US 4,281,746 A · Inching device

Abstract

An inching device for a grinding mill which allows selective rotation of the mill at reduced speed for mill alignment, maintenance and the like. The device is comprised of a hydraulic motor having an output drive shaft and a disc type brake assembly operably associated with the output shaft. The entire inching device is mountable to the end of a shaft included in the mill drive train. Preferably, this mounting is at an overhanging end area of a high speed shaft included in a drive train speed reducer and is effected by a coupler structure which accommodates selective inching device installation and removal. This coupler structure also comprises the sole support for the inching device. Torque arms fixedly secured to the hydraulic motor and brake assembly extend radially outward of the output shaft generally parallel and coextensive with each other to be affixed by a common retaining member to some rigid structure adjacent the mill. The disc type brake assembly includes a pair of oppositely disposed caliper assemblies which may be selectively spring biased to a braking condition and selectively hydraulically moved to a non-braking condition. Operation of the brake assembly is arranged so that it is only movable from the braking to the non-braking condition when hydraulic fluid charge pressure is simultaneously supplied to the hydraulic motor. Moreover, the brake assembly will be automatically moved to a braking condition upon loss of hydraulic fluid charge pressure in the system.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A hydraulic inching device for a grinding mill of the type having a grinding drum journalled for rotation about its longitudinal axis and drive means operably connected to said drum through a drive train for obtaining the desired rotation, said inching device comprising:

a hydraulic motor having a rotatably driven output shaft including means for allowing selective coaxial coupling thereof to a shaft in said drive train for selectively rotatably driving said drum in place of said drive means at a reduced rate of speed;
a brake assembly operably associated with said hydraulic motor output shaft and which may be selectively placed in braking and non-braking conditions therewith for maintaining said drum in a predetermined rotated position;
and, said brake assembly being controlled in a manner such that it may only be moved to said non-braking condition in response to hydraulic fluid charge pressure being supplied to said motor.

In a grinding mill having a grinding drum rotatably driven by drive means disposed in operative driving communication with said drum and including a speed reducer structure having a shaft interposed in the driving relationship between said drive means and drum, a hydraulic inching device comprising:

a hydraulic motor having a rotatably driven output shaft adapted to be selectively coupled to an end of said speed reducer shaft whereby said hydraulic motor may be selectively used to rotate said drum at a reduced rate of speed;
a disc type brake assembly operably associated with the output shaft of said hydraulic motor including a brake disc rotatable with said output shaft and at least a pair of caliper assemblies diametrically disposed from each other relative to said brake disc, said caliper assemblies being selectively movable between braking and non-braking conditions for retaining said drum in a predetermined rotated position and for allowing further rotation thereof;
coupling means associated with the outermost end of said motor output shaft for drivingly interconnecting said output shaft to an end of said speed reducer shaft, said coupled interconnection between said output shaft and speed reducer shaft comprising the sole support for said inching device;
and, torque resisting means extending radially outward of said motor output shaft for resisting torque generated by said inching device during operation thereof and including connecting means for releasably connecting said resisting means to some rigid structure.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Inching device

Life of this patent

Inching device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16