US3787101A

US3787101A - Rock cutter assembly

Info

Publication number: US3787101A
Application number: US00249364A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Sugden
Original assignee: Robbins Co
Current assignee: Robbins Co
Priority date: 1972-05-01
Filing date: 1972-05-01
Publication date: 1974-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-22
Also published as: ZM7073A1; FR2183003A1; AU461945B2; SE403815B; CA965807A; DE2321830A1; ZA731402B; AU5257873A; JPS5325281B2; FR2183003B1; CH561594A5; JPS4921903A; IT982999B

Abstract

A cutter wheel is mounted for rotation about an elongated support shaft which is interconnected between a pair of relatively large diameter side caps. Base portions of the side caps snugly fit within recesses formed in side members of a mounting frame. The side caps include narrower exposed portions in their extent outwardly of the recesses. Retainer members secured to said side members overhang said recesses to contact and bear against the base portions of the side caps. At least some of the retainer members are detachable from said end members so that they can be removed to permit installation of the side caps into, or removal out from, said recesses.

Description

United States atent- 1191 Sugden Jan. 22, 1974 ROCK CUTTER ASSEMBLY 3,601,207 8/1971 Coski 175/364 Inventor: David B'sugdemTasmania 3,612,196 10/1971 Dixon 175/364 Austraha Primary Examiner-Manuel A. Antonakas [73] Assignee: The Robbins Company, Seattle, Assistant Examiner-Barry Grossman Wash.

22 Filed: May 1, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT Appl. No.: 249,364

US. Cl 308/15, 175/364, 308/82,

A cutter wheel is mounted for rotation about an elongated support shaft which is interconnected between a pair of relatively large diameter side caps. Base portions of the side caps snugly fit within recesses formed in side members of a mounting frame. The side caps include narrower exposed portions in their extent outwardly of the recesses. Retainer members secured to said side members overhang said recesses to contact and bear against the base portions of the side caps At least some of the retainer members are detachable from said end members so that they can be removed to permit installation of the side caps into, or removal out from, said recesses.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEU JANZZIQH I sum 2 or z I 1 01 5 i 5 zo 60 ZZZ moms CUTTER ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to rock cutter wheel assemblies, and in particular to mounting structure for the cutter wheel.

2. Description of the Prior Art Various ways have been proposed and/or used for mounting rock cutter wheels. One type of mount utilizes an axially removable load pin which spans the space between opposite end portions of a mounting saddle. Examples of these mounts are disclosed by US. Pat. No. 3,389,760, granted June 25, 1968 to Wilford V. Morris, and by US. Pat. No. 3,449,024, granted June 10, 1969 to Carl L. Lichte. Another known mount utilizes clamps and bolts for securing a support pin or shaft to the end standards. Examples of this type of mount are disclosed by US. Pat. No. 3,216,513, granted Nov. 9, 1965 to Richard 1. Robbins and Douglas F. Winberg, and by US. Pat. No. 3,612,196, granted Oct. 12, 1971 to Robert L. Dixon. U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,196 also discloses a mount for a gauge cutter of a type which includes a mounting socket formed in a radially outer end standard. Such socket is arranged to receive an end portion of the cutter support shaft or pin, with the opposite end of such shaft or pin being secured to the other end standard by means of the clamps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of this invention is to provide a 'novel mounting structure for a rock cutter wheel adapted to shorten the axial dimension of the cutter assembly.

According to the invention, the rock cutter wheel is supported for rotation about an elongated support shaft. Such shaft is interconnected between a pair of side caps which serve as mounts, retainers for the bearings, and help define seal chambers at the opposite sides of the cutter wheel. These side caps have base portions which are received within recesses formed in a pair of spaced apart end members. The exposed portions of the side caps located outwardly of the recesses are narrower than the base portions. Retainer members connected to the end members overhang the recesses to contact and bear against the base portions of the side caps.

preferably, the recesses and the base portions of the side caps are semicircular in shape. The exposed portions of the side caps are also semicircular in shape but of a smaller diameter, resulting in the formation of shoulders where the base and exposed portions meet. Preferably also, the retainer members on one end of the recess are removable so that the cutter subassembly (the cutter wheel, the support shaft, the side caps, etc.) can be inserted into or removed from the recesses while the opposite end retainer members are still secured to the end members.

Other features, characteristics and advantages of the present invention are discussed in, or will be apparent from, the following description of typical and therefore nonlimitive embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing like element designations refer to like parts, and:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a cutter assembly incor porating the present invention, taken from above and looking toward one side and one end of the assembly, and showing one of the retainer members in spaced relationship to its assembled position;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the cutter assemy;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the cutter assemy;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the cutter assembly; and

FIG. 5 is an axial sectional view taken through the cutter assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT The illustrated embodiment of cutter assembly comprises a mounting frame 10 adapted to support a cutter wheel subassembly 112 on a cutter carrier 14 (e.g. the cutterhead of a tunneling machine). For purposes of description the direction of travel of the cutter wheel will be used for determining directional terminology. That is to say, the end members I6, 18 are the portions of the frame 10 which move along the path of the cutter assembly. The

side members

20, 22 are directed laterally of the path of travel.

Semicircular recesses

24, 26 are formed in the

side members

20, 22. The centers of curvature of the

recesses

24, 26 lie on a line which coincides with the axis of rotation x.

Retainer member shelves 28 are provided adjacent the

recesses

24, 26 at one end of the frame 10. Like shelves 30 are provided adjacent the recesses at the opposite end of the frame 10.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the cutter wheel subassembly comprises a pair of

side caps

32, 34 having

base portions

36, 38 sized to be snugly received within the recesses 24. 26. These

side caps

32, 34 also include exposed

portions

40, 42 which extend outwardly beyond the

recesses

24, 26. Owing to this difference in radius between the base and exposed portions of the side caps, radial surfaces or shoulders 44, 46 exist on the base portion where the base portions meets the exposed portions. As best shown by FIGS. 1-3, when the

side caps

32, 34 are located within the

recesses

24, 26 the surfaces 44, 46 are in coplanar parallelism with the surfaces 28. 30.

Retainer members

48, 50 are mounted on the shelves 28. 30. These

retainer members

48, 50 include inwardly projecting

portions

52, 54 which overhang the recesses and which contact and bear against the surfaces 44, 46 of the

side caps

32, 34. The term exposed portion is used herein to mean that portion of each side cap which is not snugly housed within a

recess

24, 26, but rather projects outwardly from the recess. A narrower meaning of the word exposed" is not intended.

In the illustrated embodiment the

retainer members

48, 50 are shown to be removably secured to the frame 10 by means of machine bolts 56. However, in some installation either the retainer members 48 or the retainer members 50 may be integral portions of the frame 10. Such arrangement is permissible because the difference in radius between the base and exposed portions of the side caps 32, 34 makes it possible to move the side caps 32, 34 into or out from the

recesses

24, 26 with only one pair of the

retainer members

48, 50 removed. The cutter subassembly I2 is merely rotated to place the

smaller radius portions

40, 42 of the side caps 32, 34 adjacent the installed

retainer members

48, 50 during movement of the cutter subassembly 12 into or out from the

recesses

24, 26.

Referring again to FIG. 5,

coaxial openings

58, 60 are provided in the side caps 32, 34. These

openings

58, 60 are sized to snugly receive a central mounting shaft or pin 62 for the cutter wheel. One end of the shaft 62 is provided with an enlarged diameter head portion 64 which fits into a countersink 66 formed in the side cap 32. A removable plate 68 is secured to the opposite end of shaft 62 by means of a plurality of bolts 70. Plate 68 extends into a countersink 72 formed in side cap 34. A pair of combination bearings 74, are mounted on the shaft 62 between the side caps 32, 34. As shown by FIG. 5, these bearings 74 may each comprise a relatively fixed inner race, a rotating outer race and a plurality of tapered roller elements located between such races. The cutter wheel itself may comprise an annular rim 76 having an internal spacer rib 78 which is disposed between the two outer races of the bearings. Rim 76 supports a replaceable cutter ring or tire" 80 which may be secured in place by a retainer ring 82.

A seal chamber is provided on each side of the cutter wheel preferably to receive radial face seals of the type disclosed by the aforementioned U. S. Pat. No. 3,216,513. These seals each comprise a rotating metal ring 84 and a relatively fixed metal ring 86. The two rings 84, 86 make contact within a radial face and are urged together by elastomeric rings 88 which resiliently back each of the

rings

84, 86.

According to the invention, the seal chambers are formed partially by recesses within the cutter wheel rim 76 and partially by annular grooves formed within the side caps 32, 34. The side caps 32, 34 are provided with central portions which bear axially against the inner or fixed races of the bearings 74. The seal chambers are formed radially outwardly of these inner portions of the side caps 32, 34. Axial ports closable by plugs 90 may be provided in the side caps 32, 34 to provide avenues through which a suitable lubricant can be introduced into the region of the bearings 74.

As best shown by FIGS. 1 and 5, complementary semi-circular grooves are formed in the outer periphery of the base portion 36 and the recess 24, to receive a semicircular key 92. This key 92 serves to lock the side cap 32 in place axially (and hence the entire subassembly) but does not inhibit removal of the cutter wheel subassembly from the mounting frame 10.

The

base portions

36, 38 of the side caps 32, 34 may I be about equal in thickness to the

side members

20, 22

(FIG. The exposed portions of the end caps and the like diameter inner parts of the base portions are shown to be thinner than the

side members

20, 22, and to be recessed relative to the outer faces of such side members 20, 22 (FIG. 1). The ends of the shaft 62 are preferably also inset from the outer faces of the

side members

20, 22.

From the foregoing, further variations, modifications, adaptations and usages of cutter assemblies for 6 l. A mounting structure for an earth formation cutter wheel, comprising:

a pair of spaced apart side members presenting a cutter wheel receiving space therebetween, each said side member including a mounting recess;

a pair of side caps supportable by said side members, each said side cap including a base portion sized to snugly fit within the recess of its side member, and a narrower exposed portion, said base portion including a shoulder where it stops and the narrower exposed portion begins;

a cutter wheel support shaft interconnected between said side caps; and

retainer members secured to said side members and overhanging said recesses to contact and bear against the shoulders of the base portions of said side caps, with at least some of said retainer members being detachable from said side members so that they can be removed to permit installation of said side caps into, or removal of said side caps out from, said recesses.

2. Mounting structure according to claim I, further including complementary key grooves formed in the base portion of a side cap and in its recess, and a key insertable into said grooves, to restrain said side cap against axial movement.

3. Mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the said recesses and the base portions of the side caps are semicircular in shape, and the exposed portions of the side caps are also semicircular in shape but of a smaller radius, resulting in the formation ofa generally radial shoulder at the boundary between the said base and exposed portions of said side caps, with the distance between the inner radial boundaries of the two retainer members of each side member being greater than the diameter of the exposed portion of the side cap supported by such side member.

4. Mounting structure according to claim 3, wherein complementary semicircular key grooves are formed in the base portion of a side cap and in its recess, and a semicircular key is insertable into said key grooves for restraining the side cap against axial movement.

5. Mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein coaxial openings are provided through the side caps for receiving said cutter wheel support shaft, and wherein the opposite side boundaries of the cutter wheel support shaft are at least substantially within the boundaries established by the opposite outer side surfaces of the side members.

6. Mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein each side cap is formed to include an axially inwardly opening circumferential groove forming at least a portion of a seal chamber.

7. For use in mining earth formations, a cutter wheel assembly, comprising:

a pair of side caps supportable by said side members each said side cap including a base portion sized to snugly fit within the recess of its side member, and a narrower exposed portion, said base portion including a shoulder where it stops and the narrower exposed portion begins;

a cutter wheel support shaft interconnected between said side caps;

means supporting an annular cutter wheel for rotation about said support shaft; and

retainer members secured to said side members and over-hanging said recesses to contact and bear against the shoulders of the base portions of said side caps, with at least some of said retainer members being detachable from said side members so that they can be removed to permit installation of said side caps into, or removal of said side caps out from said recesses.

8. A cutter wheel assembly according to claim 7, wherein said means supporting the cutter wheel for rotation about said support shaft includes bearing means, and wherein said side caps include axially inwardly opening annular grooves which help define a seal chamber between each side cap and an adjacent portion of the cutter wheel, and a rotary-to-nonrotary seal is located within each seal chamber.

9. A cutter wheel assembly according to claim 8, wherein the said recesses and the base portions of the side caps are semicircular in shape, and the exposed portions of the side caps are also semicircular in shape but of a smaller radius, resulting in the formation of a generally radial shoulder at the boundary between the said base and exposed portions of said side caps, with the distance between the inner radial boundaries of the two retainer members of each .side member being greater than the diameter of the exposed portion of the side caps supported by such side member.

10. A cutter wheel assembly according to claim 9, wherein complementary semicircular key grooves are formed in the base portion of a side cap and in its recess, and a semicircular key is insertable into the key grooves for restraining the side cap against axial move-

Claims

1. A mounting structure for an earth formation cutter wheel, comprising: a pair of spaced apart side members presenting a cutter wheel receiving space therebetween, each said side member including a mounting recess; a pair of side caps supportable by said side members, each said side cap including a base portion sized to snugly fit within the recess of its side member, and a narrower exposed portion, said base portion including a shoulder where it stops and the narrower exposed portion begins; a cutter wheel support shaft interconnected between said side caps; and retainer members secured to said side members and overhanging said recesses to contact and bear against the shoulders of the base portions of said side caps, with at least some of said retainer members being detachable from said side members so that they can be removed to permit installation of said side caps into, or removal of said side caps out from, said recesses.

2. Mounting structure according to claim 1, further including complementary key grooves formed in the base portion of a side cap and in its recess, and a key insertable into said grooves, to rEstrain said side cap against axial movement.

3. Mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the said recesses and the base portions of the side caps are semicircular in shape, and the exposed portions of the side caps are also semicircular in shape but of a smaller radius, resulting in the formation of a generally radial shoulder at the boundary between the said base and exposed portions of said side caps, with the distance between the inner radial boundaries of the two retainer members of each side member being greater than the diameter of the exposed portion of the side cap supported by such side member.

7. For use in mining earth formations, a cutter wheel assembly, comprising: a pair of spaced apart side members presenting a cutter wheel receiving space therebetween, each said side member including a mounting recess; a pair of side caps supportable by said side members, each said side cap including a base portion sized to snugly fit within the recess of its side member, and a narrower exposed portion, said base portion including a shoulder where it stops and the narrower exposed portion begins; a cutter wheel support shaft interconnected between said side caps; means supporting an annular cutter wheel for rotation about said support shaft; and retainer members secured to said side members and over-hanging said recesses to contact and bear against the shoulders of the base portions of said side caps, with at least some of said retainer members being detachable from said side members so that they can be removed to permit installation of said side caps into, or removal of said side caps out from said recesses.

9. A cutter wheel assembly according to claim 8, wherein the said recesses and the base portions of the side caps are semicircular in shape, and the exposed portions of the side caps are also semicircular in shape but of a smaller radius, resulting in the formation of a generally radial shoulder at the boundary between the said base and exposed portions of said side caps, with the distance between the inner radial boundaries of the two retainer members of each side member being greater than the diameter of the exposed portion of the side caps supported by such side member.

10. A cutter wheel assembly according to claim 9, wherein complementary semicircular key grooves are formed in the base portion of a side cap and in its recess, and a semicircular key is insertable into the key grooves for restraining the side cap against axial movement.