Replaceable wear liner
A replaceable wear liner pad assembly can be used to provide an array of tiles for lining a trough structure, the trough structure being made of a magnetically attractive material. The replaceable wear liner assembly includes magnetic members encapsulated within a resilient polymeric material, the polymeric material being transparent to magnetic fields. The polymeric material may have the general consistency of truck tire rubber. One side of the tile has a sheet or portion of a set gauge thickness such that in use the magnetic members are maintained at a set standoff distance from the underlying trough structure. The resilient material is far more flexible than the magnetic elements, such that the assembly can flex somewhat. The pad assembly is free of mechanical fasteners. Individual elements of the tile array may be replaced when worn, rather than the entire array. The underside of the pad assembly may provide a seal against the underlying trough structure to discourage leakage at the apertures formerly used for conventional wear liner stud assemblies.
1. A wear member comprising:
a body having at least a first accommodation defined therein;
said body having a width, a breadth and a thickness, each of said width and breadth being greater in magnitude than said thickness;
at least a first magnetic member, said first magnetic member being seated in said first accommodation;
said body having a first portion, a second portion, and a peripheral wall;
said first portion being made of a first material;
said first portion extending predominantly width-wise and breadth-wise, and overlying said first magnetic member;
said second portion underlying said first magnetic member;
said peripheral wall extending about said magnetic member;
said first material being a non-magnetizable, non-brittle, consumable wear material;
said first material having a first modulus of elasticity;
said magnetic member including magnetic material, said magnetic material having a modulus of elasticity;
said first modulus of elasticity of said first material being at least an order of magnitude smaller than said modulus of elasticity of said magnetic material of said first magnetic member;
said second portion being magnetically transparent;
said body defining a footprint of said wear member for seating on a magnetically attractive substrate, and, when in use, said second portion extends between said first magnetic member and the magnetically attractive substrate, and maintains a stand-off distance therebetween;
said first magnetic member has a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole;
said first magnetic pole is proximate to said second portion; and
said second magnetic pole is distant from said second portion.
2. The wear member of claim 1 wherein, in use, said second portion defines a constant standoff-distance between all of said magnetic members and the magnetically attractive substrate.
3. The wear member of claim 1 wherein said first portion is substantially thicker than said second portion, and said second portion is substantially thinner than said first magnetic member.
4. The wear member of claim 1 wherein said first portion, said second portion and said first magnetic member, taken together, have an overall thickness, and at least one of:
(a) said first portion is at least five times as thick as said second portion; and
(b) said first portion is at least one third as thick as said overall thickness.
5. The wear member of claim 1 wherein at least one of:
(a) said first portion is made of a polymeric material;
(b) said second portion is made of a polymeric material; and
(c) said first and second portions are made of the same polymeric material.
6. The wear member of claim 1 wherein said first magnetic member and any additional magnetic members are encapsulated within said body.
7. The wear member of claim 1 wherein said first portion, said second portion, and said peripheral wall form a unified assembly that is one of:
(a) a monolithic polymer based casting;
(b) a vulcanized rubber-based member;
(c) an assembly of permanently fused polymeric members encapsulating said first magnetic member and any other magnetic member of said wear member.
8. The wear member of claim 1 wherein any one of:
(a) said second portion is made of a polymeric material flexible to define, in use, a seal against the magnetically attractive substrate; and
(b) said second portion has a compressible seal member mounted thereto, said compressible seal member being operable in use to define a seal against the magnetically attractive substrate.
9. The wear member of claim 1 wherein said wear member has the form of a repeating shape for use in a mosaic of repeating shapes to extend width-wise and breadth-wise substantially continuously to cover the magnetically attractive substrate.
10. The wear member of claim 1 wherein said body includes an array of said accommodations defined therein, and a plurality of magnetic members seated in a plurality of accommodations of said array of accommodations, and said body has a partition matrix therewithin, said partition matrix maintaining between integers of said plurality of magnetic members at least one of (a) breadth-wise spacing; and (b) width-wise spacing.
11. The wear member of claim 10 wherein said peripheral wall has a wall thickness comparable to said spacing between said integers of said plurality of magnetic members.
12. The wear member of claim 10 wherein said body is more flexible than each integer of said plurality of magnetic members whereby said body permits a measure of flexure between adjacent integers of said plurality of magnetic members.
13. The combination of a plurality of wear members according to claim 1 , and a trough structure having a magnetically attractive substrate, said plurality of wear members being laid side-by-side across and along said trough structure to define a wear liner pad array positioned to protect said magnetically attractive substrate from workflow materials passing along said trough structure.
14. The combination of claim 13 wherein said wear members are retained in said trough structure and are free of mechanical fastenings.
15. The combination of claim 13 wherein said wear members are retained in said trough structure only by magnetic force.
16. The wear member of claim 10 wherein all of said magnetic members share a common orientation of polarity predominantly normal to said second portion.
17. A wear pad member for use as one integer of an array of wear pads for lining a trough structure, the trough structure including magnetically attractive material, wherein said wear pad comprises:
a plurality of magnetic members;
a body, said body having a first portion, a second portion and a third portion;
said third portion having accommodations therein for each magnetic member of said plurality of magnetic members;
said first portion overlying said third portion, said first portion being made of a consumable polymeric wear material;
said second portion underlying said third portion, said second portion being magnetically transparent, said second portion establishing a stand-off distance between each said magnetic member and the trough structure; and
said first and second portions having respective thicknesses, said thickness of said first portion being greater than said thickness of said second portion;
said plurality of magnetic members includes a first magnetic member, said first magnetic member having a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole;
said first magnetic pole is proximate to said second portion; and
said second magnetic pole is distant from said second portion.
18. The wear pad member of claim 17 wherein any one of:
(a) said first, second, and third portions are made of rubber based material and are cured into a single rubber monolith; and
(b) said body is made at least predominantly of molded polymeric material and said plurality of magnetic members is cast within said molded polymeric material.
19. The wear pad member of claim 17 , wherein:
said magnetic members of said plurality of magnetic members are encapsulated within said body; and
said body includes internal spacers positioned to separate adjacent integers of said magnetic members side-by-side.
20. The wear pad member of claim 19 wherein all of said magnetic members have substantially the same polar orientation predominantly normal to said second portion.
21. The combination of a magnetically attractive trough structure and a plurality of wear pads according to claim 19 , said wear pads being mounted in a cross-wise and lengthwise tile array to protect said trough structure.
22. The wear member of claim 4 wherein said second portion is less than 1/20 as thick as said overall thickness; and each of said length and said breadth is more than 8 times as great as said overall thickness.
23. The wear member of claim 1 wherein: said first portion has a thickness, t 1 ; said magnet has a thickness t m ; and the ratio t 1 :t m , lies in the range of 2/5 to 5/2.
24. The wear member of claim 1 wherein said first portion has a hardness in the range of at least one of (a) 30-100 Shore A; and (b) 7-50 Shore D.
25. The wear member of claim 1 wherein said magnetic member is one of (a) ¼″ thick; and (b) greater than ¼″ thick.
26. The wear member of claim 1 wherein said first portion is one of (a) ½″ thick; and (b) greater than ½″ thick.
27. The wear member of claim 1 wherein:
said first portion has a thickness, t 1 ; said magnet has a thickness t m ; and the ratio t 1 :t m , lies in the range of 2/5 to 5/2; said first portion has a hardness in the range of at least one of (a) 30-100 Shore A; and (b) 7-50 Shore D;
said magnetic member is one of (a) ¼″ thick; and (b) greater than ¼″ thick; and
said first portion is one of (a) ½″ thick; and (b) greater than ½″ thick.
28. The wear member of claim 27 wherein said first portion, said second portion and said first magnetic member, taken together, have an overall thickness; said second portion is less than 1/20 as thick as said overall thickness; and each of said length and said breadth is more than 8 times as great as said overall thickness.
29. A wear member comprising:
a body having at least a first accommodation defined therein;
said body having a width, a breadth and a thickness, each of said width and breadth being greater in magnitude than said thickness;
at least a first magnetic member, said first magnetic member being seated in said first accommodation;
said body having a first portion, a second portion, and a peripheral wall;
said first portion being made of a first material;
said first portion extending predominantly width-wise and breadth-wise, and overlying said first magnetic member;
said second portion underlying said first magnetic member;
said peripheral wall extending about said magnetic member;
said first material being a non-magnetizable, non-brittle, consumable wear material;
said first material having a first modulus of elasticity;
said magnetic member including magnetic material, said magnetic material having a modulus of elasticity;
said first modulus of elasticity of said first material being at least an order of magnitude smaller than said modulus of elasticity of said magnetic material of said first magnetic member;
said second portion being magnetically transparent;
said body defining a footprint of said wear member for seating on a magnetically attractive substrate, and, when in use, said second portion extends between said first magnetic member and the magnetically attractive substrate, and maintains a stand-off distance therebetween; and
said first portion, said second portion, and said peripheral wall form a unified assembly that is one of:
(a) a monolithic polymer based casting;
(b) a vulcanized rubber-based member;
(c) an assembly of permanently fused polymeric members encapsulating said first magnetic member and any other magnetic member of said wear member.
30. The wear member of claim 29 wherein said first portion is substantially thicker than said second portion, and said second portion is substantially thinner than said first magnetic member, and, in use, said second portion defines a constant standoff-distance between all of said magnetic members and the magnetically attractive substrate.
31. The combination of:
a plurality of wear members and a trough structure having a magnetically attractive substrate;
said plurality of wear members being laid side-by-side across and along said trough structure to define a wear liner pad array positioned to protect said magnetically attractive substrate from workflow materials passing along said trough structure;
each wear member having a body having at least a first accommodation defined therein;
said body having a width, a breadth and a thickness, each of said width and breadth being greater in magnitude than said thickness;
at least a first magnetic member, said first magnetic member being seated in said first accommodation;
said body having a first portion, a second portion, and a peripheral wall;
said first portion being made of a first material;
said first portion extending predominantly width-wise and breadth-wise, and overlying said first magnetic member;
said second portion underlying said first magnetic member;
said peripheral wall extending about said magnetic member;
said first material being a non-magnetizable, non-brittle, consumable wear material;
said first material having a first modulus of elasticity;
said magnetic member including magnetic material, said magnetic material having a modulus of elasticity;
said first modulus of elasticity of said first material being at least an order of magnitude smaller than said modulus of elasticity of said magnetic material of said first magnetic member;
said second portion being magnetically transparent; and
said body defining a footprint of said wear member for seating on a magnetically attractive substrate, and, when in use, said second portion extends between said first magnetic member and the magnetically attractive substrate, and maintains a stand-off distance therebetween.
32. The combination of claim 31 wherein said wear members are retained in said trough structure and are free of mechanical fastenings.
33. The combination of claim 32 wherein said wear members are retained in said trough structure only by magnetic force.
34. A wear pad member for use as one integer of an array of wear pads for lining a trough structure, the trough structure including magnetically attractive material, wherein said wear pad comprises:
a plurality of magnetic members;
a body, said body having a first portion, a second portion and a third portion;
said third portion having accommodations therein for each magnetic member of said plurality of magnetic members;
said first portion overlying said third portion, said first portion being made of a consumable polymeric wear material;
said second portion underlying said third portion, said second portion being magnetically transparent, said second portion establishing a stand-off distance between each said magnetic member and the trough structure;
said first and second portions having respective thicknesses, said thickness of said first portion being greater than said thickness of said second portion; and
any one of:
(a) said first, second, and third portions are made of rubber based material and are cured into a single rubber monolith; and
(b) said body is made at least predominantly of molded polymeric material and said plurality of magnetic members is cast within said molded polymeric material.
35. The wear pad member of claim 34 wherein all of said magnetic members have substantially the same polar orientation predominantly normal to said second portion.
36. A wear member comprising:
a body having at least a first accommodation defined therein;
said body having a width, a breadth and a thickness, each of said width and breadth being greater in magnitude than said thickness;
at least a first magnetic member, said first magnetic member being seated in said first accommodation;
said body having a first portion, a second portion, and a peripheral wall;
said first portion being made of a first material;
said first portion extending predominantly width-wise and breadth-wise, and overlying said first magnetic member;
said second portion underlying said first magnetic member;
said peripheral wall extending about said magnetic member;
said first material being a non-magnetizable, non-brittle, consumable wear material;
said first material having a first modulus of elasticity;
said magnetic member including magnetic material, said magnetic material having a modulus of elasticity;
said first modulus of elasticity of said first material being at least an order of magnitude smaller than said modulus of elasticity of said magnetic material of said first magnetic member;
said second portion being magnetically transparent; and
said body defining a footprint of said wear member for seating on a magnetically attractive substrate, and, when in use, said second portion extends between said first magnetic member and the magnetically attractive substrate, and maintains a stand-off distance therebetween; and
said first portion has a hardness in the range of at least one of (a) 30-100 Shore A; and (b) 7-50 Shore D.
37. The wear member of claim 36 wherein said magnetic member is one of (a) ½″ thick; and (b) greater than ¼″ thick.
38. The wear member of claim 36 wherein said first portion is one of (a) ½″ thick; and (b) greater than ½″ thick.
39. The wear member of claim 36 wherein said first portion is substantially thicker than said second portion, and said second portion is substantially thinner than said first magnetic member, and, in use, said second portion defines a constant standoff-distance between all of said magnetic members and the magnetically attractive substrate.
40. The wear member of claim 36 wherein said body includes an array of said accommodations defined therein, and a plurality of magnetic members seated in a plurality of accommodations of said array of accommodations, and said body has a partition matrix therewithin, said partition matrix maintaining between integers of said plurality of magnetic members at least one of (a) breadth-wise spacing; and (b) width-wise spacing; and all of said magnetic members share a common orientation of polarity predominantly normal to said second portion.
41. The combination of a magnetically attractive trough structure and a plurality of wear members according to claim 36 , said wear members being mounted in a cross-wise and lengthwise tile array to protect said trough structure.
42. A wear member comprising:
a body having at least a first accommodation defined therein;
said body having a width, a breadth and a thickness, each of said width and breadth being greater in magnitude than said thickness;
at least a first magnetic member, said first magnetic member being seated in said first accommodation;
said body having a first portion, a second portion, and a peripheral wall;
said first portion being made of a first material;
said first portion extending predominantly width-wise and breadth-wise, and overlying said first magnetic member;
said second portion underlying said first magnetic member;
said peripheral wall extending about said magnetic member;
said first material being a non-magnetizable, non-brittle, consumable wear material;
said first material having a first modulus of elasticity;
said magnetic member including magnetic material, said magnetic material having a modulus of elasticity;
said first modulus of elasticity of said first material being at least an order of magnitude smaller than said modulus of elasticity of said magnetic material of said first magnetic member;
said second portion being magnetically transparent; and
said body defining a footprint of said wear member for seating on a magnetically attractive substrate, and, when in use, said second portion extends between said first magnetic member and the magnetically attractive substrate, and maintains a stand-off distance therebetween; and any one of:
(a) said second portion is made of a polymeric material flexible to define, in use, a seal against the magnetically attractive substrate; and
(b) said second portion has a compressible seal member mounted thereto, said compressible seal member being operable in use to define a seal against the magnetically attractive substrate.