Feeder crusher

Abstract

A mobile, low-profile feeder-crusher machine for receiving, crushing and feeding freshly mined coal to a stationary conveyor system includes a rigid frame supporting a rotary crusher shaft and supporting an endless conveyor for delivering coal to the crusher shaft and for removing crushed coal therefrom. The drive system for the crusher shaft is mounted on the frame and includes a hydraulic pump driven by an electric motor, a hydraulic motor driven by the pump, a planetary gear reduction driven by the hydraulic motor and having a carrier output driving the crusher shaft, and a flywheel rotatable with the input of the reduction gear assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A feeder-crusher machine for use in low clearance mines comprising an elongated low-profile body supported from the ground on traction means so as to be movable along the ground longitudinally, said body having side walls and a bottom and including, in end-to-end relationship along the length of the machine, a receiving section, a crushing section and a discharge section; said crushing section including a rotary crusher shaft mounted transversely in said body and carrying a plurality of radial breaker arms the outer ends of which define a circle spaced from a wall of the machine; means for urging material residing on said bottom in said receiving section to the space between said circle and said wall so as to be crushed therein and for urging the resulting crushed material along the discharged section in a direction away from said crusher section; and drive means mounted on said body for rotating said crusher shaft, said drive means including a constant-speedmotor, a mechanical speed reduction unit having a high speed input driven by said motor, a low speed output driving said crusher shaft, a gear system connected between the input and the output for rotating the output at a speed proportional only to the speed of the input and a flywheel connected to rotate with said high speed input to said speed reduction unit whereby amplified torque produced by the high speed flywheel is transmitted through the gear connections in said reduction unit to the more slowly rotating crusher shaft. 
     
     
       2. A feeder-crusher as in claim 1 wherein said speed reduction unit includes a planetary gear set having a sun gear, another gear, planet gears meshing with said sun gear and said other gear and a planet carrier, said other gear being fixed to said body, said sun gear being driven by said motor and said carrier driving said low speed output. .Iadd.3. In an impact-type crushing machine: a rotary crusher shaft carrying impact means; fixed means against which material is crushed by the action of the impact means on the material; a high speed motor; a planetary gear reduction unit having a sun gear, another gear, planet gears meshing with said sun gear and with said other gear and a planet carrier; means fixing said other gear against rotation; a first driving connection between said motor and said sun gear, said first driving connection including a flywheel which amplifies the torque supplied through said meshing gears to said crusher shaft. .Iaddend. .Iadd.4. A crusher maching having a crusher section; a movable breaker surface within the crusher section; a means for moving material to the crusher section; a rotating power source; and a means for driving the breaker surface from the rotating power source comprising: a rigid speed reduction system having a relatively high rotating speed input connected to be driven by the power source and a relatively low speed output connected to move the breaker surface, and a flywheel attached to rotate with the input whereby the inertial energy of rotation of said flywheel is transmitted through the reduction system to the breaker surface. .Iaddend. .Iadd.5. A crusher machine according to claim 4 wherein said machine is a feeder crusher machine. .Iaddend. .Iadd.6. A crusher machine according to claim 4 wherein said movable breaker surface is a rotating crusher shaft with breaker arms mounted on said shaft. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. A crusher machine according to claim 4 wherein said speed reduction system comprises a planetary gear unit. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. A crusher machine according to claim 7 wherein said machine has a frame and wherein said planetary gear unit has a ring fixedly attached to same frame. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. A crusher machine having a crusher section; a movable breaker surface within the crusher section; a means for moving material to the crusher section; and a means for driving the breaker surface from a rotating power source comprising: a rigid speed reduction system having a relatively high rotating speed input adapted to be driven by a rotating power source, a relatively low speed output connected to drive the breaker surface, and a flywheel attached to rotate with the input whereby the inertial energy of rotation of said flywheel is transmitted through the reduction unit to the breaker surface. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. A crusher machine according to claim 9 wherein said movable breaker surface is a rotating crusher shaft with breaker arms mounted on said shaft. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A crusher machine according to claim 9 wherein said speed reduction means comprises a planetary gear unit. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A crusher machine according to claim 11 wherein said machine has a frame supporting its parts and wherein said planetary gear unit has a ring gear fixedly attached to said frame. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. A crusher machine having a crusher means for crushing material adapted to be driven by a rotating input; a means for moving material to the crusher means; a means for rigidly driving the crusher means at a relatively low rotating speed from a relatively high speed of rotating input: and a flywheel attached to rotate with the input. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. A crusher machine according to claim 13 wherein said machine is a feeder crusher machine. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A crusher machine according to claim 13 wherein said crusher means comprises a rotating crusher shaft with breaker arms mounted on said shaft. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. A crusher machine according to claim 13 wherein said means for driving comprises a planetary gear unit. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. A crusher machine according to claim 16 wherein said machine has a main support frame and wherein said planetary gear unit has a ring gear fixedly attached to said frame. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. A crusher machine having a crusher shaft, a power means for producing a rotating output, a speed reduction means connected to receive the rotating output for rigidly transmitting said rotating output to the crusher shaft at a reduced speed of rotation, and a flywheel having a selected mass connected to rotate with the rotating output to thereby provide energy. .Iaddend.