System for retaining bearing assemblies of a compact eccentric crusher

A compact eccentric crusher comprising:

• a crusher frame having a pair of side walls that at least partially define a crushing chamber;
• a crusher jaw;
• a crushing roller spaced from the stationary crusher jaw by a crushing gap, wherein the crushing roller is movable toward and away from the crusher jaw to change the crushing gap and crush the mineral material within the crushing gap;
• a drive shaft supporting the crushing roller;
• a pair of bearing assemblies positioned to rotatably support a first end and a second end of the drive shaft, wherein each of the bearing assemblies includes an outer ;
• a pair of bearing support structures each positioned adjacent to one of the side walls of the crusher frame, the bearing support structures each including a bearing cradle configured to receive and support the outer housing of one of the bearing assemblies;
• and
• a locking assembly positioned between the bearing support structure and the outer housing of the bearing assembly to retain the bearing assembly in the bearing cradle in an installed position and to allow removal of the bearing assembly from the bearing cradle in a removed position.

A method of removably mounting a crushing roller assembly into a compact eccentric crusher having a frame and a pair of bearing support structures positioned adjacent to side walls of the frame and each including a bearing cradle, the method comprising the steps of:

• lowering the crushing roller assembly until an outer housing of the crushing roller assembly is received in one of the bearing cradles;
• positioning a locking wedge between a locking surface on the outer housing and the bearing cradle;
• exerting a locking force on the locking wedge to force the outer housing into contact with a clamping wedge positioned in the bearing cradle;
• and
• retaining the locking wedge in position to restrict axial movement and vertical movement of the outer housing.