The present invention relates to a reclaimer machine for reclaiming and homogenizing materials such as ore, coal and others, either stocked or accumulated in yards.

Background of the invention

The machines currently available for reclaiming and homogenizing materials from stacks in storage yards are divided into two models: bridge reclaimer with bucket wheels and drum reclaimer.

The bridge reclaimer with wheels and bucket is divided into three sets: (a) feed system on the stack, (b) system of lateral movement of the bucket wheels and rake and (c) turning system for digging and recovery of stack material. The dynamics of the operation is due by the synchronization of the feed, lateral and turning movement of these sets. As a result of the synchronized movements of these sets, the digging and recovery material from the stack is discharged in the center of the wheel, where there is a conveyor belt internal to the wheel and perpendicular to the stack receiving all the material which in turn gives sequence to the recovered material flow.

A similar situation occurs in the drum reclaimer, but not the lateral movement because the system for the digging and recovery of the material against the stack occur through the use of drum designed with buckets that comprises the entire length of the yard, requiring, therefore, two basic movements from the machines, forward movement toward the stack and the rotation of the drum, that, next, discharge the material into the drum, as the bridge reclaimer with wheels and bucket. There is a conveyor belt internal to the wheel and perpendicular to the stack, which receives the material and gives sequence to the recovered material flow.

For the cited machines currently available, supporting structures directly linked and supportive to these digging and recovery sets are necessary. They are positioned in locations above or perpendicularly internal to these sets. Further, such configuration uses conveyor belts internal and central to these sets that are perpendicular to the stack. This configuration prevents the direct access for disassembly and assembly of these sets.

Summary of the invention

The present invention includes a reclaimer machine that is cost- effective for a project, construction and manufacture, as well as providing advantages with respect to maintenance and repair throughout its life cycle, significantly reducing operational downtimes.

This invention is also aimed at providing a structurally simple reclaimer machine, capable of maintaining the required sturdiness to perform the tasks to which it applies.

The present invention changes and simplifies these configurations already known. The construction and position of the digging and recovery set in the machine object of the present invention aims the free access to this digging and recovery set, since it does not need supporting structures in a supportive condition but in balance condition avoiding structures disposed above and/or perpendicularly inside these sets. Further, the conveyor belt (that receives the recovery material from the stack) is not positioned inside and centrally to the digging and recovery set.

To enable these changes, the reclaimer machine object of the present invention uses counterweight in one of its end, allowing the use of the support structure (bridge) only in the central part of the machine and eliminating the need for use the support structure to support the rotation and lateral movement of the digging and recovery sets as required by the current machines. This possibility is due to the fact that in the present invention all the support of the front part of the machine - a set of rotation, digging and recovery of material - is sustained in the balance configuration from a central axis. Therefore, it also enables the use of a conveyor belt external to this set of rotation, which is longitudinal to the pile.

Brief description of the invention

In a configuration, a reclaimer machine comprises a bucket wheel which includes a series of buckets rotating around a shaft, a conveyor belt connected to the bucket wheel and to a transfer chute, the conveyor belt being supported by a mobile upper platform which moves laterally to a pile on tracks attached to a mobile lower platform, wherein a first end of the conveyor belt structure is connected to the bucket wheel and another end of the conveyor belt structure is connected to a first counterweight which maintains the balance of the reclaimer machine and supports the bucket wheel and upper platform movements.

A basic principle of the machine, which reclaims piles and homogenizes the material, is that the machine works by means of forward movements and lateral translation of one or more bucket wheels placed on a horizontal basic structure.

Brief description of the drawings

The present invention will be detailed based on an execution example represented by (illustrative) drawings, as follows:

Figure 1 - is a schematic view of an aspect of a reclaimer machine;

Figure 2 - is a side view of an aspect of a reclaimer machine; and Figure 3 - is a side view of an aspect of a reclaimer machine.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

Based on the preferred embodiment and according to Figures 1 to 3, the reclaimer machine 100 comprises a bucket wheel 1 which includes a series of buckets 8 rotating around a shaft 2, driven by an engine and reducer (not illustrated), or by driving force (torque), for example, from a hydraulic engine. The bucket wheel 1 is connected to a conveyor belt structure 3, which holds the bucket wheel 1 and is also connected to a transfer chute 5.

A rake-type supporting structure 30 is connected to the conveyor belt structure 3 which holds a counterweight 6. This structure 30 comprises a rake 31 with scarificators pointed towards the pile 20 or stack, aimed at dismantling the pile 20. All of these structural connections may vary according to the calculation and project development.

The conveyor belt structure 3 is supported by an upper platform 4. This upper platform is placed over at least a pair and preferably two pairs of wheel sets 10, which move laterally to the pile 20, on tracks 11 attached to a lower platform 7. This lateral movement with regard to the pile of platform 4 is driven by, but not limited to, motor bogies, chain and pinion or hydraulic or pneumatic systems. The lower platform 7 is driven by motor bogies 14 in order to support the upper platform 4 and all of the machine's upper portion. Depending on the capacity and on the requirements, both upper 4 and lower 7 platforms can be structured with box girders or lattice bridge, designed to decrease the weight of the whole structure.

The first end 21 of the conveyor belt structure 3 is connected to the bucket wheel 1. The other end 22 of the conveyor belt structure 3 is connected to a counterweight 6, which helps balance the machine 100 against its own weight and also, when the buckets 8 are loaded with material from the pile 20.

A second counterweight 6' is placed in the lower platform 7, at the opposite end of the bucket wheel 1 , in order to balance the lower platform 7 when the buckets 8 are loaded.

These counterweights allowing the use of the support structure (bridge) only in the central part of the reclaimer machine 100, eliminating the need for use a support structure to support the rotation of bucket wheel 1 and lateral movement of the upper 4 and lower 7 platforms. In this case, all the support of the front part of the reclaimer machine 100 - the bucket wheel 1 and buckets 8 - is sustained in the balance configuration from a central axis. Therefore, it also enables the use of a conveyor belt structure 3 external to the bucket wheel 1.

The bucket wheel 1 is driven by driving force (torque) that may be provided by an engine, with or without a frequency inverter for speed variation, as well as a speed reducer and/or any other device, such as a hydraulic motor, connected to a shaft 2 in order to drive the wheel 1. The material from the pile 20 is reclaimed/loaded by the buckets 8, through the rotation of the wheel 1 , and then, dumped in the conveyor belt placed in the conveyor belt structure 3 that is external to the bucket wheel 1. The lateral movement/translation of the upper platform 4 in relation to the pile 20 of material to be loaded allows for an effective and homogenous handling of the pile 20.

The conveyor belt structure 3 conveys the loaded material up to the transfer chute 5, which transfers or unloads it onto the reversible conveyor 9 attached to the lower platform 7. Aimed at flow sequence and transportation of the material in the yard conveyor 17, the reversible conveyor 9 unloads the material into other chutes, namely 16A and 16B, depending on the direction of the machine flow.

The lateral movement/translation of the upper platform 4 in relation to the pile 20 may be driven in different ways, for example using motor-driven wheel sets 10, chain or hydraulic cylinders.

In addition to the bucket wheel 1 spin movement and the lateral translation/movement of the upper platform 4, the lower platform 7 moves in a longitudinal way towards the yard (straightforward in relation to the pile) by means of motor bogies 14.

All of the reclaimer machine 100 components and structures, as well as their respective composing items move in line with the lower platform 7 and the motor bogies 14. The bucket wheel 1 , the conveyor belt structure 3, the transfer chute 5 and the counterweight 6 make up a structural set, which moves connected to the upper platform 4.

This structural set can be arranged according to several configurations, with different components and quantities depending on how the reclaimer machine 100 is to be used.

According to the needs and interests of the project, any dynamic part of the machine can have variable speed.

In order to reverse the reclaimer's direction, the machine may include the installation of a system at the ends of the yard so as to allow for the machine to rotate 180° using a specific car/platform.

Figure 3 illustrates another configuration of the reclaimer machine 100. Based on this aspect, the reclaimer machine 100 comprises the same components and functions described in the previous configuration. However, the first conveyor belt 3 is leaned and both the transfer chute 5 and the counterweight 6 are bigger and more suitable to fit the belt's lean. The other described functions remain the same.

Some of the advantages of the reclaimer machine 100, as compared against similar known machines, may include one or more of the following:

General

- considerably simplified general maintenance; higher life cycle components and subsets when compared with those used in machines for the same purpose although with a different design;

- Simplicity regarding mechanical, structural and electric/electronic components;

- Possibility of standardizing the components of, but not limited to, the bucket wheel and its driving system, according to other likewise uniquely- designed machines such as the Bucket Wheel Reclaimer; - Reduced risks of personal accidents due to simplified maintenance;

- Reduced costs with general components and spare parts;

- Unnecessary use of bridge, robust box girders, structural arch for supporting the bucket wheels or drums, which hold a history of high incidence of cracks as well as structural collapse risks during life cycle;

- Compared with current projects, misalignments due to forward movement from one end to the other are decreased due to the platform-type horizontal structure, which provides higher horizontal stability for the machine's structure;

- The access for handling and lifting cargo is improved, specially from the bucket wheel, since there is no structure on top of it, in opposition to currently available machines, in which there is a bridge (box girder) over the bucket wheel or drum;

- The use of docks for maintenance is facilitated since this machine is not as tall as the currently available ones.

Advantages against current bucket reclaimer (bridge-type);

- Unnecessary use of spin bearing (a component that in addition to being special and of great diameter is also expensive in terms of acquisition and replacement); Unnecessary use of guiding rolls and/or supporting rolls;

- Ease of maintenance (bucket wheels can be removed without interfering with components, such as the conveyor belt, bearings, shaft or drivers as is the case with currently available machines);

- Access for inspection and maintenance along the whole conveyor belt used in the machine;

- Access for inspection of the bucket wheel's bearing and simplicity regarding removal/disassembly of bucket wheel(s);

- Unnecessary use of rack and pinion to spin the bucket wheel; - Lateral movement of the mobile upper platform, using chain or even a hydraulic cylinder;

- Reduced overall cost;

- Constructive simplicity;

- Operational simplicity;

Advantages against the drum reclaimer

- Unnecessary use of a drum (high manufacture, transportation and maintenance costs, expensive life cycle due to higher level of effort as a result of its constructive form);

- Unnecessary use of bridge, robust box girders or structural arch for supporting the bucket wheels or drums, which hold a history of high incidence of cracks as well as structural collapse risks during life cycle;

- Unnecessary use of supporting rolls;

- Unnecessary use of spin tracks;

- Unnecessary use of guiding rolls;

- Unnecessary use of rack and pinion to spin the bucket wheel;

- Unnecessary use of the drum's spin drivers which require synchronism and has a high maintenance rate and numberless components;

- Elimination of risks and occurrences of clogging on the drum's internal conveyor, since in this design, the conveyor used is placed externally to the buckets, thus not being affected by pile discharge and providing ease of access for inspections;

- Decreased general maintenance due to reduced number of components and the use of higher life cycle components if compared with current designs.

- Unnecessary use of components and systems intended for moving the rakes, which increase maintenance and manufacture costs; - Elimination of risks related to cracks and structural collapses in the drum, which is subject to great effort due to bending and twisting moments;

- The machine can alternatively operate without one of the wheels (in the case of maintenance or any other problem);

- The axial movement is shorter when, for example, operating with three bucket wheels on the platform reclaimer, thus allowing for the wheels to work less time on axial load.

The above description relates to an example of the preferred aspects of a reclaimer machine, however, it must be understood that the scope of the present invention covers other possible variations, being limited only by the appended claims, including the possible equivalents.