Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
~473~8
This invention relates to cone crushers and more
particularly to such crushers which have fabricated upper
and lower main frames. In addition, this invention
relates to such cone crushers which include anti-spin
mechanisms and crusher settillg indicators.
This is a division of copending Canadian Patent
Application Serial No. 335,731, filed 5eptember 17, 1979.
Cone crushers, which are devices well known in
the art, are devices which are adapted to receive large
pieces of hard material such as, for example, large
chunks of rock and to reduce them to a large number of
smaller pieces which are of a generally uniform size.
The crushers which are presen-tly widely use~ in the con-
crete and aggregate industry have numerous 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 subject to extreme
mechanical stresses. For this reason, among others,
- . such crushers have generally been provided with cast
frames. Although such cast Erames h~ve generally proved
to be of su~ficient strength, the cost of their manu-
facture is quite high and they are -therefore, from an
economic point of view, less than completely satis~
factory. In an effort to overcome this negative aspect
it has been proposed to fabrica-te the lower portion of
the main frame of such a crusher from pre--formed com-
ponents rather than to cast it and to thereby obtain
substantial savings. ~n example of such a cone crusher
-- 1 -- '
mab/
31~
which includes a fabricated lower main frame porti.on
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 inc].udes cast members, in par-
ticular, this pa-tent teaches a structure uti.lizing
a cast center hub. The industry, recognizing the ad-
vanta~es of fabricated main frames for crushers has attempted
- ~47318
to provide main fxame structures which axe 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-Eormed components which
are welded together. Such structures, although providing definite
ad~an~ages..over the earlier cast structures are nevertheless not
completely satisfactory in that they frequently require great
numbers of components to fulfi~l:. their function. For example,
io the last notëd patent includes an adapter plate for permitting
the mating of the center hub with the countershaft which houses
the L~e~uired 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 d 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 ~agnitude
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 regàrding the size of the
material to be provided by the crusher with a desirea degree of
accuracy. It is, of course, possible to accurately and
inexpensively determine the crusher setting by
pc//~)" - 3 -
~ 7~
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 o the crusher.
Cone crushers of the type here under discussion include
a gyratory member yenerally 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 ~ot in the process
of crushing mat'erial.' Further, the mantle tends to rotate in
a second direction, opposite to the flrst 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 fre~uently are in the
form o devlces whlch absolutely bar the rotation of the mantle
in the first direction ~hile permitting the mantle ~o freely
rotate in the second airection. The utility of such~mechanisms
has provéd to be less than completely satisfactory because
absolutely barring the rotation of the mantle in ~he first
direction, may, under conditions where ~he mantle is being urged
in the first direction with sufficient force, result in the
'' destruction of components of the crusher.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It i5 therefore an important object of`the present
invention to provide an improved cone crusher structure by means
of which the aor~said drawbacks and disadvantages may be most
efficaciously avoided.
pc/,~ 4 -
.
~473~8
It is an object of this invention to provide a
fabricated frame for a cone crusher which can be manu-
factured at a minimum cost.
It is another importan-t object of the present
invention to provide an improved cone crusher setting
indicator by means of which the aforesaid drawbacks and
disadvantages may be most efficaciously avoided.
It is still another object of the instant in-
vention to provide a crusher setting indicator for a cone
crusher structure which is mechanically simple and in-
expensive.
It is yet another object of the instant invention
to provide a crusher settlng indicator for a cone crusher
which is more accurate than presently known indicators.
According to the instant invention there is
provided a crusher setting indioator for a cone crusher,
whioh crusher includes a moveable man-tle and a stationary
concave, comprising a~rod, supported by the crusher,
arranged for linear movement, the position of the rod
along the line of linear movement being directly re-
lated to the position of the mantle along the line,
and means responsive to the position of the rod along
the line for providing an indicat1on o the distance,
along the line, between the mantle and the concave.
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:
- 5 -
mab/
, ~.
~ ' :
3~
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of the
cone crusher of the instant inventioni
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 view taken along lines 3-3 of
Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along
lines 4-4 of Fig. l;
Fig. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional plan view
of the crusher setting indicator of the instant in-
vention;
Fig. 6 is a detailed cross-sectional plan view
of the sealing arrangement of the ins-tant cone crusher; and
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional plan vicw taken along
lines 7-7 of Fig. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODI~ENT
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 fram~ portion, there
is illustrated
mab/
~' `'.
31~
a feed hopper (although feed hoppers are generally considered
hy the art to be separate from, and not form part of, a crusher
frame, the feed hopper herein will be described as if it formed
part of the upper main frame portion) generally indicated at l
which includes a.fabricated tub~lar member 3j which member may
be fabricated.from bend rolled steel plateO A fabricated member
5, which has the.general cross-sectional configuration of a
trùncated cone and a fabricated member.7 which also has the
general cross-sectional.configuration of a truncated cone are
both welded 9 at their upper peripheries, to the member 3. The
members 5 and 7 are also welded to onè another along their
contiguous lengths, it being noted that the member 5 is lonser
than the member 7. A fabricated tubular member 9 is weldea at its
upper periphery to the lower periphery of the truncated member 5
and to the.side.of the mem~er.7. The tubular member 9.is further
welded, at its lower periphery, to an~annulus 11, the combination
of the tubular member 9 and annulus 11 having an L-shaped cross-
sectional configuration. The annulus ll is formed with a plurality
of holes therein and it is thereby adap$ed t~ be irmly affixed
to an annulus 13 t which is formed with a plurality of countersunk
threaded holes., by any conventional means, for example, by screws
such as the one indicated at 15.
An upper crushing member or concave 17 having the
general cross-sectional configuration of a truncated cone is cast
from an extremely hard and long wearing material such as/ for
example, manganese steel, and it is formed wi$h a plurality of
gripping or hook members, one of which is indicated at 19. The
concave-17 is ~ain~a-mé~:in~posi$io~ ~y a plur~lity of gripping m~mbers 21 which
pass ~hrough apertures 20 form~d in the annulus 13, which gripping me~bers.21
may have any desired configuration. In the embodiment
~ 7 -
pC/ ! ',
733~
. 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 draw.ing the concave i7 upwardly to îts
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 equally.spacea circumferentially. and there may be, for
example, 16 such ribs spaced 22.5 apart, as clearly seen in Fig.
4. A plurali~y of the ri~s 25 are formed with apertures 27 there-
through so as to facilitate the lifting of the upper portion of the
fabricated main frame o the crusXer when separation of the upper
and.lower main frame portions is desired. As indicated above,.the
crusher may include 16 of the ribs 25 and, for example, four of the
ribs, spaced 90 apart, might be formed 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 indica~e~ at 33 are formed
.
at various locations about the periphery of the tubular member 29
which apertures may be blocked by, for example, h~nged doors such
as th.e one indicated at 35 so that access may be had to the inter-
ior of the crusher when such access is required.
A number of ribs, for example, four, most clearly shown in
dotted lines in Fig. 4 are uniformly spaced about the circumference
~ - 8 -
pC/-~,7
7;~18
of the upper main frame portion of the crusher. The
ribs 30, which have "U" shaped cross-sectional conEigur-
ations (the open ends of the "U" abutting the tubular
member 29 and the closed end of the "U" extending in a
radially outward direction) 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
oE the tubular member 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. ~ 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, t'ne member 29 and
the liner 31 into a rigid structure. A horizontal an-
nulus 37 is welded to the lower peripheries of the
tubular member 29 and the "U" shaped rib 30. The annulus
37 is formed with a plurality of apertures 38 formed
therein through which bolts may be passed for attaching
the just described upper main frame portion to the lower
main frame portion of the cone crusher, which lower
por-ti.on will be described in detail below.
The above-described upper frame is also des-
-- g _
mab/
`~
73~
cribed and is claimed in above-ldentified parent ap-
plication 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 por-tion includes a forged
steel center hub 41 which has an annular shoulder 43
formed at the uppe~ 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 fabricàted tubular member 47, which
may be, for example, of bend rolled steel piate, is
welded to the annulus 45 at the outer periphery thereof
An annulus 49, ori.ented to extend orthogonally relative
to the member 47 is welded thereto interjacent the ends
thereof. The annulus 49 is formed with a plurality of
aperatures 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 lndicated at 53
thereby accomplishing the connection of the upper and
lower main frame portions.
~ plurality of ribs or gussets 61, for example,
three (most c].early seen ln Fig. 3, 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
tubular member 63 extends orthogonally relative to the
annulus 49 and the member 63 is welded, at its upper
periphery, to the
. -- 10 --
mab/ '
,
3~8
..
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 member 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, a1ternat~ly, the annuk~ 45 ~ay ~riq~na11y b- form-d - a
:
p~ - 11 -
mab/ ~-
-
~. '
"~ slotted circular plate (the slot having parallel side walls) as
indicated in Fig. 7. A fabricated tubular member 69 which may, for
example, be made of bend rolled sheet steel extends.through the
aforementioned circular aperture. and forms the drive shaft housing.
The drive shaft, which is indicated generally at 71, is of any
conventional form and may be used to drive the inventive crusher
in any conventional manner. For example, the embodiment of the
invention illustrated in Fig..l shows the drive shaft 71.driving the
cone crusher by means of a conventiona1 bevel gear which is
indicated 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 F~g. 3),
are welded to the center hu~ 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 and
~ , .
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 xibs 67 terminating
at the drive shaft housing member 69.
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 paths 83 formed therein.
Add1$ional lubricational paths, such as.those indicated at 85 are
also formed in the shaft 81. It is also appropriate to note at this
point that the tubular hub 41 is formed with a stepped bore indicated
at ~2. The stepped bore 82 is formed with an internal diameter
which is slightly greater than the internal diameter of the hub 41
in the lowest portion thereof so as to facilitate the insertion of
the shaft 81 into the center hub 41. Surrounding the shaft 81,
which is stationary during the operation of the crusher, is an
eccentric sleeve 91. The eccentric slee~e 91, which is dri~en by
~ - 12 -
pc/
~473~L8
the drive shafk 71 through the mechanism of the bevel gear 73,
extends upwardly to a point beyond the uppermost portion of the
shaft 81 and downwardly to a bearing 93 which is in kurn supported
by the hub 41, the bearing 93 facilitating the rotation of the
eccentric sleeve about the shaft 81. To reduce the wear of both
the shaEt 81 and the eccentric 91, a bearing of relatively so~t alloy
metal may be positioned.between the adjacent bearing surfaces of the
shaft 81 and the eccentric 91.. Alternatively, a layer of relati~ely
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 piskon
chamber, indicated at 95, and a piston 97 is positioned therein.
The piston 97 is actuated by hydraulic fluid which is provided by a
mechanism, not shown, through a conventional ~ubing and coupling
combination, generally indicated at 99, to a section o~ conventional
tubing indicated ak 101. The tubing 101, together with aconventional
hydraulic coupling,~ 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 ~onnectea
to an accumulatox 107. The accumulakor 107 is supported by a frame,
indicated generally at 108. The frame~08~is attached to the lower
portion of the main frame by any conventional means such as, for
example, a clamp indicaked at 110. It.is here appropriate 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 inkerior of the shaft 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 with;n
the chamber 95 from exiting through the bottom of the shaft
pc/~ 13 -
~7~
:
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. ~he 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 below 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 afixed 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 81. Supported by the support cone bearing seat 125 is the
support cone bearing 129 and supported by the support cone bearing
129 is a clutch housing 131~ Supported by and attached to the .
clutch housing 131 is a support cone.l41 which support cone is
supported by a circular shoulder 142 ormed at the lower end of the
clutch housing 131. The support cone 141 is in annular abutting
relationship with the eccentric sleeve 91 and the 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 th.e 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 the fly-
wheel 148 is arranged to rotate with the eccentric 91. Connected
between the support cone 141 and the flywheel 148 is a ~rease
fllled labyrinth seal indicated generally at 161, the purpose of
pc/, ~J
3:~
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 downwardly 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 163
.
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 rrusher 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 connected, by means of tubing 167, to a port 169
formed in the radially outwardmost one of the sealing rings 163. A
..... . . . .
wear collar 181, which collar may be made of low carbon steel, is
welded to the support cone 1~1, 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 labyrinth 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 whichhas the cross-sectional configuration of a truncated cone. Supported
by the uppermost portion of the mantle 191 is a collar 193 which
has a generally flared tubular or bell-like configuration. The
collar 193 forms part of a hydraulic nut assembly, indicated
generally at 195, which assembly will be more fully described
below. Supported by, and attached to, the hydraulic nut assembly
- 15 -
X,;
pc/,
73~
.
195 is a feed plate lg7 which may be made of low carbon steel.
The plate l9i 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 description of the
hydraulic nut 195, it.may be seen that a nut 201 is threaded onto
the ~xternally threaded,clutch housing 131 forcing the collar 193
downwardly and.thereby urging the mantle l91,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, hydraulic 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 because it is threaded onto the clutch
.
,.housing 131. The pressure of the hydraulic fluid.thus forces the
collar 193 downwardly. When the system has been pressurized to a
desired degree ~the collar urged downward with a predetermined
force), a lock nut 205 is threaded onto the outer periphery of the
nut 203 (which nut 203 is threaded externally as well asinternally~,
until the nut 205 is snug against the collar.l93., 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, four, 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 the feed plate 197, thereby permitting screwsr such as the one
pC/' ! - 16 -
~47318
. .
indicated at 209, to hold the feed plate in position.
Supported by the support cone bearing seat 125 and
connected thereto by a conventional universal joint 219 such as,
for example, a Hooke's joint, i5 a shat 221. The shaft 221 is
connected, by means of a conventional universal joint 223 to an
anti-spin mechanism, indicated.generally at 225. The anti-spin
mechanism 225,.which is most clearly 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 the open area in which the shaft 221 is located and, by means
of ports (not shown), the interior of the reservoir 241. Fixedly
positioned in any conventional manner within ~he lubricating oil
filled reservoir 241 are a manifold 243, a check valve 245, ana 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 249 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 provided by locating the manifold and motor in the
lower portion of the reservoir 241, thereby insuring an adequate
supply of hydraulic fluid for the operation of the anti-spin
mechanism without the need of tubing such as that indicated at 249.
~ - 17 -
pc/-~ ~
~731~3 -
Further, although the check valve 245 and the relief valve 247 are
illustrated as being at opposite sides of the reservoir 241 with
the manifold 243 positioned therebetween, other:hydraulically
equivalent configurations could obviously be utilized. For example,
an arrangement wherein the relief valve, the check valve and the
manifold are vertically arranged at one side of the reservoir 241,
with the relief valve being positioned upparmost and the manifold
being positioned at.the bottom of the reservoir chamber, would .
clearly provide an e~uivalent structure. The shaft of the motor
231 which is, as previously noted, coupled to the shaft' 221 by means
of the universal joint 22.3 does.not rotate. Rather, the motor 231
is arranged for rotationO The motor, by.means of the motor housing.
fixedly connected thereto, is..connected directly to the clutch
housing 131 and.it will therefore be obvious that the rotation o
the clutch housing, the support cone 141 and t~e mantle 191 will be
' .: ! '
directly related to the rotation o-E the motor 231. Alternatively,
however, it may be desired to attach the' motox housing to a .
conventional base plate which could, for example,'take the form
illustrated in Fig. 2 at 261 and to attach the base plate 261 to the
clutch housing 131, thereby accomplishing the same end.
' Turning now to Fig. 5, there is illustrated, in detail,
the crusher setting indicator of the instant invention. The crusher
.
setting indicator includes a tubular rod 281 which is loca-ted 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 281 is in contact with the support cone bearing
seat 125 and its lowermost portionj indicated at 2851 extends into
a lubrication fitting 283 located just below the lowermost portion
of the lubrication path 83. It is appropriate to
pc/~
3L1~73~
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 teeth (a rack) indicated generally at 287. A pinion gear
291 is'mounted on any convenient support, for example, on a plate
extending from the bleeder f1ange 113.. The'pinion gear 291 is
arranged for rotation about.a sXaft 293 which shaft is in turn
supported by the plate 289 and the pinion gear is positioned so
.
that the teeth thereof engage the teeth 287 of the rod 281.
As previously noted, and as seen in Fig. 1, the support
cone bearing seat 125 is in direct conta~t wi'th, and is vertically
supported by, the support cone bearing 129. Further, the bearing
129 is coupled, with respect to vertical movement, to the mantle l91r
through the clutch housing 131 and the support cone 141. It will
therefore be understood that the ~ertical location of the rod 281,
: which is arranged for linear vertical movement corresponds directly
to the vertical position of the mantle 191. The ~ertical position
o~ the rod 281 may therefore be used to indicate'the crusher setting,
that is, the size to which the cone crusher will reduce material
provided thereto. For the purpose of provid1ng 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 t.ype indicator which is calibrated relative to the
diameter of the material processed by the crusher. Alternatively,
the rotation of the pinion gear 291 might be used to drive an
intermediate transducer of any suitable type which would, in turn,
provide an indication of the size of the material discharged by the
crusher~
pc/,~
L73~
At this time it is appropriate to note that for the
rod 281 to provide correct crusher setting xeadings it is necessary
that the rod 281 be maintained in an abutting relationship with the
bearing seat 125. It will therefore be understood'that it is
neces~ary 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 beariny seat 125. In the embodiment illustrated the
'biasing mechanism 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 ormed in the wall of the rod 81 thereby
permitting a portion of the lubricating oil flowing through the roa'
to pass into the (piston) chamber f.ormed between the rings 301. and
303. The lubricating oil, which is always flowing into the
.: ; . .
lubrication path 83 (the ~od 281~ under pressure, thus provides an
upward orce which acts upon.the ring 303 urging it upwardly, thereby
urg.ing.the rod 281 upwardly and maintaining the uppermost end of the
rod in abutting contact with th.e. undersurface of the bearing seat .'
125. To accommodate the rlngs 301 and 303 and to provide space for
the vertical movement of the ring 303, a stepped bore~ indicated at
3Q7, is provided in the shaft 81. The stepped hore, which has a
diameter greater than the diameter of the remainder of the bore
(the lubrication path 83) of the shaft 81, extends, it will be noted,
only a distance sufficient to accommodate the excursions of the rod
281. Upward movement of the ring 303 within the stepped bore w;ll,
of course cornpress any ambient air trapped between the uppermos~
portion of the stepped boreand"~he-ring 303. Inasmuch as su~h compression-
of ambient air would cause undesired resistance to the upward move~en~ of the
pC/7j ' '
7318
rod 281, a venting port, indicated at 309, is provided in the
shaft 81. The pork 309, which extends into the stepped bore 307,
permits air which would otherwise be trapped to escape, thereby
permitting the rod 281 to move up~ard more easily.
Of course, the rod 281 may he maintained in abutting
relationship with the bearing seat 125 by other, equivalent
arrangements, not shown. For example, the upper portion of the
bore of the shaft 81 could be enlarged and the bottom of a spring
could.be fixedly.positioned at the lower terminus of the enlarged
boreO In this arrangement a collar could be fixedly connected to
the rod 281 near the top portion thereof and the top of the spring
could be fixedly connected to the underside of the collar, thereby
compressing the spring between the lower terminus of the enlarged
bore and the collar attached to the rod 281. The compression force
of the spring thus would serve to urge the rod 281 upwardly. Clearly,
selection of a spring having suitable parameters would be a simple
matter of engineering design, it being understood that such para-
meters would, in part, be dependent upon the weight of the rod and
the distance between the collar and the lower terminus of the enlarged
bore~ .It is thus seen that.an arrangement utilizing a spring to
maintain the.uppermost portion of the rod 281 in contact with the
underside of .the support cone bearing seat 125, which spring
arrangement is a viable alternati~e for the piston arrangement
illustrated, has been described.
Turning now to Fig. 6, the flywheel 148, the uppermost part
of the tubular member 47, a labyrinth seal 150 and the telescoping
labyrinth seal 161 are shown in greater detail. The flywheel 148,
which may 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
~ - 21 -
pC~
~14L'731&~
into the interior of the crusher through the space between the
rotating flywheel 148 and the stationary m~mber 47, the grease
filled labyrinth seal, indicated at 150, is provided. A grease path
321, which is connected to a standard grease fitting 323, is formed
within 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, ~ecause it is most cleaxl~ shown in Fig. 6, that
the lower sealing rings 163 are connected by~ for example, screws
such.as the one indicated at 331, to the.flywheel 148. 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 ~e noted that the
tubula~ member 69, which..forms the housing foL 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 na~ure of, and
the concentric relationship between, the shaft 81, the hub 41, the
hub shoulder 43 and the annulus-45.
. OPER~TION OF TH~ ~RUSHER
: 20 . 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 crushin~ chamber,
which is defined by the area bounded by the concave 17 and the
mantle 191, where they are then crushed, or compressed, or fractured
by striking one another, resulting i.n 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 m~ntle 191 and ~he
concave 17. This space or distance
pc/~ 22 -
~73~
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 ~7 causes the mantle 191 to move
downward, further from the stationary concave 17. To effect the
vertical movement of the mantle 191, hydraulic fluid is 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 ~he system by, for
example, closing a valve (not shown) and the vertical position of
the mantle 191 is thus set~ As is well known in the art, 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 this 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 downwardly. The downwar~ movement of $he
. mantle will, in turn, cause the piston.97 to move downwardly,thereby
forcing.some of the hydraulic 1uid in the piston chamber ~5 and/or
the tubing 101 into the accumulator 107, (it having been noted above
that the.combination 99 ~as been effectively removed from the system).
Because hydraulic fluid is not compressible, while gas.is, the
increased pressure on the gas in the.bag 111, caused by the 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 b.~ the tramp metal a ~istance
. .
sufflcient to permit the tramp metal to pass between the mantle 191 and the
concave 17 (and ~hel~tal is passed hy the crusher), the compressed gas in the gas
~y .
pc~ 23 -
'73~
bag 111 expands, forcing-hydraulic fluid back into the chamber 95
and thereby raising the piston 97 to the level at which it was prior
to the entry of the tramp metal into the crushing 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 determine,-
prior to the operation of.the crusher, the size of the pieces which
the çrusher will.provide. Although the structure of the crusher
setting indicator has already been discussed in detail with xegard
to Fig-O 5,.it is believed appropriate at this time to briefly
explain the procedure involYed.in calibrating, or "zeroing", the
crusher setting indicator. ~s 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 1~5.
The mantle 191 undergoes continuous wear, however, and thus mere.ly
.
knowing the height to which the seat 125 has been raised is in-
sufficient to permit an operator to accurately determine the dis~ance
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 whi.ch is, of course, th~
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: is, the absence of space between the concave
and mantle. The operator may then iower 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
l~ner.the descr~bed crusher setting indicator a~nsates for mantle and concave
wear and accurately reflects the true spacing therebebween.
- 24 _
pc~
3~b~
As previously noted, the size of the material provided
by the crusher i5 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.~y the rotation of the drive-shaft 71
which causes the eccentric sleeve 91 to rotate about the stationary
shaft 81. Because the sleeve gl has an eccentric conf.iguration,
as. illustrated and as is conventionally known in the art, the sup~ort
cone 141 and the mantle 191 firmly affixed to the cone 41 will gyrate.
At this point it is appropriate to discuss.the operation
of the anti-spin mechanism 225 and it is noted that the structure
. and operation.of the mechanism is most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and
2A. As previously indicated, the mantle 191 gyrates due to the
rotation of the eccentric 91. It is well known in:the art, however,
that the mantle 191 also rotates.as the eccentric 91 rotates no~with-
standing the fact that the bearing surface between the support cone
141 and the eccentric 91 is well lubricated ~as will be more fully
described below) in an attempt to reduce friction and wear. In
.
particular, lt 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 further
kno~n in the art that when the crusher is in the process of crushing
- material, that is, when it is under load, the mantle 191 tends to rotate in a
direction opposite to that in which it rotates when it is not under load. The
design of the internal mechanism of the
~ - 25 -
pC/~ J
:
~7318
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 anti-spin mechanism is arranged so
that $he mantle 191 may rotate in the Ioad direction but will be
prevented twithin limits which are more fuIly discussed below) from
rotating in the no-load direction.
~o Re~erring now to Figures 2 and 2A, it will be understood -
that when the crusher is under load the motor 231 is caused torotate
în the "load" direction by the rotation o the clutch housing 131
which is fixedly connected to the support cone 141. The xotation
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 tu~ing 249. However, when the motor 231 is caused to
rotate in the no-load direction the lubricating fluid is drawn into
the manifold 243 through the tubing 249. The fluid cannot, however,
be retuxned to the reservoir chamber through the check valve 245
because it is a unidirectional valve.~ Furthermore, the f1uid cannot
be returned to the reservolr 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 mannex 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
rctate in the no-load direction with sufficient force (urgin~ the motor housing
231 to rotate in such direction as well) then, rather than risk the possible
~ - 26 -
PC/~
~4~318
c
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 other-
wise undesired direc-tion. To accomplish this end the
spring maintaining the relief valve 247 in a closed con-
dition 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 s~ring 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 sel~-resetting. Thus
when the mantle 191 has been forced to rotate in the
no-load directlon (the reliçf valve 247 has opened) and
the force applied to the mantle 191 is subsequently re-
duced to a level below that necessary to overcome the
countervailing spring force of the valve, the spri~g
will again close the valve, once again preventing the
rotation of the mantle 191 in the no-load direction.
The above-described anti-spin mechanism is also
described and is also claimed in a copending Canadian
Divisional application Serial No. 399,585, ~iled March
26, 198~.
Turning now briefly to a discussion o~ the
lubrication system of the crusher, it is first noted that
many portions of the system have already been discussed.
Thus, for example the lubricating paths 83 and 127, the
fact that the lubricating fluid fills the chamber within
- 27 -
mab/,~
~731~
the clutch housing 131 and within the reservoir 241,
and the fact that the same lubricating fluid may be
utilized to urge the crusher se-tting indicator rod 281
upward, have already been discussed. Nevertheless, it
is believed appropriate at thi.s po.i.nt 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 reamins inactive but, rather, -that the overall
lubrication system, some portions oE which are not
il lus tra ted, i s a ~ ons tantly i rcu: atln-l sys tem .
.~
~, - 2~ -
mab/
'
~4'731~
:
As a starting point, it may be noted $hat lubricating fluid flows
into the lubrication paths 83 via the fitting 283. 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 ~nd the radially inner portion of the
eccentric 91. The lubricating fluid is further conducted along the
path indica~ed at.l27 and coats the bearing surface between the
support cone bearing 129 and the support cone bearing seat 125.
1~ 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 41f the lower portion.of the bevel gear
drive assembly 73 and the upper portion.of the shat 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 fil-tration 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 c.irculating supply of clean lubricating flui~.
It will be understood that the foregoing description of
the preferred e~bodiment of the present invention is for purposes of
illustration only and that ~he various structural and operational
featwres as herein disclosed.are susceptible to a number of modif
ications and changes none of whi~h.entail any departure from the spirit and SCOp2
of the present invention as defined in the hereto appended claims~
~ - 29 -
pc/,~
