Patents Examined by Bena Miller
  • Patent number: 7975946
    Abstract: A spice mill for cutting up two different spices, in particular salt and pepper, is disclosed. Two spice containers (17, 18) and two grinding mechanisms (50, 50?) are arranged in a base part (10). A cover part (20) can be removed from the base part (10) and serves as a rotary handle. When the cover part (20) is removed, filling openings (15, 16) for the spice containers (17, 18) are opened up. An encapsulated gear mechanism (30) is arranged in the base part (10) between the cover part and the grinding mechanisms. When the cover part (20) is rotated in a first direction of rotation, the gear mechanism (30) drives the first grinding mechanism (50). By contrast, upon rotation in the opposite direction, the second grinding mechanism (50?) is driven. In a preferred embodiment, the gear mechanism is arranged in an upper region of the base part and, together with the base part, bounds the filling openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: PI-Design AG
    Inventor: Jørgen Bodum
  • Patent number: 7975940
    Abstract: A system for reducing the particle size of a pozzolan includes a thermal fracture system and a defracturing apparatus. The system is highly efficient at drying and heating a natural pozzolan having a natural distribution of particle sizes. The system can create a reduced-size pozzolanic material with a desired particle size and particle morphology. The system for reducing the particle size of a pozzolan includes a thermal fracture system for heating and thermally fracturing the pozzolan and a defracturing apparatus that agitates the thermally fractured pozzolan to break the thermally fractured pozzolan apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Staker & Parson Companies
    Inventor: Alan D. McKee
  • Patent number: 7975949
    Abstract: A hammer assembly for attachment to a rotor of a rotary material crusher. The hammer assembly has an adaptor, having a base portion and a hammer mounting portion, with the base portion being attachable to the rotor at the periphery portion and a hammer, having at least one impact portion, for crushing material, and a mounting portion for engagement with the hammer mounting portion of the adaptor. The hammer mounting portion of the adaptor includes bearing surfaces facing a direction of impact when crushing material, and the mounting portion of the hammer includes bearing surfaces for mating with the bearing surfaces of the hammer mounting portion of the adaptor. The hammer assembly further includes a retainer rod, and at least one retainer pin. The hammer is attached to the adaptor and the retainer rod passes through apertures of the adaptor and apertures of each retainer pin in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the hammer and the adaptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Inventors: Gregory Kurt Orphall, Gregory George Kratofil
  • Patent number: 7975942
    Abstract: An air knife module assembly and a replaceable wear plate member are provided for a cyclonic comminuting and dehydrating machine. The air knife and wear plate can be formed in a modular configuration with the wear plate being mountable into an opening formed in the side wall of the cylindrical chamber of the cyclonic comminuter. The air knife module can be formed separately of the wear plate member and mounted into an opening formed in the wear plate module. The wear plate module can be secured to the side wall of the cylindrical chamber by removable fasteners while the air knife module can be secured by clamping members mounted on the wear plate module. Sensors in the air discharge detecting hazardous material above a predetermined threshold are operable to affect a de-naturing of the ground material discharge for removal thereof from the discharged stream of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Inventor: Eugene G. Martin
  • Patent number: 7971818
    Abstract: A grinding machine having an improved anvil mounting arrangement is provided. The mounting arrangement according to the present disclosure is configured to securely support an end of the feed table and an anvil, and also enables easy replacement of the anvil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Brian Smidt, Darin Dux, Scott Eberts, Duane Harthoorn
  • Patent number: 7967227
    Abstract: A machine for distributing blowing wool from a bag of compressed blowing wool is provided. The machine includes a chute having an inlet end. The inlet end is configured to receive the bag of compressed blowing wool. A shredding chamber is positioned downstream from the chute and is configured to shred and pick apart the blowing wool. The shredding chamber includes a plurality of shredders configured for rotation. The shredding chamber further includes a plurality of guide shells positioned partially around the plurality of shredders. The plurality of shredders seal against the plurality of guide shells and direct the blowing wool in a downstream direction as the plurality of shredders rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Owens-Corning Fiberglas Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Johnson, Michael E. Evans, Agustin Hernandez, Robert J. O'Leary, Christopher M. Relyea, Brian K. Linstedt, Gregory J. Merz, Jeffrey W. Servaites, Keith A. Grider
  • Patent number: 7967225
    Abstract: An inlet to an under-sink garbage disposal is guarded by a novel guard and splash-back baffle that comprises an outer tubular ring defining an exterior circumference approximately sized to coincide with an inside diameter of the plumbing inlet; an inner tubular ring coupled through at least one radially extending bar with the outer ring and defining an open and unobstructed inner circumference. The splash baffle comprises a resilient body affixed adjacent to the garbage disposal blade guard that extends generally across the plumbing inlet to constrict flow therethrough. The guard is divided into a plurality of resilient flaps, and is operative in combination with the garbage disposal blade guard to define a flexible one-way valve permitting matter to pass into a garbage disposal while substantially blocking matter from being ejected from the garbage disposal through the garbage disposal blade guard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Inventor: Victor Schulz
  • Patent number: 7967226
    Abstract: A drying mill for powdered or fine-grained material, in particular also suitable for calcining gypsum, employs a housing, in which a feed device for fuel gas, opening into a lower region, a comminuting device and a material inlet, charging the material onto the comminuting device from above, are provided one above the other, a material outlet leading to the outside from an upper region of a working chamber and a return leading downwards to the comminuting device, the comminuting device being a centrifugal disc which rotates in a horizontal plane and interacts with an impact casing arranged on the inside of the housing. A nozzle ring surrounding the centrifugal disc from below is provided for feeding fuel gas into the working chamber. As a result, the calcining process in particular is assisted in an efficient way by utilizing the thermal energy of the hot gas fed into the working chamber by means of the nozzle ring and the dwell time in the working chamber. A corresponding comminuting method is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Claudius Peters Technologies GmbH
    Inventor: Volker Göcke
  • Patent number: 7963468
    Abstract: A shredder is disclosed. The shredder includes a housing having a throat for receiving at least one article to be shredded, and a shredder mechanism received in the housing and including an electrically powered motor and cutter elements. The shredder mechanism enables the at least one article to be shredded to be fed into the cutter elements. The motor is operable to drive the cutter elements so that the cutter elements shred the articles fed therein. The shredder also includes a detector that is configured to detect a thickness of the at least one article being received by the throat, and a controller that is operable to perform a predetermined operation responsive to the detector detecting that the thickness of the at least one article is at least equal to a predetermined maximum thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Fellowes, Inc.
    Inventors: Tai Hoon K. Matlin, Eric Gach
  • Patent number: 7954740
    Abstract: A nano grinding and dispersing assembly has a raw material feeder, a liquid supply unit connecting to the delivering pipe of the raw material feeder, a gas supply unit connecting to the delivering pipe of the raw material feeder, a pressure equalized assembly and a subsequent treatment plant. The raw material feeder has a feeding pipe connecting to the raw material feeder and a delivering pipe connecting to the raw material feeder. The pressure equalized assembly has a pressure equalizer, a pressurized feeding pipe, a gas-liquid separator, a pressure gage and a first grinding device. The first grinding device connects and communicates with the pressure equalizer and has at least one ground fluid outlet. The subsequent treatment plant connects the ground fluid outlet of the first grinding device. Therefore, the present invention completely mixes, grinds and disperses fluid to make the fluid homogeneous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Rosace International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuo Kang Chen
  • Patent number: 7954738
    Abstract: Provided is an ice dispenser. The ice dispenser dispenses ice pieces have various sizes such as chunks, fragments, and shavings to users, and the size of ice pieces discharged from the ice dispenser can be conveniently adjusted. The ice dispenser includes a rotatable first roller, a rotatable second roller disposed close to the first roller, and a distance adjustor. The distance adjustor is configured to adjust a distance between the first and second rollers for adjusting sizes of ice crushed between the first and second rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Dong Hoon Lee, Wook Yong Lee
  • Patent number: 7954737
    Abstract: A shredder includes a housing having a throat for receiving at least one article to be shredded, and a shredder mechanism received in the housing and including an electrically powered motor and cutter elements. The shredder also includes a detector that is configured to detect a thickness of the at least one article being received by the throat, and a controller that is configured to operate the motor to drive the cutter elements to shred the at least one article and to set a flutter threshold higher than the predetermined maximum thickness threshold, if the detected thickness is less than a predetermined maximum thickness threshold. The controller is also configured to thereafter continuously detect the thickness of the at least one article being inserted into a throat of the shredder; and to perform a predetermined operation responsive to the thickness detector detecting that the thickness of the at least one article is greater than the flutter threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Fellowes, Inc.
    Inventors: Tai Hoon K. Matlin, Michael Dale Jensen
  • Patent number: 7954743
    Abstract: The invention relates to a roller mill having at least one mill roller and a rotatable mill platen, which are arranged in a mill inner space, and a moment arm which is retained so as to be pivotably movable and rotationally secure in a bearing, with the mill roller being supported in a rotatable manner at one end of the moment arm and there further being provided means for applying a force to the moment arm comprising a pressure cylinder which is in operative contact with the moment arm in order to adjust the mill pressure which is applied by the mill roller. The contact location, at which the force of the pressure cylinder is transmitted to the moment arm, is located outside the mill inner space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Polysius AG
    Inventor: Pedro Guerrero Palma
  • Patent number: 7954742
    Abstract: A multiple tool attachment system is adapted to be attached to demolition equipment. The system includes a universal body attached to the demolition equipment. A series of tools are independently attachable to the universal body. The universal body includes a guide slot extending longitudinally along the universal body. Each tool generally includes a pair of pivotable jaws adapted to be pivotably attached to the universal body with at least one linkage extending from the universal body and attachable to each jaw of the tool. A slide member is received within the guide slot, with each linkage attached to the slide member, and a piston cylinder arrangement is attached to the universal body and coupled to the slide member for moving the slide member and the jaws. The multiple tool attachment system is provided with quick change features and is designed to optimize the cutting characteristics throughout the movement cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Inventors: John R. Ramun, Michael Richard Ramun
  • Patent number: 7954733
    Abstract: A method for processing unseparated egg shells is provided. The method includes placing the unseparated egg shells in a fluid tank containing a fluid mixture, applying cavitation to the fluid mixture to thereby assist in separating the egg shell membranes from the egg shells, and recovering the egg shell membranes. Preferably, the fluid mixture is recirculated to thereby provide for continuous processing of unseparated egg shells. The method may further include drying the egg shell membranes to produce dried egg shell membranes which may then be vacuum packaged for storage and/or transport. The dried egg shell membranes may then be subjected to an extraction process for extracting at least one type of polypeptide from the egg shell membranes. Collagen, hyaluronic acid, or amino acids of interest may be extracted from the egg shell membrane and purified for numerous uses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Biova, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Vladimir Vlad
  • Patent number: 7946514
    Abstract: A shredder includes a thickness detector device having a contact portion in a throat of a housing. The contact portion is movable by a thickness between opposing major surfaces of at least one article being received by the throat. The thickness detector device includes a detectable portion movable by the contact portion, and a detector for detecting at least one position of the detectable portion that includes a position when the detectable portion has been moved by the contact portion by an amount that correlates to a predetermined maximum thickness. A controller is coupled to the thickness detector, is operable to prevent a motor from driving cutter elements in a shredding direction responsive to the detector detecting that the detectable portion has been moved by the amount that correlates to the predetermined maximum thickness, and is configured to vary the predetermined maximum thickness based on receiving an input parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Fellowes, Inc.
    Inventors: Tai Hoon K. Matlin, Eric Gach
  • Patent number: 7946515
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a shredder that includes a housing having a movable part that forms at least a part of an opening for the insertion of articles to be fed into the shredder. A detector detects motion of the movable part, and in response, a controller performs a predetermined operation, including, for example, stopping cutting elements of the shredder mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Fellowes, Inc.
    Inventors: Tai Hoon Kim Matlin, Eric Gach
  • Patent number: 7942353
    Abstract: An adjustable screen apparatus for a material destruction device includes a first stationary fixed member and a second member positioned in an operatively juxtaposed and nesting relationship for reciprocal movement relative to the first member, each having a predetermined plurality of openings which are disposed in a predetermined pattern. A guide system is provided for guiding the reciprocal movement of the second member relative to the first member. A power operated drive is coupled to a source of power and to the second member for reciprocally moving the second member between a first position wherein each opening in the second member substantially overlaps a respective opening in the first member for producing large size particles and a second position wherein each opening in the second member partially overlaps each of a pair of adjacently disposed openings in the first member for producing small size particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Allegheny Paper Shredders Corporation
    Inventors: Richard D. Cerra, Andrew J. Ciesielski, Stephen H. Ciesielski, James J. Wagner, Thomas A. Wagner
  • Patent number: 7938153
    Abstract: A shear attachment is presented for use with different types of motorized vehicles and is generally provided with an upper cutting jaw, a lower receiving jaw and a plurality of teeth along the upper surface of the lower jaw to grip an object while it is being cut between the upper and lower jaws. A single actuator may be used to move the cutting jaw between open and closed positions. The shear may be pivoted about a horizontal axis with respect to its mounting bracket to facilitate cutting at different angles. The shear is removably coupled to the vehicle using a universal hitch. The efficient design of the shear makes it durable, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Inventor: Warren D. Gregory, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7931222
    Abstract: An agitator mill for treating free-flowing grinding stock has a grinding receptacle and an interior stator disposed therein. A rotatably drivable annular cylindrical rotor is disposed between the interior stator and the receptacle wall, with a grinding chamber being defined between said rotor and the receptacle wall. A grinding-stock discharge conduit is formed between the rotor and the interior stator (22) which is connected to the grinding chamber by means of a deflection conduit. Devices are provided for preventing the carry-over of auxiliary grinding bodies from the grinding chamber into the grinding-stock discharge conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Bühler AG
    Inventors: Norbert Stehr, Philipp Schmitt