Abstract: A replaceable blade assembly is used to secure tool blades to the jaws of a material handler and comprises a holder secured to the jaw and a blade insert which is releasably secured thereto. The holder has a face with an elongated intermediate portion, an inclined end portion adjacent its outer end, a channel extending along the elongated intermediate portion, and a recess in the inclined end portion. The blade insert has a first face for mounting against the face of the holder with an elongated intermediate portion bearing against the elongated intermediate portion of the holder. A inclined end portion adjacent the outer end of the blade insert bears against the inclined end portion of the holder, and a spine on the elongated portion seats in the channel of the holder. A projection on the outer end of the blade insert seats in the holder recess, and a fastener releasably secures the inner end of the insert to the inner end of the holder.

Abstract: An improved pulverizing and grinding hammer and methods of making and using such a hammer in a hammer mill are disclosed. The improved hammer has a substantially trapezoidal insert made of a hard metal such as STELLITE 12 that is brazed onto a groove in a conventional hammer to form a contact face having an approximately ten degree layback angle with the vertical. The improved hammer provides a clear visible boundary between the insert material and base metal of the hammer, which acts as a wear indicator when the layback angle wears to approximately 40 to 50 degrees, the critical angle at which the size reduction efficiency of the mill decreases.

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: An integral, readily installed, universal pump assembly has an integral, liquid-tight outer housing for supporting within a single liquid-tight containment vessel an electric motor driven pump, and discharging liquid from a discharge outlet of the pump. The assembly includes at least one normal high and low liquid level sensing control pneumatic pressure operated electric switch supported within the housing for deriving on-off switching control signals for controlling normal on-off operation of the pump. At least one liquid level sensing diving bell is supported on the housing and has at least one lower open end exposed to the liquid in the collection tank for deriving varying pressure pneumatic liquid level indicating signals for application to the pressure operated switch for deriving the on-off control signal.

Abstract: Apparatus for fragmentizing objects recovers and reprocesses oversized fragments. A shredder is encircled by an annular trommel revolving about a horizontal axis of rotation and which extends over the shredder intake hopper and below the fragment outlet. Fragments which are too large to pass through apertures in the trommel are carried upward by vanes on the trommel and returned to the intake hopper. In one form of the apparatus, a fragment guide has a curved surface extending along at least a lower portion of the trommel and which is spaced from the trommel to allow small fragments to pass through the trommel apertures. Cleats on the trommel urge such fragments towards a fragment discharging end of the guide. Thin elongated fragments which attempt to pass through a trommel aperture are stopped by the presence of the guide and thus are also carried upward and returned to the intake for further processing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reclaiming foundry sand wherein the speed of the rotor and/or the drum and, thus, the resulting striking, shearing and friction forces are adapted or matched to the changing surface hardness of the quartz grains to be processed during the process duration. The drum comprises two drum halves separated transversely to the rotational axis, a sand inlet and a suction removal device.

Abstract: A cereal milling machine having a stock reservoir for incoming stock to be milled, a pair of motor driven feed rolls for metering the stock at a controlled rate from the reservoir, and a pair of grinding rolls for receiving the stock from the feed rolls. A stock level control system comprises a vertical array of spaced capacitive switches located outside the reservoir, each sensor producing an electrical signal according to the presence or absence of stock at the level of the individual sensor, a variable speed motor driving the feed rolls and a micro-computer connected to the sensors and to the motor via an inverter to accelerate or decelerate the motor as a result of changes in the level of stock in the reservoir. The control system ensures a substantially constant mean level of stock in the reservoir and protects the grinding rolls.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) is used in the production of brushes for the preparation of completely processed bristle bundles. Bristle strand material (4) is thereby conveyed with the aid of a feed mechanism (5) to a grinding device (6) where its free ends are processed into what will become the ultimate useful ends. By this processing, the free length of the bristle strand ends, and thus their ability to deflect laterally during grinding as well, can be exactly adjusted to this work procedure. This processing can be adapted to differing bristle material, or even adapted to differences in the desired rounding off results. The actual length of the final bristle bundles does not play a role in this, since the cutting of the bristle bundles to length does not take place until a following work step.

Abstract: The invention relates to a lifter bar intended to be mounted internally in a rotating mill drum for grinding ore and minerals. According to the invention, the upper portion of the lifter bar has a carcass of metal, comprising an elongated forward wall element facing in the direction of movement of the wear element, an elongated rear wall element and between these two wall elements transverse wall elements, the wall elements of the carcass defining between them a plurality of spaces, which are at least partially filled with a filler of another material than any of the components of the mill charge, and of greater abrasive specific volume loss than the metal of the carcass.

Abstract: A scrap fragmentizer for reducing light scrap metal structures into small pieces of scrap metal. The apparatus includes an apparatus housing having a scrap-receiving opening for receiving the metal structures to be fragmentized, and a discharge opening for discharging fragmentized pieces of scrap metal. The apparatus is attached to a vehicle having a source of hydraulic power. A feed roller and fragmentizing rotor are powered by the source of hydraulic power for feeding metal structures in the scrap-receiving opening into the apparatus housing and for fragmentizing the metal structures into small pieces of scrap metal. The fragmentized metal structures are discharged through a discharge opening in small pieces ready for further processing.

Abstract: A paper shredder includes a lower cabinet and an upper hood for covering the cutting rollers, The hood has a supply duct for material to be cut which conically narrows toward the cutting roller intake gap, The supply duct has an inlet opening whose upper edge in vertical projection is located laterally offset relative to the cutting roller intake gap, The supply duct for the material to be cut has a funnel-shaped cross section and a bottom side of the supply duct extends initially approximately horizontally and is then arc shaped and leads into the essentially vertically directed cutting roller intake gap.

Abstract: A process for recovering the cellulose flock component of used disposable sanitary non-woven cellulose articles, especially diapers having also a plastics component and a superabsorbent polymer component, comprising: separating the cellulose flock component from the plastics component; disintegrating the cellulose flock component in water into cellulose fibers and separating them from the water containing the superabsorbent polymer component and other waste, by selectively collecting the cellulose fibers onto a rough surface; disposing the water, effluent and separately compacting the separated cellulose fibers and the separated plastics component prior to their discharge. The invention also provides an apparatus for carrying out the process.

Abstract: A method of recovering individual material components such as metal, plastic and, where applicable, paper or cardboard, from waste of laminated packaging material comprising layers of metal, plastic and possibly paper or cardboard. The layers of metal and plastic are separated from each other and from the possibly present paper or cardboard layer by treating the waste with an organic acid or a mixture of organic acids selected from among formic acid, acetic acid, propanoic acid, butyric acid and similar volatile organic acids, preferably acetic acid alone.

Abstract: In accordance with this invention, a method and apparatus for removing contaminants from soil is provided. The invention comprises a classifier to separate oversized particles within the soil, a solid and liquid mixer to mix the soil and an added liquid, an agitator to fully mix the soil and liquid into a substantially homogeneous mixture, a separator wherein the soil and liquid are separated such that the contaminants float to the surface of the liquid, and a dryer wherein remaining excess liquid is removed from the substantially decontaminated soil. A material bin receives the oversized classified particles and a crusher/roller is provided to reduce the oversized material and return it to the classifier. The added liquid may include various chemicals to enhance the separability of the soil and contaminates. The solid and liquid mixer, agitator and separator may comprise of a number of sequential containers whereby separation is accomplished in a number of steps.

Abstract: An improved mechanical fractionation system (20) for processing of xanthophyll-containing vegetative crops and the like to yield economically valuable end products, and particularly a relatively xanthophyll rich high protein, essentially friable when dry particulate fraction primarily derived from non-vascular plant leaf or petal tissue, and a separate tougher, particulate fibrous fraction derived principally from plant stem and the leaf vascular xylem and phloem network. The system (20) preferably includes a drying assembly (22) for partially drying the vegetative crop to a moisture content of from about 15-30% by weight, a fractionating hammermill (24) serving to separate the partially dried crop into a high protein xanthophyll-containing fraction and a high fiber fraction, respectively, and an individual, downstream high protein and high fiber fraction processing assemblies (26, 28).

Abstract: An improved method of milling a particulate material in a jet mill is described. The material is fed from a holding vessel to be entrained by a gas, the holding vessel having an ullage which is maintained at a pressure of at least 0.05 MPa but less than the pressure at which gas is introduced to the jet mill. The method is particularly usefully employed in an impact jet mill in which the entrained particles impinge upon a surface, are reflected into another jet and passed into a cylindrical separation chamber. The method enables such an impact mill to be operated under more energy-efficient conditions.

Abstract: A motor driven wheeled road patching vehicle includes a gravel hopper and a tank of heated asphalt. A gate assembly is adjusted to control gravel flow into a pressurized hose. A telescoping tube assembly extendable between a maximum and a minimum overall length for patching operations and compactness when not in use has debris air gaps to facilitate, by venturi effect, debris clearance. Telescoping elements of increasing diameter are further from the inlet end of the tube assembly to reduce wearing. An elbow couples the telescoping tube outlet to a mixing head, and has a hollow collector box for accumulating gravel which erodes the outside elbow portion, the collected material serving to prevent further wearing. The tank is heated by thermostatically controlled heater elements when not in use and by engine coolant from the truck engine coolant system flowing through a tube near the bottom of the tank. A nozzle, heated by the engine cooling system, mixes molten asphalt and gravel.

Abstract: An improved arrangement for feeding material through a material reducing machine. An inclined wall is positioned strategic to a material reduction unit and a plunger of the machine. A lower beveled edge of the inclined wall is positioned in close proximity to the material reduction unit and above the plunger. The plunger forces material toward the material reduction unit and the inclined wall. Material that is below the lower edge of the wall will be forced into the material reduction unit and material that is above the lower edge will be forced to elevate on the inclined wall thus preventing jamming of the forced feed mechanism of the machine. Controls are provided to control the rate of movement of the plunger in correspondence with the rotational rate of the material reduction unit. The rate at which the plunger moves toward the material reduction unit is decreased when the rotational rate of the material reduction unit decreases.

Abstract: A partition diaphragm which divides a grinding chamber of a ball mill into several chambers is formed into a compound structure comprising a primary screen plate and a secondary screen plate, with the slit clearance of the secondary screen plate being smaller than that of the prior art while avoiding the occurrence of blinding. The secondary screen plate of the partition diaphragm is comprised of a wire sieve provided with fine slits having a trapezoidal shape in section. The wire seive is loosely disposed between adjacent members so as to be freely movable to a certain extent. Since there is no sticking of material by movement of the wire sieve in spite of the slit clearance in the wire sieve, fine particles in the partition diaphragm can move smoothly and the two grinding chambers are well-balanced, resulting in an improved grinding efficiency.

Abstract: A method of treating plasterboard production scrap wherein the pieces of the plasterboard scrap having the plaster attached to paper components, is passed through an apparatus which comprises a cylindrical housing in which radial arms carry ploughshares riding along the wall of the vessel and cutting heads are provided between the paths of the ploughshares. The apparatus so reduces the pieces that a homogeneous mixture of fibers of the paper components and granular gypsum is formed. This product mixed with raw gypsum provides a calcinable mixture which can be calcined for use in producing additional plasterboard.