CROSS-REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is an international application which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/570,031, filed on December 13, 2011.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to crushing devices that comminute material such as ore, minerals, agglomerated material, or cement clinker and, more particularly, to cone crushers and gyratory crushers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Crushing devices, such as cone crushers, are typically used to crush rock, ore or minerals. Crushers may form a circuit of a process configured to crush material from a first size to a smaller size. After the material is crushed, the material may be moved to a grinding circuit for grinding the material to an even smaller size. Examples of crusher devices may be appreciated from U.S. Patent Nos. 1,537,564, 4,192,472, 4,391,414, 4,478,373, 4,756,484, 4,844,362, 4,892,257, 4,895,311, 5,312,053, 5,372,318, 5,779,166, 5,810,269, 5,996,916, 6,000,648, 6,036,129, 6,213,418, 6,446,977, 6,648,255, 7,048,214 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2003/0183706, 2005/0269436, 2006/0144979, 2008/0115978, and 2008/0272218.

A cone crusher typically breaks rock or other material by squeezing the material between an eccentrically gyrating crushing head and an enclosing concave hopper. As rock enters the top of the cone crusher, it becomes wedged and squeezed between the mantle of the crushing head and the bowl liner of a bowl assembly of the crusher. Large pieces of ore or rock are broken and then fall to a lower position (because they are now smaller) where they are broken again. This process continues until the pieces are small enough to fall through a narrow opening at the bottom of the crusher.

Cone crushers often experience significant stress and strain as a result of crushing large rocks. Indeed, large variations in stress and strain experienced by the crushing head, shaft, and bushing of a cone crusher can be greatly increased when breaking up very large rocks. For instance, the crusher may be configured to crush rocks within a first size range. However, some rocks may enter the crusher that are much larger than this size range. The breaking of such relatively large rocks induces significant stress and strain on the crushing head. Significant additional stress and strain may also be introduced by attempting to crush an object that is not normally able to be crushed, such as a large steel ball or shovel tooth. Such stress and strain has caused substantial damage crusher devices using mantle designs that utilized a two part design where the two parts were welded together or fastened together. Examples of two piece mantle designs may be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 2,913,189 and 2,635,818. As a result, one piece mantle designs that use a mantle formed from a single casting are commonly used for making mantles to avoid such damage or breakage of the mantle.

Unfortunately, the use of a one piece mantle that is cast as an integral and unitary piece requires a manufacturer of such a mantle or crusher device to have equipment sized to make such a mantle. For crushers of some large sizes, it may be difficult, if not impossible to fabricate such a mantle without requiring a large capital expense for obtaining equipment necessary to form such a large sized crusher head or mantle. In some cases, such a requirement makes certain designs impossible to manufacture at a cost that is economically viable. In other cases, such a requirement results in a small number of potential suppliers or service providers that can assist in fabricating such a crusher, which increases the cost for obtaining crushers utilizing such a design and reduces the manufacturing output for such crusher designs.

A new crusher design is needed. Preferably, the new crusher design permits a mantle or crushing head to be formed by attaching two separately cast or formed parts by at least one of fasteners and welding. The new design is also preferably configured to permit a wide range of equipment to be available for use in making component parts of a mantle or a crushing head for fabrication of the mantle or crushing head of a crushing device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A crusher device includes a crusher head and a mantle attached to the crusher head. The crusher head is connected to a drive mechanism to move the crusher head adjacent to a liner of a bowl assembly to crush material between the mantle and the liner. The mantle includes an upper part and a lower part. The lower surface of the upper part is shaped so that the lower surface of the upper part has at least one upper portion and at least one lower portion. The upper surface of the lower part is shaped so that the upper surface of the lower part has at least one upper portion and at least one lower portion. The at least one upper and at least one lower portion of the upper surface of the lower part defines a shape that mates with a shape defined by the at least one upper portion and at least one lower portion of the lower surface of the upper part so that the lower part mates with the upper part.

The shape defined by the upper surface of the lower part may be any of a number of shapes that may interlock with or mate with a shape defined by the lower surface of the upper part of the mantle. For example, the shapes may be mating helix shapes. The shapes may mate or interlock such that when a force acts on the upper part to rotate the upper part relative to the lower part, the force causes the upper part to self tighten against the lower part to prevent rotation of the upper part relative to the lower part. The defined shapes may also mate so that when a force acts on the lower part to rotate the lower part relative to the upper part, the lower part self tightens against the upper part to prevent rotation of the lower part relative to the upper part.

In some embodiments, the mantle may be attached to the crusher head so that the upper part of the mantle is not seated on the crusher head and the lower part of the mantle is seated on the crusher head. The lower mantle part may be in engagement with the upper mantle part so the lower mantle part functions as the sole mechanism for attaching the upper mantle part to the lower mantle part. In alternative embodiments, the crusher head may have a first surface portion that is adjacent to and inward of the lower surface of the upper mantle part of the mantle to seat the upper mantle part and may also have a second surface portion adjacent to and inward of the upper surface of the lower mantle part to seat the lower part of the mantle.

The drive mechanism may be any of a number of drive mechanisms suitable for moving crusher heads for cone crushers or gyratory crushers. For instance, the drive mechanism may be configured to move the crusher head by rotating or gyrating the crusher head to move the mantle into engagement with material to crush material between a bowl liner and the mantle. The drive mechanism could utilize a belt for driving movement of a crankshaft and also include a lubrication system, for example. Of course, the drive mechanism may alternatively include other elements for driving movement of the crusher head to effect comminution of material against the liner of a crusher device.

A method of making a crushing body for a crusher device is also provided. The method includes the casting an upper mantle part using metal and also casting a lower mantle part of metal. The upper mantle part may have a lower surface defining at least one recess therein that defines at least one upper portion and at least one lower portion on the lower surface. The lower part may also be formed so that an upper surface of the lower part defines at least one recess that defines at least one upper portion and at least one lower portion on the upper surface. The lower surface may then be positioned adjacent to the upper surface and the upper surface may be attached to or otherwise in engagement with the lower surface to form the crushing body. The crushing body may be, for example, a mantle.

Methods of making a crushing device are also provided. Such a method may utilize steps used for making a crushing body referenced above and also discussed further below.

Other details, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof and certain present preferred methods of practicing the same proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Present preferred embodiments of crusher devices such as cone crushers and gyratory crushers, and methods of making such devices are shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a top view of a first present preferred embodiment of a crusher device.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the first present preferred embodiment of the crusher device taken along line II-II in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of a first present preferred embodiment of a crushing body that may be used in embodiments of the crusher device.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the first present preferred embodiment of the crushing body with an upper surface of an upper part of the crushing body and a lower surface of a lower part of the crushing body illustrated in broken line. Figure 5 is a perspective view of a first present preferred embodiment of an upper mantle part.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a first present preferred embodiment of a lower mantle part.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the first present preferred embodiment of the upper mantle part connected to the first present preferred embodiment of the lower mantle part to form a mantle for use in making a crushing body of a crusher device.

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 3 illustrating a second present preferred embodiment of a crushing body that may be used in embodiments of the crusher device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A cone crusher 1 that includes a housing 2 is shown in Figures 1-2. The housing 2 encloses a hopper 7 that retains material for feeding into a bowl assembly 8. The hopper 7 has an opening sized and configured to receive material for crushing, such as rock, ore, minerals, cement clinker, agglomerated material, stone or other types of material. The material may be fed through the opening and into a space defined between a bowl liner 8a of the bowl assembly and a mantle 9 attached to a crushing head 10 of the cone crusher 1. The bowl liner 8a may be a concave liner or other liner configuration designed and shaped for the comminution of material.

The cone crusher 1 includes a drive mechanism 3 that includes a countershaft 4 driven by a drive assembly 5 for actuating movement of an eccentric assembly 12. The countershaft 4 is driven by a drive assembly 5 for moving the eccentric assembly 12 to actuate movement of the crusher head 10 adjacent to the bowl liner 8a to crush material fed to the cone crusher. It should be appreciated that a lubrication system 11 may include pipes for feeding a lubricant, such as oil, to different components of the drive mechanism 3.

The countershaft 4 may be rotated by the drive assembly 5 to actuate or drive movement of the eccentric assembly 12 to cause the crushing head 10 of the cone crusher to move to crush material. As such, the eccentric assembly 12 may be considered part of the drive mechanism 3 as it drives movement of the crushing head 10. Preferably, the drive assembly 5 includes a belt that drives rotation of the countershaft 4 for driving movement of the countershaft 4 and eccentric assembly 12. The belt may be driven by an electric motor, an engine or other powering device.

The countershaft 4 is connected to the eccentric assembly 12. Preferably, the eccentric assembly 12 is coupled to the countershaft 4 via intermeshing gears or a gear and pinion arrangement. Of course, other coupling mechanisms may also be used. The eccentric assembly 12 may be configured to rotate to cause the crusher head 10 to move. Preferably the crusher head 10 gyrates or rocks via movement of the eccentric assembly 12. As noted above, the movement of the eccentric assembly is driven by the drive assembly 5 of the drive mechanism 3.

The eccentric assembly 12 is connected to the countershaft 4 such that the eccentric assembly 12 is actuated by movement of the countershaft 4 caused by the drive assembly 5 to move the crushing head 10. Movement of the crushing head 10 causes the mantle 9 of the crushing head to move within a space 13 defined between the mantle 9 and bowl liner 8a to crush material against the mantle 9 and bowl liner 8a. Material received from a hopper 7 of the cone crusher 1 may be fed into the space 13 between the bowl liner 8a and the mantle 9 for receiving the material to be crushed. In some embodiments, the bowl liner 8a may be a concave ring. Of course, the bowl liner may alternatively have other shapes or configurations to meet a particular design objective.

Referring to Figures 3-7, the crusher head 10 may have the mantle 9 positioned thereon or integrally attached thereto. The crusher head 10 may define a central opening 10a for receiving portions of the lubrication system 11, eccentric assembly 12, or other portions of the drive mechanism 3. The central opening 10a may also be sized to receive a main shaft for supporting the crusher head 10 when installed within a crushing device such as a gyratory crusher or a cone crusher. It should be understood that center line 10c of Figure 3 helps illustrate where the center of the crusher head is located.

The mantle 9 may include an upper part 9a and a lower part 9b. The upper part 9a may have an upper surface 21 and a lower surface 22. The upper part 9a may also have a crushing surface 23 that extends from the upper surface 21 to the lower surface 22 and is configured to face toward the bowl liner 8a. The lower part 9b of the mantle has an upper surface 31, a lower surface 32 opposite the upper surface 31 and a crushing surface 33 that extends from the upper surface 31 to the lower surface 32 and is configured to face toward the bowl liner 8a. The upper and lower parts 9a, 9b of the mantle 9 may also have inner surfaces opposite the crushing surfaces 23 and 33 that are adjacent the crusher head 10 and face toward the crusher head 10.

It should be appreciated that the mantle 9 is composed of metal and is made such that the upper part 9a and lower part 9b are formed in separate casting operations to form separate and distinct parts. After both the upper part 9a and lower part 9b are cast and subsequently cooled, the two separate metal parts are interlocked together to form the mantle 9. In some

embodiments, it is contemplated that one or more fasteners or other fastening mechanisms may also be used to help attach the upper part 9a to the lower part 9b. Alternatively, the lone connection of the upper part 9a to the lower part 9b may be between a profile defined in the lower surface 22 of the upper mantle part 9a interlocking with a profile defined in the upper surface 31 of the lower mantle part 9b. The mantle may then be attached to the crusher head 10 via engagement of the upper surface 31 and lower surface 22.

The metal of the mantle 9 and upper part 9a and lower part 9b of the mantle may be an alloy, steel, or other material that is used for wear surfaces of crushing bodies or crushing devices. For example, the mantle upper part 9a and lower part 9b may each be cast from austenitic manganese steel, which may also be referred to as Hadfield steel. For instance, steel having a manganese content of between 10-22% could be utilized to form the upper mantle part 9a and lower mantle part 9b. As another example, steel having a manganese content of between 12-14% could be used.

Because the upper mantle part 9a and lower mantle part 9b are separate parts, it is also contemplated the different parts could be cast from different types of steel, or from different metals or alloy compositions for some embodiments. It is contemplated that such a use of different materials for the upper and lower mantle parts 9a and 9b may be helpful in the design of the mantle achieving a particular design objective.

Referring to Figure 4, the lower surface 22 of the upper part 9 a of the mantle may be formed such that the lower surface 22 has a plurality of upper portions 41 and lower portions 43 defined therein to define a profile in the lower surface 22 of the upper mantle part 9a. Each lower portion 43 may be between two upper portions 41. The lower portions 43 and upper portions 41 may be configured to define one or more recesses, furrows, or apertures. In some embodiments, the one or more recesses, furrows, or apertures may be defined by the upper and lower portions 41, 43 may define a helix shaped lower surface 22, or helix shaped profile in the lower surface 22.

The upper surface 31 of the lower part 9b of the mantle 9 may have upper portions 51 and lower portions 53. The lower portions 53 may be positioned between adjacent upper portions 51. The lower portions 53 and upper portions 51 may be configured to define one or more recesses, furrows, or apertures. In some embodiments, the one or more recesses, furrows, or apertures may be defined by the upper and lower portions 51, 53 may define a helix shaped upper surface 31, or helix shaped profile in the upper surface 31.

The helix shaped upper surface 31 of the lower part 9b of the mantle 9 may be shaped to mate with and engage the lower surface 22 of the upper part 9a of the mantle 9. Preferably, the upper portions 51 of the lower part 9b of the mantle engage the upper portions 41 of the upper part 9a of the mantle and the lower portions 41 of the upper part 9a of the mantle 9 engage the lower portions 51 of the lower part 9b of the mantle 9.

The lower surface 22 of the upper part 9a and the upper surface 31 of the lower part 9b of the mantle 9 are configured such that a force that may act on the mantle 9 during crushing operations that could attempt to drive rotation or other movement of one part relative to the other part creates a frictional engagement between the two parts that functions to self tighten the attachment between the upper surface 31 of the lower part 9b and the lower surface 22 of the upper part 9a. Such a force may be generated, for example, from the mantle 9 being moved toward a side of the bowl liner 8a to attempt to crush an object that is not normally able to be crushed, such as a large steel ball or shovel tooth or to crush one or more particles of material that are larger than the size range of particles that the mantle 9 and bowl liner 8a are designed to crush. Due to the mating lower surface 22 and upper surface 31 that is configured to self tighten upon rotation or movement of the lower or upper part 9b, 9a of the mantle relative to the other part, the lower and upper parts 9b, 9a of the mantle may not break or become disconnected thereby preventing such an exerted force from actually causing any rotation or any damage to the mantle 9 or other portion of the crushing body.

It should be appreciated that a method of making a crushing component of a cone crusher or other gyratory crusher device is also provided herein. For example, a crusher design may be developed and thereafter a mantle may be made that incorporates elements of that design. The mantle may be formed by casting a first upper part of the mantle from a metal and separately casting a second lower part of the mantle from a metal. The lower surface of the upper part of the mantle may be cast such that it has a shape having a plurality of upper portions and lower portions. The lower surface of the formed upper part may be shaped to have a number of slanted furrows or recesses that define a helix shaped surface, for example. The upper surface of the lower part of the mantle may also be formed to have a plurality of upper portions and lower portions that may define a number of furrows or recesses. The furrows or recesses may define a helix shaped upper surface of the lower part of the mantle.

The lower surface of the upper part of the mantle may be positioned into engagement with the upper surface of the lower part of the mantle. The upper surface of the lower part of the mantle may mate with the lower surface of the upper part of the mantle when placed into engagement to interlock the upper part and lower parts together to form the mantle. In addition to the mechanical interlock between the upper and lower mantle parts, it is contemplated that one or more other fastening mechanisms may be used to attach the lower part of the mantle to the upper part to form some embodiments of the mantle. Such fastening mechanisms may include fasteners or one or more adhesives, for example. The formed mantle may be considered a crushing body or may be attached to a crusher head to form a crushing body. The upper mantle part and lower mantle part may be cast such that the upper mantle part and also the lower mantle part are configured to be positioned on different seating surfaces defined on the crusher head. For instance, as may be appreciated from Figure 4, the crusher head 10 may have a first surface portion 71 for seating the lower mantle part 9b that is adjacent to and inward of the upper surface 31 of the lower mantle part 9b and a second surface portion 72 that is adjacent to and inward of the lower surface 22 of the upper mantle part 9a for seating the upper mantle part 9a. It should be appreciated that the mantle parts may be shaped for positioning and seating on the first and second surface portions 71 and 72.

Alternatively, the upper mantle part 9a may be configured so that it is not seated on the crusher head so that only the lower mantle part 9b is seated on the crusher head via attachment to or engagement with first surface portion 71 of the crusher head 10. An example of such an embodiment of the mantle 9 is illustrated in Figure 8. For such embodiments, the interlocked connection between the lower surface of the upper mantle part and upper surface of the lower mantle part may function to transfer the forces on to the crusher head. It is contemplated that such a configuration may permit the upper mantle part 9a to compress slightly or move slightly during operations along the crusher head to reduce some stress or strain experienced during comminution operations while also serving to make the connection of the mantle to the crusher head more secure and durable.

The formed crushing body may be installed in a crusher device and be connected to a drive mechanism 3. It should be appreciated that the drive mechanism 3 may include the eccentric assembly 12, the drive assembly 5, and a countershaft 4 between the drive assembly 5 and the eccentric assembly 12 as may be understood from the above. Of course, the drive mechanism 3 may alternatively include other drive elements as well for purposes of meeting a particular design objective.

It should be understood that the use of a design utilizing a two part mantle may permit a fabrication of mantles in sizes that are much larger than typically thought viable as one unitary cast does not have to fabricate an entire crusher head or mantle structure. As a result, crushers of larger designs could be developed for use. Another advantage from such designs is that much smaller sized equipment is needed for fabricating crusher designs, so the costs of fabrication may be reduced. Further, if a manufacturer would outsource the casting of the crusher head or mantle, the number of available suppliers may be increased and the costs of such a production may be reduced as a result of the increased volume of available suppliers that are available due to such designs permitting the use of smaller sized capital equipment to make such parts.

It should be appreciated that numerous variations to the crusher, crushing body, crusher head and mantle designs and method of making the same discussed above could be made to meet various different design criteria. For example, any of a number of different metal compositions or other types of compositions for such parts may be used that meet particular design criteria and crusher design objectives such as cost, wear characteristics, and suitability for comminution of a certain material. As another example, any of a number of different suitable drive mechanisms may be utilized in crusher devices for coupling to the crusher head to drive movement of the crusher head and mantle to comminute material. As yet another example, any of a number of different sized parts for the mantle and crusher head may be utilized. In fact, much larger sized crusher heads and mantles may be designed for use in much larger crusher devices that was previously thought to be a viable design alternative due to the use of a two part mantle design. While certain present preferred embodiments of crushing bodies for crusher devices, crusher devices, and methods of making and using the same have been shown and described above, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.