Abstract: A wood chipper with an air entrainment system. The wood chipper includes a chipping drum in a drum chamber and a discharge fan in a fan chamber. The chipping drum and fan are conjointly driven by a common shaft. The discharge fan draws air from the drum chamber through a chamber air inlet and potentially also from the ambient atmosphere through an external air inlet. The volume of air drawn from the drum chamber is sufficient to offset or overcome the negative air flow created by the spinning drum in the drum chamber to reduce blowback. Air entrained with the chipped material moves toward the discharge chute and away from the material inlet. A deflector may be include near the mouth of the discharge chute to further guide air flow from the fan chamber toward the discharge chute and prevent the backflow of air into the chipping chamber.

Abstract: A wood chipper with an air entrainment system. The wood chipper includes a chipping drum in a drum chamber and a discharge fan in a fan chamber. The chipping drum and fan are conjointly driven by a common shaft. The discharge fan draws air from the drum chamber through a chamber air inlet and potentially also from the ambient atmosphere through an external air inlet. The volume of air drawn from the drum chamber is sufficient to offset or overcome the negative air flow created by the spinning drum in the drum chamber to reduce blowback. Air entrained with the chipped material moves toward the discharge chute and away from the material inlet. A deflector may be include near the mouth of the discharge chute to further guide air flow from the fan chamber toward the discharge chute and prevent the backflow of air into the chipping chamber.

Abstract: An infeed assembly for a wood reduction apparatus that is selectively adjustable to feed waste into a wood reduction mill along different paths. In one embodiment, the infeed assembly includes at least one movable wall segment that is pivotally movable between extended and retracted positions. In the retracted position, the infeed assembly feeds wood waste into the mill along a path perpendicular. In the extended position, the infeed assembly feeds wood waste into the mill along an angled path. The wall segment may include a fixed end that is pivotally secured to the sidewall and a free end that is selectively movable into the infeed path to provide a surface directing the wood waste along an angled path into the mill. The infeed assembly may include two wall segments that are pivotally extendable into the infeed path from opposite sidewall. The two wall segments may pivot from opposite ends.

Abstract: A fragmenting rotor assembly for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material. A hammer support is carried by a drive shaft driven in rotation about a longitudinal drive shaft axis. The hammer support projects radially relative to the drive shaft axis and includes a radially outer hammer head. A fragmenting knife is removably secured to the hammer head and has a reducing edge disposed in a radially outer cutting position. A deflecting member is carried by the drive shaft and has a radially outer end that deflects fragments away from at least a portion of the fragmenting knife. The hammer support and/or the deflecting member are carried by at least one rod of a plurality of circumferentially-spaced axially-extending rods that are carried on the drive shaft by axially-spaced rotor members.

Abstract: A plurality of chipper inserts that may be installed on a hammermill rotor in place of the hammer inserts to selectively convert the rotor to a chipper. The chipper inserts include drum surfaces that cooperatively define a chipper drum. The chipper inserts may include cutter inserts that have a cutter disposed in a cutter pocket. The chipper drum may be a generally continuous cylindrical interrupted essentially only by the cutter pockets. The cutters and cutter pockets may be positioned in essentially any desired pattern around the drum. The chipper inserts may include a left cutter insert, a center cutter insert, a right cutter insert and three different size spacer inserts. The different types of cutter inserts and spacer inserts may be installed about the rotor with at least one left cutter insert mounted on the left end of the chipper drum and at least one right cutter insert mounted on the right end of the chipper drum.

Abstract: An infeed assembly for a wood reduction apparatus that is selectively adjustable to feed waste into a wood reduction mill along different paths. In one embodiment, the infeed assembly includes at least one movable wall segment that is pivotally movable between extended and retracted positions. In the retracted position, the infeed assembly feeds wood waste into the mill along a path perpendicular. In the extended position, the infeed assembly feeds wood waste into the mill along an angled path. The wall segment may include a fixed end that is pivotally secured to the sidewall and a free end that is selectively movable into the infeed path to provide a surface directing the wood waste along an angled path into the mill. The infeed assembly may include two wall segments that are pivotally extendable into the infeed path from opposite sidewall. The two wall segments may pivot from opposite ends.

Abstract: A plurality of chipper inserts that may be installed on a hammermill rotor in place of the hammer inserts to selectively convert the rotor to a chipper. The chipper inserts include drum surfaces that cooperatively define a chipper drum. The chipper inserts may include cutter inserts that have a cutter disposed in a cutter pocket. The chipper drum may be a generally continuous cylindrical interrupted essentially only by the cutter pockets. The cutters and cutter pockets may be positioned in essentially any desired pattern around the drum. The chipper inserts may include a left cutter insert, a center cutter insert, a right cutter insert and three different size spacer inserts. The different types of cutter inserts and spacer inserts may be installed about the rotor with at least one left cutter insert mounted on the left end of the chipper drum and at least one right cutter insert mounted on the right end of the chipper drum.

Abstract: A rotor assembly operable with anvil mechanism for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material has a rotating drive shaft with a series of rotors fixed in axially spaced relation thereon. A series of radially projecting hammers mechanisms are situated along the axis of the shaft and powered by the shaft. Fragmenting knives are removably secured to the leading outer portions of the hammer mechanisms. The hammer mechanisms include sidewisely reversible hammer legs having portions received by the rotors sidewisely contiguously.

Abstract: A Rosserhead debarker having a cutter head with an improved cutter teeth mounting system. The cutter head drum defines a plurality of cutter tooth slots, each having a recess at its base. The cutter teeth are fitted into the slots with the base of each tooth closely received in the corresponding recess. A portion of each tooth protrudes from the slot to receive a blade. Each cutter tooth may be secured to the drum by a fastener extending in a generally radial direction. Each cutter tooth may include a removal stud that can be used to assist in removing the tooth from the drum. The cutter head may be mounted for axial deflection and may include a pivot yoke lock for selectively locking the cutter head against axial deflection. The pivot yoke lock facilitates certain operations where axial deflection may not be desired, including those in which only one end of the cutter head is riding on the log, such as during butt reducing.

Abstract: A wood chipper or grinder includes counter rotating upper and lower feed drums driven by a hydraulic motor at variable fluid pressure to produce variable torque to the feed drums. Wood debris fed to a gap between the rollers is advanced toward a grinder or chipper to reduce the material. A hydraulic feed control system operates off the variable hydraulic pressure associated with the motor and, in an automatic mode, exerts more or less downward clamping pressure on the upper feed drum with changes in pressure to the motor. The system sets an upper limit on the clamping pressure in the automatic mode which can be overridden manually if necessary to apply greater downward force than that achievable in the automatic mode. The upper feed drum can also be manually raised if necessary.

Abstract: A comminuting machine rotor assembly comprising rotors carried by a shaft for conjoint rotation with the shaft, hammer heads carried by the rotors and extending radially outwardly from the shaft, and hammer inserts releasably attached to respective ones of the hammer heads. There is a wear material coating over at least a first cutting edge of an insert body of each insert. The first cutting edge of each insert body is defined by a front facet generally facing the direction of assembly rotation, a radially outer end facet adjacent the front facet, and an intervening radially distal corner of the hammer insert formed at the intersection of the front and end facets. The front and end facets are disposed at a relative angle of greater than 60 degrees to one another.

Abstract: A rotor assembly operable with anvil mechanism for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material has a rotating drive shaft with a series of rotors fixed in axially spaced relation thereon. A series of radially projecting hammers mechanisms are situated along the axis of the shaft and powered by the shaft. Fragmenting knives are removably secured to the leading outer portions of the hammer mechanisms. The hammer mechanisms include sidewisely reversible hammer legs having portions received by the rotors sidewisely contiguously.

Abstract: A vehicle has a housing mounting within it a rotor assembly comprising parallel shafts having intermeshing cutter discs in axially spaced relation thereon. The discs have radial projections with first cutting edges extending axially to face in a rotatively leading direction. Cutter segments carried on the discs project radially outwardly to provide second cutting edges of lesser axial extent facing in the leading direction. A toothed member mechanism carries teeth which project into the axial spaces between the discs and provides axial surfaces for coacting with the first and second cutting edge.

Abstract: A wood chipper knife holder assembly for a power driven rotor head has at least one opening in its wood confronting surface for the knife holder assembly which includes a mount block. A counter-knife receiving surface opposite the wood confronting surface of the rotor head is provided on the mount block for a counter-knife and a reversible knife blade is received on the counter-knife. A clamp member secures to clamp the knife in a projecting cutting position. The clamp member and knife have transversely spaced openings and pins which permit 180° repositioning of the knife to present a fresh knife cutting edge, and the clamp member has a transverse surface for receiving the rearward cutting edge of the knife.

Abstract: A fragmenting rotor assembly for waste wood and other fragmentable material has a drive shaft assembly including mechanism for driving the shaft in a direction of rotation. A series of radially projecting hammers mechanisms are situated along the axis of the shaft and powered by the shaft. Fragmenting knives are removably secured to the leading outer portions of the hammers. The drive shaft has a series of rotors fixed in axially spaced relation thereon. The hammer mechanisms include hammer supports having portions situated axially sidewisely between the rotors on hammer support members spanning the rotors and rotating with the rotor assembly.

Abstract: A wood chipper or grinder includes counter rotating upper and lower feed drums driven by a hydraulic motor at variable fluid pressure to produce variable torque to the feed drums. Wood debris fed to a gap between the rollers is advanced toward a grinder or chipper to reduce the material. A hydraulic feed control system operates off the variable hydraulic pressure associated with the motor and, in an automatic mode, exerts more or less downward clamping pressure on the upper feed drum with changes in pressure to the motor. The system sets an upper limit on the clamping pressure in the automatic mode which can be overridden manually if necessary to apply greater downward force than that achievable in the automatic mode. The upper feed drum can also be manually raised if necessary.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for comminuting scrap wood and other like material has a rotor drum including a drive shaft and at least one radially projecting tool supporting member with a tool assembly receiving pocket. A releasable tool is locked in the pocket and comprises a shank, with an outer cutting head thereon, received in the pocket to bear upon the front wall of the pocket. The shank has an inclined front wall matching the inclined front wall of the pocket. A wedge mating member has a more inclined rear surface bearing upon the inclined rear wall of the pocket and a front wall bearing upon the tool shank. The wedge has a threaded opening for a threaded abutment member which is manipulatible to draw the wedge member outwardly to releasably clamp the tool shank.

Abstract: A generally horizontal wood comminuter has a crosswise rotor with comminuting knives moving in a path of rotation and a crosswise coacting anvil. A feed works provides a material support surface and a power-driven feed member above it for feeding material toward the rotor. The rotor is driven in an uphill path of rotation relative to the feed works. Lift arms pivoted rearwardly of the feed works pivotally carry the feed member for swinging vertical movement toward and away from the material support surface. A crosswise deflector plate is carried independently of the lift arms and extends toward the anvil and a crosswise lift arm plate coacts with the deflector plate to contain fragmented material. The anvil and a grate retainer preferably are pivotal to move together from an operative to an inoperative position.

Abstract: A fragmenting rotor assembly for waste wood and other fragmentable material has a drive shaft and mechanism for driving the shaft in a direction of rotation. A series of radially projecting hammers are situated along the axis of the shaft and powered by the shaft. Fragmenting knives are removably secured to the leading outer portions of the hammers and deflector members are mounted in radial alignment with said hammers and have outer ends traveling in a circumferential path of lesser radial extent than the circumferential path of the knife edges. The rotary paths of axially adjacent knives axially intersect along the axis of the shaft.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for comminuting scrap wood and other like material has a rotor drum including a drive shaft and at least one radially projecting tool supporting member with a tool assembly receiving pocket. A releasable tool is locked in the pocket and comprises a shank, with an outer cutting head thereon, received in the pocket to bear upon the front wall of the pocket. The shank has an inclined front wall matching the inclined front wall of the pocket. A wedge mating member has a more inclined rear surface bearing upon the inclined rear wall of the pocket and a front wall bearing upon the tool shank. The wedge has a threaded opening for a threaded abutment member which is manipulatible to draw the wedge member outwardly to releasably clamp the tool shank.