Abstrict A crusher (10) having a chassis (11) on which a crushing chamber
(23) is mounted and having an upper loading opening (26) to receive
crushable material and a lower discharge opening (27) through which
gravity discharge of crushed material can take place. In the event
of material becoming jammed in the crushing chamber (23), an unjamming
vehicle (15) having rock breaker attachment (17 18) is operated,
which is clamped to a vehicle support platform (13) mounted on the
chassis (11) and which is located near to the crushing chamber (23)
so that the rock breaker attachment (17 18) can reach into the
chamber (23) to engage with and to break-up the jammed material.
Claims We claim:
1. A crusher machine which comprises: a chassis; a crushing chamber
mounted on the chassis and having an upper loading opening for receiving
crushable material and a lower discharge opening through which gravity
discharge of crushed material can take place; a vehicle support
platform mounted directly or indirectly on the chassis and onto
which a small vehicle can be loaded, said vehicle having a rock
breaker attachment; and clamps which are engageable with the tracks
of the vehicle in order to clamp the vehicle to the platform; in
which the platform is located near to the crushing chamber so that,
when the vehicle is clamped to the platform, the rock breaker attachment
can reach into the chamber to engage with and to break up any jammed
material which becomes trapped in the chamber.
2. A crusher machine according to claim 1 in which the crushing
chamber includes a pair of crusher jaws arranged in the crushing
chamber and operative to crush material therebetween.
3. A crusher machine according to claim 2 in which one of the
crusher jaws is a fixed jaw, and the other jaw is a movable jaw
operated by an eccentric drive mechanism.
4. A crusher machine according to claim 2 in which the crusher
machine is self-propelled via a pair of endless tracks.
5. A crusher machine according to claim 4 in which a set of lowerable
legs is mounted on the chassis, and is operative to raise and lower
the entire machine.
6. A crusher machine according to claim 4 in which the endless
tracks can be raised or lowered relative to the chassis.
7. A crusher machine according to claim 1 in combination with
a tracked vehicle (15) which can be clamped to the platform via
clamps (16) which are engageable with the tracks of the vehicle.
7. A method of freeing jammed material located in a crushing chamber
(23) of a crusher machine (10), said machine having a vehicle support
platform (13) onto which an un-jamming vehicle can be mounted, said
method comprising: loading a small vehicle (15) onto the landing
platform (13), and clamping the vehicle to the platform, said vehicle
having a rock breaker attachment (17 18); extending the rock breaker
attachment (17 18) of the vehicle so as to enter the crushing chamber
(23); and engaging the working part (18) of the rock breaker attachment
with the jammed material and operating the attachment in order to
break up the jammed material which then falls downwardly under gravity
from the crushing chamber.
Description [0001] This invention relates to a crusher machine for use in crushing
rock or other crushable material, and having a crushing chamber,
a loading opening to the chamber for receiving crushable material,
and a discharge opening for discharging crushed material from the
chamber, and a crushing device arranged in the crushing chamber
and operative to crush material between the jaws.
BACKGROUND TO INVENTION
[0002] Crushers are used in a quarry environment in order to breakdown
excavated rock to a smaller size range, or range of sizes e.g. to
form hardcore for use in forming a sub-base for roads and buildings;
or to form, ballast gravel or sand.
[0003] The crushing chamber may have a pair of crusher jaws, and
usually comprise a fixed jaw and a cooperating movable jaw which
define a receiving space therebetween for crushable material. An
eccentric dive mechanism is coupled with the movable jaw and is
operative to cause the movable jaw to rock back and forth relative
to the fixed jaw in order to exert a cycle of operation involving
crushing action and then relieving the pressure on the material
between the fixed and movable jaws, followed by further crushing
action and so on.
[0004] Although the jaws are designed and manufactured to be of
robust construction (bearing in mind the substantial impacts and
other loads applied in service to the jaws), with existing equipment
it does happen from time to time that material becomes jammed or
blocked between the jaws, and this requires the crusher operation
to be stopped and for the blocked material to be moved before work
can resume.
[0005] Other designs of crushing chamber include "cone-type"
crusher devices, and such chambers also may be liable to become
jammed with material, from time to time, and which has to be removed.
[0006] In order to clear the jammed material, it is usual practice
to bring a large excavator alongside the crusher, and to employ
a jackhammer attachment on the excavator to break up the jammed
material in the crushing chamber, and which then falls down through
the discharge opening under the action of gravity. This then enables
the operation of the crusher to re-resume.
[0007] The excavator necessarily needs to be of substantial size,
so that the jackhammer attachment can be raised above the loading
opening to the crushing chamber and then lowered into engagement
with the jammed material. Also, of course, the excavator has to
be manoeuvred to a suitable position alongside the crusher.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0008] The invention therefore seeks to simplify the procedures
involved in clearing jammed material in the crushing chamber, and
while utilising a smaller size of ancillary equipment than present
use of large excavators.
[0009] According to one aspect of the invention there is provided
a crusher machine which comprises:
[0010] a chassis;
[0011] a crushing chamber mounted on the chassis and having an
upper loading opening for receiving crushable material and a lower
discharge opening through which gravity discharge of crushed material
can take place;
[0012] a vehicle support platform mounted directly or indirectly
on the chassis and onto which a small vehicle can be loaded, said
vehicle having a rock breaker attachment; and
[0013] clamps engageable with the vehicle in order to clamp the
vehicle to the platform:
[0014] in which the platform is located near to the crushing chamber
so that, when the vehicle is clamped to the platform, the rock breaker
attachment can reach into the chamber to engage with and to break
up any jammed material trapped in the crushing chamber.
[0015] The invention therefore, by a simple provision of a support
platform at a convenient position on the crusher machine, enables
blockages of material in the crushing chamber to be freed without
need to deploy and operate a large excavator located on the ground
alongside the crusher. Instead, a small vehicle e.g. a tracked mini
excavator, can be permanently or semi-permanently mounted on the
platform (by clamping the tracks to the platform) for use whenever
crushing chamber blocking occurs.
[0016] However, in the event that independent operation of the
mini excavator may be required, it is a simple matter to unclamp
the tracks and lift the excavator off the platform and place it
on the ground so that it can then propel itself to wherever it is
required, to operate independently of the crusher.
[0017] The crusher may be self-propelled, to enable it to be manoeuvred
to a required position on site, preferably by means of a pair of
endless tracks, and which are lifted out of engagement with the
ground when crushing operations are required.
[0018] The tracks may be capable of being raised and lowered relative
to the chassis, or a pair of lowerable support legs may be mounted
on the chassis which operate to raise or lower the entire crusher
machine.
[0019] According to a further aspect of the invention there is
provided a method of freeing jammed material located in a crushing
chamber of a crusher machine, said machine having a support platform
onto which an un-jamming vehicle can be mounted, said method comprising:
[0020] loading a small vehicle onto the support platform, and clamping
the vehicle to the platform, said vehicle having a rock breaker
attachment;
[0021] extending the rock breaker attachment of the vehicle so
as to enter the crushing chamber; and
[0022] engaging the working part of the rock breaker attachment
with the jammed material and operating the attachment in order to
break up the jammed material which then falls downwardly under gravity
from the crushing chamber.
[0023] A preferred embodiment of crusher machine according to the
invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only,
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a side view of the crusher machine raised on support
legs so as to be capable of carrying out crushing operations; and,
[0025] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a fixed and movable
jaw of the crushing chamber of the machine shown in FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0026] Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a crusher machine according
to the invention is designated generally by reference 10 and has
a main frame or chassis 11 and on the chassis are mounted usual
supply hoppers 22 for storing crushable material, a crushing chamber
23 having a pair of cooperating crushing jaws 24 25 a loading
opening 26 leading to the crushing chamber 23 for receiving crushable
material, and a lower discharge opening 27 from which crushed material
can be discharged under gravity, to fall on one or more discharge
conveyors or elevators 28 which discharge the crushed material
to any required stockpile.
[0027] All of these components of rock crushers are well known,
and detailed description thereof is not considered necessary.
[0028] The crushing chamber 23 is shown schematically in FIG. 2
having upper loading opening 26 and lower discharge opening 27
and the pair of crusher jaws 24 25 is arranged in the crushing
chamber 12 and operative to crush material therebetween. The jaw
25 is a fixed jaw, and the jaw 24 is a movable jaw which is movable
to and fro under the operation of an eccentric drive mechanism 29
and flywheel 30 to carry out cycles of crushing and relieving action
on the material which falls into the space between the jaws.
[0029] It happens that, from time to time, crushable material becomes
jammed or trapped between the jaws, and the operation of the crusher
10 has to be interrupted, rather than risk doing permanent damage
to the operating components. There will now be described a simple
attachment to the chassis 11 directly or indirectly, whereby blockages
of material in the crushing chamber 23 can be freed without need
to deploy and operate a large excavator standing on the ground alongside
the crusher 10.
[0030] A vehicle support platform 13 is mounted on the upper superstructure
14 of the machine, supported by the chassis 11 and any small vehicle,
preferably a tracked mini excavator 15 having endless tracks 21
can be permanently or semi-permanently mounted on the platform 13
for use whenever crushing chamber blocking occurs.
[0031] The tracked vehicle 15 is held down or clamped to the platform
13 by use of suitable clamps 16 (after the excavator 15 has been
loaded onto the platform 13) and which hold down the tracks 21 of
the vehicle on the platform 13.
[0032] The excavator 15 is provided with a rock breaker attachment
17 having a working rock breaker tip 18 and which can easily be
lowered into the crushing chamber 23 and into engagement with the
jammed material. Operation of the rock breaker attachment 17 then
breaks up the jammed material, which is then able to fall down under
gravity through the lower discharge opening 27 and onto the discharge
conveyors or elevators 28 to be transferred to stockpile.
[0033] The platform 13 is located close to the crushing chamber
23 and it is a simple matter for the excavator 15 to be operated
in order to deploy the rock breaker attachment to enter the crushing
chamber and then carry out freeing of the jammed material.
[0034] A mini excavator 15 is more than sufficient to carry out
the un-jamming operation, and which is a considerable improvement
over existing use of large scale excavators, which hitherto have
been used in order to clear jammed materials. However, other small
vehicles may be utilised, provided they have a rock breaker attachment
and can be clamped to the platform.
[0035] In the event that independent operation of the mini excavator
15 may be required, it is a simple matter to unclamp the tracks
21 and lift the excavator 15 off the platform and place it onto
the ground, so that it can then propel itself to wherever it is
required to be operated independently of the crusher.
[0036] The crusher 10 is self-propelled, to enable it to be manoeuvred
to a required operating site, and has a pair of endless tracks 19.
These tracks are shown in FIG. 1 raised above the ground, and in
the illustrated embodiment this is achieved by lowering a set of
lowerable support legs 20 which are able to raise and lower the
entire crusher 10.
[0037] Alternatively, the tracks 19 may be arranged so as to be
capable of being raised and lowered relative to the chassis 11.
[0038] Although not shown, the invention may also be applied to
other types of crushing machine having different arrangements of
crushing device in the crushing chamber (different from fixed and
movable crusher jaws as shown in the preferred embodiment). By way
of example only, the crushing chamber may include a crushing device
in the form of a "cone-type" crusher. |