Patent Publication Number: US-8109453-B2

Title: Method of using a materials crusher and bottom dump feeder

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/351,214, filed Jan. 9, 2009, which application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/010,607, filed Jan. 10, 2008; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention generally relates to the processing and production of materials. More particularly, the invention relates to the processing of materials where a larger block of material must be broken down into sized pieces. Specifically, this invention relates to machinery that is used to quench and break down a large block of hot material into sized pieces and for distributing those sized materials and to a method of using the same. 
     2. Background Information 
     There are numerous industries that require larger pieces of material be processed to create smaller or sized pieces. For example, in the power generation and iron processing industries, it is desirable to use coke as a fuel. One type of coke is called petroleum coke or pet coke and is produced as a byproduct of crude oil refining. Pet coke is produced by placing the residual fuel oil from the crude oil refining process into a drum, known as a coker, and then applying heat and pressure thereto. The heat and pressure cause the gases and liquids to separate from the residual fuel oil, thereby forming a large block of solid material or coke within the drum. The drum&#39;s bottom flange is opened and high pressure water jets are used to cut the solidified coke from the drum&#39;s interior. The solidified coke, which can still be in the range of 800 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature, is dropped into a pit, or weir, for quenching, cooling and storage. Ultimately, a front end loader or some mechanical device is used to reclaim the coke by lifting the coke out of the weir thereof onto a conveying device to transfer and transport the coke to a remote crusher that breaks the larger coke pieces into smaller sized manageable ones. All of these steps are labor intensive, hazardous and time consuming. Every year the coke production industry spends large amount of dollars to operate the equipment needed to remove coke from the cokers, dump the coke into weirs for quenching and cooling, removing it therefrom and delivering the same to crushers and screening stations to break the large block of coke into smaller sized pieces. 
     There are numerous other applications and industries in which it is desirable to break down a large block of hot material into sized pieces. 
     There is therefore a need in the art for an improved device for quenching, crushing and distributing sized material. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The device of the present invention is a machine for crushing large blocks of material and feeding the sized pieces to a remote location. A machine for quenching, crushing and feeding material that includes a continuous loop drag chain conveyor and a quenching tank. A first portion of the conveyor travels through the tank and a second portion travels beneath the tank&#39;s bottom wall. Large blocks of hot material are dropped onto the conveyor inside the tank. A rotary crusher is positioned to crush the cooled blocks into sized pieces as they exit the tank. The sized pieces drop through an opening in the conveyor&#39;s frame and onto the second portion of the conveyor. The pieces dewater on the second portion of the conveyor and drop through a discharge opening and into a removal device for transfer to a remote location for further processing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a crusher and dump feeder in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of the crusher of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of the crusher in operation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3  there is shown a crusher and feeder in accordance with the present invention and generally indicated at  10 . (Crusher and feeder  10  will be hereinafter referred to simply as crusher  10 .) Crusher  10  is described herein as being used in the production of petroleum or PET coke. It will be understood, however, that crusher  10  is suitable for use in a wide variety of other applications that require large blocks of material to be crushed or broken down into smaller pieces of a desired size, and the description and claims should not be narrowly construed as only being applicable to the production of PET coke. 
     In accordance with a first specific feature of the present invention, crusher  10  includes an aboveground or above-grade quench tank  12  as opposed to an in-ground weir. Tank  12  includes side walls  14 , a back end wall  16 , a front end wall  18 , and a bottom wall  20 . Back end wall  16  and front end wall  18  are illustrated herein as being inclined at an angle other than 90 degrees relative to bottom wall  20  but it will be understood that tank  12  may be rectangular in shape with the back and front end walls  16 ,  18  being disposed at right angles to bottom wall  20 . It will further be understood that tank  12  may be of any desired configuration that is suitable for any particular production process. Tank  12  preferably is designed so that the bottom wall  20  thereof is spaced a distance above the ground “G”. This is desirable in that the sized materials produced by crusher  10  preferably exit the crusher  10  in a location beneath bottom wall  20 , as will be hereinafter described. Consequently, tank  12  may be provided with a plurality of braces or supports  13  that hold tank  12  off the ground “G”. Alternatively, tank  12  may be provided with a plurality of wheels or rollers (not shown) that space bottom wall  20  away from the ground and also provide mobility to tank  12 . 
     Tank  12  preferably is open-topped and terminating in an uppermost edge  19 . Walls  14 - 20  define a chamber  21  that is designed to hold a quantity of liquid  23  therein for quenching hot materials, such as coke that is removed from a coker (not shown). Tank  12  preferably is not filled with liquid  23  up to its uppermost edge  19  and this reduces the tendency of liquid  23  to splash out of tank  12  or spill over the uppermost edge  19  when large blocks of heated coke  100  ( FIG. 3 ) are dropped into tank  12 . The liquid  23 , which typically is water, the large blocks of coke  100  and the smaller pieces of coke that break off therefrom, form a colloidal liquid dispersion that is retained within chamber  21  of tank  12 . 
     In accordance with a specific feature of the present invention, crusher  10  includes a continuous loop drag chain conveyor  22 . Conveyor  22  is mounted on a support frame  48  that retains and guides an upper section  22 A thereof through chamber  21  of tank  12 , and retains and guides a lower section  22 B thereof beneath the bottom wall  20  of tank  12 . Support frame  48  includes a first inclined section  50 , a second inclined section  52  and a generally horizontal section  54  thereinbetween. First and second inclined sections  50 ,  52  preferably are plates that are welded onto one or more of the walls of tank  12 . These plates may include a specially configured groove (not shown) that is complementary sized to the conveyor  22  that is to be received therein. Horizontal section  54  may constitute a portion of the bottom wall  20  of tank  12  or may be a separate plate that is attached thereto. The upper section  22 A of conveyor  22  is placed on sections  50 ,  52 , and  54 . Support frame  48  further includes a second generally horizontal section  56  that is disposed a spaced distance beneath bottom wall  20  and is spaced a distance “D” above ground “G”. Lower section  22 B of conveyor  22  is disposed on section  56 . Support frame  48  preferably further includes shielding regions  58  which are provided to prevent crushed materials from harming persons in the vicinity of the crusher  10 . Frame  48  further includes an inclined support member  61  that extends between I section  56  and a region proximate gear  28 . Support member  61  provides a base along which a lower section  22 B of conveyor  22  travels after it passes around gear  28 . 
     Deflectors  55  are provided to aid in transitioning conveyor  22  from one member of support frame  48  to another. It will be understood that the members  50 - 61  of support frame  48  may comprise regions of walls  14 - 20  of tank  12  or may be separate plates that are welded to tank  12 , or may be individual members that are assembled together and introduced into tank  12 . 
     A sprocket  24  is provided proximate the free end of section  50  of support frame  48  and a gear  28  is mounted proximate the free end of section  52  of support frame  48 . A motor  31  is mounted on section  52  adjacent gear  28  and is provided to drive conveyor  22 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , conveyor  22  preferably is driven in a direction “A” through tank  12  and in a direction “B” beneath bottom wall  20  of tank  12 . A tensioning device  26  is associated with sprocket  24  and is provided to maintain the tension on conveyor  22 . 
     The configuration of the drag chain conveyor  22  is selected in accordance with the type of materials that are to be quenched, crushed and distributed by crusher  10 . It will be understood that any design of drag chain conveyor could be utilized in the present invention. By way of example only, drag chain conveyor  22  as illustrated includes a plurality of pusher bars  57  disposed orthogonally between a pair of spaced apart chains  59 . Pusher bars  57  are secured at spaced intervals from each other along chains  59  and are constructed to be strong enough to support and push the large blocks of material  100  through tank  12 . 
     One or more feed chutes  34  are disposed so as to extend downwardly toward and into tank  12 . Feed chutes  34  do not necessarily form part of the crusher  10 , itself but may instead form part of the coker or may be portable units. Feed chutes  34  are disposed a spaced distance apart from each other and are provided at intervals along the length of tank  12 . Chutes  34  are designed to be able to be vertically raised or lowered relative to bottom wall  20  and are moved accordingly depending on the level of the colloidal liquid dispersion in tank  12 . The adjustability in the vertical positioning of chutes  34  aids in reduce the tendency of liquid to splash outwardly from tank  12 . 
     In accordance with another specific feature of the present invention, a rotary crusher  38  is mounted on one of the tank  12  and the support frame  48 . In the preferred embodiment illustrated herein, rotary crusher  38  is mounted on a support  66  that extends from one of the side walls  14  of tank  12  and extends over the conveyor  22  toward the uppermost end of the more gently inclined portion  52  of support frame  48 . Preferably, section  52  of support frame  48  is reinforced in the region proximate rotary crusher  38 . Rotary crusher  38  is rotatably driven by a motor  40  that is also mounted on support  66 . Rotary crusher  38  is positioned so as to be able to engage larger blocks of material  100  that are carried on upper section  22 A of conveyor  22  as they travel upwardly out of tank  12 . The more gently inclined section  52  aids in feeding the larger blocks of material  100  to the rotary crusher  38  and reduces the tendency of those larger blocks to roll back down the incline and onto the horizontal portion of the conveyor supported on section  54  of support frame  48 . The gentler slope of section  52  also provides more surface area for the rotary crusher  38  to engage the material blocks  100  and provides a more solid base onto which those materials may be crushed. Preferably, the position of rotary crusher  38  relative to conveyor  22  is vertically adjustable so that the operator can change the size of the crushed materials produced thereby. If the space between rotary crusher  38  and conveyor  22  is relatively large, then the sized materials  102  produced by rotary crusher  38  will be relative large. If the space between rotary crusher  38  and conveyor  22  is relatively small, then the sized materials  102  produced thereby will be relatively small. 
     In accordance with yet another specific feature of the present invention, a first opening  36  is provided in section  52  of support frame  48 . The first opening  36  ( FIG. 2 ) is provided intermediate rotary crusher  38  and gear  28 . This first opening  36  is positioned so that sized materials produced by rotary crusher  38  will drop through first opening  36  and onto a portion of conveyor  22  that has passed around gear  28  and is heading downwardly toward section  56  of support frame  48 . A discharge opening  37  ( FIG. 2 ) is provided in section  56  of support frame  48  and in a location that is disposed beneath bottom wall  20  of tank  12 . 
     Crusher  10  is used in the following manner. Large blocks of hot material  100  are stripped from one or more cokers (not shown) using water jets and these blocks fall through chutes  34  into the liquid  23  in quench tank  12 . The large blocks of material  100  may remain substantially intact, but might also fracture into several smaller blocks of material as they hit the liquid  23  or conveyor  22 . Tank  12  may also be provided with a plurality of breaker bars  13  that extend between side walls  14  and are spaced slightly inwardly from uppermost edge  19 . The breaker bars  13  will aid in breaking the large blocks of material  100  into smaller blocks. Neither the large blocks  100  nor the smaller blocks will typically be of the desired end size. The position of chutes  34  relative to bottom wall  20  may be adjusted vertically upwardly or downwardly in order to minimize the possibility of splashing as the large blocks  100  drop into the liquid  23 . The large blocks of material  100  sink downwardly through liquid  23  and settle onto upper section  22 A of conveyor  22  and portions of upper surface  42  ( FIG. 2 ) of bottom wall  20 . Conveyor  22  is driven by the motor  31  associated with gear  28  and moves in the direction “A”. As conveyor  22  moves, so do the large blocks of material  100  that have settled thereon. The blocks of material  100  are cooled as they move through liquid  23 . Conveyor  22  is driven up section  52  of support frame  48  and toward gear  28 . The rotary crusher  38  is activated. As the large blocks of material  100  encounter the rotating head of the rotary crusher  38 , they are broken down into smaller pieces. Eventually, the smaller pieces are of a size that permits them to pass between rotary crusher  38  and conveyor  22  as sized material  102  ( FIG. 3 ) Sized material  102  moves with conveyor  22  until the first opening  36  is reached. The sized material  102  drops through first opening  36  and onto lower section  22 B of conveyor  22  and portions of upper surface  44  ( FIG. 2 ) of support member  61  that are disposed beneath opening  36 . The sized pieces  102  are moved along lower section  22 B and portions of the upper surfaces  61  and  63  of conveyor  22  by pusher bars  57 . As the sized materials  102  travel along lower section  22 B of conveyor  22 , liquid retained on sized pieces  102  drops through a dewatering screen (not shown) disposed on section  56  beneath conveyor  22 . The removed liquid is collected via a funnel  106  and is returned to tank through tubing  108  with the aid of a pump  110 . Although not illustrated herein, the sized materials  102  may additionally be sprayed with clean water or may be further processed by spraying the same with one or more chemicals. 
     When the sized pieces  102  reach discharge opening  37 , they drop therethrough and are captured in a removal vehicle for further handling, sorting, or processing at a remote location. A suitable removal vehicle would include a bin  104  or hopper, as is illustrated in the attached figures, or an additional conveyor belt (not shown). 
     Crusher  10  is useful for quenching large hot blocks of material  100 , for crushing those large blocks  100  into sized materials  102  and then delivering the sized materials  102  to a discharge opening  37  for removal in a removal vehicle  104  to a remote location for further processing. This is all accomplished in a single unit. Crusher  10  therefore negates the labor and time required to use a loader to remove large blocks of quenched material from a below-grade weir, to then transfer those large blocks onto a truck or conveyor in order to transport them to a remote crusher for sizing. Crusher  10  may be provided with means to make it a portable unit, such as wheels or tracks, for example, so that it can be brought into the vicinity of the cokers. 
     It will be understood that crusher  10  may. Alternatively be provided without the first opening  36  and the discharge opening  37  in support frame  48 . In this instance, sized materials  102  produced by the rotary crusher  38  will travel along conveyor  22  and as the conveyor changes direction around gear  28 , those sized materials will drop under the influence of gravity into a removal device such as a bin or a second conveyor that is placed beneath the gear  28 . If support frame  48  is not provided with openings  36  and  37 , then there is little to no need to have bottom wall  20  spaced a distance above the surface of the ground “G” and support frame section  56  may then be utilized as a base for tank  12  and be placed directly onto the ground surface “G”. 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. 
     Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention are an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.