Abstrict The impeller assembly of a centrifugal rock crusher is secured
removably to a dovetail coupling member secured to a mounting member
attached to the turntable of a centrifugal rock crusher. The impeller
member has a mating dovetail shape cavity on its face trailing the
direction of rotation of the turntable and configured to match the
dovetail configuration of the coupling member. The dovetail configurations
are arranged to tilt upwardly and radially inward relative to the
rotational direction of the turntable, whereby turntable rotation
produces centrifugal force driving the impeller member downward
and inward relative to turntable rotation, to induce downward and
inward movement of the impeller member relative to the coupling
member, to increase securement.
Claims Having thus described my invention and the manner in which it may
be used, I claim:
1. An impeller assembly for mounting on a rotary turntable of a
centrifugal rock crusher, comprising: a) a mounting member arranged
to be secured to a turntable of a centrifugal rock crusher and having
one face facing the direction of turntable rotation, b) an impeller
block member having leading and trailing faces, and c) mutual coupling
means on the leading face of the mounting member and the trailing
face of the impeller block configured for mutual abutting interengagement
by relative movement of the leading face of one of said members
and the trailing face of the other of said members.
2. The impeller assembly of claim 1 wherein the mutual coupling
means comprises interengaging connector members one on the leading
face of said mounting member and the other on the trailing face
of said impeller block member.
3. The impeller assembly of claim 1 wherein the mutual coupling
means comprises interengaging dovetail connector members one on
the leading face of said mounting member and the other on the trailing
face of said impeller block member.
4. The impeller assembly of claim 1 wherein the mutual coupling
means comprises interengaging dovetail members configured for releasable
interengagement by relative movement in a substantially vertical
plane.
5. The impeller assembly of claim 4 wherein the dovetail members
are configured for engagement upon relative movement in a downward
direction and for disengagement upon relative movement in an upward
direction.
6. The impeller assembly of claim 4 wherein the dovetail members
are disposed on said mounting and impeller block members for relative
engaging and disengaging movements in a direction at an angle relative
to vertical.
7. The impeller assembly of claim 4 wherein the dovetail members
are movable in the downward direction for interengagement and are
movable in the upward direction for disengagement.
8. An impeller assembly for mounting on a rotary turntable of a
centrifugal rock crusher, comprising: a) a mounting member having
opposed faces and arranged to be secured to a turntable with one
face of the block facing the direction of turntable rotation, b)
a coupling block member secured to said one face of the mounting
member, the coupling block member having opposed longitudinal sides
tapered upwardly to smaller dimension and tapered inwardly to smaller
dimensions from its leading face to its trailing face abutting the
leading face of the mounting member, the coupling block thereby
forming a dovetail configuration, and c) an impeller block member
having leading and trailing faces, a socket member formed in the
trailing face of said impeller block member and configured to match
the dovetail configuration of said coupling block member for mutual
releasably interconnection.
9. The impeller assembly of claim 8 wherein the coupling block
member is secured to the mounting member with the longitudinal dimension
extending angularly upward and radially inward relative to the turntable
rotation, whereby centrifugal force moves the impeller member increasingly
downward to increased securement to the coupling block member.
Description [0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional application
Ser. No. 60/506248 filed 25 Sep. 2003.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to rock crushers, and more particularly
to a novel impeller system for centrifugal rock crushers.
[0003] Centrifugal rock crushers of the prior art are large pieces
of equipment basically comprising a hollow, fixed drum having a
rotatable turntable disposed centrally within the drum and driven
by a motor at predetermined rotary speed. The rotatable turntable
mounts a plurality of impeller units of selected hardened metal
in a manner to engage rock and flinging it at high speed outwardly
into impact against circumferentially arranged anvil members. The
resulting shattered rock fragments fall by gravity to the base of
the drum from whence they are conveyed outwardly for collection
and subsequent use. It will be recognized that the tremendous forces
encountered in the process results in wear and breakage primarily
of the impeller units, requiring their periodic repair or replacement.
[0004] However, the impeller structures of prior art centrifugal
rock crusher turntables require the manipulation of a plurality
of bolts and other types of releasable attachments, incurring excessive
down time and extensive and costly disassembly and reassembly costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The rock crusher of this invention provides for a normal,
substantially tool free replacement of the impeller components of
the turntable assembly for quick routine replacement operations
and also provides an impeller mounting structure which is protected
against wear and damage during operation of the rock crusher.
[0006] It is the principal objective of this invention to provide
an impeller system for centrifugal rock crusher turntables that
overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of prior rock crushers.
[0007] Another objective of this invention is the provision of
an impeller system for centrifugal rock crusher turntables that
facilitates rapid replacement, thereby minimizing the operational
down time.
[0008] Still another objective of this invention is to provide
an impeller assembly for centrifugal rock crusher turntables in
which the components of the impeller assembly are capable of rapid
assembly and disassembly, substantially without tools.
[0009] A further objective of this invention is the provision of
an impeller system for centrifugal rock crusher turntables in which
the components of the assembly are interconnected by dovetail connections.
[0010] A still further objective of this invention is to provide
an impeller assembly for centrifugal rock crushers in which the
interconnecting elements of the components are contained internally
and thus protected against damage and wear.
[0011] The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention
will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection
with the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a centrifugal
rock crusher of the prior art, portions being broken away to disclose
internal structural details.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a turntable having mounted
thereon an impeller system embodying the features of this invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the turntable
of FIG. 2 with an impeller assembly shown in exploded view to illustrate
the manner of assembly and disassembly of the components thereof.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, similar to FIG.
3 showing the impeller assembly components in exploded view from
the opposite side of the mounting block component of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] Referring first to the prior art structure of FIG. 1 a
turntable 10 is mounted for rotation within a housing 12 provided
with an infeed funnel 14 through which rock to be crushed is delivered
to the central portion of the turntable. Rotation of the turntable
causes the rock to be moved radially outward into engagement with
circumferentially spaced impeller units 16 which thereupon thrust
the rock at high velocity radially outward of the rapidly rotating
turntable into impact with anvil members 18 supported circumferentially
a spaced distance radially outward from the turntable on a ring
20 secured within the housing. The resulting crushed rock is discharged
through an outlet in the bottom of the housing for collection and
use.
[0017] It is to be noted in the prior art structure of FIG. 1 that
the impeller units are secured to the turntable by means of brackets
22 secured to the turntable and screws or bolts 24 are employed
to secure the impeller units 16 to the bracket.
[0018] In the present invention the impeller units each comprises
a mounting block 26 a coupling block 28 and an impeller member
30. The mounting block 26 is secured to the turntable 10 as by welding,
by bolts extending upwardly through openings in the turntable and
into registering threaded bores in the mounting block, or by other
means as desired. The face of the mounting block 26 facing the direction
of rotation of the turntable mounts the coupling block 28 configured
as a wedge, with sides 32 and 34 tapering from the bottom end to
smaller dimension at the top end 36. The sides 32 and 34 also taper
inwardly from their leading face to the trailing face. The sides
32 and 34 thus form a dovetail configuration which matches and mates
with the complimentary dovetail socket 38 in the trailing face of
the impeller member 30. Thus, the impeller system is installed in
secure position on the turntable 10 simply by sliding the dovetail
socket 38 in the impeller member downward onto the dovetail coupling
block 28.
[0019] Moreover, the dovetail coupling block 28 and complimentary
dovetail socket 38 on the impeller member 30 are positioned angularly
with respect to vertical such that rotation of the turntable creates
centrifugal force that drives the impeller member 30 radially outward
and downward toward the upper surface of the turntable 10. This
movement results in correspondingly increasing positive coupling
of the dovetail coupling block 28 and socket 38.
[0020] Removal of the impeller member 30 for replacement or repair,
is achieved without tools, but rather only with the hands, to disconnect
the dovetail connection, thereby simplifying and expediting the
replacement or repair procedure.
[0021] The dovetail coupling block 28 is secured to the mounting
block by bolts 40 extended through the unthreaded openings 42 in
the dovetail coupling block and then into threaded openings in the
mounting block 26. If desired, the bolts 40 alternatively may be
extended through unthreaded openings in the mounting block 26 and
then into threaded openings 42 in the coupling block 28. The arrangement
illustrated in FIG. 3 is preferred, however, because the coupling
block 28 and mounting bolts 40 are contained within the interior
of the impeller member 30 and thereby protected from damage.
[0022] It is to be noted that FIG. 1 shows the prior art turntable
10 as mounting five impeller units 16 whereas FIG. 2 shows the
mounting of four impeller assemblies. The number of impeller assemblies
for a chosen turntable may be varied, as desired for any particular
rock crusher use.
[0023] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
changes and modifications, other than those previously described,
may be made in the size, shape, type, number and arrangement of
parts described herein. For example, a wear ring may be configured
to overlie and be secured to the impeller units to direct infeed
rocks radially outward for engagement by the impellers which then
fling the rocks outward at high speed into impact against the anvils
18. These wear ring structures are well known in the art and therefore
need not be described in further detail here.
[0024] The bolts 40 shown in FIG. 3 may be arranged to extend in
the reverse direction through slightly enlarged, non-threaded bores
through the mounting block 26 for engagement each with a threaded
nut (not shown) captured in a hexagonal recess 44 (illustrated)
provided in the coupling member 28. Thus, with the coupling member
engaging impeller member 30 through the nut and bolt arrangement
in a substantially loosened condition, the impeller member 30 may
be installed on the loose coupling member 28 after which the bolts
40 are tightened, frictionally clamping the impeller member 30 and
coupling member 28 rigidly on the mounting block member 26. This
arrangement allows the impeller member 30 to be seated lower on
the turntable 10 in frictionally clamped condition. The foregoing
and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit
of this invention, or the scope of the appended claims. |