Abstrict A horizontal shaft impact rock crusher having breaker plates which
are adjustable by hand, using a novel tension rod adjustment nut
locking device which employs several loose-fitting retaining devices
which, in combination with a bridge to a frame member or another
tension rod, hold the tension rod adjustment nut in place.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. A rock crusher comprising: a housing; a rotor, disposed at least
in part within said housing, said rotor having a substantially horizontal
drive shaft; said rotor configured for impacting material introduced
into said housing; a breaker plate disposed substantially in said
housing; a tension rod coupled to said breaker plate; an adjusting
nut on said tension rod configured to limit movement of said breaker
plate; a second nut disposed on said tension rod distal of said
breaker plate with respect to said adjusting nut; a member disposed,
at least in part, between said adjusting nut and said second nut,
said member configured to engage and bear upon said adjusting nut
and engage and bear against a retainer; the retainer having an inside
aperture and an outside surface, said retainer configured to bear,
at said inside aperture, against and translate along said second
nut; and, said member being coupled to, at least, a second point
on said crusher so as to limit rotation of said member about said
tension rod.
2. A rock crusher of claim 1 further comprising a means for retaining
said retainer in operative alignment with said member.
3. A rock crusher of claim 2 wherein said means for retaining said
retainer is a pin spanning two portions of said member, with a portion
of said retainer being simultaneously disposed beneath said pin
and above a portion of said member.
4. A rock crusher of claim 3 wherein a cross-section of said member
comprises a substantially orthogonal L-shaped segment.
5. A rock crusher of claim 4 wherein the cross-section of said
member comprises at least two L-shaped segments.
6. A rock crusher of claim 5 wherein the member has an elongated
trough disposed therein along a longitudinal axis of said member.
7. A rock crusher of claim 6 wherein said retainer is disposed
in said trough.
8. A rock crusher of claim 7 wherein said retainer is a flat, substantially
rectangular spacer having at least one straight edge along said
inside aperture.
9. A rock crusher of claim 8 wherein said member engages and bears
upon said adjusting nut by providing a plurality of straight ridges
on an underside of said member.
10. A method of adjusting settings of a breaker plate in a rock
crusher comprising the steps of: releasing a means for limiting
displacement of a nut retainer; displacing said nut retainer so
as to no longer inhibit rotation of an outer nut; retracting said
outer nut, thereby increasing a distance between said outer nut
and a lower nut retainer; moving said lower nut retainer out of
engagement with a lower nut; and, rotating the lower nut along a
threaded tension rod, such that a breaker plate movement limit is
defined.
11. A method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of: placing
the lower nut retainer into engagement with the lower nut; advancing
said outer nut toward said lower nut retainer; placing said nut
retainer so as to inhibit rotation of the outer nut; and engaging
said means for limiting displacement of said nut retainer.
12. A tension rod nut locking apparatus for limiting movement of
breaker plate in a horizontal shaft impact crusher, the nut locking
apparatus comprising: an elongated member having an underside and
an upper side and a first tension rod receiving orifice; said underside
having at least one underside surface thereon configured to bear
on an exterior nut surface of an adjusting nut; a second nut; said
upper side having upper side structure configured to engage a retainer
for the second nut; the retainer configured to bear against said
elongated member and the second nut, so that said second nut is
inhibited from rotation by said elongated member; and said elongated
member configured to couple with a rotation prevention structure
disposed on a rock crusher.
13. An apparatus of claim 12 further comprising means for retaining
said retainer in a close and non-fixedly bound position with respect
to said elongated member.
14. An apparatus of claim 13 wherein said rotation prevention structure
is a second tension rod of a rock crusher, and said elongated member
is configured to couple with said second tension rod via a second
orifice in said elongated member.
15. An apparatus of claim 12 wherein said underside of said elongated
member is substantially co-planar with a top side of said adjusting
nut, and said underside further having underside structure coupled
thereto which is substantially orthogonal to said top side of said
adjusting nut and is configured to bear on said adjusting nut.
16. An apparatus of claim 15 wherein said underside structure is
a ridge.
17. An apparatus of claim 16 wherein said upper side structure
is a structure disposed in a plane substantially orthogonal to said
top side of said adjusting nut.
18. An apparatus of claim 17 wherein said retainer is a flat rectangular
member having a central orifice therein with at least one linear
edge.
19. An apparatus of claim 17 wherein: said elongated member has
a longitudinal axis and is a channel member having a substantially
rectangular trough extending along said longitudinal axis; the retainer
is configured to drop inside said rectangular trough and be prevented
from rotation by opposing parallel channel sides of said channel
member; said retainer is prevented from exiting said channel member
by a pin extending across said rectangular trough and through said
opposing parallel channel sides; and, wherein said second nut is
an elongated nut with extended external sides sized and configured
to be turned by grasping in a palm of a human hand.
20. An apparatus of claim 19 wherein said elongated member is configured
to be coupled to a rock crusher at a fixed radial distance from
an axis extending through a center of said adjusting nut.
Description BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
In the past, rock crusher designers have endeavored to improve
the ease of operating and adjusting horizontal shaft impact rock
crushers. While many improvements have been made to reduce the effort
associated with adjusting such crushers, adjustment and locking
of the tension bars for breaker plates on such crushers remains
a non-trivial task. Most crushers usually have two breaker plates.
A primary breaker plate is disposed nearest the feed opening and
nearest the top of the crusher. These crushers typically have a
secondary or rear breaker plate, which is generally located lower
in the crusher and more toward the rear of the crusher. Both types
of breaker plates typically employ one or more tension rods each
to maintain the breaker plates at a set distance from the rotor
of the crusher. Some attempt has been made to reduce unintentional
changes in the setting for these breaker plates.
One example is the crusher shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6089481 entitled
APPARATUS FOR RELIEVING THE LOAD ON ADJUSTING RODS OF A CRUSHER,
issued to Gregory A. Young. This patent shows a lower adjusting
nut and an upper locking nut disposed on a tension rod. In this
design, a large torque is typically applied to the locking nut to
prevent unintentional movement of the breaker plates. The necessary
level of torque generally requires the use of a wrench. Other designs
have been used to reduce unintentional breaker plate setting changes
during operation, such as bar type nuts which permit the locking
nut to be hammered upon until tight.
While these approaches of using double nuts, etc. have been used
extensively in the past, they do have some drawbacks. First of all,
they generally require the use of a wrench, hammer or other tool
to make the necessary adjustment. Secondly, in the cases of the
high torque requiring double nuts, there is often difficulty in
achieving the necessary torque. Consequently, these nuts can often
be under-tightened, thereby allowing the breaker plate to self adjust.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and systems
for securely adjusting the setting of breaker plate adjusting tension
rods in an efficient manner.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and
method for adjusting a breaker plate setting in a horizontal shaft
impact rock crusher in an efficient manner.
It is a feature of the present invention to utilize a nut rotation
prevention device coupled with two nuts on a threaded tension rod.
It is an advantage of the present invention to achieve improved
efficiency in adjusting the settings of breaker plates in horizontal
shaft impact rock crushers.
It is another advantage to permit breaker plate locking nut adjustments
to be made without requiring the use of locking nut-engaging tools.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for adjusting
and securing the settings of breaker plates on horizontal shaft
impact crushers, designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, provide
the previously stated objects, include the above-listed features,
and achieve the already articulated advantages. The present invention
is carried out in a "tool-less" manner in a sense that
the need to use a wrench or other tool to unlock an adjusting nut
for a breaker plate tension rod has been eliminated.
Accordingly, the present invention is a system and method including
a horizontal shaft impact crusher having a breaker plate tension
rod nut rotation prevention device coupled to two nuts on the tension
rod.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention may be more fully understood by reading the following
description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, in conjunction
with the appended drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a horizontal shaft impact
crusher of the present invention, employing a novel breaker plate
adjusting tension rod nut locking assembly.
FIG. 2 is a close-up elevational view of a breaker plate adjusting
tension rod assembly which is shown in the dashed lines of FIG.
1. The dashed lines in this figure show the underlying shaft.
FIG. 3 is a close-up top view of the breaker plate adjusting tension
rod assembly of FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 is a close-up elevational view of the breaker plate adjusting
tension rod assembly of FIG. 2 from an orthogonal direction with
respect to FIG. 2. The dashed lines in this figure show the underlying
shaft.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Now referring to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like
matter throughout, and more specifically referring to FIG. 1 there
is shown a rock crushing system of the present invention generally
designated 100 including a horizontal shaft rotor 10 a feed opening
12 a primary breaker plate 14 a secondary breaker plate 16 and
a discharge opening 18. Primary breaker plate 14 and secondary breaker
plate 16 are coupled to the crusher 100 by primary breaker plate
pivot shaft 24 and secondary breaker plate pivot shaft 26 respectively.
Also shown in FIG. 1 are primary breaker plate adjusting tension
rod assembly 44 and secondary breaker plate adjusting tension rod
assembly 46 which are used to adjust the distance from rotor hammer
circle 102 to primary breaker plate 14 and secondary breaker plate
16 respectively.
A more detailed understanding of the present invention can be achieved
by now referring to FIG. 2 which shows the primary breaker plate
adjusting tension rod assembly 44 in a close-up side or elevational
view. Primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod assembly 44 includes
a primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod threaded shaft 440
which is shown with a dashed line because it is disposed out of
sight, which extends through a bore in the crusher 100 and couples
to primary breaker plate 14. Coupled to primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod threaded shaft 440 is primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod adjusting nut 445 which is used to set or limit the
distance between the rotor 10 and the rotor hammer circle 102. Primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 is shown disposed
above primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut
445. Primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 may
be an elongated member extending between primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod assembly 44 and additional breaker plate adjusting tension
rod assemblies (not shown) disposed a distance away from primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod assembly 44. Alternative primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 may be any member
which couples to a portion of the crusher frame to prevent rotation
of primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446. Primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 is shown, in cross-section,
as a channel, but it may take various shapes, such as a tube, a
Z, or an angle, cross-section, or the like.
Primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod threaded shaft 440
has a primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut 447
disposed thereon and attached thereto, which is preferably elongated
so as to be readily grasped by a human hand and to completely cover
the end of shaft 440. Primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod
locking nut 447 extends to meet with an inside portion of primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446. Coupled to the bottom
of primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 is breaker
plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut retainer 448 which can
be any device having one or more internal surfaces which bear on
primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut 445 so
as to prevent it from rotating. Breaker plate adjusting tension
rod adjusting nut retainer 448 can be fixed to primary breaker plate
adjusting tension rod bridge 446 by any suitable means, such as
bolts, pins, clamps, rivets, welding, etc. In applications where
primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 couples to
additional breaker plate adjusting tension rod assemblies, the requisite
timing or adjusting nut alignment between the two or more assemblies
can be finer, the more flat bearing surfaces there are on the primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut 445. The requisite
timing may be even finer if the breaker plate adjusting tension
rod adjusting nut retainer 448 has an internal pattern that matches
two or more patterns of primary breaker plate adjusting tension
rod adjusting nut 445.
Primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut 447 is
used to hold primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge
446 in place, so that breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting
nut retainer 448 does not separate from primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod adjusting nut 445. However, due to the vibration of
the crusher, primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking
nut 447 would be susceptible to loosening if not otherwise restricted.
Breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut retainer 449 is
preferably a loose retainer that slips over primary breaker plate
adjusting tension rod locking nut 447. Breaker plate adjusting tension
rod locking nut retainer 449 bears, with one or more flat surfaces
of its inside, against and prevents relative rotation with primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut 447 and bears, with
its outside, against and prevents relative rotation with a leg or
other portion of primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge
446. The exterior shape of breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking
nut retainer 449 may be rectangular or any shape which prevents
it from rotating freely with respect to primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod bridge 446.
Breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut retainer 449 may
be prevented from jumping out of engagement with primary breaker
plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 by any means, including clamps,
pins, bolts, chains, cables, or other loose fastening devices. Locking
nut retainer retaining pin 450 is one example of a device employed
to prevent breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut retainer
449 from sliding so far up primary breaker plate adjusting tension
rod locking nut 447 that breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking
nut retainer 449 is above and, therefore, free of restrictive engagement
with primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446. Breaker
plate adjusting tension rod locking nut retainer 449 need not be
held tightly against primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod
bridge 446 to prevent it from slipping over the top of primary breaker
plate adjusting tension rod locking nut 447. Similarly, primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut 447 need not be
held tightly against primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod
bridge 446. It is sufficient that it (primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod locking nut 447) be close enough to primary breaker
plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 to prevent breaker plate
adjusting tension rod adjusting nut retainer 448 from slipping off
the primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut 445.
An even more detailed understanding of the present invention may
be achieved by now referring to FIG. 3 which shows a close-up top
or plan view of a portion of the primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod assembly 44 of FIG. 4 which clearly shows the relationship
of primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 with respect
to breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut retainer 449.
It also shows clearly the orientation of a locking nut retainer
retaining pin 450 with respect to breaker plate adjusting tension
rod locking nut retainer 449 and primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod bridge 446.
FIG. 4 is another close-up side or elevational view of the primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod assembly 44 of FIG. 2 which
is shown from an angle which is orthogonal to that of FIG. 2. Shaft
440 is shown with dashed lines, as it is disposed inside nut 447.
In operation, the apparatus and method of the present invention
as described in
FIGS. 1-4 could function as follows to permit an adjustment of
a primary breaker plate 14:
Firstly, primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod assembly 44
is configured as shown in FIGS. 1-4.
Secondly, the load or weight on the primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod nut 445 is reduced, in any appropriate manner, such
as using a hydraulic assist system or tipping the crusher or a portion
of it to reduce the weight.
Locking nut retainer retaining pin 450 is then removed by pulling
it from an orifice in primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod
bridge 446. Since breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut
retainer 449 need not be held tightly against primary breaker plate
adjusting tension rod bridge 446 locking nut retainer retaining
pin 450 should be free to be removed without tools.
With locking nut retainer retaining pin 450 removed, breaker plate
adjusting tension rod locking nut retainer 449 is slipped above
primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 and the
primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut 447 is loosened
or retracted by hand by a distance greater than the effective height
of breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut retainer 448
plus any amount that primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod
adjusting nut 445 may need to be retracted. (This assumes the adjustment
is not calling for primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting
nut 445 to be advanced.)
Primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 and breaker
plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut retainer 448 are lifted
off primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut 445.
Primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut 445 then
is adjusted to a new position along primary breaker plate adjusting
tension rod threaded shaft 440 thereby defining a new setting for
primary breaker plate 14.
To secure the new setting, primary breaker plate adjusting tension
rod adjusting nut 445 is aligned with a surface of breaker plate
adjusting tension rod adjusting nut retainer 448 and primary breaker
plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446 and breaker plate adjusting
tension rod adjusting nut retainer 448 are slipped onto primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting nut 445.
Primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut 447 is
advanced sufficiently close to primary breaker plate adjusting tension
rod bridge 446 that breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting
nut retainer 448 is not able to move beyond its effective placement
with respect to primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod adjusting
nut 445. (Note: this need not be a highly tight relationship. It
should be sufficient to have primary breaker plate adjusting tension
rod locking nut 447 merely touching, or even almost touching, primary
breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446.)
Breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut retainer 449 is
then slipped down primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking
nut 447 into primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge
446 (assuming primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking
nut 447 is properly aligned with respect to primary breaker plate
adjusting tension rod bridge 446). This prevents primary breaker
plate adjusting tension rod locking nut 447 from rotating with respect
to primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446.
Lastly, locking nut retainer retaining pin 450 is replaced to assure
that breaker plate adjusting tension rod locking nut retainer 449
does not move a distance sufficient to be free from engagement with
primary breaker plate adjusting tension rod bridge 446.
Following the above procedure, it is possible to adjust and re-secure
at a new fixed position, primary breaker plate 14 without the use
of tools.
Throughout this description, reference is made to primary breaker
plates; however, it should be understood that the breaker plate
adjusting tension rod assembly of the present invention is intended
to be used with secondary and other breaker plates as well.
It is thought that the method and apparatus of the present invention
will be understood from the foregoing description and that it will
be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construct
steps, and arrangement of the parts and steps thereof, without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of
their material advantages. The form herein described is merely a
preferred exemplary embodiment thereof. |