Apparatus for crushing and washing ballast and the like

Abstract

 Apparatus for crushing and washing ballast and the like comprises axially aligned and spaced apart first and second cylindrical bodies (4) and (6) interconnected by a screen barrel (13). The first body (4) has a feed hopper at the end remote from the screen barrel (13) and the bodies (4,6) are provided with feed water pipes (23). Extending lengthwise of the bodies (4,6) is a rotatable main shaft (7) on which the screen barrel (13) is mounted through radial spokes (14). The main shaft (7) mounts crush blade means (15) disposed within the bodies (4,6) and a first crush bowl (12) for co-operating with the end of the first body (4) adjacent to the screen barrel (13). A second crush bowl (18) is mounted on a rotatable jack shaft (17) coaxial with the main shaft (7) for co-­operating with the end of the second body (6) remote from the screen barrel (13). The first body (4) and jack shaft (17) are mounted on respective tables (1,1ʹ) slidably supported on a base (2) for engagement with respective adjustable stops (22,22ʹ) for controlling the degree of engagement between the ends of the bodies (4,6) and the crush bowls (12,18). The tables (1,1ʹ) are biassed by respective springs (19,19ʹ) to engage the ends of the bodies (4,6) and the crush bowls (12,18) with the biassing force exerted by each spring (19,19ʹ) being adjustable.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to apparatus for crushing and washing ballast and the like for processing collected ballast into high quality concrete aggregate for use in construction.

[0002] The conventional apparatus for crushing and washing ballast comprises a base, a cylindrical body mounted on the base, a rotatable main shaft disposed on the central longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body, a sleeve attached to the rotary main shaft, a crush blade spirally mounted on the outer periphery of the sleeve, and a rotatable jack shaft mounted on the base coaxial with the main shaft and carrying a crush bowl disposed in opposed relationship to a discharge port in the cylindrical body.

[0003] This type of conventional apparatus, however, has presented such shortcomings that, in the case of ballast mixed with a lot of soft stones (dead stones), lumps of tough loam, and lumps of clay, then as the ballast is transferred towards the discharge port while being agitated by the rotating crush blade within the cylindrical body, the mixed quantity of mud produced as a result of the crushing of the soft stones, etc. and fine sand produced as a result of the removal of the angular portions of the crushed stones is increased too much.

[0004] Due to the foregoing, the crushing effect of the crush blade or crush bowl and the rubbing effect among ballast and soft stones are decreased. Accordingly, one washing is not sufficient to obtain high quality ballast and two washings are required necessitating either re-cycling of the crushed ballast which is time consuming or the use of two apparatuses which increases plant costs.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for crushing and washing ballast and the like which remedies the shortcomings of the known apparatus above-described.

[0006] According to the present invention apparatus for crushing and washing ballast and the like is characterised by a base, a first cylindrical body slidably mounted on the base, a second cylindrical body mounted on the base in axial alignment with and spaced from the first cylindrical body, a screen barrel interposed between adjacent ends of the first and second bodies, a rotatable main shaft mounted on the base and extending lengthwise of the bodies, a first crush bowl mounted on the main shaft for co-operating with the end of the first body adjacent to the screen barrel, crush blade means mounted on the main shaft within the bodies, a rotatable jack shaft slidably mounted on the base and extending on a coaxis with the main shaft, and a second crush bowl mounted on the jack shaft for co-operating with the end of the second body remote from the screen barrel.

[0007] The main advantage of the present invention is that collected ballast is subjected to two successive crushing and washing operations in the cylindrical bodies with mud and fine sand produced in the first operation being removed by passage through the screen barrel connecting the bodies. In this way high quality washed ballast is obtained in a simple and effective manner using one apparatus only.

[0008] Advantageously the screen barrel is rotatable with the main shaft thereby improving the removal of mud and fine sand.

[0009] The first body and the rotary jack shaft are conveniently each mounted on a respective table slidably supported on the base for engaging and disengaging the ends of the bodies with the associated crush bowls.

[0010] Each table is preferably engageable with a stop to limit the degree of engagement between the ends of the bodies and the associated crush bowls. Advantageously each stop is adjustable to vary the degree of engagement.

[0011] Preferably respective spring means acts between each table and the base to bias the end of the first body towards the first crush bowl and the to bias the second crush bowl towards the end of the second body. Conveniently the biassing force exerted by each spring means is adjustable.

[0012] One exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional side view of apparatus for crushing and washing ballast according to the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

[0013] In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a movable table. The movable table 1 is slidably supported by rollers 3 provided on a base 2 supported by legs so as to be inclined downwardly from left to right as viewed in Figure 1.

[0014] Disposed on the upper surface of the movable table 1 is a first cylindrical body 4 inclined downwardly from its rear end to its front end and provided at the rear end with a hopper 5 on the upper surface.

[0015] Disposed on the upper surface of the base 2 in axial alignment with and spaced apart from the first cylindrical body 4 is a second cylindrical body 6 inclined downwardly from its rear end to its front end.

[0016] Disposed on the central longitudinal axis of the first and second cylindrical bodies 4,6 is a rotatable main shaft 7. The main shaft 7 extends from near to the front end of the second cylindrical body 6 outwardly from the rear end of the first cylindrical body 4 and is supported on the base 2 in cantilever fashion by spaced apart bearings 8. A drive motor 9 is connected to the main shaft 7 through a belt.

[0017] The main shaft 7 is provided with sleeves 11. One of the sleeves 11 placed at the front end of the first cylindrical body 4 mounts a crush bowl 12 for co­operating with the front end. Another sleeve 11 placed intermediate the first and second cylindrical bodies 4,6 mounts a screen barrel 13 supported by radial spokes 14. One end of the screen barrel 13 engages the outer surface at the front end of the first cylindrical body 4 and the other end of the screen barrel 13 engages the inner surface at the rear end of the second cylindrical body 6. The remaining sleeves 11 disposed within the first and second cylindrical bodies 4,6 mount crush blades 15.

[0018] Disposed on the upper surface of the base 2 at the front end of the second cylindrical body 6 is a second movable table 1ʹ slidably supported by rollers 3ʹ. The movable table 1ʹ mounts a rotatable jack shaft 17 supported on a coaxis with the main shaft 7 by spaced apart bearings 8ʹ. The jack shaft 17 is connected to a drive motor 9ʹ through a belt. The front end of the jack shaft 17 mounts a crush bowl 18 for co-operating with the front end of the second cylindrical body 6.

[0019] Disposed on the base 2 under each movable table 1,1ʹ is a respective threaded rod 21,21ʹ carried on a respective bearing and connected at one end to a respective operating handle 27,27ʹ through an associated bevel gear 26,26ʹ. Each threaded rod 21,21ʹ is threadedly engaged with a respective threaded sleeve 24,24ʹ integrally provided with a respective spring bearing 20,20ʹ.

[0020] Each spring bearing 20,20ʹ is fixedly attached with one end of a respective spring 19,19ʹ. The other end of each spring 19,19ʹ is carried on a respective bearing sleeve 25,25ʹ fixedly attached to the undersurface of the associated table 1,1ʹ at one end thereof for biassing the front end of the first cylindrical body 4, supported on the table 1, towards the crush bowl 12 and the crush bowl 18, supported on the table 1ʹ, towards the front end of the second cylindrical body 6. By this arrangement, the tables 1,1ʹ are slidable to engage the front end of each cylindrical body 4,6 with the associated crush bowl 12,18 by operation of the handles 27,27ʹ to displace the threaded sleeves 24,24ʹ and pressurize the spring 19,19ʹ.

[0021] Mounted on the upper surface of the base 2 to limit movement of each table 1,1ʹ for controlling the degree of engagement between the front end of each cylindrical body 4,6 and the associated crush bowl 12,18 is a respective stop consisting of a threaded shaft 22,22ʹ supported on a bearing.

[0022] Each stop is engageable with the associated table 1,1ʹ to limit movement thereof and is adjustable to vary the degree of engagement as required. In the limit position of each table 1,1ʹ the biassing force exerted by the associated spring 19,19ʹ may be adjusted as desired by operation of the associated handle 27,27ʹ.

[0023] Connected to the first and second cylindrical bodies 4,6 are a number of feed water pipes 23 for washing ballast in operation of the apparatus as will now be described.

[0024] First, the tables 1,1ʹ are engaged with the associated stop shaft 22,22ʹ after which the operating handles 27,27ʹ are manipulated to adjust the biassing force of the springs 19,19ʹ to the required level. Thereafter, the main shaft 7 and the rotary jack shaft 17 are rotated by the associated motor 9,9ʹ thereby rotating the crush bowls 12,18 and water is fed through the feed water pipes 23 while feeding ballast through the hopper 5 at the rear end of the first cylindrical body 4.

[0025] The ballast is transferred towards the front end of the body 4 while being agitated by the crush blades 15 where it is strongly rubbed against the crush bowl 12 due to the push pressure of the succeeding ballast. The front end of the body 4 is pushed back against the biassing of the spring 19 and the ballast is discharged between the front end and the crush bowl 12 into the rotating screen barrel 13.

[0026] The ballast passes from the screen barrel 13 to the rear end of the second cylindrical body 6 and is transferred towards the front end while being continuously agitated by the crush blades 15. At the front end, the ballast is strongly rubbed against the rotating crush bowl 18 due to the push pressure of the succeeding ballast and is discharged between the front end and the crush bowl 18 which is pushed back against the biassing of spring 19ʹ.

[0027] As described in the above, mud produced as a result of the crushing of the soft stones, etc. and fine sand produced as a result of the removal of angular portions of the crushed stones due to the crushing effect between the rotating crush blades 15 and the crush bowl 12 and the rubbing effect among the ballast and the like within the first cylindrical body 4 are washed and carried away by the feed water while passing through the inside of the rotating screen barrel 13. The soft stones etc. which still remain uncrushed are succeedingly completely crushed due to the crushing effect between the crush blades 15 and the crush bowl 18 and the rubbing effect among the ballast and the like within the second cylindrical body 6, and at the same time the angular portions of the crushed stones and dirt attached to the ballast are completely removed, and only thereafter the ballast is discharged. Accordingly, a mass production of high quality washed ballast can be obtained in an efficient manner.

[0028] Furthermore, depending on the quality of the collected ballast, a high quality washed ballast as desired can be obtained by setting the stop shaft 22,22ʹ to provide the required degree of engagement between the crush bowls 12, 18 and the cylindrical bodies 4,6 and by adjusting the biassing force of the springs 19,19ʹ to the required level.

[0029] Although in the above embodiment the apparatus according to the present invention is used for crushing and washing ballast it may be effectively used for crushing and washing other materials, for example a concrete structure or a glass product. More specifically, the apparatus can be used for crushing blocks obtained, for example from an old structure, into powder-like cement and the like which may be re-­used for making a ground bed for buried pipe or into ballast and the like for a concrete aggregate. Likewise, the apparatus can be used for crushing glass products such as old bottles into re-usable powder-like glass material in large quantity with ease.

Claims

1. Apparatus for crushing and washing ballast and the like characterised by a base (2), a first cylindrical body (4) slidably mounted on the base (2), a second cylindrical body (6) mounted on the base (2) in axial alignment with and spaced from the first cylindrical body (4), a screen barrel (13) interposed between adjacent ends of the first and second bodies (4,6), a rotatable main shaft (7) mounted on the base (2) and extending lenghtwise of the bodies (4,6), a first crush bowl (12) mounted on the main shaft (7) for co-operating with the end of the first body (4) adjacent to the screen barrel (13), crush blade means (15) mounted on the main shaft (7) and disposed within the bodies (4,6), a rotatable jack shaft (17) slidably mounted on the base (2) and extending on a coaxis with the main shaft (7), and a second crush bowl (18) mounted on the jack shaft (17) for co-operating with the end of the second body (6) remote from the screen barrel (13).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that the screen barrel (13) is supported on the main shaft (7) by radial spokes (14).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that one end of the screen barrel (13) co-operates with the outer surface of the adjacent end of the first body (4) and the other end of the screen barrel (13) co-operates with the inner surface of the adjacent end of the second body (6).

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the first body (4) and the jack shaft (17) are each mounted on a respective movable table (1,1ʹ) slidably supported on the base (2) by respective rollers (3,3ʹ).

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 characterised in that each table (1,1ʹ) is engageable with a respective stop (22,22ʹ) to limit the degree of engagement between the associated crush bowl (12,18) and the ends of the bodies (4,6).

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterised in that each stop (22,22ʹ) is adjustable.

7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6 characterised in that respective spring means (19,19ʹ) acts between each table (1,1ʹ) and the base (2) to bias the first body (4) towards the first crush bowl (12) and to bias the second crush bowl (18) towards the second body (6).

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 characterised in that each spring means (19,19ʹ) is adjustable.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the first body (4) has a feed hopper (5) at the end remote from the screen barrel (13) and the first and second bodies (4,6) are provided with feed water pipes (23).

10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the main shaft (7) and the jack shaft (17) are operatively connected to separate drive motors (9,9ʹ).

Drawing