Abstract: A grinder includes a body having a first end, a second end defining an opening, and an interior surface defining an inner chamber extending from the opening at least partially towards the first end. The grinder also includes a chain positioned within the inner chamber. The chain includes a plurality of balls. The grinder further includes a motor coupled to the chain. The motor is configured to cause rotational or reciprocal motion of the chain within the inner chamber.

Abstract: A shredding rotor rotatably coupled to a support frame is configured to remove plant leaves from plant stems fed into an aperture in the support frame. The shredding rotor includes many flexible shredding strands attached to a rotor axle. The shredding strands are sufficiently flexible to strip leaves from all sides of the stems without breaking the stems into pieces. Shredding strands are spaced far enough apart from one another to prevent plant material from becoming lodged between the strands. A destemming and shredding apparatus including two shredding rotors separates an incoming stream of plant materials into an output stream of shredded leaves and another output stream of essentially intact stems. A shredding apparatus having no more than one shredding rotor receives destemmed leaves at an inlet aperture and outputs shredded leaf fragments.

Abstract: A mill for grinding rubbish. The mill comprises at least one grinding chamber defined by a side wall and a floor. The mill also comprises at least two rotors and rotatable about respective substantially vertical axes and. Each of the rotors comprises a hub and a plurality of chains connected to the hub and designed to sweep over part of the grinding chamber during rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: A litter management device, such as a device configured to disintegrate and/or de-cake caked litter from poultry is described. In some embodiments, the litter management device includes a litter de-caking mechanism contained within a housing, which is supported by a movable frame. The litter de-caking mechanism includes one or more hammers flexibly attached, such as via chains, to a rotation bar, enabling the hammers to rotate in a circular motion around the rotation bar and within the housing. The rotation of the hammers causes the hammers to strike, often at high speeds, caked litter within a target area, which disintegrates the caked litter, allowing for the removal of the caked litter from an area generally used by poultry, among other benefits.

Abstract: A bushing and spacer system for use with hammer mills is configured to be mounted on a hammer mill rod to receive and support a plurality of hammers such that the surface of the rod is shielded from contact with the hammers, and such that the hammers are positioned in spaced relationship one with another. The bushing and spacer system includes at least a first bushing and a second bushing mounted on the hammer rod. The second bushing includes a spacer portion and a neck portion, the spacer portion presenting a larger cross section than the neck portion. The second bushing is mounted on the rod such that the neck portion of the second bushing is adjacent the first bushing. A hammer is rotatably mounted on the neck portion of the second bushing.

Abstract: A bushing and spacer system for use with hammer mills is configured to be mounted on a hammer mill rod to receive and support a plurality of hammers such that the surface of the rod is shielded from contact with the hammers, and such that the hammers are positioned in spaced relationship one with another. The bushing and spacer system includes at least a first bushing and a second bushing mounted on the hammer rod. The second bushing includes a spacer portion and a neck portion, the spacer portion presenting a larger cross section than the neck portion. The second bushing is mounted on the rod such that the neck portion of the second bushing is adjacent the first bushing. A hammer is rotatably mounted on the neck portion of the second bushing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for dressing marginal areas of externally viewable surfaces of a building block. The apparatus includes at least one chipper having rotational axis and a plurality of outwardly extending teeth randomly disposed thereabout. The chipper is positioned and oriented so that its teeth may effectively work a predetermined marginal area of interest. As the predetermined marginal area of interest and the teeth of the chipper are brought into contact with each other, portions of the marginal area are randomly impacted and fractured to form an erose or jagged surface that resembles hand dressing. The apparatus may also include additional chippers, each having a rotational axis and a plurality of teeth randomly disposed thereabout.

Abstract: Device for comminuting a heap of particulate material, comprising a framework-supported housing with a vertical axis which is provided at its upper end with at least one inlet opening for the heap and at its lower end with an outlet; a drive shaft which is arranged vertically and centrally in the housing and is driven by a drive motor; and a rotor which is mounted on the drive shaft and has a plurality of rotor elements which are offset in the circumferential direction and/or with an axial spacing and which extend, at least while the rotor is rotating, close to the actual housing wall in order to process the downwardly falling heap, wherein the housing has at least two housing sections arranged vertically above one another, of which the lower section, at least in the upper region adjoining the section above it, has a larger diameter than the adjoining region of the upper housing section, and the radial extent of the rotor elements in the upper region of the lower housing section is larger than the diameter of

Abstract: A hammer assembly (51) for a glass bottle breaking apparatus comprises a shaft (52), a series of collars (53) secured on the shaft (52) and spaced one from another longitudinally of the shaft (52), a series of links (58) each being pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the collars (53) and a series of hammers (55) each being connected for pivotal movement relative to a corresponding one of the links (58), the arrangement being such that the links (58) are each provided with a curved profile (65) for locating an adjacent portion of the shaft (52) so that if, in operation, one of the hammers (55) should strike a glass fragment obstruction without dislodging it immediately, the link (58) associated with the hammer (55) will wind up on the shaft (52) thus reducing a radial displacement between the link (58) and the shaft (52) and drawing the hammer (55) under the obstruction without causing jamming of the apparatus.

Abstract: A hammer assembly (51) for a glass bottle breaking apparatus comprises a shaft (52), a series of collars (53) secured on the shaft (52) and spaced one from another longitudinally of the shaft (52), a series of links (58) each being pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the collars (53) and a series of hammers (55) each being connected for pivotal movement relative to a corresponding one of the links (58), the arrangement being such that the links (58) are each provided with a curved profile (65) for locating an adjacent portion of the shaft (52) so that if, in operation, one of the hammers (55) should strike a glass fragment obstruction without dislodging it immediately, the link (58) associated with the hammer (55) will wind up on the shaft (52) thus reducing a radial displacement between the link (58) and the shaft (52) and drawing the hammer (55) under the obstruction without causing jamming of the apparatus.

Abstract: A flail pan for use with a delimbing and debarking apparatus. The flail pan has a first section which extends from the first side opening of the apparatus beneath the first flail and a center section which is spaced vertically and horizontally between the first and second flails. A second section of the flail pan slopes away from the center section downward toward the second side opening of the apparatus.

Abstract: An impacting body is mounted rotatably to a spindle provided on a principal plane of a rotor. The impacting body is mounted so that a predetermined fitting gap is provided between the impacting body and the spindle and a part of periphery of the impacting body can be positioned beyond a periphery of the rotor. The rotor is rotated at a high speed to allow the impacting body to impact on an object to be processed at least at its critical impact velocity. This enables only the top layer of the object to be processed at the part on which the impacting body has impacted to be broken instantaneously. When the rotor is moved while being rotated, the object to be processed can be cut. According to this cutting device, an object formed of a single member such as glass, ceramics, resin, metal, or the like, or a composite member thereof can be cut continuously with one kind of cutting tool.

Abstract: A pulverizer which reduces solid materials having moisture content to a powder-like material in a single pass through the pulverizer. The pulverizer of this invention utilizes a plurality of radially extending flexible chains associated with anvils oriented outwardly and above the ends of the chains for disintegrating solid materials into fine aggregate material similar to dust or powder. The chains and anvils produce a kinetic energy and standing sound waves to fracture materials and vaporize moisture in the materials with the characteristics of the kinetic energy and standing sound waves being varied depending upon the structural characteristics of the rotatable chains and anvils, the spatial relationship between the chains and anvils, the angular position of the anvils and the rotational speed of the chains.

Abstract: An apparatus for comminuting glass fibers is disclosed. Within a housing are a plurality of weighted members or hammers, flexibly connected to and spaced about a rotatable shaft. A drive member rotates the hammers about the shaft to define a rotation circumference. A glass intake opening located at the top portion of the housing is provided to introduce glass fibers and carrier material into the apparatus. A first adjustable plate is located adjacent the glass intake opening and positioned to provide a space between the first adjustable plate and the hammers' rotation circumference. A first glass suspension chamber is defined by the glass intake opening, the first adjustable plate, and the rotation circumference of the hammers. In operation, a quantity of glass fibers and carrier material is introduced into the apparatus, and spinning weighted members contact the glass, causing the glass to strike the first adjustable plate and other glass particles.

Abstract: The invention relates to a glass pulverizer 6 in which two rotatable flail assemblies 39 and 46 are housed within two contiguous drum-like housings 8 and 16 respectively. One housing 8 has an inlet 10 on one end and the other housing 16 has an outlet 20 located on an end furthest from the end adjacent the inlet. The housing 8 having an outlet 20 is longer than the other housing 16 thereby allowing the pulverized glass to exit the device in a relatively low speed and controlled manner. The flails may be of chain or single-link type, and are designed for ready replacement in the event of wear or damage. Replaceable liners are provided within the cylindrical housings.

Abstract: An apparatus for comminuting glass is disclosed having a housing. Within the housing are a plurality of weighted members or hammers, flexibly connected to and spaced about a rotatable shaft. A drive member rotates the shaft, causing the hammers to rotate about the shaft and define a rotation circumference. A glass intake opening located at the top portion of the housing is provided to introduce glass into the apparatus. A first adjustable plate is located adjacent the glass intake opening and positioned to provide a space between the first adjustable plate and the hammers' rotation circumference. A first glass suspension chamber is defined by the glass intake opening, the first adjustable plate, and the rotation circumference of the hammers. In operation, the shaft is rotated, causing the weighted members to spin about the shaft. A quantity of glass is introduced into the apparatus, and the weighted members contact the glass, causing the glass to strike the first adjustable plate.

Abstract: A chain beating type crusher includes a crusher vessel (3), a shaft (7) provided centrally thereof and capable of being rotated at a high speed, and a plurality of beating chains (11) provided in a plurality of axially spaced-apart stages in each of which a plurality of radially spaced-apart chains are formed on the shaft. With high speed rotation of the shaft the beating chains in the individual stages are caused to undergo high speed revolution to form respective bearing zones. In order to return an object scattered toward the inner surface of a peripheral wall (4) of the crusher vessel back to the beating sone, a plurality of guide members (15) are mounted on the inner surface and each have a surface inclined toward the beating zones in the direction of revolution of the beating chains. The beating chains are mounted on the shaft such that they are each positioned in correspondece to the mid position between adjacent ones of them in the next stage.

Abstract: To provide a high-efficient apparatus for minimizing the volume of dust to be buried in the ground or processed in incineration process by crushing a waste article such as wasted electric appliances, separating an individual material component, and discriminating and extracting valuable resources. Motor and other waste articles separated at a metallic lump separation station are cooled down by a cooling apparatus, and put into a soft crushing apparatus where articles are crushed at low temperature. After the residual articles, including housing and so on are crushed primarily by the coarse crushing apparatus, they are forwarded to the soft crushing apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided herein for disposing of light bulbs, e.g., fluorescent bulbs. The apparatus includes an open-topped cylindrical container covered by a removable lid. A hollow cylindrical light bulb feed chute is perpendicularly attached to, and extends through the lid along the central longitudinal axis of the lid and has an inlet opening which is and an outlet opening disposed below the lower surface of the lid. An electric motor is mounted upon the upper surface of the lid and has a downwardly-extending rotatable shaft, projecting through the lid and terminating below the lower surface of the lid. An "on-off" electrical switch operates the electric motor. Inventive structure is provided for pulverizing a light bulb, e.g., a fluorescent tube, as it emerges from the outlet opening of the feed chute. That structure comprises a hub at the terminal end of the shaft. At least two equiangularly-disposed, multi-stranded, braided, wire cables are secured to the clamp.

Abstract: Portable apparatus for comminuting gypsum wallboard includes a rigid truck trailer platform having two hoppers mounted thereon. Rotary milling units are in one hopper and a chain mill in the other hopper. Wallboard is sequentially passed through the hoppers and a conveyor transports wallboard between the hoppers.

Abstract: An opening device for opening bagged refuse to liberate the contents of the bag, in which garbage bags are transported along a conveyor, and a plurality of endless chains having tines attached thereto are operated above the conveyor. As bags pass under the endless chains, tines extending downwardly from the chains pierce the garbage bags. Adjacent chains are operated at different speeds, and the tines move at different speeds relative to the conveyor, tearing the bags, liberating the refuse.

Abstract: A flail drum system has an upper rotary chain flail drum and a lower rotary chain flail drum longitudinally downstream from the upper drum. Wood product advancing mechanism on the machine frame moves the logs forwardly while spreading them and creates a downward pressure on the products at a first pinch point. The upper and lower flail drums are each driven in rotation about a generally horizontal axis transverse to the path of the log. There is a vertically fixed log support member longitudinally between the upper and lower flail drums and driven means for engaging and advancing the logs is provided on a vertically movable subframe which mounts the upper flail drum, longitudinally between the flail drums, for creating a downward pressure on the logs passing between the upper and lower flail drums and preventing raising and diving movement of the logs passing between the drums.

Abstract: A device (10) for continuously tearing bags containing material such as refuse is disclosed including elongated, flexible flails (14) secured to a rotatable rotor (12). The flails (14) are formed in the preferred form from steel wire rope cables (28) having their free ends captured within thick wall tubing (34) swedged thereon. In addition to keeping the ends from fraying, the tubing (34) acts as a centrifugal weight and hammer for the cable (28). The rotor (12) is formed of L-shaped plates (16) attached together to extend quadrantly from and form a square tubular beam surrounding the axis of rotor (12). The flails (14) extend through apertures (36) formed in the leg portions of the plates (16) defining the square tubular beam and are secured to the leg (18) of the plates (16) spaced from the square tubular beam by cable clamps (38) having U-shaped bolts (40) extending through apertures (50) formed in the legs (18).

Abstract: The invention is a glass pulverizer in which two rotatable chain-type flail assemblies are housed within two contiguous, internally joined drum-like housings. One housing has an inlet on one end and the other housing has an outlet located on an end furthest from the end adjacent the inlet. The housing having an outlet is longer than the other housing thereby allowing the pulverized glass to exit the device in a relatively low speed and controlled manner. A flail mounting method is also taught in which at least one chain flail assembly is comprised of a plurality of individual chains that are mounted to a connecting chain that is spirally wrapped about the assembly's central shaft and is designed to be easily removable from the shaft.

Abstract: A flail drum system for delimbing and/or debarking small trees and logs has an upper rotary chain flail drum disposed above the path of travel of the wood product and a lower rotary chain flail drum disposed below the path of the product adjacent to the upper drum. Both drums rotate about a generally horizontal axis transverse to the path of travel of the tree or log. Each flail drum assembly includes a central drive shaft and axially spaced apart end rod support members releasably fixed to the shaft. A series of rod support rings have circumferentially spaced openings through which the rods releasably extend to be also releasably received by the end support members. Circumferentially scalloped spacers between the rings, and between the endmost rings and end members, provide radially inwardly extending openings through which the rods pass.

Abstract: The litter disintegrating machine is tractor drawn over a poultry raising area. Ripper teeth extended forwardly of and mounted on the side walls of the machine act with the forward edges of the side walls to provide a section of litter for travel between the side walls. On advance of the machine, the section of litter between the side walls is acted upon by a rotary flail unit extended between and mounted on the side walls rearwardly of the ripper teeth for disintegration and discharge back to the ground floor for reuse. The density of the discharged litter material may be varied by varying its rate of discharge from the machine.

Abstract: A mixing machine operable to receive quantities of waste material and an inert material in separate hoppers for conveyance to a mixing chamber for uniform mixing thereof in prescribed ratios is disclosed wherein each hopper is provided with rearwardly directed augers to pull material away from the opening from the hopper to the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber includes a rotatable flail rotor operable to engage the supplies of materials being fed thereto and effect a mixing thereof prior to being discharged to a mixing auger for final mixing of the two materials before discharge from the machine. Each component of the machine is hydraulically driven to provide independent operation thereof relative to any other component of the machine. An additive hopper is also provided to discharge a selected amount of an additive into the mixing chamber for selective neutralization of the waste material.

Abstract: A shredder specifically adapted for use in shredding compost, trash and similar material and includes a generally cylindrical shredding cylinder receiving compost adjacent one end thereof and discharging shredded compost adjacent the opposite end with the cylinder including a plurality of grate bars mounted on the inner surface thereof which coact with a high speed rotary drum or shaft having a plurality of hammers pivotally mounted thereon. Each of the hammers includes a straight shank and twisted end portion which effectively shreds compost due to the close relationship between the ends of the hammers and the grate bars during rotation of the drum or shaft with the twist on the ends of the hammers causing spiral and longitudinal movement of the compost material through the shredder.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for delimbing and debarking tree trunks and branches. The apparatus includes two elongated rotors which are parallel to, spaced from each other and mounted for rotation in the housing, flexible flail elements on the rotors, means for driving the rotors in contra rotation and a roller guide arrangement on the housing for guiding elongated tree trunks and branches between the rotors to be delimbed and debarked by the flail elements on the rotors.

Abstract: A comminuting apparatus uses a vacuum hose to draw fibrous vegetable matter, such as leaves, twigs or the like, into a shredder for disintegration. A flexible hose leads to a shredding chamber surrounding a rotating shaft to which whips are loosely attached. The whips are preferably made of stiff metal wire, but chains, knives or rods could be substituted therefor. The shaft is journalled within a bearing supported by radial struts attached to the inner wall of the cylindrical shredding chamber housing. A single fixed whip may be attached to the shaft outward from the struts for clearing leaves from the struts. The remainder of the whips are on the portion of the shaft inward of the bearing and struts.

Abstract: A portable material pulverizer using chain links as flails to break up rock samples contained within the housing of the pulverizer is adapted to be fitted onto the frame and motor apparatus of a conventional chain saw or other hand carried drive structure, that drives the flails to crush and pulverize the materials placed in the housing.

Abstract: Refuse scrap from incinerated refuse or nonincinerated refuse is dried and precleaned to a metal content in excess of 70% and is then comminuted and abraded in a hammer shredder with the comminuted material being subjected to air separation and magnetic separation to yield a metal product containing at least 70% metal and with a density of at least 1 ton per m.sup.3 for direct use as any other iron scrap in a steel-making plant.

Abstract: Descaler head assembly having peripherally successive and longitudinally successive series of descaler elements (11, 12). The assembly is made up of a central support shaft (15) which is securely threaded through a series of mutually separate, rigid holding elements (10) for connecting elements (13, 14) of the descaler elements (11, 12) for rotation therewith, the connecting elements being fastened in pairs or groups to the holding elements (10). The connecting elements are each in the form of a relatively short piece of chain, piece of wire or similar flexible means and are connected to the holding elements at a considerable distance from the axis of rotation of the shaft. The position of the connecting elements relative to each other is determined by the angularly set positions of the holding elements and axially set positions on the support shaft (15).

Abstract: A flail device for use in conjunction with debarking or delimbing apparatus is disclosed. The device comprises a rotatable drum having a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart rows of longitudinally spaced-apart openings, a plurality of rods extending longitudinally within the drum, each of the rods positioned radially inward of the openings, and a plurality of guide plates rigidly attached to the drum for rotation therewith. The guide plates have slots sized to removably receive and support the rods. A plurality of chain flails are attached to each of the rods, attachment being by extension of the rod through an interior aperture of an attaching link of the flail. The rods have a size in the radial direction to substantially fill the aperture of the attaching link to minimize the radial movement of the attaching link relative to the rod during usage.

Abstract: This invention relates to pulverizers of the kind comprising a barrel having an inlet for material to be pulverized, an outlet, an upright rotor rotatable within the barrel and a plurality of hammers mounted on the rotor. Apparatus according to the invention is provided with a double shell barrel having an inner shell spaced radially from the outer shell by tubular braces which also serve to mount striker blades. Preferably the striker blades are longitudinally adjustable and preferably the hammers are swing mounted.

Abstract: A rotor is mounted rotatably in a housing. A plurality of hammer cylinders are rotatably mounted on the rotor and are radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the rotor as well as being equidistantly circumferentially spaced from each other. Hammer cylinders crush concrete to be recycled against a plurality of breaker cylinders which are yieldably mounted for protection against ingestion of uncrushables. The rotatable mounting of the various cylinders insures that a fresh surface will continuously be presented in order to spread the wear due to impact over the entire surface of the cylinder.

Abstract: The flail device comprises a rotatable drum, a series of circumferentially spaced channels extending lengthwise of the drum, support means in each channels, a rod received in each support means, and flexible flails attached to each support means at longitudinally spaced intervals thereon; each flail consists of a length of chain links and the rod in each support means passes through the end link of the flails which are extendible under centrifugal force when the drum is rotating.