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Title: Adjustment means for roll crushers with gas hydraulic springs
Claims: We claim: 1. In a crusher of the roll type having a crushing roll mounted on and movable with respect to a crusher frame and a pair of gas hydraulic spring assemblies for maintaining the location of the roll with respect to the frame during crushing operation up to a predetermined crushing load, each spring assembly including at least one cylinder assembly comprising a cylinder closed at its opposite ends by first and second end walls, a floating piston slidably disposed in the cylinder and normally spaced from the first cylinder end wall, a compressible fluid pressurizing the space between the floating piston and the first cylinder end wall, a main piston slidably disposed between the floating piston and the second cylinder end wall and defining first and second chambers on the respective opposite ends of the main piston between the floating piston and the second cylinder end wall, a piston rod connected to the main piston having its outer end extending through and beyond the second cylinder end wall, the improvement comprising: means for adjusting the location of the movable roll relative to the frame by varying the overall length of each of the spring assemblies independently of the compressible fluid, said means in the case of each spring assembly including a non-compressible fluid normally filling each of the cylinder first and second chambers, and a hydraulic system for optionally and conjointly varying the volume of the non-compressible fluid in each of the two chambers effective to cause relative movement between the main piston and the cylinder and for optionally varying the volume of the non-compressible fluid in the first chamber only effective to vary the pressure of the compressible fluid between the floating piston and the first cylinder end wall, the first cylinder end wall being operatively secured to either the adjacent end of the movable roll or the frame and the outer end of the piston rod to the other thereof so that thrust upon the roll during crusher operation is transmitted to the compressible and non-compressible fluids, the non-compressible fluid and the pressure of the compressible fluid in the spring assemblies together being effective to maintain the location of the movable roll with respect to the frame up to said predetermined crushing load. 2. The crusher of claim 1 wherein there is no fluid interconnection between the compressible fluid in one of the spring assemblies and that in the other spring assembly, each of the gas hydraulic spring assemblies being self-contained and removable from the crusher without need first to dishcarge the compressible fluid therefrom. 3. The crusher of claim 1 wherein the hydraulic system comprises a non-compressible fluid source including a pump, a pair of fluid conduits interconnecting respective ones of said chambers and said fluid source, and valve means controlling flow of the non-compressible fluid between said fluid source and said chambers. 4. The crusher of claim 3 wherein said fluid source also includes a fluid reservoir supplying the pump, and wherein the valve means includes a first valve alternately connecting respective ones of the fluid conduits to the pump and the reservoir. 5. The crusher of claim 4 wherein the valve means includes second valves interposed in respective ones of the fluid conduits between the first valve and said chambers. 6. The crusher of claim 3 wherein each end of the movable roll includes a bearing block in which the roll is journaled for rotation, each bearing block having a face disposed in spaced relation to a frame member and slidable on the frame so that said face thereof is urged toward the frame member in response to thrust upon the movable roll during operation of the crusher, each spring assembly being operatively interposed between one of said faces and frame members and comprising at least one cylinder assembly having its cylinder disposed between and carried by a pair of first and second mounting plates respectively connected to the first and second cylinder end walls and movable on and relative to the frame, the first mounting plate being operatively secured to said block face to move with the block and the outer end of the connecting rod of the cylinder assembly being secured relative to the frame member against axial movement with respect thereto, whereby the bearing block, the mounting plates and the cylinder are thereby movable as a unit relative to the frame toward or away from the frame member when the volume of the fluid in the first chamber is respectively reduced or increased and that in the second chamber conjointly respectively increased or reduced by the adjusting means. 7. The crusher of claim 6 wherein each of the spring assemblies includes two of the cylinder assemblies, the axes of their cylinder being disposed parallel to each other between the mounting plates and on opposite sides of and in a plane through the resultant line of thrust between said block face and frame member during operation of the crusher. 8. The crusher of claim 6 wherein the connection of each piston rod to the frame member is effective to accommodate angular deflections of the spring assemblies relative to the frame members during crushing operation. 9. The crusher of claim 8 wherein one of the fluid conduits is connected to the first chamber through a passageway extending longitudinally in the piston rod and the other of the fluid conduits is connected to the second chamber through a passageway opening thereinto through the second cylinder end wall. 10. The crusher of claim 9 wherein the outer end of each piston rod is seated in an enlarged recess in the frame member and is provided with means forming a swivel-like joint between said recess and rod end, said rod end having a threaded counterbore therein communicating with the passageway in the connecting rod, and including a piston rod anchor member having a shank with an inner end removably threadedly engaging said counterbore, the shank extending through a bore in the frame member spacedly encompassing the shank, the outer end of the shank being provided with a retaining head disposed at an opposite side of the frame member and means forming a swivel-like joint between said head and opposite side, whereby the piston rod is secured as aforesaid and can accommodate said deflections, the shank having a fluid passage therethrough with its inner end in releasable sealing communication in said counterbore with the connecting rod fluid passageway and its outer end opening through the retaining head for connection to said fluid conduit. Other info: Inventors: Schrimper, Vernon L. (Cedar Rapids, IA, US) Lillig, Floyd A. (Cedar Rapids, IA, US) Ulch, Darrell J. (Cedar Rapids, IA, US) Application Number: 506349 Filing Date: 1974-09-16 Publication_date: 1976-02-17 Assignee: Iowa Manufacturing Company (Cedar Rapids, IA) Primary Class(es): 241/231 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Custer, Jr., Granville Y. Assistant Examiner: Goldberg, Howard N. Attorney: Simmons; Haven E., Nemmers; James C. |
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