Cooperating Non-smooth Surface Characteristics Patents (Class 241/242)
  • Patent number: 7607598
    Abstract: Self-healing of a mechanical part in a mechanical system is provided, such as a self-healing part in a cutting apparatus. Differential hardness of respective parts in contact with each other is used. Undesirable damage from a foreign object in a mechanical system is managed by directing damage away from a part that is not wanted to be damaged and towards a part that may receive damage and be replaced. True zero-clearance cutting on a commercial scale is provided via a cutting area including a sacrifice material that is relatively softer than the cutter. One example is a cutting system which is capable of cutting a material such as, for example, tape or paper, into a fiber or powder. Destruction of the material is further enhanced by advantageous strategic patterning of cutting edges on a rotary cutter, and further by secondary shredding features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Inventor: Charles A. Castronovo
  • Patent number: 7600708
    Abstract: A granulator mill includes a mill housing with one fixed part, one openable part connected to the fixed part by a first pivot device with a first pivot axis substantially vertical in the normal position of the granulator mill, one rotor including a number of blades cooperating with at least one fixed blade in the mill housing, one discharge section separated from the mill housing by a grid, an infeed hopper on top of the mill housing and co-operating locking means on the openable part and on the infeed hopper locking the infeed hopper in a closed operational position when the openable part is closed and allowing the infeed hopper to pivot to an open position only when the openable part is in open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Rapid Granulator AB
    Inventors: Henrik Karlsson, Kurt Sjöberg, Magnus Blom
  • Patent number: 7600704
    Abstract: An absorbent product manufacturing apparatus including a pulp feed mechanism (2) for feeding a pulp sheet along a lower surface of a pulp guide part (2411) and a pulp crushing mechanism (3) for crushing the pulp sheet from the pulp feed mechanism (2). The pulp crushing mechanism (3) crushes the pulp sheet with a first crushing cylinder (312) and a second crushing cylinder (322). The crushing cylinders are disposed so as to be inclined with respect to a direction of feeding the pulp sheet. This reduces the force necessary to draw the pulp sheet in the feeding direction and suppresses an increase in the movement speed of the pulp sheet in crushing a rear end portion of the pulp sheet. As a result, it is possible to increase the amount of crushed pulp to be generated in a unit time and to maintain uniformity in the quality thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Livedo Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuya Maruhata
  • Publication number: 20090235734
    Abstract: There is provided a fibrous particle generating apparatus and a test system. The fibrous particle generating apparatus includes a base material containing a fibrous material; a holding unit holding the base material; a fibrous particle generator generating fibrous particles by chafing the base material; and a movement unit moving the holding unit such that the base material held by holding unit is chafed against the fibrous particle generator. With this configuration, fibrous particles can be stably generated, and an evaluation of the object apparatus can be carried out on the basis of the generated fibrous particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi MUTO, Shouji Hattori, Shinichirou Kouno
  • Patent number: 7588613
    Abstract: A movable filter system is provided for moving one or more filters of a filter assembly between an operative position and a maintenance position. In one embodiment, a filter assembly is secured to a telescoping rod assembly so that it may be moved between operative and maintenance positions. Positioning the rod assembly vertically allows gravity to move the rod assembly to an extended position, and a winch and cable may be used to move the rod assembly to a retracted position. Keyways and channels may be used within the rods of the telescoping rod assembly so as to maintain rotational positioning of the filter assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Deseret Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Gubler, Daniel Esplin
  • Patent number: 7578463
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a single shaft rotary grinder having a modular and/or split apart configuration. The modular configuration has assembly units and/or component parts that are interchangeable providing ease of construction of a rotary grinder having desired functionality for a specific application and/or providing ease of maintenance with the ability to replace worn or broken assembly units or component parts. The split apart configuration provides for the separation of a rear power head assembly and a front feeder assembly allowing easy access to the rotor and rear inner portion of the feed assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Inventor: George R. Sotsky
  • Patent number: 7575186
    Abstract: A comminution machine for waste includes a rotor that carries blade elements and cooperates with counter-blades, which are fixed to the housing. The rotor is driven by a synchronous motor that is excited by a controllable frequency converter. In order to keep the connected power of the comminution machine small and nevertheless be able to apply a large torque to the rotor, the synchronous motor acts upon the rotor via a reduction gearing and a clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Weima Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Roessler
  • Patent number: 7562835
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for obtaining the continuity of the uniformity of the structure and density of a stream of transported loose material, particularly organic plant material, and particularly tobacco material. According to the inventive method, a previously loosened material is compacted during transportation between conveyors, then, the compacted material is comminuted to a form suitable for further processing, and at least one intermediate element, preferably a bracket (5, 6), and thereby also the stream of the compacted material, is vibrated directly before the comminution process. A device according to the invention comprises at least one intermediate vibrating element, preferably this being at least one bracket (5, 6), located transversely to the direction of motion of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: International Tobacco Machinery Poland Ltd.
    Inventors: Wojciech Chojnacki, Arkadiusz Drużdżel
  • Publication number: 20090145989
    Abstract: A refiner plate carrier for use in refining lignocellulosic material including a mounting mechanism for mounting to a refiner plate segment and not a rotor or stator disk. The combined plate carrier and refiner plate segment may be then attached to a refiner disk. The refiner plate carrier need not provide structural support to the segment during lignocellulosic refining.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: ANDRITZ INC.
    Inventors: Luc Gingras, George Reynolds
  • Patent number: 7500625
    Abstract: True zero-clearance cutting on a commercial scale is provided via a cutting area including a sacrifice material that is relatively softer than the cutter. One example is a cutting system which is capable of cutting a material such as, for example, tape or paper, into a fiber or powder. The cutting system includes a cutting blade, typically a rotary cutter, and a sacrificial plate or round bar contacting the cutting blade. The contacting portion has a zero clearance during the cutting operation. A metering mechanism is also provided which is capable of metering the material at a predetermined rate to the cutting blade. A mechanism is also provided for incrementally moving the sacrificial blade towards the cutting blade to ensure that the zero clearance is maintained between the cutting blade and the sacrificial plate, even when the sacrificial plate begins to wear down due to usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Inventor: Charles A. Castronovo
  • Patent number: 7478772
    Abstract: The present application discloses a recirculating crushing and grinding device for crushing and grinding liquid-like materials or materials that contain liquid, said device comprises a motor, a hopper, a crushing and grinding part and a material recirculating part. Said crushing and grinding part includes a coarse-crushing section and a fine-grinding section, said fine grinding section consists of a pair of grinding components, and said material recirculating part consists of a pump and recirculating ducts provided downstream of said crushing-grinding part. The present application also discloses a soybean milk maker employing said recirculating crushing-grinding device, and a method for crushing and grinding a recirculated material and a method for producing soybean milk. The equipment disclosed in the present invention is easy to manufacture, with the advantages of a low noise during operation and low energy consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Inventor: Xuning Wang
  • Patent number: 7469850
    Abstract: A comminuting apparatus having a compact, variable-speed drive unit with a high level of efficiency and high torque levels. The comminuting apparatus comprises a drive device having an electric motor operatively connected by way of a transmission device to a comminuting shaft that has comminuting tools at its periphery. The tools cooperate with a counterpart member to comminute the material to be processed. The electric motor is in the form of a high-pole three-phase synchronous motor that is electrically connected to the output of a frequency converter controlled by a control device, and the transmission device is in the form of an epicyclic transmission device. The motor surrounds the epicyclic transmission device at least in part, and the motor and the transmission device are arranged in a common housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: VECOPLAN Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Lipowski, Thomas Sturm, Jochen Giehl
  • Patent number: 7434756
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a single shaft rotary grinder with an improved cutter and combination “comb” rotor and counter knife configuration for reducing film, fibrous material and other material which has a tendency to wrap around the rotor, rubber, solid plastics and wood. Reducing this type of material, such as plastic film, into small pieces has been problematic. This invention provides one or more comb shaped counter knives and a rotor having a plurality of geometrically shaped cutters mounted in a plurality of partial or full rows longitudinally along the rotor. The comb shaped counter knives and the rows of cutters work in cooperation to reduce film and other material into small pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Republic Machines, Inc.
    Inventor: George R. Sotsky
  • Patent number: 7427040
    Abstract: No-oil high-security shredders, other no-oil shredders, and other no-oil machinery are provided. By using zero-clearance and a sacrificial material, the need to oil shredder machinery has been eliminated. A single no-oil destruction machine advantageously may receive (with minimal operator intervention) a mixed input load, such as a mixture of a combination of paper (including paper that is folded, ripped, stapled, or otherwise irregular), CDs, DVDs, polyester, plastic cards, SMART cards, wood, Verichips, flash drives, biometric chips, and/or other generally-planar materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Inventor: Charles A. Castronovo
  • Patent number: 7357340
    Abstract: True zero-clearance cutting on a commercial scale is provided via a cutting area including a sacrifice material that is relatively softer than the cutter. One example is a cutting system which is capable of cutting a material such as, for example, tape or paper, into a fiber or powder. The cutting system includes a cutting blade, typically a rotary cutter, and a sacrificial plate or round bar contacting the cutting blade. The contacting portion has a zero clearance during the cutting operation. A metering mechanism is also provided which is capable of metering the material at a predetermined rate to the cutting blade. A mechanism is also provided for incrementally moving the sacrificial blade towards the cutting blade to ensure that the zero clearance is maintained between the cutting blade and the sacrificial plate, even when the sacrificial plate begins to wear down due to usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Inventor: Charles A. Castronovo
  • Patent number: 7270285
    Abstract: A cutting system for cutting elongate bands of material is provided. The cutter includes a cutter and a motor connected to the cutter for rotatably driving the cutter. A tube surrounds the cutter at a predetermined spacing from the motor, the tube including an opening having a bladed portion, the bladed portion and tube being of unitary construction. The cutter and bladed portion are immediately adjacent for cutting segments from a band of material disposed between the cutter and bladed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Blue Sheep LLC
    Inventor: Steven L. Roberts
  • Patent number: 7267146
    Abstract: The invention relates to a chipper (1) bed knife (2) attached detachably to the chipper frame (3), the chipper (1) having a chipper disc (5) supported on its shaft (4), which shaft is fitted rotatably to the chipper frame (3), the chipper disc (5) comprising a number of knives (6) arranged to pass the knife edge (7) of the bed knife (2) at a distance corresponding to the required knife clearance (v), when the chipper disc (5) is rotating. The bed knife (2) also has a second knife edge (7?), the said knife edges (7, 7?) being arranged at a distance from each other in the direction of movement (A) of the chipper disc (5) knives (6). A groove (8) is formed in the bed knife (2) between the said knife edges (7, 7?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Andritz Oy
    Inventor: Anders Olofsson
  • Patent number: 7267294
    Abstract: True zero-clearance cutting on a commercial scale is provided via a cutting area including a sacrifice material that is relatively softer than the cutter. One example is a cutting system which is capable of cutting a material such as, for example, tape or paper, into a fiber or powder. The cutting system includes a cutting blade, typically a rotary cutter, and a sacrificial plate or round bar contacting the cutting blade. The contacting portion has a zero clearance during the cutting operation. A metering mechanism is also provided which is capable of metering the material at a predetermined rate to the cutting blade. A mechanism is also provided for incrementally moving the sacrificial blade towards the cutting blade to ensure that the zero clearance is maintained between the cutting blade and the sacrificial plate, even when the sacrificial plate begins to wear down due to usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Inventor: Charles A. Castronovo
  • Publication number: 20070194160
    Abstract: A comminution machine for waste includes a rotor that carries blade elements and cooperates with counter-blades, which are fixed to the housing. The rotor is driven by a synchronous motor that is excited by a controllable frequency converter. In order to keep the connected power of the comminution machine small and nevertheless be able to apply a large torque to the rotor, the synchronous motor acts upon the rotor via a reduction gearing and a clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventor: Peter Roessler
  • Patent number: 7213779
    Abstract: A rotary grinder having a cylindrical drum that includes a cylindrical surface. The cylindrical surface defines two holes. The drum receives opposite ends of a through-member at the two holes such that the opposite ends of the through-member comprise hammers when the cylindrical drum is rotated. A single retaining member is used to secure all of the through-members to the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Keith Roozeboom, Gary Verhoef, Duane R. De Boef
  • Patent number: 7213781
    Abstract: A cutterhead having a drum surface with a series of knife retainers distributed about the surface. The longitudinal extension of the knife retainers defines an angle ? with the axis of rotation of the cutterhead, and a knife is mounted to the knife retainer. The knife is configured such that a cutting edge of the knife extends parallel to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Franz Pakura
  • Patent number: 7198215
    Abstract: A crushing machine comprises a pair of crushing rolls which are designed to be rotatable towards each other and away from each other. A side plate is provided on the outside of each roll. The crushing rolls have teeth which are shorter than conventional crushing teeth. The teeth on each roll are aligned with each other to provide cavities in which the crushing can occur. Rotation of the crushing rolls towards each other provides a centre sizing action to crush material (e.g. coal) into a larger particle size. Rotation of the crushing rolls away from each other provides a side sizing action to crush material between the roll and the side plates to a smaller particle size. Thus, the machine can crush material into two distinctly different particle sizes without any modification being required to the machine, the dual sizing occurring by reversing the rotation of the rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Oldenburg Australasia Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Gary David Everson
  • Patent number: 7175119
    Abstract: A shredder apparatus and method for shredding wet chip materials in which the shredder utilizes a shredder mechanism having a shaft attached to a frame, a bearing assembly disposed on the shaft, and a rotatable rotor disposed on the bearing assembly. First shredder members are attached to and rotatable with the rotor, and cooperate with second shredder members attached to the frame to shred wet chip materials fed into the shredder apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Inter-Source Recovery Systems
    Inventor: William D. Nemedi
  • Patent number: 7175116
    Abstract: True zero-clearance cutting on a commercial scale is provided via a cutting area including a sacrifice material that is relatively softer than the cutter. One example is a cutting system which is capable of cutting a material such as, for example, tape or paper, into a fiber or powder. The cutting system includes a cutting blade, typically a rotary cutter, and a sacrificial plate or round bar contacting the cutting blade. The contacting portion has a zero clearance during the cutting operation. A metering mechanism is also provided which is capable of metering the material at a predetermined rate to the cutting blade. A mechanism is also provided for incrementally moving the sacrificial blade towards the cutting blade to ensure that the zero clearance is maintained between the cutting blade and the sacrificial plate, even when the sacrificial plate begins to wear down due to usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Inventor: Charles A. Castronovo
  • Patent number: 7168639
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing vehicle tires includes a feed mechanism for transferring flattened tire treads into a shearing assembly which includes a rotating shear assembly. The shear assembly is comprised of a rotating arbor supporting a stack of a plurality of cutting plates having cutting inserts extending therefrom in a variable helical pattern. The inserts rotate past an anvil edge, and the sharp edges of the inserts shear the infeeding edge of the tire tread. The inserts are replaceable, and the spacing of the cutting head and anvil edge is variable to optimize the shearing action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Inventor: Thomas H. Craft
  • Patent number: 7124969
    Abstract: A cutting device for reducing waste material comprises at least two groups of knives mounted on a shaft, next to one another, installed rotatably in front of an anvil. The groups of knives, each operating in a restricted zone of the width of supply each comprises several splitting knives to split the waste material mainly according to the sense of supply of the waste material. Each comprises at least one chopping knife intended to cut the waste material mainly across the sense of supply of the waste material to be cut. The chopping knives of the groups of knives situated next to one another are mounted on the shaft, shifted with respect to one another, so that each of them affects the waste material at a different time and place. A calibrating sieve filters the free discharge of the shreds and contributes to a supplementary (secondary and tertiary) cutting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Feltron NV
    Inventor: Frederic Lietaer
  • Patent number: 7100852
    Abstract: True zero-clearance cutting on a commercial scale is provided via a cutting area including a sacrifice material that is relatively softer than the cutter. One example is a cutting system which is capable of cutting a material such as, for example, tape or paper, into a fiber or powder. The cutting system includes a cutting blade, typically a rotary cutter, and a sacrificial plate or round bar contacting the cutting blade. The contacting portion has a zero clearance during the cutting operation. A metering mechanism is also provided which is capable of metering the material at a predetermined rate to the cutting blade. A mechanism is also provided for incrementally moving the sacrificial blade towards the cutting blade to ensure that the zero clearance is maintained between the cutting blade and the sacrificial plate, even when the sacrificial plate begins to wear down due to usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Inventor: Charles A. Castronovo
  • Patent number: 7070132
    Abstract: A yard waste chipper-shredder machine includes a reversible electric motor to drive a roller at low speed and high torque. The waste material is fed into an inlet chute and is crushed and ground into mulch between the roller and the chute for discharge through an outlet chute. The chute is spring biased to reduce jams. The machine operates quietly. Jams are quickly and easily removed by reversing the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Max P. Gassman
  • Patent number: 7028935
    Abstract: A shredder apparatus and method for shredding wet chip materials in which the shredder utilizes a shredder mechanism having a shaft attached to a frame, a bearing assembly disposed on the shaft, and a rotatable rotor disposed on the bearing assembly. First shredder members are attached to and rotatable with the rotor, and cooperate with second shredder members attached to the frame to shred wet chip materials fed into the shredder apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Inter-Source Recovery Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: William D. Nemedi
  • Patent number: 7021576
    Abstract: The invention describes a blade mill for grinding plastic material with a rotor which is driven in rotation inside a grinding chamber and has a plurality of radially outwards-pointing cutter blades distributed around its circumference and a plurality of stationary, radially inwards-pointing stator blades projecting into the grinding chamber and forming a blade gap with the cutter blades, wherein cutting spaces widening radially outwards in a crescent shape and located radially outside the turning circle of the rotating cutter blades are located ahead of the stator blades in the direction of rotation of the rotor. To prevent the plastic material which is to be ground from backing up in the cutting spaces and from being crushed against the wall of the screen baskets, the invention provides that the motion path of the rotor blades extend eccentrically with respect to the axis defined by the screen baskets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Nuga AG Kunststoffschneidemühlen
    Inventor: Bruno Poeltinger
  • Patent number: 7004413
    Abstract: A grinder tooth for use with a rotatable breaker ring part of a grinder, the breaker ring has a breaker head protruding radially from the ring outer peripheral surface for carrying the grinder tooth. The grinder tooth includes a blade holder, a shank extending from the blade holder and a blade releasably attached to the blade holder. The blade defines at least two grinding edges. The blade and holder are configured and sized so that the blade and holder peripheral surfaces are substantially in register with each other when the blade is attached to the holder. The blade and the holder are also configured and sized so that either one of the at least two grinding edges may be positioned radially outwardly by rotating the grinder tooth about the shank longitudinal axis allowing either one of the at least two grinding edges to be selectively used for grinding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Inventor: Michel Langlois
  • Patent number: 6983904
    Abstract: The invention discloses an impact shears having a rotor with individual chopping blades disposed on the rotor in a predetermined arrangement and with blade(s) or blade system that is generally stationary vis-à-vis the rotation of the rotor. The blade is held in a blade holder on the stator side of the rotor. The blade holder is movable on the stator about an axis parallel to the rotational axis of the rotor and carries at least two blades, or blade systems, that are expediently disposed at the same angular distance to one another. The blade holder can be rotated about an axis that extends parallel to the rotational axis of the rotor so that every blade of the blade holder can be brought in a cutting position to interact with the chopping blades of the rotor and can be locked in position with respect to the chopping blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Artech Recyclingtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Igor Plahuta, Udo Becker
  • Patent number: 6978956
    Abstract: A granulator has a first coarse cutting stage operating at between 5 and 45 rotations per minute and a second fine cutting stage operating at two to ten times the speed of the first stage. Since granulate exiting the second stage is uniformly divided, the granulator operates independent of a screen. A first cutter stage has cutting segments having blades interspersed with deflector segments about a shaft. Rotation of the shaft urges the blades past a spaced stationary cutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Inventor: Donald E. Maynard
  • Patent number: 6938844
    Abstract: True zero-clearance cutting on a commercial scale is provided via a cutting area including a sacrifice material that is relatively softer than the cutter. One example is a cutting system which is capable of cutting a material such as, for example, tape or paper, into a fiber or powder. The cutting system includes a cutting blade, typically a rotary cutter, and a sacrificial plate or round bar contacting the cutting blade. The contacting portion has a zero clearance during the cutting operation. A metering mechanism is also provided which is capable of metering the material at a predetermined rate to the cutting blade. A mechanism is also provided for incrementally moving the sacrificial blade towards the cutting blade to ensure that the zero clearance is maintained between the cutting blade and the sacrificial plate, even when the sacrificial plate begins to wear down due to usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Inventor: Charles A. Castronovo
  • Patent number: 6880774
    Abstract: A fragmenting rotor assembly for waste wood and other fragmentable material has a drive shaft assembly including mechanism for driving the shaft in a direction of rotation. A series of radially projecting hammers mechanisms are situated along the axis of the shaft and powered by the shaft. Fragmenting knives are removably secured to the leading outer portions of the hammers. The drive shaft has a series of rotors fixed in axially spaced relation thereon. The hammer mechanisms include hammer supports having portions situated axially sidewisely between the rotors on hammer support members spanning the rotors and rotating with the rotor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Morbark, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary M. Bardos, Jeffrey M. Recker
  • Patent number: 6843436
    Abstract: A pump for moving a solid containing fluid. The pump is provided with a plurality of vanes passing by an anvil. The vanes act as blades, chopping the solid waste into smaller portions as the vane passes by the anvil. The pump may be provided with a plurality of anvils or a serrated edge to divide the solid waste as finely as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Thermal Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward L. Simonds
  • Publication number: 20040256507
    Abstract: The invention describes a blade mill for grinding plastic material with a rotor which is driven in rotation inside a grinding chamber and has a plurality of radially outwards-pointing cutter blades distributed around its circumference and a plurality of stationary, radially inwards-pointing stator blades projecting into the grinding chamber and forming a blade gap with the cutter blades, wherein cutting spaces widening radially outwards in a crescent shape and located radially outside the turning circle of the rotating cutter blades are located ahead of the stator blades in the direction of rotation of the rotor. To prevent the plastic material which is to be ground from backing up in the cutting spaces and from being crushed against the wall of the screen baskets, the invention provides that the motion path of the rotor blades extend eccentrically with respect to the axis defined by the screen baskets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventor: Bruno Poeltinger
  • Patent number: 6745961
    Abstract: A colloid mill utilizes a motor-driven shaft configuration that connects to the rotor of the colloid mill to the electric motor rotor. In this way, the mill rotor shaft is directly driven. Complex gear or belt drive arrangements between a separate electric motor and the fluid processing components of the colloid mill are thus avoided. Moreover, the gap between the mill rotor and mill stator can be adjusted simply by axially translating the motor-driven shaft. Such translation is provided by a timing belt-based arrangement to limit backlash. As a result, a simple hand-operated knob or stepper motor arrangement can be used to control the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: APV North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Harald O. Korstvedt
  • Patent number: 6719225
    Abstract: A device and method are provided for pre-disintegrating and cutting fibrous plants to staple length for the separation of fibres and woody parts with the goals to accelerate drying, if applied during harvesting, but mainly to facilitate separation of woody parts before the main fiber recovery machine in order to increase useful performance of same. The device includes a cutting rotor, a supply devoce, cutting blades, and one or more impact or snapping tools. In some fields of application, for example, pulp and paper manufacture or manufacture of insulating material, the degree of pre-disintegration or pre-decortication attained with the device and process, is sufficient so that a further decortication can be dispensed thus improving efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Inventor: Rolf Hesch
  • Patent number: 6637687
    Abstract: A shearbar comprises an elongated mild steel body 10 having a top surface 14 covered with a layer of hardfacing material 16 along at least one longitudinal edge 18 to act as a counter knife to a rotary cutter. To resist the development of a wear gully on the vertical side of the body 10 below the cutting edge of the hardfacing material 16 the body has a region 22, having a hardness intermediate that of the steel body and the hardfacing layer, extending along and immediately below the longitudinal edge 18 of the hardfacing layer. In one embodiment the region is an inlay of tool steel. In another embodiment the region is formed by heat-hardening the corners of the body 10 itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Lund International B.V.
    Inventor: Joseph Dillon
  • Patent number: 6634581
    Abstract: A field shredder comprises a friction base, a housing, a rotatable blade drum provided in the housing and having a rotary axis, and a plurality of blades attached to the blade drum, which cooperate with the friction base to finely chop harvested material. The friction base comprises a plurality of protrusions spaced apart axially and circumferentially. Each of the blades comprises a cutting edge. The protrusions comprise at least two side surfaces having edges formed at an angle with each other and which are both not parallel to the cutting edge of the blade. The plurality of blades comprise a first and a second set of blades, each arranged on one half of the blade drum offset against one another in the direction of rotation of the blade drum and the cutting edge of which are inclined towards the rotary axis of the blade drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Inventor: Georg Rutz
  • Patent number: 6634579
    Abstract: The orbiting knife or knives on a rotary knife holder in a tobacco shredding machine is or are automatically adjusted relative to a sharpening tool in response to signals indicating changes of one or more variable parameters which are indicative of the need for a sharpening of the knife or knives. Such parameters include at least the magnitude of torque which is required to rotate the knife holder but often also the temperature of the mass of condensed tobacco being fed into the range of the knife or knives, the quantity of tobacco per unit length of the mass, the mosture content of tobacco in the mass, the presence and/or the size and/or the nature of foreign matter in the mass, and others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Hauni Maschinenbau AG
    Inventor: Alfred Drenguis
  • Patent number: 6631862
    Abstract: An apparatus for disintegrating or beating stalk-, stem- and/or sheet-type regenerative raw material that includes a stator and a rotor is provided. The stator is configured as a sieve drum on whose inner wall radially inwardly-directed, teeth-like projections are provided as disintegration tools. The rotor has a rotor hub and a plurality of radially outwardly-directed arms mounted on the rotor hub, a plurality of axially-directed support bars mounted to the ends of the arms, and a plurality of radially outwardly-directed disintegration tools mounted on the support bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Raiffeisen-Waren-Zentrale Rhein-Main eG
    Inventors: Ehrhard E. Schilling, Dagmar Gaese, Josef Rickert
  • Publication number: 20030173436
    Abstract: A chopper for chopping continuous items like fiber, fiber strand, yarn, string, wire, tape or ribbon, etc. which enters the chopper in unwound form at a high linear speed is disclosed having improvements that permit the chopper to tilt to change the angle of discharge of the chopped item(s). Also disclosed is a fast acting roll retainer and a chopper having the fast acting roll retainer that permits a backup roll and a blade roll to be removed and replaced in a faster and less damaging manner. Methods of chopping and changing rolls on an apparatus using the disclosed apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Applicant: Johns Manville International, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall C. Bascom, Jeffrey James Bryant, Gary Lee Dachenhaus, Archie Mead, Mark J. Scott, Randy C. Hyter
  • Patent number: 6598814
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for chopping long unwound items like fiber, fiber strands, yarn, etc. having an idler roll for pressing the item(s) against a backup roll for pulling the item(s) into the chopper uses an improved mount for the idler roll that maintains the outer peripheral surface of the idler roll into more consistent contact with more consistent force with the item(s) being chopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Johns Manville International, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall C. Bascom, William J. Sandretto, Billy Ray Stinnett, Donald S. Perry
  • Publication number: 20030062435
    Abstract: A drum shredder for reducing material which includes a tapered cutting drum rotatably positioned within a housing and adapted for carrying material radially with and externally of the drum; at least one cutting implement disposed about an outer surface of the cutting drum; an anvil disposed adjacent to the cutting drum; and a drive connected to the drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas R. Gross, Earl R. Smith
  • Publication number: 20030029949
    Abstract: This fiber chopper overcomes the disadvantages of the previous cutting rollers for chopping continuous filaments. The apparatus includes a means for feeding continuous fibers to a chopping roller. A spring holds the cutting blades on the chopping roller. The filaments pass between the chopping roller and a feed roller for chopping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventor: Jay Bellasalma
  • Patent number: 6481650
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for crushing and pulverizing tire chips roughly crushed to a size of 10 cm in length by completely separating to rubber components from iron components in a single crushing process. It is intended to extensively simplify the process to produce rubber powder from waste tires and to promote material recycling of the used tires. The method comprises the steps of catching the tire chips between monoaxial rotary blades 3 rotated within a casing 2 and fixed blades 4 and 4 fixed and arranged at opposed positions and maintaining a gap slightly larger than diameter of a piano wire 9 contained in the tires, rupturing only the rubber components without cutting piano wires and steel fibers, tearing and withdrawing rubber components by rotation of the rotary blade 3, and crushing while separating rubber components from iron components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Mori Manufactory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiichi Mori
  • Patent number: 6450430
    Abstract: A drum chopper in which cutting blades are locked in a form-fitting relationship to blade receptacles includes a locking structure between the blades and receptacles and a clamping piece. In one embodiment, the locking structure is integrally formed in the bearing surfaces of the receptacle and the mating surfaces blade by a latch projection in the receptacle and a lug in the blade. In another embodiment, the locking structure is formed by matching grooves in the mating surfaces of the receptacle and blade and a key inserted into the matching grooves. The clamping piece is inserted between the blade and a stop in the receptacle to secure the arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Dykstra, Ludger Gausmann
  • Publication number: 20020125356
    Abstract: A generally horizontal wood comminuter has a crosswise rotor with comminuting knives moving in a path of rotation and a crosswise coacting anvil. A feed works provides a material support surface and a power-driven feed member above it for feeding material toward the rotor. The rotor is driven in an uphill path of rotation relative to the feed works. Lift arms pivoted rearwardly of the feed works pivotally carry the feed member for swinging vertical movement toward and away from the material support surface. A crosswise deflector plate is carried independently of the lift arms and extends toward the anvil and a crosswise lift arm plate coacts with the deflector plate to contain fragmented material. The anvil and a grate retainer preferably are pivotal to move together from an operative to an inoperative position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2002
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Inventors: Gary M. Bardos, Michael L. Hockstra