Claims
- 1. An impeller for use in a centrifugal impact rock crusher, said crusher having a cylindrical housing with a vertically disposed central axis and an interior, means defining an impact surface positioned radially around the interior of said housing and transverse to said central axis, impeller mounting means for mounting said impeller concentrically within said housing and for rotating said impeller about said axis, and feed means for feeding rock to be crushed to said impeller, said impeller comprising:
- upper and lower cover plates, said lower cover plate being connected to said impeller mounting means and said upper cover plate defining an opening concentric with said axis for receiving rock to be crushed into said impeller;
- means defining a landing surface carried upon said lower cover plate concentrically with said axis for impingement thereon of rock being fed to said impeller by said feed means;
- a generally cylindrical sidewall between said upper and lower cover plate concentricall with a plurality of exit openings in an equally spaced relationship along said sidewall, each of said openings having two opposite side edges and a top edge and bottom edge between said side edges;
- rock retaining means connected to at least one of said cover plates and said sidewall and adjacent to one of said side edges of each of said openings for retaining a portion of rock to be crushed as an accumulation within said impeller in response to rotation thereof, said retaining means being adapted to create and accumulation of such rock at each of said openings, wherein each of said accumulations will include a relatively well-defined accumulation face, rotation of said impeller causing rock to move generally along said accumulation faces as said rock is thrown through said openings; and
- a plurality of wear plates carried on said upper and lower cover plates and covering said top and bottom edges of said exit openings, each of said wear plates having a wear plate surface extending outwardly from said landing surface away from said central axis, having an outermost edge, and being connected to one of said cover plates such that one of said accumulation faces will intersect at least one of said wear plates at a respective intersection, each at least one of said wear plates defining a recess along said intersection which extends into said wear plate surface of each of said at least one of said wear plates to a level below the level of the outermost edge of said at least one of said wear plates and away from the location of the respective accumulation face along at least a portion thereof, said recess extending outwardly relative to the landing surface and being adapted to retain therein a portion of rock to be crushed whereby the recess comprises part of the rock retaining means.
- 2. An impeller as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said recesses within each of said wear plates is arranged to extend at least partially beneath the one of said accumulations having said face intersecting therewith.
- 3. An impeller as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said recesses extends into said surface of the respective wear plate an amount substantially equidistant from the respective said accumulation face.
- 4. An impeller as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said recesses within each of said wear plates is defined by a generally vertical ledge, said ledge being defined by a curve which extends from the landing surface toward an exit opening and is generally parallel to the respective said accumulation face.
- 5. An impeller as defined in claim 4 in which said curve converges slightly, with the accumulation face going in the outward direction away from said center axis.
- 6. An impeller as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said recesses within each of said wear plates is defined by a generally vertical ledge, said ledge being defined by at least one straight line remote from the respective accumulation face.
- 7. An impeller as defined in claim 1 wherein said retaining means includes a lip means disposed at each of said openings adjacent one of said side edges thereof, each of said lip means defining a lip surface extending substantially the full height of said opening and directed generally inwardly with respect to said impeller for facilitating retention of rock.
- 8. An impeller as defined in claim 7 wherein each of said wear plates includes an insert embedded therein and flush with the wear plate surface, said insert being disposed along said wear plate surface adjacent said lip surface and remote from said recess.
- 9. An impeller for use in a centrifugal impact rock crusher, said crusher having a cylindrical housing with a vertically disposed central axis and an interior, means defining an impact surface positioned radially around the interior of said housing and transverse to said central axis, impeller mounting means for mounting said impeller concentrically within said housing and for rotating said impeller about said axis, and feed means for feedin rock to be crushed to said impeller, said impeller comprising:
- upper and lower cover plates, said lower cover plate being connected to said impeller mounting means and said upper cover plate defining an opening concentric with said axis for receiving rock to be crushed into said impeller;
- means defining a landing surface carried upon said lower cover plate concentrically with said axis for impingement thereon of rock being fed to said impeller by said feed means;
- a generally cylindrical sidewall between said upper and lower cover plates and defining therein a plurality of exit openings in an equally spaced relationship along said sidewall, each of said openings having two opposing side edges and a top edge and bottom edge between said side edges;
- rock retaining means connected to at least one of said cover plates and said sidewall and adjacent to one of said side edges of each of said openings for retaining a portion of rock to be crushed as an accumulation within said impeller in response to rotation thereof, said retaining means being adapted to create an accumulation of such rock at each of said openings, wherein each of said accumulations will include a relatively well-defined accumulation face, rotation of said impeller causing rock to move generally along said accumulation faces as said rock is thrown through said openings; and
- varieties of wear plates adapted to be mounted on said upper and lower cover plates and cover said top and bottom edges of said exit openings, each of said wear plates having a wear plate surface extending outwardly from said landing surface away from said central axis, having an outermost edge, and being selectively connected to one of said cover plates such that one of said accumulation faces will intersect at least one of said wear plates at an intersection location, said wear plate at least one of said wear plates defining a recess along the intersection location, said recess extending into said wear plate surface of said at least one of said wear plates to a level below the level of said outermost edge of said at least one of said wear plates and away from said intersection location along at least a portion of said face, said recess extending outwardly relative to the landing surface and being adapted to retain therein a portion of rock to be crushed whereby the recess comprises part of said rock retaining means;
- said varieties of wear plates differing from each other in the shape of the recess, said shapes being determined by the characteristics of types of rock to be crushed, selection of the specific one of said varieties for connection to said cover plates being determined by the type of rock to be crushed.
- 10. An impeller as defined in claim 9 wherein said shape of each of said recesses within each of said wear plates is defined by a generally vertical ledge, said ledge being defined by a curve generally parallel to said intersection location, the configuration of the face of each rock accumulation being determined by the type of rock to be crushed.
- 11. An impeller for use in a centrifugal impact rock crusher, said crusher having a cylindrical housing with a vertically disposed central axis and an interior, means defining an impact surface positioned radially around the interior of said housing and transverse to said central axis, impeller mounting means for mounting said impeller concentrically within said housing and for rotating said impeller about said axis, and feed means for feeding rock to be crushed to said impeller, said impeller comprising:
- upper and lower cover plates, said lower cover plate being connected to said impeller mounting means and said upper cover plate defining an opening concentric with said axis for receiving rock to be crushed into said impeller;
- means defining a landing surface carried upon said lower cover plate concentrically with said axis for impingement thereon of rock being fed to said impeller by said feed means;
- a generally cylindrical sidewall connecting said upper and lower cover plates and defining therein a plurality of exit openings in an equally spaced relationship along said sidewall, each of said openings having opposing first and second side edges and a top edge and bottom edge between said side edges;
- rock retaining means connected to at least one of said cover plates and said sidewall adjacently said first side edge of each of said openings for retaining a portion of rock to be crushed as an accumulation within said impeller in response to rotation thereof, said retaining means being adapted to create an accumulation of such rock at each of said openings, wherein each of said accumulations will include a relatively well-defined accumulation face, rotation of said impeller causing rock to move generally along said accumulation faces as said rock is thrown through said openings; and
- a plurality of first and second wear plates carried on said cover plates and covering said top and bottom edges of said exit openings, each of said first and second wear plates having a wear plate surface continuing from said landing surface, having an outermost edge, and being connected in alternating fashion to one of said cover plates such that one of said first wear plates and one of said second wear plates extend into each of said openings, each said first wear plate extending into said opening adjacent to a said first side edge so as to be intersected by an accumulation face at a respective intersection, said second wear plates extending into said opening adjacent a said second side edges;
- each said first wear plate defining a recess along the respective said intersection which extends into each said first wear plate surface to a level below the level of said outermost edge of each said first wear plate and extends away from said intersection along at least a portion thereof, said recess extending outwardly relative to the landing surface and being adapted to retain therein a portion of the rock to be crushed whereby the recess comprises part of the rock retaining means.
- 12. An impeller as defined in claim 11 wherein said retaining means further includes a baffle disposed adjacent said sidewalls at each of said second side edges of each of said openings and extending radially inwardly therefrom, each of said baffles extending from one of said second wear plates carried on said lower plate to one of said second wear plates carried on said upper plate, each of said second wear plates including means for securing one of said baffles.
- 13. An impeller assembly for use in a centrifugal impact rock crusher, comprising:
- a rotatable cylindrical impeller housing with a vertically disposed central rotary axis, said housing having an upper impeller unit which has a feed opening disposed coaxially with said housing for receiving rock, said housing also having a lower impeller unit which has a landing surface disposed coaxially with said housing for impingement on said landing surface of rock being fed through said feed opening, said impeller units being connected to each other by a generally cylindrical side wall unit which has a plurality of exit openings spaced around said side wall unit, each of said exit openings having an upper opening edge, a bottom opening edge, and two opposing first and second side opening edges, wherein rotation of the impeller housing about said axis defines the first of said side opening edges of each of said exit openigns as a forward side edge and the second of said side edges of each of said exit openings as a rearward side edge with respect to the direction of rotation of the impeller housing;
- rock retaining means connected to at least one of said impeller units and said sidewall and adjacnet to one of said side edges of each of said exit openings for retaining a portion of rock to be crushed as an accumulation wihtin said impeller in response to rotation thereof, said retaining means being adapted to create and accumulation of such rock at each of said exit openings, wherein each of said accumulations will include a relatively well-defined accumulation face, rotation of said impeller causing rock to move generally along said accumulation faces as said rock is thrown through said exit openings;
- said rock retaining means including lip members disposed within said exit openings adjacent the second side edge thereof and extending substantially the full height of the exit openings, each lip member extending inwardly with respect to said cylindrical side wall unit from a respective exit opening and being shaped for facilitating retention of a portion of rock to be crushed to thereby protect the second side edge of each exit opening;
- mounting means for said lip members extending between said upper and lower impeller units and interfitting with said lip members near said side wall unit; and
- a plurality of top and bottom wear plates carried on said upper and lower impeller units, respectively, each of said wear plates having a wear plate surface extending outwardly from said landing surface away from said central axis having an external edge, and being connected to one of said cover plates such that one of said accumulation faces will intersect said wear plate at a respective intersection, the wear plate surfaces of said bottom wear plates being at a level above the level of said bottom edges and adjacent thereto, each said bottom wear plate defining a recess along said intersection which extends into its wear plate surface below the level of its outermost edge and away from the location of the respective accumulation face along at least a portion thereof, said recess extending upwardly away from the landing surface and being adapted to retain therein a portion of rock to be crushed whereby the recess comprises part of said rock retaining means.
- 14. An impeller assemlby according to claim 1 in which said plurality of wear plates comprises a plurality of first and second wear plates each having a wear plate surface extending outwardly from said landing surface, said first and second wear plates being connected in alternating fashion to one of said impeller untis such that one of said first wear plates and one of said second wear plates extend into each of said exit openings, said first wear plates each defining a said recess and said second wear plates extending into said exit openings adjacent said first side opening edges of the exit openings.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 774,669, filed Sept. 11, 1986, now abandoned under C.F.R. .sctn.1.62 which is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 553,222, filed Nov. 18, 1983, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,806, issued Mar. 25, 1986.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to impact-type crushers and, more particularly, to those which utilize centrifugal force to hurl the rock to be crushed against an impact surface.
2. Background Art
Impact-type crushers utilizing centrifugal force to hurl rocks to be crushed are generally known. For example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,280, issued Nov. 21, 1978 to Burk, rock is fed into a rotating impeller disposed in a cylindrical housing. The impeller throws the rock against a plurality of crushing anvils arranged in a ring concentric with the axis of rotation of the impeller. As another approach, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,257, issued July 20, 1976 to MacDonald et al., a rotating impeller throws the rock against a bed of crushed rock instead of the anvils. In either case, a primary design consideration is providing for a sufficient useful life span of the apparatus, particularly those portions of the apparatus which come into contact with the rock as it is hurled. For example, portions of the device, such as impeller vanes and upper and lower plates within the impeller, are subject to a great deal of wear while they are accelerating the rock. As a result, any portions of the apparatus subject to wear require periodic and relatively frequent replacement, which necessitates substantial down time for the equipment and incurs considerable cost for replacement of worn parts.
Various improvements are known that, when incorporated into a crusher, can protect certain portions of the apparatus and reduce wear. For example, in the MacDonald et al. patent, the use of a crushed rock bed as the impact surface eliminates problems of wear on anvil surfaces such as are present in the Burk device. In addition, within the impeller, the MacDonald et al. device utilizes various walls to create a plurality of pockets for trapping a portion of the rock within the impeller. These accumulations of rock then define the sidewall along which the material is generally accelerated, protecting these portions of the impeller from wear.
While such an approach provides protection for the sidewalls surface within the impeller, it does not preclude wear along the upper and lower impeller surfaces. Most of the rock traverses the faces of the rock accumulations as it is thrown from the impeller, but a not insubstantial portion of the rock moves along the upper and lower edges of the rock faces and along the upper and lower impeller surfaces near the accumulations. Typically, wear plates are installed along these surfaces so that these plates, rather than the integral structure of the impeller, will be worn. While this is helpful in protecting the impeller, it nonetheless still requires frequent and periodic replacement of the wear plates, with the attendant loss in productivity and expense for replacement parts.
What is needed, therefore, is an impeller structure that provides protection not only for the sidewalls of the impeller, but also for the upper and lower impeller surfaces in the vicinity of the rock accumulations defining the sidewalls. Such protection should not, of course, affect the overall design of the rock crusher or the operation characteristics of the impeller, and should be reliable and of relatively inexpensive construction.
The present invention provides an improved impeller for use in a centrifugal impact rock crusher, the crusher having a cylindrical housing with a vertically disposed central axis. An impact surface is positioned radially around the interior of the housing and is transverse to the central axis. The impeller is concentrically mounted within the housing and is rotatable about the axis. Means for feeding rock to be crushed to the impeller is provided.
The impeller includes upper and lower cover plates, the lower cover plate being connected to the impeller mounting means and the upper cover plate defining an opening concentric with the axis for receiving rock to be crushed into the impeller. Means defining a landing surface is carried upon the lower cover plate concentrically with the axis for impingement thereon of rock being fed to the impeller. A generally cylindrical sidewall connects the upper and lower cover plates and defines therein a plurality of exit openings in an equally spaced relationship along the sidewall. Each of the openings is formed having two opposing side edges.
Connected to at least one of the cover plates in the sidewall, and adjacent to one of the side edges of each of the openings, is means for retaining a portion of rock to be crushed within the impeller in response to rotation of the impeller. The retaining means creates an accumulation of such rock at each of the openings, with each accumulation including a relatively well-defined face. Rotation of the impeller causes rock to be crushed to move generally along the faces of the accumulations as the rock is thrown through the openings.
A plurality of wear plates are carried on the upper and lower cover plates, with each of the wear plates having a surface. Each plate is connectd to one of the cover plates such that one of the faces of the accumulations intersects the wear plate. The wear plate defines a recess along the intersection with the accumulation face that extends into the surface and away from the accumulation along at least a portion of the face. The recess retains therein a portion of rock to be crushed, and serves to protect the portion of the wear plate closest to the accumulation face in that rock being thrown from the impeller moves along the rock held within the recess rather than along the surface of the wear plate.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved impeller for use within a centrifugal impact-type rock crusher that significantly reduces wear within the impeller assembly; to provide such an impeller that can be operated for long periods of time without requiring replacement of impeller parts; to provide such an impeller in which parts which do require replacement due to wear do not form a portion of the integral impeller structure; and to provide such an impeller in which such parts are easily removable and replaceable.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuations (1)
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774669 |
Sep 1985 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Patent Grant
4796822
