AU2009201577A1

AU2009201577A1 - Cutting apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU2009201577A1
Application number: AU2009201577A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Michael John Toohey
Original assignee: M 2 E Maintenance & Fitting Pty Ltd
Current assignee: M 2 E Maintenance & Fitting Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2008-04-22
Filing date: 2009-04-21
Publication date: 2009-11-05

Description

P WPDOCS\ARS\SPECIE\0)5306d2-M2EComplcie Spe doc-20/)4/2( CUTTING APPARATUS Field of the Invention 5 The present invention relates generally to cutting apparatus suitable for use in quarrying, excavation or cutting materials such as rock, earth, concrete, asphalt for example and more particularly to a cutting head for such apparatus. Summary of the Invention 10 According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a cutting head for cutting apparatus comprising a frame which includes a main frame section and two spaced apart frame arms which extend from the main frame section, a drive associated with each frame arm, the cutting head being adapted to receive a cutter support assembly therebetween so as to be rotatable by both drives. 15 Each drive may be adapted to have an auxiliary cutter support operatively connected thereto, each auxiliary cutter support being disposed on an outer side of a respective frame arm. In use the apparatus is adapted to be attached to a machine which may be in the form of a vehicle having a boom, linkage arm or the like such as for example an excavator, 20 back hoe or front loader. The cutters may be in the form of a saw blade or cutting disc such as a milling disc or in the form of milling or grinding drums. The cutter head may comprise a connector or coupling which enables the cutter head frame to be secured to the boom or arm of the machine with which it is to be used. Each drive may include a drive motor having a drive shaft mounted for rotation 25 about an axis which extends between said frame arms, the axes of rotation of the drive motors being substantially coaxial. The drive motors may be operatively mounted for limited movement in order to provide for some flexibility to take into account for example any misalignment of the various components during assembly or operation. The drive motors may be of any suitable form. For example in one embodiment the drive motors are 30 in the form of hydraulic motors although in some cases the motors could be electric or internal combustion motors. Hydraulic fluid for the hydraulic motors may be derived from P \WPDOCS\ARSSPECIE\20530612_M2E_Compete Spe -c. 20l04I2009 -2 a common hydraulic fluid source which may be the machine hydraulic circuit. There may be a hydraulic fluid delivery line having a tee-piece providing branch lines for providing an even and equal distribution of fluid to each motor. The arrangement provides for an even distribution of power at each end of the cutter support assembly. Because there are 5 two motors the overall size of each motor for given power output is smaller than if a single motor was used. Each drive may include a motor housing which is operatively mounted at a distal end of each frame arm. Each motor housing may comprise a motor mounting section having trunnions extending to each side thereof and support arms including a trunnion 10 support section and mounting flanges which are operatively connected to the distal ends of the frame arms. The distal ends of the arms may be provided with mounting flanges to which the other mounting flanges are secured, The trunnions may have a flexible bush associated therewith which is receivable in the trunnion support sections in order to provide some flexibility to the mounting. An end cap may be secured to an end of each 15 trunnion to limit axial movement of the motor mounting section relative to the support arms. In one form the spacing of the side frame arms may be varied. To this end one or both side frame arms may be operatively mounted to the main frame section for adjustable positioning thereon. 20 According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a cutter support assembly for use in a cutting head, the cutter support assembly comprising a plurality of support members which can be operatively connected together to form a rigid structure having opposed ends, the cutter support assembly being operatively connectible to a drive to cause rotation thereof. In one form the cutter assembly may be used with a cutting head 25 as described above. In this particular form each end is operatively connectible to a respective drive. The support members may include a tool mounting flange to which the cutter tool can be secured by means of a suitable fastener such as a cooperating nut and bolt. The support members may further include a circumferential recess which forms a connecting 30 flange through which a fastener can pass to secure one support member to another in end to end fashion. The fastener may be in the form of a thread screw receivable within a P:\WPDOCS\ARS\SPECIE120530612_M2ECompl Spcdoc-2/04/2009 -3 complementary threaded hole in an end face of an adjacent support member. Description of the Preferred Embodiments Preferred embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will hereinafter 5 be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in those drawings: Fig. I is a schematic front elevation of a cutting head according to one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the cutting head shown in fig. 1 viewed in the direction of line A-A; 10 Fig. 3 is a front view of a cutting head frame according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the frame shown in fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the frame shown in figs. 3 and 4; Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a housing which forms part of a drive according to an 15 embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the housing shown in fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a support assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention for a cutting head; Fig. 9 is a detail of the support assembly shown in fig. 8; and 20 Fig. 10 is a schematic front elevation of a cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a cutting head 10 which comprises a frame 12 having a main frame section 15 and two spaced apart side frame sections in the form of arms 17 and 18 extending generally at right angles from respective ends of main frame 25 section 15. The frame 12 further includes a connector or coupling 40 by which the frame can be operatively mounted to an excavator or other apparatus. The connector or coupling 40 includes two parallel pins 42 which can be coupled to an excavator arm (not shown) or other machine. Each frame arm 17 and 18 has at its distal end 36 and 37 a pair of mounting flanges 38 and 39 and 41 and 42, the purpose of which will hereinafter become 30 apparent. At the distal end 36 and 37 of each frame arm 17 and 18 a drive 43 and 44 is P \WPDOCS\ARS\SPEC I E\25M12_M2E_CompleeSpec dc-20f4/2(m9 -4 operatively mounted. The drives 43 and 44 comprise a housing 46 and 47 which is generally cylindrical with a ring shaped mounting flange 48 and 49 therein to which a drive motor (not shown) can be mounted. The housings 46 and 47 comprise trunnions 51 and 52 which are operatively mounted to arms 54 and 55 of a yoke like structure which 5 comprises trunnion support sections 56 and 57 and mounting flanges 58 and 59. A flexible bush (not shown) surrounds each trunnion and is receivable within the region 53 of support sections 56 and 57. This permits flexible movement of the housing relative to the support arms. Each mounting flange 58 and 59 is adapted to be secured to mounting flanges 38, 39, 41 and 42 on the distal end of each arm. 10 A cutter support assembly 60 operatively mounts cutters thereto and is operatively connected to the drive motors associated with housings 46 and 47. As shown in figs. 8 and 9 the cutter support assembly 60 comprises a plurality of support members which can be secured together in end to end relation to form a rigid structure. The support members comprise end members 63 and 64 which can be operatively connected to the drive motors 15 and one of more intermediate members 66. The outer side of each end member 63 and 64 has a tapered recessed section which is adapted to receive a spigot portion of a motor and is attached by means of the bolts shown. The intermediate members 66 are generally tubular in form comprising an annular tool mounting flange 68 at one end to which a saw blade 80 can be mounted by means of 20 bolts 82. At the other end there is a circumferential groove 70 providing for a connector flange 72 through which a fastener 76 can pass for securement in a blind hole 78 in an end face of an adjacent member. As is shown the tool mounting flange 68 is radially displaced with respect to the end face containing the blind hole 78 therein. The spacing between adjacent saw blades 80 can be varied by having them only attached to selected members or 25 by having members of different lengths. There may be further provided auxiliary cutter supports 75 and 76 which are adapted to be operatively connected to respective drives 43 and 44 so that when saw blades 85 are fitted they are disposed on the outer side of each frame arm. The spacing between the spaced-apart frame arms 17 and 18 may be varied by 30 having one or other of the frame arms 17, 18 be adjustably mounted on the centre frame element 15.

P \WPDOCS\ARS\SPECIE\2o53a612_M2ECopete Spoc dM-20/42(09 -5 In fig. I the cutter support assembly comprises a shaft which is connected to drive shafts at each end and upon the centre shaft is disposed a plurality of rock cutting saw mounts. The rock cutting saw mounts include spaced-apart stops so that the rock cutting saw blades can be mounted thereto, in a range of spacings. 5 In the embodiment of fig. 10 there is illustrated a cutting head 110 which has frame 112 which is essentially of the same structure to that described earlier. The frame 112 has a main frame section 115 and side frame sections 117 and 118 in the form of arms with a drive 120 and 121 mounted to respective distal ends of the arms. A connector or coupling 140 facilitates securement of the head to an excavator arm or the like. 10 In this embodiment there is a cutter assembly comprising a rock grinding barrel 152 which extends between the arms 117 and 118 and is operatively connected to the drives 120 and 121. If desired additional or auxiliary rock cutting barrels 150 and 151 may be mounted on the outer side of respective arms 117 and 118 and be operatively connected to respective drives 120 and 121. 15 Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. 20 Finally, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

Claims

1. A cutting head for cutting apparatus comprising a frame which includes a main frame section and two spaced apart frame arms which extend from the main frame section, 5 a drive associated with each frame arm, the cutting head being adapted to receive a cutter support assembly therebetween so as to be rotatable by both drives.

2. A cutting head according to claim I wherein each drive is adapted to have an auxiliary cutter support operatively connected thereto, each further cutter support being 10 disposed on an outer side of a respective frame arm.

3. A cutting head according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each said drive includes a drive motor having a drive shaft mounted for rotation in an axial direction which extends between said frame arms. 15

4. A cutting head according to any preceding claim wherein said drive motors are operatively mounted for limited movement.

5. A cutting head according to any preceding claim wherein each said drive includes a 20 motor housing which is operatively mounted at the distal end of each frame arm.

6. A cutting head according to claim 5 wherein each said motor housing comprises a motor mounting section having trunnions extending to each side thereof and support arms including a trunnion support section and support arms which are operatively connected to 25 the distal ends of the frame arms.

7. A cutter support assembly for use in a cutting head, the cutter support assembly comprising a plurality of support members which can be operatively connected together to form a rigid structure having opposed ends, each end being operatively connectible to a 30 drive to cause rotation thereof.

8. A cutter support assembly according to claim 7 wherein at least some of the P \WPDOCS\ARS\SPECIE\20516I2_M2ECom- pkle Spec dc.-20W(2m() -7 support members include a tool mounting flange thereon to which the tool can be mounted.

9. A cutter support assembly according to claim 8 further including a circumferential recess therein an inner side of which provides for a connector flange through which a 5 fastener can pass for securement to an aperture in an end face of an adjacent support member.

10. A cutter support assembly according to claim 9 wherein the tool mounting flange is radially displaced relative to the connector flange. 10

11. A cutter support assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 10 wherein the assembly is suitable for use with a head according to any one of claims I to 6.

12. A cutting head substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the 15 accompanying drawings.

13. A cutter support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 20