GB806085A - Comminuting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0806085/III/1> Apparatus for comminuting material in the form of a suspension in liquid comprises two relatively-rotatable members 2, 4, each conforming to a separate surface of revolution and shaped to permit mounting of the members in coaxial relationship with a narrow clearance therebetween, at least one ring-shaped array of projections 34, 36 arranged on one of the surfaces and at least two ring-shaped arrays 40, 42 arranged on the other surface, and a multiplicity of teeth 24, 26 of complementary shape on each of the members arranged to move past each other with a close clearance within an annular depression 22 in one of the members. The arrays all contain the same number of projections, are coaxial with the axis of rotation, lie radially adjacent each other with a close clearance of cylindrical shape between them, and have the projections defined by slots of uniform width equiangularly disposed about the axis of rotation with each projection of each array subtending an angle equal to that subtended by the slot between adjacent projections of the next array or arrays. The radially-outermost array of projections 42 on the plane face of the rotor 2 decrease in height as the radius increases to conform to the conical-concave shape of the stator 4. The material, which may be supplied by a pump through a central aperture 12 in the stator 4, is initially comminuted by teeth 16, formed in the stator aperture, and impeller blades 18 assist the radial flow of the material to the arrays of projections. The relative rotation of the stator and rotor causes the projections to form periodically substantially closed chambers and impart an intermittent radial and tangential flow to the material before it passes between portions 20, 30 to be further comminuted by the teeth 24, 26 in the depression 22. The teeth 24, 26 are finer and more numerous than the projections and those on the stator may be formed by milling slots in the two halves of a ring 9 secured to the stator by bolts 44. From the depression, the material continues radially outward through an annular slit 45 to blades 25, formed on the rotor, and into one or more exit conduits 15 which pass through a housing 6. A space 3, between the housing and the rotor and stator assembly, may be used for heating and cooling purposes. The rotor 2 is driven by a shaft 13 on a motor 10, a spring-pressed bellows and packing assembly 21 preventing the passage of the material into the motor.