Reduced vibration mobile material processing plant

A mobile cone plant with canted run-on jacks for limited vibration of the chassis without a need for clamping or extremely tight tolerances in telescopic jack parts.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for mobile rock crushing and/or screening plants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to mobile rock crushing and/or screening plants. A portable rock crushing and/or screening processing plant is either a single crusher or screen or a collection of several units, each performing various material processing functions to prepare aggregate materials for use for, but not limited to, concrete and asphalt products. The various units can perform various stages of crushing, screening, conveying, and washing of aggregate and recycle materials. Portability is achieved by positioning the plants on towable or haulable modules, so that the plant can service multiple locations where processed materials can be produced.

Many plants have utilized with run-on and/or leveling jacks to level the crusher or screen and/or reduce vibration of the plant.

While such systems have enjoyed some commercial success in the industry, they have drawbacks.

Traditionally, these jacks will wiggle due to clearances between telescoping portions of the jack. One method of reducing the vibration in such systems was to provide some type of structure to clamp together or otherwise limit the vibration induced relative motion of the telescoping jack portions after the jack length has been adjusted to a desired configuration. These approaches require some extra structure, such as pins and pin receiving members, clamps, etc. to achieve this result. Moreover, it requires time to make the required actions to clamp or otherwise limit the motion.

Consequently, there is a need for improvement in portable material processing equipment which eliminates or greatly reduces vibration and extra labor required each time a mobile plant is adjusted, reconfigured and/or deployed in a new location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide efficient mobile material processing plants.

It is a feature of the present invention to include a plurality of canted run-on and/or leveling jacks.

It is another feature of the present invention to include a plurality of rubber isolation mounts for the material processing plant.

It is an advantage of the present invention to decrease the vibration of the plant without substantially adversely affecting the cost and efficiency of use of the system.

It is yet another feature to have a processing plant which is free of any structure which is configured for reducing vibration induced relative movement between top and bottom portions of run-on telescopic jacks.

The present invention includes the above-described features and achieves the aforementioned objects and advantages.

Accordingly, the present invention comprises the steps of:providing a first frame support member110having a first frame longitudinal axis;providing a material processing plant of the type which creates vibration during operation;providing a first mount between the first frame support member110and the material processing plant; andproviding a first front telescoping jack120with a first front telescoping jack top portion221and a first front telescoping jack bottom portion220, with first front telescoping jack longitudinal axis which is not co-planar with said first frame support member110, said first front telescoping jack120is sized, located and configured to provide some support of the material processing plant.

Additionally, the present invention comprises:a chassis,a group of tandem dual wheels coupled to the chassis,a cone crusher disposed on the chassis; anda plurality of jacks, each of which is not oriented substantially perpendicular with respect to a longitudinal axis of said chassis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Now referring to the drawings where like numerals refer to like matter throughout, and more specifically toFIG.1, there is shown a vibration reduced material processing plant100having a cone crusher102, however other high vibration material processing plants could be substituted, such as vibrating screens, trommels, grizzly bars, and other suitable plants, supported in part by a first frame support member110which is shown with first front telescoping jack120having a first front telescoping jack longitudinal axis and first rear telescoping jack130having a first rear telescoping jack longitudinal axis. Jacks120and130are shown as hydraulic jacks, but non-hydraulic mechanical jacks might be preferred in some applications. Since vibration reduced material processing plant100is mobile, there is also shown a first side rear tandem dual wheel group140. The first frame support member110is assumed to be horizontal and the first front telescoping jack120and the first rear telescoping jack130are not vertical with respect to the first frame support member110. The points where first front telescoping jack120and first rear telescoping jack130are coupled to the first frame support member110are closer to each other than the points where first front telescoping jack120and first rear telescoping jack130contact the ground. In other words, first front telescoping jack longitudinal axis is upwardly angled toward the cone crusher102and the first rear telescoping jack longitudinal axis is also upwardly angled toward the cone crusher102and each is closer to the other as they go further upward as shown in thisFIG.1.

Now referring toFIG.2, there is shown a front end view of the vibration reduced material processing plant100ofFIG.1where the first front telescoping jack120is shown having a first front telescoping jack bottom portion220and a first front telescoping jack top portion221. There is also shown second front telescoping jack122which has a second front telescoping jack bottom portion222and a second front telescoping jack top portion223. This front end view clearly shows the first front telescoping jack longitudinal axis being upwardly inclined toward the cone crusher102. Similarly, the second front telescoping jack longitudinal axis is upwardly inclined toward the cone crusher102and each axis is closer to the other as they go further upward, as shown in thisFIG.2. In other words, the top portion of each second front telescoping jack122and first front telescoping jack120are closer to each other than their bottom portions are.

Now referring toFIG.3, there is shown a perspective view of the vibration reduced material processing plant100, which includes second rear telescoping jack132. There is also shown a first side rear tandem dual wheel group140and a second side rear tandem dual wheel group142. In thisFIG.3, it can be seen that the uppermost top portions of any two jacks are closer to each other than are their lowermost bottom portions. In some embodiments, the longitudinal axes of the jacks might be directed toward an apex centrally located above a central portion of the cone crusher102.

In operation, the cone crusher102in a preferred embodiment may be a style of crusher that is not dynamically balanced about a vertical axis through the crusher. Cone crusher102is preferably mounted on rubber isolation mounts. Because of the unbalanced crusher, there is a resulting lateral force transmitted to the chassis including the first frame support member110. During operation, this lateral force is rotating radially around the vertical axis through the cone crusher102center so the jacks120,122,130and132all experience a lateral force in all directions.

The jacks, with their canted or upwardly and inwardly angled axes, apply opposing lateral force which offsets some, if not all, of the lateral force transmitted through the rubber isolation mounts from the unbalanced crusher. The jacks are all slightly tilted toward the center so they can resist the forces in both side to side and also in end to end direction. With enough of this tilt, the lateral force from the leaning jacks is sufficient to prevent the telescoping portions of each of the jacks from moving relative to each other so that the normal fixes of having very tight clearances in the top and bottom portions of the jacks or clamping structures are not needed to hold the chassis from moving significantly.

The figures show a plurality of four jacks, which may be preferred but any number of a plurality of jacks will provide at least some of the benefits as described herein.

It is believed that when these teachings are combined with the known prior art by a person skilled in the art of mobile rock crushing and screening operations and equipment manufacture, many of the beneficial aspects and the precise approaches to achieve those benefits will become apparent.

Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.