Solid material comminution or disintegration – Processes – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-03
2001-05-22
Rosenbaum, Mark (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Processes
Miscellaneous
C241S101200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234414
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to apparatus such as grinders, motors, engines, pumps and other apparatus and methods for operating such apparatus including a moving shaft-mounted member, and in which packing, a ring member such as a fluid distribution ring and a fluid purge system are provided, such as to prevent leakage and/or lubricate the packing and/or otherwise protect the packing, one or more bearings, the shaft or other components of the apparatus. In a specific preferred embodiment, the invention relates to rotary grinders in which abrasive material is processed at least in part by contact with a shaft-mounted rotor and in which packing and/or bearings in which the shaft and rotor rotate are protected from entry of abrasive fine particles with an improved ring-packing and-cavity arrangement and liquid purge system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Apparatus in which abrasive, corrosive or other damaging material is processed by contact with moving shaft-mounted members is prone to damage by such materials. These penetrate and damage portions of the shafts and/or adjacent packing provided to prevent the materials from reaching the bearings in which the shafts move.
It is known to employ fluid distribution rings with air, steam, water and grease purges to assist in barring entry of such materials into the packing, adjacent portions of the shafts and the bearings. There is however a need for improvements in the centering and sealing capabilities of these devices. The present invention is intended to fill either or both of these needs. But the invention has even broader applications, as will be shown below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has a number of aspects involving differing, new and non-obvious combinations of elements.
First Aspect
In one aspect, the invention relates generally to apparatus having a fluid purge system operating in conjunction with a shaft, packing and/or other portions of the apparatus. This aspect comprises the following elements.
First, there is a material processing chamber. It includes a zone in which material is present which should be substantially barred, during operation of the apparatus, from escaping through the packing, and, preferably, in some cases should be substantially barred from entering the interface between the packing and the shaft.
Second, there is a moveable shaft having a longitudinal axis and one or more surfaces. A material-contacting member is connected with the shaft and is present at least partly within the chamber during at least a portion of the motion of the shaft and said member.
At least one bearing is provided, in which the shaft moves. There is a cavity surrounding a portion of the shaft, and it is in communication with the above-mentioned zone. Packing is located in the cavity between the zone and the bearing and is held in sealing engagement with at least one surface of the shaft.
A substantially rigid ring member is located in an enclosure surrounding the shaft. It has at least one ring member surface located between said zone and the packing. This surface is positioned in confronting but spaced relationship with at least one portion of the shaft surface to define at least one small clearance between the confronting surfaces of the ring member and shaft. At least one fluid supply passage extends from outside the ring enclosure to said clearance.
At least one first centering member is connected with said ring member and includes at least one first centering surface at least partly inclined to either side of a reference plane perpendicular to the axis of the shaft.
There is also at least one second centering member that is connected with a wall of the ring member enclosure. It includes at least one second centering surface that is at least partly inclined to either side of said reference plane and is complementary to said first centering surface.
The positions of the first and second centering surfaces each are established with respect to the shaft axis so that, when the first and second centering surfaces are brought into contact with one another, the ring member surface is in a predetermined radial position with respect to the portion of the shaft confronted thereby.
Second Aspect
The second aspect of the invention involves size-reduction apparatus in which solid feed particles are fed into a rotating, shaft-mounted rotor and in which abrasive fine particulate material is present. This aspect includes the following combination of features.
There is a size-reduction chamber. It includes a zone, representing at least a portion of the chamber, in which the fine abrasive particulate material is present during operation of the apparatus.
Next, there is a rotatable shaft. It has a longitudinal axis and one or more surfaces. A size-reduction rotor is connected with the shaft and is present at least partly within the chamber during rotation of the shaft and rotor.
At least one bearing is provided in which the shaft rotates. A cavity surrounds a portion of the shaft and is in communication with said zone.
Packing is located in the cavity between said zone and the bearing and is held in sealing engagement with at least one surface of the shaft.
A substantially rigid ring member is located in an enclosure surrounding the shaft. It has at least one ring member surface located between the zone and the packing. This surface is positioned in confronting but spaced relationship with at least one portion of the shaft surface to define at least one small clearance between the confronting surfaces of the ring member and shaft. At least one liquid supply passage extends from outside the ring enclosure to the clearance.
At least one first centering member is connected with the ring member. It includes at least one first centering surface.
At least one second centering member is connected with a wall of said cavity. It likewise includes at least one second centering surface.
The positions of the first and second centering surfaces are each established with respect to the shaft axis so that, when the first and second centering surfaces are brought into contact with one another, the ring member surface is in a predetermined radial a position with respect to the portion of the shaft confronted thereby.
Third Aspect
A particularly important aspect of the invention entails apparatus for conversion of particulate solid ash material at least in part to abrasive fine ash particles by contact with a rotating, shaft-mounted rotor. This apparatus comprises a size-reduction chamber. The chamber includes peripheral wall means, end wall means and an interior zone, representing at least a portion of the chamber, in which the abrasive, fine ash particles are present during operation of the apparatus.
There is a rotatable shaft in the apparatus. It has a longitudinal axis.
A size-reduction rotor is connected with the shaft and is present at least partly within the chamber during rotation of the shaft and rotor.
There is at least one bearing mount that supports the shaft. It includes at least one bearing in which the shaft rotates and a seal cavity surrounding a portion of the shaft in communication with the zone.
Packing is located in the cavity between the above-mentioned zone and the bearing and is held in sealing engagement with at least one surface of the shaft.
A substantially rigid ring member is located at least partly in the cavity. This ring member is positioned in axial engagement with that portion of the packing which is nearest the zone. It has at least one ring member surface that is located between the zone and the packing and is positioned in confronting but radially spaced relationship with at least one portion of the shaft surface. This defines at least one small, substantially annular clearance between the confronting surfaces of the ring member and shaft. At least one fluid supply passage extends into the cavity, through the ring and into the clearance.
At least one first centering member is connected with the ring member. It includes at least one first centering surface. There is also at least one second centering me
DeVitis Paul R.
Johnson James A.
Hall Priddy Myers & Vande Sande
Pennsylvania Crusher Corporation
Rosenbaum Mark
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