Abstrict A mobile car crusher (1) has two hydraulic cylinders (13 20) with
one at each end of a heavy-duty trailer. A cylinder base (14) on
a bottom of each of the two hydraulic cylinders is positional hydraulically
proximate a bottom of each of two cylinder-guide posts (7 9) for
travel mode and proximate a top of each of the two cylinder-guide
posts for car-crusher operating mode. A hood end of each of two
piston shafts (17) of each of two hydraulic pistons for the two
hydraulic cylinders is attached to each of two shaft bases (19
21) to which ends of a crusher hood (28) are attached in horizontal
attitude. The two shaft bases are actuated to travel vertically
for alternately car-crushing and car-acceptance action of the crusher
hood in relation to a crusher floor (22) by travel of the two hydraulic
pistons in hydraulic cylinders with cylinder bases fastened into
an operating position proximate tops of the cylinder-post guides.
With the cylinder bases unfastened from proximate tops of the plunger
guides and with the cylinder bases resting at bottoms of the cylinder-guide
posts, the hydraulic cylinders are actuated to travel vertically
upward to position the cylinder bases for operative mode at tops
of the plunger guides and to travel downward to position the cylinder
bases for travel mode at bottoms of the plunger guides.
Claims I claim:
1. A mobile car crusher comprising:
a mobile platform with a front base section, a rear base section,
a car-crusher section intermediate the front base section and the
rear base section, a first side and a second side of the mobile
car crusher;
at least one first shaft guide having a bottom section attached
to the mobile car crusher proximate the front base section of the
mobile car crusher and having guideways extended vertically upward
from the bottom section of the at-least-one first shaft guide;
at least one second shaft guide having a bottom section attached
to the mobile car crusher proximate the rear base section of the
mobile car crusher and having guideways extended vertically upward
from the bottom section of the at-least-one second shaft guide;
at least one first hydraulic cylinder that is positioned for hydraulic
operation and vertical movement selectively proximate the front
base section of the mobile car crusher and that has a cylinder base
on a bottom end, a cylinder head on a top end, a hydraulic piston
in sliding sealed contact with an internal periphery of a cylindrical
wall of the at-least-one first hydraulic cylinder, a piston shaft
attached to a bottom end of the hydraulic piston, the piston shaft
having a linear outside perimeter designedly smaller than the internal
periphery of the cylindrical wall of the at-least-one first hydraulic
cylinder, the piston shaft being in sliding sealed contact with
an internal periphery of a shaft orifice in the cylinder base of
the at-least-one first hydraulic cylinder and the piston shaft having
a crusher-hood end opposite a piston-attachment end of the piston
shaft;
at least one first shaft base in design roller contact with the
guideways which are extended vertically upward from the bottom section
of the at-least-one first shaft guide;
the crusher-hood end of the piston shaft of the at-least-one first
hydraulic cylinder being attached to the at-least-one first shaft
base;
at least one second hydraulic cylinder that is positioned for hydraulic
operation and vertical movement selectively proximate the rear base
section of the mobile car crusher and that has a cylinder base on
a bottom end, a cylinder head on a top end, a hydraulic piston in
sliding sealed contact with an internal periphery of a cylindrical
wall of the at-least-one second hydraulic cylinder, a piston shaft
attached to a bottom end of the hydraulic piston, the piston shaft
having a linear outside perimeter designedly smaller than the internal
periphery of the cylindrical wall of the at-least-one second hydraulic
cylinder, the piston shaft being in sliding sealed contact with
an internal periphery of a shaft orifice in the cylinder base of
the at-least-one second hydraulic cylinder and the piston shaft
having a crusher-hood end opposite a piston-attachment end of the
piston shaft;
at least one second shaft base in design roller contact with the
guideways which are extended vertically upward from the bottom section
of the at-least-one second shaft guide;
the crusher-hood end of the piston shaft of the at-least-one second
hydraulic cylinder being attached to the at-least-one second shaft
base;
a crusher floor extended designedly intermediate the front base
section and the rear base section of the mobile car crusher and
having a crusher surface, a bottom proximate the bottom of the car-crusher
section of the mobile car crusher, a first side proximate a first
side of the car-crusher section of the mobile car crusher, a second
side proximate a second side of the car-crusher section of the mobile
car crusher, a material restrainer on at least one side of the crusher
floor, a first end proximate an inside end of the front base section
of the mobile car crusher and a second end proximate an inside end
of the rear base section of the mobile car crusher;
a crusher hood having a first end attached designedly to a crusher-hood
side of the at-least-one first shaft base, a second end attached
designedly to a crusher-hood side of the at-least-one second shaft
base, a first side, a second side, and a crusher section of the
crusher hood positioned linearly intermediate the first end and
the second end and laterally intermediate the first side and the
second side designedly above the crusher floor vertically;
a source of hydraulic fluid having selectively controllable pressure
of hydraulic fluid in fluid conveyances having fluid communication
intermediate a head section of the at-least-one first hydraulic
cylinder and the source of hydraulic fluid, intermediate a head
section of the at-least-one second hydraulic cylinder and the source
of hydraulic fluid, intermediate a base section of the at-least-one
first hydraulic cylinder and the source of hydraulic fluid and,
intermediate a base section of the at-least-one second hydraulic
cylinder and the source of hydraulic fluid, and controls for operating
the source of hydraulic fluid, such that pressure of hydraulic fluid
conveyed from the source of hydraulic fluid to head sections of
hydraulic cylinders forces hydraulic pistons downwardly and pressure
of hydraulic fluid conveyed from the source of hydraulic fluid to
base sections of the hydraulic cylinders forces hydraulic pistons
upwardly to actuate piston shafts upwardly and downwardly for positioning
bases of the hydraulic cylinders vertically in design contact with
shaft guides and for operating the crusher hood in material-crushing
downward travel and in material-acceptance upward travel;
at least one first cylinder-base lock in position-lockable relationship
between the cylinder base of the at-least-one first hydraulic cylinder
and the at-least-one first shaft guide proximate at least one design
position of height on the at-least-one first shaft guide; and
at least one second cylinder-base lock in position-lockable relationship
between the cylinder base of the at-least-one second hydraulic cylinder
and the at-least-one second shaft guide proximate at least one design
position of height on the at-least-one second shaft guide, such
that for positioning hydraulic cylinders in operative mode, the
hydraulic cylinders can be raised to desired positions of height
in relation to shaft guides by positioning shaft bases proximate
bottoms of the shaft guides and conveying hydraulic fluid under
pressure from the source of hydraulic fluid to base sections of
the hydraulic cylinders, such that for maintaining positioning in
operative mode, the cylinder bases can be locked to the shaft guides
at design heights with the cylinder-base locks for operating the
crusher hood in material-crushing downward travel and in material-acceptance
upward travel, and further such that for lowering the hydraulic
cylinders to travel mode, the cylinder bases can be unlocked from
the shaft guides with the cylinder-base locks and pressure of hydraulic
fluid conveyed to base sections of the hydraulic cylinders can be
decreased in proportion to pressure of hydraulic fluid conveyed
to head sections of the hydraulic cylinders.
2. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 1 wherein:
the mobile platform is a semitrailer having design structural strength.
3. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 2 wherein:
the semitrailer is a lowboy type having a sunken central section
in the car-crusher section, a front raised section vertically above
a fifth-wheel attachment in the front base section and a rear raised
section proximate rear wheels in the rear base section.
4. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 1 wherein:
the at-least-one first hydraulic cylinder is a front hydraulic
cylinder;
the at-least-one second hydraulic cylinder is a rear hydraulic
cylinder;
the at-least-one first shaft base is a front shaft base;
the at-least-one second shaft base is a rear shaft base;
the at-least-one first shaft guide is a pair of front cylinder-guide
posts separated a design distance apart for receiving the front
shaft base between them; and
the at-least-one second shaft guide is a pair of rear cylinder-guide
posts separated a design distance apart for receiving the rear shaft
base between them.
5. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 4 wherein:
the at-least-one first cylinder-base lock is a front cylinder-base
lock in position-lockable relationship between the front shaft base
and the pair of front cylinder-guide posts; and
the at-least-one second cylinder-base lock is a rear cylinder-base
lock in position-lockable relationship between the rear shaft base
and the pair of rear cylinder-guide posts.
6. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 4 wherein:
the material restrainer on at least one side of the crusher floor
has a front-end wall positioned designedly on opposite sides of
the pair of front cylinder-guide posts, a rear-end wall positioned
designedly on opposite sides of the pair of rear cylinder guide
posts and a back-side wall positioned designedly intermediate the
front-end wall and the rear-end wall on the second side of the crusher
floor.
7. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 6 wherein:
the material restrainer has a front-side wall with a bottom edge
attached pivotally to the first side of the mobile car crusher proximate
the crusher surface of the crusher floor and extending designedly
intermediate the front base section and the rear base section on
the first side of the crusher floor; and
the front side wall being pivotal down to a ramp position with
a top edge resting on a ground surface in front of the mobile car
crusher and being pivotal up to a material-restrainer position with
an inside surface in material-restraining relationship to cars being
crushed by operation of the crusher hood within inside walls of
the material restrainer.
8. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 4 and further comprising:
at least one guide-post beam in bracing relationship between the
mobile car crusher, the front cylinder-guide posts and the rear
cylinder-guide posts.
9. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 8 wherein:
the at-least-one guide-post beam is at least one structural beam
extended intermediate a top of the front cylinder-guide posts and
a top of the rear cylinder-guide posts at a position vertically
above the crusher hood.
10. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 8 wherein:
the at-least-one guide-post beam is at least one structural beam
extended intermediate a top of the front cylinder-guide posts and
a top of the rear cylinder-guide posts at a position vertically
above and designedly beside the crusher floor.
11. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 10 wherein:
the material restrainer on at least one side of the crusher floor
has a front-end wall positioned designedly on opposite sides of
the pair of front cylinder-guide posts, a rear-end wall positioned
designedly on opposite sides of the pair of rear cylinder guide
posts and a back-side wall positioned designedly intermediate the
front-end wall and the rear-end wall on the second side of the crusher
floor.
12. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 11 wherein:
the material restrainer has a front-side wall with a bottom edge
attached pivotally to the first side of the mobile car crusher proximate
the crusher surface of the crusher floor and extending designedly
intermediate the front base section and the rear base section on
the first side of the crusher floor; and
the front side wall is pivotal down to a ramp position with a top
edge resting on a ground surface in front of the mobile car crusher
and is pivotal up to a material-restrainer position with an inside
surface in material-restraining relationship to cars being crushed
by operation of the crusher hood within inside walls of the material
restrainer.
13. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 12 wherein:
the front-side wall is tined from the bottom edge up to the top
edge; and
tines of the front-side wall are separated designedly, such that
wheels of fork lifts and other equipment can approach the first
side of the mobile car crusher between the tines for positioning
cars on the crusher floor to be crushed when the front-side wall
is pivoted down to a ramp position when cars are being loaded onto
the crusher floor and the tines can prevent side escape of cars
and components of cars from under the crusher hood when the front-side
wall is pivoted to a vertical position during crushing action of
the crusher hood.
14. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 8 wherein:
the material restrainer on at least one side of the crusher floor
has a front-end wall positioned designedly on opposite sides of
the pair of front cylinder-guide posts, a rear-end wall positioned
designedly on opposite sides of the pair of rear cylinder guide
posts and a back-side wall positioned designedly intermediate the
front-end wall and the rear-end wall on the second side of the crusher
floor.
15. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 14 wherein:
the material restrainer has a front-side wall with a bottom edge
attached pivotally to the first side of the mobile car crusher proximate
the crusher surface of the crusher floor and extending designedly
intermediate the front base section and the rear base section on
the first side of the crusher floor; and
the front side wall is pivotal down to a ramp position with a top
edge resting on a ground surface in front of the mobile car crusher
and is pivotal up to a material-restrainer position with an inside
surface in material-restraining relationship to cars being crushed
by operation of the crusher hood within inside walls of the material
restrainer.
16. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 4 wherein:
the front cylinder-guide posts and the rear cylinder-guide posts
have cylinder-base channels in internally facing sides that receive
cylinder-base slide members in vertical travel of the cylinder base
on the bottom end of the front hydraulic cylinder and in vertical
travel of the cylinder base on the bottom end of the rear hydraulic
cylinder intermediate travel-mode positions at bottoms and operative-mode
positions at tops of the front cylinder-guide posts and the rear
cylinder-guide posts respectively.
17. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 16 wherein:
the at-least-one first cylinder-base lock is a latch member in
position-lockable latching relationship between the front hydraulic
cylinder and at least one cylinder-base slide member in operative-mode
position at tops of the front cylinder-guide posts; and
the at-least-one second cylinder-base lock is a latch member in
position-lockable latching relationship between the rear hydraulic
cylinder and at least one cylinder-base slide member in operative-mode
position at tops of the rear cylinder-guide posts.
18. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 4 wherein:
the design roller contact of the front shaft base with the guideways
is with at least two top rollers attached rotatively to opposite
sides of a top portion of the front shaft base and at least two
bottom rollers attached rotatively to opposite sides of a bottom
portion of the front shaft base;
one top roller and one bottom roller attached rotatively to one
side of the top portion of the front shaft base being in rotative
contact with a guideway on a guideway side of one of the pair of
front cylinder-guide posts;
an oppositely disposed top roller and an oppositely disposed bottom
roller attached rotatively to an oppositely disposed side of the
top portion of the front shaft base being in rotative contact with
a guideway on a guideway side of an oppositely disposed one of the
pair of front cylinder-guide posts;
the design roller contact of the rear shaft base with the guideways
is with at least two top rollers attached rotatively to opposite
sides of a top portion of the rear shaft base and at least two bottom
rollers attached rotatively to opposite sides of a bottom portion
of the rear shaft base;
one top roller and one bottom roller attached rotatively to one
side of the top portion of the rear shaft base being in rotative
contact with a guideway on a guideway side of one of the pair of
rear cylinder-guide posts; and
an oppositely disposed top roller and an oppositely disposed bottom
roller attached rotatively to an oppositely disposed side of the
top portion of the rear shaft base being in rotative contact with
a guideway on a guideway side of an oppositely disposed one of the
pair of rear cylinder-guide posts.
19. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 18 wherein:
the top rollers and the bottom rollers are designedly rubberlike.
20. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 1 wherein:
design attachment of the first end of the crusher hood to the crusher-hood
side of the at-least-one first shaft base is pivotal; and
design attachment of the second end of the crusher hood to the
crusher-hood side of the at-least-one second shaft base is pivotal.
21. A mobile car crusher comprising:
a mobile platform having a front base section, a rear base section,
a car-crusher section intermediate the front base section and the
rear base section, a first side and a second side of the mobile
car crusher;
a pair of front cylinder-guide posts separated a design distance
apart with bottom sections attached to the mobile car crusher proximate
the front base section of the mobile car crusher and having guideways
extended vertically upward from the bottom section of the pair of
front cylinder-guide posts;
a pair of rear cylinder-guide posts separated a design distance
apart with bottom sections attached to the mobile car crusher proximate
the rear base section of the mobile car crusher and having guideways
extended vertically upward from the bottom section of the pair of
rear cylinder-guide posts;
a front hydraulic cylinder that is positioned for hydraulic operation
and vertical movement selectively proximate the front base section
of the mobile car crusher and that has a cylinder base on a bottom
end, a cylinder head on a top end, a hydraulic piston in sliding
sealed contact with an internal periphery of a cylindrical wall
of the front hydraulic cylinder, a piston shaft attached to a bottom
end of the hydraulic piston, the piston shaft having a linear outside
perimeter designedly smaller than the internal periphery of the
cylindrical wall of the front hydraulic cylinder, the piston shaft
being in sliding sealed contact with an internal periphery of a
shaft orifice in the cylinder base of the front hydraulic cylinder
and the piston shaft having a crusher-hood end opposite a piston-attachment
end of the piston shaft;
a front shaft base in roller contact with the guideways which are
extended vertically upward from the bottom section of the pair of
front cylinder-guide posts;
the crusher-hood end of the piston shaft of the front hydraulic
cylinder being attached to the front shaft base;
a rear hydraulic cylinder that is positioned for hydraulic operation
and vertical movement selectively proximate the rear base section
of the mobile car crusher and that has a cylinder base on a bottom
end, a cylinder head on a top end, a hydraulic piston in sliding
sealed contact with an internal periphery of a cylindrical wall
of the rear hydraulic cylinder, a piston shaft attached to a bottom
end of the hydraulic piston, the piston shaft having a linear outside
perimeter designedly smaller than the internal periphery of the
cylindrical wall of the rear hydraulic cylinder, the piston shaft
being in sliding sealed contact with an internal periphery of a
shaft orifice in the cylinder base of the rear hydraulic cylinder
and the piston shaft having a crusher-hood end opposite a piston-attachment
end of the piston shaft;
a rear shaft base in roller contact with the guideways which are
extended vertically upward from the bottom section of the pair of
rear cylinder-guide posts;
the crusher-hood end of the piston shaft of the rear hydraulic
cylinder being attached to the rear shaft base;
a crusher floor extended designedly intermediate the front base
section and the rear base section of the mobile car crusher and
having a crusher surface, a bottom proximate the bottom of the car-crusher
section of the mobile car crusher, a first side proximate a first
side of the car-crusher section of the mobile car crusher, a second
side proximate a second side of the car-crusher section of the mobile
car crusher, a material restrainer on at least one side of the crusher
floor, a front end proximate an inside end of the front base section
of the mobile car crusher and a rear end proximate an inside end
of the rear base section of the mobile car crusher;
a crusher hood having a front end attached designedly to a crusher-hood
side of the front shaft base, a rear end attached designedly to
a crusher-hood side of the rear shaft base, a first side, a second
side, and a crusher section of the crusher hood positioned linearly
intermediate the front end and the rear end and laterally intermediate
the first side and the second side designedly above the crusher
floor vertically;
a source of hydraulic fluid having selectively controllable pressure
of hydraulic fluid in fluid conveyances having fluid communication
intermediate a head section of the front hydraulic cylinder and
the source of hydraulic fluid, intermediate a head section of the
rear hydraulic cylinder and the source of hydraulic fluid, intermediate
a base section of the front hydraulic cylinder and the source of
hydraulic fluid and, intermediate a base section of the rear hydraulic
cylinder and the source of hydraulic fluid, and controls for operating
the source of hydraulic fluid, such that pressure of hydraulic fluid
conveyed from the source of hydraulic fluid to head sections of
hydraulic cylinders forces hydraulic pistons downwardly and pressure
of hydraulic fluid conveyed from the source of hydraulic fluid to
base sections of the hydraulic cylinders forces hydraulic pistons
upwardly to actuate piston shafts upwardly and downwardly for positioning
bases of the hydraulic cylinders vertically on shaft guides and
for operating the crusher hood in material-crushing downward travel
and in material-acceptance upward travel;
a front cylinder-base lock in position-lockable relationship between
the front shaft base and the pair of front cylinder-guide posts
proximate at least one design position of height on the pair of
front cylinder-guide posts; and
a rear cylinder-base lock in position-lockable relationship between
the rear shaft base and the pair of rear cylinder-guide posts proximate
at least one design position of height on the pair of rear cylinder-guide
posts, such that for positioning hydraulic cylinders in operative
mode, the hydraulic cylinders can be raised to desired positions
of height in relation to shaft guides by positioning shaft bases
proximate bottoms of shaft guides and conveying hydraulic fluid
under pressure from the source of hydraulic fluid to base sections
of the hydraulic cylinders, such that for maintaining positioning
in operative mode, cylinder bases can be locked to shaft guides
at design heights with cylinder-base locks for operating the crusher
hood in material-crushing downward travel and in material-acceptance
upward travel, and further such that for lowering hydraulic cylinders
to travel mode, cylinder bases can be unlocked from shaft guides
with cylinder-base locks and pressure of hydraulic fluid conveyed
to base sections of hydraulic cylinders can be decreased in proportion
to pressure of hydraulic fluid conveyed to head sections of hydraulic
cylinders.
22. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 21 wherein:
the at-least-one first cylinder-base lock is a front cylinder-base
lock in position-lockable relationship between the front shaft base
and the pair of front cylinder-guide posts; and
the at-least-one second cylinder-base lock is a rear cylinder-base
lock in position-lockable relationship between the rear shaft base
and the pair of rear cylinder-guide posts.
23. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 21 wherein:
the material restrainer on at least one side of the crusher floor
has a front-end wall positioned designedly on opposite sides of
the pair of front cylinder-guide posts, a rear-end wall positioned
designedly on opposite sides of the pair of rear cylinder guide
posts and a back-side wall positioned designedly intermediate the
front-end wall and the rear-end wall on the second side of the crusher
floor.
24. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 21 wherein:
the material restrainer has a front-side wall with a bottom edge
attached pivotally to the first side of the mobile car crusher proximate
the crusher surface of the crusher floor and extending designedly
intermediate the front base section and the rear base section on
the first side of the crusher floor; and
the front side wall being pivotal down to a ramp position with
a top edge resting on a ground surface in front of the mobile car
crusher and being pivotal up to a material-restrainer position with
an inside surface in material-restraining relationship to cars being
crushed by operation of the crusher hood within inside walls of
the material restrainer.
25. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 24 wherein:
the front-side wall is tined from the bottom edge up to the top
edge; and
tines of the front-side wall are separated designedly, such that
wheels of fork lifts and other equipment can approach the first
side of the mobile car crusher between the tines for positioning
cars on the crusher floor to be crushed when the front-side wall
is pivoted down to a ramp position when cars are being loaded onto
the crusher floor and the tines can prevent side escape of cars
and components of cars from under the crusher hood when the front-side
wall is pivoted to a vertical position during crushing action of
the crusher hood.
26. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 21 wherein:
design attachment of the first end of the crusher hood to the crusher-hood
side of the front shaft base is pivotal; and
design attachment of the second end of the crusher hood to the
crusher-hood side of the at-least-one rear shaft base is pivotal.
27. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 21 and further comprising:
at least one guide-post beam in bracing relationship between the
mobile car crusher, the front cylinder-guide posts and the rear
cylinder-guide posts.
28. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 27 wherein:
the at-least-one guide-post beam is at least one structural beam
extended intermediate a top of the front cylinder-guide posts and
a top of the rear cylinder-guide posts at a position vertically
above the crusher hood.
29. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 27 wherein:
the at-least-one guide-post beam is at least one structural beam
extended intermediate a top of the front cylinder-guide posts and
a top of the rear cylinder-guide posts at a position vertically
above and designedly beside the crusher floor.
30. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 21 wherein:
the front cylinder-guide posts and the rear cylinder-guide posts
have cylinder-base channels in internally facing sides that receive
cylinder-base slide members in vertical travel of the cylinder base
on the bottom end of the front hydraulic cylinder and in vertical
travel of the cylinder base on the bottom end of the rear hydraulic
cylinder intermediate travel-mode positions at bottoms and operative-mode
positions at tops of the front cylinder-guide posts and the rear
cylinder-guide posts respectively.
31. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 21 wherein:
the at-least-one first cylinder-base lock is a latch member in
position-lockable latching relationship between the front hydraulic
cylinder and at least one cylinder-base slide member in operative-mode
position at tops of the front cylinder-guide posts; and
the at-least-one second cylinder-base lock is a latch member in
position-lockable latching relationship between the rear hydraulic
cylinder and at least one cylinder-base slide member in operative-mode
position at tops of the rear cylinder-guide posts.
32. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 31 wherein:
the top rollers and the bottom rollers are designedly rubberlike.
33. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 21 wherein:
the design roller contact of the front shaft base with the guideways
is with at least two top rollers attached rotatively to opposite
sides of a top portion of the front shaft base and at least two
bottom rollers attached rotatively to opposite sides of a bottom
portion of the front shaft base;
one top roller and one bottom roller attached rotatively to one
side of the top portion of the front shaft base being in rotative
contact with a guideway on a guideway side of one of the pair of
front cylinder-guide posts;
an oppositely disposed top roller and an oppositely disposed bottom
roller attached rotatively to an oppositely disposed side of the
top portion of the front shaft base being in rotative contact with
a guideway on a guideway side of an oppositely disposed one of the
pair of front cylinder-guide posts;
the design roller contact of the rear shaft base with the guideways
is with at least two top rollers attached rotatively to opposite
sides of a top portion of the rear shaft base and at least two bottom
rollers attached rotatively to opposite sides of a bottom portion
of the rear shaft base;
one top roller and one bottom roller attached rotatively to one
side of the top portion of the rear shaft base being in rotative
contact with a guideway on a guideway side of one of the pair of
rear cylinder-guide posts; and
an oppositely disposed top roller and an oppositely disposed bottom
roller attached rotatively to an oppositely disposed side of the
top portion of the rear shaft base being in rotative contact with
a guideway on a guideway side of an oppositely disposed one of the
pair of rear cylinder-guide posts.
34. A mobile car crusher comprising:
front cylinder-guide posts designedly separated and extended vertically
upward from proximate a front section of a mobile platform;
guideways on facing sides of the front cylinder-guide posts;
rear cylinder-guide posts designedly separated and extended vertically
upward from proximate a rear section of a mobile platform;
guideways on facing sides of the rear cylinder-guide posts;
a front hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder base with a sliding
anchor means in sliding contact with the front cylinder-guide posts;
a rear hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder base with a sliding
anchor means in sliding contact with the rear cylinder-guide posts;
a lockable and unlockable top anchor proximate a top of the front
cylinder-guide posts in lockable relationship between the sliding
anchor means that is in sliding contact with the front cylinder-guide
posts and a design position proximate tops of the front cylinder-guide
posts; and
a lockable and unlockable top anchor proximate a top of the rear
cylinder-guide posts in lockable relationship between the sliding
anchor means that is in sliding contact with the rear cylinder-guide
posts and a design position proximate tops of the rear cylinder-guide
posts.
35. A mobile car crusher as described in claim 34 and further comprising:
a front shaft base attached to a piston shaft of a hydraulic piston
of the front hydraulic cylinder;
top rollers attached rotatively to a top portion of the front shaft
base on opposite sides of the front shaft base and positioned in
roller contact with oppositely disposed surfaces of the guideways
on the front cylinder-guide posts;
bottom rollers attached rotatively to a bottom portion of the front
shaft base on opposite sides of the front shaft base and positioned
in roller contact with oppositely disposed surfaces of the guideways
on the front cylinder-guide posts;
top rollers attached rotatively to a top portion of the rear shaft
base on opposite sides of the rear shaft base and positioned in
roller contact with oppositely disposed surfaces of the guideways
on the rear cylinder-guide posts;
bottom rollers attached rotatively to a bottom portion of the rear
shaft base on opposite sides of the rear shaft base and positioned
in roller contact with oppositely disposed surfaces of the guideways
on the rear cylinder-guide posts; and
a crusher hood having a front end attached to the front shaft base
and rear end attached to the rear shaft base.
36. A mobile car crasher as described in claim 35 wherein:
the top rollers and the bottom rollers are designedly rubberlike.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to car crushers and in particular to a mobile
car crusher which employs hydraulic crushing cylinders for quick
convertibility of hydraulic bases between a lowered non-working
mode for travel and a raised working mode for operation.
2. Description of Related Art
Various car crushers have been devised. None are known, however,
to be convertible quickly and conveniently between a cylinder-raised
working mode and a cylinder-lowered travel mode in a manner taught
by this invention. An example of different car crushers in use is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3404622 issued to Flanagan on Oct.
8 1968. The Flanagan patent taught a "mobile vehicle press"
that required considerable time and effort for conversion between
a work mode with hydraulic cylinders raised too high for highway
travel and a travel mode with the hydraulic cylinders lowered for
highway travel. Further, it was confined to less opening height
and lower output rate than made possible by this invention.
Increased production and use of automobiles with designedly short
use life and increased demand for scrap metal from junked cars are
creating an increasingly strong demand for a mobile car crusher
having efficiency competitive with large centralized car-crushing
facilities. In addition, increased competitiveness in decentralized
car crushing is creating further economic need for improved auto-crushing
machinery that can be transported quickly and conveniently where
and as desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of rapidly growing demand for efficient mobile car crushers
and in light of their scant improvement in the past several decades,
objects of this invention are to provide a mobile car crusher which:
Is convertible quickly and conveniently between a working mode
with a hydraulic cylinder raised and a travel mode with the hydraulic
cylinder lowered;
Has rubberlike-roller contact of crusher-hood attachments for arresting
lateral tilt of the crusher hood in downward car-crushing travel;
and
Has automation options.
This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a mobile
car crusher having two hydraulic cylinders with one of the two hydraulic
cylinders at preferably each of two sunken ends of a heavy-duty
lowboy type of trailer. A cylinder base on a bottom of each of the
two hydraulic cylinders is positional hydraulically proximate a
bottom of each of two cylinder-guide posts for travel mode and proximate
a top of each of the two cylinder-guide posts for operating mode.
A hood end of shafts of each of two hydraulic pistons for the two
hydraulic cylinders is attached to each of two shaft bases to which
one of each of two ends of a crusher hood is attached horizontally.
The two shaft bases are actuated to travel vertically for alternately
material-crushing and material-acceptance action of the crusher
hood in relation to a crusher floor by travel of the two hydraulic
pistons in hydraulic cylinders with cylinder bases fastened into
an operating position proximate tops of the plunger guides. With
the cylinder bases unfastened from proximate tops of the cylinder-guide
posts and with the shaft bases resting proximate bottoms of the
cylinder-guide posts, the hydraulic cylinders are actuated to travel
vertically upward to position the cylinder bases for fastening for
operative mode at tops of the plunger guides and to travel downward
to position the cylinder bases for travel mode at bottoms of the
plunger guides. Automation controls and operative embodiments for
various use conditions and preferences are provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description
of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings
which are described briefly as follows:
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of this invention
in an operative mode of crushing cars;
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway top view in either operative or travel
mode;
FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side elevation view in travel mode;
FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway rear view from a position aft of
a front hydraulic cylinder in operative mode;
FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway rear view from a cross section in
FIG. 3 at a position aft of a front hydraulic cylinder in travel
mode;
FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway fragmentary view of a rear cylinder
base maintained in operative mode with a lock latch at a top of
a rear cylinder-guide post;
FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side elevation view in car-crushing
operative mode with cylinders maintained in operative mode while
being allowed to tilt for selective leverage tilting of a crusher
hood;
FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway rear view from a position aft of
a front hydraulic cylinder in operative mode of an embodiment with
design types of optional front-side walls that are pivotal between
loading and crushing positions;
FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway top view of an embodiment with a
guide-post brace extended above and beside a crusher floor and a
lined front-side wall that is extended in a ramp or loading position;
FIG. 10 is the FIG. 9 illustration in travel mode; and
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a control system in relation
to operative components.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Reference is made first to FIGS. 1-5. A mobile car crusher 1 with
a mobile platform has a front base section 2 a rear base section
3 a car-crusher section 4 intermediate the front base section 2
and the rear base section 3 a first side 5 and a second side 6.
At least one, preferably a pair of two front cylinder-guide posts
7 are separated a design distance apart with bottom sections attached
to the mobile car crusher 1 proximate the front base section 2 and
have guideways 8 extended vertically upward from the bottom section
of the pair of front cylinder-guide posts 7. Oppositely disposed
aft of the car-crusher section 4 at least one, preferably a pair
of two rear cylinder-guide posts 9 are separated a design distance
apart with bottom sections attached to the mobile car crusher 1
proximate the rear base section 3 and have guideways 8 extended
vertically upward from the bottom section of the pair of rear cylinder-guide
posts 9. The mobile platform is preferably but not necessarily a
low-boy type of semitrailer with highway types of rear wheels 10
under the rear base section 3 and a fifth wheel 11 to which a rear
end 12 of a truck tractor can be attached for mobility.
At least one, preferably a single, front hydraulic cylinder 13
is positioned for hydraulic operation and vertical movement selectively
proximate the front base section 2. The front hydraulic cylinder
13 has a cylinder base 14 on a bottom end, a cylinder head 15 on
a top end, a hydraulic piston 16 in sliding-sealed contact with
an internal periphery of a cylinder wall and a piston shaft 17 attached
to a bottom end of the hydraulic piston 16. The piston shaft 17
has a linear outside perimeter designedly smaller than the internal
periphery of the cylinder wall of the front hydraulic cylinder 13
and is in sliding-sealed contact with an internal periphery of a
shaft orifice 18 in the cylinder base 14. A piston-attachment end
of the piston shaft 17 is attached to the hydraulic piston 16 and
a crusher-hood end of the piston shaft 17 is attached to a front
shaft base 19. The front shaft base 19 is in roller contact with
the guideways 8 intermediate the front cylinder-guide posts 7.
Oppositely disposed proximate the rear base section 3 at least
one, preferably a single, rear hydraulic cylinder 20 is positioned
for hydraulic operation and vertical movement selectively. The rear
hydraulic cylinder 20 also has a cylinder base 14 on a bottom end,
a cylinder head 15 on a top end, a hydraulic piston 16 in sliding-sealed
contact with an internal periphery of a cylinder wall and a piston
shaft 17 attached to a bottom end of the hydraulic piston 16. The
piston shaft 17 has a linear outside perimeter designedly smaller
than the internal periphery of the cylinder wall of the rear hydraulic
cylinder 20 and is in sliding-sealed contact with an internal periphery
of a shaft orifice 18 in the cylinder base 14. A piston-attachment
end of the piston shaft 17 is attached to the hydraulic piston 16
and a crusher-hood end of the piston shaft 17 is attached to a rear
shaft base 21. The rear shaft base 21 likewise is in roller contact
with the guideways 8 intermediate the rear cylinder-guide posts
9.
A crusher floor 22 is extended designedly intermediate the front
base section 2 and the rear base section 3. The crusher floor 22
can be designedly thick and sturdy with a crusher surface 23 sized
and shaped to receive production automobiles for crushing. A crusher
bottom 24 is designedly proximate a bottom of the car-crusher section
4. A first side of the crusher floor 22 is proximate the first side
5 and a second side of the crusher floor 22 is proximate a second
side 6 of the mobile car crusher 1. A material restrainer to prevent
side travel or escape of cars and parts of cars being crushed can
include a front-end wall 25 on opposite sides of the pair of front
cylinder-guide posts 7 a rear-end wall 26 on opposite sides of
the pair of rear cylinder-guide posts 9 and a back-side wall 27
designedly intermediate the front-end wall 25 and the rear-end wall
26 on the second side of the crusher floor 22 that is proximate
the second side 6 of the mobile car crusher 1.
A crusher hood 28 has a front end attached to a crusher-hood side
of the front shaft base 19 a rear end attached to a crusher-hood
side of the rear shaft base 21 a first side 29 and a second side
30. Width of the crusher hood 28 between the first side 29 and the
second side 30 can be designedly narrower than the crusher floor
22. Exterior sides and ends of the crusher hood 28 can be slanted
outwardly to center cars being crushed with an inward cam action
as the crusher hood 28 is pressured down against tops of cars 44
on the crusher floor 22. Hydraulic fluid under design pressure is
provided by a source of hydraulic fluid such as an engine or motor
31 a pump 32 and fluid conveyances 33 having fluid communication
to and from a pressure tank 34 with desired pressure: intermediate
a head section 35 of the front hydraulic cylinder 13 and the pressure
tank 34; intermediate a head section 35 of the rear hydraulic cylinder
20 and the pressure tank 34; intermediate a base section 36 of the
front hydraulic cylinder 13 and the pressure tank 34; and intermediate
a base section 36 of the rear hydraulic cylinder 20 and the pressure
tank 34. Controls at a control unit 37 can be operated directly,
remotely and/or variously automatic for directing hydraulic fluid
through the conveyances 33 under desired pressure to and from the
pressure tank 34. A fuel tank 38 can be positioned conveniently
near the source of hydraulic fluid if an engine is utilized in place
of a motor for the engine or motor 31.
Pressure of hydraulic fluid conveyed from the source of hydraulic
fluid to head sections 35 of the hydraulic cylinders 13 and 20 forces
hydraulic pistons 16 downwardly. Pressure of hydraulic fluid conveyed
from the source of hydraulic fluid to base sections 36 of the hydraulic
cylinders 13 and 20 forces hydraulic pistons 16 upwardly. This positions
bases 19 and 21 of the hydraulic cylinders 13 and 20 vertically
on guideways 8 for operating the crusher hood 28 in material-crushing
downward travel and in material-acceptance upward travel.
Referring to FIGS. 4-7 front and rear cylinder bases 14 are locked
into design positions of height on the pair of front cylinder-guide
posts 7 and rear cylinder-guide posts 9 respectively by front and
rear cylinder-base locks 39. The front and rear cylinder-base locks
39 can be selected from a variety of retainer and locking means
such as a clevis pin 40 or shaft in a retainer orifice 41 as shown
or more complicated means for securing the cylinder bases 14 in
working relationship to design positions of height on the cylinder-guide
posts 7 and 9. For some applications, the cylinder-base locks can
be latches that are remotely operable either electrically, mechanically
or hydraulically to lock and to unlock the cylinder bases 14 in
secured relationship to the cylinder-guide posts 7 and 9.
In this embodiment, cylinder-base slide members 42 are extended
from opposite sides of the cylinder bases 14 to travel vertically
in cylinder-base channels 43 in internally facing sides of the cylinder-guide
posts 7 and 9. Vertical travel of the cylinder-base slide members
42 in the cylinder-base channels 43 is between operative mode with
the cylinder bases 14 proximate tops of the cylinder-guide posts
7 and 9 for operative mode and proximate bottoms of the cylinder-guide
posts 7 and 9 for travel mode of the mobile car crusher 1. The cylinder-base
slide members 42 are preferably cylindrical shafts as depicted or
have arcuate surfaces on at least a bottom edge to allow pivoting
of the cylinder bases 14 in response to selectively different heights
of opposite ends of the crusher hood 28 as depicted in FIG. 7.
In operative mode for crushing cars 44 as shown in FIGS. 1 and
7 the crusher hood 28 can be at different heights at opposite ends
to concentrate crushing at a low point with mechanical advantage
of Class II leverage. The piston shafts 17 being attached pivotally
to the shaft bases 19 and 21 at pivot joints 45 and the crusher
hood 28 being attached rigidly to the shaft bases 19 and 21 a slight
travel of the shaft bases 19 and 21 forwardly and rearwardly will
occur when either of shaft bases 19 or 21 are higher than the other.
The crusher hood 28 is maintained in horizontal attitude laterally
from-side-to-side by rigid attachment to the shaft bases 19 and
21 which are in roller contact with guideways 8 on internally facing
sides of the cylinder-guide posts 7 and 9 respectively. Roller contact
of the shaft bases 19 and 21 is provided with preferably two top
rollers 46 and two bottom rollers 47 on each of the shaft bases
19 and 21 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The rollers 46 and 47 are designedly
separated vertically to prevent lateral rotation of the crusher
hood 28 by arresting lateral rotation of the shaft bases 19 and
20.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and 5-7 at least one guide-post beam
or brace, such as two I-beams 48 or other structural beams for different
design preferences can be provided intermediate the pairs of front
cylinder-guide posts 7 and the pairs of rear cylinder-guide posts
9. However, for (a) structuring the crusher hood 28 with tapered
ends and sides to center cars 44 with cam action of the tapered
sides of the crusher hood 28 with less reliance on positioning the
cars 44 with forklifts or other car-loading machinery and for (b)
increasing heights, telescopically or otherwise, on the cylinder-guide
posts 7 and 9 at which the cylinder bases 14 can be positioned,
a guide-post beam 49 can be positioned vertically above and designedly
beside the crusher floor 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 8-10. Further
supportive of the cylinder-guide posts 7 and 9 can be brace beams
50 as depicted extending between tops of the cylinder-guide posts
7 and 9 and opposite ends of the mobile car crusher 1 in FIGS. 9-10.
Referring further to FIGS. 8-10 the material restrainer can have
a front-side wall 51 that is pivotal down to a ramp position with
a top edge resting on a ground surface 52 in front of the mobile
car crusher 1. It is pivotal up to a material-restrainer position
with the top edge projecting vertically above the crusher floor
22 and outside of a front edge of the crusher hood 28. The ramp
position is depicted with dashed lines in FIG. 8 and with solid
lines in FIG. 9. The material-restrainer position is depicted with
solid lines in FIGS. 8 and 10.
The front-side wall 51 can be variously constructed and shaped
with either tined or flat surfaces. Tined configuration is preferable
for allowing front wheels of forklifts of various types to be positioned
next to the crusher floor 22 between tines of the front-side wall
51 for loading cars 44 onto the crusher floor 22. Tines can be either
rigid or leaf-spring members with design configuration as illustrated.
With the front-side wall 51 to keep doors and other components of
cars 44 from projecting out when crushing action occurs, labor and
material time can be saved by a loader's picking up other cars instead
of standing by to keep parts of the cars 44 under the crusher hood
28.
The front-side wall 51 can be hinged on an axle that is operated
with retainer gearing 53. It can be either manually, electrically,
hydraulically or pneumatically operated designedly.
Referring to FIG. 11 operative control of components is illustrated
in a schematic diagram starting with the engine or motor 31 which
operates the hydraulic pump 32 for providing hydraulic fluid under
pressure to the pressure tank 34. The control unit 37 directs hydraulic
fluid to and from operative units in response to designedly manual,
automatic, and/or remote controls. Manual and automatic controls
are represented by a handle 54 and remote control is represented
by a radio-signal line 55 that is dashed. Solid lines intermediate
the control unit 37 and numerically identified components represent
fluid conveyances 33 in fluid communication between hydraulic components
and the control unit 37.
Hydraulic fluid directed through fluid conveyances 33 to head sections
35 forces hydraulic pistons 16 down, either to (a) raise the hydraulic
cylinders 13 and 20 to operative mode or (b) to operate the crusher
hood 28 in downward material-crushing travel. Hydraulic fluid directed
through fluid conveyances 33 to base sections 36 raises the hydraulic
pistons 16 to operate the crusher hood 28 in upward material-acceptance
travel. Hydraulic fluid at opposite ends of the hydraulic cylinders
13 and 20 from which hydraulic fluid is being directed returns in
opposite-directional flow to the pressure tank 34. The optional
front-side wall 51 if installed and used, is operated by the retainer
gearing 53 with hydraulics that can be unidirectional or bidirectional
through fluid conveyances 33 from the control unit 37. Similarly,
hydraulic control of the front and rear cylinder-base locks 39 if
used can be unidirectional or bidirectional through fluid conveyances
33 from the control unit 37. Other hydraulic components 56 if used,
also can be unidirectional or bidirectional through fluid conveyances
33 from the control unit 37. An electrical source 57 such as a
generator or battery powered by the engine or motor 31 can be provided
for operating the control unit 37 and radio signals at the radio-signal
line 55.
A new and useful mobile car crusher having been described, all
such modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical
possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications
and forms thereof as described by the following claims are included
in this invention.
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