chance that the threads will become
damaged during
operation of the machine. An additional recess, as shown at 80 in FIG. 19, can
be formed in the
end of the adaptor to accommodate the threaded coupling.
24
CA 02742571 2011-06-10
In a preferred embodiment, the adaptor has recesses 79 and 80 in both ends to
enable
insertion of the retainer rod in either direction, as different rotary
material crusher machines can
be accessed easier on one side or the other.
