Breaking machine

1. A breaking apparatus including:

a movable mass for impacting on a striker pin;

a housing containing the mass and striker pin, and

the striker pin configured to be axially aligned with the mass and partially protrude through the housing to engage a work surface to be impacted,

said apparatus characterised in that the striker pin has at least two indents at different longitudinal locations and is configured to be locatable in a plurality of longitudinal retaining locations, each location defining a fixed range of striker pin longitudinal travel allowable during use in impacting operations wherein the striker pin is attached to the breaker housing at a retaining location by a retaining pin coupling with one of the indents configured to allow the striker pin said range of longitudinal travel during impacting operations, and also providing, with respect to said driven end, a distal and proximal travel stop for the striker pin.

2. A breaking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said striker pin is an elongate element with two opposed ends, one end being the driving end located internally in the housing and driven by impulse provided from collisions from the moveable mass, the other end being an impact end located externally to the housing for placement on the work surface to be impacted.

3. A breaking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said retaining pin is a releasable retaining pin capable of rigid attachment to one of either the striker pin or the walls of the housing adjacent the striker pin such that it partially protrudes into an indent.

4. A breaking apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said indent extends parallel to the striker pin's longitudinal axis for a distance defining the allowable striker pin travel during impact operations before the retaining pin engages with said distal and proximal travel stops formed by the longitudinal ends of the indent.

5. A breaking apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , including two or more attachment locations for said retaining pins.

6. A breaking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein adjacent retaining location indents positioned on the striker pin are not longitudinally aligned.

7. A method of increasing the workable lifespan of a striker pin in a breaking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , said method including:

determining the striker pin has been worn to a predetermined point;

removing one or more retaining pins attaching the striker pin to the breaking apparatus housing at a first retaining location; and

increasing the protrusion of the striker pin from the breaking apparatus housing until the retaining pin(s) may be re-attached to the breaking apparatus housing at a second retaining location.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the retaining pin(s) are attached to the breaking apparatus housing to at least partially protrude into a longitudinal indent on the side of the striker pin or housing adjacent the striker pin.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein, the indents at said first and second retaining location are longitudinally offset from each other, such that in addition to longitudinal movement, the striker pin is also rotated to align the indent and retain pin during the step for moving the striker pin between said first and second retaining locations.