Mobile mineral material processing station

Abstract

A mobile mineral material processing station has a mobile platform having tracks or wheels or a skids for supporting or forming a body that supports in line, in a transport configuration: a feed conveyor; a screen frame and a multi-layer screen; first and second exit conveyors; and a third exit conveyor on top of the first and second exit conveyors. The first exit conveyor turns from a transport position, under the third exit conveyor, to a first operation direction, onto a first side of the station, for operating the station, and back. The second exit conveyor turns from a transport position, under the third exit conveyor, to a second operation direction onto a second side of the station, opposite to the first side, and back.

Claims

1. A mobile mineral material processing station comprising: a mobile platform comprising tracks or wheels or a skids; a body supported by or formed by the mobile platform; a feed conveyor; a screen with multiple layers for separating three or more different fractions of mineral material; a first exit conveyor; a second exit conveyor; a third exit conveyor, wherein the feed conveyor, the screen, the first exit conveyor, the second exit conveyor and the third exit conveyor are supported by the body in line with each other and the third exit conveyor is on top of the first exit conveyor and the second exit conveyor when the station is in a transport configuration; a first turning mechanism configured to enable turning the first exit conveyor from a transport position that is in line with and under the third exit conveyor to a first operation direction onto a first side of the mobile mineral material processing station for operating the mineral material processing station and back to the transport position for transporting the mineral material processing station; and a second turning mechanism configured to enable turning the second exit conveyor from a transport position that is in line with and under the third exit conveyor to a second operation direction onto a second side of the mobile mineral material processing station, opposite to the first side, and back to the transport position for transporting the mineral material processing station.

2. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 1, wherein the first exit conveyor includes a first base portion and a first discharge end, wherein the first base portion is fixedly mounted to the mobile platform and the first discharge end is pivotable relative to the first base portion.

3. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 1, wherein the second exit conveyor includes a second base portion and a second discharge end, wherein the second base portion is fixedly mounted to the mobile platform and the second discharge end is pivotable relative to the second base portion.

4. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 1, wherein a base portion of the first exit conveyor and a base portion of the second exit conveyor are located under a discharge end of the screen.

5. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 1, wherein the transport orientation of the feed conveyor is parallel with or at most 15 degrees off a ground line of the mobile platform.

6. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 1, further comprising a tilting mechanism configured to tilt the feed conveyor, the screen when mounted to the screen frame and the third exit conveyor from a compacted configuration to an extended operating configuration in which the feed conveyor slopes upwards, the screen when mounted to the screen frame slopes downwards and the third exit conveyor slopes upwards.

7. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 6, wherein the tilting mechanism is further configured to maintain the third exit conveyor at a distance from the screen that remains constant during the tilting of the third exit conveyor.

8. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 6, wherein the tilting mechanism is further configured to lift a screen-side end of the third exit conveyor on moving the third exit conveyor to the compacted configuration so that sufficient space is formed under the third exit conveyor for turning the first exit conveyor and the second exit conveyor to the transport position.

9. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 6, wherein the tilting mechanism comprises feed conveyor tilting arms.

10. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 6, wherein the tilting mechanism comprises third exit conveyor tilting arms.

11. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 6, wherein the tilting mechanism is configured to tilt the feed conveyor and the third exit conveyor by angles deviating at most 15 degrees.

12. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 6, wherein the feed conveyor tilting arms comprises a first sub-arm and a second sub-arm that are pivotably connected to each other.

13. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 12, wherein the first sub-arm is functionally connected to the screen frame to move with the screen frame.

14. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 6, wherein in the compacted configuration, feed conveyor, the screen when mounted to the screen frame and the third exit conveyor are in their respective transport orientations.

15. The mobile mineral material processing station of claim 6, wherein the first operation direction is freely adjustable in a first adjustment sector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Some example embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows in an operating configuration a mobile mineral material processing station;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the mobile mineral material processing station in a compacted or transport configuration;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the mobile mineral material processing station in a compacted or transport configuration from below;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a simplified cross-section of the screen of FIGS. 1 to 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a simplified side view of a mobile platform of an embodiment;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a simplified drawing of turning mechanism of an embodiment; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a simplified drawing of turning mechanism of another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) In the following description, like reference signs denote like elements or steps.

(10) FIG. 1 shows in an operating configuration a mobile mineral material processing station 100. The mobile mineral material processing station 100 comprises: a mobile platform 110 (510 in FIG. 5) comprising tracks 112 or wheels 520 (FIG. 5) or a skids (530); a body 120 supported by or formed by the mobile platform 110; supported by the body 120 in line, when in transport configuration: a feed conveyor 130; a screen frame 140 for a screen 142 with multiple layers 410, 420, 430 (FIG. 4) for separating three or more different fractions of mineral material; a first exit conveyor 150; a second exit conveyor 160; and a third exit conveyor 170 on top of the first and second exit conveyors 150, 160; a first turning mechanism 315 (FIG. 3), such as a first pivot with or without an optional actuator 610 (FIG. 6), configured to enable rotating the first exit conveyor 150 from a transport position that is under the third exit conveyor 170 to a first operation direction a1 onto a first side of the mobile mineral material processing station 100 for operating the mineral material processing station 100 and back to the transport position for transporting the mineral material processing station 100; and a second turning mechanism 325 (FIG. 3), such as a second pivot with or without an optional actuator 610 (FIG. 6), configured to enable rotating the second exit conveyor 160 from a transport position under the third exit conveyor 170 to a second operation direction a2 onto a second side of the mobile mineral material processing station 100, opposite to the first side, and back to the transport position for transporting the mineral material processing station 100.

(11) The actuator can be a linear actuator. The actuator can be a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric actuator.

(12) Advantageously, the feed conveyor 130 and the first, second and third exit conveyors 150, 160, 170 can be pivoted inline to a compact transport arrangement.

(13) The first exit conveyor 150 of FIG. 1 is internally pivotable such that a first base portion 310 (FIG. 3) of the first exit conveyor 150 is fixedly mounted and a remainder of the first exit conveyor 150 is pivotable relative to the first base portion 310 with the first turning mechanism 315. In some embodiments, the first base portion 310 comprises less than 20, 10, or 5% of the length of the first exit conveyor 150.

(14) The second exit conveyor 160 of FIG. 1 is internally pivotable such that a base portion 320 (FIG. 3) of the second exit conveyor 160 is fixedly mounted and remainder of the second exit conveyor 160 is pivotable relative to the base portion 320 of the second exit conveyor 160 with the second turning mechanism 325. In some embodiments, the second base portion 320 comprises less than 20, 10 or 5% of the length of the second exit conveyor 160.

(15) The base portion of either or both first and second exit conveyors (150, 160) of FIG. 1 are located under a discharge end of the screen 142.

(16) The first and second exit conveyors 150, 160 of some embodiments extend in the compact position to an overhang relative to the mobile platform that differs less than N per cent, wherein N is selected from a group consisting of: 0.1; 1; 2; 5; 10; and 20.

(17) The mobile mineral material processing station 100 of FIG. 1 further comprises a tilting mechanism 220, 230 configured to tilt the feed conveyor 130, the screen 142 when mounted to the screen frame 140 and the third exit conveyor 170 from a compacted configuration to an extended operating configuration in which the feed conveyor 130 slopes upwards, the screen 142 when mounted to the screen frame 140 slopes downwards and the third exit conveyor 170 slopes upwards. In the compacted configuration, the feed conveyor 130, the screen 142 when mounted to the screen frame 140 and the third exit conveyor 170 are in their respective transport orientations.

(18) FIG. 2 shows the mobile mineral material processing station 100 of FIG. 1 in the transport configuration. A conveyor belt is only partially drawn for the second exit conveyor 160 such that a conveyor roller 210 of the second exit conveyor 160 can be seen.

(19) In FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport orientation of the feed conveyor 130 is parallel with or at most 5 degrees off a ground line of the mobile platform 110. The transport orientation of the screen 142 when mounted to the screen frame 140 is in FIGS. 2 and 3 parallel with or at most 5 degrees off a ground line of the mobile platform 110. The transport orientation of the third exit conveyor 170 is in FIGS. 2 and 3 parallel with or at most 5 degrees off a ground line of the mobile platform 110.

(20) The tilting mechanism 220, 230 of FIGS. 1 to 3 is further configured maintain the third exit conveyor 170 at a distance from the screen that remains constant during the tilting of the third exit conveyor 170.

(21) The mobile platform of FIG. 1 comprises tracks 112.

(22) FIGS. 1 to 3 are next described with further detail. The tilting mechanism comprises feed conveyor tilting arms 220 and exit conveyor tilting arms 230. The feed conveyor tilting arms 220 comprise a first sub-arm 222 and a second sub-arm 224 that are pivotably connected to each other. The first sub-arm is functionally connected to the screen frame 140 to move with the screen frame 140. The second sub-arm 224 is functionally connected to the feed conveyor to move with feed conveyor. The mobile mineral material processing station 100 further comprises a third actuator 240 for tilting the screen frame 140. The third actuator 240 is here connected to the first sub-arm 222.

(23) The tilting mechanism 220, 230 is configured to tilt the feed conveyor 130 and the exit conveyor 170 by angles deviating at most 10% or 5% or 1%, for example.

(24) The tilting of the screen 142 in the first rotational direction may increase sloping down of the screen 142 away from the feed conveyor 130.

(25) The screen 142 can be rotated from a compacted orientation to an operating orientation by the tilting in the first rotational direction.

(26) The feed conveyor 130 can be rotated from a compacted orientation to an operating orientation by the tilting in the second rotational direction.

(27) The third exit conveyor 170 can be rotated from a compacted orientation to an operating orientation by the tilting in the second rotational direction.

(28) The compacted orientation is preferably within 15, 10, 5 or 1 degrees from parallel with the ground line of the mobile platform.

(29) In an embodiment, either one or both of the first and second operation directions a1, a2 are freely adjustable in respective first and second adjustment sectors 152, 162.

(30) FIG. 4 shows a simplified cross-section of the screen 142. The screen 142 comprises a first layer 410, a second layer 420 and a third layer 430 for screening different fractions of mineral material.

(31) FIG. 5 shows a simplified side view of a mobile platform 510 of an embodiment. The mobile platform 510 comprises wheels 520 and skids 530 for both sides of the station 100. In other embodiments, there only wheels 510 or only skids 520. It is also possible to equip the mobile platform with only one broad and long skid that may optionally also form a portion of the mobile platform 510. FIG. 5 further shows a ground line shown by a dashed line that is the line defined by a ground contacting surface of the mobile platform 510 when at rest against the ground.

(32) FIG. 6 shows a simplified drawing of turning mechanism of an embodiment illustrating the internal pivot 315 of the first exit conveyor 150. FIG. 6 further shows an actuator that is here a linear actuator 610 for machine operated turning, which actuator may also be automatically operated or omitted for manual operation.

(33) FIG. 7 shows a simplified drawing of turning mechanism of another embodiment in which there is no internal pivoting but an entire exit conveyor 150′ is turned about the pivot 315, optionally using the actuator 610.

(34) Various embodiments have been presented. It should be appreciated that in this document, words comprise, include and contain are each used as open-ended expressions with no intended exclusivity.

(35) The foregoing description has provided by way of non-limiting examples of particular implementations and embodiments of the invention a full and informative description of the best mode presently contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention. It is however clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted to details of the embodiments presented in the foregoing, but that it can be implemented in other embodiments using equivalent means or in different combinations of embodiments without deviating from the characteristics of the invention. For example, the turning of the exit conveyors may be implemented using an arcuate sliding mechanism that allows the side conveyor turn over a varying pivot point.

(36) Furthermore, some of the features of the afore-disclosed embodiments of this invention may be used to advantage without the corresponding use of other features. As such, the foregoing description shall be considered as merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention, and not in limitation thereof. Hence, the scope of the invention is only restricted by the appended patent claims.