Seal bearing assembly for use in a solid waste comminutor

Abstract

A solid waste material comminuting system having a an electric motor for providing rotary motion, a pair of cutter stacks with cutter elements of one stack interleaved with cutter elements of the other, and gear means to transmit the rotary motion of the electric motor to counter-rotate cutter elements of one stack with cutter elements of the other. Each of the cutter stacks comprises a central shaft journaled for rotation and a seal-bearing assembly/module at each end of the central shafts. Each bearing assembly/module comprises an end housing, and a pair of insertable pre-assembled seal-bearing elements/assemblies mountable in each of said end housings. One seal-bearing element/assembly has a thru-hole for journaling a first shaft for rotation and a second seal-bearing element/assembly has a thru-hole for journaling a second shaft for rotation.

1. A seal bearing assembly for use in a comminuting solid waste material device having a pair of cutting stacks with cutter elements of one stack interleaved with cutter elements of the other, drive means to produce counter-rotation of cutter elements of one stack with cutter elements of the other, each of said cutter stacks comprising a central shaft journaled for rotation proximate each end; said seal-bearing assembly comprising; an end housing, a pair of insertable preassembled seal-bearing elements mountable in said end housing, one seal-bearing element having a thru-hole for journaling a first shaft for rotation and a second seal-bearing element having a thru-hole for journaling a second shaft for rotation and a seal for each of said first and second seal-bearing elements to provide fluid isolation between said end housing and said first and second seal-bearing elements. 
     
     
       2. The bearing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said preassembled seal-bearing elements comprises  comprise a seal cartridge, a spring mounted on the seal cartridge, a dynamic race biased by said spring, a bearing cartridge, a static race mounted on said bearing cartridge, a bearing of said seal- bearing element being  mounted in said bearing cartridge and means to secure said bearing in said bearing element  cartridge and to urge said static race into contact with said dynamic race. 
     
     
       3. The bearing assembly of  claim 2  further comprising  wherein a seal of said seal- bearing element comprises  means to fluid  fluidly isolate said bearing from said static race. 
     
     
       4. The bearing assembly of  claim 2  further comprising spring means to bias said bearing cartridge in said end housing. 
     
     
       5. The bearing assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said preassembled seal- bearing elements  further comprising  comprise a spring to bias said static race and provide axial float for said static and dynamic races. 
     
     
       6. The bearing assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a labyrinth positioned on top of both seal-bearing elements, said labyrinth insertable onto said end housing and having a flange conforming in shape to a portion of said end assembly proximate to said cutter stacks. 
     
     
       7. The bearing assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a labyrinth mountable on said end housing and protruding in part into an enfluent  effluent stream, said labyrinth having a bearing surface that causes said labyrinth to elastically deform and compensate for variation sin  variations in cutter stack height. 
     
     
       8. A seal-bearing module for use in a solid waste material comminuting system having a pair of cutter stacks with cutter elements of one stack interleaved with cutter elements of the other, an electric motor to counter-rotate cutter elements of one stack with cutter elements of the other, said seal-bearing module comprising; an end housing, and a pair of insertable pre-assembled seal-bearing assemblies mountable in said end housing, one seal-bearing assembly having a thru-hole for journaling a first shaft for rotation and a second seal-bearing assembly having a thru-hole for journaling a second shaft for rotation and a seal for each of said seal-bearing assemblies to isolate each of the seal-bearing assemblies from said end housing. 
     
     
       9. The seal-bearing module of  claim 8 , wherein said preassembled seal-bearing assemblies comprises  comprise a seals  seal cartridge, a spring mounted on the seal cartridge, a dynamic rate  race biased by said spring, a bearing cartridge, a static race mounted on said bearing cartridge, a bearing of said seal- bearing assembly being  mounted in  on said bearing cartridge and means to secure said bearing in said bearing assembly  cartridge. 
     
     
       10. The seal-bearing module of  claim 9  further comprising  wherein a seal of said seal- bearing assembly comprises  means to fluid  fluidly isolate said bearing from said static race. 
     
     
       11. The seal-bearing module of  claim 9  further comprising spring means to bias said bearing cartridge in said end housing. 
     
     
       12. The seal-bearing module of  claim 9 , wherein said preassembled seal- bearing assemblies  further comprising  comprise a spring to bias said static race and provide axial float for said static and dynamic races. 
     
     
       13. The seal-bearing module of  claim 8  further comprising a labyrinth positioned on top of said seal-bearing module to provide a wear interface between said seal-bearing module and an enfluent  effluent flow, said labyrinth conforming to a portion of said end assembly to provide a removable mounting surface. 
     
     
       14. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said pre- assembled seal - bearing elements each include a bearing housing and a seal housing.   
     
     
       15. The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein said bearing housing is configured to receive a bearing structure of said pre- assembled seal - bearing element.   
     
     
       16. The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said bearing structure is fixedly retained in said bearing housing. 
     
     
       17. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said pre- assembled seal - bearing elements each include a seal housing.   
     
     
       18. The assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising a dynamic race and a static race, wherein said dynamic race and said static race are retained by a flange of said seal housing. 
     
     
       19. The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein each of said seal housings defines a thru- hole for journaling said first and second shafts respectively.   
     
     
       20. The module of  claim 8 , wherein said pre- assembled seal - bearing assemblies each include a bearing housing and a seal housing.   
     
     
       21. The module of  claim 20 , wherein said bearing housing is configured to receive a bearing structure of said pre- assembled seal - bearing assembly.   
     
     
       22. The module of  claim 21 , wherein said bearing structure is fixedly retained in said bearing housing. 
     
     
       23. The module of  claim 8 , wherein said pre- assembled seal - bearing assemblies each include a seal housing.   
     
     
       24. The module of  claim 23 , further comprising a dynamic race and a static race, wherein said dynamic and static races are retained by a flange of said seal housing. 
     
     
       25. The module of  claim 23 , wherein each of said seal housings defines a thru- hole for journaling said first and second shafts respectively.   
     
     
       26. A seal bearing assembly for use in a comminuting solid waste material device having a pair of cutting stacks with cutter elements of one stack interleaved with cutter elements of the other, drive means to produce counter- rotation of cutter elements of one stack with cutter elements of the other, each of said cutter stacks comprising a central shaft journaled for rotation proximate each end; said seal - bearing assembly comprising; an end housing, a pair of insertable preassembled seal - bearing elements mountable in said end housing, one seal - bearing element having a thru - hole for journaling a first shaft for rotation and a second seal - bearing element having a thru - hole for journaling a second shaft for rotation and a seal for each of said first and second seal - bearing elements to provide fluid isolation between said end housing and said first and second seal - bearing elements, said insertable preassembled bearing elements each comprising a bearing housing and seal housing.   
     
     
       27. The assembly of  claim 26 , wherein said bearing housing is configured to receive a bearing structure of said pre- assembled seal - bearing element.   
     
     
       28. The assembly of  claim 27 , wherein said bearing structure is fixedly retained in said bearing housing. 
     
     
       29. The assembly of  claim 26 , further comprising a dynamic race and a static race, wherein said dynamic and static races are retained by a flange of said seal housing. 
     
     
       30. The assembly of  claim 26 , wherein each of said seal housings defines a thru- hole for journaling said first and second shafts respectively.   
     
     
       31. A seal- bearing module for use in a solid waste material comminuting system having a pair of cutter stacks with cutter elements of one stack interleaved with cutter elements of the other, an electric motor to counter - rotate cutter elements of one stack with cutter elements of the other, said seal - bearing module comprising; an end housing, and a pair of insertable pre - assembled seal - bearing assemblies mountable in said end housing, one seal - bearing assembly having a thru - hole for journaling a first shaft for rotation and a second seal - bearing assembly having a thru - hole for journaling a second shaft for rotation and a seal for each of said seal - bearing assemblies to isolate each of the bearing assemblies from said end housing, said insertable preassembled bearing assemblies each comprising a seal - bearing housing and seal housing.   
     
     
       32. The module of  claim 31 , wherein said bearing housing is configured to receive a bearing structure of said pre- assembled seal - bearing assemblies.   
     
     
       33. The module of  claim 32 , wherein said bearing structure is fixedly retained in said bearing housing. 
     
     
       34. The module of  claim 31 , further comprising a dynamic race and a static race, wherein said dynamic and static races are retained by a flange of said seal housing. 
     
     
       35. The module of  claim 31 , wherein each of said seal housings defines a thru- hole for journaling said first and second shafts respectively.