Abstract: Various embodiments provide glass bottle-based silicon electrode materials. A battery electrode includes silicon made from magnesiothermic reduction of silicon oxide derived from glass bottles and a conformal carbon coating thereon. A method of making the electrode material includes crushing glass bottles to produce crushed glass containing silicon oxide particles, mixing the silicon oxide particles with a heat scavenger to produce a mixture, magnesiothermically reducing the mixture to produce silicon, and applying a carbon coat to the silicon to produce an electrode material.

Abstract: A spreader of a combine for conveying crop residue rearwardly from a rotor assembly includes a frame coupled to the combine and has a top portion adapted to receive a portion of crop residue during a harvesting operation. An impellor includes one or more blades for rotatably conveying crop residue rearwardly, and an actuator is controllably moved between an extended position and a retracted position. The actuator is pivotally coupled to the combine. A linkage assembly is pivotally coupled to the actuator at one end and to the frame at another end. The spreader is disposable in a first position when the actuator is in the extended position, and the spreader is disposable in a second position when the actuator is in the retracted position. A movement from the extended position to the retracted position induces pivotal movement of the spreader from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A device for shredding material has a shredding rotor, which revolves about an axis of rotation and supports at least one blade, and a first counter-blade which cooperates with the blade of the shredding rotor. A feed plate is provided here, which is mounted to be rotatable about a pivot axis and which is connected to an actuator, in particular to an electric motor, so that, with the aid of the actuator, the feed plate can be brought into a feed position, in which the material to be shredded can lie on a first main surface of the feed plate and can slide along this in the direction of the shredding rotor, and into a first pressing position in which the material to be shredded is likewise pressed with the first main surface of the feed plate against the shredding rotor and shredded between the blade and the first counter-blade.

Abstract: A material reducing machine includes a rotor assembly having a plurality of short cutting tools and a plurality of long cutting tools. The short cutting tools are arranged in rows which extend across the length of the rotor assembly, which rows are spaced around the periphery of the rotor assembly. Each of the short cutting tools has a cutting bit with a leading edge that is spaced outwardly from the periphery of the rotor assembly by a short cutter distance. The long cutting tools are also arranged in rows which extend across the length of the rotor assembly, which rows are spaced around the periphery of the rotor assembly. Each of the long cutting tools has a cutting bit with a leading edge that is spaced outwardly from the periphery of the rotor assembly by a long cutter distance that is greater than the short cutter distance of each of the short cutting tools. A breaker assembly includes a plurality of shear blocks, each of which is spaced so as to be aligned with a short cutting tool.

Abstract: A combine harvester includes a residue management system having a chaff spreader mounted to a straw chopper. The chaff spreader is positioned in front of the straw chopper and is configured to collect and spread chaff from a cleaning shoe when in a spreading position. A mechanical linkage is provided between the straw chopper and chaff spreader so that movement of the straw chopper from an operating position to a non-operating position is translated into pivoting of the chaff spreader from a spreading position to a non-spreading position.

Abstract: A cleaning shoe material-other-than-grain (MOG) discharge system of a combine harvester has a thresher rotor assembly configured to produce a stream of thresher rotor MOG and a shoe disposed beneath the thresher rotor assembly configured to produce a stream of shoe MOG. A chopper receives and chops the stream of thresher rotor MOG. Vanes disposed at an outlet of the chopper distribute the chopped thresher rotor MOG. A plate having top and bottom surfaces is adjacent to the plural vanes. A duct is set on the plate, the duct having a first inlet and a first outlet, the first inlet disposed adjacent to an outlet of the shoe to receive the stream of shoe MOG, the first outlet disposed downstream of the outlet of the chopper such that the stream of shoe MOG is received in the stream of chopped thresher rotor MOG.

Abstract: A dual shredding system for a mobile document shredding vehicle produces either coarsely shredded material or finely shredded material. Unshredded material is first coarsely shredded by a coarse shredder. In a coarse shred mode, the coarsely shredded material is routed to a shredded material storage compartment in the vehicle. In a fine shred mode, the coarsely shredded material is finely shredded by a fine shredder, and then routed to the storage compartment. The position of a gate determines whether the system is in the coarse or fine shred mode.

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 tub grinder includes a rotatable tub positioned above a floor; a grinder that has cutters defining a circular reducing boundary when the grinder is rotated in a reducing direction; and a deflection structure positioned near the floor above the grinder. The deflection structure includes first and second deflecting portions. The second deflection structure is oriented closer to horizontal than the first deflection structure. At least part of the second deflecting portion is located below a top, dead center of the reducing boundary of the grinder. The deflecting structure limits the trajectory of material ejected from the grinder to a departure angle of about 25 degrees.

Abstract: A hopper for a roof shingle stripper, grinder, and blower includes: a hopper; a catch area on the hopper, adapted to receive the debris; an output opening on the hopper, adapted to output the debris; a plate to urge the debris toward the output opening; and a manipulator connected to the plate having a portion that extends outside of the hopper. The manipulator pushes upon the plate thereby urging debris in the hopper toward the output opening. The grinder machine may include a motor, self-propelled wheels, a lifting blade for roof shingles, a shredder, and a conduit with a wall that channels the debris to one of two outputs.

Abstract: A crusher is provided that can stably crush various information media, such as paper, magnetic recording media including cassette tapes and the like, optical recording media, and substrates, and the like, and has excellent maintainability. Hammer members 29 that extend from a rotation shaft 45 in a radial direction and rotate with a rotation of the rotation shaft 45 are housed in a casing 21 that includes an upper loading opening 22 for loading an object to be crushed and a lower discharge opening 23 for discharging a crushed object. Fixed blades 47 are arranged within the casing 21 on an outer diameter side of the hammer members. The hammer members 29 and the fixed blades 47 crush the object to be crushed when the hammer members 29 are rotated. A guide path 20 that that guides the object to be crushed that is loaded from the upper loading opening 22 into a crushing chamber 26 in which the object to be crushed is crushed by the hammer members 29 and the fixed blades 47 is provided within the casing 21.

Abstract: A roof shingle stripper, grinder, and blower includes: a motor to power the device; self-propelled wheels that move the device forward and urge the shingles into the device; a lifting blade that lifts up and dislodges the shingles from the roof; a shredder having two rows of grinding wheels that grind the shingles into pieces and blow the pieces into a conduit; and the conduit has a side wall that, when the wall is in a first position, diverts the pieces in a first direction, and when the wall is in a second position, diverts the pieces in a second direction.

Abstract: A bale shredder is mounted on a frame and has a flail that will shred material, such as hay, straw and silage, and an auger receives the shredded material and moves it toward a first end of the auger. The first end of the auger is surrounded by a chamber that has a first opening in an axial direction of the auger that opens into a fan or blower so that material going through the first opening is blown out of a discharge chute. An endless conveyor is mounted adjacent a second opening of the chamber, laterally of the auger, and is positioned to receive material from the second opening. Panels are provided for selectively blocking the first opening when the endless conveyor is to be moving material from the chamber, and for blocking the second opening when the fan is to be used for discharging material. The two different conveyors are selectively used for delivery of shredded material from the bale shredder.

Abstract: A horizontal shaft impact crusher includes a housing, an impeller, and a first and a second curtain against which material accelerated by the impeller may be crushed, the second curtain being located downstream of the first curtain. The housing is provided with a first and a second pivot point for mounting a first end of the first curtain in two different positions relative to the impeller, a first adjustment device for mounting a second end of the first curtain, a third and a fourth pivot point for mounting a first end of the second curtain in two different positions relative to the impeller, and a second adjustment device for mounting a second end of the second curtain.

Abstract: A machine for grinding forage material includes a support frame that supports an enclosure for retaining a bale of forage material. A rotary shredder is positioned within the enclosure where the rotary shredder grinds the bale of forage material and discharges a forage material from the enclosure. The machine includes at least two deflectors attached to the enclosure that deflect the shredded forage material onto a surface where the at least two deflectors are positionable independent from each other.

Abstract: A shredder holds a cutting blade assembly including a motor and a gear box inside its case and has a trash bin for collecting paper chips underneath the cutting blade assembly. A swinging board is provided in the vicinity of the paper outlet of the case. The swinging board is connected to a transmission axis via a shaft. One end of the transmission axis has a passive gear for receiving the rotating power from the cutting blade assembly via gears. As the transmission axis turns, the swinging board is driven by the shaft to perform a reciprocal motion so that the paper chips falling from the blades are evenly distributed over the trash bin. Paper chips accumulate in an even way to maximize the space in the trash bin. This prevents the formation of chip mountain and thus the problem of paper jams.

Abstract: An auxiliary powerfeed is disclosed, which is designed to work in conjunction with other feeding devices found on a horizontal grinder, which typically include a horizontal feed conveyor and a powerfeed drum. The auxiliary powerfeed features a rotating drum on which are mounted rigid tines (or teeth) arranged in a staggered pattern. The drum is rotationally mounted within a pivotally mounted lift arm. The lift arm holds the axial shaft of the drum at each end. A set of hydraulic cylinders is mounted to the lift arm, one on each end of the drum. During operation, as a bale or other object comes into contact with the auxiliary powerfeed, the drum automatically lifts until it reaches the top of the object, the limit of its lift path, or a predetermined height that optimizes efficacy for a particular application. In some cases, the auxiliary powerfeed automatically operates differently with different feedstock consistencies.

Abstract: A horizontal shaft impact crusher includes a housing, an impeller, and a first and a second curtain against which material accelerated by the impeller may be crushed, the second curtain being located downstream of the first curtain. The housing is provided with a first and a second pivot point for mounting a first end of the first curtain in two different positions relative to the impeller, a first adjustment device for mounting a second end of the first curtain, a third and a fourth pivot point for mounting a first end of the second curtain in two different positions relative to the impeller, and a second adjustment device for mounting a second end of the second curtain.

Abstract: In a device for adjusting the crop material passage at the post-accelerator in an agricultural harvesting machine, in particular in a self-propelled forage harvester that includes at least one front attachment for picking up the crop material, and that is assigned to at least one processing device, the crop material handed off by the processing device passes through at least one post-accelerator, which is at least partially enclosed by a machine housing and is movable relative to the machine housing via a displacing mechanism, while the post-accelerator is fixed on the machine housing is position such that it is decoupled from the displacing mechanism.

Abstract: A material reducing apparatus comprising a feed conveyor, for conveying material to be reduced, and a feed roller cooperating with the feed conveyor. An upwardly rotatable rotor carrying a plurality of strikers which facilitate reduction of the material to be reduced and an anvil cooperating with the plurality of strikers to facilitate further reduction of the material to be reduced. A grate assembly, located adjacent an arcuate path of the rotor, which permits sufficiently reduced material to pass therethrough. The material reducing apparatus further includes a failsafe system which comprising an accelerometer supported by the rotor and coupled to a control system such that the accelerometer, upon detection of the rotor contacting a hard material, sends a signal to the control system. If the signal indicates a sufficiently large material, the control system reverses a rotational direction of the feed roller so that the feed roll rotates to withdraw the hard material from contact with the rotor.

Abstract: A coffee maker includes a valve mechanism having a micro switch, an electromagnetic valve, a magnetic covering board activated by the electromagnetic valve for opening or closing a powder path, and a spring interconnecting the covering board and the electromagnetic valve. A motor-driven grinding mechanism includes two ring-shaped outer grinding members having teeth facing each other, and a spring biased inner grinding member including a hollow feed rod with a lead screw formed thereon. A powder fineness adjusting mechanism includes an adjustment lever. In a powder fineness adjustment for producing coarse coffee powder, pivoting the lever toward one direction will pivot an abutment member and move the same outward to push one grinding member for increasing a space between the grinding members filled with coffee beans to be ground. Pivoting the lever toward the other direction will produce fine coffee powder.

Abstract: A transport locking arrangement is disclosed for a vibrating feeder of a mobile crushing unit, the transport locking arrangement utilizing the downward rotatable sidewalls of the feeder hopper of the vibrating feeder that are hingedly mounted on the framework of said crushing unit, whereby the sidewalls in their lower position are adapted to lock the vibrating feeder substantially rigidly to the framework of the crushing unit. The invention offers a rapid and easy technique of transport locking for a vibrating feeder.

Abstract: A tree cutting attachment for a skid loader or other types of self-propelled work vehicles to be used at construction and landscaping sites. The device is used to cut down brush and trees of up to 8-10 inches in diameter. The tree cutting attachment is made up of a motor driven rotor assembly which is journaled within the frame of the attachment. The rotor assembly comprises a cage-like mounting system having pockets in which tempered steel blades, approximately 6 inches in width are bolted in a side-by-side relation. Two rows of blades are mounted 180 degrees apart proximate the periphery of a rotor comprised of a series of parallel, generally circular plates that are welded to longitudinally extending rods. The knife blade elements are bolted to the blade holders with the non-sharpened end of the blade elements abutting a flat steel bar that forms part of the cage.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting particles composed of a mixture of particles with differing physical and chemical characteristics. The apparatus includes a comminutor or a pulverizer for reducing the size of the particles. The apparatus includes a mechanism for separating undesired material from desired material.

Abstract: A security paper shredder where the residue of individual shredded document pages are collected in multiple collection bins for disposal, ensuring that no single collection bin contains the residue of any entire page. To further ensure that no adversary could obtain the contents of all the multiple collection bins and reassemble the document, the contents of the collection bins are disposed of at differing times and in geographically dispersed locations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an adjustable feeding and striking ramp which permits for adjusting an angular disposition of feed material fed to an impacting radial pathway of shearing teeth carried by a rotor. By adjusting the feeding and striking ramp to a predetermined striking position, fragmenting efficacy may be significantly enhanced while also substantially reducing fouling.

Abstract: A combine harvester having a blower for spreading the discharge mixture of chopped straw, chaff and like materials over a wide area utilizing the kinetic energy obtained through the medium of a chopper or feed device located prior to the blowers to save on drive power. Specifically, the material outlet opening of the chopper or the feed device is positioned in the same plane as the inlet opening of the blower.

Abstract: A horizontal shaft impact rock crusher having breaker plates which are adjustable by hand, using a novel tension rod adjustment nut locking device which employs several loose-fitting retaining devices which, in combination with a bridge to a frame member or another tension rod, hold the tension rod adjustment nut in place.

Abstract: A coffee grinder assembly with a housing containing a pair of hoppers for containing coffee beans with a pair of hopper outlet chutes, or grinding chamber inlet chutes for feeding beans into a grinding chamber where the beans are ground by powered grinding discs or blades and then passed to a removable brew basket via an outlet chute with an outlet end that is in communication with a negative ion generator that ionizes the air in the outlet chute through which the ground coffee and chaff pass on their way to the brew basket to electrically neutralize the chaff to reduce chaff dispersion due to electrostatic repulsion of positively charged chaff.

Abstract: A mobile variable mulch handling and dispersing apparatus comprises an input section, a beater section, and a blower section. The input section preferably comprises a primary conveyor further comprising a drag chain conveyor assembly. The input section further comprises a twine removal device that removes twine from bales as they are handled by the apparatus. The beater section preferably comprises at least two counter-rotating shafts disposed substantially horizontally. The first shaft is preferably disposed slightly forwardly of the second shaft. Preferably a third, smaller shaft is disposed forward of both first and second shafts, and rotates in same direction as second shaft. The beater section further comprises funneling surfaces that serve to direct the material into the blower section. The blower section comprises a blower fan assembly that conveys a mixture of air and straw through an exit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for disintegrating bales of agricultural material such as hay. The apparatus has a chassis with a bale receptacle mounted thereon. A disintegrator is mounted in the bale receptacle and is adapted to disintegrate baled crop material in the bale receptacle and discharge the processed baled material out of the bale receptacle. A manipulator is mounted in the processing tub above the disintegrator adapted to manipulate the baled crop material in the bale receptacle to expose different parts thereof to the disintegrator and a passive support means is provided in the bale receptacle above the disintegrator. The manipulator and passive support means are positioned on opposing sides of the disintegrator to facilitate maintenance of the baled crop material above the disintegrator such that the disintegrator engages the baled crop material between the manipulator and the passive support means.

Abstract: A gas-flow type chipping machine with a rotating beater-wheel system. In order to chip the feed material, this material is delivered axially into the central area of the beater wheel, where it is deflected and moved in a radial direction to the chipper tools that are arranged in a circle around the beater wheel. In order to ensure that the wear is even along the length of the chipper tools, at least two impact surfaces are arranged so as to be axially staggered to the depth of the chipping space, the impact surface that follows in the axial direction of delivery projecting beyond the axial projection of the preceding impact surface. In addition to the foregoing, the present invention discloses a method for optimizing the size and position of the impact surfaces of a chipping machine according to the present invention.

Abstract: In a combine incorporating blowers (9) for spreading the discharge mixture of chopped straw and chaff over a wide area, the kinetic energy obtained through the medium of a chopper or feed device located prior to the blowers is retained so as to save on drive power by making the material outlet opening (4′) of the chopper (4) or the feed device lie in the same plane as the inlet opening (9′) of the blower (9).

Abstract: A tub grinder includes a tub mounted for rotation about a vertical axis. A grinding member is positioned within a floor of the tub grinder. A deflection plate partially covers the floor to define a narrow trajectory area for debris being ejected from the tub. A deflection cover is secured to the frame covering the tub opening only over the deflection area.

Abstract: An apparatus for attachment to a rear end of a combine for spreading straw and chaff comprises a pair of side-by-side rotating pans with attached blades for spreading chaff, with a straw spreader attached to and above each pan to spread straw before same falls onto the pans. Each pan is enclosed at the front by a vertical wall with an opening to allow chaff to exit to the rear and side. A lip extends from the top of the wall toward the center of the pan to enhance the air blast and increase the distance chaff is blown. Rear deflectors allow the amount of chaff directed to the rear to be varied.

Abstract: A hammermill grinder that eliminates the frequent jamming caused when cutting heads catch on material that enters the lower segment of the rotary cutting arc and then feeds at a rapid rate equal to the rotation of the the hammermill into and under the hammermill, without first being reduced. The hammermill possesses two levels of cutting heads, preferably spinning on a horizontal axis of rotation, and employs shredder feet to limit the depth of cut, both preventing wide items from being drawn into compression between the backing grate and the hammermill, and influencing material more efficiently into the cutting area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adapting a horizontal shaft impact crusher for efficient crushing of different types of material are provided. At least two feed plates are provided. The feed plates each have a different feed angle adapted for use with a predetermined type or types of aggregate material. The feed plates can be interchangeably mounted on the crusher to adapt the crusher for enhanced crushing efficiency with respect to the type of material to be crushed.