Horizontal shaft impact crusher

Abstract

The invention provides a horizontal shaft impact crusher and a method for adjusting the horizontal shaft impact crusher. The crusher housing has: an inlet (8) for the material to be crushed; an outlet (10) for the crushed material, and an outlet (20) for the crushed material; an impeller (4) mounted on a horizontal shaft (6) in the crusher housing (2) and operative to rotate about a horizontal axis; baffles (28, 30) against which the material accelerated by the impeller (4) can be crushed; and an adjustment device (42, 60), the adjustment device comprising: an adjustment lever (44, 62) for adjusting the position of the baffle (28, 30) relative to the impeller; a cross beam (84) to which the adjustment lever (44) is connected, the cross beam being adjustable relative to the impeller; and a drive cylinder (95) for displacing the beam to set the position of the baffle (28, 30) relative to the impeller (4). The drive cylinder (95) includes an internally mounted sensor (109, 141) to measure a baffle position relative to the impeller (4).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a horizontal shaft impact crusher comprising: a crusher housing having: an inlet for material to be crushed; an outlet for crushed material; an impeller mounted on a horizontal shaft in the crusher housing and operative to rotate about a horizontal axis; a baffle against which material accelerated by the impeller can be crushed; and an adjustment lever for adjusting the position of the baffle relative to the impeller. The present invention also relates to a method for adjusting a horizontal shaft impact crusher. Background Art

[0002] Horizontal shaft impact crushers are used in many applications to break hard materials. Such as rock chunks, ore chunks, etc. Horizontal shaft impact crushers have an impeller that is made to rotate about a horizontal axis. Rock chunks are fed towards the impeller and are struck by breaker elements mounted on the impeller. The rock chunks are broken by being struck by the breaker elements and are accelerated and thrown towards a crushing plate (commonly called a baffle) against which further fragmentation occurs.

[0003] Thus, the action of the impeller causes the material fed to the horizontal shaft impact crusher to move freely in the crushing chamber and to be broken up when striking against the breaker elements, against the baffles and against other pieces of material moving around at high speed in the crushing chamber.

[0004] In addition, the position of the baffle can be adjusted to compensate for baffle wear and breaker element wear. The position of the baffle can also be adjusted to adjust the size of the crushed material.

[0005] It is well known that the closing side setting gap (CSS) is set manually. This requires downtime and a lot of human intervention to ensure that the desired gap setting is achieved to obtain a specific end product. While this setting can be achieved through the use of an adjustable actuator, the measurement of this gap (CSS) is obtained through traditional measurement methods, such as measuring with a tape measure. In order to measure this gap (CSS), the power source (engine / motor) of the crusher must be disconnected to safely perform the measurement.

[0006] Once the crusher has been stopped (completely isolated from the power source), the rotor must be retracted to the correct position close to the baffle. A mechanical rotor positioning device is usually used to ensure that the rotor is retracted in a safe manner before measurements are taken.

[0007] US2013 / 0146692 describes an apparatus and method for adjusting a damper in an impact crusher, the apparatus and method using a sensor arranged on a crossbar of the impact crusher to measure the damper position. The sensor is a line-of-sight sensor mounted on the outside of the V-block, which produces a measure of the distance that allows the damper position to be calculated rather than producing a direct measurement.

[0008] The apparatus and method of US 2013 / 0146692 requires significant downtime to manually set the CSS.

[0009] Historically, it has been known that the baffle lining has a lower wear rate than the hammers or breakers attached to the rotor. However, it is difficult to measure independent wear rates between these items. Summary of the invention

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need for excessive downtime.It is another object of the present invention to eliminate human intervention in obtaining CSS measurements.

[0011] These objects of the invention have been achieved by the invention as set forth in the attached independent claims 1 and 18. Further preferred embodiments are set forth in the attached dependent claims and in the description.

[0012] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a horizontal shaft impact crusher comprising: a crusher housing having an inlet for material to be crushed, an outlet for crushed material, an impeller mounted on a horizontal shaft in the crusher housing and operative to rotate about a horizontal axis, a baffle against which material accelerated by the impeller can be crushed; and An adjustment device includes an adjustment rod for adjusting the position of the baffle relative to the impeller, and a crossbeam to which the adjustment rod is connected. The crossbeam is adjustable relative to the impeller. The adjustment device further includes a drive cylinder for displacing the crossbeam to set the position of the baffle relative to the impeller. The drive cylinder includes an internally mounted sensor for measuring the position of the baffle relative to the impeller.

[0013] Preferably, the drive cylinder is a hydraulic drive cylinder. The hydraulic drive cylinder is easy to control and easy to maintain.

[0014] Preferably, the internally mounted sensor is centrally mounted in the drive cylinder. The central mounting of the sensor results in a compact design and integrates it in the drive cylinder.

[0015] Preferably, the internally mounted sensor is a magnetostrictive linear position sensor. Magnetostrictive sensors have excellent shock resistance, waterproofness, operate over a wide temperature and pressure range, and provide suitable resolution and measurement length.

[0016] Preferably, the internally mounted sensor measures the stroke distance of the drive cylinder. The stroke distance measurement helps determine the service life of the component.

[0017] Preferably, the measurement of the stroke distance provides the linear distance between the impeller breaker element and the baffle. The measurement of the linear distance improves the accuracy of the measurement.

[0018] Preferably, the measurement of the stroke distance provides a measure of the wear on the baffle. The measurement of the wear allows the position of the baffle to be adjusted.

[0019] Preferably, the stroke distance measurement is continuously measured by an internally mounted sensor. This continuous measurement allows for real-time adjustment of the flapper position.

[0020] Preferably, the measurement of stroke distance is used in conjunction with a predetermined set point to set the position of the baffle relative to the impeller breaker element to give the required CSS. This allows precise control of the size of the product leaving the machine.

[0021] Preferably, the drive cylinder further comprises a control block configured to redirect fluid from within the retaining side of the cylinder to the retracting side of the cylinder. Rerouting the fluid allows adjustment of the damper position.

[0022] Preferably, the control block redirects flow from the fluid in the holding side of the cylinder to the retract side of the cylinder via a pressure relief valve in response to an overload pressure. Redirecting the flow minimizes damage that may be caused by overload pressure.

[0023] Preferably, the control block further comprises a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor being configured to measure a mechanical load acting on the baffle. The pressure sensor facilitates the positioning of the baffle.

[0024] In any embodiment, the drive cylinder can be connected to the crusher housing and connected to the crossbeam. Through this configuration, the drive cylinder is arranged on the outside of the crusher housing.

[0025] In particular, the drive cylinder may be connected to (such as directly attached to) the crusher, for example to the crusher housing, at a proximal portion thereof and may be connected to (such as directly attached to) the crossbeam at a distal portion of the drive cylinder.

[0026] In any embodiment, the adjustment device may be configured such that the cross beam is displaceable during a crushing operation, for example slidably attached to the crusher. During a crushing operation, the cross beam may be displaceable in a proximal direction and in an opposite distal direction. During a crushing operation, the cross beam may be displaceable in a proximal direction and in an opposite distal direction by means of a drive cylinder.

[0027] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for adjusting a horizontal shaft impact crusher, the horizontal shaft impact crusher comprising: a crusher housing, the crusher housing having: an inlet for material to be crushed; an outlet for crushed material; an impeller mounted on a horizontal shaft in the crusher housing and operative to rotate about a horizontal axis; a baffle against which material accelerated by the impeller can be crushed; and an adjustment device for adjusting the position of the baffle relative to the impeller, the method comprising: The baffle is moved to a position where it contacts the impeller breaker element by means of a drive cylinder. The stroke of the drive cylinder is measured using a sensor mounted internally in the drive cylinder to calculate the position of the baffle relative to the impeller breaker element. The present invention provides improved measurement and control of the baffle position.

[0028] Preferably, the measurement of the stroke distance provides a measure of the wear on the baffle.The measurement of the stroke distance helps determine the useful life of the component.

[0029] Optionally, the measurement of the stroke distance is used to set the position of the baffle relative to the impeller breaker element. This allows precise control of the size of the product leaving the machine.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the method comprises any or all of the following steps and the crusher may correspondingly be configured to perform any or all of the following steps: - periodically providing wear measurements, and storing said measurements; - using said stored measurements to calculate the wear rate of the liner and the breaker elements.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the method comprises any or all of the following steps and the crusher may correspondingly be configured to perform any or all of the following steps: Calculating an estimated service life of the liner and breaker elements using the stored wear measurements.

[0032] In any embodiment, the crushing machine may include a machine programmable logic controller (PLC) for performing the method according to the present disclosure.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the method comprises and the crusher may correspondingly be configured to perform any or all of the following steps: continuously monitoring the CSS; compensating for the total combined wear within the PLC to ensure accurate CSS setting.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the method comprises and the crusher may correspondingly be configured to perform any or all of the following steps: continuously monitoring the CSS and predicting wear rate for a user-specific application; optionally, providing an indication as to when worn parts need to be replaced.

[0035] According to an embodiment, the method includes any or all of the following steps and the crusher may be correspondingly configured to perform any or all of the following steps: determining a value of liner wear after a breaker replacement; recording the value of liner wear; calculating liner wear over time; and extrapolating the liner wear over time to provide a predicted liner wear rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The present invention will be more clearly understood through the following description of embodiments of the present invention given only as examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0037] Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a crusher according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of an adjustment device of a crusher;

[0039] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A rear perspective view of the adjustment device of the crusher is shown;

[0040] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional side view of the crusher is shown;

[0041] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A plan cross-sectional view of the regulating device shown;

[0042] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A plan view of the regulating device shown;

[0043] Figure 7 yes Figure 2 A rear view of the adjustment device shown;

[0044] Figure 8a is a perspective view of a drive cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8bis a plan view, and Figure 8c It is a side view;

[0045] Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of a magnetostrictive transducer;

[0046] Fig.10 is a graph of the CSS setting plotted against cylinder stroke; and

[0047] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a fluid circuit used in conjunction with a cylinder according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The following description of the impact crusher is particularly referred to Figures 1 to 4 The description is intended to illustrate the general features of an example of an impact crusher according to the present invention.

[0049] Figure 1 A horizontal shaft impact crusher 1 is schematically shown. The horizontal shaft impact crusher 1 comprises a housing 2 in which an impeller 4 is arranged. A motor (not shown to maintain clarity of the illustration) is operative to rotate a horizontal shaft 6 on which the impeller 4 is mounted. As an alternative to fixing the impeller 4 to the shaft 6, the impeller 4 may rotate about the shaft 6. In either case, the impeller 4 is operative to rotate about a horizontal axis coinciding with the center of the horizontal shaft 6.

[0050] The material to be crushed is fed to an inlet 8 for material to be crushed. The crushed material leaves the crusher 1 via an outlet 10 for crushed material.

[0051] The housing 2 is provided with a plurality of wear protection plates 12, which operate to protect the walls of the housing 2 from abrasion and from impacts of the material to be crushed. Furthermore, the housing 2 comprises a bearing 14 for the horizontal shaft 6. A lower feed plate (not shown) and an upper feed plate are arranged at the inlet 8. The feed plates operate to provide the material fed to the crusher 1 with a suitable direction relative to the impeller 4.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, the crusher 1 comprises a first baffle 28 and a second baffle 30. Each baffle 28, 30 comprises at least one wear plate 32 against which material can be crushed.

[0053] The first end 34 of the first baffle 28 has been mounted by means of a horizontal first pivot axis 36 extending through an opening 38 formed in the baffle 28 at the first end 34. The first pivot axis 36 further extends through an opening in the housing 2 to suspend the first end 34 in the housing 2. The second end 40 of the first baffle 28 is connected to a first adjustment device 42, which includes two parallel adjustment rods 44, see Figure 2 .

[0054] The first end 52 of the second baffle 30 has been mounted by means of a horizontal second pivot axis 54, which extends through an opening 56 formed in the baffle 30 at the first end 52. The second pivot axis 54 further extends through a hole in the housing 2 to suspend the first end 52 in the housing 2. The second end 58 of the second baffle 30 is connected to a second adjustment device 60, which includes two parallel adjustment rods 62. The second adjustment device 60 can have a similar design to the first adjustment device 42, and Figure 2 and 3 Shown in.

[0055] The impeller 4 shown has four breaker elements 70, each of which has a curved shape, as seen in cross section. Each breaker element 70 has a central portion 72 that operates to cooperate with a mounting block 74 that operates to press the back of the breaker element 70 toward the impeller 4 to hold the breaker element 70 in place. The leading edge 76 of the breaker element 70 extends in the direction of rotation so that a scoop-shaped area 78 is formed between the central portion 72 and the leading edge 76.

[0056] The breaker element 70 is symmetrical about its central portion 72 so that once the leading edge 76 has been worn away, the breaker element 70 can be rotated and mounted so that its second leading edge 80 operates to crush material. The area formed between the impeller 4 and the first and second baffles 28, 30 may be referred to as the crushing chamber 82 of the crusher 1.

[0057] The material will first reach the first baffle 28, which is located upstream of the second baffle 30 as seen relative to the direction of travel of the material. With the help of the feed plate, the material is directed towards the impeller 4, which typically rotates at a speed of 400-850 rpm. When the material is hit by the breaker element 70, the material will be broken and accelerated against the wear plate 32 of the first baffle 28, where further crushing occurs. The material will rebound from the first baffle 28 and will be further broken by the material traveling in the opposite direction and broken again by the breaker element 70. When the material has been broken to a sufficiently small size, the material will move further down the crushing chamber 82 and be accelerated by the breaker element 70 towards the wear plate 32 of the second baffle 30 located downstream of the first baffle 28. Thus, material will move freely around in the crushing chamber 82 and will be crushed against the breaker elements 70, against the wear plates 32 of the baffles 28, 30, and by other pieces of material circling at high speed in the crusher 1.

[0058] By adjusting the longitudinal position of the adjustment lever 44 relative to the housing 2, the first baffle 28 can be pivoted about the first pivot axis 36 until an optimum distance has been obtained between the second end 40 and the impeller 4 with respect to the characteristics of the material to be crushed, for example with respect to size and hardness. The adjustability of the distance between the first baffle 28 and the impeller 4 is therefore minimal at this position, i.e. at the second end 40 of the first baffle 28, at which the distance between the first baffle 28 and the impeller 4 is generally minimal. In a similar manner, the second adjustment device 60 can be used to pivot the second baffle 30 about the second pivot axis 54 until a suitable distance has been obtained between the impeller 4 and the second end 58 of the second baffle 30.

[0059] like Figure 2 , 3 5 to 7, the adjustment device 42 includes a support structure in the form of a crossbeam 84 and a connecting portion in the form of a V-shaped guide block 86, which are arranged in the opposite two horizontal ends of the crossbeam 84 and are fastened to the crossbeam 84. Each of the two guide blocks 86 is received in a corresponding guide rail 90 mounted on the housing 2, and the guide rail 90 extends away from the housing 2. Each guide rail 90 is provided with a portion having a shape corresponding to the shape of the connecting portion of the crossbeam 84. In this embodiment, each guide rail 90 is provided with a V-shaped groove 91 to form a V-shaped receiving portion corresponding to the V-shaped guide block 86, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As best shown.

[0060] The guide block 86 can slide along the guide rail 90. By sliding the guide block 86 relative to the guide rail 90 to adjust the position of the crossbeam 84, the crossbeam 84 and thus the baffle 28 connected to the crossbeam 84 via the rod 44 can be adjusted to the correct position relative to the impeller 4 in relation to the characteristics of the material to be crushed.

[0061] like Figure 7 As shown, the crusher 1 further comprises retaining means in the form of retaining bolts 88. Optionally, the groove 91 and / or the guide block 86 may be provided with a friction pad 92.

[0062] The friction pad 92 , which may be, for example, a proprietary disc brake lining material, provides high and predictable friction between the guide block 86 and the guide rail 90 .

[0063] Each guide rail 90 is provided with a longitudinal slot 94, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As best shown in FIG. 1 , the slot 94 extends along the guide rail 90 and is configured to receive the retaining means (in this case, the retaining bolt 88) for securing the guide block 86 to the guide rail 90. The slot 94 allows the guide block 86 to slide along the guide rail 90 together with the retaining bolt 88 mounted therein.

[0064] Now refer to Figures 5 to 11 Features of the invention and various modes of operation of the invention are described in relation to the embodiments described herein.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown in Fig. 8, the drive cylinder 95 is centrally located on the adjustment device 42, 60. The drive cylinder comprises a piston shaft 105 with a coupling 107 which can abut against the crusher housing 2.

[0066] The transducer 109 is mounted centrally in the cylinder 95 and measures the position of the baffle relative to the impeller 4. The position of the baffles 28, 30 relative to the impeller 4 is adjustable.

[0067] In this example of the invention, sensors 109 and 141 ( Figure 8a and Fig. 9 ) is centrally mounted in the cylinder 95 and includes a linear displacement sensor for detecting the position of the cylinder rod / piston 105 relative to the cylinder 95. In this example of the invention, the linear displacement sensor 141 is a magnetostrictive linear position sensor with a durable steel housing suitable for use in extreme environments. The magnetostrictive sensor includes a magnet 147 mounted on a probe shaft 145. The magnetostrictive sensor has excellent impact resistance, excellent waterproofing, an operating temperature range of -40 to 85 degrees Celsius, a pressure rating of up to 1000 bar, a resolution of 1 micron, and a measurement length suitable for the application.

[0068] Sensor 141 measures the extension / position of the cylinder and the signal from this sensor is used to derive the CSS via the machine programmable logic controller (PLC).The position of the cylinder 95 can also be set by the machine programmable logic controller PLC.

[0069] In addition to the linear displacement sensor 141, the cylinder 95 also has an integrated pressure sensor 189, which is used to detect external loads on the baffle, such as Figures 8a to 8c A pressure sensor 189 is mounted on a hydraulic coupler 111 which forms part of a hydraulic circuit connecting 190 to the bore side 192 and the annulus side 194 of the cylinder.

[0070] In use, the drive cylinder 95 is held under pressure to set the position of the baffle 30. The pressure sensor 189 measures the pressure in the cylinder to assist in the positioning of the baffle 30 relative to the impeller 70, as the pressure sensor 189 can detect excessive pressure when the baffle contacts the impeller 70 as it is pushed forward. The pressure of the drive cylinder is constantly measured by the pressure sensor 189, and the pressure sensor 189 can detect overload pressure.

[0071] Wear calibration is performed periodically, whereby each wear measurement is stored in the machine PLC. Plotting this wear measurement against the number of crushing hours (also stored) will give the wear rate of the liner and breaker elements in their current application. By using other parameters such as engine load and product output (TPH), an estimate of the service life of the liner and breaker elements under predetermined conditions can be obtained. The wear life given in time will be provided to the customer and allow the customer to order replacement liners at the right time.

[0072] An example of a wear setting procedure of the present invention is as follows.

[0073] The procedure consists of four stages: 1. Sensor calibration (zero state - applies to both bottom baffle and top baffle) 2. Determine the wear value 3. Bottom bezel CSS 4. Top bezel CSS

[0074] Fig.10 is a graph plotting CSS setting 153 as a function of wear 155 and shows a series of curves 151 having wear values ​​of 0 mm 157 , 10 mm 159 , 20 mm 161 , 30 mm 163 , 40 mm 165 , 50 mm 167 and 60 mm 169 . Fig.10Provides examples of the types of calibration graphs that can be used to calculate wear.

[0075] In phase 1, the zero state of the regulating device 60 is set, and the following steps may be performed.

[0076] The combination of the transducer 141 and the pressure sensor 189 is used to calibrate the device to set a zero condition. The bore side 192 of the cylinder 95 is energized and the cylinder is extended to full stroke. The pressure transducer 189 will detect the pressure drop on the annulus side 185. The current value measured in the linear transducer 109 will increase or decrease from its initial state until full stroke is achieved. Once the current measured at the linear transducer 109 is within the specified window, and assuming that full stroke has been achieved and all offsets have been compensated, the sensor calibration is complete.

[0077] In stage 2, the annulus side 194 of the cylinder 95 is energized and the cylinder 95 is retracted until impact with a hammer or breaker tip is achieved. The pressure transducer 189 will detect the pressure spike of the impact on the annulus side and the position values ​​of the linear transducers 109, 141 are recorded and compared to a lookup table of wear values ​​- using a linear calculation to calculate the total wear value.

[0078] In stage 3, the bottom baffle CSS can be set as follows. The CSS is set / determined using the wear value previously calculated during a calibration request or an automatic procedure during normal operation (after the wear value has been previously stored). The bore side 192 of the cylinder is energized and the cylinder extends until the current value measured by the linear transducer 141 matches the user's requested value. The cylinder stops moving and the CSS is set.

[0079] In stage 4, the top baffle CSS may be set using the adjustment device 42 following the same procedure as steps 1 and 3 above.

[0080] Fig.11 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a fluid circuit used in conjunction with a cylinder according to the present invention. The fluid circuit 181 includes a drive cylinder 183 having a holding side 185 and a retracting side 187. The circuit is used to monitor the pressure within the fluid circuit, which is used as a measure of the load experienced by the dampers 28, 30 of the crusher.

[0081] In one example, when there is an extremely high shock load, or an unbreakable object enters the chamber, the mechanical load on the baffles 28 and 30 will increase. This increase occurs so quickly that the system cannot adjust in time, so a fast-acting pressure relief valve 195 is used in the fluid circuit 181. The pressure relief valve 195 changes the fluid from the holding side 185 of the cylinder 95 to the retraction side 187 very quickly. For example, it uses the latent energy of the shock load to retract the cylinder, rather than relying entirely on an external pump. In addition, the fluid circuit 181 is configured to draw any additional fluid from the tank line 196 to ensure that cavitation is prevented.

[0082] In another example, if the load within the crushing chamber 1 increases to a level above the desired operating condition of the machine, the pressure sensor 189 will detect this increase and report it to the PLC, which will then send a signal to energize the retract side 187 of the cylinder 95. This causes the CSS gap to open and reduce the pressure. Once the pressure has been reduced to an acceptable level, the PLC will energize the hold side 185 to reset the CSS setting.

[0083] Advantageously, the present invention may fully perform CSS measurements using PLC logic.

[0084] The benefits include reduced downtime, as there is no need to completely disconnect the crusher from its power source. The operator does not need to perform any manual tasks, including releasing the brake, opening / closing the access door, engaging the rotor slewing device and manually positioning the baffle, and measuring the clearance (CSS). Eliminating these tasks inherently reduces operator risk and reduces downtime.

[0085] The transducers are integrally positioned to the driving hydraulic cylinders, these transducers being bolted to the ends of the cylinders, with an internal rod sliding within the cylinders.

[0086] The transducer 141 measures the full stroke of the drive cylinder, from which we can directly calculate the position of the baffle. In the maintenance mode of the machine, the impeller 4 is turned at a reduced rpm. The hydraulic cylinder is used to position the baffle to the desired clearance (CSS).

[0087] Unlike the prior art, the adjustment device 42 is not tightly clamped by the V-block 86, but is held in a position determined by the cylinder extension. Different V-block friction materials can be used to reduce / increase the load transmission on the hydraulic cylinder by reducing / increasing the friction coefficient. This can be beneficial in heavy-duty applications where the load transferred to the cylinder can be reduced, thereby extending the service life of the cylinder.

[0088] Thereby, the adjustment device is configured such that the crossbeam is displaceable during the crushing operation, in particular slidably attached to the crusher. During the crushing operation, the crossbeam is displaceable in a proximal direction towards the crusher and in an opposite distal direction. During the crushing operation, the crossbeam is displaceable in the proximal direction and in the distal direction by means of the drive cylinder.

[0089] In at least one example of the invention, the CSS and cylinder position are calculated using a PLC.

[0090] With respect to the gap setting, when the baffle contacts the rotor with the cylinder extended, the sensor detects zero CSS.

[0091] This zero CSS state also allows the PLC to determine the overall wear (abrasion induced topology changes) and allows the crusher damper to be set to a preset valve / clearance set by the operator via the PLC.

[0092] The system logic continuously monitors the gap setting system and compensates for the overall wear (topological changes caused by abrasion) within the PLC to ensure accurate gap settings. In addition, the system can predict the wear rate for the user's specific application and automatically provide the user with up-to-date intelligence on when worn parts need to be replaced (wear prediction).

[0093] Historically, it was known that the baffle liner had a lower wear rate than the breaker elements attached to the rotor. However, it was difficult to measure independent wear rates between these items. The logic contained programming that after each hammer or breaker change, the PLC would record the liner wear and save that value so the liner wear over time could be calculated and extrapolated to give a predicted liner wear rate.

[0094] The cylinder has a valve attached which will maintain the position of the cylinder under normal operating conditions. This is a mechanical preset which can be monitored by the PLC and allows the hydraulic cylinder to be repositioned if certain conditions are not met and then reset again once the correct conditions are restored.

[0095] In addition, the system logic is configured to monitor the primary and secondary damper settings. The logic controls the hydraulic cylinder travel to a specific range applicable to the primary or secondary position.

[0096] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but may be varied in construction and details.

Claims

1. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1), comprising: A crusher housing (2), the crusher housing (2) having: an inlet (8), the inlet (8) for material to be crushed; an outlet (10), the outlet (10) for crushed material; an impeller (4) mounted on a horizontal shaft (6) in the crusher housing (2) and operative to rotate about a horizontal axis; baffles (28, 30) against which material accelerated by the impeller (4) can be crushed; and An adjusting device (42, 60), the adjusting device comprising: an adjusting rod (44, 62), the adjusting rod being used to adjust the position of the baffle (28, 30) relative to the impeller, a crossbeam (84) to which the adjustment rod (44) is connected, the crossbeam being adjustable relative to the impeller, a drive cylinder (95) for displacing the crossbeam to set the position of the baffles (28, 30) relative to the impeller (4), The drive cylinder (95) includes an internally mounted sensor (109, 141), wherein the internally mounted sensor (109, 141) is used to measure the baffle position relative to the impeller (4).

2. The horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to claim 1, wherein the drive cylinder (95) is a hydraulic drive cylinder.

3. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the internally mounted sensor is centrally mounted in the drive cylinder (95).

4. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the internally mounted sensor is a magnetostrictive linear position sensor (109, 141).

5. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the internally mounted sensor (109, 141) measures the stroke distance of the drive cylinder.

6. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to claim 5, wherein the measurement of the stroke distance provides the linear distance between the breaker element (70) of the impeller and the baffle (28, 30).

7. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to claim 5, wherein the measurement of the stroke distance provides a measure of the wear on the baffles (28, 30).

8. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to claim 5, wherein the stroke distance is continuously measured by the internally mounted sensor (109, 141).

9. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to claim 5, wherein the measured value of the stroke distance is used to set the position of the baffle relative to the breaker element (70) of the impeller to give a required side setting clearance (CSS).

10. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the drive cylinder (95) further comprises a control block (111, 181) configured to redirect fluid from the fluid in the holding side (185, 194) of the cylinder (187, 192) to the retract side of the cylinder (187, 192).

11. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to claim 10, wherein the control block (111, 181) redirects fluid from the fluid in the holding side of the cylinder to the retract side of the cylinder via a pressure relief valve (195) in response to an overload pressure.

12. A horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the sensor (189) measures a mechanical load acting on the baffle.

13. A crusher according to any one of the preceding claims 7 to 12, configured to store the wear measurements and to calculate the wear rate of the lining of the baffle and the breaker elements of the crusher based on these stored measurements.

14. The breaker of claim 13, further configured to use the stored wear measurements to calculate an estimated useful life of the liner and the breaker elements.

15. A crusher according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 14, wherein the crusher is configured to continuously monitor the CSS and compensate for wear to ensure accurate CSS setting.

16. A crusher according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 15, wherein the crusher is configured to continuously monitor the CSS and predict the wear rate for a user specific application, and Optionally, the crusher is configured to provide an indication as to when worn parts require replacement.

17. The crusher according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 16, further configured to: - Provides the value of liner wear after the breaker is replaced; - record the value of the lining wear; -Calculate the lining wear over time; - Extrapolating the time varying liner wear to provide a predicted baffle liner wear rate.

18. A method for adjusting a horizontal shaft impact crusher (1), the horizontal shaft impact crusher (1) comprising: A crusher housing (2), the crusher housing (2) having: an inlet (8), the inlet (8) being for material to be crushed; an outlet (10) for the crushed material; an impeller (4) mounted on a horizontal shaft (6) in the crusher housing (2) and operative to rotate about a horizontal axis; baffles (28, 30) against which material accelerated by the impeller (4) can be crushed; and an adjusting device (42, 60), the adjusting device being used to adjust the position of the baffle (28, 30) relative to the impeller, the method comprising: By means of a drive cylinder (95), the baffles (28, 30) are moved to a position where the baffles (28, 30) are in contact with the impeller breaker element (70), The stroke of the drive cylinder is measured using a sensor mounted internally in the drive cylinder to calculate the position of the baffle relative to the impeller breaker element (70).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the measurement of the stroke distance provides a measure of the total combined wear on the baffles (28, 30) and the breaker element (70).

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the measurement of the stroke distance is used to set the position of the baffle relative to the impeller breaker element (70).

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising - periodically providing a measure of said wear and storing said measured values; - Calculate the wear rate of the breaker element and the lining of the baffle.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of: The estimated useful life of the breaker element and the baffle lining is calculated.

23. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 18 to 22, further comprising one or more of the following steps: -Continuously monitor the CSS; - Compensate for the total combined wear within the PLC to ensure accurate CSS settings.

24. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 18 to 23, further comprising one or more of the following steps: -Continuously monitor the CSS and predict wear rate for user specific application; - Optionally, provide an indication as to when worn parts need to be replaced.

25. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 18 to 24, further comprising one or more of the following steps: - After the breaker is replaced, determine the value of the liner wear; - storing the value of the lining wear; -Calculate the lining wear over time; - Extrapolating said liner wear over time to provide a predicted liner wear rate.

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