Abstract: An improvement to the conventional grinding mill and separator designs which facilitates the use of larger diameter grinding surfaces and additional numbers of grinding rollers by equalizing the gas velocity around the grinding rollers and journal with the gas velocity employed to fluidize the feed particulate material. A plurality of peripheral vertical static separators are located about the grinding chamber and above the grinding rollers to provide an increase in the cross-sectional area of the grinding mill vertical shaft, thereby reducing the gas velocity around the grinding rollers and journal. The peripheral vertical static separators are configured with a trapezoidal sectional area, such that oversize particulate material falling into the peripheral vertical static separators is redirected into the grinding chamber, resulting in an increase in the number of grinding chamber material introduction points.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining bearing failure in a grinding mill drive shaft. The drive shaft is comprised of an upper shaft section and removable shaft section operatively connected to a gearbox drive shaft section. A grinding assembly is attached to the upper shaft section. The upper shaft section is supported by a support bearing. The respective drive shaft sections are joined together by couplings. A gap of a predetermined distance is left between the upper shaft section and the removable shaft section within the coupling. The gap between the upper and removable shaft sections periodically is measured. A decrease in the gap indicates support bearing wear. In bearing failure, the upper shaft section rests on the removable shaft section and the couplings hold the shaft together with the couplings and the gearbox drive shaft section supporting the weight.

Abstract: Material shredding apparatus for reducing scrap vehicle tires to produce two sub-products of rubber and of rubber free steel wire in which the apparatus has a shaft driven set of blocks in which each block has cutting teeth in circumferentially spaced relation, the respective blocks are keyed to the shaft so the cutting teeth on the blocks are circumferentially distributed along the shaft at 15.degree. spacing to assure that the cutting teeth perform a cutting function one at a time to avoid excessive power consumption and the material being shredded is distributed along the set of blocks on the shaft to reduce local areas of wear.

Abstract: Material reducing apparatus having a drive arrangement for a pair of shafts carrying double edge cutter discs, motor driven transmissions for each shaft having different speed characteristics for reducing motor speeds to double digit speeds, bearings mounted in pillow blocks so that the pillow blocks can be opened to allow removal of the bearings so the shafts carrying the double edge cutters can be repositioned to present the cutters selectively to reduce material with either edge of the double edge cutters. The drive arrangement is also duplicated at the opposite ends of the pair of shafts for selective connection to drive the shafts either by one of the drive arrangements or by the duplicate drive arrangement.