HK1197282B - Bucket for screening and crushing inert material having a balancing valve - Google Patents

Description

Bucket for screening and crushing inert material with balancing valve

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a bucket for screening and crushing inert materials.

Background

In the technical context of buckets in question, which can be fitted on the end of an arm of an operating machine, it is known to include an outer casing configured for collecting inert material, such as gravel material resulting from the demolition of buildings, and inside which a crushing member for crushing the collected material is mounted.

An example of this type of bucket is described in european patent EP 1532321, in which the bucket is spoon-shaped and the crushing members take the form of pairs of jaws which act in an alternating motion on the material to be crushed.

In these buckets, an opening is usually provided for the material to be crushed, inside which the material is plugged by causing the bucket to act as a collecting shovel through a suitable movement of the arm of the operating machine.

From international patent application WO 2006/105864, it is also known to provide screening means on the outer casing in addition to the crushing members, at the inlet of the bucket.

The screening means takes the form of a perforated plate which forms an open bottom through which the material being crushed enters and on which the material spreads after having been collected. The perforated plate is associated with a vibration system to cause the vibration system to vibrate and allow material having small dimensions to fall through the perforated plate.

After the initial screening, the bucket was raised, allowing the material to fall into the crushing area as follows: this approach is conceptually similar to that of other known buckets.

Such a combined screening and crushing system requires two different motor units to operate the system, which is hardly optimized from an energy point of view, and in any case not very practical for an operating machine operator who has to control the movement of the excavator arm and the respective two controls for actuating the motor units simultaneously.

In addition to this, the screening and crushing phases one after the other are not coordinated in any way during the operation of the bucket, thus making this solution practically useless in use and in fact rendering the bucket difficult to apply on an industrial level.

Disclosure of Invention

The technical problem underlying the present invention is therefore that of providing a bucket for crushing inert materials which makes it possible to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks associated with the known art.

This problem is solved by a bucket comprising an outer casing, a screening device for screening a material to be crushed, and a crushing unit arranged in the casing for crushing said material, wherein the bucket comprises a detection device for detecting an orientation angle of the bucket with respect to a reference plane parallel to the ground, wherein the screening device and the crushing unit are selectively operated, individually or in combination, according to the orientation angle of the bucket.

The present invention has several significant advantages. The main advantage lies in the fact that: the bucket according to the invention enables screening and crushing to be performed in a single bucket, optimizing energy consumption and coordinating the two operations in a precise and reliable manner.

Drawings

Further advantages, features and methods of using the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of several embodiments, which are provided by way of example and not limitation. Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a side section view of a bucket according to the invention in a first operating configuration;

figures 1A and 1B are a side section view and a perspective section view, respectively, of a three-way hydraulic valve as a detail of the bucket shown in figure 1 in a first operating configuration;

figure 2 is a side section view of a bucket according to the invention in a second operating configuration;

figures 2A and 2B are a side section view and a perspective section view, respectively, of a three-way hydraulic valve as a detail of the bucket shown in figure 2 in a second operating configuration.

Detailed Description

Referring initially to fig. 1, a bucket for crushing inert material, such as waste material resulting from structural demolition or excavation, is generally designated by the reference numeral 100. The bucket is of the following type: the bucket is adapted to be mounted on a moving arm of an operating machine, not shown in the figures, by means of a connecting plate 5 or other equivalent attachment member.

The bucket 100 comprises an outer casing 1, inside which a crushing unit 3 is schematically shown.

The crushing unit 3 is located within the channel 101, along which channel 101 the material to be crushed travels in a defined direction of travel a, which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bucket.

Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, the crushing unit 3 is of the type with jaws and comprises at least one moving jaw 31, preferably associated with a fixed jaw 32 and moving alternately along a crushing direction C perpendicular to the travelling direction a of the material, as shown in fig. 2.

Furthermore, the movement of the pawl 31 may be a combined movement, with one component in the direction C and one component parallel to the direction of travel a. It is also obvious that crushing can be achieved by other crushing units or devices, such as roller systems. However, these solutions are known to the person skilled in the art and will therefore not be described in detail below.

It will also be noted that in this embodiment the channel 101 has a substantially rectangular shape in cross-section to allow the jaws 31 to move within the channel.

In the bucket 100 there is an inlet portion 10 which allows the material to be crushed to enter the outer casing 1, while a screening device 2 for screening the crushed material is arranged in an intermediate position between the inlet portion 10 and the crushing unit 3. The casing also comprises a shovel-like attachment 42, upstream of the screening device 2 with respect to the direction of travel a, by means of which the collection of the material to be crushed from the ground or more generally from any working surface can be improved.

In more detail, the screening device 2 comprises at least one rotating member 20, and in the present embodiment, this rotating member 20 rotates about an axis Y substantially perpendicular to the direction a along which the material travels towards the crushing unit 3, as shown in fig. 2.

In more detail, the screening device 2 comprises a pair of rotating members which rotate in a uniform direction and are supported by the housing 1 in a position adjacent to, and in this embodiment coincident with, the inlet opening 11 in the housing.

Each rotating member 20 is in the form of a shaft and supports a plurality of discs 21, which also have axes parallel to the axis of rotation Y.

These rotating members are spaced apart and at a distance from the corresponding edges of the bottom of the channel 101 adjacent to the rotating members to define sufficient space for the passage of material that does not need to be crushed.

In particular, by rotation of the rotating members, and in particular of their position on the casing, it is possible to screen out a portion of the material to be crushed smaller than a predetermined size, which portion of material, due to its nature, does not need to be crushed, while also allowing a portion of the material to be crushed larger than the predetermined size to travel towards the crushing unit 3.

In any case, as will be better explained below, the screening device 2 may also be of a different type, for example comprising a screen basket rotatably connected to the housing and rotating about an axis parallel to the direction of travel a, or further comprising a vibrating plate located upstream of the crushing unit.

In a conceptually similar manner to that of buckets constructed according to the known art, operation of buckets according to the invention provides a first collection stage in which the bucket operates as a shovel, collecting crushed material from the ground.

After being collected, the material to be crushed is screened by means of a screening device 2 before the subsequent crushing. In fact, one of the screening aims at preventing the presence of sandy materials and materials having dimensions that do not need to be crushed in the crushing unit 3.

In this screening stage, the bucket 100 is in the operating condition of fig. 1, i.e. in a position substantially parallel to the ground, thereby defining a reference plane S for the angular orientation of the bucket.

Typically, the screening phase lasts a few minutes and after this initial screening, the operator tilts the bucket upwards to bring it into the operating configuration illustrated in fig. 2, in which the bucket is tilted at an angle ω with respect to the reference plane S.

In this configuration, the material present in the channel 101 is conveyed by gravity to the crushing unit 3, which crushes the material that has been screened by the screening device 2.

It will thus be noted that the crushing unit need not be operated during the screening and vice versa, i.e. the screening of the material need not be carried out during the crushing, except for that part of the material which remains adjacent to the screening device when the bucket is raised.

In order to optimize the passage between the two operations, the bucket according to the invention comprises detection means 44 for detecting the orientation angle ω of the bucket 100 with respect to the reference plane S, thus making it possible to identify the operating configuration of the bucket.

In this way, it becomes possible to selectively operate the screening device 2 or the crushing unit 3 according to the orientation angle ω of the bucket 100 detected by the detection device 44.

According to a preferred embodiment, the bucket also comprises switching means 4 which make it possible to switch between the operation of the screening device 2 and the operation of the crushing unit 3 according to the orientation angle ω.

In particular, the switching means are designed to be responsive to detection by the detection meansWhen the bucket 100 is parallel to the reference plane S, only the screening device 2 operates, while the crushing unit 3 does not operate. Vice versa, when the bucket 100 is at the critical angle ω with respect to the reference plane S_{Critical point of}(again detected by the above-mentioned detection means) the above inclination, the switching means will switch the operation of the bucket so that only the crushing unit 3 is operated, while the screening means 2 is not operated.

Furthermore, the switching device 4 is arranged to perform a progressive switching between the operation of the screening device 2 and the operation of the crushing unit 3. Thus, when the bucket 100 is at a position parallel to the reference plane S and the critical angle ω_{Critical point of}In the intermediate position in between, both the screening device 2 and the crushing unit 3 are at least partly operated.

Therefore, when the bucket 100 is lifted, the rotation of the rotating member 20 of the screening device 2 is weakened, and the crushing unit 3 is partially operated, and the crushing unit 3 is not fully operated until the screening device is completely stopped. In this way, it is possible to envisage a situation in which the screening device 2 continues the screening operation even with a small force, even while the crushing unit is operating.

The operating method can advantageously be implemented by simultaneously activating the screening device and the crushing unit via a hydraulic circuit.

Furthermore, the actuators for the screening device 2 and the crushing unit 3 will preferably be fed by a single oil or other working fluid flow provided by the operating machine.

The flow of working fluid will thus be directed towards the screening device 2 or the crushing unit 3 depending on the orientation angle omega.

According to a preferred embodiment, the switching means and the detection means will be of the mechanical type, comprising a three-way hydraulic valve 4 fitted with a movable switching shutter 45 associated with a counterweight 44 and inclined according to an angle ω, so as to form the above-mentioned detection means. It will therefore be noted that in this case the switching means and the detection means are provided by a single device defined by the valve 4 and its corresponding counterweight.

In more detail, the three-way hydraulic valve 4 comprises an inlet 41 for the working fluid, a first outlet 42 connected to the drive for the screening device 2 and a second outlet 43 connected to the drive for said crushing unit 3. In particular, in this embodiment, the working fluid feeds the corresponding hydraulic motors of the screening device and of the crushing unit.

The movable shutter 45 thus makes it possible to select the first outlet 42, the second outlet 43 or to distribute the flow of oil between the two outlets depending on the relative position of the movable shutter with respect to the valve body 4.

The counterweight 44 is hinged at one end 46 of the shutter 45 and oscillates about a pin 47 forming part of the casing 1. In this way, rotation of the housing 1 due to movement of the bowl causes the shutter 45 to be subsequently displaced, switching operation of the valve between the first outlet 42 and the second outlet 43.

Specifically, the weight 44 functions as a link, and the rotation of the weight is converted into the linear motion of the shutter 45, which functions as a piston. The counterweight 44 is also configured so that the force of gravity tends to keep the link defined by the longitudinal direction of the counterweight, or alternatively the straight line connecting the centre of rotation between the shutter 45 and the counterweight 44 and the centre of rotation of the counterweight on the pin 47, in a position perpendicular to the ground and therefore to the reference plane S, regardless of the orientation of the bucket.

According to a preferred embodiment, the valve 4 is also orientable with respect to the casing 1 and is also rotatable about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the direction of travel a and parallel to the axis of rotation defined by the angle ω. In particular, the valve 4 comprises a slot 49 defining an arc of a circle, which slides on a pin 48 forming part of the housing 1. By this movement, the orientation of the valve 4 with respect to the housing 1 can be changed, thus making it possible to delay or facilitate the switching between the first or second outlet of the valve by a solution that is particularly simple from a constructional point of view. Indeed, as mentioned above, the valve switches the outlet according to the orientation of the bowl, and this effect can be achieved by having a relative angle between the valve and the bowl.

The present invention thus solves the above-mentioned problems, while providing a number of advantages, including better management of the different screening and crushing operating phases and saving on energy consumption. In particular, the possibility of selectively delivering the oil flow to the rotating member or crushing unit makes it possible to reduce the oil flow required to operate the bucket.

In any case, an electronic system including a digital angle sensor associated with an electrically operated valve or other switching device of the electrical or electronic type may be used as an alternative to the mechanical system described. In this case, the operation of the system would rely on an electronic control unit that controls the screening and crushing phases in a conceptually similar manner to that described above, based on the data detected by the angle sensors.

Claims (14)

1. A bucket (100) for screening and crushing inert material, comprising an outer casing (1), a screening device (2) for screening the material to be crushed, and a crushing unit (3) provided in the casing (1) for crushing the material, characterized in that it comprises detection means for detecting the orientation angle (ω) of the bucket (100) with respect to a reference plane (S) parallel to the ground, wherein the screening device (2) and the crushing unit (3) are selectively operated, individually or in combination, according to the orientation angle (ω) of the bucket (100).

2. A bucket (100) according to claim 1, comprising switching means for operating the driving members of the screening device (2) and the crushing unit (3), and designed such that, when the bucket (100) is parallel to the reference plane (S), only the screening device (2) is operated, while the crushing unit (3) is not operated, and when the bucket (100) is inclined with respect to the reference plane (S) by a predetermined critical angle (ω)_{Critical point of}) In the above, only the crushing unit (3) is operated, and the screening device (2) is not operated.

3. A bucket (100) according to claim 2, wherein the switching means are adapted to progressively switch the driving members of the screening device (2) and the crushing unit (3) so as to take place when the bucket (100) is in a position parallel to the reference plane (S) and at the critical angle (ω)_{Critical point of}) In an intermediate position in between, the screening device (2) and the crushing unit (3) are both at least partially operated.

4. A bucket (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the screening device (2) comprises a rotating member (20) rotatably connected to the casing (1).

5. A bucket (100) according to claim 4, wherein the crushing unit (3) comprises at least one movable jaw (31) and the alternating movement of the at least one movable jaw is obtained by means of a rotating shaft (30) with which the at least one movable jaw is associated.

6. A bucket (100) according to claim 5, wherein the screening device (2) and the crushing unit (3) comprise respective drives of the hydraulic type fed by a single flow of working fluid delivered to the screening device (2) and/or to the crushing unit (3) according to the orientation angle (ω).

7. A bucket (100) according to claim 6, wherein the rotation of the rotating member (20) and of the rotating shaft (30) is achieved by means of a hydraulic motor fed by the single flow of working fluid.

8. A bucket (100) according to claim 2, wherein the switching means comprise a three-way hydraulic valve (4) comprising an inlet (41) for the working fluid, a first outlet (42) connected to the drive of the screening device (2) and a second outlet (43) connected to the drive of the crushing unit (3), the first and second outlets being selectable according to the orientation angle (ω).

9. A bucket (100) according to claim 8, wherein the three-way hydraulic valve (4) has a movable shutter (45) for selecting the first outlet (42) and/or the second outlet (43) and associated with a counterweight (44) hinged to one end (46) of the shutter (45) and pivoting about a pin (47) forming part of the casing (1), so that rotation of the casing causes a subsequent displacement of the shutter (45) to switch the operation of the three-way hydraulic valve between the first outlet (42) and the second outlet (43).

10. A bucket according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: the three-way hydraulic valve (4) is orientable with respect to the housing (1) and rotatable about an axis of rotation parallel to an axis of rotation defined by the orientation angle (ω).

11. A bucket according to claim 9, wherein the three-way hydraulic valve (4) comprises a slot (49) defining an arc of a circle and adapted to slide on a pin (48) forming part of the casing (1).

12. A bucket (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the screening device (2) is in the form of a basket having a truncated-cone shape and rotatable about an axis parallel to the feed direction (A) for the material to be crushed.

13. A bucket (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising an attachment member (5) for attachment to a free end of an arm of an operating machine.

14. An operating machine comprising a bucket (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.