Arcuate Edge Cutting Element with Rotating Teeth

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Solution Overview

Problem

Rotating cutting drums in surface excavation machines experience high wear due to digging and abrasion forces during consecutive mining passes, leading to costly replacements.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of edge cutting elements with an arcuate base and rotatable cutting teeth, arranged to create a specific cutting pattern that reduces wear and efficiently clears material, including leading, trailing, and intermediate teeth configured to cut through dissimilar planes, with each tooth tip oriented to optimize cutting and minimize wear.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional cutting drums are used in surface excavation machines, then material cutting is achieved, but high wear occurs on the drum edges due to digging and abrasion forces during consecutive mining passes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecutting drum edge durabilityVSAvoidcutting drum service life

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting drum edge is segmented into multiple independent cutting elements, each with its own cutting teeth. This segmentation allows individual elements to be replaced without replacing the entire drum, reducing wear impact and extending overall service life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different cutting elements are positioned at different locations on the drum edge, with each element optimized for its specific position. The leading, intermediate, and trailing teeth are configured with different orientations to handle different wear patterns and cutting conditions at various positions around the drum circumference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If cutting teeth are arranged in conventional patterns on the cutting drum, then cutting function is provided, but material clearance efficiency is reduced and wear is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial clearance efficiencyVSAvoidcutting element wear resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting teeth are arranged in an asymmetric pattern with different orientations. The leading tooth points forward in the direction of rotation, the intermediate tooth points sideways, and the trailing tooth points backward. This asymmetric arrangement optimizes both material clearance efficiency and wear distribution across different drum positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting elements are designed to rotate with the drum, dynamically adapting their cutting orientation as they move through different positions in the cutting cycle. This dynamic configuration allows each tooth to be optimally oriented for its current position in the rotation cycle, maximizing cutting efficiency and minimizing wear.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10329909B2Edge cutting element for rotatable cutting drum

Publication Date: 2019.06.25 VERMEER MFG CO

AI summary

A cutting element including an arcuate base having a first side, a second side, an outer radial surface, and an inner radial surface, the inner radial surface being configured to be mounted to a cutting drum. The cutting element also includes a plurality of tooth holders being mounted to the outer radial surface of the arcuate base, the tooth holders being configured to receive cutting teeth. Additionally, the cutting element includes a cutting tooth mounted in each tooth holder, wherein there is at least one leading tooth, and at least one trailing tooth, each of the cutting teeth being configured to cut through a dissimilar cutting plane, wherein each dissimilar cutting plane is parallel to one another.