WEAR PLATES FOR AGITOR MILLS

Abstract

Plate-shaped wear elements for milling means, in particular of agitator mills, having at least one inclined surface area, kits employing them, their uses and methods using them.

Claims

1. A wear element for milling means of agitator mills based on a cuboid geometry, wherein the long faces are in the x-direction of a Cartesian coordinate system and the short faces in the y- and z-directions, with at least one end of a front face having a first inclined surface area, wherein the front face is the face of the cuboid structure that is facing in the direction of rotation of the agitator mill shaft.

2. A wear element according to claim 1, wherein the wear element is detachable.

3. A wear element according to claim 1, wherein the wear element has fastening means on a back face of the wear element.

4. A wear element according to claim 1, wherein the inclination of the first inclined surface area is in the form of a recess with respect to the cuboid structure, in the form of a protrusion with respect to the cuboid structure, or a combination of the first two.

5. A wear element according to claim 1, wherein the inclination of the first inclined surface area is directed upwards or downwards with respect to the y-direction of the wear element.

6. A wear element according to claim 1, wherein the angle of inclination of the first inclined surface area is between 5 and 40 degrees, each time with respect to the y-axis in the y-/z-plane of the wear element and backwards with respect to the front face.

7. A wear element according to claim 1, wherein the first inclined surface area occupies between 5 and 50 percent of the front face of the wear element.

8. A wear element according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the front face has a second inclined surface area, with the proviso that the upward/downward direction with respect to the y-direction of the wear element is opposite that of the first inclined surface area.

9. A wear element according to claim 1, wherein the wear element has marking means on a back face of the wear element.

10. A method of using the wear element according to claim 1 for protecting milling means in agitator bead mills for milling calcium carbonate slurries with milling aids comprising the step of fastening the wear element to the milling means wherein the milling aids are selected from the groups consisting of glass beads, metal beads, steel beads, ceramic beads and mixtures thereof.

11. A method for improving milling means comprising the steps of A) optionally cleaning the milling means, B) positioning and pressing wear elements according to claim 1 with marking means on their back faces on the milling means to be improved, C) removing the wear elements, D) drilling holes in the milling means based on the markings obtained in step B), E) attaching the wear elements with fastening means.

12. Method for repairing milling means comprising the steps of I) removing worn out wear elements II) optionally cleaning the milling means, III) positioning wear elements according to claim 1 on the milling means to be repaired, IVa) if there are existing drill holes or screw holes that can be used to fasten the wear elements, fastening the wear elements with screws or screws and nuts, or IVb) if there are no existing holes that can be used, pressing wear elements according to claim 1 with marking means on their back faces on the milling means to be repaired, IVb1) removing the wear elements, IVb2) drilling holes in the milling means based on the markings obtained in step IVb), and IVb3) attaching the wear elements with fastening means.

13. A kit for improving or repairing milling means comprising wear elements according to claim 1, marking means, either separate or pre-installed on the back face of the wear elements, fastening means, optionally an installation guide.

14. An agitator mill comprising a milling means and a wear element according to claim 1 attached to the milling means.

15. A wear element according to claim 3 wherein the fastening means are selected from the group consisting of screws, screw-holes and protrusions.

16. A wear element according to claim 15 wherein the fastening means are two screw-holes or two pairs of screw-holes.

17. A wear element according to claim 6, wherein the angle of inclination of the first inclined surface area is between 18 to 22 degrees, each time with respect to the y-axis in the y-/z-plane of the wear element and backwards with respect to the front face.

18. A wear element according to claim 7, wherein the first inclined surface area occupies between 20 and 30 percent of the front face of the wear element.

19. A wear element according to claim 7, wherein the first inclined surface area occupies between 15 and 35 percent of the front face of the wear element.

20. A wear element according to claim 7, wherein the first inclined surface area occupies a sixth of the front face of the wear element.

Description

[0145] The present invention is further illustrated by the accompanying figures. The figures are not to be construed as limiting. The figures are illustrative only, are not to scale and reduced to the elements necessary for illustration. In the figures, same numerals denote same features.

[0146] FIG. 1 shows a view to the front of a wear element according to the present invention 1, which is attached to a milling means 2 (represented by dotted lines in this figure). The millings means 2 extends substantially in a longitudinal direction which defines the x-direction. The wear element 1 shown in this embodiment has one inclined surface area 3. In the shown embodiment the inclined area protrudes from the cuboid base body of the wear element. Also shown is a part of a recess 4 in the milling means, which recess 4 in the shown embodiment helps to attach the wear element. It further illustrates the possibility to adjust the position of the wear element 1 on the milling means 2 in the horizontal direction (x-direction) such that there is some room left for the wear element 1 to be slid in. For orientation the directions of a Cartesian coordinate system are given in the upper right corner of the figure.

[0147] FIG. 2 shows the same configuration as FIG. 1, but from the back. It can be seen here that screws 5 are used as fastening means in the shown embodiment. In the embodiment shown here, the screws are screwed to the wear element 1 through elongated screw holes that allow for adaptation of the position in x-direction. Also it can be seen that on the left side the wear element 1 protrudes a little with respect to the milling means 2 (represented by dotted lines in this figure). This illustrates the possibility to adjust complementary to FIG. 1. For orientation the directions of a Cartesian coordinate system are given in the upper right corner of the figure, wherein the directions are the same as in FIG. 1.

[0148] FIG. 3 shows a part of a circular element 6 which can be attached to an agitator shaft (not shown) which would go through the hole 7 in the middle of the circular element. The circular element 6 shown in this embodiment comprises arm-like milling means 2 (of which two are shown in the figure) each with attached wear elements 1. The direction of rotation of the agitator shaft defines the y-direction.

LIST OF NUMERALS GIVEN IN THE FIGURES

[0149] 1 wear element according to the present invention [0150] 2 milling means [0151] 3 inclined surface area [0152] 4 recess [0153] screws [0154] 6 circular element comprising milling means with attached wear elements [0155] 7 hole for agitator shaft