Material breaker system

• US 20070007374A1
• Filed: 07/05/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Petram Enterprises Inc.
• Original Assignee: Construction Equipment Company
• Inventors: Smith, Roger, Gerard, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,264,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 241/101.740
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 1/14 Stamping mills
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 21/026 self-propelled

Abstract

A vehicle for breaking material is disclosed. The vehicle includes: an elongate vehicle frame; a feeder having a feed end portion and a discharge end portion, wherein the feeder is configured to convey the material from the feed end portion to the discharge end portion; and a material breaker supported via the vehicle frame with a feed end portion that is downstream from the discharge end portion of the feeder. The material breaker includes: a platform configured to support the material received from the feeder, at least one breaker element configured to move towards the platform and contact at least a portion of the material received from the feeder and supported by the platform, wherein movement of the at least one breaker element towards the platform is assisted, at least in part, by gravitational forces, and a lifting mechanism configured to move the at least one breaker element away from the platform.

Claims

1. A vehicle for breaking material, comprising:

an elongate vehicle frame;

a feeder having a feed end portion and a discharge end portion, wherein the feeder is configured to convey the material from the feed end portion to the discharge end portion; and

a material breaker supported via the vehicle frame with a feed end portion that is downstream from the discharge end portion of the feeder, wherein the material breaker includes;

a platform configured to support the material received from the feeder,

at least one breaker element configured to move towards the platform and contact at least a portion of the material received from the feeder and supported by the platform, wherein movement of the at least one breaker element towards the platform is assisted, at least in part, by gravitational forces, and

a lifting mechanism configured to move the at least one breaker element away from the platform.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the material breaker is adjustable between a working position and a travel position.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the lifting mechanism includes at least one telescoping cylinder.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the material breaker includes a locking mechanism configured to secure the at least one breaker element to the lifting mechanism for movement away from the platform, wherein the locking mechanism includes a first locking element supported via the lifting mechanism, and a second locking element supported via the at least one breaker element.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the first locking element is configured to move between a locking position, in which the first locking element engages at least part of the second locking element, and an unlocking position, in which the first locking element is spaced away from the second locking element.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism includes at least one bias element configured to bias the first locking element towards the locking position.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the first locking element is configured to move to the unlocking position when the at least one breaker element is spaced away from the platform.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the material breaker includes a linear track configured to guide at least part of the movement of the at least one breaker element between a proximal position and a distal position.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the material breaker includes a lifting mechanism configured to moved the at least one breaker element to the distal position.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the material breaker includes a locking mechanism configured to secure the at least one breaker element to the lifting mechanism for movement to the distal position, wherein the locking mechanism includes a first locking element supported via the lifting mechanism, and a second locking element supported via the at least one breaker element.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the first locking element is configured to move between a locking position, in which the first locking element engages at least part of the second locking element, and an unlocking position, in which the first locking element is spaced away from the second locking element.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the locking mechanism includes at least one bias element configured to bias the first locking element towards the locking position.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the linear track is configured to move the first locking element to the unlocking position when the at least one breaker element is in the distal position.

14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the material breaker includes at least three breaker elements.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the at least three breaker elements are arranged in a linear array.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the at least three breaker elements are arranged in a straight line along a first axis, wherein the at least three breaker elements move along a second axis, and wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis.

17. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the material breaker includes at least five breaker elements.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the at least five breaker elements are arranged in a linear array.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the material breaker includes a first material regulator located adjacent the feed end portion of the material breaker and configured to limit the size of the material downstream of the feed end portion of the material breaker.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the material breaker includes a second material regulator located adjacent a discharge end portion of the material breaker and configured to limit the size of the material in the discharge end portion of the material breaker.

21. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the feeder includes a first discharge end portion and a second discharge end portion.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the feeder is configured to convey coarse material from the feed end portion to the first discharge end portion, and to convey material of smaller size from the feed end portion to the second discharge end portion.

23. A vehicle for breaking material, comprising:

an elongate vehicle frame;

a feeder having a feed end portion and a discharge end portion, wherein the feeder is configured to convey material from the feed end portion to the discharge end portion; and

a material breaker supported via the vehicle frame with a feed end portion that is downstream from the discharge end portion of the feeder, wherein the material breaker includes a platform configured to support the material received from the feeder, and a linear array of at least three breaker elements configured to move linearly towards the platform and contact at least a portion of the material received from the feeder and supported by the platform.

24. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the material breaker is adjustable between a working position and a travel position.

25. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the material breaker includes a lifting mechanism configured to move the at least one breaker element away from the platform.

26. The vehicle of claim 25, wherein the material breaker includes a locking mechanism configured to secure the linear array of at least three breaker elements to the lifting mechanism for movement away from the platform, wherein the locking mechanism includes a first locking element supported via the lifting mechanism, and a second locking element supported via the linear array of at least three breaker elements, and wherein the first locking element is configured to move between a locking position, in which the first locking element engages at least part of the second locking element, and an unlocking position, in which the first locking element is spaced away from the second locking element.

27. The vehicle of claim 26, wherein the first locking element is configured to move to the unlocking position when the at least one breaker element is spaced away from the platform.

28. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the linear array includes at least five breaker elements.

29. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the material breaker includes a first material regulator located adjacent the feed end portion of the material breaker and configured to limit the size of the material downstream of the feed end portion of the material breaker, and a second material regulator located adjacent a discharge end portion of the material breaker and configured to limit the size of the material in the discharge end portion of the material breaker.

30. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the feeder includes a first discharge end portion and a second discharge end portion, and wherein the feeder is configured to convey coarse material from the feed end portion to the first discharge end portion, and to convey material of smaller size from the feed end portion to the second discharge end portion.

31. A vehicle for breaking material, comprising:

an elongate vehicle frame;

a feeder having a feed end portion, a first discharge end portion, and a second discharge end portion, wherein the feeder is configured to convey coarse material from the feed end portion to the first discharge end portion, and to convey material of smaller size from the feed end portion to the second discharge end portion;

a material breaker supported via the vehicle frame with a feed end portion that is downstream from the first discharge end portion of the feeder, wherein the material breaker includes;

at least one breaker element configured to move towards and contact at least a portion of the material received from the feeder, wherein movement of the at least one breaker element towards the material is assisted, at least in part, by gravitational forces, and

a lifting mechanism configured to move the at least one breaker element away from the material received from the feeder,

wherein the material breaker is adjustable between a working position and a travel position; and

a conveyor having a feed end portion that is downstream from the second discharge end of the feeder and a discharge end portion of the material breaker.

32. The vehicle of claim 31, wherein the material breaker includes a linear track configured to guide at least part of the movement of the at least one breaker element between a proximal position and a distal position.

33. The vehicle of claim 32, wherein the material breaker includes a locking mechanism configured to secure the at least one breaker element to the lifting mechanism for movement to the distal position, wherein the locking mechanism includes a first locking element supported via the lifting mechanism, and a second locking element supported via the at least one breaker element, and wherein the first locking element is configured to move between a locking position, in which the first locking element engages at least part of the second locking element, and an unlocking position, in which the first locking element is spaced away from the second locking element.

34. The vehicle of claim 33, wherein the linear track is configured to move the first locking element to the unlocking position when the at least one breaker element is in the distal position.

35. The vehicle of claim 31, wherein the material breaker includes at least three breaker elements.

36. The vehicle of claim 35, wherein the at least three breaker elements are arranged in a linear array.

37. The vehicle of claim 35, wherein the material breaker includes at least five breaker elements.

38. The vehicle of claim 37, wherein the at least five breaker elements are arranged in a linear array.

39. The vehicle of claim 31, wherein the material breaker includes a first material regulator located adjacent the feed end portion of the material breaker and configured to limit the size of the material downstream of the feed end portion of the material breaker.

40. The vehicle of claim 39, wherein the material breaker includes a second material regulator located adjacent a discharge end portion of the material breaker and configured to limit the size of the material in the discharge end portion of the material breaker.