Locking rotor rotation device
A rotor rotation device the rotor of a crusher includes a drive mechanism comprising a worm shaft and corresponding worm wheel. The worm wheel can selectively be coupled to said rotor in order to effect controlled rotation of the rotor, e.g. to facilitate maintenance of the crusher. The worm shaft cannot be back-driven by the rotor which allows the drive mechanism to serve as a lock against unwanted or uncontrolled rotation of the rotor.
1 . A material processing apparatus comprising:
a crusher comprising a rotor;
a powered drive system for rotating the rotor of the crusher to perform a crushing function; and
a rotor rotation device coupled to the crusher for controlling rotation of the rotor during maintenance of the crusher, the rotor rotation device comprising:
a drive mechanism; and
coupling means for selectively coupling the drive mechanism to the rotor;
wherein the rotor rotation device is operable in a driving state in which the coupling means couples the drive mechanism to the rotor to allow rotation of the rotor by the drive mechanism, or in a non-driving state in which the coupling means does not couple the drive mechanism to the rotor;
wherein the drive mechanism comprises a worm shaft and a worm wheel, the coupling means coupling the worm wheel to the rotor in the driving state; and
wherein the worm shaft and the worm wheel are mutually configured to prevent back-driving of the worm shaft by the worm wheel in the driving state.
2 . The material processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the worm shaft comprises only one worm.
3 . The material processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a slewing drive mechanism comprising the worm shaft and the worm wheel in the form of a slewing ring.
4 . The material processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a friction angle between a worm of the worm shaft and the worm wheel is larger than a lead angle of the worm in order to prevent back-driving of the worm shaft by the worm wheel.
5 . The material processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a rotatable shaft that is rotatable about a first axis, wherein the coupling means is configured to selectively couple the drive mechanism to the rotatable shaft, and wherein the drive mechanism has a rotational drive axis that is coincident with the first axis in use.
6 . The material processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coupling means comprises a drive-engaging portion that is connected to the drive mechanism, and a rotor-engaging portion that is configured for releasable coupling with the rotor, and wherein the drive-engaging portion comprises at least one support structure configured for connection with the worm wheel and for supporting the rotor-engaging portion.
7 . The material processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the rotor comprises a rotatable shaft that is rotatable about a first axis, wherein the coupling means is configured to selectively couple the drive mechanism to the rotatable shaft, and wherein the rotor-engaging portion is configured to releasably interlock with the rotatable shaft such that rotation of the rotor-engaging portion is imparted to the rotatable shaft.
8 . The material processing apparatus of claim 7 , comprising a male-to-female interlocking connection to releasably interlock the rotor-engaging portion with the rotatable shaft, wherein male-to-female interlocking connection comprises:
a male interlocking formation provided on one of the rotor-engaging portion and the rotatable shaft; and
a female interlocking formation provided on the other one of the rotor-engaging portion and the rotatable shaft.
9 . The material processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the rotor-engaging portion and the rotatable shaft are each provided with a respective corresponding key formation, the corresponding key formations being configured to allow the rotor-engaging portion to interlock with the rotatable shaft in only one relative rotational orientation of the rotor-engaging portion and the rotatable shaft.
10 . The material processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the rotor-engaging portion is configured to interlock with the rotatable shaft in a plurality of relative rotational orientations of the rotor-engaging portion and the rotatable shaft, and wherein the rotor-engaging portion and the rotatable shaft are each provided with a plurality of corresponding spline formations, the spline formations being circumferentially spaced-apart around a respective portion of the rotor-engaging portion and the rotatable shaft.
11 . The material processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the rotatable shaft includes, for engaging with the rotor-engaging portion, one of a projecting portion and a socket portion.
12 . The material processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the rotor-engaging portion comprises at least one of: a locking device; a locking pin; a projection; and a socket.
13 . The material processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the rotor-engaging portion is separately formed from the drive-engaging portion, and is configured for releasable interconnection with the drive-engaging portion, and wherein the drive-engaging portion is shaped to define an aperture through which the rotor-engaging portion extends when interconnected with the drive-engaging portion.
14 . The material processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the drive-engaging portion is connectable to the drive mechanism in one of:
a first orientation in which the rotor-engaging portion extends towards the rotor; and
a second orientation in which the rotor-engaging portion extends away from the rotor.
15 . The material processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the rotor comprises a rotatable shaft that is rotatable about a first axis, wherein the coupling means is configured to selectively couple the drive mechanism to the rotatable shaft, and wherein the drive-engaging portion and the rotor-engaging portion are configured such that, when the drive-engaging portion is connected to the drive mechanism, the rotor-engaging portion extends along an axis that is co-axial with the first axis of the rotatable shaft.
16 . The material processing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the drive mechanism has a body that is shaped to define an aperture, and wherein when the drive-engaging portion is connected to the drive mechanism, the rotatable shaft extends into the aperture of the body.
17 . The material processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the drive mechanism has a body that is shaped to define an aperture, and wherein when the drive-engaging portion is connected to the drive mechanism, the rotor-engaging portion extends into the aperture of the body.
18 . The material processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a driving device for driving the drive mechanism, wherein the driving device comprises one of a powered driving device and a manually operated driving device.
19 . The material processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a rotatable shaft that is rotatable about a first axis, wherein the coupling means is configured to selectively couple the drive mechanism to the rotatable shaft, and further including a bearing hub for connecting the drive mechanism to the crusher, wherein the bearing hub is coupled to the drive mechanism and rotatably supports the rotatable shaft.
20 . The material processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a rotatable shaft connected to the rotor is supported by a bearing mount, the rotor rotation device is coupled to the bearing mount and to the rotatable shaft, the drive mechanism comprises a body that supports the worm shaft and the worm wheel, the body is coupled to the bearing mount, and the worm wheel is coupled to the rotatable shaft.