Easy access pop off relief valve

• US 5,098,026 A
• Filed: 01/07/1991
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Company (Babcock International Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Company (Babcock International Group PLC)
• Inventors: Peters, Gerald W., Mizak, Ronald D., Dougan, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Frances
• Application Number:
  US07/638,306
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 241/101.2, 241/293, 384/466, 384/473, 277/2, 277/29, 277/28
• US Class Current: 241/101.2
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 15/005 Rollers or balls of composite construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/907 Passageway in rod or shaft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/91 O-ring seal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/928 Seal including pressure relief or vent feature

Abstract

A pulverizer roll wheel assembly comprises a bracket with an opening therein for fixing the outer end of a roller shaft. Bearings mount a roller wheel with pulverizing tire to the inner end of the shaft for rotation of the pulverizer. A lip seal assembly separates an oil space around the inner end of the shaft with an air space around the outer end of the shaft. A pop off relief valve normally positioned near the lip seal is repositioned to the outer face of the shaft for easier access. A cover extends over the relocated valve for extending the air space around the relocated valve.

Claims

1. A pulverizer roll wheel assembly, comprising:

a roller bracket having an opening therein;

a roller shaft having an outer end mounted to said roller bracket in said opening thereof, said outer end of said roller shaft having an end face extending at least partly across said opening, said roller shaft having an inner end;

a roller wheel with a pulverizer tire mounted thereto;

bearing means, connected between said inner end of said roller shaft and said roller wheel, for rotatably mounting said roller wheel to said roller bracket, said inner end of said roller shaft and said roller wheel defining an oil seal space, said outer end of said roller shaft and said roller bracket defining an air seal space;

air seal space expansion means, connected to said roller shaft and extending over at least part of said end face on said outer end of said roller shaft, for expanding said air seal space over said end face of said roller shaft to form an expanded outer seal air cavity;

lip seal means, connected between said roller shaft and said roller bracket, for separating said oil seal space from said air seal space;

oil conduit means, extending axially along and in said roller shaft, for communicating said oil seal space with said expanded outer seal air cavity over said end face of said roller shaft;

a plug connected to said roller shaft for closing an outer end of said oil conduit means, a radial conduit extension, connected between said oil conduit means and said bearing means, for supplying oil between said oil conduit means and said bearing means, and a vent channel in said roller shaft, extending between said outer end face of said roller shaft and said radial conduit extension; and

a pop off relief valve, connected to said roller shaft and closing an outer end of the outer seal air cavity.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said inner end of said roller shaft has an inner end face, said oil conduit means extending from said outer end face to said inner end face, said pop off relief valve being fixed to said roller shaft at said outer end face.

3. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said air seal space expansion means comprises;

a roller shaft retainer fixed to said outer end face of said roller shaft for retaining said roller shaft on said roller bracket, said retainer having an opening therethrough in which said pop off relief valve extends, and a retainer cover fixed to said retainer and over said opening of said retainer, said opening of said retainer communicating with said expanded outer seal air cavity.

4. An assembly according to claim 3, wherein said retainer cover is cup shaped.

5. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said outer end of said roller shaft includes a key-way, said key-way extending from said air seal space defined by said outer end of said roller shaft and by said roller bracket, to said expanded outer seal air cavity around said outer end face of said roller shaft, a key in said key-way, and channel forming means between said key and said key-way for communicating an inner part of said air seal space with said expanded outer seal air cavity.

6. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein said channel forming means comprises a channel in said key.

7. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein said channel forming means comprises a channel cut into said key-way in said roller shaft.

8. An assembly according to claim 5, wherein said channel forming means comprises a loose fitting key within said key-way.

9. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said vent channel is above said oil conduit means when said assembly is mounted in a pulverizer.

10. A pulverizer roll wheel assembly, comprising:

a roller bracket having an opening therein;

a roller shaft having an outer end mounted to said roller bracket in said opening, said outer end of said roller shaft having an end face extending at least partly across said opening, said roller shaft having an inner end;

a roller wheel with a pulverizer tire mounted thereto;

bearing means, connected between said inner end of said roller shaft and said roller wheel, for rotatably mounting said roller wheel to said roller bracket, said inner end of said roller shaft and said roller wheel defining an oil seal space, said outer end of said roller shaft and said roller bracket defining an air seal space;

lip seal means, connected between said roller shaft and said roller bracket, for separating said oil seal space from said air seal space;

air seal space expansion means, connected to said roller shaft and extending over at least part of said end face on said outer end of said roller shaft, for expanding said air seal space over said end face of said roller shaft to form an expanded outer seal air cavity;

oil conduit means, extending axially along and in said roller shaft, for communicating said oil seal space with said expanded outer seal air cavity over said end face of said roller shaft; and

a modified oil plug connected to said roller shaft for closing an outer end of said oil conduit means and for receiving a pop off relief valve which receives any expanding gases from said oil conduit means and vents said gases into said expanded outer seal air cavity.

11. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein said air seal space expansion means comprises:

a modified retainer connected to said outer end face for retaining said roller shaft to said roller bracket, said modified retainer having an opening therethrough in which said pop off relief valve extends, and a retainer cover fixed to said modified retainer for closing the expanded portion of said air seal space over said outer end face of said roller shaft to form said expanded outer seal air cavity.

12. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein said outer end of said roller shaft includes a key-way, said key-way extending from said air seal space defined by said outer end of said roller shaft and by said roller bracket, to said expanded outer seal air cavity around said outer end face of said roller shaft, a key in said key-way, and channel forming means between said key and said key-way for communicating an inner part of said air seal space with said expanded outer seal air cavity.

13. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein said channel forming means comprises a channel in said key.

14. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein said channel forming means comprises a channel cut into said key-way in said roller shaft.

15. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein said channel forming means comprises a loose fitting key within said key-way.