Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of batch-style bottom-discharge rotary debarkers for removing bark from a batch of logs in a bin and discharging debarked logs from a bottom of the bin. In some embodiments, the bin includes four walls and an opening in its bottom. In some embodiments, the debarkers include a plurality of rotors, a plurality of chutes, and a plurality of conveyor belt systems for carrying bark and logs away from the bin. In some embodiments, the debarkers include an internal gate which can be moved between a debarking configuration and an unloading configuration.

Abstract: A screen roller is provided, configured to rotate as one of a plurality of rollers in a roller screen. The roller may include left hand spiral grooves formed in a first region of the surface of the roller, extending from one end of the roller toward the center, and right hand spiral grooves formed in a second region of the surface of the roller, extending from the other end of the roller toward the center of the roller. The roller may include a bumper strip around the central portion of the roller and configured to protect the roller from damage in the event the roller strikes a neighboring roller. The features on the surface of the roller may be formed on a sleeve that slides onto a shaft. The sleeve may be the length of the roller or may be one of a plurality of sleeves on the shaft.

Abstract: A screen roller is provided, configured to rotate as one of a plurality of rollers in a roller screen. The roller may include left hand spiral grooves formed in a first region of the surface of the roller, extending from one end of the roller toward the center, and right hand spiral grooves formed in a second region of the surface of the roller, extending from the other end of the roller toward the center of the roller. The roller may include a bumper strip around the central portion of the roller and configured to protect the roller from damage in the event the roller strikes a neighboring roller. The features on the surface of the roller may be formed on a sleeve that slides onto a shaft. The sleeve may be the length of the roller or may be one of a plurality of sleeves on the shaft.

Abstract: A chip destructuring and fissuring machine for destructuring wood chips or the like. The chip destructuring machine includes a support frame and two swing assemblies that provide parallel side-by-side squeeze rollers are swing-mounted on the frame to swing the rollers toward about a swing axis and away from one another between active and inactive positions. A drive motor having a drive shaft with a rotational axis aligned with the swing axis is mounted to the support frame, and drive assemblies couple the drive shaft to the rollers for rotating the rollers in opposite directions at the same rotational speed. Co-acting stops are mounted on the swing assemblies and are positioned to define a spacing between the rollers when they are in the active position for squeezing and destructuring of the chips. A biasing mechanism yieldingly urges the rollers toward one another into the active position.

Abstract: Fines, pins, and over-thick wood chips are separated from wood chip material by using a series of three roller screens having chip agitating and conveying protuberances. The screens are arranged and adapted such that over-thick chips are separated by the first screen, fines are separated by the second screen, and pins are separated by the third screen.

Abstract: Wood chips having an acceptable thickness pass between the rollers of a roller screen for collection and over-thick chips discharge from one end of the roller screen for recycling. The rollers have chip agitating protuberances, preferably of pyramidal shape or in the form of spiral ridges. A second roller screen with pyramidal protuberances on its rollers and with its rollers closer together is used to screen out fines, preferably after the fines and acceptable chips pass through the first roller screen. Some of the fines pass through the second roller screen by occupying the valleys between the pyramidal protuberances.

Abstract: The anvil rotor on a wood chip slicing machine is connected to its drive shaft via shear pins which extend into the hub of the rotor from a coupling which is mounted on the shaft. The coupling provides bearings for rotation of the rotor hub thereon when the shear pins are sheared as a consequence of an overload or load shock condition. The overload protection mechanism is applicable to other machines.

Abstract: Wood chips having an acceptable thickness pass between the rollers of a roller screen for collection and over-thick chips discharge from one end of the roller screen for recycling. The rollers have chip agitating protuberances, preferably of pyramidal shape or in the form of spiral ridges. A second roller screen with pyramidal protuberances on its rollers and with its rollers closer together is used to screen out fines, preferably after the fines and acceptable chips pass through the first roller screen. Some of the fines pass through the second roller screen by occupying the valleys between the pyramidal protuberances.

Abstract: A drum assembly for wood chip slicing machines in which the slicing blades are clamped at the discharge openings in a rotary drum between clamping plates and the trailing ends of combination plates have wear plate and clamping functions. Studs anchored in the combination plates pass through the drum, and some of them additionally pass through the clamping plates so that when nuts on the studs are tightened, the combination plates, clamping plates, slicing blades, and the drum are secured together. The clamping plates have feet which engage the drum to serve as a stop to keep the cutting edge of the blades at a predetermined setting. The studs are preferably sloped in the trailing direction from their inner ends.

Abstract: Fines are separated from wood chips by feeding the chips onto the infeed end of a bed formed by a plurality of knurled rollers separated by narrow gaps and rotated in the same direction. The chips are tumbled by the knurls, and the fines settle into the spaces between the knurls and in the gaps to pass downwardly out of the bed for collection. As the chips tumble, they gradually move to a discharge end of the bed and discharge for further processing.

Abstract: An impeller is disclosed for use in a centrifugal impact rock crusher. The crusher includes a cylindrical housing and an impact surface positioned radially around the housing interior. The impeller, which is mounted for concentric rotation within the housing, includes upper and lower cover plates, a landing surface being carried upon the lower plate and an opening being formed in the upper plate for directing rock into the impeller. A cylindrical sidewall connects the cover plates and has a plurality of exit openings formed equally spaced around the sidewall. Rotation of the impeller causes a portion of the rock to be crushed to be retained with the impeller by lips and baffles mounted therein, the retained rock forming accumulations having relatively well-defined faces.

Abstract: An improved apparatus is described for chipping a resilient material such as layers of scrap wood veneer of the type that includes feeding the resilient material across an anvil into contact with a rapidly moving chipping blade. The apparatus includes a crush roll for holding the material down as it approaches the anvil surface. The crush roll is journal-mounted on a pair of support arms swing-mounted on a framework to respond to variations in level of material received by the apparatus. Hold-down fingers are pivotably supported upon a finger shaft and their fingertips hold the veneer onto the anvil as close as practicable to the knife blade. A compensating linkage carries the finger shaft and is pivotally connected to the support arms and to the frame to which the support arms are pivotally connected. The compensating linkage compensates for the horizontal amount that the fingertips would otherwise travel as a horizontal component of the swing arc of the crush roll as it responds to varying material levels.

Abstract: A centrifugal rock crusher that is convertible from a type utilizing anvils to a type utilizing a rock bed to define the impact surface includes a housing having upper and lower cylindrical portions, the upper portion being of a greater diameter than the lower portion, and a circular horizontal shelf ring connecting the upper and lower portions. An impeller disposed for rotation concentrically within the housing receives rock to be crushed and throws the rock outwardly into the upper housing portion. Anvils may be positioned along the shelf ring to define the impact surface and receive the thrown rock. Alternatively, the anvils may be removed and an insert may be provided that includes a circular horizontal shelf extension ring having an outer diameter equal to the diameter of the lower housing portion.

Abstract: An improved impeller assembly for use in a centrifugal impact rock crusher is provided in which rock to be crushed is directed to the impeller interior. The impeller assembly is rotated within the crusher housing and throws the rock against an impact surface positioned radially around the housing interior. The impeller assembly includes generally circular upper and lower plates, the upper plate having a concentric circular opening for receiving rock into the impeller interior. A cylindrical side wall connects the upper and lower plates and has defined therein a plurality of exit openings equally spaced along the wall through which rock to be crushed is thrown. Each of the openings has upper, lower and two side edges, with the upper and lower edges being remote from the upper and lower plates, respectively. A portion of the incoming rock material is trapped as accumulations within the impeller interior.

Abstract: An improved feed arrangement is provided for use in a centrifugal impact rock crusher that includes a housing with a housing cover attached thereto having a circular housing feed opening defined therein concentric with a central axis. An impeller is rotated concentrically with the axis to throw rock received within the impeller against an impact surface within the housing to crush the rock. An impeller cover includes a circular impeller feed opening concentric with the axis and of a diameter substantially equal to that of the housing feed opening. The feed arrangement includes a hopper with a circular exit opening of a diameter substantially equal to that of the housing and impeller feed openings. The hopper is supported above the housing cover, and a cylindrical feed tube extends from within the hopper, through the exit opening and the housing feed opening and into the impeller feed opening. The feed tube is of a diameter slightly less than the openings through which it passes.