Claims
- 1. A horizontal compensator for use in a mining shovel having a base supporting a frame, said frame being rotatable relative to said base, said horizontal compensator comprising:
a lower member fixable to the base, and defining an axis of rotation about said lower member; an upper member mating with said lower member in an overlapping relation, said upper member being fixable to the frame and movable about said axis and along said axis; a friction reducing member interposed between said upper member and said lower member to reduce friction generated by relative movement of said upper member and said lower member, wherein a force acting in a radial direction against one of said upper member and said lower member is transmitted to the other of said upper member and said lower member, and a force acting in an axial direction against one of said upper member and said lower member is not transmitted to the other of said upper member and said lower member.
- 2. The horizontal compensator as in claim 1, in which a first axial channel is formed in said upper member and a second axial channel is formed in said lower member, said first and second axial channels defining a passageway through the horizontal compensator.
- 3. The horizontal compensator as in claim 1, in which said friction reducing member is a bushing.
- 4. The horizontal compensator as in claim 1, in which said lower member includes a radially extending flange for fixing said lower member to the base.
- 5. The horizontal compensator as in claim 1, in which said upper member includes a radially extending flange for fixing said upper member to the frame.
- 6. The horizontal compensator as in claim 1, in which said upper member includes an opening coaxial with said axis, and mates with said lower member by receiving said lower member in said opening.
- 7. A mining shovel comprising:
a base; a frame rotatably mounted above said base; a horizontal compensator having an upper member fixed to said frame and a lower member fixed to said base, said upper and lower members being mounted in an overlapping relation to transfer horizontal forces between said upper and lower members, wherein said upper member is rotatably movable relative to said lower member, and said lower member is axially movable relative to said upper member.
- 8. The mining shovel of claim 7, in which a friction reducing member is interposed between said upper member and said lower member to reduce friction generated by relative movement of said upper member and said lower member, wherein a force acting in a radial direction against one of said upper member and said lower member is transmitted to the other of said upper member and said lower member, and a force acting in an axial direction against one of said upper member and said lower member is not transmitted to the other of said upper member and said lower member.
- 9. The mining shovel of claim 8, in which said friction reducing member is a bushing.
- 10. The mining shovel of claim 7, in which said upper member includes a flange which is fixed to said frame.
- 11. The mining shovel of claim 7, in which said lower member includes a flange which is fixed to said base.
- 12. The mining shovel of claim 7, in which said flange engages a downwardly facing surface of a plate forming a part of said base, wherein said lower member axially moves out of the overlapping relation with said upper member when said lower member is detached from said base.
- 13. The mining shovel of claim 7, in which said lower member extends through an opening in said base to mate with said upper member in an overlapping relation.
- 14. The mining shovel of claim 7, in which a channel extends through said upper and lower members to provide a passageway between said frame and base.
- 15. The mining shovel of claim 7, in which at least one hook is fixed relative to one of said frame and said base, and said hook is engageable with the other of said frame and said base to counteract vertical forces exerted on said frame.
- 16. A horizontal compensator for use in a mining shovel having a base supporting a frame, said frame being rotatable relative to said base, said horizontal compensator comprising:
a cylindrical lower member having an inner diameter and an outer diameter defining an axis of rotation about said lower member, said lower member being fixable to the base; a cylindrical upper member mating with said lower member in an overlapping relation, and having an inner diameter and an outer diameter coaxial with said axis, said upper member being fixable to the base and movable about said axis and along said axis; a friction reducing member interposed between said upper member and said lower member to reduce friction generated by relative movement of said upper member and said lower member, wherein a force acting in a radial direction against one of said upper member and said lower member is transmitted to the other of said upper member and said lower member, and a force acting in an axial direction against one of said upper member and said lower member is not transmitted to the other of said upper member and said lower member.
- 17. The horizontal compensator as in claim 16, in which said friction reducing member is a bushing.
- 18. The horizontal compensator as in claim 16, in which said lower member includes a radially extending flange for fixing said lower member to the base.
- 19. The horizontal compensator as in claim 16, in which said upper member includes a radially extending flange for fixing said upper member to the frame.
- 20. The horizontal compensator as in claim 16, in which said upper member inner diameter is greater than said lower member outer diameter, and mates with said lower member by receiving said lower member in said inner diameter.
- 21. A method of disassembling a mining shovel horizontal compensator, wherein said horizontal compensator includes a lower member fixed relative to a base of the mining shovel and extending through a hole formed in the base and an upper member fixed relative to a frame of the mining shovel supported above the base, said lower member being in an overlapping relation with said upper member to counteract horizontal forces acting on the frame, said method comprising:
detaching the lower member from the base; and lowering the lower member away from the upper member to expose overlapping portions of the upper member and lower member.
- 22. The method as in claim 21, in which the lower member is bolted to the base, and detaching the lower member from the base includes unbolting the lower member from the base.
- 23. The method as in claim 21, in which the horizontal compensator includes a friction reducing member interposed between the upper member and the lower member, and the method includes exposing the friction reducing member.
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/237,986 filed on Oct. 5, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60237986 |
Oct 2000 |
US |