System for maintaining crushing jaw of compact eccentric crusher

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system for maintaining a crushing jaw of a compact eccentric crusher. A compact eccentric crusher according to the present disclosure includes a system and method for moving a crushing jaw from a crushing position to a maintenance position. When the crushing jaw is in the crushing position, a first end of the crushing jaw is mounted to the crusher frame and a second end is movable to adjust a size of a crushing gap between the crushing roller and the crushing jaw. The second end of the crushing jaw is secured to the crusher frame and the first end of the crushing jaw pivots away from the crusher frame when the crushing jaw is to be moved to the service position. To allow pivotal movement of the first end of the crushing jaw, a connection between the upper bearing assembly and the crusher frame is removed, and the upper bearing assembly is movable with the first end of the crushing jaw.

Description

System for maintaining the jaws of a compact eccentric crusher Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to a system for providing a crushing jaw close to a compact eccentric crusher for maintenance. More specifically, this disclosure relates to an installation and pivoting configuration of a crushing jaw for a compact eccentric crusher that allows the crushing jaw to pivot outward to a maintenance position, thereby enabling the removal and replacement of wear plates on the crushing jaw from outside the crushing chamber. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, different types of crushers are being used to reduce the size of mineral materials present in the infeed of the crusher. After processing, the size of the mineral materials has been reduced, resulting in a supply of mineral materials with smaller individual components. In these types of crushers, the moving crushing members move toward and away from the stationary crushing members to create a varying crushing gap, thereby crushing the mineral materials in the infeed.

[0003] One type of crusher used to reduce the size of mineral materials is called a compact eccentric crusher. In a compact eccentric crusher, freely rotating crushing rollers are mounted to an eccentric shaft via a series of roller bearings. The crushing rollers are spaced apart from a generally fixed crushing jaw. The eccentric arrangement of the crushing rollers on the eccentric drive shaft causes the rollers to move eccentrically toward and away from the fixed crushing jaw. This movement changes the size of the crushing gap, causing the mineral material fed into the compact eccentric crusher to be crushed within the crushing gap.

[0004] During operation, the crushing roller is freely rotatable on the eccentric drive shaft, causing it to slowly rotate around the shaft in the opposite direction to its rotation. Although the crushing force is generated by the lateral movement of the crushing roller relative to the fixed crushing jaw, the free rotation of the crushing roller distributes wear across all parts of its outer circumference.

[0005] When a compact eccentric roll crusher operates to crush mineral materials, the crushed material comes into contact with wear surfaces formed on the fixed jaw. These wear surfaces are typically formed by a series of wear plates fastened to the jaw's frame. After a period of use, these wear plates become noticeably worn and must be removed and replaced. Currently, in available compact eccentric roll crushers, removing wear plates from the jaw is difficult because maintenance personnel must be inside the crushing chamber to remove them. Due to the difficulty in accessing the interior of the compact eccentric roll crusher, the jaw must be removed from the crusher frame or multiple components must be removed to allow better access to the crushing chamber. After removing the worn wear elements, new or refurbished wear elements are then installed on the jaw frame. Currently, removing wear elements from the fixed jaw frame requires removing a large number of crusher components to provide access to the wear elements, making maintenance both time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0006] The inventors of this disclosure recognized the need to improve the ability to move the crusher jaw away from the crusher frame and to a maintenance position for easier and more open access to the wear-resistant components. According to this disclosure, the crusher jaw is moved to the maintenance position. In this maintenance position, removing the wear-resistant components from the crusher jaw frame is easier and less strenuous. The improvement of this disclosure lies in moving the first end of the upper part of the crusher jaw away from the crusher frame during maintenance, while allowing the first end to be installed back onto the crusher frame during crushing operations. Before moving the crusher jaw to the maintenance position, only the retaining bolts at the upper end of the crusher jaw need to be removed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This disclosure generally relates to a system and method for providing a crushing jaw close to a compact eccentric crusher for maintenance. More specifically, this disclosure relates to an installation and pivoting configuration of a crushing jaw for a compact eccentric crusher that allows the crushing jaw to pivot outward to a maintenance position, enabling the removal and replacement of wear plates on the crushing jaw from outside the crushing chamber.

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a crusher is provided operable to crush a supplied mineral material. The crusher includes a crusher frame that at least partially defines a crushing chamber. Inside the crushing chamber, a crushing roller is mounted to a drive shaft to rotate within the crushing chamber. A crushing jaw is positioned to further define the crushing chamber. The crushing jaw is spaced apart from the crushing roller, such that a crushing gap is formed between the crushing roller and the crushing jaw. In one exemplary embodiment, the crushing roller includes an eccentric bearing that mounts the crushing roller to the drive shaft, such that the crushing roller travels along an eccentric path to crush the material within the crushing gap.

[0009] The jaw crusher extends between a first end and a second end and is movable between a crushing position and a maintenance position. When the jaw crusher is in the crushing position, the first end of the jaw crusher is pivotally mounted to the crusher frame, and the second end is movable into and out of the crushing chamber to adjust the crushing gap between the crushing roller and the jaw crusher. When the jaw crusher is in the maintenance position, the second end of the jaw crusher is pivotally mounted to the crusher frame, allowing the first end of the jaw crusher to move toward and away from the crusher frame. The movement of the first end of the jaw crusher away from the crusher frame creates a maintenance space between the jaw crusher and the frame, thereby providing access to the wear-resistant components on the jaw crusher.

[0010] When the crushing jaw is in the crushing position, a first end of the crushing jaw is supported by a pair of upper bearing assemblies, which allow a second end of the crushing jaw to pivot to adjust the crushing gap. Each pair of upper bearing assemblies is fastened to the crusher frame by one or more retaining bolts. When the retaining bolts are removed, as the crushing jaw moves from the crushing position to the maintenance position, at least one housing of the upper bearing assembly remains fastened to the first end of the crushing jaw.

[0011] Before moving the jaw crusher to the maintenance position, secure the lower bearing assembly on the second end of the jaw crusher to the crusher frame. Once the lower bearing assembly is secured to the crusher frame and the retaining bolts are removed to release the upper bearing assembly, activate the maintenance cylinder to move the first end of the jaw crusher away from the crusher frame, thereby moving the jaw crusher to the maintenance position.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, the crusher further includes a jaw adjustment assembly operable to control movement of a second end of the jaw. The jaw adjustment assembly includes a connecting arm having a first end and a second end. The first end of the connecting arm is connected to the second end of the jaw via a lower bearing assembly. The lower bearing assembly on the first end of the connecting arm is fastened to the crusher frame, allowing the first end of the jaw to move away from the crusher frame to create a maintenance space.

[0013] According to another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a compact eccentric crusher is provided for crushing a fed mineral material. The compact eccentric crusher includes a crusher frame that at least partially defines a crushing chamber. Inside the crushing chamber, a crushing roller is mounted to a drive shaft to rotate within the crushing chamber. A crushing jaw is positioned to further define the crushing chamber. The crushing jaw is spaced apart from the crushing roller, such that a crushing gap is formed between the crushing roller and the crushing jaw. The crushing roller includes an eccentric bearing that mounts the crushing roller to the drive shaft, such that the crushing roller travels along an eccentric path to crush the material within the crushing gap.

[0014] The jaw crusher extends between a first end and a second end and is movable between a crushing position and a maintenance position. When the jaw crusher is in the crushing position, the first end is pivotally mounted to the crusher frame, and the second end is movable into and out of the crushing chamber to adjust the crushing clearance between the crushing roller and the jaw crusher. When the jaw crusher is in the maintenance position, the second end is pivotally mounted to the crusher frame, allowing the first end of the jaw crusher to move toward and away from the crusher frame. The movement of the first end of the jaw crusher away from the crusher frame creates a maintenance space between the jaw crusher and the frame, providing access to the wear-resistant components on the jaw crusher.

[0015] The crusher also includes a pair of upper bearing assemblies, each of which is mounted to the crusher frame. The pair of upper bearing assemblies support a first end of the crushing jaw in a crushing position and allow pivotal movement of a second end of the crushing jaw. Each upper bearing assembly includes a housing fastened to the crusher frame by one or more retaining bolts. When the retaining bolts are removed, the first end of the crushing jaw can move away from the crusher frame and into a maintenance position. When the crushing jaw is in the maintenance position, the upper bearing assembly remains connected to the first end of the crushing jaw.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment, the compact eccentric crusher further includes a jaw adjustment assembly operable to control movement of a second end of the jaw. The jaw adjustment assembly includes a connecting arm having a first end and a second end. The first end of the connecting arm is connected to the second end of the jaw via a lower bearing assembly. The lower bearing assembly on the first end of the connecting arm is fastened to the crusher frame, allowing the first end of the jaw to move away from the crusher frame to create a maintenance space. The jaw assembly includes a drive unit operable to move the connecting arm, thereby controlling the position of the second end of the jaw.

[0017] A method is provided for maintaining the jaw of a crusher, the crusher including a crusher frame, crushing rollers, and a jaw. The crusher includes a crushing gap formed between the crushing rollers and the jaw. According to an exemplary embodiment, an upper bearing assembly is configured to pivotally mount a first end of the jaw to the crusher frame. Mounting the first end of the jaw allows a second end of the jaw to move toward and away from the crushing rollers to adjust the size of the crushing gap. When maintenance is required, the second end of the jaw is secured to the crusher frame, making it immobile. Once the second end of the jaw is secured, the upper bearing assembly is released from its mounting to the crusher frame. After the first end of the jaw is released, the jaw can be moved to a maintenance position, in which a maintenance space is created between the jaw and the crusher frame.

[0018] According to one exemplary embodiment, the second end of the crushing jaw is connected to a pair of lower bearing assemblies. When the crusher is in the maintenance position, the pair of lower bearing assemblies are secured to the crusher frame, and the first end of the crusher moves to the maintenance position via a maintenance cylinder. During this movement, the upper bearing assembly remains mounted to the first end of the crushing jaw and thus moves with the crushing jaw.

[0019] Various other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings illustrate the currently envisioned best mode for implementing this disclosure. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view showing the overall operation of a compact eccentric crusher, which includes a fixed crushing jaw and a movable crushing roller; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a compact eccentric crusher including the subject matter of this disclosure; Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the compact eccentric crusher of this disclosure; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the compact eccentric crusher showing the crushing jaw and crushing roller; Figure 5 is a side view of the compact eccentric crusher with the crushing jaw in a fully retracted position during operation of the compact eccentric crusher; Figure 6 is a compact... Figure 7 is a side view of a compact eccentric crusher with the jaw adjustment assembly in the intermediate position; Figure 8 is a side view of a compact eccentric crusher with the jaw adjustment assembly in the fully extended position, so that the crushing jaw is in the maintenance position; Figure 9 is a side view of a compact eccentric crusher showing the removal of the retaining bolts that fasten the upper bearing housing to the crusher frame; Figure 10 is a side view showing the crushing jaw pivoting to the maintenance position about the lower support shaft; and Figure 11 is a partial exploded view showing the retaining bolts used to fasten the upper bearing housing. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Figure 1 generally illustrates the operation of a compact eccentric crusher 10. The compact eccentric crusher 10 shown in Figure 1 is a representative embodiment included to illustrate the general operation and configuration of the compact eccentric crusher 10, and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure as it is included for illustrative purposes. As shown in Figure 1, the compact eccentric crusher 10 receives a feed of mineral material 12 from a feed conveyor 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the feed of mineral material 12 may include particles of varying sizes, all of which fall onto a feed screen 16, which includes slots or other openings that allow sufficiently small particles to bypass the primary crushing operation. The feed screen 16 guides the larger particles of the feed of mineral material into the crushing chamber 18. In other contemplated embodiments, the feed screen 16 may be omitted, allowing the entire feed of material to be guided into the crushing chamber 18.

[0022] Crushing chamber 18 is generally formed between crushing jaw 20 and the outer surface 22 of crushing roller 24. Crushing roller 24 is mounted on drive shaft 26, which is supported by an eccentric bearing assembly that causes eccentric movement of the outer surface 22 of crushing roller 24 along an eccentric path, including movement toward and away from fixed crushing jaw 20, as schematically shown by arrow 28. The eccentric movement of crushing roller 24 toward and away from fixed crushing jaw 20 causes the size of crushing gap 30 to increase and decrease. During operation of crushing roller 24, the increase and decrease in the size of crushing gap 30 causes larger particles in the feed stream to be crushed, thereby producing outlet product stream 32.

[0023] In addition to the movement of the entire crushing roller 24, the position of the crushing jaw 20 can be adjusted according to this disclosure to change the maximum and minimum dimensions of the crushing gap 30. However, during the crushing operation, it is the eccentric movement of the crushing roller 24 relative to the fixed crushing jaw 20 that generates the crushing force, thereby converting the inlet product flow into the outlet product flow 32.

[0024] Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, a compact eccentric crusher 10 constructed according to the present disclosure will now be further described. In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3, the compact eccentric crusher 10 is shown as including a frame 36 designed to support the eccentric movement of a crusher roller and receive a product stream at an open upper end 38, which is fed into an internal crushing chamber 18, as schematically shown in Figure 1. The frame 36 includes a pair of sidewalls 40, each spaced apart from the other to define a portion of the crushing chamber. A rear wall 42 further defines the crushing chamber, while a jaw assembly 44 defines the front portion of the crushing chamber.

[0025] The crusher jaw assembly 44 includes a crusher jaw 20 comprising a series of wear plates 46, best shown in FIG4. The wear plates 46 define contact surfaces 48 for the crusher jaw 20, which are spaced apart from the outer surface 22 of the crushing roller 24. The gap between the outer surface 22 of the crushing roller 24 and the contact surfaces 48 of the wear plates 46 forms a crushing gap 30 for crushing mineral material fed into the crushing chamber 18 of the compact eccentric crusher 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG4, a first end 50 of the upper portion of the crusher jaw 20 is mounted to rotate about an upper support shaft 52. A second end 54 of the lower portion of the crusher jaw 20 is movable relative to the upper support shaft 52, moving inward and outward to adjust the size of the crushing gap 30. As previously described, during operation of the compact eccentric crusher 10, the crushing jaw 20 is held in a stationary position, while the crushing roller 24 moves along the eccentric path to increase and decrease the size of the crushing gap 30, thereby crushing the mineral material.

[0026] The crushing roll 24 includes a series of wear members 56 mounted on it to define an outer surface 22. During operation of the compact eccentric crusher 10, the outer surface 22 moves along an eccentric movement path and contacts the mineral material being crushed, thus undergoing wear. When sufficiently worn, the individual wear members 56 can be removed from the crushing roll 24. The crushing roll 24 is mounted to the drive shaft 26 via a series of roller bearings, allowing the crushing roll 24 to rotate freely relative to the drive shaft 26 during eccentric movement. During normal operation, the crushing roll 24 may not rotate or may rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation of the drive shaft 26, which distributes wear evenly across the wear members 56 mounted on the crushing roll 24. During operation of the compact eccentric crusher 10, the drive shaft 26 is rotatable by one or more drive motors.

[0027] As shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 4, the eccentric bearing 58 is located between the crushing roller 24 and the drive shaft 26. In this way, the rotation of the drive shaft 26 produces an eccentric movement of the entire crushing roller 24, thereby causing the crushing roller 24 to move laterally toward and away from the crushing jaw 20. This eccentric movement causes the size of the crushing gap 30 to increase and decrease in order to crush the mineral material within the crushing gap 30.

[0028] Referring back to Figures 2 and 3, the compact eccentric crusher 10 also includes a flywheel 60 mounted to either side of the drive shaft 26. The flywheel 60 provides rotational mass that combines with the mass of the crushing roll during operation of the compact eccentric crusher 10. The flywheel 60 is mounted axially outward from bearing support structures 62 located on each side of the compact eccentric crusher 10. The bearing support structure 62 provides support for one of a pair of bearing assemblies for supporting the crushing roll within an open crushing chamber 18 defined by a frame.

[0029] Referring now to Figure 4, the first end 50 of the crushing jaw 20 is shown supported by an upper support shaft 52. The upper support shaft 52 passes through and is supported by a pair of upper bearing assemblies 64 on each side of the frame 36. Each upper bearing assembly 64 is located near the top of the frame 36 of the compact eccentric crusher 10. The pivotal connection between the upper first ends 50 of the crushing jaw 20 allows the lower second end 54 of the crushing jaw 20 to move into and out of the crushing chamber 18, as best indicated by arrow 55 in Figure 4. This movement controls the size of the crushing gap 30.

[0030] The jaw adjustment assembly 66 is positioned on both the first and second sides of the crusher frame 36 and is operable to control the movement of the second end 54 of the jaw 20. By using the jaw adjustment assembly 66 located on each side of the crusher, the position of the jaw 20 can be adjusted to control the size of the crushing gap 30 formed within the compact eccentric crusher 10. Additionally, the jaw adjustment assembly 66 allows the jaw to move outward to respond to overload conditions in the crushing chamber 18, such as when abnormal material enters the crushing gap 30 and cannot be crushed.

[0031] The jaw adjustment assembly 66 on the side of the crusher frame shown includes a connecting arm 70 extending between a first end 72 and a second end 74. The first end 72 of the connecting arm 70 is rotatably connected to a lower support shaft 76. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG4, the lower support shaft 76 extends through an opening formed in the frame 78 of the jaw 20 near the second end 54. As shown in FIG5, the lower support shaft 76 is rotatable within a lower bearing assembly 77, which is formed by the first end 72 of the connecting arm 70 and a retaining bracket 80. The bearing surrounds the lower support shaft 76, allowing the lower support shaft 76 to rotate relative to the lower bearing assembly 77. In this way, the first end 72 of the connecting arm 70 is connected to the frame 78 of the jaw 20 while allowing the first end 72 to rotate substantially relative to the lower support shaft 76.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the second end 74 of the connecting arm 70 is attached to a slider 82 that forms another part of the jaw crusher adjustment assembly 66. Specifically, the second end 74 of the connecting arm 70 is secured to the slider by a first pivot pin 84. The first pivot pin 84 allows relative rotational movement between the slider 82 and the second end 74 of the connecting arm 70. The slider 82 is mounted to move along a slider track 86, which extends from a lower end 88 to an upper end 90. The slider track 86 includes a path that allows the slider 82 to move along a fixed longitudinal path in both a first direction and a second direction along the entire length of the slider track 86. Since the slider 82 is connected to the second end 74 of the connecting arm 70, movement of the slider 82 in the direction indicated by arrow 87 in Figure 5 results in movement of the slider arm in the direction indicated by arrow 92. Therefore, movement of the slider 82 along the slider track 86 controls movement of the first end 72 of the connecting arm 70, and thus controls movement of the second end 54 of the jaw crusher frame 78.

[0033] The jaw crusher adjustment assembly 66 also includes a drive unit 94 operable to move the slider 82 along the length of the slider track 86. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the drive unit 94 is a hydraulic cylinder 96, which includes a rod 98 capable of extending and retracting relative to the cylinder body 100. As is known in the art, the hydraulic cylinder 96 is connected to a supply source of pressurized hydraulic fluid to control the retraction and extension of the rod 98 relative to the cylinder body 100. Although the hydraulic cylinder 96 is shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, the hydraulic cylinder 96 can be replaced by other drive units, such as, but not limited to, electric motors and rotary drive screws. It is contemplated that the drive unit 94 can be any type of drive unit capable of generating longitudinal movement of the slider 82 along the slider track 86, as indicated by arrow 87.

[0034] In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the outer end of the cylinder rod 98 is connected to a second pin 104 that extends through another portion of the slider 82. This connection causes the movement of the slider 82 to be directly responsive to the movement of the cylinder rod 98.

[0035] As can be understood in Figure 5, the longitudinal movement of slider 82 in the direction indicated by arrow 87 has both vertical and horizontal components. This longitudinal movement is largely translated into horizontal and slightly vertical movement of connecting arm 70, also as shown by arrow 92 in Figure 5. The movement indicated by arrow 92 in Figure 5 causes the second end 54 of crusher frame 78 to move in and out of the crushing chamber to adjust the size of crushing gap 30, as shown in Figure 4. In this way, the operation of drive unit 94 of jaw adjustment assembly 66 can control the position of the second end 54 of jaw 20, thereby controlling the size of crushing gap 30.

[0036] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the slider 82 is shown in an intermediate position, which is between the fully retracted position with the smallest crushing gap (Figure 5) and the fully extended position with the largest crushing gap (Figure 7). Therefore, the slider 82 moves along the slider track 86 via the extension of the cylinder rod 98, thereby determining the size of the crushing gap by the movement of the connecting arm 70 and the first end 72 connected to the end of the crushing jaw 20.

[0037] Referring now to Figure 7, when maintenance is required on the wear plate on the crusher jaw 20, the drive unit 94 is activated. This causes the cylinder rod 98 to extend further from the cylinder body 100, resulting in the slider 82 moving downwards, as indicated by arrow 108. The downward movement of the slider 82 along the slider track 86 causes the connecting arm 70 to move in the direction indicated by arrow 109, thereby increasing the size of the crushing gap 30 to its maximum value.

[0038] In the fully extended position, slider 82 is positioned adjacent to bottom surface 106. When slider 82 is positioned in the fully extended position as shown in FIG. 7, locking bracket 110, mounted on bottom surface 111 of connecting arm 70 near first end 72, aligns with support frame 112. When locking bracket 110 is aligned with support frame 112, locking bracket 110 can be secured to support frame 112 using locking pins (not shown) extending through aligned openings 113. In this fixed position, lower bearing assembly 77 is held in a fixed position, and second end 54 of crusher 20 can rotate about lower support shaft 76.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2 and 7, the first end 50 of the jaw crusher 20 is fastened to the crusher frame 36 by a pair of upper bearing assemblies 114, each of which rotatably supports one end of an upper support shaft 52. The upper support shaft 52 is connected to the first end 50 of the jaw crusher 20 and is mounted to rotate within a pair of spaced-apart bearing housings 116. Each bearing housing 116 includes a bearing 118 that allows for relative pivoting and rotational movement of the upper support shaft 52 relative to the fixed bearing housing 116. Although only one of the upper bearing assemblies 114 is shown in the side view of Figure 7, Figure 2 shows the upper bearing assembly 114 located on each side of the crusher frame 36. In this way, when the jaw crusher 20 is in the operating crushing position, the upper support shaft 52 is supported relative to the fixed crusher frame 36. As can be understood from Figures 2 and 7, the bearing housing 116 is mounted to a bearing support block 120, which in turn is supported on one of the side walls 40 of the crusher frame 36. The bearing support block 120 includes an angled support surface 122 that engages and supports the support wall 124 of the bearing housing 116. In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 7, a pair of retaining bolts 126 extend through the bearing housing 116 to secure the bearing housing 116, thereby securing the entire upper bearing assembly 114 to the bearing support block 120.

[0040] During crushing operation, the upper bearing assembly 114 is located in the crushing position shown in Figure 5. In the crushing position, the upper bearing assembly 114 provides pivot support for the first end 50 of the crushing jaw 20, allowing the second end 54 to move in and out of the crushing chamber to adjust the size of the crushing gap.

[0041] As described above, when maintenance is required, the lower bearing assembly 77, positioned on the first end 72 of the connecting arm 70, is locked in place by a pin or other element inserted into an alignment opening 113 formed in the locking bracket 110 and the support frame 112. When the lower bearing assembly 77 is locked in place, a pair of retaining bolts 126 are removed, as indicated by arrow 127 in FIG8. Once the retaining bolts 126 are removed, the bearing housing 116 is released from its attachment to the bearing support block 120. In this position, the second end 54 of the crushing jaw 20 is rotatable within the lower bearing assembly 77, which is fixed relative to the crusher frame 36, and the first end 50 of the crushing jaw 20 is movable away from the crusher frame 36 since the retaining bolts 126 have been removed.

[0042] As can be understood in Figure 8, the second end 54 of the jaw 20 is supported by the lower support shaft 76 and is rotatable within the lower bearing assembly 77 due to the bearing positioned between the lower support shaft 76, the first end 72, and the retaining bracket 80. The lower bearing assembly 77 is movable together with the connecting arm 70 before the locking bracket 110 is locked to the support frame 112.

[0043] As described above, when maintenance is required on the wear-resistant components included on the jaw crusher 20, the second end 54 of the jaw crusher 20 moves to the position shown in FIG. 8, and the retaining bolt 126 is removed. Once in this state, a maintenance drive element, such as maintenance cylinder 128, can be activated to move the jaw crusher 20 from the initial maintenance position shown in FIG. 8 to the second fully open position shown in FIG. 9. The movement of the first end of the jaw crusher 20 is indicated by arrow 139 in FIG. 9. In the exemplary embodiment shown, maintenance cylinder 128 includes a cylinder body 130 and a cylinder rod 132. The first end 134 of maintenance cylinder 128 is connected to the crusher frame 36, while the second end 136 is securely connected to the jaw crusher 20.

[0044] When hydraulic fluid is supplied to the cylinder 130, the cylinder rod 132 extends, thereby moving the jaw crusher 20 in the direction indicated by arrow 139 to the fully open maintenance position shown in FIG. 9. In the fully open maintenance position shown in FIG. 9, a maintenance space 138 is formed between the first end 50 of the jaw crusher 20 and the side edge 140 of the side wall 40 of the crusher frame 36. The maintenance space 138 allows maintenance personnel to more easily access the wear plates 46 supported on the inner surface of the jaw crusher 20. In the maintenance position shown in FIG. 9, maintenance personnel can use equipment to remove the individual wear plates 46 without having to be inside the crushing chamber. As shown in FIG. 9, when the jaw crusher 20 is in the maintenance position, the bearing housing 116 of the upper bearing assembly remains attached to the first end 50 and is separated from the bearing support block 120.

[0045] Referring now to FIG. 10, when the jaw crusher 20 is in the maintenance position, the engagement surface 142 of each of the bearing support blocks 120 is exposed. The engagement surface 142 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment includes a support ridge 144 designed to receive a corresponding channel formed in a support wall 124 on the bottom of the bearing housing 116. The interaction between the support ridge 144 and the corresponding channel formed in the bearing housing 116 restricts lateral axial movement of the bearing housing 116 during its installation, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0046] Referring back to Figure 10, the mating surface 142 includes a pair of entry openings 146, each sized to receive one of the retaining bolts 126. The threaded outer end of each retaining bolt 126 is received within a threaded block 147, which is removably received in the bearing support block 120. The removable threaded block 147 can be removed and replaced depending on wear or the type of retaining bolt 126 used. In this way, each retaining bolt 126 can pass through an opening formed in the bearing housing 116 and be received and retained within the threaded block 147 supported by the bearing support block 120.

[0047] Referring back to Figure 9, the maintenance cylinder 128 is shown in its fully extended position. In this fully extended position, the pivoting limiting device 148 limits the maximum amount of rotation of the jaw 20, and thus clearly defines the maintenance position shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the pivoting limiting device 148 includes a bracket 150 that includes an opening slot 152 extending from a first end 154 to a second end 156. The opening slot 152 is sized to receive a pin 158, which is fixed and mounted to a portion of the crusher frame 36. During the initial movement of the jaw 20 from the crushing position to the maintenance position, the pin 158 is free to move within the opening slot 152. When the jaw 20 moves to its maximum open position as shown in Figure 9, the pin 158 engages the second end 156 of the bracket 150 to prevent any further pivoting movement of the jaw 20. In this way, the pivoting limiting device 148 limits the maximum pivoting movement of the jaw.

[0048] After the wear-resistant components on the jaw crusher have been replaced, the jaw crusher 20 can be moved from the maintenance position shown in FIG9 back to the crushing position shown in FIG7. First, the maintenance cylinder 128 is activated to retract the cylinder rod 132, thereby moving the jaw crusher 20 from the maximum open position shown in FIG9 to the crushing position shown in FIG8. In this position, a series of retaining bolts 126 are again used to secure each bearing housing 116 to the corresponding bearing support block 120. Once all bearing housings 116 are re-secured to one of the bearing support blocks 120, the pins securing the locking bracket 110 to the support frame 112 can be removed, as shown in FIG7. The drive unit 94 can then be activated again to move the slider 82, thereby adjusting the position of the jaw crusher 20 relative to the crushing roller to modify the size of the crushing gap, as previously described.

[0049] Although the maintenance device is shown and described as maintenance cylinder 128, it should be understood that different types of mechanical components can be used to move the crushing jaw when operating within the scope of this disclosure. Regardless of the type of maintenance device used, the device must be able to generate a force that moves the crushing jaw 20 between the crushing position shown in FIG7 and the maintenance position shown in FIG9.

[0050] This specification discloses the disclosure (including the best mode) by using examples and also enables those skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure. The patentable scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims and may include other examples that would occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples shall fall within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that are indistinguishable from the literal wording of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that are not substantially different from the literal wording of the claims.

Claims

1. A crusher for crushing fed mineral materials, the crusher comprising: A crusher frame that at least partially defines a crushing chamber; A crushing roller is mounted to a drive shaft to move within the crushing chamber; a crushing jaw has a first end and a second end, the crushing jaw being movable between a crushing position and a maintenance position, wherein, when the crushing jaw is in the crushing position, the first end is pivotally mounted to the crusher frame, the second end is movable into and out of the crushing chamber to adjust the crushing gap between the crushing jaw and the crushing roller, and wherein, when the crushing jaw is in the maintenance position, the second end is pivotally mounted to the crusher frame such that the first end is movable toward and away from the crusher frame.

2. The crusher according to claim 1, wherein, The first end of the crushing jaw is rotatably supported on the crusher frame in the crushing position by a pair of upper bearing assemblies, each of the pair of upper bearing assemblies being mounted to the crusher frame.

3. The crusher according to claim 2, wherein, The pair of upper bearing assemblies are fastened to the crusher frame by at least one retaining bolt.

4. The crusher according to claim 3, wherein, At least one retaining bolt is removed to release the upper bearing assembly and allow the crushing jaw to move from the crushing position to the maintenance position.

5. The crusher according to claim 4, wherein, When the jaw crusher is moved to the maintenance position, the pair of upper bearing assemblies remain attached to the first end of the jaw crusher and are able to move together with the first end of the jaw crusher.

6. The crusher according to claim 1, wherein, The second end of the crushing jaw is fastened to the crusher frame in the maintenance position, and the first end of the crushing jaw is pivotable relative to the second end of the crushing jaw.

7. The crusher according to claim 6, wherein, In the maintenance position, a pair of lower bearing assemblies mount the second end of the crushing jaw to the crusher frame.

8. The crusher according to claim 1 further includes a pivoting limiting device connected between the crusher frame and the crushing jaw to limit the movement of the crushing jaw to the maintenance position.

9. The crusher according to claim 1, further comprising: A jaw adjustment assembly is positioned on a first side and a second side of the crusher frame. The jaw adjustment assembly is operable to control the movement of a second end of the jaw. Each jaw adjustment assembly includes: a connecting arm having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the second end of the jaw; and a drive unit operable to move the connecting arm, thereby controlling the position of the second end of the jaw.

10. The crusher according to claim 9, wherein, The second end of the breaker jaw is pivotally mounted to the first end of the connecting arm via a pair of lower bearing assemblies, wherein the lower bearing assemblies are fixed in a fixed position before the breaker jaw is moved to the maintenance position.

11. The crusher according to claim 10, wherein, When the crushing jaw is in the maintenance position, each of the lower bearing assemblies is fastened to the crusher frame.

12. A compact eccentric crusher for crushing fed mineral materials, the crusher comprising: A crusher frame that at least partially defines a crushing chamber; Crushing rollers are mounted to a drive shaft to move within the crushing chamber; A crushing jaw having a first end and a second end and movable between a crushing position and a maintenance position, wherein, when the crushing jaw is in the crushing position, the first end is pivotally mounted to the crusher frame such that the second end can move in and out of the crushing chamber to adjust the crushing gap between the crushing jaw and the crushing roller, and wherein, when the crushing jaw is in the maintenance position, the second end is pivotally mounted to the crusher frame such that the first end can move toward and away from the crusher frame; and a pair of upper bearing assemblies, each of the pair of upper bearing assemblies being mounted to the crusher frame, wherein the pair of upper bearing assemblies support the first end of the crushing jaw in the crushing position, and when the crushing jaw moves to the maintenance position, the pair of upper bearing assemblies move together with the first end of the crushing jaw.

13. The compact eccentric crusher according to claim 12, wherein, The pair of upper bearing assemblies are fastened to the crusher frame by at least one retaining bolt, wherein the at least one retaining bolt is removed to allow the crushing jaw to be moved from the crushing position to the maintenance position.

14. The compact eccentric crusher of claim 12, further comprising a pair of jaw adjustment assemblies operable to control movement of a second end of the jaws, each jaw adjustment assembly comprising: A connecting arm having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the second end of the crusher; and a drive unit operable to move the connecting arm thereby controlling the position of the second end of the crusher.

15. The compact eccentric crusher according to claim 14, wherein, The second end of the breaker jaw is pivotally mounted to the first end of the connecting arm via a pair of lower bearing assemblies, wherein the pair of lower bearing assemblies are fixed in a fixed position before the breaker jaw is moved to the maintenance position.

16. The compact eccentric crusher according to claim 15, wherein, When the crushing jaw is in the maintenance position, each of the lower bearing assemblies is fastened to the crusher frame.

17. A method for maintaining the jaw of a crusher, the crusher having a crusher frame and a crushing roller, the crusher defining a crushing gap between the jaw and the crushing roller, the method comprising the steps of: Provide an upper bearing assembly to pivotally mount a first end of the crushing jaw to the crusher frame, allowing a second end of the crushing jaw to move to adjust the crushing gap; secure the second end of the crushing jaw to the crusher frame; release the attachment of the upper bearing assembly to the crusher frame; and move the first end of the crushing jaw away from the crusher frame to a maintenance position.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, When the second end of the crushing jaw is fastened to the crusher frame, the first end of the crushing jaw pivots relative to the second end of the crushing jaw.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of activating the maintenance cylinder to move the first end of the crushing jaw away from the crusher frame.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein, The upper bearing assembly moves together with the first end of the crusher jaw to the maintenance position.

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