Systems and methods for crushing clay, transporting clay, and processing clay

Abstract

Provided are methods and apparatus for crushing clay, transporting clay, and processing clay. In examples, provided are movable truss conveyor support apparatuses, movable crusher picker apparatuses, picker shaft rakes to clean picker shafts, adjustable hoppers, and tracked crushers. In an example, provided is a crusher including (i) a crusher frame, (ii) a crusher subframe movably suspended from the crusher frame, (ii) a rotary bearing fastened to the crusher subframe, (iv) a rotatable picker shaft rotatably supported by the rotary bearing and adapted to rotate relative to the crusher subframe, and (v) at least one picker fastened to the rotatable picker shaft.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A picker shaft rake, comprising:
 a mounting portion; and   a pad.   
     
     
         35 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 34 , wherein the mounting portion is removably fastened to a crusher. 
     
     
         36 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 35 , further comprising a picker shaft bearing fastened to a crusher frame, wherein the mounting portion is removably fastened to the crusher frame. 
     
     
         37 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 34 , wherein the mounting portion defines two orifices. 
     
     
         38 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 37 , wherein the two orifices are defined at an end portion of the picker shaft rake. 
     
     
         39 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 37 , wherein the two orifices are defined at a middle portion of the picker shaft rake. 
     
     
         40 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 34 , wherein the pad comprises a scraping edge. 
     
     
         41 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 40 , wherein the scraping edge of the pad is located substantially near a rotatable surface of a rotatable picker shaft. 
     
     
         42 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 41 , wherein the scraping edge of the pad is located in contact with the rotatable surface of the rotatable picker shaft. 
     
     
         43 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 41 , wherein two or more pickers are fastened to the rotatable picker shaft and the pad is located between the two or more pickers. 
     
     
         44 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 43 , wherein the pad and at least one other picker shaft rake are located between the two or more pickers. 
     
     
         45 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 41 , wherein the scraping edge of the pad faces away from a direction that the picker shaft is configured to rotate. 
     
     
         46 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 34 , wherein the pad comprises a chamfered edge. 
     
     
         47 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 46 , wherein the chamfered edge of the pad is located substantially near a rotatable surface of a rotatable picker shaft. 
     
     
         48 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 47 , wherein the chamfered edge of the pad is located in contact with the rotatable surface of the rotatable picker shaft. 
     
     
         49 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 47 , wherein two or more pickers are fastened to the rotatable picker shaft and the pad is located between the two or more pickers. 
     
     
         50 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 49 , wherein the pad and at least one other picker shaft rake are located between the two or more pickers. 
     
     
         51 . The picker shaft rake of  claim 47 , wherein the chamfered edge of the pad faces away from a direction that the picker shaft is configured to rotate. 
     
     
         52 . A crusher, comprising:
 a frame,   a picker shaft rake, comprising:   a mounting portion; and   a pad comprising a scraping edge; and   a rotatable picker shaft,   wherein the picker shaft rake is fastened to the frame such that the scraping edge of the pad is located substantially near a rotatable surface of the rotatable picker shaft.   
     
     
         53 . A method for removing clay from a rotatable picker shaft, comprising:
 rotating the rotatable picker shaft, wherein the rotating forces built-up clay on the rotatable picker shaft to impact a pad of a picker shaft rake; and   using the pad of the picker shaft rake to force at least a part of the built-up clay off of the rotatable picker shaft.