Background Art Crushing equipment is widely used in quarries, mines, waste disposal sites or other work sites to reduce the size of rocks, metal or other solid aggregate or the like.

This processing is done to enable the material to be recycled, to be used in further processing, or for ease of transportation.

The crushing plants are often mobile so that they can be moved around the worksite to locate closely to the source of material to be processed. The crushing plants typically include a track mounted chassis which includes a feed hopper, a crushing assembly and a discharge conveyor which transfers the material from an outlet of the crushing unit. The discharge conveyor often extends upwardly and beyond the chassis to provide adequate clearance so that the processed material can be discharged directly onto the ground in mounds or alternatively, can be discharged into the tray of trucks for transporting.

The crushing equipment is necessarily large and operates in a particularly harsh environment. Further, the crushing equipment is typically part of a processing

chain and accordingly, any downtime required for maintenance of the equipment is costly not only because the equipment itself is unavailable for use, but also that it may stop the whole processing line.

Summary of the Invention An aim of the present invention is to provide improvements to a processing plant design which is able to reduce the downtime of the equipment.

Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention relates to a processing plant comprising: a chassis; a processing assembly mounted to the chassis and having an inlet where material is introduced into the assembly for processing, and an outlet where the processed material is discharged from the assembly; a primary discharge assembly operative to transport the processed material away from the outlet of the processing assembly, the discharge assembly including a transport surface on which the processed material is conveyed; wherein the primary discharge assembly extends from an underside of the chassis and at least part of that assembly is releasably mounted thereto so that at least part of the primary discharge assembly is able to be released and lowered from the chassis so as to facilitate access to the transport surface.

The processing plant according to the present invention has substantial practical benefit. In particular by providing an arrangement where at least part of the primary discharge assembly is able to be released and lowered from the chassis can significantly reduce downtime of the crushing plant. In general operation of the equipment, blockages regularly occur in the vicinity of the crusher outlet or on the primary discharge

assembly. Previously to clear such blockages, it was necessary to dismantle the primary discharge assembly to gain access to the transport surface. Due to the size of the equipment, this could involve many hours of downtime.

In contrast, in the present invention the blockage could be cleared in a matter of minutes.

In a preferred form, the discharge assembly includes a discharge assembly frame which includes at least one transport mechanism mounted thereto. The transport mechanism includes the transport surface, or if there are more than one transport mechanism, then each of the mechanisms includes a transport surface, and these are aligned so as to allow the material to pass across each of the surfaces from the outlet of the processing assembly to the discharge point.

In a preferred form, the discharge assembly frame is releasably mounted to the chassis so that the entire discharge assembly can be released from the chassis. An advantage of this embodiment the present invention is that it allows complete access to the transport surface and allows also the primary discharge assembly to be replaced simply and quickly. This can improve the versatility of the equipment as it may enable the primary discharge assembly to be replaced with an assembly of a different design.

A further advantage of the above embodiment of the present invention is that having an arrangement where the entire discharge assembly can be released from the chassis, enables the processing plant to be transported in a number of sub assemblies. In a particularly preferred arrangement, the processing plant is able to be transported in a disassembled state so as to be able to be loaded in containers for shipping. In that arrangement the entire processing plant can be broken down into a number of sub assemblies (preferably less than 10). These

sub assemblies preferably would include the feed hopper, the processing assembly, the drive unit, the primary discharge assembly, and the track assembly, where the processing plant is mobile. Being able to containerise the assembly for shipping substantially reduces the costs of transporting as compared to transporting the unit as a roll-on, roll-off.

Preferably the chassis includes a first part incorporating at least one cross member and opposite sidewalls which extend downwardly from the cross member so that the underside of the first part of the chassis is open. With this arrangement, preferably at least a portion of the primary discharge assembly is located within the first part of the chassis, below the at least one cross member and between the sidewalls.

Preferably the processing assembly is a crushing assembly which is operative to reduce the size of the material being processed. However the processing plant may include other processing assemblies such as mill, washers, mixers, screens and the like.

Preferably a shroud is connected to the chassis and extends over the transport surface of the primary discharge assembly when the assembly frame is connected to the chassis to as to inhibit access to the transport surface. The processing plant is able to have a fully enclosed shroud, as access to the transport surface can be obtained simply by releasing the discharge assembly frame from the processing plant chassis.

In a preferred form, the transport means includes a pan feeder which is disposed under the outlet of the processing assembly, and a belt conveyor which is located adjacent the pan feeder. With this arrangement, in use, processed material is discharged on to the pan feeder

which feeds that material onto the discharge conveyor. It is to be appreciated that other types of transport means known in the art may be used.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a discharge assembly which comprises a plurality transport mechanisms mounted to discharge assembly frame.

In yet a further aspect, the invention relates to a processing plant chassis which incorporates a cavity operative to receive a discharge assembly, wherein the cavity is accessible from an underside of said chassis.

Brief Description of the Drawings It is convenient to hereinafter describe an embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The particularity of the drawings and the related description is to be understood as not superseding the generality of the preceding broad description of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a mobile crushing plant; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the chassis of the plant of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view along section line A-A of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a cross sectional view along section line B-B of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a cross section of the crushing plant of Figure 1 showing the discharge assembly in an engaged position ; Figure 6 is a cross section of the plant as shown in Figure 5 with the discharge assembly released from the chassis of the crushing plant; Figure 7 is a detailed view of the rear connection between the chassis and the discharge assembly when in an

engaged position; Figure 8 is a detailed view of the connection as shown in Figure 7 when in a released position; and Figure 9 is a detailed view of front connection between the chassis and the discharge assembly when in an engaged position.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment As illustrated in the drawings, a crushing plant 10 is disclosed which is designed for processing crushable material such as rubble, natural stone, metal or building waste so as to reduce the size of that material. The plant 10 includes a chassis 11 on which a track assembly 12 is mounted to allow the plant to be mobile. Whilst other drive arrangements may be used such as pneumatic tyres, a track assembly is ideal as it is well suited to be used on rough terrain, has good turning capability and is robust.

A crushing assembly 13 is mounted on the chassis 11 and includes an inlet 14 and an outlet 15 (as shown in Figure 5). The inlet 14 is disposed at an upper end of the assembly 13 and the outlet 15 is located on an underside of the assembly so that the material can pass through the assembly under gravity.

The crushing assembly includes a crushing unit 16 which in the illustrated form is an impact crusher. Other types of crushing units may be used, such as a jaw crusher, hammer mill or the like, as is well known in the art. Also the plant may include other processing units which can work in conjunction with the crushing unit 16 or in its place. Such processing units include mills, washers, mixers, screens and the like.

A feed hopper 17 is in communication with the inlet

14 of the crushing assembly 13 and is operative to feed the material into the crushing unit 13. Again, various types of feeder assemblies can be used as is known in the art. In the illustrative form, the feed hopper 17 vibrates so as to pass material through to the inlet 14 of the crushing assembly 13. A grizzly bar may be incorporated within the feed hopper so as to allow relatively fine material to bypass the crushing unit and pass directly to the primary discharge assembly 18.

The discharge assembly 18 includes a frame 19 which supports both a pan feeder 20 (see Figure 5) and a belt conveyor 21. The frame is a fully fabricated structural beam which holds both the pan feeder 20, and the discharge conveyor 21. Mounting these units on a single frame allows the whole discharge assembly to be removed from the plant chassis in minutes as is discussed in more detail below.

As best illustrated in Figure 5, the pan feeder 20 is disposed under the outlet 15 of the crushing unit 13 so as to receive material which is passed through that crushing assembly. Material passing through the grizzly in the feed hopper 17 also gets directed onto the pan feeder 20 via a chute 22.

As is well known in the art, the pan feeder 20 includes a vibrating deck which causes the material on that deck to be fed through to the belt 23 of the belt conveyor 21 wherein it is transported to a discharge point 24 at the distal end of the belt conveyor 21. While the embodiment uses a pan feeder, other types of under crusher feeders could be used.

The discharge point 24 on the belt conveyor is remote from the chassis 11 of the crushing plant 10 and is elevated so as to provide adequate clearance so that the processed material can be discharged directly onto the

ground in mounds or alternatively can be discharged into the tray of a truck for transporting.

The crushing plant 10 also includes a power unit 25 which is mounted on the chassis 11. The power unit is typically a diesel engine and provides drive to the crusher assembly 13. Typically, all components are driven by hydraulic motors either directly or through vee belts.

The drive sequence is electric over hydraulic.

The plant 10 may also include a magnetic separator 26 which is disposed over the belt surface 23 of the discharge conveyor 21 so as to remove metal elements from the processed material.

As best illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, the chassis 11 is of a unique design and consists of large reinforced side sheets 30 and 31 which are joined together by both deep and shallow sectioned cross members 32. The cross members are arch-shaped as best illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. The cross members 32 are designed so that the chassis has adequate strength without requiring lower cross beams. This arrangement provides clear access to within the chassis from its underside and thereby allows the primary discharge assembly 21 to be releasably connected to the chassis.

The chassis 11 also includes a fully integrated fuel tank 35 which is mounted between the chassis side sheets 31,32. The fuel tank 35 is designed to be located directly below the power unit 25.

A shroud 36 is secured to the underside of the cross beams 32 and is designed to fully cover the lower part of the transport surface of the discharge assembly 21. The shroud 36 is for safety purposes to prevent access to the lower end of the discharge assembly surface as required by

many regulatory authorities.

The discharge assembly 18 is releasably mounted to the chassis 11 through two sets of front and rear hydraulic connections 37 and 38 as best illustrated in figures 7 to 9.

The rear connections, shown in figures 7 and 8, include a piston 39 which is slidingly mounted within a cylinder 40. The cylinder 40 includes a coupling 41 which is mounted to the chassis 11 of the crushing plant 10. A releasable coupling 42 is mounted on an opposite end of the connection 37 to the piston 39. In the illustrated form, the releasable coupling 42 is in the form of a hook 44 which is arranged to engage a lug 43 disposed at the rear end at the discharge assembly frame 19.

With this arrangement, the hydraulic connection 37 is able to support the rear end of the discharge assembly frame 19 off the ground as illustrated in figure 7. When disposed in that arrangement, the piston 39 is retracted within the cylinder 40. To release the rear end of the discharge assembly frame 19, the piston 39 slides within the cylinder 40 so as to telescope to an extended position as shown in figure 8. By virtue of this action, the rear end of the discharge assembly frame 19 lowers under gravity until such time as the frame 19 rests on the ground. Once the frame 19 is resting on the ground, continued movement of the piston 39 causes the releasable coupling 42 to disengage with the hook 44 moving out of engagement with the lug 43.

A similar arrangement is provided as the front hydraulic connection 38 as illustrated in figure 9. Again a piston cylinder assembly is provided where the piston 45 is slidably mounted within a cylinder 46 between a retracted and an extended position. A first coupling 47

is provided between the cylinder 46 and the crushing assembly chassis 11 whereas a second releasable coupling 48 is formed between the piston 45 and an upper part of the discharge assembly frame. Again, the releasable coupling 48 is in the form of a hook 49 which is operative to engage a lug 50.

With the releasable connection formed by the front and rear hydraulic connections 37 and 38, the discharge assembly 18 is able to be dropped out from under the chassis 11 so that the discharge assembly frame 19 rests on the ground. To enable the assembly to be stably supported, a retractable strut 51 is connected to the discharge conveyor 21 as best illustrated in figure 6.

Once the discharge assembly 18 is released from the chassis 11, the crushing plant 10 is able to be reversed to a position as shown in figure 6 where there is clear access to the transport surface of the vibrating deck of the pan feeder 20 and the belt surface 23 of the discharge conveyor 21.

Accordingly, the crushing plant 10 provides a system where the discharge assembly frame can be quickly and simply released from the crushing plant chassis 11. Such an arrangement can significantly reduce down time of the crushing plant as it allows blockages which may occur in the vicinity of the crusher outlet or on the primary discharge assembly to be cleared quickly by allowing easy access to the transport surface. Also, if necessary, the primary discharge assembly can be replaced simply and quickly. This can improve the versatility of the equipment as it may enable the primary discharge assembly to be replaced with an assembly of a different design if required.

A further advantage of the crushing plant 10 is that

it can be easily disassembled so as to be transported in international standard containers. In that arrangement, the crushing plant is broken down into a number of sub assemblies, such as the crushing assembly 13, the feed hopper 17, the discharge assembly 18, the power unit 25 and the track assembly 12. The costs of transporting the power plant 10 in this disassembled state is substantially less than if it was transported as a roll-on, roll-off item. Further the plant 10 is able to be assembled relatively simply in view of the small number of sub assemblies which constitute the plant in a disassembled form.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word"comprising"or variations thereof, is used in an inclusive sense, i. e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the inventions.

Variations and or modifications may be made to the parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the present invention.