External Rotor Locking Device for Crusher Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotor positioning and locking systems for horizontal shaft impact crushers pose health and safety risks to service personnel, add weight and complexity to the crusher, and introduce maintenance challenges due to internal mounting, and lack the ability to lock the rotor in place externally during blockages.
Innovation Solution
A rotor locking device is externally mounted near the non-driven end of the rotor shaft, allowing for rotational adjustment and locking via a shaft engager with a multi-toothed mechanism, a drive component, and an alignable indicator, which can be retrofitted to existing crushers without significant modifications, enabling safe and convenient maintenance from outside the crusher.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an integral powered positioning device is mounted internally within the crusher, then rotor positioning capability is improved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning device is extracted from the internal crusher structure and mounted externally on the crusher housing. This separates the positioning function from the internal crushing mechanism, reducing internal complexity while maintaining external positioning capability. The device can be attached to the outer surface of the crusher without interfering with internal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning device is designed as a separate, modular unit that can be independently mounted and removed from the crusher. This segmentation allows the positioning function to be added without modifying the core crusher structure, and enables easy maintenance by removing only the positioning device rather than accessing internal components.
2Ease of operation
If an integral powered positioning device is mounted internally within the crusher, then rotor positioning capability is improved, but weight and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning device is extracted from the internal crusher structure and mounted externally on the crusher housing. This separates the positioning function from the internal crushing mechanism, reducing internal complexity while maintaining external positioning capability. The device can be attached to the outer surface of the crusher without interfering with internal components.
3Ease of operation
If manual rotor adjustment is performed by an operator leaning into the crushing chamber, then rotor positioning is achievable, but health and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The externally mounted positioning device acts as an intermediary mechanism that transmits rotational force from the external handwheel through a series of gears and a long rod to the rotor shaft. This intermediary system allows operators to position the rotor from a safe external location, eliminating the need to lean into the crushing chamber while maintaining full positioning capability.
4Ease of manufacture
If the rotor locking device is mounted externally with minimal modifications, then ease of installation and retrofitting is improved, but structural integration may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning device incorporates a universal mounting system with multiple bolt holes arranged in different patterns, allowing the same device to be attached to various crusher models and configurations. The device can serve multiple functions including positioning, locking, and potentially limiting rotor rotation, making it adaptable to different application requirements without requiring custom modifications for each crusher type.
Data Source
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AI summary
A rotor locking device (113) in a crusher (1) for locking a rotational position of a rotor shaft (6). A shaft engager (105) includes a female toothed mating surface (120) for coaxial engagement with a male mating surface (121) at an end of the rotor shaft (6), so they become rotationally interlocked. A fastening portion (122) with engager apertures (123) overlaps with a bearing mount (200) surrounding the rotor shaft (6) so it can be fastened therewith. Preferably, the engager apertures (123) are circumferentially elongated in order to accommodate alignment with fastening points (205) in the bearing mount (200), at least when a closest rotational mating position is chosen for alignment. This enables any rotational position of the rotor shaft (6) to be locked, for safety, before having to access the crusher chamber. This safety feature is desirable when the rotor of the crusher (1) has become blocked and requires maintenance.