Cone crusher

Abstract

A cone crusher, including a supporting device being arranged inside a cavity of a main shaft of the crusher. The supporting device is arranged to support a crushing head, and to be vertically displaceable for adjusting the width of a crushing gap. The supporting device has an upper portion enclosed by the crushing head, the upper portion being arranged to provide support to the crushing head. A lower portion extends downwards within the cavity of the main shaft, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion have different outer dimensions as defined transverse to the shaft axis. A pressure-active surface is formed at a transition between the upper portion and the lower portion so as to form a variable-volume compression chamber within the cavity below the pressure-active surface.

Claims

1. A cone crusher comprising: a crushing head being rotatably arranged about a substantially vertical main shaft and on which crushing head a first crushing liner is mounted; a frame on which a second crushing liner is mounted, such that the first crushing liner and the second crushing liner together defines a crushing gap; an eccentric rotatably arranged about a shaft axis defined by the main shaft; a drive unit arranged to rotate said eccentric such that the crushing head, which is rotatably arranged on the eccentric, executes a gyratory pendulum movement for crushing of material introduced into the crushing gap, and a supporting device being arranged inside a cavity of said main shaft, said supporting device being arranged to support the crushing head, and to be displaceable along the shaft axis for adjusting the width of the crushing gap, wherein the supporting device has an upper portion enclosed by the crushing head, said upper portion being arranged to provide said support to the crushing head, and a lower portion extending downwards within the cavity of the main shaft, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion have different outer dimensions as defined transverse to the shaft axis, such that a pressure-active surface is formed at a transition between the upper portion and the lower portion so as to form a variable-volume compression chamber within the cavity below said pressure-active surface, wherein the supporting device is transversely supported within the cavity at least at an upper support position at which the upper portion is transversely supported by the main shaft, and at a lower support position at which the lower portion is transversely supported by the main shaft via a lower radial support bearing, and wherein the cone crusher includes a hydraulic oil channel arranged such that hydraulic oil can bypass the lower radial support bearing to reach the variable compression chamber.

2. The cone crusher according to claim 1, wherein the supporting device is axisymmetric and wherein the upper portion has a first outer radial diameter and the lower portion has a second, smaller, outer radial diameter.

3. The cone crusher according to claim 2, wherein a ratio between the first outer radial diameter and the second outer radial diameter is within the range 1.25-4.

4. The cone crusher according to claim 1, wherein a ratio between a vertical dimension of the lower portion and a vertical dimension of the upper portion is at least 1.

5. The cone crusher according to claim 1, wherein, when the supporting device is in a lowermost vertical displacement position, the lower portion of the support device extends downwards within the cavity of the main shaft such that parts of said lower portion extends below the eccentric.

6. The cone crusher according to claim 1, wherein the cone crusher further comprises a bearing assembly comprising a set of axial bearings connecting the upper portion of the supporting device with the crushing head, and an upper radial support bearing connecting, at the upper support position, the upper portion of the supporting device with an inner wall of the cavity.

7. The cone crusher according to claim 6, wherein at least one from the support device and the main shaft comprises a lubricating-oil channel system configured to provide lubricating oil to the set of axial bearings and/or the upper radial support bearing.

8. The cone crusher according to claim 1, wherein the supporting device further comprises an upper sealing for sealingly connecting surfaces of the upper portion of the supporting device with surfaces of the cavity.

9. The cone crusher according to claim 1, wherein the supporting device is transversely supported within the cavity at an intermediate support position located in between the upper and lower support positions, and at which intermediate support position the lower portion is transversely supported by the main shaft.

10. The cone crusher according to claim 9, wherein the intermediate support position is located adjacent a bottom surface of the variable-volume compression chamber.

11. The cone crusher according to claim 9, wherein the cone crusher further comprises an intermediate radial support bearing connecting, at the intermediate support position, the supporting device with an inner wall of the cavity.

12. The cone crusher according to claim 9, wherein the supporting device further comprises an intermediate sealing for sealingly connecting surfaces of the supporting device with surfaces of the cavity.

13. The cone crusher according to claim 12, wherein the intermediate support position is located below the intermediate sealing which seals the variable-volume compression chamber.

14. The cone crusher according to claim 9, wherein the main shaft comprises a hydraulic-oil channel system configured to provide hydraulic oil to the compression chamber for providing said support and displaceability of the crushing head.

15. The cone crusher according to claim 2, wherein a ratio between the first outer radial diameter and the second outer radial diameter is within the range 1.75-2.5.

16. The cone crusher according to claim 1, wherein a ratio between a vertical dimension of the lower portion and a vertical dimension of the upper portion is 1.5.

17. The cone crusher according to claim 1, wherein a ratio between a vertical dimension of the lower portion and a vertical dimension of the upper portion is at least 3.

18. The cone crusher according to claim 1 wherein the hydraulic oil channel is formed within the main shaft.

19. The cone crusher according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the hydraulic oil channel is formed within the lower portion of the supporting device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will by way of example be described in more detail with reference to the appended [schematic] drawings, which shows presently preferred embodiments of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1A shows a cross-section of a cone crusher according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

(3) FIG. 1B shows a cross-section of a main shaft of the cone crusher according to the embodiment of FIG. 1A.

(4) FIG. 1C shows a cross-section of a supporting device of the cone crusher according to the embodiment of FIG. 1A.

(5) FIG. 1D shows a cross-section of the supporting device and the main shaft according to the embodiment of FIG. 1A.

(6) FIG. 2A shows a cross-section of a cone crusher according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

(7) FIG. 2B shows a cross-section of a main shaft of the cone crusher according to the embodiment of FIG. 2A.

(8) FIG. 2C shows a cross-section of a supporting device of the cone crusher according to the embodiment of FIG. 2A.

(9) FIG. 2D shows a cross-section of the supporting device and the main shaft according to the embodiment of FIG. 2A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and fully convey the scope of the invention to the skilled person.

(11) FIG. 1A shows a cross-sectional view of a cone crusher 100 according to an example embodiment. The cone crusher 100 comprises a frame 130 including a lower frame part 133 and an upper frame part 131. The cone crusher 100 further comprises a vertical main shaft 120 which is fixedly connected to the lower frame part 133. The main shaft 120 defines a vertically aligned shaft axis A. An eccentric 140 is rotatably arranged about the main shaft 120 so as to be rotatable around the centre axis A. An outer surface of the eccentric 140 is inclined in relation to shaft axis A, as can be seen in FIG. 1A. A crushing head 110 is rotatably arranged about the eccentric 140. Due to the inclination of the outer surface of the eccentric 140, the crushing head 110, too, will incline somewhat in relation to the shaft axis A. The cone crusher 100 further comprises a drive unit 150 arranged to rotate said eccentric 140 about the main shaft 120 by means of a drive shaft 151 having a gear 152 in engagement with a bevel gear 142 of the eccentric 140. As the drive shaft 151 rotates, the eccentric 140 will rotate with it, whereby the crushing head 110, which is rotatably arranged on the eccentric 140, executes a gyratory pendulum movement about the main shaft 120.

(12) A first crushing liner 112 is mounted on the crushing head 110. A rotatable part 132 is connected to the upper frame part 131 and a second crushing liner 134 is mounted on that rotatable part 132. The first crushing liner 112 and the second crushing liner 134 together define a crushing gap 114. As crushing material, such as stone, gravel, ore or the like, enters the crushing gap 114, the gyratory pendulum movement of the crushing head 110 will result in an alternatingly increasing and decreasing distance between the first 112 and second 134 crushing liners. This movement will crush the material as it passes through the crushing gap 114.

(13) Between the eccentric 140 and the main shaft 120 and between the eccentric 140 and the crushing head 110 radial bearings 182, 184 are arranged to provide support and absorbing loads which are generated during the crushing. An important purpose of these radial bearings is to act as sacrificing elements protecting other elements of the crusher in case of e.g. excess load situations or lubrication failure. The set of radial bearings 182, 184 may comprise e.g. one, two or more bushings such as one piece bushings or two piece bushings. It should be noted that some of the radial bearings may or may not be capable of absorb axial, or vertical, load components as well. For example, radial bearing 184 which is arranged on the eccentric 140 which has an inclined outer surface. The eccentric 140 is vertically supported by axial bearings 180.

(14) The cone crusher 100 further comprises a supporting device 160 being arranged inside a cavity 121 of the main shaft 120 (See FIG. 1B). The supporting device 160 is arranged to support the crushing head 110, and to be displaceable along the shaft axis A for adjusting the width of the crushing gap 114. In other words, the supporting device 160 enables a vertical adjustment of the crushing head 110. The (vertical) displacement D of the supporting device 160 is illustrated in FIG. 1D. The supporting device 160 is axisymmetric but rotation can be prevented with a pin or other suitable means.

(15) The supporting device 160 has an upper portion 162 enclosed by the crushing head 110, the upper portion 162 being arranged to provide said support to the crushing head 110. A bearing assembly 127 attached on top of the upper portion 162 of the supporting device 160 connects the supporting device 160 with the crushing head 110. The bearing assembly 127 comprises a set of axial bearings 126. The axial bearings 126 enable inclination and horizontal movement of the crushing head 110 during its gyrating movement.

(16) The supporting device 160 further has a lower portion 164 extending downwards within the cavity 121 of the main shaft 120, as can be seen in FIG. 1B.

(17) As best illustrated in FIGS. 1B-D, the upper portion 162 and the lower portion 164 have different outer dimensions as defined transverse to the shaft axis A. Thus, a pressure-active surface 166 is formed at a transition between the upper portion 162 and the lower portion 164 so as to form a variable-volume compression chamber 168 within the cavity 121 below said pressure-active surface 166. The variable-volume compression chamber 168 is arranged to be filled with hydraulic oil H for providing the vertical support and displaceability of the crushing head, as will be further discussed later. Specifically, for the axisymmetric example, the upper portion 162 has a first outer radial diameter D1 and the lower portion 164 has a second, smaller, outer radial diameter D2. A ratio between the first outer radial diameter D1 and the second outer radial diameter D2 is within the range 1.25-4. For the example embodiment, the ratio is 2. A ratio between a vertical dimension L2 of the lower portion 164 and a vertical dimension L1 of the upper portion 162 is preferably at least 3, even though it could in some embodiments be less. The lower portion 164 of the supporting device 160 extends downwards within the main shaft 120. When the supporting device 160 is in a lowermost vertical displacement position, the lower portion 164 of the support device 160 extends downwards within the cavity 121 of the main shaft 120 such that parts of said lower portion 164 extends below the upper parts of the frame 133 on which the eccentric 140 is supported and below the eccentric 140. This achieves a stabilising effect on the supporting device 160, said device being less susceptible to bending. In other embodiments of the invention it is not necessary for the lower portion 164 to extend that far.

(18) The supporting device 160 is slidably arranged within the cavity 121. The supporting device 160 is transversely supported within the cavity 121 at least at an upper support position P1 at which the upper portion 162 is transversely supported by the main shaft 120, and at a lower support position P2 at which the lower portion 164 is transversely supported by the main shaft 120. As can be seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the supporting device 160 is further transversely supported within the cavity 121 at an intermediate support position P3 located in between the upper P1 and lower P2 support positions, and at which intermediate support position P3 the lower portion 164 is transversely supported by the main shaft 120. Specifically, for the example embodiment, the intermediate support position P3 is located immediately beneath an intermediate sealing 190 which may be flush, or at least near, a bottom of the variable-volume compression chamber 168. The distance between the intermediate support position P3 and the bottom surface 167 of the compression chamber 168 is illustrated in FIG. 1D as the distance V. The intermediate support position P3 may be used in a situation where sealing is provided at an intermediate position along the length of the lower portion 164 such that hydraulic oil H is only present at an upper portion of the main shaft 120 and does not reach lowermost portions of the main shaft 120. This intermediate support position P3 has the advantage that the seal arranged at an intermediate position will be supported and thus less prone to wear. If hydraulic oil H is present all the way to the lowermost portions of the main shaft 120, the intermediate support position P3 and intermediate seals 190 can be omitted, as will be discussed later with reference to FIGS. 2A-D.

(19) The support points may be achieved in different ways. As can be seen in FIGS. 1A and D, an upper radial support bearing 122 connects, at the upper support position P1, the upper portion 162 of the supporting device 160 with an inner wall 123 of the cavity 121. At the lower support position P2, a lower radial support bearing 128 is indicated. The lower radial support bearing 128 may comprise a bearing arranged in the inner wall 123 of the cavity 121 but may also be provided by a bushing, for example in the form of a ring, arranged on an outer surface 161 of the supporting device 160. Further, as can be seen in FIGS. 1B and 1D, the cavity 121 has a reduced thickness towards the bottom. This has the advantage that when a supporting device 160 having a lower radial support bearing 128 arranged on its outer surface 161 is inserted into the cavity, the lower radial support bearing 128 will only come in contact with the inner wall 123 of the cavity 121 towards the bottom of the cavity 121. This greatly reduces the labour intensity of the assembly. At the intermediate support position P3, intermediate radial support bearing 124 is indicated. As mentioned elsewhere in this application, the intermediate radial support bearings are not necessarily required.

(20) The cone crusher, especially so the bearings thereof, are in constant need of lubrication during operation. For the purpose, the cone crusher comprises a lubricating-oil channel system 170 configured to provide lubricating oil L to, for example, the set of axial bearings 126, the axial bearings 180, the radial support bearings 122, 124 and the radial bearings 182, 184. The lubricating-oil channel system 170 includes a lubrication oil chamber 169 formed between a bottom surface 165 of the lower portion 164 of the supporting device 160 and the inner wall 123 of the cavity 121 of the main shaft 120. Inlet channels 170a are arranged within the supporting device 160 at a bottom thereof for receiving lubrication oil L from the lubrication oil chamber 169. The inlet channels 170a fluidly connects within the supporting device 160 to transversely oriented sub channels 170c which fluidly connects to the cavity 121 at a vertical the side of the lower portion 164. Lubricating oil L may then enter the inlet channels 170a of the supporting device 160 via the oil supply channel 170b and lubrication oil chamber 169 independent on the vertical position of the supporting device 160.

(21) As illustrated in FIG. 1C, the lower portion 164 of the supporting device 160 comprises a recessed portion 164a so as to form a gap between the lower portion 164 of the supporting device 160 and the inner wall 123 of the cavity 121 for allowing lubricating oil L entering the cavity 121 from the sub channels 170c to reach the intermediate radial support bearings 124. Transition channel 125 is provided within the main shaft 120 and transition channel 129 is arranged within the eccentric 140 to direct lubrication oil L to the radial bearings 182, 184 arranged between the eccentric 140 and the main shaft 120 and between the eccentric 140 and the crushing head 110. Upper supply channel 170e is provided within the supporting device 160 to direct lubrication oil L to the set of axial bearings 126 of the bearing assembly 127. Lubrication oil L will also be present in chamber 135 formed within the crushing head 110 and the lubrication oil L will enter the radial bearings 182, 184 and reach the axial bearings 180 beneath the eccentric 140. Excessive lubrication oil amounts may also be taken care of by means of dedicated draining openings (not shown in the figures) leading from the chamber 135. Further to be seen in FIG. 1A is a sensor arrangement for detection of the position of the supporting device 160. A sensor receiving channel 174 having a magnet is arranged within the lower portion 164. A sensor rod 175 is arranged within the sensor receiving channel 174 and sensor 176 is arranged to detect the position of the supporting device 160 by sensing the position of the magnet. The sensor rod 175 as such does not move, instead the relative position between the sensor rod 175 and the supporting device 160 will change as the supporting device 160 moves.

(22) As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the main shaft 120 comprises a hydraulic-oil channel system configured to provide hydraulic oil H to the compression chamber 168 for providing said vertical support and displaceability of the crushing head 110. The hydraulic-oil channel system comprises a hydraulic oil channel 172a which is arranged at least in part within the main shaft 120, radially offset to the centre axis A, such that the hydraulic oil channel 172a fluidly connects to the compression chamber 168 at a bottom surface 167 thereof.

(23) In order to withstand the pressure of the hydraulic oil H, which typically is in the range 10-450 bar, and maintain the pressure within the compression chamber 168, the supporting device 160 further comprises sealings 190, 192 for sealingly connecting surfaces 161 of the supporting device 160 with surfaces 123 of the cavity 121. This enables to hermetically seal off the compression chamber 168 from the rest of the cavity 121. One such sealing is the intermediate sealing 190 located between the lower portion 164 of the supporting device 160 and the inner wall 123 of the cavity 121. The intermediate sealing 190 prevents pressurized hydraulic oil H from leaking from the compression chamber 168 to the intermediate radial support bearing 124 and mix with the lubricating oil L. The intermediate sealing 190 may be arranged flush with the bottom surface 167 of compression chamber 168. Another sealing, the upper sealing 192, can be seen arranged between the upper portion 162 of the supporting device 160 and the inner surface 123 of the cavity 121. Even though the sealings 190, 192 are arranged between the compression chamber 168 and the supporting positions P1, P3, they may in other embodiments be arranged such that the support positions P1, P3 are arranged between the sealings 190, 192 and the compression chamber 168.

(24) FIGS. 2A-2D describe another embodiment 200 of the invention. The reference numbers of these figures corresponds to those of FIGS. 1A-1D with a few exceptions. One such difference is that the lubrication oil L is provided through a lubricating-oil channel system 270 which comprises main feed channel 270a arranged within the walls of the main shaft 220, and upper connecting channel 270b formed within the upper portion 262 of the supporting device 260. Another difference between the embodiment 200 and the embodiment 100 is that the hydraulic oil H is provided to the variable-volume compression chamber 268 via the cavity 221 itself. Specifically, a main feed channel 272a and a lower connecting channel 272b for hydraulic oil H are provided. Hydraulic oil H is provided to a further compression chamber 269 formed below the supporting device 260 via the main feed channel 272a. The hydraulic oil H is then further transported to the compression chamber 268 via the lower connecting channel 272b which is defined within the lower portion 264 of the supporting device 260, and further via the cavity 221. Thus, for the embodiment 200 there is no need to provide a separate hydraulic oil supply channel all the way up to the variable-volume compression chamber 268 (such as the hydraulic oil channel 172a of FIG. 1A).

(25) The shape of lower portion 264 of the supporting device 260 differs somewhat from the shape of the lower portion 164 of the supporting device 160. Specifically, the lower portion 264 does not have a recessed portion (e.g. corresponding to 164a in FIG. 1C). Instead, surfaces 261 of the lower portion 264 are cylindrically shaped defining a cross section having a constant diameter D2 independent on axial position. The sensor receiving channel 274 is similar to the sensor receiving channel 174 of FIGS. 1A-D and has a magnet and is arranged within the lower portion 264. Sensor rod 175 is arranged within the sensor receiving channel 274 and sensor 176 is arranged to detect the position of the supporting device 260 by sensing the position of the magnet. As can be seen in e.g. FIGS. 2A and 2C, also the upper portion 262 of supporting device 260 differs somewhat from that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A-1D. Also, as evident from a comparison of FIGS. 2B and 2A, the shape of the cavity 221 is somewhat different than the shape of the cavity 121. Specifically, the inner wall 223 of the cavity 221 is cylindrically shaped and has a uniform cross section along the axial direction.

(26) FIGS. 2A-2D also differs from the FIGS. 1A-1D in that no intermediate support P3 and no sealing 190 is provided. Instead hydraulic oil H is present along more or less the entire length of the lower portion 264 and only support positions P1 and P2 are necessary. Lower radial support bearing 228 is thus lubricated using hydraulic oil H instead of lubricating oil L. Furthermore, the presence of hydraulic oil H at the bottom surface 265 of the supporting device 260 enable a further compression chamber 269 to be formed. Thus, for the cone crusher 200, there are two compression chambers, the (upper) compression chamber 268 where the hydraulic oil H exerts pressure on pressure active surface 266 of the supporting device 260, and a (lower) compression chamber 269 wherein the hydraulic oil H exerts pressure on the bottom surface 265 of the supporting device 260. Additional compression chamber 269 thus adds to the total pressure-active area of the supporting device 260.

(27) The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled person in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.