Method and apparatus for reconfiguring a material processing plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022155766-A1
Application number	US-202117528269-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 17, 2021
Priority date	Nov 17, 2020
Publication date	May 19, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A dual positioned recirculating chute that would allow the operator to run the plant in either closed circuit or open circuit position. While in closed circuit position, the plant will run rock through and the chute will provide as a recirculating chute for oversized rock to travel from the recirculating conveyor back into the feeder hopper for re-crushing. The operator can then reposition the chute to the open circuit position, which will change the direction of the chute away from the feeder hopper and discharge material off the side of the plant. This can be oversized rock material to form an additional stock pile or be redirected to an off-plant conveyor. This can also allow for the removal of trash and unwanted material from the plant cycle without the need for a full plant shutdown, locking out the proper equipment, and manually removing before restarting the crushing process again.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of configuring a material processing plant comprising the steps of:
providing a crusher; providing a vibrating screen; providing a conveyor from the vibrating screen back toward an input of the crusher; providing a dual positionable chute disposed between an output of said conveyor and an input to said crusher; providing a plurality of actuators; and manipulating hydraulic pressure to one of said plurality of actuators coupled to a portion of said dual positionable chute and to a member; so that said dual positionable chute is caused to hinge from a closed circuit configuration to an open circuit configuration raising and lowering a portion of said dual positionable chute.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing a conveyor further includes providing a recirculating conveyor so that output of said vibrating screen is recirculated back to said crusher.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein said material processing plant utilizes gravity and hinging of said dual positionable chute to move material exiting said conveyor to an input of said crusher.

4 . The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:
providing a hinge about which said conveyor can pivot and thereby changing said material processing plant from a closed configuration to an open configuration.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein each of said plurality of actuators is a hydraulic linear actuator.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein each of said plurality of actuators is configured to receive input hydraulic commands from a control.

7 . The method of claim 4 wherein each of said plurality of actuators is coupled to a source of hydraulic fluid where a change in pressure in said hydraulic fluid results in a change in a linear dimension of each of said plurality of actuators.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein said change in linear dimension is in the same direction for each of said plurality of actuators.

9 . The method of claim 4 wherein said dual positionable chute alternates from right discharge direction to a left discharge direction by merely manipulating a single hydraulic control lever.

10 . The method of claim 4 wherein each of said plurality of actuators is coupled to a single source of hydraulic fluid under pressure.

11 . A mobile material processing plant comprising:
a chassis, a crusher disposed on the chassis; a screen disposed on the chassis; a conveyor receiving material from said screen and elevating it to a position above an input to said crusher; a dual positionable chute disposed between said conveyor and said input to said crusher; and said dual positionable chute being configured to pivot about an axis so that material falling from said position is directed in different directions depending upon a hydraulic pressure in an actuator which has a linear dimension which changes depending upon hydraulic pressure.

12 . The mobile material processing plant of claim 11 further comprising a head section disposed between said conveyor and said crusher.

13 . The mobile material processing plant of claim 12 further comprising a hinge disposed between said head section and said crusher.

14 . The mobile material processing plant of claim 13 wherein said hinge is configured to permit a first end of said chute to pivot in and out of contact with a portion of said head section.

15 . The mobile material processing plant of claim 14 wherein the chute has a second end which pivots in a different angular direction than said first end when said dual positionable chute moves from a first position to a second position.

16 . The mobile material processing plant of claim 15 wherein said first end is adjacent to said head section when said mobile material processing plant is in a closed circuit configuration.

17 . The mobile material processing plant of claim 16 is free of any latches which hold said dual positionable chute in particular orientation until unlatched.

18 . A method of redirecting material off a crushing plant with a chute in an open circuit position comprising the steps of:
providing dual actuators coupled to the chute, and when said dual actuators are fully extended or until a first end of the chute rests against a hinge mechanism directing the chute section away from a feeder hopper; allowing for material to be rejected from the plant cycle and safely removed; and allowing for oversized rock material to exit a recirculating conveyor, and travel down the chute onto an off-plant location.

Assignees

• Terex Usa Llc

Inventors

• Oien Rachael
• Stemper Michael Peter
• Sauser Edwin J

Classifications

• B02C23/02

  Feeding devices ({for grain mills B02C11/04; for roller mills B02C4/286}; transport devices in general B65G) · CPC title

• B02C21/02 Primary

  Transportable disintegrating plant · CPC title

• B65G47/72

  transferring materials in bulk from one conveyor to several conveyors, or vice versa · CPC title

• B65G11/126

  for bulk · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title