Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for grinding. Based on a vertical shaft impactor, a method is disclosed which provides improved results by allowing materials to be ground in a wet form. The grinding apparatus includes supply lines (171, 172) and inlets (170, 187) which allow material to be supplied in such a form.

Abstract: An improved chopper arrangement for use in recovering and allowing the recycling of chopped metal products such as steel, aluminum, copper as utilized in electric transmission lines as well as the recovery of insulation materials thereon. The chopper contains a rotor mounted for rotation within a housing. The rotor has a plurality of rotor cutting blades thereon which pass in wire chopping relationship to at least one fixed blade mounted on a cartridge coupled to the housing. The fixed blade or cartridge cutting blade and the rotating blades or rotor cutting blade are generally rectangular in cross-section. Each of the rotor cutting blades is clampingly mounted on the rotor to allow comparatively rapid movement of the rotor cutting blade towards and away from the cartridge cutting blade to accommodate for wear of the blades and/or differences in the material being chopped.

Abstract: A treatment unit for densely compacted sewage sludge having an elongated trough like member with at least one elongated shaft extending throughout its length and rotatably mounted therein. The elongated shaft has a first longitudinal portion with a helix formed thereon. A shear section is located in the trough like member downstream of the first longitudinal portion of the elongated shaft. The shear section includes a static member attached to the inner surface of each sidewall of the trough like member and a rotary component mounted on a second longitudinal portion of the elongated shaft. The rotary component of the shear section includes a pair of half cylinder segments attached to the shaft. Each segment has a first longitudinal section with a plurality of outwardly extending paddles mounted thereon and a second longitudinal section with a plurality of outwardly extending pitched blades mounted thereon. The elongated shaft is rotated by an electric motor mounted on the trough like member.

Abstract: A hammermill-type shredding apparatus having a rotor assembly disposed in a housing, the rotor assembly including hammer elements of longer and shorter lengths mounted in an intersticed or alternating manner thereon, a grate having thicker and thinner portions in like alternating manner so as to accept longer length hammers adjacent the thinner portions of the grate and between the thicker portions of the grate, the housing further provided with a comb assembly having finger portions extending into the circle defined by the hammers when in operation, and further extending between the hammer elements so as to remove and prevent any undesirable materials accumulations.

Abstract: A process for recovering crumb rubber from used vehicle tires wherein the tires are comminuted in three comminuting operations, the second and third of which are prefaced by contact with a liquid cryogenic. The cryogenic liquid which is gassified upon contact with the tire particles, is reliquefied and recycled.

Abstract: A compounding process for preparing a composite that includes introducing one or more fillers and a matrix material into a stirred ball mill and subjecting the fillers and the matrix material to a combination of shear and impact forces under reaction conditions including reaction time sufficient to reduce the size of agglomerates formed by the fillers to a value below a pre-determined value to disperse the fillers throughout the matrix material.

Abstract: A grain mill includes upper and lower supports defining a chamber. An upper mill stone is disposed in the chamber and affixed to the upper support. A lower mill stone is disposed in the chamber beneath the upper mill stone and is driven about a vertical axis of rotation. The upper support cannot rotate relative to the lower support, but can move vertically relative thereto to adjust a grinding gap between the mill stones. Adjustment of the upper support is achieved by a rotatable adjusting ring having right and left-handed screw threads which engage respective threads of the upper and lower supports. The upper support comprises a cover member which carries the upper mill stone and a cover ring which is threadedly connected to the adjustment ring. The cover member is removable from the cover ring while the cover ring remains attached to the adjustment ring.

Abstract: A comminuting apparatus for rubber has two vertically mounted opposing facing grinding stones of large size having hollow centers. Interposed between these two stones, both of which, as stators, are fixed and do not rotate, is a single rotor having double-sided opposed abrasive grinding stone faces, mounted for rotation but floating laterally or horizontally in position between the two opposed fixed stones. The spacing between the opposed sets of grinding stones is set by increasing or decreasing the spacing between the outer most stator and the fixed inner stator. So long as the rotor rotates for grinding, the floating center stones will position themselves equally between the two stators so as to equalize the dynamic slurry pressure imposed during the grinding process upon the faces of the stones.

Abstract: A high speed skip hoist handles heavy payloads, such as bulk solids, and includes a bucket for handling the bulk material and a control system which regulates the acceleration and deceleration of the payload as it moves between a first position to a second position through substantially pure rotational motion. The control system may utilize hydraulic cylinders to move the payload through its substantially rotational motion and pumps for controlling the amount of hydraulic fluid being pumped to the hydraulic cylinder to control acceleration and deceleration of the payload as it moves between the first and second position.

Abstract: A container cutting assembly includes first and second parallel counter-rotatable shafts defining first and second axes. A first and second plurality of cutting wheels are positioned on the first and second shafts, respectively, interleaved with cutting wheels on the other shaft. Each cutting wheel has several cutting teeth, each tooth having a leading surface and two trailing surfaces. The second trailing surface has a preselected length. The leading surface and first trailing surface define a cutting edge, which is skewed with respect to the respective axis, defining a cutting point. Each cutting wheel is positioned on the shaft such that each cutting point of each tooth passes between two second trailing surfaces of cutting teeth disposed on either side approximately midway along the preselected lengths thereof. The cutting points of corresponding teeth in each plurality of cutting wheels align in lines which are parallel and coplanar to the respective axes.

Abstract: A method of improving dispersibility of vegetable fiber in which vegetable fibers obtained by opening up a vegetable material are caused to pass through at least one set of rolls to improve the dispersibility of the vegetable fibers, where each set of rolls comprises at least two rolls which have a large number of teeth or a large number of pins and are rotated in the same direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to improve dispersibility of vegetable fibers which have conventionally been unable to be uniformly blended with other materials due to lumping and/or entwining, thereby providing an advantage that uniform blending with other materials becomes possible.

Abstract: A crushing machine is disclosed which comprises a casing, a coarsely crushing blade which crushes scrap into coarsely crushed pieces, and a finely crushing blade which crushes the coarsely crushed pieces into finely crushed pieces. The coarsely crushing blade and the finely crushing blade are rotatably disposed in the casing, and jetting holes are formed in the coarsely crushing blade to jet compressed air radially outward from the coarsely crushing blade. Also, the jetting holes are connected to a compressed air passageway which is formed in the rotary shaft of the coarsely crushing blade. In addition, a stationary jetting hole is formed in the wall of the casing to jet compressed air towards a gap between the coarsely crushing blade and the finely crushing blade.

Abstract: A pulverizing disc 10 is disclosed which comprises a main body 11 of a generally cylindrical shape with a circumferential wall 12, lower surface 13 and upper surface 14. The main body 11 is integrally formed with a second body 14 which is also of generally cylindrical shape and which is mounted centrically upon the upper surface 14. The second body 15 extends from one side of the main body 11 to a position beyond a central axis 16 of the main body 11. An aperture 17 is formed through the disc 10 along the central axis 16. An upper surface 19 of the second body 15 is bevelled downwardly in the radial direction from axis 16 to form a central high region 18 around the perimeter aperture 17. The bottom surface of the first body 11 can be formed with a flute 23 which extends radially from aperture 17 to circumferential wall 12 of the first body 11.

Abstract: A roller mill having a fixed roller and a floating roller mounted on a frame and driven in opposite directions includes two gear units for the rollers and two independent torque absorbers to minimize the transfer of torque loads to the frame. Each torque absorber has a pair of two arm levers pivoted at spaced axes on the frame so that one end of each lever is adjacent one end of the other. A first force transmitting member couples the adjacent ends of the levers to each other and a second force transmitting member couples the opposite ends of the levers to the associated gear unit.

Abstract: Two pill crushing/dispensing cups are provided, each having an interior and an exterior abraded surface on the cup bottom. A pill is placed within a first of the cups and a second cup is nested within the first such that the pill is positioned between the first cup interior knurled surface and the second cup exterior knurled surface. The pill is crushed as the second cup is rotated and advanced within the first cup, a fluid is added to the first cup forming a fluid/pill crushing suspension therein, and the suspension is orally administered directly from the first cup. Both cups may be identical in design.

Abstract: This invention utilizes the oscillation which is produced in a powder which is acted upon by an electrostatic field. The disperser accomplishes its task by electrically charging the powder in a high voltage DC filed or by contact with a charging electrode, this causes the powder to become polarized and repel or disperse into discrete particles. The passing of particles from one electrode toward a second of opposite polarity will place a charge on the particle which causes oscillation, dispersion and movement toward the second electrode. Additional dispersion of the powder takes place as the particles oscillate and impact against the electrodes during the decent through the apparatus. Particle oscillation is related to particle polarity changes that occur as the particles traverse through the system.

Abstract: A pulper includes a pulping chamber, a pulping mechanism, and a non-pulpas collection chamber attached to a bottom of the pulping chamber below a top of the pulping mechanism in an annular area outside of the pulping mechanism. The collection chamber includes a container with openings at first and second ends; a basket having an opening at a first end and disposed inside the container wherein at least a bottom portion of the basket includes perforations; a pipe connection located at the second end of the container; means for removing the basket from the container; and means for preventing material from entering a space between the basket and the container; wherein the first end of the container is inserted into the pulping chamber. The collection chamber does not interfere with the fluid flow around the pulping mechanism and can collect a relatively large amount of non-pulpables without requiring pulper shutdown.

Abstract: A method for concentrating a fine coal slurry having an average particle diameter of 250 microns or less is provided in which the slurry is fed to a liquid-permeable membrane separator which provides a high rate of shear flow horizontal to the membrane. The feed may be heated to increase the flow rate, and crossflow across the membrane may be pulsed to prevent clogging of the membrane. Dispersant may also be added to improve the flow.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for the storing of thermoplastic material from a mixed stream which can contain objects of other thermoplastic materials or other objects. The targeted thermoplastic material has a softening temperature which is below that of other materials in the mixed stream which is fed by a transport device through a heating unit which heats the mixed stream to the softening temperature. In the softened rubbery state of the thermoplastic material it tends to adhere to cutter blades which comminute the thermoplastic material preferentially while the remaining materials are rejected by the blades and remain uncomminuted to accomplish the sorting.

Abstract: A ground oat-based cereal provides a nutritional, hot meal with improved flavor, textural taste, and keeping qualities. That is, the ground oat cereal maintains its consistency and heat over a longer period of time than conventional oatmeal. The oat-based cereal includes ground and sifted oat granules of which 27%-33% by weight have sizes greater than generally about 0.08 inches, and 67%-73% by weight have sizes ranging between generally about 0.04 inches and generally about 0.08 inches. Whole oat groats are roll cut and sifted to produce the oat-based cereal. The density of the oat portion of the cereal ranges between 28-34 lbs/cu. ft.