RU2812038C1 - Drive mechanism for crushing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mechanical engineering.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to gyratory or cone crushers, a method of their operation and a seal used in these crushers. The crusher contains a housing and a cone unit located inside the housing, supported by a bearing and consisting of a crushing head, a shaft, and a drive mechanism. In this case, the crushing head supporting the internal crushing casing is configured to interact with the external crushing casing to form a grinding gap between them, and the shaft connected to the crushing head has a cam, which is located remotely from the crushing head. Moreover, the drive mechanism is configured to move the cone assembly, and contains a number of drive units passing between the cam and the housing. Each drive assembly has the first end movably adjacent to the cam and the second end movably adjacent to a separate reaction seat provided on the housing, the drive devices being configured to be selectively activated during use to transmit a driving force to the cam causing movement of the crushing head . The method of operating the above crusher includes the steps of installing a cam on a shaft, installing a drive mechanism containing a number of drive units passing between the cam and a housing, and then selectively injecting and releasing a variable volume of hydraulic fluid into the channel of each drive unit, whereby, with increasing volume of hydraulic fluid in each channel, the hydraulic fluid transmits driving force directly to the cam and the reaction seat, causing the crushing head to move. The seal contains a housing having a through hole and adapted to provide fluid communication between the channel and the cam, an internal projection protruding from the housing and forming a continuous annular sealing edge for engagement with the cam, and an external projection protruding from the housing. Moreover, the outer protrusion concentrically surrounds the inner protrusion and is separated by an annular groove, while the outer protrusion forming the installation edge is adapted for sliding contact with the cam, while at least one groove passes through the outer protrusion, intersecting the installation edge.

EFFECT: improved quality of grinding.

25 cl, 7 dwg

Description

TECHNICAL APPLICATION AREA

The present disclosure relates to a drive mechanism for a crusher.

More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a hydraulic drive mechanism with telescopic drive units positioned radially around a crusher shaft.

BASIC INFORMATION

Crushers, such as cone crushers and gyratory crushers, are used to crush ore or large rocks into smaller rocks, gravel, or dust. Crushers can also be used to process waste, such as grinding plastics into smaller particles. Typically, a crusher has a body supporting an outer crushing casing, which houses a crushing head supporting an inner crushing casing. The crushing head moves to crush raw ore between the outer and inner crushing shells. The desired size of smaller particles is adjusted by setting the minimum width of the grinding gap formed between the outer and inner crushing shells.

One type of cone crusher uses an eccentric to cause movement of the crushing head. The crushing head shaft is mounted in the eccentric member, and during use, the eccentric member causes the shaft to move along a predetermined path, causing the crushing head to move. Known examples of such eccentric drives can be seen in the documents (US 51159910 and 5718391). Similarly, (WO 2005/094996) discloses a cone crusher having a hydraulically driven radial piston type drive mechanism (26, 27) which is located inside its crushing head (13) and which is connected to an eccentric (31).

One problem faced by crushers using such an eccentric element is that changing a given shaft path is cumbersome - usually requiring the cone crusher to be removed so that the eccentric element can be replaced with another. It is also often difficult to adjust the minimum size of the grinding gap between the housing and the crushing head, since the eccentric does not allow the “span” of the crushing head to be changed.

In another type of cone crusher, the crushing head is supported by a spherical bearing and its shaft is supported in a cylindrical bushing having an unbalance attached to it. As the cylindrical bushing rotates, the eclipse rotates and this causes it to swing radially outward due to the centrifugal forces acting on the bushing, which in turn causes the crushing head to rotate within the spherical bearing. The rotation path (and grinding gap) can be selectively changed either by changing the speed of rotation of the bushing, by changing the mass of the unbalance, or by changing the distance between the unbalance and the bushing. Well-known examples of such unbalanced drives can be seen in US 8872105 and 89625770. One of the problems that can be encountered with the use of unbalanced drives is that the rotational movement of the mass causes excessive vibrations in the cone crusher, leading to increased wear on its parts.

(CN 207102723) also describes a rotating (inertial) cone crusher equivalent to the above, but additionally equipped with a cavity protection device. The drive mechanism includes a pulley that drives the transmission shaft so that torque is transmitted to the main shaft of the crushing head, thereby causing the unbalance to rotate to produce a crushing force. The cavity protection device is in the form of shock absorbers (15) located around the crushing head and configured to prevent direct contact of the crushing head with the crushing casing if the movement of the crushing head becomes too abrupt. The shock absorbers are described to preferably be elastic rubber air springs, but they can also be hydraulic cylinders. However, these hydraulic cylinders do not transmit driving force to the crushing head, since any such force would conflict with the crushing force created by the imbalance.

The document (DE 1157459) describes a hydraulic drive for a crusher. The hydraulic drive is located inside the crusher head, and accordingly, the applied driving force must directly lift the entire mass of the crusher head. In addition, the hydraulic drive contains a number of hydraulic lifting devices having piston-cylindrical units with curved end surfaces that slide along a pressure ring mounted on the crushing head. Thus, there is a tendency for excessive frictional wear between the piston ends and the pressure ring to occur because the sealed ends of the piston are not lubricated and are typically covered in dust from the crushed material. It should also be understood that as the crushing head is raised further, more and more of the lift vector applied by the pistons is lost due to the fact that the pistons are no longer acting orthogonally on the pressure ring.

The above references to prior art and any references to prior art do not constitute evidence that the prior art is part of the general knowledge of one skilled in the art.

BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to a first embodiment, a crusher for crushing a material into smaller particles is provided, the crusher includes:

a housing supporting the outer crushing casing;

cone unit located inside the housing and supported by a bearing, cone unit, includes

a crushing head supporting an inner crushing casing, which cooperates with the outer crushing casing to form a grinding gap between them; And

a shaft connected to the crushing head, the shaft having a cam that is located remotely from the crushing head; And

a drive mechanism configured to move the cone assembly, a drive mechanism comprising a number of drive assemblies extending between the cam and the housing, each drive assembly having a first end movably adjacent to the cam and a second end movably adjacent to a separate reaction socket provided on the body,

whereby, during use, the drive devices are selectively activated to transmit a driving force to the cam causing movement of the crushing head.

Each drive unit may include a telescopic housing having a channel extending therethrough with opposite open ends and configured to receive and discharge a variable volume of hydraulic fluid. During use, the hydraulic fluid in the channel is distributed so as to directly contact and apply force to the cam and reaction seat.

The cam may be integral with the shaft and have a spherically dome-shaped convex surface. The cam may be configured to move in three-dimensional space within the housing during use, with movement being limited to a path concentrically complementary to the shape of the bearing.

The bearing may be spherically concave. In one embodiment, the bearing slidably supports the crushing head while the shaft passes through an opening in the bearing. In another embodiment, the bearing slideably supports the shaft support.

Each drive unit may comprise two or more cylinders arranged in substantially sealed sliding engagement with each other. The crusher may further have a biasing member configured to bias the cylinders so that they extend longitudinally apart from each other. The first end of each drive block may be in sliding contact with the cam, and the second end of each drive block is in sliding contact with its corresponding reaction socket, such that neither the first end nor the second end of the drive block is mechanically connected to either the cam or the reaction sockets. nests.

Each drive unit may be configured to slide over the cam and its reaction seat to allow the angular orientation of the drive unit to be changed within the housing so that the drive unit remains longitudinally aligned between the cam and its reaction seat. The cam and each reaction seat may have spherical centers such that, during use, each drive unit remains longitudinally aligned between the spherical centers of the cam and its reaction seat. This alignment maximizes the force transferred by the drive units to the cam because the force vector remains orthogonal to the cam and reaction socket.

Each drive unit may have a seal provided at opposite first and second ends of the drive unit, each seal defining a concave outer surface being configured to abut additional convex outer surfaces of the cam and reaction seat, respectively. Each seal may have an annular inner lip and a concentric outer lip, which are separated from each other by a groove.

In one embodiment, the inner projection defines a continuous annular fluid sealing surface configured to form a hydraulic pressure seal between the drive assembly and the cam or reaction seat, respectively. The seal may be configured to divert a portion of the hydraulic fluid beyond the inner lip during use to apply a lubricating film to the cam or reaction seat, respectively.

In one embodiment, the outer projection defines an annular mounting surface configured to slide the seal relative to the cam or reaction seat, respectively. The mounting surface may be interrupted by one or more grooves extending through the outer lip. The outer lip may have an outer radius that is maximum to allow the seals to enclose as much of the spherical dome of the cam or reaction seat as possible, but whose outer radius is limited enough to avoid contact with the seal of any other drive unit during use.

The reaction sockets may be operatively positioned above the cam such that the drive units are angled downwards within the housing.

According to a second embodiment, there is provided a method of operating a crusher having a housing supporting an outer crushing casing, and further having a cone assembly disposed within the housing, the cone assembly comprising a crushing head mounted on a shaft, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a cam on the shaft;

providing a drive mechanism comprising a number of drive units extending between the cam and a housing, each drive unit comprising a telescopic housing with a channel extending therethrough, the telescopic housing having a first end adjacent to the cam and a second end adjacent to a separate seat, provided on the housing; And

selective injection and release of a variable volume of hydraulic fluid into the channel of each drive unit,

whereby, as the volume of hydraulic fluid in each channel increases, the hydraulic fluid transmits driving force directly to the cam and reaction seat, causing the crushing head to move.

According to a third embodiment of the invention, a seal is provided for placement between the tubular member and the spherical cam, the seal being configured to contact a fluid contained in a bore of the tubular body with the cam, the seal being further configured to release a portion of the fluid from the bore between the seal and the cam, the seal containing

a housing capable of being connected to a tubular element, wherein the housing having a through channel is adapted to provide fluid communication between the channel and the cam;

an internal lip projecting from the housing to form a continuous annular sealing lip for engagement with the cam;

an outer projection projecting from the body, the outer projection concentrically surrounding the inner projection and separated by an annular groove, the outer projection forming a mounting edge being adapted to slideably fit against the cam; And

at least one groove extending through the outer lip and interrupting the mounting edge whereby, during use, the fluid pressure in the channel is adjusted to lift the sealing edge of the inner lip away from the cam to withdraw a portion of the fluid from the channel without substantially lifting the mounting edge of the outer projection from the cam.

The seal may be used on a crusher drive device as defined in the first aspect of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features will become more apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. In the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting in any way:

Fig. 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a cone crusher;

In FIG. Figure 2 shows a side sectional view of the crusher shown in Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional top view seen along arrows III-III in FIG. 2, with the crusher shaft centrally located in the neutral idle position;

In FIG. 4 is a sectional top view equivalent to that shown in FIG. 3, but with the shaft positioned in an offset position during use;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of a telescopic drive used in the crusher shown in FIG. 1-5;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one end of the drive device shown in FIG. 5;

In FIG. 7 shows a side cross-sectional view of the second variant of the cone crusher.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present description relates to a crusher that is used for crushing solid material such as ore, and more particularly to a drive mechanism for such a crusher. The crusher is usually a cone crusher or impact crusher.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a first embodiment of a cone crusher 10 is shown which is used, for example, for crushing coarse ore into finer particle size ore. The crusher 10 includes a housing 12 defining a chamber 14 for housing various operating parts of the crusher 10. The housing 12 includes a lower bowl frame 16 that is closed at its upper end by a removable lid structure 18. An upper frusto-conical opening 20 extends through the cover structure 18 through which the upper ore supply opening 20 can be passed into the chamber 14.

The frusto-conical outer crusher casing 22 (also known in the art as a bowl liner) is supported by a cover structure 18 to align the top opening 20.

Located within the chamber 14 is a cone assembly 23 which contains a crushing head 24 mounted on a shaft 26. In this embodiment, the top of the shaft 26 terminates at or near the top of the crushing head 24. The crushing head 24 has an upper portion that is conical in shape and extends at least partially into and/or through the upper opening 20. The crushing head 24 supports an internal crushing casing 28 (also known in the art as a liner), which is secured in place by a cap 30 coupled to the shaft 26. Alternatively, the internal crushing casing 28 may be attached to the crushing head 24 by any other conventional means. Additionally, in some embodiments, the inner crusher housing 28 may be integrally formed as part of the crusher head 24.

The space between the outer crushing shell 22 and the inner crushing shell 28 forms the grinding gap 32. Because the outer crushing shell 22 has a narrower cone angle than the angle of the inner crushing shell 28, the grinding gap 32 is wider near the outer side of the cover structure 18 and already close to the inner side of the cover structure 18, i.e. The grinding gap 32 is wider near the conical end of the crushing head 24 and tapers towards the base of the crushing head 24.

Both the outer crusher casing 22 and the inner crushing casing 28 are wear-resistant members and are configured to be replaced when necessary. The position of the cover structure 18 and/or the crushing head 24 can be adjusted, whereby the cover structure 18 can be moved closer to or further from the crushing head 24 to provide one way of adjusting the size of the grinding gap 32.

The crushing head 24 is movably supported within the chamber 14 on a spherical support or bearing 34 forming part of the frame 16. The bearing 34 is spherically concave in cross section (this can be seen more clearly in Fig. 2), while the crushing head 24 has an additional spherically convex base. supported by bearing 34. In some embodiments, bearing 34 is lubricated to allow easy sliding movement of crushing head 24 on bearing 34. Crushing head 24 is supported such that shaft 26 passes through hole 35 in bearing 34 such that shaft 26 extends beyond the bearing 34 on the opposite side thereof to the crushing head 24. The shaft 26 is not connected to the body of the lower bowl, but ends within the chamber 14, so that the shaft 26, when in use, can be freely moved in any direction as necessary to cause the sliding movement of the crushing head 24 on bearing 34. When crusher 10 is stopped, shaft 26 will rest substantially on its neutral axis 36.

The shaft 26 is provided with a cam 38 having a spherically dome-shaped convex surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the cam 38 is formed integrally on the shaft 26 at or near its end end remote from the crushing head 24. In other embodiments, the cam 38 may be provided on a separate D-shaped bushing that is mounted on the shaft 26 by suitable means for providing a spherically convex domed surface - in which case the D-shaped sleeve can be secured in any desired position along the length of the shaft 26. As shown in FIG. 2, when viewed from the side, the cam 38 extends along a spherical arc a from approximately 90° to 100°. It should be understood that movement of the crushing head 24 on the bearing 34 will cause the cam 38 to move in three-dimensional space within the chamber 14, the movement being limited to the path of a spherical dome concentrically complementing the spherical shape of the bearing 34, i.e. The driving forces imparted to move the cam 38 laterally relative to the axis 36 will cause the crushing head 24 to move on and within the bearing 34, but the cam 38 will also move axially relative to the axis 36 because the cam 38 is rigidly connected to the crushing head 24.

The frame 16 further supports a drive mechanism 40 to drive the cone assembly 23 and, accordingly, the crushing head 24. This movement can be either orbital or rotational in nature, but is generally an orbital movement.

The drive mechanism 40 includes a number of drive units 42 spaced radially around the bottom of the shaft 26. It is expected that the drive mechanism 40 will typically have from three to ten drive units 42, however it may be necessary to drive very large crushers 10, it is necessary to provide additional drive units. Figures 1-4 show an exemplary embodiment with five drive blocks 42 arranged radially around axis 36 at 72° intervals - this is most clearly seen in Figure 3.

Each of the drive units 42 is associated with a unique side opening 44 leading into the chamber 14 through the frame 16. In an exemplary embodiment, each side opening 44 opens into a passage 46 that leads into the chamber 14. Each side opening 44 is closed by a cover 48 having an outer flange. 50 surrounding a convex spherical inner surface, the latter forming a reaction seat 52 for its drive unit 42 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). The cover 48 is typically bolted to the frame 16, but other suitable methods of attachment will be known to those skilled in the art. The drive units 42 extend between and are in direct contact with the spherical cam 38 and the reaction seat 52.

The drive units 42 (more clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) each have a telescoping housing 54 containing two or more cylinders in substantially sealed sliding engagement with each other. In an exemplary embodiment, housing 54 includes a first cylinder 56 in sealed sliding engagement with a second cylinder 58 to allow the drive units 42 to extend or retract telescopically in their longitudinal direction. Housing 54 defines a continuous hollow channel 60 extending therethrough, with opposite ends of channel 60 being open. Channel 60 is configured to accommodate hydraulic fluid. An O-ring 62 is provided between the first and second cylinders 56, 58 to prevent leakage of hydraulic fluid from the passage 60 between the first and second cylinders 56, 58.

At their opposite ends, each drive unit 42 has an inwardly directed first bearing support 64 provided on the first cylinder 56 directed towards the cam 38, and an outwardly directed second bearing support 66 provided on the second cylinder 58 directed towards its reaction seat 52. Each support The bearing 64, 66 is suitably coupled to a seal housing 68,70 which retains the seal ring 72, 74. A protruding ring yoke 76 extends from the seal housing 70 coupled to the second bearing support 66 (more clearly shown in FIG. 5). In an exemplary embodiment, the clamp 76 is integral with the seal housing 70. The holder 78 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is configured to engage with the clamp 76 to maintain its seal 74 in loose contact with its reaction seat 52. The holder 78 does not limits the movement of the seal 74 on the reaction seat 52, but primarily functions during assembly by keeping the drive block 42 coupled to the cap 30 so that the seal 74 remains properly aligned with the reaction seat 52 while the drive block 42 is inserted through the side hole 44.

The seals 72, 74 have a central passage 79 extending therethrough such that the passage 60 of each drive unit 42 is in direct fluid communication with the spherical cam 38 and the reaction seat 52.

Each seal 72, 74 has an annular inner lip 80 and a concentric outer lip 82, which are separated from each other by a groove 84. The inner and outer lips 80, 82 are shaped and cooperate with each other to form outward concave surfaces on opposing seals 72, 74 , which are respectively shaped to complement the spherical cam 38 and the reaction seat 52 so that they can be mounted in sliding contact with them.

The inner lip 80 of the seals 72, 74 defines a continuous annular fluid sealing surface 86 configured to form a seal under hydraulic fluid pressure between a corresponding cylinder or bearing support 64, 66 and a cam 38 or reaction seat 52, respectively. However, the inner lip 80 is configured to drain a small portion of hydraulic fluid from the passage 60 to thereby apply a lubricating film to the cam 38 and the reaction seat 52 to promote smooth sliding of the seals 72, 74 along the cam 38 and the reaction seat 52, respectively. Typically, such drainage occurs as seals 72,74 slide over cam 38 and reaction seat 52, respectively. The drain leaves residual hydraulic fluid covering the cam 38 and reaction seat 52, and thus the drive blocks 42 are self-lubricated to reduce frictional contact between the seals 72, 74 and the cam 38 and reaction seat 52.

The outer lip 82 of the seals 72, 74 defines an annular mounting surface 88 configured to slidably accommodate the seal 72, 74 on the cam 38 or reaction seat 52, if applicable. The outer lip 82 preferably has a maximum outer radius allowing the seals 72, 74 to surround the spherical dome of the cam 38 or reaction seat 52 while being as large as possible, thereby maximizing the operating contact between the seals 72, 74 and the cam 38 or reaction seat 52. However, the radius The outer lip 82 of the seal 72 must be small enough that, during use, movement of the drive unit 42 will not cause the seal 72 to abut the seal 72 of any other drive unit sliding on the cam 38 or cause the seal 72 to abut the seal 72. into the shaft 26. Likewise, the radius of the outer lip 82 of the seal 74 should be small enough that during use movement of the drive unit 42 will not cause the seal 74 to abut the flange 50 or any part of the housing 12. One skilled in the art will be able to determine the appropriate radius outer lip 82 for each seal 72, 74. It should be understood that the radius of the outer lips 82 for each seal 72, 74 depends on and must allow the drive units 42 to pass through the side openings 44 during installation and for maintenance.

The mounting surface 88 of the outer lip 82 of each seal 72, 74 is interrupted by one or more slots 90. The slots 90 are spaced circumferentially and extend radially through the outer lip 82. As mentioned above, the outer lip 80 is configured to retract a small portion of hydraulic fluid. fluid from channel 60 to thereby apply a lubricating film to cam 38 and reaction seat 52. Accordingly, fluid pressure within channel 60 slightly lifts sealing surface 86 above cam 38 or reaction seat 52 so that fluid can flow from channel 60 into groove 84. The grooves 90 are configured to relieve pressure in contact between the outer lip 82 and the cam 38 or reaction seat 52, thereby allowing fluid to exit the groove 84 without substantially removing the mounting surface 88 from the cam 38 or reaction seat 52. For clarity, it should be noted that that the mounting surface 88 may be slightly separated from the cam 38 or reaction seat 52 by a lubricating film of hydraulic fluid applied thereto, but this slight separation is substantially less than the distance between the sealing surface 86 and the cam 38 or reaction seat 52. In contrast, if in contact between outer lip 82 and cam 38 or reaction seat 52 was pressurized, lifting mounting surface 88 would cause sealing surface 86 to move further away from cam 38 or reaction seat 52, and this could cause excessive fluid leakage from port 60 and potential failure drive units 42 extend correctly. A skilled user will appreciate that during use, the inner lip 80 is configured to provide a tight seal that allows the drive unit 42 to telescope, while the outer lip 82 is configured to provide the required stability to keep the seal 72, 74 in good contact with the cam 38 or reaction nest 52.

Each drive unit 42 further includes a spring 92 configured to axially displace the first bearing support 64 away from the second bearing support 66 and, particularly during preliminary use, thereby ensuring that the seal 72 remains in contact with the cam 38. while seal 74 remains in contact with reaction seat 52. In one embodiment, spring 92 is a helical compression spring. For clarity, it should be emphasized that there is no mechanical connection between the cam 38 and the first bearing support 64, nor between the reaction seat 52 and the second bearing support 66. Functional contact between them is simply maintained by the biasing action of the spring 92 holding the concave seals 72, 74 between the convex cam 38 and the convex reaction seat 52. During use, the fluid pressure within the channel 60 helps maintain functional contact between the seals 72, 74 and the cam 38 and the reaction seat 52. This contact can be improved by maintaining a slight back pressure within the fluid in addition to the force , exerted by spring 92.

Due to the spherical shape of both the cam 38 and the reaction seat 52, the drive blocks 42 are capable of moving or sliding in three dimensions while the shaft 26 and cam 38 move within the chamber 14 during use. It should be understood that the concentric nature of the cam 38 and reaction seats 52 located within associated concave seals 72, 74 on bearing supports 64, 66 causes the drive units 42 to extend between the spherical center of the cam 38 and the spherical center of the reaction seat 52 and remain aligned with the spherical center.

During use, the angular orientation of the drive blocks 42 may change as the cam 38 moves, so that the pressure exerted by the drive blocks 42 remains orthogonal to the surface of the cam 38 and the reaction seats 52. This is effective because the force vector acts orthogonally directly on the cam 38, so that there is no (or very little) loss of driving force applied by the drive units 42, as would be the case in non-orthogonally aligned mechanical joints and as discussed previously.

The passages 46 diverge from their side openings 44 towards the chamber 14 to provide sufficient space for the drive units 42 to move.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, a cam 38 is positioned functionally below the side openings 44, causing the drive units 42 to be slightly inclined downward from the side openings 44 toward the cam 38 so that they are tilted away from the crushing head 24. In an exemplary embodiment, when the drive units 42 are at rest , they are oriented at an angle of 82°-87° relative to the axis 36. Thus, the activation of the drive units 42 leads to a more dense placement of the crushing head 24 on the bearing 34 and, thus, eliminates the possibility of the crushing head 24 being torn away from the bearing 34 if all drive 42 blocks will be activated simultaneously. The downward angle of the drive blocks 42 also reduces the likelihood of the seal 72 disengaging and falling from the cam 38 in the event of a sudden loss of fluid pressure within their passages 60.

A hydraulic fluid line 94 leads from the distributor to each drive unit 42, passing through a corresponding cover 48 through which hydraulic fluid can be pumped into or out of the passage 60. The distributor distributes hydraulic fluid to each of the drive units 42 in a specific order to achieve the desired movement of the shaft 26. It is envisaged that in most cases, the distribution of the fluid will occur in a cyclic manner, whereby the fluid is sequentially pumped to each adjacent drive unit 42, thereby causing orbital movement of the shaft 26 and crushing head 24. However, in some cases, fluid distribution may occur transversely or randomly, resulting in fluid not being pumped to any adjacent drive units 42. In one example, the distributor includes a rotary valve (not shown) which controls the flow of hydraulic fluid through separate outlets to the fluid supply lines 94. The rotary valve is preferably located outside the housing 12 for ease of maintenance and adjustment of its operating parameters.

The distributor may be connected to a fluid reservoir to replenish any amount of hydraulic fluid consumed and lost during lubrication of cam 38 and cover 48.

With reference to FIG. 7 of the drawings shows a second embodiment of the cone crusher 110. The cone crusher 110 is substantially the same as the cone crusher 10, and therefore equivalent parts will be designated by the same reference designations.

In this embodiment, the cone assembly 23 includes a shaft 126 that extends substantially through the chamber 14. The crushing head 24 is mounted on the shaft 126 approximately midway along the length of the shaft 126. The shaft 126 has an upper end that is hinged in the cover structure 118 on a spherical foot 96 The shaft 126 is not fixedly connected to the spherical foot 96, but is capable of sliding axially through the spherical foot 96 and rotating within it when the position of the cover 118 is adjusted on the body 12. The cover 118 is a spoke structure having gaps between the spokes that define an upper opening 20 through which ore can pass during use.

The shaft 126 has a lower end forming a support 98 that is slidably supported by a bearing 134. Similar to bearing 34, bearing 134 is also spherically concave in cross section, while support 98 has an additional spherically convex base supported by bearing 134. B In some embodiments, bearing 134 is lubricated to provide easy sliding movement of support 98 on bearing 134.

The shaft 126 is provided with a cam 38 located between the support 98 and the crushing head 24, with the cam 38 typically located closer to the support 98 than to the crushing head 24. In an exemplary embodiment, the cam 38 is formed integrally on the shaft 126, but in other embodiments implementation, the cam 38 may be provided on a separate D-shaped bushing coupled to the shaft 126.

Cone crusher 110 includes a drive mechanism 40 that is slidably engaged with a cam 38.

In use, the drive units 42 are selectively activated to transmit a drive force to the cam 38 to cause movement of the crushing head 24.

For each drive unit 42, when hydraulic fluid is pumped under pressure into the passage 60, the fluid is directed by the housing 54 to press outward in opposite directions directly onto both the cam 38 and the cover 48. Since the cover 48 is rigidly bolted to the housing 12, the fluid presses on the cam 38 and thus the shaft 26 and moves it away from the cover 48. When this movement is made, the spring 92 telescopes the drive block 42, moving the first cylinder 56 away from the second cylinder 58 to ensure that the first bearing support 64 remains in firm contact with the cam 38 and prevents unwanted leakage of fluid between the inner lip 80 of the seal 72 on the first bearing support 64 and the cam 38. Such a telescopically extended drive unit is designated 42.1 in Figure 4. At the same time, other drive units 42 located on the opposite side of the cam 38 telescopically retract. As mentioned above, in addition to the spring force, also the hydraulic pressure within the fluid in the channel 60 promotes the telescopic extension of the drive units 42, provided that there is little resistance (backpressure) to the movement of the shaft 26.

It will be understood that the injection of fluid into the drive units 42 acts to create an expanding column of fluid that applies the required driving force directly to the cam 38 and shaft 26, 126. The cylinders 56, 58 and seals 72, 74 do not themselves apply any force. movement of the cam 38 or shaft 26, 126; rather, the cylinders 56, 58 and seals 72, 74 simply have the function of defining the channel 60 and holding the expanding column of liquid within the channel 60. Accordingly, there is very little frictional contact between the drive blocks 42 and the cam 38 and/or reaction seats 52, respectively. The main operating pressure is generated by the expanding column of fluid, which results in very little frictional contact between the cam 38 and the reaction seats 52, and the seals 72, 74 only apply enough pressure to the cam 38 and the reaction seats 52 to maintain their seal and functionality.

During operation, the drive units 42 are selectively activated and deactivated to move the shaft 26 away from its central resting position (shown in FIG. 3) and thereby cause the crushing head 24 to slide within the bearing 34 and close the grinding gap 32 between the inner crusher housing 28 and the outer one. crusher housing 22. In relation to the crusher 110, the drive units 42 push the shaft 126 from its central resting position, causing the support 98 to slide inside the bearing 134 and thereby causing the crushing head 24 to close the grinding slot 32.

Since the cam 38 is spaced from the crushing head 24 by substantially the length of the shaft 26, 126 protruding beneath the crushing head 24, the shaft 26 acts as a lever that amplifies the input force transmitted by the drive units 42 to assist in moving larger and heavier crushing head 24.

The step of activating each of the drive units 42 is performed by injecting hydraulic fluid into the passage 60 of each respective drive unit 42. Conversely, the step of deactivating each of the drive units 42 is performed by releasing fluid from the passage 60. Removal may be accomplished by applying a vacuum/ suction pressure to suck fluid from the port 60 of the deactivated drive unit 42. Alternatively, fluid removal may be achieved by the expansion/extension of another activated drive unit 42 compressing the deactivated drive unit 42 and removing hydraulic fluid from the latter's port 60. In some cases, fluid removal can be achieved using both of these methods. In either case, the suction and/or extension is applied with a force sufficient to overcome the displacement of the spring 92, so that while fluid flows from the channel 60, the cylinders 56, 58 can slide against each other and shorten the respective drive units 42. By draining fluid from the drive units devices 42 under differential pressure, it can be ensured that the channel 60 is always filled with liquid, regardless of the length to which the drive devices 42 telescopically extend/retract. Releasing fluid when the pressure drops also provides the necessary back pressure described above. Although the use of such a pressure difference is not essential, it contributes to the stability of the drive mechanism 40.

In an exemplary embodiment of a crusher 10, 110 that has five drive units 42, each drive unit 42 is typically driven when the shaft 26, 126 moves in an arc of about 150° to 160°, such as about 154°, in a hemisphere. opposite the hemisphere of the activated drive unit 42. In some cases, each drive unit 42 may be activated when the shaft 26, 126 moves in a reduced arc of approximately 120° to 140°, while in other cases, each drive unit 42 may be activated, when the shaft 26, 126 moves in an increased arc of approximately 170° to 190°.

In use, the feed ore is deposited through the top opening 20 such that it is gravity driven into the crushing gap 32 where it is crushed between the inner crushing shell 28 and the outer crushing shell 22 and broken down into a finer product which is then removed from the crusher 10 in a conventional manner known to those skilled in the art.

The crusher 10, 110 allows variable crushing pressure to be applied by the crushing head 24. This is achieved by adjusting the pushing force applied by the drive units 42 to the shaft 26, 126, for example, by varying the operating pressure of the hydraulic fluid pumped into the passage 60. The required crushing pressure may be calculated based on the material composition of the raw ore introduced through the upper opening 20. The crushing pressure may be increased for the raw ore having a higher density or hardness, while the crushing pressure may be decreased for the raw ore having a lower density or hardness.

Likewise, the crusher 10, 110 also allows the size of the grinding gap 32 to be adjusted by controlling the movement of the crushing head 24, that is, the distance that the shaft 26, 126 moves away from the axis 36. This can be achieved by changing the volume of hydraulic fluid pumped into the channel 60 Pumping a larger volume of fluid into channel 60 causes the cam 38 to move further and, accordingly, increases the angle between shaft 26, 126 and axis 36, thereby reducing the size of the grinding gap 32. Conversely, pumping a smaller volume of fluid into channel 60 results in to less movement of the cam 38 and accordingly reduces the angle between the shaft 26, 126 and the axis 36, thereby increasing the size of the grinding gap 32. In cases where there is a fixed volume of hydraulic fluid available for distribution through the distributor at a constant distribution pressure, the size of the blowout is inversely proportional to the orbital rotation speed of the crusher head 24. Thus, the crusher head 24 will have larger swings at lower orbital speeds and will have smaller swings at higher orbital speeds.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous variations and/or modifications can be made to the crusher as shown in specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure as a whole.

Accordingly, the present embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

In the claims that follow and in the preceding description, unless the context otherwise requires due to express language or necessary implication, the word "include" or variations such as "includes" or "including" are used in a non-limiting and comprehensive sense, i.e. to indicate the presence of specified characteristics, but not to exclude the presence or addition of additional characteristics in various crusher embodiments. Referring to an element by using the indefinite article "a" does not exclude the possibility of the presence of more than one of the elements, unless the context clearly requires the presence of one and only one of the elements.

Claims (39)

1. A crusher for crushing material into smaller particles, including: housing supporting the outer crushing casing, a cone assembly located inside the housing and supported by a bearing, the cone assembly including: a crushing head supporting an inner crushing casing configured to interact with the outer crushing casing to form a grinding gap therebetween, and a shaft connected to the crushing head, the shaft having a cam that is located remotely from the crushing head, and a drive mechanism configured to move the cone assembly, and comprising a number of drive assemblies extending between the cam and the housing, each drive assembly having a first end movably adjacent to the cam and a second end movably adjacent to a separate reaction seat provided on the housing, wherein the drive devices are configured to be selectively activated during use to transmit a drive force to the cam causing movement of the crushing head. 2. The crusher according to claim 1, characterized in that each drive unit contains a telescopic housing having a hole passing through it, having opposite open ends and configured to receive and discharge a variable volume of hydraulic fluid. 3. The crusher according to claim 2, characterized in that the hydraulic fluid in the channel is distributed with the possibility of direct contact with the cam and the reaction seat and the application of forces directly to them. 4. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, characterized in that it contains a cam made integral with the shaft. 5. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4, characterized in that it contains a cam having a spherical dome-shaped convex surface. 6. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, characterized in that it contains a cam configured to move in three-dimensional space within the housing during use, the movement being limited to a path concentrically complementary to the shape of the bearing. 7. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-6, characterized in that it contains a bearing made spherically concave. 8. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-7, characterized in that it contains a bearing configured to support the crushing head and ensure its mobility when the shaft moves out of the hole in the bearing. 9. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-7, characterized in that it contains a bearing designed to slide while supporting a shaft support. 10. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-9, characterized in that it includes drive units, each of which contains two or more cylinders made in sealed sliding engagement with each other. 11. The crusher according to claim 10, characterized in that it includes a biasing element configured to displace the cylinders in the longitudinal direction from each other. 12. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-11, characterized in that it contains drive units, the first end of each of which is in sliding contact with a cam, and the second end of each drive unit is in sliding contact with a corresponding reaction socket. 13. The crusher of claim 12, wherein each drive assembly is configured to slide over a cam and its reaction seat to allow the angular orientation of the drive assembly to be changed within the housing so that the drive assembly remains longitudinally aligned between the cam and its reaction seat. nest. 14. Crusher according to paragraphs. 12 or 13, characterized in that the cam has a spherical center, and each reaction seat has a spherical center, and each drive unit is configured to maintain, during use, a longitudinally aligned position between the spherical centers of the cam and its reaction seat. 15. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-14, characterized in that a seal is provided at each of the opposing first and second ends of each drive device, each seal defining a concave outer surface being configured to abut additional convex outer surfaces of the cam and reaction seat, respectively. 16. The crusher according to claim 15, characterized in that it includes seals, each of which contains an annular inner lip and a concentric outer lip, which are separated from each other by a groove. 17. The crusher of claim 16, characterized in that the inner seal lip forms a continuous annular fluid sealing surface configured to form a hydraulic seal under pressure between the drive unit and the cam or reaction seat, respectively. 18. The crusher according to claim 17, characterized in that it contains a seal configured to divert a portion of the hydraulic fluid beyond the internal projection during use to apply a lubricating film to the cam or reaction seat, respectively. 19. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 17-18, characterized in that it contains an outer protrusion forming an annular mounting surface configured to slide the seal relative to the cam or reaction seat, respectively. 20. The crusher according to claim 19, characterized in that it contains a mounting surface interrupted by one or more grooves passing through the outer projection. 21. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 16-20, characterized in that it comprises an outer lip having an outer radius that is maximized to allow the seals to enclose as much of the spherical dome of the cam or reaction seat as possible, but whose outer radius is sufficiently limited to avoid contact with the seal of any other drive assembly. 22. Crusher according to any one of paragraphs. 1-21, characterized in that it contains reaction sockets located functionally above the cam so that the drive units are angled downwards within the housing. 23. A method of operating a crusher having a housing supporting an outer crushing casing, and additionally having a cone assembly located inside the housing, wherein the cone assembly contains a crushing head mounted on a shaft, wherein the method includes the steps of: install the cam on the shaft; installing a drive mechanism comprising a number of drive units extending between the cam and the housing, each drive unit comprising a telescopic housing with a channel passing through it, the telescopic housing having a first end adjacent to the cam and a second end adjacent to a separate reaction socket, provided on the housing; And carry out selective injection and release of a variable volume of hydraulic fluid into the channel of each drive unit, whereby, as the volume of hydraulic fluid in each channel increases, the hydraulic fluid transmits driving force directly to the cam and reaction seat, causing the crushing head to move. 24. A seal for placement between a tubular member and a spherical cam, wherein the seal is configured to contact fluid contained in a bore of the tubular body with the cam, wherein the seal is further configured to drain a portion of fluid from the bore between the seal and the cam, wherein the seal includes a housing with the ability to connect to a tubular element, wherein the housing has a through hole and is adapted to provide fluid communication between the channel and the cam; an internal lip projecting from the housing to form a continuous annular sealing lip for engagement with the cam; an outer projection projecting from the body, the outer projection concentrically surrounding the inner projection and separated by an annular groove, the outer projection forming a mounting edge being adapted to slideably fit against the cam; and at least one groove extending through the outer projection and intersecting the mounting edge, whereby, during use, the fluid pressure in the channel is adjusted to lift the sealing edge of the inner lip away from the cam to withdraw a portion of the fluid from the channel without substantially lifting the mounting edge of the outer lip away from the cam. 25. The seal according to claim 24, characterized in that it is used on the drive device of the crusher according to any one of claims. 1-22.