The present disclosure generally relates to hydraulic hammers, and more particularly, assembly of hydraulic hammers.
Hydraulic hammers are used in work sites to break up large hard objects before such objects can be moved away. Hydraulic hammers can be attached to various machines such as excavators, backhoes, tool carriers, or other like machines for the purpose of milling stone, concrete, and other construction materials. The hydraulic hammer is mounted to a boom of the machine and connected to a hydraulic system. High pressure fluid is then supplied to the hammer to drive a reciprocating piston and a work tool in contact with the piston.
Typically, the hammer assembly is powered by either a hydraulic or pneumatic pressure source. During a work or power stroke, high fluid pressure is applied to a first shoulder of a piston, thereby driving the piston in a forward direction. The piston then strikes a work tool, which is driven in the forward direction thereby causing a work tip of the tool to strike the rock, concrete, asphalt or other hard object to be broken up. During a return stroke, fluid pressure is applied to a second shoulder of the piston in order to return the piston to its original position.
A hydraulic hammer assembly, among other components, typically includes a housing and a head. The housing includes a work tool and a piston that reciprocates in the housing to strike the work tool. The housing may also contain necessary hydraulic circuit to drive the piston in the housing. The head includes, among other components, an accumulator for augmenting the strike power of the piston on the work tool. The accumulators provide for a biasing force to the piston towards the work tool. Generally, such accumulators have a pressurized gas, for example nitrogen, that is contained in a chamber of the head.
U.S. patent publication number US20120152581 discloses a demolition hammer with a head and a housing. In '581, external tie rods are used to tie the front head to the valve body. The tie rods increase the overall diameter of the hammer assembly and add to the complexity of the structure. Tie rods typically have to be replaced at regular service intervals, since they are subject to fatigue. Moreover, tie rods in a hammer also increase the overall time required for assembly or disassembly of the hammer. In addition, the disassembly of a hammer with tie rods may require special tools. A better hammer is desired.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a power cell of a hammer is disclosed. The power cell may comprise a head having a top end and a bottom end, a cylinder, and a piston. The head may include a main bore, a satellite bore and a lower retainer. The main bore may extend parallel to a longitudinal axis defined by the power cell. The main bore has an inner surface and includes an upper chamber disposed adjacent to the top end. The upper chamber may include a trough, a first furrow, a second furrow and a lock wall. The trough may be inset into the inner surface and may include a port that extends from the main bore into the satellite bore disposed in the head. Each of the first and second furrows may be inset into the inner surface and intersect the trough. The lock wall may be disposed adjacent the top end and extend between the first furrow and the second furrow. The lock wall may further extend from the top end to the port. The satellite bore may be disposed radially outward of the main bore. The lower retainer may be disposed in the satellite bore. The lower retainer may include a core member and a jut angled outward from the core member. The core member may include a bore configured to receive a fastener. The cylinder may include a body and a protrusion. The body may extend between a first end and a second end of the cylinder. The protrusion may be disposed on an outer surface of the body and adjacent to the first end. The first end of the cylinder may be disposed in the upper chamber. The cylinder may be rotatable in the upper chamber from an unlocked position to a locked position, wherein when in the locked position the protrusion is disposed in the port, wherein further when the cylinder is in the locked position and the fastener is received in the bore of the core, the protrusion abuts the lock wall and the jut. The piston may be disposed in the cylinder and configured to translate in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a method of assembling a power cell is disclosed. The power cell comprises a head and a cylinder. The head having a top end and including a main bore, a satellite bore, a lower retainer and a sealing member disposed on a shelf. The main bore may extend parallel to a longitudinal axis defined by the power cell and having an inner surface. The main bore may include an upper chamber disposed adjacent to the top end. The upper chamber may include a trough, a first furrow, a second furrow; a lock wall and the shelf. The trough may be inset into the inner surface and may include a port that extends from the main bore into the satellite bore. The first and second furrows may be inset into the inner surface and may intersect the trough. The lock wall may be disposed adjacent the top end and extend between the first and second furrows. The lock wall may further extend from the top end to the port. The satellite bore may be disposed radially outward of the main bore. The lower retainer may be disposed in the satellite bore and may include a core member and a jut angled outward from the core member. The core member may include a bore configured to receive a fastener. The cylinder may include a body and a protrusion. The body may extend between a first end and a second end of the cylinder. The protrusion may be disposed on an outer surface of the body and may be adjacent to the first end. The first end of the cylinder may be disposed in the upper chamber. The cylinder is rotatable in the upper chamber from an unlocked position to a locked position, wherein when the cylinder is in the locked position and the fastener is received in the bore of the core, the protrusion abuts the lock wall and the jut. The fastener may be a bolt, a threaded bolt or a screw. The method may comprise: sliding the protrusion of the cylinder into the first furrow until the first end of the cylinder rests against the sealing member; rotating the cylinder to the locked position in which the protrusion is disposed in the port; and urging the contact face of the jut and a first sidewall of the protrusion into compressive engagement with one another by tightening the fastener in the bore of the lower retainer.
In yet another aspect of the disclosure, a hammer is disclosed. The hammer may comprise a housing, a power cell disposed in the housing and defining a longitudinal axis, and a cylinder. The power cell may comprise: a head having a top end and a bottom end, a cylinder and a piston. The head may include: a main bore, a trough, a first furrow, a second furrow, a lock wall, a satellite bore, and a lower retainer. The main bore may extend parallel to the longitudinal axis. The main bore has an inner surface and may include an upper chamber disposed adjacent to the top end and a tool channel extending from the upper chamber to the bottom end of the head. The tool channel is configured to receive a work tool. The upper chamber may include: a trough, a first and second furrow, a lock wall, a satellite bore, a lower retainer. The trough may be inset into the inner surface and include a port that extends from the main bore into a satellite bore. The first and second furrows may be inset into the inner surface and may extend from the top end to intersect the trough. The lock wall may be disposed adjacent to the top end and may extend between the first furrow and the second furrow. The lock wall may include an upper face disposed at the top end and a lower face disposed adjacent to the port. The satellite bore may be disposed radially outward of the main bore and extend parallel to the longitudinal axis. The lower retainer may be disposed in the satellite bore. The lower retainer may include a core member and a jut angled outward from the core member. The jut may include a contact face. The core member may include a threaded bore configured to receive a fastener. The lower retainer may be configured to urge the contact face of the jut and a first sidewall of a protrusion into compressive engagement with one another when a fastener is threadingly received in the threaded bore and a cylinder is in a locked position. The cylinder may include a body and the protrusion. The body may extend between a first end and a second end of the cylinder. The protrusion may be disposed on an outer surface of the body and adjacent to the first end. The first end may be disposed inside the upper chamber. The protrusion may include a top surface that extends from the first sidewall to a second sidewall. The protrusion may extend through the port. The cylinder is rotatable in the upper chamber from an unlocked position to the locked position, wherein when the cylinder is in the locked position and the fastener is threadingly received in the threaded bore of the core member, the first sidewall of the protrusion extends through the port and is in compressive engagement with the contact face of the jut and the second sidewall of the protrusion is in compressive engagement with the lower face of the lock wall. The piston is disposed in the cylinder and configured to translate in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis. The fastener may be a bolt, a threaded bolt or a screw.
Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Generally, corresponding reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts, unless otherwise specified.
In the disclosed embodiment, one or more hydraulic cylinders 110 may raise, lower, and/or swing the boom 104, the arm 106 and the pivoting bracket 108 to correspondingly raise, lower, and/or swing the hammer 102. The hydraulic cylinders 110 may be connected to a hydraulic supply system (not shown) within the work machine 100. Specifically, the work machine 100 may include a hydraulic pump (not shown) connected to the hydraulic cylinders 110 and to the hammer 102 through one or more hydraulic supply lines (not shown). The hydraulic supply system may introduce pressurized fluid, for example oil, from the pump and into the hydraulic cylinders 110. Operator controls for movement of the hydraulic cylinders 110 and/or the hammer 102 may be located within a cabin 112 of the work machine 100.
The hammer 102 may include a housing 116, a power cell 118 (
The hammer 102 may be powered by any suitable means, such as pneumatically-powered or hydraulically-powered. For example, a hydraulic or pneumatic circuit (not shown) may provide pressurized fluid to drive the piston 130 towards the work tool 114 during a work stroke and to return the piston 130 during a return stroke.
The piston 130 may be disposed in the cylinder 124 and the head 122 and, in operation, the piston 130 is driven into the end of the work tool 114 that is proximal to the piston 130. The end of the work tool 114 that is distal to the piston 130 is positioned to engage an object or the ground surface 120 (
The head 122 has a bottom end 132 and a top end 138. The head 122 may include a main bore 126 (
In one embodiment, the main bore 126 (
The trough 154 (
Each furrow 156 (
The lock wall 158 is disposed adjacent to the top end 138 and may extend between a pair of furrows 156. The lock wall 158 may further extend from the top end 138 to the port 166. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
The shelf 160 is configured to receive a sealing member 174 and is disposed below the ports 166. The shelf 160 may be annular in shape. In an embodiment, the sealing member 174 is disposed on the shelf 160 and may be a thrust ring or the like.
Each satellite bore 128 is disposed radially outward of the main bore 126. In some embodiments, the satellite bore 128 may extend parallel to the longitudinal axis B. The satellite bore 128 may have a base 178 opposite to the top end 138 of the head 122. In the exemplary embodiment there are four satellite bores 128 (
The lower retainer 176 (
The upper retainer 192 may be disposed in the satellite bore 128 near the top end 138 of the head 122, and is configured to receive the fastener 186. In one embodiment, the upper retainer 192 may be configured to threadingly receive the fastener 186.
Each fastener 186 is configured to be received by the upper retainer 192 (if any) and lower retainer 176 in the satellite bore 128. The fastener 186 may be a bolt, a threaded bolt, a screw or the like.
The sealing member 174 is configured to be disposed on the shelf 160 in the main bore 126. The sealing member 174 may be annular. For example, the sealing member 174 may be a thrust ring or the like.
As best seen in
Each protrusion 142 may include a plurality of sidewalls 196 and a top surface 148. In the exemplary embodiment, some of the sidewalls 196 may be sloped (at an angle greater than zero) toward the top surface 148, and the top surface 148 may be generally flat and may extend from a (first) sidewall 196 to an opposing (second) sidewall 196, thus providing a shape similar to a frusto pyramid. In some embodiments, the sidewalls 196 may be sloped (at an angle greater than zero) and may be generally rounded at the intersection with the top surface 148. In other embodiments, the shape, quantity and spacing of protrusions 142 may vary and are not limited to those illustrated in the exemplary embodiment.
The cylinder 124 is configured to be rotatable in the upper chamber 140 between an unlocked position 198 (
Also disclosed is a method of assembling a power cell 118, the method comprising: sliding the protrusion 142 of the cylinder 124 into the first furrow 156 until the first end 134 of the cylinder 124 rests against the sealing member 174, rotating the cylinder 124 to the locked position 200 in which the protrusion 142 is disposed in the port 166, and urging the contact face 188 of the jut 182 and a lower sidewall 190 of the protrusion 142 into compressive engagement with one another by tightening or securing or screwing the fastener 186 in the bore 184 of the lower retainer 176. The method further includes urging the upper sidewall 172 into compressive engagement with the lower face 170 of the lock wall 158 by the tightening or securing or screwing of the fastener 186 in the bore 184.
In general, the foregoing disclosure finds utility in machines 100 utilizing hydraulic hammers. Use of the disclosed hydraulic hammer 102 is expected to decrease the overall service time for assembly or disassembly by eliminating use of tie rods and user of special tools associated with tie rods, while increasing the time between service intervals on the hammer 102.
The method of assembly includes aligning the protrusions 142 of the cylinder 124 with the furrows 156 of the head 122, and then inserting each protrusion 142 into a corresponding furrow 156 (see
The method further includes rotating the cylinder 124 from the unlocked position 198 to the locked position 200 (
The method further includes urging the contact face 188 of the jut 182 and the lower sidewall 190 of the protrusion 142 into compressive engagement with one another by securing or tightening or screwing each fastener 186 into the corresponding bore 184, and urging the upper side wall 172 into compressive engagement with the lower face 170 of the lock wall 158 (see
The cylinder 124 is retained on the head 122 when in the locked position 200 and is slidably removable from the head 122 along the longitudinal axis Y when in the unlocked position 198 and each protrusion 142 is disposed in the corresponding furrow 156.
To remove the cylinder 124 from the head 122, the fasteners 186 may be loosened until the contact face 188 of the jut 182 and the lower sidewall 190 of the protrusion 142 are no longer engaged with one another and the protrusion 142 is slidable in the trough 154. Then, the cylinder 124 may be rotated in the opposite direction (from when locked) until each protrusion 142 is disposed at the intersection of the trough 154 and the corresponding furrow 156. The protrusions 142 may then be slid along the furrow 156 until the cylinder 124 is disposed outside of the head 122.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that while only certain embodiments have been set forth for the purposes of illustration, alternatives and modifications will be apparent from the above description to those skilled in the art. These and other alternatives are considered equivalents and within the spirit and scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.