WO2005102530A1

WO2005102530A1 - Hydraulically adjustable cone crusher

Info

Publication number: WO2005102530A1
Application number: PCT/FI2005/050116
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ilpo Nieminen; Harri Lehtonen
Original assignee: Metso Minerals (Tampere) Oy
Priority date: 2004-04-26
Filing date: 2005-04-12
Publication date: 2005-11-03
Also published as: AU2005234961A1; FI117044B; FI20040585A0; CN1946481A; EP1771251A1; BRPI0510339A; RU2006141662A; FI20040585A

Abstract

The present invention concerns a hydraulically adjustable cone crusher characterized in that the adjustment piston (13) and the adjustment cylinder (12) of the hydraulic adjustment system are formed into a space defined by the mean shaft (3) and the crushing head (4) of the crusher.

Description

HYDRAULICALLY ADJUSTABLE CONE CRUSHER

Background of the invention

The present invention is related to cone crushers. More precisely, the invention concerns a hydraulic setting adjustment system of a cone crusher. The invention also includes an arrangement for preventing the rotation of the crushing head of a hydraulically adjustable cone crusher.

Known in the patent literature, as well as by those skilled in the art, there are several different crushers, in which the crushing of stones or corresponding hard materials is effected in a crushing chamber defined by two crushing tools having substantially a form of a truncated circular cone. This kind of a crusher is called cone crusher.

It is essential for the quality of the crushed final product that the form of the crushing chamber does not change substantially during the crushing procedure. Essential for the grain size of the produced crushed aggregate is the so called setting of the crusher, in other words, the minimum distance between the crushing tools during a working cycle of the crusher. When the crushing tools wear, the setting of the crusher will be, however, changed. In order to compensate this change, different setting adjustment solutions have been used in crushers already for a long time. Several solutions of this kind are known in the patent literature as well as by those skilled in the art. Many of those are hydraulically driven.

One known solution for adjusting the setting is disclosed in U.S. Patent publication no 4 478 373 (Gieschen). In this solution, a main shaft is mounted immobile into the frame of the crusher, the crushing head resting on the upper end of said main shaft. Between the skirt of the crushing head and the main shaft there is located a hollow eccentric shaft having either an inclined or eccentric aperture. ^'When the crusher is operating, the eccentric shaft is rotated around the main shaft of the crusher, whereby the crushing head gets in an oscillating or gyratory movement in the horizontal direction with respect to the frame of the crusher and the main shaft. The adjustment of the setting of the crusher disclosed by the publication is effected so, that the inner and outer part of the upper frame of the crusher, said upper frame comprising substantially two parts, are rotated in respect to each other about the vertical axis, whereby the thread formed between the frame parts makes the frame parts to move in vertical direction with respect to each other. As the outer upper frame part is attached to the lower frame of the crusher, the inner upper frame part and the outer crushing tool attached thereto are raised or lowered with respect to the inner crushing tool, for adjusting the crusher. The rotating of the frame parts with respect to each other is usually effected either by means of hydraulic cylinders, as described by the patent publication, or by means of hydraulic motors.

The adjustment solution and the motion mechanism of the crushing head, disclosed in the patent, are still very common on the market, and well known to those skilled in the art. Problems of the solution are, however, the expensive and complicated construction of the adjustment system and the space needed by it. With this solution, it is also not possible to adjust the setting during a full crushing load. This kind of an adjustment system can also not operate as a safety device in a situation, where uncrushable material gets into the crusher, but for this kind of situations a separate safety device is required.

Another known hydraulic setting adjustment solution of a cone crusher is disclosed in U.S. Patent no 2 667 309 (Becker). This solution is related to one subtype of a cone crusher, the so called gyratory crusher, where the main shaft of the crusher goes through the crushing head and is supported at its upper end with a radial bearing to the frame of the crusher. The main shaft movable with respect to the frame of the crusher is adapted at its lower end to a hollow eccentric shaft, which in turn is adapted to the frame of the crusher. The crushing motion of the crushing head is provided by rotating the eccentric shaft in an aperture of the frame, whereby the lower end of the main shaft, adapted into an inclined aperture of the eccentric shaft, gets into an oscillating motion. The main shaft of the crusher rests via pressure bearing assembly on top of a hydraulic adjustment piston of the adjustment system of the crusher. The adjustment piston is adapted to an adjustment cylinder formed in the frame of the crusher, said cylinder providing a vertical motion of the main shaft, when pressure medium is pumped into it or discharged from it, whereby the setting of the crusher is changed. In this solution, when adjusting the setting, as well the main shaft as the support cone are moving in a vertical direction with respect to the frame of the crusher. When the crusher is operating, the lower end of the main shaft also moves in the horizontal direction with respect to the frame of the crusher.

Based on the solution of the U.S. Patent no 2 667 309 (Becker) there are provided slightly different, more modern solutions, as disclosed in U.S. Patent no 5 152 468 (Virtamo et al.). In this solution, the hydraulic adjustment of the main shaft of the crusher is provided so, that the adjustment piston is formed as a cup-like element, the edges of which partly surround the eccentric shaft and the main shaft. Also in this solution, when adjusting the setting, as well the main shaft as the support cone move in vertical direction with respect to the frame of the crusher. When the crusher is operating, the lower end of the main shaft also moves in the horizontal direction with respect to the frame of the crusher.

The motion mechanisms and setting adjustment solutions disclosed as well in the Patent 2 667 309 as 5 152 468 are very common in the market and well known to those skilled in the art. Also these solutions have the problem of the big space needed for the adjustment system, which increases the height of the whole cone crusher and the complexity of its construction. The hydraulic cylinder/piston assembly commonly used for the adjustment is located below the main shaft of the crusher, whereby the total height of the crusher is increased. The radial bearing system of the upper end of the spindle required by the adjustment solution of this type also increases the total height of the crusher.

A third setting adjustment system known in the art is disclosed in the U.S. Patent no 2 799 456 (Behr). The patent publication also discloses a gyratory crusher, wherein the setting adjustment is provided by raising and lowering the main shaft of the crusher, the crushing head attached thereto and thus also the inner wear part up and down with respect to the frame of the crusher. The solution of the Patent 2 799 456 differs from that of the

Patents 2 667 309 and 5 152 468 substantially therein, that the adjustment piston of the hydraulic adjustment system supports the main shaft by hanging it from above, not by supporting it at the lower end. In the patent, the piston/cylinder pair of the hydraulic adjustment system is formed to the upper frame of the crusher, in connection with the radial bearing system of the upper end of the main shaft. This kind of an adjustment is also common in the market, especially in connection with big gyratory crushers, and it is well known for those skilled in the art. The solution is, however, very complicated and expensive, and it takes up much space.

A forth, less known setting adjustment solution is disclosed in the Finnish Published Examined Patent Application 40674 (Linnola et al). The publication discloses a cone crusher including a hydraulic adjustment system comprised of a cylinder tube surrounding the eccentric shaft and having an annular adjustment cylinder and of a frame of the crusher, the hub portion thereof having an annular extension extending upwards to act as a piston of the hydraulic adjustment system. This solution is also complicated and expensive and takes up much space. In addition, the annular piston/cylinder assembly is more difficult than a traditional piston/cylinder pair to be implemented so that a good tightness of the pressure medium space is achieved.

A fifth, also less known setting adjustment solution is disclosed in U.S. Patent no 2 079 882. The publication also discloses a cone crusher having a hydraulic setting adjustment system. The adjustment solution is provided so, that the main shaft of the crusher serves as a piston of the hydraulic adjustment system, and a hollow shaft is formed as an extension of the crushing head to serve as a cylinder of the adjustment system. When the crusher is operating, the eccentric shaft mounted in the aperture of the frame of the crusher is rotated, whereby the hollow shaft of the crushing head mounted to the inclined or eccentric aperture of the eccentric shaft gets to an oscillating or gyratory movement in a horizontal direction with respect to the frame. The main shaft of the crusher mounted to the hollow shaft of the crushing head moves with the crushing head in horizontal direction with respect to the frame of the crusher. Also this solution is complicated and expensive and takes up much space.

Short description of the Invention

For solving the problems of the prior art there is now invented a hydraulically adjustable cone crusher in accordance with Claim 1.

More precisely, the solutions in accordance with the invention are characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of Claim 1.

An advantage of the present invention is, that it provides a cone crusher, the outer dimensions of which are small with respect to the size of the crushing chamber defined by the inner and outer crushing tool, said crushing chamber performing the actual crushing work in the crusher. The adjustment cylinder/piston assembly is formed in a space defined by the crushing head and the main shaft of the crusher, whereby no space is required for it above or below the main shaft of the crusher.

In the crusher in accordance with the invention, it is possible to locate as well the main shaft as the eccentric shaft of the crusher laterally partly overlapping with the crushing chamber, whereby the need of space in vertical direction is decreased. Unlike the crushers, the setting adjustment of which is implemented by means of a hydraulic cylinder/piston pair positioned in the direction of the main shaft usually, this crusher has no radial support bearing of the main shaft above the crushing chamber.

The crusher includes a main shaft attached immobile to the lower frame. In the crushing operation, no energy is used for moving the main shaft.

The hydraulic adjustment system implemented by means of a hydraulic cylinder/piston assembly operates except as an adjustment device, also as a safety device and enables the setting adjustment of the crusher during a full crushing load.

The pressure medium needed for the crushing is supplied to the adjustment cylinder/piston assembly by means of a hose located inside the lubricant channel, whereby one and the same channel can be used for feeding as well the pressure medium needed for the crushing and adjustment of the crusher as the lubricant to the crusher.

In addition, the present invention provides the use of a simple anti-spin mechanism for preventing the rotation of the crushing head of the crusher.

Brief description of the Drawings

The invention will be described in more detail in the following, with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein

• Figure 1 shows a cone crusher in accordance with one embodiment of the invention as a cross-sectional view,

• Figure 2 shows a cone crusher in accordance with another embodiment of the invention as a cross-sectional view,

• Figure 3 shows a cone crusher in accordance with the embodiment of Figure 2 equipped with an anti-spin device for preventing the rotation of the crushing head.

Detailed description of the Invention

Main parts of the crushers of Figures from 1 to 3 are:

• lower frame (1),

• upper frame (2), main shaft (3), crushing head, i.e. support cone (4), outer crushing tool (5), inner crushing tool (6), crushing chamber (7), eccentric shaft (8), gearwheel of the eccentric shaft (9), bearing bushing (10), bearing bushing (11), adjustment cylinder (12), adjustment piston (13), cylinder bushing (14), lubricant channel (15), pressure medium hose (16), axial bearing (17), axial bearing (18), pressure medium channel (22), dust sealing (23), and anti-spin device (30).

In the figures, the setting of the crusher is marked with s.

The frame of the crusher shown in Figure 1 is formed from two main units: the lower frame 1 and the upper frame 2. The outer crushing tool 5 attached to the upper frame and the inner crushing tool 6 attached to the main shaft 3 via crushing head, in other words via support cone 4, form the crushing chamber 7, to which the material to be crushed is fed from above the crusher.

The main shaft 3 of the crusher is attached immobile to the lower frame of the crusher. An eccentric shaft 8 is mounted on the main shaft rotatably, rotated by a driving device (not shown) and power transmission (for purpose of simplifying also not shown) via gearwheel 9. The central axis of the inner aperture of the eccentric shaft 8 is with respect to the central axis of the outer surface of the eccentric shaft inclined or parallel on a different axis. When the crusher is operating and the eccentric shaft rotating about the main shaft 3 of the crusher, the crushing head 4 mounted rotatably on the eccentric shaft, gets in a horizontal oscillating or gyratory motion with respect to the frame 1 of the crusher and the main shaft 3.

More precisely, the inclination of the inner aperture of the eccentric shaft 8 here means that the central axis of the inner aperture of the eccentric shaft is inclined with respect to the central axis of the outer surface of the eccentric shaft.

Bearing bushings 10, 11 can be used between the main shaft 3 of the crusher and the eccentric shaft 8, and between the eccentric shaft and the crushing head 4, respectively. The horizontal crushing forces exerted to the crushing head 4 are transmitted to the frame 1 of the crusher via the main shaft 3, the eccentric shaft 8 and the bearing bushings 10, 11, eventually used between the same.

In the space defined by the crushing head 4 and the main shaft 3 of the crusher, there is provided a space for the hydraulic cylinder/piston assembly 12, 13 of the hydraulic setting adjustment and safety system of the crusher. The vertical crushing forces caused by the crushing and exerted to the frame of the crusher by the crushing head are transmitted from the crushing head 4 to the frame 1 of the crusher via pressure medium in the adjustment cylinder 12 and the adjustment piston 13. An axial bearing 17, 18 can be used between the adjustment piston 13 and the main shaft, whereby the vertical crushing forces caused by the crushing are transmitted to the main shaft through the bearing system.

A separate cylinder bushing 14 can be used on the surface of the space formed into the crushing head for the adjustment cylinder 12 and piston 13.

By arranging the cylinder/piston assembly, the main shaft, the eccentric shaft and the crushing head of the crusher with respect to each other as described above, an especially low crusher can be achieved, having the main shaft 3, eccentric shaft 8 and crushing chamber 7 located partly overlapping with respect to each other laterally.

A channel 22 is formed into the adjustment piston 13, the pressure medium being supplied through it to the hydraulic cylinder 12. The channel 22 opens at its lower end to a flexible but torsionally rigid pressure medium hose 6, through which the pressurized pressure medium is supplied to the adjustment cylinder 12 from an external pressure source (not shown). The connection between the pressure medium hose 16 and the adjustment piston can be implemented with a connector allowing the hose 16 and the piston 13 to turn with respect to each other. A combined pressurizing and lubricating device known in the art is preferably used as a pressure source.

The pressure medium hose 16 is adapted to the lubricant channel 15 formed inside the main shaft 3. The purpose of the lubricant channel is to supply lubricant oil to the sliding surfaces of the crusher, said sliding surfaces located at least between the main shaft 3 and the eccentric shaft 8, between the eccentric shaft and the crushing head 4, between the adjustment piston 13 and the main shaft 3, on the surfaces of the bearing means 10, 1 1, 17, 18 eventually attached to these, on the surfaces of the dust sealing arrangement 23 and on the surfaces of the gear wheel 9 of the eccentric shaft and the power transmission (not shown).

The hydraulic cylinder/piston assembly 12, 13 of the hydraulic setting adjustment system can naturally be arranged, by means of a hydraulic control circuit (not shown) of the crusher, to operate also as a safety device in situations, where some uncrushable material, for example solid metal, gets by mistake into the crushing chamber of the crusher among the supplied material. In this kind of situations, the hydraulic cylinder-piston-assembly 12, 13 can be arranged by means of the control circuit to operate so, that when uncrushable material gets into the crushing chamber and the hydraulic control system discovers abnormal increase of the hydraulic pressure in the pressure medium space of the setting adjustment system, pressure medium will be released from the setting adjustment system in order to decrease the pressure and to enlarge the setting of the crusher so that the uncrushable material can leave the crushing chamber without causing any damage to the crusher. This kind of an operation is known from the crushers of prior art, having a vertical hydraulic cylinder-piston assembly as a setting adjustment system.

Figure 2 shows a cone crusher in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Like in Figure 1, also in this solution there is provided a space for the hydraulic cylinder/piston assembly 12, 13 of the hydraulic setting adjustment and safety system of the crusher in the space defined by the crushing head 4 and the main shaft 3. In this solution, however, the hydraulic cylinder/piston pair 12, 13 of the hydraulic cylinder/piston assembly have been arranged in a slightly different way. In this solution, the cylinder 12 of the hydraulic cylinder/piston pair is supported to the main shaft 3 of the crusher, and the crushing head 4 is supported to the adjustment piston 13. The vertical crushing forces exerted to the crushing head by the crushing are transmitted from the crushing head 4 to the frame of the crusher via pressure medium in the adjustment cylinder 12 and the adjustment piston 13. An axial bearing 17, 18 can be used between the adjustment cylinder 12 and the main shaft, whereby the vertical crushing forces caused by the crushing are transmitted to the main shaft through the bearing system.

A separate cylinder bushing 14 can be used on the surface of the space formed to the crushing head for the adjustment cylinder 12 and piston 13.

A channel 22 has been formed in the adjustment cylinder 12 for the pressure medium, through which the pressure medium is supplied to the hydraulic cylinder 12 with a hose 16. The connection between the pressure medium hose 16 and the adjustment cylinder can be implemented with a connector allowing the hose 16 and the cylinder 12 to turn with respect to each other.

Figure 3 shows a crusher in accordance with the invention equipped with an anti-spin device 30. The function of the anti-spin device is to prevent the rotating of the crushing head 4 together with the rotating motion of the eccentric shaft 8. This is necessary in order to maintain an adequate incidence speed of the sliding faces for making sure that an adequate lubricant film maintains between the surfaces in all situations. The anti-spin device 30 prevents the rotation of the crushing head 4 and the adjustment piston 13 with respect to the adjustment cylinder 12. When the torsionally rigid pressure medium hose 16 is at its lower end connected to the frame 1 of the crusher, it prevents, together with the anti-spin device 30, the rotation of the crushing head 4 with respect to the frame 1, whereby the incidence speed between the eccentric shaft 8 and the crushing head 4, and the eventual bearing surfaces attached thereto, is always known, when the speed of rotation of the driving device of the crusher is known.

The anti-spin device as such is of a type known in the art, for example a commercially available disc brake or wedge-roll freewheel clutch type anti-spin device. The anti-spin device can prevent the rotation of the crushing head of the crusher with respect to the frame either in both directions or only in one direction. It is essential, that the anti-spin device prevents the rotation of the crushing head of the crusher in the direction of the friction forces exerted thereto by the rotation of the eccentric shaft. The anti-spin device can naturally be adapted also to a crusher of Figure 1, in which the adjustment piston 13 rests on the main shaft 3. In that case, the anti-spin device 30 prevents the rotation of the crushing head 4 and the adjustment cylinder 12 with respect to the adjustment piston 13, which, in turn, is attached to the frame 1 of the crusher with a torsionally rigid pressure medium hose 16.

The power transmission omitted from the Figures from 1 to 3 for emphasizing the essential features of the present invention can be of the type generally known by those skilled in the art. This kind of power transmission solutions have been described for example in the Finnish patent application no 20031509.

Preferably the pressure medium and the lubricant are of one and the same medium, for example of known, commercially available lubricant oils.

The invention is preferably suitable for crushing of stone or other mineral materials like ore and gravel, but not limited to those. It is clear that the cone crusher in accordance with the invention can also be used for crushing of many kinds of feed material, such as recyclable construction waste like brick, concrete and asphalt, for crushing of coke or glass, as well as for crushing of other hard materials having same kind of physical properties as the mineral materials.

Claims

1. A hydraulically adjustable cone crusher

having a frame (1, 2),

a main shaft (3) mounted at its lower part immobile with respect to the frame, said main shaft having an eccentric shaft (8) mounted on the outer surface of its upper part to be rotated about or around the main shaft,

the central axis of the inner aperture of said eccentric shaft being positioned inclined or parallel on a different axis with respect to the central axis of the outer surface thereof, and

a crushing head (4) being mounted at its lower end rotatably around the upper end of said eccentric shaft,

an inner crushing tool (6) being mounted onto said crushing head, immobile with respect to the same,

and an outer crushing tool (5) being mounted immobile with respect to the frame, to the upper part of the frame, around the inner crushing tool,

a crushing chamber (7) for crushing the feeding material being formed between said crushing tools,

characterized in that

in the space formed between the crushing head (4) and the upper surface of the main shaft (3) there is mounted an adjustment cylinder/piston assembly (12, 13) of a hydraulic adjustment system of the crusher, defining the position of the crushing head in the vertical direction with respect to the main shaft.

2. A cone crusher in accordance with Claim 1, characterized in that the main shaft (3) and the eccentric shaft (8) of the crusher are laterally partly overlapping with the crushing chamber (7).

3. A cone crusher in accordance with Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adjustment cylinder/piston assembly (12, 13) comprises elements for operating as a safety device.

4. A cone crusher in accordance with any of the Claims from 1 to 3, characterized in that the main shaft (3) of the crusher comprises lubricant channels (15) having a hose (16) mounted therein for supplying through it pressure medium to the adjustment cylinder/piston assembly (12, 13).

5. A cone crusher in accordance with Claim 4, characterized in that the pressure medium and the lubricant of the crusher are of the same material.

6. A cone crusher in accordance with any of the Claims from 1 to 5, characterized in, that the crusher comprises an anti-spin mechanism (30) for preventing the rotation of the crushing head (4) at least to one direction of the friction forces exerted to the crushing head by the rotation movement of the eccentric shaft (8).

7. A cone crusher in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the anti-spin mechanism (30) is of a type of a disc brake or a wedge-roll freewheel clutch.