Breaker plate for rock crusher

A vertical shaft rock crusher has a frame attached to its outer shell to which a support ring is horizontally mounted. A plurality of breaker plates are disposed on the support ring in an interlocked arrangement. The breaker plates are disposed in a staggered array to form rings of breaker plates stacked in a brick-like manner and require no mounting hardware. One breaker plate embodiment has a relatively smooth circumferentional surface, another have V-shaped grooves disposed in the rock crushing surface. A third embodiment has pockets formed between the stacked rings. Interconnection of adjacent breaker plates, in one embodiment of interconnection structure is accomplished by forming a slot on one side of the breaker plate and a mating post on the other side, such that adjacent plates may be interlocked to each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION--FIELD OF APPLICATION 
This invention relates to rock crushers; and more particularly to breaker 
plates for rock crushers. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION--DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
In 1830 the first U.S. patent was issued for a rock crushing machine. Since 
that time many patents on various machines for crushing rock have been 
granted. In the period between 1860 and 1878 several basic designs were 
developed using the gyratory principle. In 1881, P. W. Gates was granted a 
patent which encorporated all of the explicite details of the modern 
gyratory crusher. 
Developments in the mining industry required finer crushing than was 
feasable with the gyratory or jaw crushers available at that time. These 
machines do a great portion of their work by impact. In the Edison roll 
crusher impact is supplemented significantly by a power sledging action by 
teeth attached to the large rolls. The predominate action in the 
hammermill is impact. 
Impact type crushers are currently used employing vertical shaft rock 
crushing machines which have impellers which propel the rock into breaker 
plates causing high force impact against the breaker plates where the rock 
is broken. 
A number of rock crushers employing vertical shaft design have replaceable 
and/or adjustable breaker plates. The methods of attachment include pins, 
tee shots, wedge pins, hooks, bolts, notches, and keways. These methods 
are variously shown in; U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,685 issued to T. E. 
Bridgewater on May 7, 1963 and in two other U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,093,329 and 
3,110,449 issued to T. E. Bridgewater on June 11, 1963 and Nov. 12, 1963 
respectively. Other patents which show various ones of the attachment 
methods described above include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,838 issued to C. A. 
Adams on Sept. 9, 1964; U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,667 issued to C. T. Parker on 
Nov. 17, 1970; U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,673 issued to S. B. Ackers et. al. on 
May 23, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,676 issued on Apr. 27, 1982 to N. M. 
Rose; U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,988 issued to K. D. Warren et. al. on Sept. 7, 
1982 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,022 issued on June 21, 1983 to J. H. Burk. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,991 issued to D. E. Herman on Feb. 9, 1965 shows 
breaker plates with V-shaped pockets and which are secured to the wall of 
the crusher. Other V-shaped breaker plates are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,474,974 issued to Wood Oct. 28, 1969; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,873,047 and 
4,065,063 issued Mar. 25, 1975 and Dec. 27, 1977 respectively to L. W. 
Johnson; but as in the patents previously discussed attachment of the 
breaker plates is by bolts, cleats, and brackets of various design. 
When rocks are crushed by propelling rocks against breaker plates the 
breaker plates wear at a high rate due to the abrasive action of the rock. 
Frequent replacement of breaker plates is an inherent aspect of this type 
of rock crusher. Breaker plates of the type hereinabove discussed require 
mechanical dis-assembly and reassembly for replacement. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved 
breaker plate. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved rock 
crusher breaker plate. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved rock 
crusher. 
It is still another object of this invention to provide a new and improved 
breaker plate for disposition in a brick-like arrangement. 
It is yet another object of this invention to provide new and improved 
breaker plates of truncated pyramidal shapes. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide new and improved 
breaker plates which interlock one with the other. 
It is still a further object of this invention to provide new and improved 
breaker plates which form a V-shaped pocket within the rock crusher. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention in its details of 
construction and arrangement of parts will be seen from the above, from 
the following description of the preferred embodiment when considered with 
the drawing and from the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to FIG. 1 there is generally shown a plurality of breaker 
plates 10 arranged for use in a rock crusher 12. Rock crusher 12 consists 
of a frame 14 (FIG. 2A) and an impeller mounting plate 16 rotationaly 
driven by a vertical shaft 18 (FIG. 2) in a conventional manner. 
Fixedly attached to plate 16 are a plurality of impellers 20 of 
conventional design. Shaft 18 is pinned, keyed or otherwise conventionally 
attached to a shieve 21 and runs in a bearing 22 which is mounted in a 
housing 24 fixedly attached to a first support plate 26. 
Frame 14 (FIG. 2A) has an outer shell 28 essentially cylindrical in form 
which is secured to a base flange 30. Shell 28 is the primary structural 
member of rock crusher 12, and is constructed of steel plate or the like, 
roll formed by a conventional process. Fixedly attached by welding, 
bolting or the like to shell 28 is an upper flange 32 and a ring 34 (FIG. 
2A) both of which strengthen shell 28. Flange 32 and ring 34 are fixedly 
attached to shell 28 by welding, bolting or the like, and are of materials 
similar to that used for wall 28. Support plate 26 extends through shell 
28 and is fixedly attached thereto. A second support plate 36 and a third 
support plate 38 are disposed diametrially opposed to plate 26 and are 
attached to housing 24 and shell 28 by suitable and conventional means. A 
series of V-belts 40 are disposed around shieve 21 and a drive shieve 42 
pinned, keyed or otherwise conventionally attached to a motor output shaft 
44. A motor 46 is vertically mounted to an adjusting plate 48 which is 
disposed on plate 26. Plate 26 is slotted to accept a pair of adjusting 
blocks 50 attached to plate 48 by welding, bolting or the like. Blocks 50 
act within pair of adjusting screws 52 which are mounted in a vertical 
member 54 which is fixedly attached to plate 26 and a bottom plate 56. 
Plate 56 is fixedly attached to wall 28. Adjusting screws 52 are secured 
by two sets of nuts 58 once proper tension is obtained on belts 40. 
A support plate 60 is disposed perpendicular to shell 28 and is fixedly 
attached by welding, bolting or the like at an outer surface 62 to shell 
28. The diameter of surface 62 being of predetermined size to slip fit 
within the diameter formed by an inner surface 64 of shell 28. Support 
plate 60 extends radially inward from surface 64 a predetermined distance 
sufficient to support a plurality of brackets 66 spaced equidistant one to 
the other around inner surface 64 of shell 28 and extending radially 
inward a predetermined distance such that a breaker plate support plate 68 
is fixedly attached thereto. The radial inward extent of bracket 66 and 
support plate 68 are sufficient to hold breaker plates 10 when disposed on 
support plate 68. Additionally a guset 70 is disposed essentially central 
to each bracket 66. A first side 72 of guset 70 is fixedly attached to a 
top surface 74 of bracket 66 with a second side 76 fixedly attached to an 
inner ring 78. Ring 78 is concentric to shell 28 and of a predetermined 
diameter to accommodate a plurality of breaker plates 101 disposed on 
support plate 68 to form a continuous ring of interlocked breaker plates 
10. Ring 78 is of height to accomodate a predetermined number of layers of 
breaker plates 10 stacked one upon the other. 
A cover 80 of circular configuration is disposed on flange 32 and shell 28 
and has a tubular member 82 essentially perpendicular to the plane formed 
by cover 80 and disposed central thereto. A feed tube 84 is positioned 
internal to tubular member 82 and extends above a flange portion 86 
thereof and below cover 80. Tubular member 82 is an abrasion resistant 
casting or the like through which rock is fed into crusher 12. Cover 80 is 
secured to flange 32 by a plurality of clamps 88 which are of the 
conventional quick release type. 
FIG. 3 shows a preferred arrangement of breaker plates 10. Each plate 10 is 
essentially a segment of a circular ring 90 consisting of a plurality of 
plates 10 interlocked one within the other having an outer circumferential 
surface 92 which forms the other circumference of ring 90 which fits 
within an inner circumference 94 of ring 78 when disposed as indicated and 
having a predetermined thickness. A first side 96 of plate 10 extends 
inwards at an angle "a" taken with respect to line-a--a which is a first 
limit of the circular segment formed by breaker plate 10. A second side 98 
of plate 10 extends inward at an angle "b" taken with respect to line-a--a 
to an intersection with an inner surface 100 which is a segment of an 
inside circumference of ring 90. A third side 102 of plate 10 extends 
inward in the same general direction as side 96 at an angle "0" taken with 
respect to line b--b which is a second limit of the circular segment 
formed by breaker plate 10. A fourth side 104 of plate 10 extends inward 
in the same general direction as side 98 at an angle "w" taken with 
respect to line b--b. A side 106 of plate 10 extends inward at an angle 
"T", the same general direction as sides 96 and 102. Breaker plate 10 may 
be constructed from Ni-Hard or similar abrasive resistance material. 
A breaker plate 100 of alternative configuration is shown in FIG. 4 wherein 
there is shown a similar circular ring 90 consisting of a plurality of 
plates 100 interlocked one within the other and having an outer 
circumferences surface 92. Each plate 110 includes side 108, a side 110, a 
side 112 and a side 114 which are similar to sides 96, 102, 104, and 98 
respectively of plates 10. A side 114 extends inward in the same general 
direction as side 112 at an angle taken with respect to line a--a. Sides 
112 and 114 both interect with an inner surface 116 of plates 110 which is 
shown with a plurality of V-shaped cuts formed horizontally in surface 
116. Another configuration of surface 116 would be one which is a 
continuous arc between sides 114 and 112. 
In FIG. 5 there is shown an alternative construction for interlocking 
plates 10, or 100 together and having a post 118 disposed between a side 
120 and a side 122 of adjacent plates 123 and with sides 120 and 122 
parallel to a side 124 and a side 126 respectively of adjacent plate 123. 
A slot 128 is disposed between sides 124 and 126. Post 118 and slot 128 
extend the full thickness of plate 123. 
It should be noted that when plates 10,100 or 123 are arranged in multiple 
rows the spaces between the plates of one row are displaced with respect 
to the spaces of the next adjacent row underneath and the next adjacent 
row on top. 
From the above description it will thus be seen that there has been 
provided a simple but effective configuration of breaker plates for rock 
crushers and an efficient manner of arranging the breaker plates within 
the rock crusher.