Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING THE ROLL
DIAMETER AND SHOCK LOADS IN A MILLING APPARATUS
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/703,682 filed July 26, 2018 which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
Field
The present disclosure relates to milling apparatus and more
particularly pertains to new systems and methods for monitoring the
roll diameter and shock loads in a milling apparatus.
SUMMARY
In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a particle grinding
system comprising a frame, a pair of rolls including a movable first
roll and a second roll, roll supports configured to support the first
roll on the frame in a movable manner and the second roll on the
frame, a motor assembly configured to rotate at least one of the
rolls, and a wear sensing assembly configured to detect wear on at
least one of the rolls of the pair of rolls.
In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a particle grinding
system comprising a frame, a pair of rolls including a movable first
roll and a second roll, roll supports configured to support the first
roll on the frame in a movable manner and the second roll on the
frame, a motor assembly configured to rotate at least one of the
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rolls, and a shock sensing assembly configured to detect shock to at
one of the rolls.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the more
important elements of the disclosure in order that the detailed
description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in
order that the present contribution to the art may be better
appreciated. There are additional elements of the disclosure that
will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter
of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment or
implementation in greater detail, it is to be understood that the
scope of the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details
of construction and to the arrangements of the components, and the
particulars of the steps, set forth in the following description or
illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other
embodiments and implementations and is thus capable of being
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be
understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein
are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as
limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be
utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and
systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present
disclosure. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as
including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
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The advantages of the various embodiments of the present
disclosure, along with the various features of novelty that
characterize the disclosure, are disclosed in the following
descriptive matter and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The disclosure will be better understood and when
consideration is given to the drawings and the detailed description
which follows. Such description makes reference to the annexed
drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an illustrative
grinding apparatus suitable for employing the new roll adjustment
system according to the present disclosure.
Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a grinding apparatus with
the new roll adjustment system, according to an illustrative
embodiment.
Figure 3A is a schematic sectional view of the grinding
apparatus with the roll adjustment system, according to an
illustrative embodiment, with one end of the movable roll in a zero
position with respect to the stationary roll and thus completing a
circuit.
Figure 3B is a schematic sectional view of the grinding
apparatus with the roll adjustment system, according to an
illustrative embodiment, with both ends of the movable roll in a
zero position with respect to the stationary roll and thus completing
a circuit.
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Figure 3C is a schematic sectional view of the grinding
apparatus with the roll adjustment system, according to an
illustrative embodiment, with the movable roll separated by a
uniform separation gap from the stationary roll and thus not
completing the circuit.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the system
including an end portion of the first roll and the respective roll
support with elements of the isolating assembly.
Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of elements of the system,
according to the present disclosure.
Figure 6 is a schematic flow diagram showing one illustrative
implementation of a method of the disclosure.
Figure 7 is a schematic flow diagram showing one illustrative
implementation of a method of the disclosure.
Figure 8 is a schematic graphical representation of predicted
wear calculations based upon observed wear on the rolls, according
to an illustrative implementation
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
Figures 1 through 8 thereof, a new system and method for
monitoring the roll diameter and shock loads in a milling apparatus
embodying the principles and concepts of the disclosed subject
matter will be described.
The applicants have recognized that in the production of
livestock feed, consistency in the particle size of the feed improves
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the efficiency of the feed for the livestock, such as in the manner in
which the animal digests the feed. Particle size is determined at
least partially by the size of the gap spacing between the closest
portions of the rolls of the milling or grinding apparatus (such as
the peaks of the teeth formed on the rolls), which is sometimes
referred to as the nip point. The gap spacing typically changes over
time as the material being ground moves through the gap, or nip,
and wears material away from the rolls. As a result, the size of the
gap may constantly increase as time passes and the milling
apparatus operates to grind particles.
However, wear on the rolls usually compromises the ability to
accurately adjust (and maintain) the size of the gap spacing since
the dimeter of the roll of rolls is decreasing. Thus, the "zero gap"
position of the movable roll, or the position of the roll when there
is no gap between the rolls is affected by the reduction in the
diameter of the rolls caused by wear. To increase the accuracy of
adjustment of the gap size between the rolls, the "zero position" of
the movable roll must be reestablished through a process of bringing
the rolls together to identify the new position of the movable roll
when the gap is zero or nonexistent, and usually also involves
bringing the rolls into a parallel orientation so that the width of the
gap is made as uniform as possible along the length of the rolls.
The applicants have also recognized that wear of the teeth can
cause at least two problems in the operation of a milling apparatus.
Due to the wear, the geometry of the tooth profile on the rolls is
dynamic and continues to change during operation of the milling
apparatus. As the teeth wear and the profile of each tooth is
diminished in a radial direction of the roll, the teeth tend to lose
their ability to pull material through the gap between the rolls, and
the milling apparatus in general, and consequently the milling
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capacity of the apparatus decreases. Further, the continuing change
to the geometry of the tooth profile can cause "flaking" of the feed
material as the dulled edge of the tooth tends to compress or "mash"
the material more than the tooth is able to cut he material, and may
produce drastic inconsistencies in the sizes of particles as some
particles are cut by the teeth and other particles are flaked or
mashed.
The diminished ability of the tooth profile to pull material
through the nip can in some cases cause material to accumulate and
sit on top of the rolls rather than passing through the nip or gap, a
condition that is typically referred to as "flooding". The flooding
of the rolls can be even more abrasive to the teeth on the rolls than
running material through the nip as the accumulating material rubs
.. on the teeth of the roll as the roll spins by the relatively stationary
accumulated material, and as a result can increase the wear of the
rolls at an even faster rate than normal.
In current practice, the operator of the milling apparatus
typically only becomes aware that a change out of worn rolls is
necessary when he or she notices a drop in the throughput of the
apparatus and/or the occurrence of flaking of the milled material.
The unpredictability of when wear on the rolls will necessitate re-
sharpening of the rolls can therefore lead to a period of apparatus
operation (before discovery) at a suboptimal performance level.
The applicants have realized that the current practice
represents a reactive approach as the need to change out the rolls is
only determined when problems resulting from excess wear are
discovered by the operator. Until the operator makes this
discovery, the milling apparatus may not be operating at full
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capacity and may be producing feed material with inconsistent
grinding characteristics causing a loss in feed efficiencies.
In an attempt to be more proactive, one approach has been to
have the operator keep track of the volume of material passing
through the milling apparatus to attempt to predict when a roll
change will be needed based upon, for example, the manufacturer's
recommendations. However, this approach doesn't take into account
how hard the milling apparatus has been operated and variations in
the material that can increase or decrease wear, such as the moisture
level and temperature of the material, the specific type of material,
and the magnitude of the size reduction occurring in the milling
apparatus, as well as other factors and conditions that may produce
premature and unexpected degrees of wear of the teeth on the mill
roll.
Predictability of when the maximum wear on the pair of rolls
will occur is often complicated by the characteristics of the teeth on
the rolls, such as the number of grooves per inch (GPI) of
circumference which is a relative measure of the density of teeth on
the roll. Generally, lower or lesser GPI are typically classified as
"coarse" and higher or greater GPI are typically classified as "fine."
The lesser GPI rolls tend to have a greater groove depth dimension"
and greater GPI tend to have a smaller groove depth dimension.
Groove depth, and the corresponding tooth height, is classified as
the length from the tip of a tooth to the bottom of the valley. The
larger the groove depth, generally the more wear a roll can
experience before needing to be removed for maintenance.
Additionally, a milling apparatus may include multiple pairs or
"sets" of rolls with different teeth characteristics and GPIs. For
example, a roller mill with three sets of rolls has six rolls in total
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and each roll may have a different GPI, thereby producing six
different GPIs for the apparatus.
The applicants have further recognized that the recurring
recalibrations of the zero position of the movable roll of the pair of
rolls, which is typically made necessary by the wear on the rolls,
may provide an indication of the degree of wear exhibited by the
rolls, and may also provide an indication of the need to replace the
rolls prior to the occurrence (and observation) of the aforedescribed
negative effects of excess wear on the rolls (e.g., loss of capacity
and material flaking), and may also provide a predictive measure of
wear likely to occur on the rolls in the future.
The applicants have thus developed a method of tracking
changes in the diameter of a roll using the change in the relative
zero positions of the rolls over a given time period in a roller mill
apparatus when a series of recalibrations of the zero positions are
performed as the rolls wear, which can be performed remotely from
the mill apparatus and may also be performed in real time.
In greater detail, one or more sensors may sense the position
of the moveable roll at any desired time, and most significantly at
the time when the roll is determined to be located at the current
zero position for the roll, which may be a first or initial zero
.. position tracked for the apparatus. The record or history of the zero
positions for the movable roll may be tracked as the rolls wear and a
new zero position may be periodically determined and recorded.
The change in the relative zero position of the roll generally
corresponds to the loss of material from the teeth of the roll or rolls
due to wear, and the corresponding decrease in the diameter of the
roll or rolls from wear. Changes in the zero position of the movable
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roll may reflect a combination of the wear experienced by one roll
or both rolls of the pair of rolls.
When a new relative zero position (which may be second zero
position for the purpose of tracking) is established and identified
through the process for establishing the zero positon (which may
also include bringing the rolls in a parallel relationship), the change
in zero position is tracked and logged and the degree of wear is
calculated. Subsequent zero positions (e.g., third, fourth, etc.) may
also be determined and logged. The calculated wear may be
compared to the value of a predetermined point of maximum wear to
determine if replacement is required, the current percent of life
remaining may be updated, and a new prediction of life or time
before the rolls reach the diameter of maximum wear, may be
produced through a predictive algorithm.
Illustrative systems 10 that may be suitable for the
implementation of the aspects of the disclosure may include a frame
12 and a pair of rolls 14, 16 mounted on the frame in a manner
permitting rotation of the rolls. While suitable systems may include
more than one pair of the rolls, for the purposes of this description
a single pair of rolls will be described with the understanding that
additional pairs of rolls of a system may utilize multiple similar or
identical elements. The pair of rolls may include a first roll 14 and
a second roll 16 that are generally oriented substantially parallel to
each other and may rotate in the same or opposite rotational
directions. Each of the rolls 14, 16 may include a roll body 18 with
opposite ends 20, 21 and a circumferential surface 22 extending
between the ends 20, 21. Typically the circumferential surface 22 is
substantially cylindrical in shape, and includes a plurality of teeth
24 that are formed on the circumferential surface which protrude
outwardly to some degree from the surface 22 and are effective for
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the grinding or otherwise processing the material moving through
the system 10. In some embodiments the teeth 24 extend from the
first end 20 to the second end 21, and may be substantially straight
between the opposite ends 20, 21, and may be substantially
continuous between the ends, although the particular form of the
teeth is not necessarily critical to the disclosure and other teeth
configurations may be employed.
Each of the rolls 14, 16 may also include a roll shaft 26 that
may extend through the roll body 18 and have end portions 28 which
are exposed and extend from the opposite ends 20, 21 of the roll
body. The end portions 28 of the roll shaft 26 may have a
substantially cylindrical shape that is suitable for being journalled
in a bearing for rotation with respect to the bearing.
In illustrative embodiments of the system 10, one of the rolls
may be a stationary roll which is mounted to the frame 12 in a
manner such that the stationary roll is substantially immovable and
unable to engage in translation movement with respect to the frame
(and the other roll) during normal use of the system, while still
being able to move rotationally. The other one of the rolls may be a
movable roll which is mounted on the frame in a manner that
permits translation movement with respect to the frame and the
stationary roll, while also being able to rotate. Although this is a
preferred configuration for the purpose of greater simplicity, it is
possible that both of the rolls may be mounted on the frame in a
manner that permits both rolls to move in translational motion with
respect to the frame. The movable roll is thus movable with respect
to the frame, but is also movable with respect to the stationary roll
such that the movable roll is able to move toward and away from the
stationary roll to adjust a size and character of a separation gap 27
between the rolls.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-04
In some embodiments, the movable roll may be mounted on the
frame 12 in a manner that permits independent movement of the
ends 20, 21 with respect to the stationary roll, and also with respect
to the frame, so that the magnitude of the separation gap may vary
between the ends. In the illustrative embodiments of this
description, the first roll 14 forms the movable roll and the second
roll 16 forms the stationary roll.
The system may also include one or more roll supports, with
each roll support receiving one of the end portions 28 of one of the
roll shafts 14, 16 to thereby support the respective roll body on the
frame in the indicated manner (e.g., movable or stationary). Each
of the roll supports may include a bearing or other suitable structure
for supporting a portion of a rotating shaft. The roll supports may
include at least one movable roll support assembly 30 for supporting
the roll shaft of the movable roll on the frame, and in embodiments
a pair of movable roll support assemblies 30, 31 may be employed
with each assembly supporting one of the end portions 28 of the roll
shaft of the movable roll 14. The movable roll support assemblies
30, 31 may be movably mounted on the frame to permit movement of
the movable roll toward and away from the stationary roll to thereby
change and adjust the size of the separation gap 27 between the
rolls 14, 16.
Illustratively, each of the movable roll support assemblies 30,
31 may include a bearing block 32 which is movably mounted on the
frame, and may be slidably mounted on the frame by one or more
guides 34 mounted on the frame that effectively form a track for the
bearing block to move toward and away from the stationary roll 16.
The movable roll support assemblies 30, 31 may also include an
adjustment structure 36 which is configured to adjust a position of
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the bearing block with respect to the stationary roll 16 and also with
respect to the frame 12. An illustrative adjustment structure
includes a stop 38 mounted on the frame 12, a brace 40 mounted on
the bearing block 32, and an adjustment member 40 which is
configured to move the brace with respect to the stop, and thereby
move the bearing block with respect to the frame. A portion of the
exterior of the adjustment member 42 may be threaded, and the
threaded portion of the adjustment member may extend through a
threaded hole in the brace 40 such that rotation of the adjustment
member in a first rotational direction moves the brace toward the
stop 38 and rotation of the adjustment member in a second
rotational direction moves the brace away from the stop.
Each of the movable roll support assemblies 30, 31 may also
include a biasing structure 44 which is configured to bias movement
of the movable roll toward or away from the stationary roll 16, and
may accomplish this through biasing the bearing block 32 toward or
away from the roll 16. Illustratively, the biasing structure 44 may
comprise a spring which is positioned between the stop 38 and the
brace 40 to push the brace away from the stop and thereby urge the
bearing block to move toward the stationary roll subject to the
adjustment by the adjustment member 42.
The roll supports may also include a stationary roll support 46
for supporting the roll shaft 26 of the stationary roll 16. A pair of
the stationary roll supports 46, 47 may be employed to support the
respective opposite end portions of the roll shaft, and each may
comprise a bearing mounted on the frame in a manner that is
configured to hold the stationary roll 16 in a fixed position on the
frame during normal operation of the system, such as by being
directly bolted to the frame.
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The system 10 may also include a motor assembly 50 which is
configured to rotate at least one of the rolls, and in some
implementations may rotate both of the rolls 14, 16. In other
implementations, a separate motor assembly may be utilized to
rotate each one of the rolls. The motor assembly 50 may include a
motor 52 which may be mounted on the frame 12 and may have a
motor shaft 54 which rotates upon the application of electrical
power to the motor. In other implementations, the motor 52 may be
operated by means other than electrical power, such as, for example,
a fuel. The motor assembly 50 may also include a motor controller
56 which is configured to control the supply of power to the motor
to thereby control the rotational speed of the motor shaft 54. A
driver pulley 58 may be associated with the motor, and may be
mounted on the motor shaft to be rotated by the shaft. A first
driven pulley 60 may be associated with the first roll 14, and may
be mounted on the roll shaft 26 of the first roll. A second driven
pulley 62 may be associated with the second roll 16, and may be
mounted on the roll shaft 26 of the second roll 16. A drive belt 64
may be entrained on the driver pulley 58 and the driven pulley or
pulleys 60, 62 to transfer rotation of the driver pulley to the driven
pulleys, and as a result from the motor to the rolls.
A feed mechanism 66 of the system 10 may be configured to
feed particles (either directly or indirectly) to the pair of rolls 14,
16 to be ground by the rolls as the particles pass through the gap 27.
The feed mechanism 66 may be caused to operate faster to supply a
greater quantity of particles to the rolls, or operate slower to supply
a lesser quantity of particles to the rolls, as well as being caused to
stop operation to effectively stop feeding particles to the rolls and
the gap 27.
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The system 10 may include a wear sensing assembly 70
configured to detect wear on at least one of the rolls of the pair of
rolls, and typically the collective wear on the pair of rolls. The
wear sensing assembly 70 may include at least one roll position
.. sensor 72 which is configured to sense a position of the movable
first roll 14 when the first roll is determined to be in a zero position
with respect to the second roll 16, which may be considered to be a
first or current zero position based upon the current degree of wear
on the rolls 14, 16 at the time the determination is made. The roll
position sensor 72 may be configured to detect the position of one
of the movable roll support assemblies 30, 31 with respect to the
frame 12. In some embodiments, a pair of roll position sensors 72,
73 may be provided with each of the roll position sensors being
configured to sense a current position of one of the respective
.. movable roll support assemblies 30, 31 with respect to the frame.
The wear sensing assembly 70 may additionally include a wear
sensing controller 74 which is configured to receive position
information from the roll position sensor or sensors 72, 73 for at
.. least one of the rolls, such as a movable roll 14. From the
information received by the wear sensing controller 74, the
controller may determine a current zero position for at least one of
the rolls of the pair of rolls, usually a movable roll. Determining
the current zero position of the movable roll may include moving
the movable roll to the current zero position, which may be
accomplished by moving the rolls 14, 16 together through moving
the movable roll 14 towards the stationary roll 16, and detecting
contact between the rolls 14, 16 to indicate that the movable roll is
in the zero position. Suitable techniques for determining the
.. current zero position of a movable roll are described, for example,
in U.S. Patent No. 9,919,315 and U.S. Patent Application No.
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14/821,936, filed August 10, 2015, both of which are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Further, data associated with the determination of the current
zero position may be recorded by the controller 74, such as in a
memory, and may include recording the current position information
or signal received from the roll position sensor 72, 73 as the current
zero position for the roll and may be recorded in a zero position log
accessible by the controller 74. The current zero position data may
be in the form of a dimension associated with the respective
movable roll support assembly, and illustratively may comprise the
relative location of the support bearing block 32 on the frame 12
along the bearing block guide 34. Time data associated with the
current zero position of the roll may also be recorded and may be,
for example, in the form of a time of operation of the milling
apparatus from an initial time of operation of the apparatus with the
particular rolls 14, 16 or with respect to some other reference point.
Optionally, the time recorded could be an absolute time designation
that has, for example, no reference to the operation of the system.
Further operation of the system may be commenced to mill or
grind particles using the pair of rolls for a period of time after the
time at which the zero position was determined. The time period
may be a predetermined time period which is suitable for monitoring
wear on the rolls. After the period of time is passed, the process of
determining the zero position for the roll may be substantially
repeated to determine a subsequent current (e.g., second) zero
position for the roll after passage of the period of time. Recording
of data associated with the subsequent current zero position may
also be performed, such as the dimension associated with the
subsequent zero position and the time associated with the
determination of the subsequent current zero position. After further
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-04
periods of operation of the system, determination of further (e.g.,
third, fourth, etc.) zero position locations and times may also be
made and recorded. Additional zero position ¨ related data may
improve the accuracy of calculations and predictions provided by
the system.
The wear sensing controller 74 may be configured to calculate
various wear¨related aspects using the data recorded with respect to
the zero positions and the times associated with the zero positions.
Illustratively, the current degree of wear, or cumulative current
wear condition, on the rolls may be calculated, such as in relation to
a previously¨measured worn condition, such as the new or original
or "unworn" condition of the pair of rolls. Cumulative current wear
condition may be compared to a maximum cumulative wear
condition for the pair of rolls, which may represent the maximum
amount of wear on the rolls that is on the allowable before
replacement or repair of the rolls is desirable or necessary. The
maximum cumulative wear condition may represent the amount of
wear that may occur to the rolls before the wear starts to cause
problems, such as the aforementioned problems with moving the
particles through the gap and/or flaking of the particles begins to
occur.
Other calculations may include a prediction of the time period
of operation of the milling apparatus between the current time with
the cumulative current wear condition on the pair of rolls and a time
in the future at which the maximum cumulative wear condition on
the pair of rolls may occur
The predictive wear calculations made of the wear sensing
controller may be made using any approach or algorithm suitable to
predict the wear, such as, for example, using machine learning,
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predictive modeling, polynomial or quadratic regression or curve
fitting, to name a few illustrative examples. Each time a new zero
position dimension is measured and logged, wear predictions may be
recalculated to update the predicted values to account for changing
.. conditions of the rolls. As additional zero position dimensions are
measured and utilized in the calculation, and the number of data
points increases, the more accurate the algorithm becomes at
predicting wear on the rolls, and predicting the time left to reach
the maximum level of wear. The updated predictive wear
calculations provided by the system may give the system operator an
indication as to what factor(s) are affecting wear on the rolls and
the approximate time period until the rolls reach the maximum
cumulative wear level or condition.
Due to the geometry of the tooth profile, which widens closer
to the base of the tooth and narrows toward the tip, the surface area
of the outermost surface (e.g., the effective tip) of the tooth
increases as more of the tooth profile is worn away from the roll.
As a result, it takes more work (and operating time) to wear away
the next increment of the tooth height than the work and operating
time required to wear away the previous increment of tooth height.
The most suitable algorithms may take into account this dynamic or
changing nature of the surface area on the outermost surface of the
tooth.
The system may be used on apparatus with multiple pairs of
rolls (or roll sets) in which data points (i.e., zero position
dimensions) from each roll set may be utilized in wear calculations
for each roll set. Comparison between the wear rates of the
respective roll sets may assist an operator or operation apparatus in
detecting uneven wear between the roll sets of the milling
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apparatus, which may occur if roll sets are not utilized most
effectively and in balance during operation of the apparatus.
The system may also be configured to detect uneven or non-
uniform wear on a pair of rolls by monitoring and comparing
changes in the individual zero position dimensions sensed by the
individual roll position sensors 72, 73. Uneven wear on the rolls
may be detected by changes in the zero position dimension varying
from one roll position sensor to the other roll position sensor,
particularly if the variation tends to increase as additional current
zero position dimensions are determined. Uneven wear on the rolls
may be a symptom of uneven feeding of the particles to the gap
between the pair of rolls or if the gap becomes plugged with
particles at one point along the lengths of the pair of rolls but
remains clear along other portions of the lengths.
The system 10 may also include a shock sensing assembly 80
which is configured to detect or identify shocks or vibrations of
relatively great magnitude to elements of the system, such as the
pair of rolls 14, 16. Such shocks may result from, for example,
foreign objects relatively larger than the gap width moving through
the system and into the gap between the pair of rolls, causing the
rolls (and particularly the movable roll) to vibrate and be moved
outwardly from each other in a violent or extreme manner.
The shock sensing assembly 80 may include at least one
vibration sensor 82 which is mounted on the apparatus in a manner
that permits the sensor to sense a vibration level associated with at
least one of the rolls of the pair of rolls. The vibration sensor 82
may be associated with one of the roll supports supporting a roll on
the frame 12. Illustratively, the vibration sensor may be associated
with one of the roll supports supporting the stationary roll 16,
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although the vibration sensor may be associated with the supports
for the movable roll. The vibration sensor 82 may be configured to
generate a vibration signal which generally corresponds to a
vibration level being sensed by the vibration sensor. In some
embodiments, a pair of vibration sensors 82, 83 may be employed
with each of the vibration sensors being associated with one of the
roll supports for a roll.
The shock sensing assembly 80 may further include a vibration
sensor controller 84 which is in communication with the vibration
sensor or sensors 82, 83 to receive a vibration signal or signals from
the respective sensors. The vibration sensor controller 84 may be in
communication with the motor controller 56 as well as other
elements of the system such as the feed mechanism 66. Memory
may be associated with the vibration sensor controller 84 for the
purpose of recording vibration events which are detected by the
vibration sensors and communicated to the controller via the
vibration signal.
A method of operation by the vibration sensor controller 84
may include receiving a vibration signal from one or more of the
vibration sensors to indicate vibration levels sensed by the sensors.
The vibration sensor controller 84 may determine if the vibration
level associated with the vibration signal is greater than a
predetermined threshold vibration level which may indicate a shock
load has been experienced by one or both of the rolls. In some
implementations, if the vibration level associated with the vibration
signal is greater than the predetermined threshold vibration level,
then the vibration sensor controller may cause the feed mechanism
66 to discontinue feeding particles to the pair of rolls, and may
include continuing to operate the motor assembly 50 to rotate the
pair of rolls for the purpose, for example, of determining and
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-04
sensing a further vibration level of the rolls without the passage of
particles through the gap to potentially determine if the roll(s) are
out of balance from damage. In some further implementations,
sensing a vibration level greater than the predetermined threshold
vibration level may cause the vibration sensor controller 84 to cause
the motor controller 56 to discontinue operation of the motor 52 and
thereby discontinue rotation of the pair of rolls and shutting down
machine operation for damage assessment.
In some implementations, determining by the vibration sensor
controller 84 that the vibration level is greater than the
predetermined threshold vibration level may cause the vibration
sensor controller 84 to cause the system to take steps to determine
the current zero position of the movable roll, and may also cause the
system to attempt to reestablish a parallel condition between the
rolls and thereby reestablish a uniform gap between the rolls to
correct any misalignment of the rolls with respect to each other if
the misalignment exists due to, for example, the pair of rolls being
exposed to a shock load.
It should be appreciated that in the foregoing description and
appended claims, that the terms "substantially" and
"approximately," when used to modify another term, mean "for the
most part" or "being largely but not wholly or completely that
which is specified" by the modified term.
It should also be appreciated from the foregoing description
that, except when mutually exclusive, the features of the various
embodiments described herein may be combined with features of
other embodiments as desired while remaining within the intended
scope of the disclosure.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-04
Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that steps set
forth in the description and/or shown in the drawing figures may be
altered in a variety of ways. For example, the order of the steps may
be rearranged, substeps may be performed in parallel, shown steps
may be omitted, or other steps may be included, etc.
In this document, the terms "a" or "an" are used, as is common
in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent
of any other instances or usages of "at least one" or "one or more."
In this document, the term "or" is used to refer to a nonexclusive or,
such that "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A
and B," unless otherwise indicated.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized
that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the
disclosed embodiments and implementations, to include variations
in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation,
assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one
skilled in the art in light of the foregoing disclosure, and all
equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and
described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the
present disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of
the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the
art, it is not desired to limit the disclosed subject matter to the
exact construction and operation shown and described, and
accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be
resorted to that fall within the scope of the claims.
21
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-04
Index of Elements for SYSTEM FOR MONITORING THE ROLL DIAMETER
AND SHOCK LOADS IN A MILLING APPARATUS
1. 41.
2. 42. adjustment member of adj. structure
3. 43.
4. 44. biasing structure (spring)
5. 45.
6. 46. (first) stationary roll support
7. 47. (second) stationary roll support
8. 48.
9. 49.
10. system 50. motor assembly
11. 51.
12. frame 52. motor
13. 53.
14. first (movable) roll 54. motor shaft
15. 55.
16. second (stationary) roll 56. motor controller
17. 57.
18. roll body of roll 58. driver pulley
19. 59.
20. (first) opposite end of roll 60. first driven pulley
21. (second) opposite end of roll 61.
22. surface of roll 62. second driven pulley
23. 63.
24. teeth on roll 64. drive belt
25. 65.
26. roll shaft 66. feed mechanism
27. gap between rolls 67.
28. (first) end portion of roll shaft 68.
29. (second) end portion of roll shaft 69.
30. (first) movable roll support assembly 70. wear sensing assembly
31. (second) movable roll support assembly 71.
32. bearing block 72. (first) roll position sensor
33. 73. (second) roll position sensor
34. guide for bearing block 74. wear sensing controller
35. 75.
36. adjustment structure 76.
37. 77.
38. stop of adjustment structure 78.
39. 79.
40. brace of adjustment structure 80. shock sensing assembly
22
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-04
81. 121.
82. (first) vibration sensor 122.
83. (second) vibration sensor 123.
84. vibration sensor controller 124.
85. 125.
86. 126.
87. 127.
88. 128.
89. 129.
90. 130.
91. 131.
92. 132.
93. 133.
94. 134.
95. 135.
96. 136.
97. 137.
98. 138.
99. 139.
100. 140.
101. 141.
102. 142.
103. 143.
104. 144.
105. 145.
106. 146.
107. 147.
108. 148.
109. 149.
110. 150.
111. 151.
112. 152.
113. 153.
114. 154.
115. 155.
116. 156.
117. 157.
118. 158.
119. 159.
120. 160.
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-04
