Abstract: The comminution apparatus comprises a drive shaft having a roller bearing which is disposed in a housing. A temperature detector mounted in the housing monitors the temperature of the roller bearing. Hydraulic fluid is supplied to a circumferential groove in the housing to apply hydraulic pressure to the outer raceway. The hydraulic fluid pressure is monitored by a pressure detector and gage and may be vented by a manually operated relief valve. The drive shaft is rotated at normal operating speed and normal load with the bearing clearance at maximum until the bearing reaches an equilibrium temperature. Raising the hydraulic pressure develops a force on the rear surface of the outer raceway, biasing the outer raceway towards the shaft and reducing the bearing clearance. Reducing the bearing clearance reduces waste heat generated by skidding between the rollers and the raceway.

Abstract: The double tapered die mount defines a channel to support the die shoulder. No contact occurs between the die and die housing. The die shoulder is machined to be in generally congruent relationship with the channel shape of the die mount of the invention. In the prior art, the die shoulder is perpendicular to both the inner radial surface and the outer radial surface of the die mount. In the preferred embodiment, the die shoulder is tapered from the inner radial surface toward the die edge to define an inner die taper. The die shoulder also tapers from the outer radial surface to the die edge to define an outer die taper. The side walls of the channel defined by the die mount of the invention taper inwardly to be congruent with tapered surfaces of the die shoulder. The inner channel wall, i.e., the channel wall closer to the axis of rotation of the die, contacts the inner die taper. The outer channel wall, i.e., the channel wall farther from the axis of rotation of the die, contacts the outer die taper.

Abstract: A vessel for steeping grain having a tank (12). A central column (44) is disposed in the center of the tank (12) having transport lines (42) with air lifts (46) on the lower end of the lines for the transporting of grain and steeping fluid from the bottom of the tank to the top of the tank. Air for the air lifts (46) is introduced to the air lifts along line (50). Air is withdrawn from the tank by line 25 and compressed for the line (50) by air compressor (27).

Abstract: The single tapered die mount employs a radially inner surface at an angle to the axis of rotation of the die mount, die and die holder. The radially inner surface of the die mount acts on an annular shoulder of the die to support and position the die in the die holder. The die mount of the invention is located between the radially outer surface of the die and the extended lip of the die housing. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the radially inner surface of the die mount in contact with the radially outer surface of the die shoulder has an angle of a modified Morse taper. The radially outer surface of the die shoulder is machined to a matching angle.

Abstract: A feeder assembly for lignocellulosic chip refiner has a conical core having a major diameter end and a minor diameter end. A helically coiled ribbon is supported by and extends longitudinally in spaced relation with the core. The ribbon is defined by turns of increasing diameter extending from the minor to the major diameter end of the core. A conical feed housing surrounds the ribbon.

Abstract: A nozzle assembly (1) for use in a separation apparatus for separation of liquid suspensions the separation including such nozzle assembly, and a method for its use. In the nozzle assembly, the outlet end of the nozzle is biasable towards the inner surface of the rotatable screening drum (7) of the separation process, and a roller or pad is provided on the nozzle to contact the drum and maintain a substantially constant distance between the the nozzle outlet and the drum surface. The outlet end of the nozzle can be swivable relative to the feed means of the nozzle.

Abstract: An air lift pump for wet particulates has a plurality of transport tubes and air injectors disposed in a central column for transporting particulate matter from a lower elevation to a higher elevation. The central column has a closed top and an open bottom. Each tube has a lower, intake end and first and second air injectors comprised of a housing disposed around an air injection section of the transport tube in which is mounted a first or second air jet, respectively. Each air jet may be composed of either a plurality of circular ring members or a coiled member. The ring members and the coiled member have a substantially triangular-shaped cross section wherein the base of the triangle defines the exterior surface of the air jet. The ring members and coiled member form a plurality of circular slots or a coiled slot, respectively, having substantially trapezoid-shaped cross sections.

Abstract: The present invention employs a main shaft cantilevered from a frame. A die holder is disposed around the outside of the shaft, and in the preferred embodiment rotates by the use of adjustable tapered roller bearings around the shaft. Fixed to the die holder is a die, and the die and die holder define a pelletizing chamber. The shaft supports a roller frame with a plurality of rollers within the pelletizing chamber. The resulting construction is a pelletizer shaft support structure that uses only a single set of bearings. In the preferred embodiment, the main shaft is comprised of an inner shaft and an outer shaft. The inner shaft is located coaxially within the outer shaft and supported within the outer shaft by static bushings. The roller frame and rollers are mounted to the inner shaft. The inner shaft and the outer shaft are both fixed to the frame structure.

Abstract: A deep bed filter system comprising a plurality of filter media beds, each having a respective media regeneration sub-system that includes some components associated with an individual filter bed and other components that are shared with all filter beds in the system, thereby improving the utilization of available space and lowering the materials and labor costs relative to known systems. A central column extends upwardly along the axis through the upper and lower portions of the vessel, thereby defining an annular volume extending substantially from the bottom of the vessel through the upper and lower portions. A plurality of distinct tubes extend through the central column, with each tube having a lower, intake end situated at the bottom for drawing dirtied filter media from the lower portion of the vessel into the column and transporting the drawn media upwardly through the column to a second discharge end at an elevation above the filtrate level of the filtrate region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in the context of a pellet former (10) that is integral to an annular gap extruder/expander (11). A housing (30) is disposed around the annular gap extruder outlet end. Material is received from annular gap (37) on the face of a rotating disc (14) and, upon expansion, is directed into a roller area (43) by feed plows (23) or a screw flight (42). Pellet rollers (24) rotatably mounted on the disc push the material through a ring pellet die (22) disposed around the roller area. Cut off knives (25) attached to the disc cut the material into pellets as it exits the pellet die.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in the context of a rotating conveying screw situated within a cylindrical housing which has an inlet port on one end of the cylinder and a discharge opening on the other end of the cylinder. A resistance plate is mounted transversely to the conveying screw near the discharge opening for corotation with the screw. The plate is mounted to define a discharge gap between the opening and the plate. A sleeve on the housing is employed to adjust the size of the gap between the plate and the opening. A process controller positions the sleeve by means of a pair of screw jacks. The controller adjusts the discharge gap width to maintain feed material temperature within a predetermined band. Alternatively the controller adjusts the discharge gap width and feed screw speed to maintain a predetermined specific energy input into the feed material. The helical screw is preferably supported at both ends by a bearing means.

Abstract: In an apparatus (10,100,300,400) for refining a low consistency fibrous slurry, which includes a plurality of refining zones (38,40; 188,128; 324,334; 411,413) within a casing, the improvement comprises providing a unique discharge flow path from each refining zone to a respective unique discharge line (56,58; 130,142; 308,310; 411,413) out of the casing, and means (57,59; 141,143; 344,346; 432,434) for differentially adjusting the flow rate in each discharge line. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a divider (42,132,340) is provided between the casing and the rotor member, thus dividing the discharge between the two refining gaps, into two separate flow streams. The first and second gaps are monitored in any conventional manner. Under operating conditions, the flow control valves are adjusted for combined flow from the refiner casing as required by the production demands.

Abstract: A technique for detecting when a full charge for a cell pack is reached based upon sensing an actual temperature of the cell pack. The initial actual temperature is the first value stored as a reference temperature. During subsequent sampling events, the actual temperature is stored as the reference temperature when the actual temperature exceeds said reference temperature. A first value for each sample event is stored in a rollover memory when said actual temperature exceeds the reference temperature, and a second value is stored in the rollover memory when the actual temperature does not exceed the reference temperature. The occurrences of the first values is summed for a series of consecutive sampling events to derive a total. The total is compared to a predetermined limit, and if the total is greater, then charging of the cell pack will be discontinued.

Abstract: A photographic lighting system for use with a camera provides fill light from the direction of the camera to alleviate shadows in a photographic image obtained by the camera. The photographic lighting system includes an incident light sensor for sensing the incident light intensity on a subject to be photographed, an electric light for directing fill light toward the subject, and a control circuit for controlling the intensity of the fill light provided by the electric light in response to the sensed incident light intensity. The fill light is increased in intensity as the incident light intensity increases. The control circuit can also receive a distance input representative of the distance between the electric light and the subject and controls the fill light in response to the distance input such that the fill light intensity at the subject is substantially independent of the distance.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for the mechanical refining of high consistency lignocellulosic feed material in a frustroconical refining zone, by facilitating the backflow of steam generated in the refining zone through the upstream feed zone which, despite the backflow of steam, imparts outward force on the feed material sufficient for the material to enter the refining zone and pass therethrough, without blockage or flow interruption. This is accomplished by providing, immediately upstream of the frustroconical refining zone (46), a hybrid feed/grinding zone (104), which acts on the wood chips with relatively high refining intensity at low refining power, so as to reduce the size of the material and outwardly convey the material by centrifugal force into the frustroconical refining zone against the backflowing steam, but without generating steam in the hybrid zone.

Abstract: An apparatus for splitting a stream of material into two or more streams. The apparatus includes a cylindrical housing with an axial inlet and two or more radial outlets which are axially spaced from each other. The apparatus includes an impeller which has a central shaft with a plurality of blades extending radially therefrom defining two or more sets of material receiving chambers. Each set of material receiving chambers has guide means directing any material which enters the chambers in that particular set outward through a specific outlet. Due to the rapid rotation of the impeller, each set of material receiving chambers receives material from the inlet at a predetermined ratio of flow rates relative, and guides that material outward through a particular outlet. The device is particularly useful for splitting a stream of particulate material into two separate streams having equal flow rates, even if the flow rate at the inlet to the stream splitter is inconsistent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in the context of a rotating conveying screw situated within a cylindrical housing which has an inlet port on one end of the cylinder and a discharge opening on the other end of the cylinder. A resistance plate is mounted transversely to the conveying screw near the discharge opening for corotation with the screw. The plate is mounted to define a discharge gap between the opening and the plate. A sleeve on the housing is employed to adjust the size of the gap between the plate and the opening. The resistance plate can be a flat disc, conical, or other shape, so long as it is effectively attached to and rotates with the screw. The helical screw is preferably supported at both ends by a bearing means. Breaker bars are mounted on the transverse plate and extend over the gap between the discharge opening and the plate. Breaker bars may also be mounted to the cylindrical sleeve and extend over the gap between the sleeve and the plate.

Abstract: A hammermill (10) comprises a casing (12) having a longitudinal axis (18) and a sidewall (20) such that an enclosed grinding space (24) is defined within the casing. A rotor assembly (26) is situated within the casing for rotation about the axis, and includes hammer elements each having a radially outer tip (34) which defines a hammer rotation diameter. At least one grinding plate at the inside of the sidewall defines a grinding surface (38) in the grinding space having a radius of curvature centered on the axis, a length dimension parallel to the axis, and a width dimension defined by an arc about the axis. The grinding plate has a plurality of spaced apart edges such that each hammer tip (34) passes along the width dimension of the grinding plate with a clearance from the edges which defines a grinding gap. The sidewall other than at the grinding plate has a non-uniform curvature which defines a non-uniform clearance from the hammer rotation diameter that is greater than the grinding gap clearance.

Abstract: A high consistency pulp refiner of the type having a pressurized casing (12) containing opposed grinding discs (14,18) mounted for counter-rotation about a common axis (26) and between which material to be refined is introduced near the axis so as to move generally radially outwardly through an inner refining zone (40) between the discs while producing steam as a result of the refining action. The partially refined material and steam then move through a generally radially outer refining zone (50) between one of the discs (14) and a stationary grinding surface (54) situated generally radially outwardly of the other disc (18), whereupon the refined material and steam are discharged from the casing through a material outlet (62).

Abstract: An economical apparatus and method for reprocessing scrap film. The apparatus includes a film-air separation chamber for separating air from incoming strips of scrap film, a cutter for cutting the strips into fine pieces, and a storage tank or further reprocessing means to which the cut pieces of scrap film are conveyed. A air bypass line having a computer-controlled valve conveys air directly from the film-air separation chamber to the cutter outlet when the valve is in an open position, and causes all of the air to flow into the cutter inlet when the valve is in a closed position. The open or closed position of the air bypass valve depends upon the cutter motor power, which varies as the volume of scrap film in the cutter varies. Due to the inclusion of the accurately controlled air bypass valve, only a single fan is needed to convey the film into and out of both the film-air separation chamber and the cutter.