US2478733A - Reversible swing hammer crusher with adjustable breaker plates - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 9, 1949.

F. JQWRIGHT REVERSIBLE SWING HAMMER CRUSHER WITH ADJUSTABLE BREAKER PLATES Filed May 6, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 9, 1949.

F. J. WRIGHT 2,478,733 REVERSIBLE SWING HAMMER CRUSHER WITH ADJUSTABLE BREAKER PLATES Filed May 6, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 2 /44. A /am Aug. 9, 1949. F. J. WRIGHT 2,478,733

- REVERSIBLE SWlNG' HAMMER CRUSHER WITH ADJUSTABLE BREAKER PLATES Filed May 6., 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN Tole FEED J. WEIGHT,

HTT'Y mate Ana 9. 1m

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REVERSIBLE SWING HAMIWER CRUSHEE WITH ADJUSTABLE BREAKER PLATES Fred J. Wright, Columbus, Ohio, alsignor to The Jeflrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application May 6, 1947, Serial-N0. 748,365

to and from the power driven rotor for changing the relationship of the co-operating material reducing surfaces of the power driven rotor and the material reducing means.

It is another object of my invention to provide an improved material reducing apparatus of the hammer mfll type which includes a power driven material reducing rotor operating within a material reducing chamber and a reducing means adapted to co-operate therewith mounted upon arms for bodily movement about parallel axes to and from'the powerfdriven material reducing rotor for changing the relationship of the cooperating material reducing surfaces of the power driven rotor and he material reducing means wherein one of t e arms which carries the reducing means forms a breaker wall in the material reducing chamber.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims? In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation of a material reducing plant incorporating the features of my invention, a portion of a conveyer thereof being shown in dotted lines;

Fig 2 is a view in section through the material reducing plant seen in Fig. 1 but with the conveyer portion shown in elevation, the section being taken on line 2-4 of Fig. 3; and.

Fig. 3 is a view in section, the section being taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Briefly described, the material reducing plant 80 shown in the drawings includes an outer housing or casing H within which there is an inner housing, compartment or material reducing chamber i2. Within and adjacent the bottom of the inner housing, compartment or material reducing chamber I: there is a reversible power driven material reducing rotor assembly IS. The

inner housing, compartment or material reducnewable liner plates 21.

2 therein by the material reducing rotor i3 and walls of the material reducing chamber I! which co-operate with the rotor iii to reduce the material.

Below the inner housing, compartment or material reducing chamber I2 is a reduced material receiving chamber i'5 into which material reduced in the reducing chamber I2 falls Or is discharged. As shown in the drawings, the bottom of the reduced material receiving chamber I5 is formed by the traveling top run I6 of a power driven conveyer ll, the foot section only of which is shown.

Referring in detail to the construction of the plant It, the outer housing or casing of the material reducing plant it forms the main frame l8 of the upper portion of the material reducing plant it, which portion of the plant includes a hammer mill type grinder for reducing,-breaking, grinding and otherwise reducing material fed into the material reducing plant l0. Main frame it includes a pair of opposite upright wall members l9 and 20 of similar shape IWhiCh are connected as by welding along their bottom edges to a rectangular frame or base 2|. Extending between the opposite upright wall members l9 and 20 above the rectangular frame or base 2! there is a pair of oppositely disposed connector members 22 each of which is secured to both of the opposite upright wall members l9 and 20 and to the rectangular frame or base 2| as by welds.

The opposite upright wall members l9 and 20- form end walls of the material reducing chamber l2 and of the feed chute i4 and the areas between the opposite upright wall members I! and 20 above the connector members 22 and at each side of the feed chute M are closed by suitable covers 23 each of which includes an inspection opening 24 closed by a plate 25 bolted to the outside of each cover 23.

The top walls of the material reducing chamber l2 are formed of a pair of similar relatively heavy plates 26 which extend between the opposite upright lwall members l9 and 20 and are welded at their ends thereto, thereby forming fixed walls of the -material reducing chamber l2 and fixed members of the main frame I 8. The inner or centermost edges of fixed plates 26 are each welded to a bottom side edge of the feed chute i4. Wall members l9- and 20 in those areas where they form the end walls of the material reducing chamber l2 have bolted thereto re- It may be noted here that the opposite upright wall members l9 and canvas 26 and the top walls of reducing chamber I2 formed by plates 26 are the only wall members of the material reducing chamber I2 which are not adjustable.

That. part of the which is above the rectangular frame or base 2| is symmetrical about an upright plane, indicated at 26 inFig. 2, which plane extends through the axis of the rotor assembly I3 and the feed chute or opening I4, therefore, a description of the right half of the material reducing chamber I2, as seen in Fig. 2, will also describe the left side thereof.

A portion of the right hand wall of the material reducing chamber I2 is formed by a breaker plate 29 which may be considered as a generally upright substantially flat arm having an inner breaker face or surface 30. Each breaker plate or arm 29 is spaced inwardly of one of the opposite side walls of the housing or main frame I6 and these breaker plates or arms 29 form opposite walls of the material reducing chamber I2 and each co-operates with the adjacent .outer wall of the housing or main frame II, or more specifically with cover members 23 thereof, to provide an air passage 66 therebetween that is more fully described hereinafter. Each breaker plate or arm 29 is pivotallycarried at its upper end upon a shaft 2| which extends between and into aligned opposite openings in the opposite upright wall members I9 and 29 each of which openings is closed at the outside by a disc or plate 22 bolted to the outside of wall members I9 and 26. Breaker plate or arm 29 pivots upon and about the axis of the shaft H and the uppermost end of its inner or material reducing surface 36 is formed as an are about the axis of shaft 31 so that the surface 36 will co-operate with the lower or outermost edge of plate 26 as the breaker plate or arm 29 is swlmg upon its pivot shaft 2| to maintain a close fit between the plate 26 and breaker plate or arm 29 in order that there will be at most only a very small gap between the plate 26 and arm 29 through which material might be thrown out of thematerial reducing chamber I2. Below the breaker plate or arm 29 and pivotally connected thereto by a shaft or pivot pin 33 is a material reducing chamber wall portion or member in theform of a grate 34 that forms an extension of the breaker plate or arm 29 through which it is supported. Grate 24 includes 8. lug or ear 36 by which it is pivotally connected through a pivot shaft, rod or pin 39 to the lower end of a pair of spaced arms 36 the upper ends of which are mountedupon a pivot shaft, rod or pin 31 which, like pivot shaft, rod or pin 3i, extends between and into aligned openings in the opposite upright wall members l9 and of main frame I9 which are closed by discs 38, seen only in Fig. 1. I

The axes of pivot shafts, rods or pins 3|, 33, 31 and 39 are parallel with respect to one another and the opposite walls I9 and 26 of the main frame I9 form fixed means supporting the pivot pins 3| and 31 about which the arms 29 and 36 swing. The lower ends of arms 29 and 36 are pivotally connected by the grate 34 which is swingable therewith whereby the fixed opposite wall members I9 and 26, arms 29 and 36, and grate 34 form, as seen in Fig. 2, a parallelogram wherein the arms 29 and 36 and the grate 34 swing between the fixed opposite wall members I9 and 26 to adjust the position of the grate 34 to and from the rotor.

In the embodiment of the apparatus shown in material reducing plant Ill I carrying and adiusting the position of the grate be a true parallelogram. In fact. in certain instances it is advantageous that the spacing be such that the grate will not remain in the same general upright position as it is adjusted with respect to the rotor assembly II in order that the distance between the co-operating surfaces of the grate and rotor adjacent the heel and toe,

respectively, of the grate may bechanged with' respect to one another as the grate is moved to and from rotor assembly I3.

Grate 24 is provided with an ear or lug 49 adapted to receive the end of an adjusting bolt 4| that extends outwardly through a bar 42 and is locked thereto by a pair of nuts 43, one of which is disposed on each side of the bar 42.

Bar 42 extends between'the opposite upright wall members l9 and 23 of main frame I I and each end thereof is provided with an outwardly extending boss or trunnion member 44 (see P18. 2) which is received in an opening in the wall members I9 and 29 of main frame It. The openings which receive the bosses or trunnions 44' are closed at their outsldes by plates or discs 46, seen in Fig. 1. Access to the nuts 42 for adjusting the position of grate 34 with respect to the material reducing rotor assembly I3 is hadthrough the inspection opening 24 in main frame cover member or closure 23.

Within the material reducing chamber I2 and above the reversible material reducing rotor assembly I3 is a pivotally mounted material flow directing or diverting member in the form of a butterfly valve 46 which extends across the material reducing chamber I2 and has its upper end extending into the feed .chute or opening I4. The material directing or diverting member 44 includes opposite walls 41 removably secured to a shaft 46 which forms the pivotal mounting means of the material directing or diverting member 46. Shaft 48 extends between the opposite upright walls l9 and 26 and is carried in aligned openings therein one of which is closed by plate or disc 49, seen in Fig. 3. It is to be noted that the axis of shaft 43 is parallel with the axis of the rotor I3 and lies in a vertical plane passing through the axis of the latter. The end of shaft 46 opposite plate or disc 49 carries a handle or lever 56 by which anoperator may change the position of the material directing or'diverting means 46 to cause it positively to direct or divert selectively, all of the material entering the material reducing chamber I2 throughthe feed chute or opening I4 into the material reducing chamber I2 toward that breaker surface 30 of that breaker plate, side wall or arm 29 with which the rotor I3 is cogipeirating to break or otherwise reduce the mate- It is to be noted, as seen in Fig. 2, that when the material directing or diverting member 46 is in the position shown, that portion of the material reducing chamber I2 which is to the left of the lower right hand end of the material directing or diverting member 46 is completely covered and that all of the material entering the savages the swingable material directing or diverting butterfly valve 46 which extends below the axis of shaft. Since the axis of pivot shaft 48 of the v material directing or diverting butterfly valve 46 lies in a vertical plane through the axis of rotor IS the bottom, or that portion thereof which extends below the axis of shaft 48 will swing through the said vertical plane when the position of the butterfly valve 46 is shifted for selectively positively directing all of the material entering the reducing chamber l2. The reasons for directing material into the chamber l2 a distance A beyond plane 28 toward the breaker plate or arm 89 with which the rotor assembly is co-operating to break or reduce material is fully explained hereinafter.

The handle or lever 59 by which the material directing or diverting means 46 is adjusted preferably has secured thereto a pair of ears or lugs 5| one of which co-operates in either position of the-material directing or diverting means with one of a pair of ears or lugs 52 on main frame wall l9. Ears 5| and 52 include openings adapted to align with each other for receiving a locking bolt 53 for insuring that the position of the material directing or diverting means may not be accidentally or inadvertently shifted during operation of the material reducing apparatus.

Each of the opposite upright main frame wall members |9 and 29 adjacent the bottom of that area thereof which forms an end wall of the material reducing chamber I2 as well as the liner plates 21 carried thereby forms a circular opening 56. Theopenings 54 in the side wall members l9 and 29 are axially aligned and receive end flywheel members 55 of the rotor assembly N. The outside of each flywheel receiving opening 54 of the walls l9 and 29 is closed by acircular disc or plate 56 having a central shaft receiving opening 51. Each disc or plate 56 is bolted about its periphery to a ring 58 which is welded to the outside-wall of the main frame l8.

The rotor assembly I3 includes a shaft 59 the left hand end of which, as seen in Fig. 3, carries a ring 69 which co-operates with an inwardly extending peripheral shoulder formed about the opening 51 in plate 56 to form a labryinth type lubricant seal. The left hand end of shaft 59 also includes a shouldered portion which receives a self-aligning anti-friction bearing 6| that is fixed upon the shouldered portion of the shaft 59 by a nut-62 which carries a removable ring 63. Bearing 6| is supported by disc or plate 56 through a cap 64 bolted to the disc or plate 56 in which there is formed a central opening having a peripheral shoulder which co-operates with the removable ring 63 to form an outer labyrinth type lubricant seal for the compartment in which the bearing 6| is carried. The outermost or left end of shaft 59 is adapted to receive a driving pulley .65, which is shown in phantom lines in Fig. 3, that is keyed to the shaft .59 by a key 6-6.

- The right hand end of shaft 59 carries a ring 69' which co-operates with an. inwardly extending peripheral shoulder formed about the central shaft opening in the right hand disc or. plate 56 andthe right hand end of shaft 59 is carried by the right hand disc 56 through a self-aligning 6 the left hand opening 54 as fully described here.- inafter. Shaft 59 includes a heavy center portion 68 which is provided at each Of its ends with a shoulder 69 against which the heavy flywheels 55 are clamped by three clamping members in the form of rods or tie bolts 19. Between t e flywheels 55 the body of the rotor assembly I! includes a plurality of triangular Plates H spaced apart by spacercollars 12 carried upon the clamping members or rods 19. The apices of triangular plates II are aligned and bored to form three axially aligned bores through the body of the rotor I3, each adapted to receive a pin, rod or shaft 18 upon which there are pivotally or swingably mounted hammers 14 which extend outwardly from between the triangular plates I I. The ends of the pins or shafts 13 are received in and held against axial movement by sockets formed in the flywheels 55. Preferably each flywheel is keyed to the shaft 59 by a key 15 and the trian gular plates II are keyed to the shaft 59 by a key 16.

The hammers 14 of the rotor assembly i3 may be replaced by removing the closure disc 56 of the right hand opening 54, cap 61 and the shaft supporting bearing 6| as a unit from the wall 29 and the right hand end of shaft 59 to expose the right hand flywheel 55 which may then be removed from the rotor shaft 59 by removing nuts 11 from the ends of clamping bolts or tie rods 19. With the right hand flywheel 55 removed, pins I3 may be withdrawn from the hammers 14 and plates ll of the rotor body and new hammers 14 may be inserted in place of the removed hammers 14 as each pin or shaft 13 is replaced in the rotor body. When the hammers 14 have been renewed the flywheel 55, disc 56, cap 61 and bearing 69 may be replaced and the machine is ready for operation. If desired, the entire rotor assembly |3 may be removed bodily from the reducing chamber I2 by removing the bolts which secure the left hand disc or plate 56 to the left hand wall I9 and withdrawing the rotor from the chamber |2 through the left hand opening 54.

While I have shown the hammers 14 as being swing hammers, it is to be understood that the hammers or elements 14 may be of any desired shape and that they need not be pivotally mounted to the rotor body. v

The portion of the plant |9 above described is carried by and above a pair of spaced supports 18, herein shown as being of cast concrete. The conveyer I 1 is positioned between the supports 18 and is directly below the reducing apparatus. Between the bottom of the rectangular frame or base 2| of main frame l8 and the upwardly travelin top run I'6 of the conveyer I! there is a depending boot-19 which co-operates with the walls of main frame I8 and the upper traveling run I6 of the troughed conveyer I! to form the reduced material. receiving chamber l5. Boot-l9 includes a pair of inwardly downwardly sloping side walls and an inwardly downwardly sloping end wall 8| each of which, adjacent its lower edge,

carries a resilient strip or apron 82 adapted to ride with a light pressure upon the top surface of the upwardly traveling top run or belt |6 of conveyer H to seal the upwardly traveling runor belt l6 to the walls 89 and 8| so, as substan tially to prevent the loss or egress of materials and gas from the reduced material receiving chamber |5 between the walls 89 and 8| and the conveyer run l6. a v

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the side walls 89 of depending boot "extend sidewardly in the direcquently a hazardous condition.

tion of travel of the upwardly traveling top run ll of conveyer II to form an elongated tapering boot It, the top member of which is formed by a plate It spaced above the conveyer. The bottom of boot it is formed by the upper traveling run of troughed belt II. which co-operates with a depending flexible curtain 82' at the right side of boot .3 to form a variable size outlet opening therein which co-operates with the troughed traveling run l6 of the conveyer I1 and reduced material which is being conveyed thereby from the reduced material receiving chamber ii to form a variable size substantially gas tight opening, thesize of which varies with the quantity of material being conveyed upon the conveyer and which materially restricts the egress of gas from the reduced material receiving chamber I! while permitting the troughed conveyer run II and the reduced material carried thereby to be conveyed from the chamber.

The opposite side walls of feed chute M are formed by a plurality of downwardly inwardly, sloping louvre members 85 between which there are passageways that open directly into ducts or passageways 88 formed by the mainframe II, the wall members of the material reducing chamber, and the cover members 23. Passageways or ducts 8i connect at their lower ends directly with the reduced material receiving chamber II.

It is well known that the rotor assembly of a material reducing apparatus or grinder, when operating, functions as an impeller or blower and forces air or gas out of the apparatus and that when the apparatus is reducing material the air or gas impelled by the rotor will flow out of the apparatus with material that has been reduced. Air or gas exhausting from the material reducing apparatus with the reduced material that is relatively dry creates a dusty, and fre- I provide for substantially closing or sealingthe material reducing apparatus against the egress or loss of gas while conveying reduced material therefrom by a conveyer, a portion of which is in or operates within the apparatus and. is adapted to receive and convey reduced material exhausted into the closed reduced material receiving chamber from the material reducing chamber through a variable size opening which materially restricts or substantially prevents the egress of gas from the chamber with or about the reduced material, and in my apparatus I have provided for the unrestricted passageof all of the air impelled by the rotor assembly back to'the material reducing chamber. In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings the gas impelled by the rotor assembly I! into the reduced material receiving chamber ii is returned to the reducing chamber I 2 through the passageways, ducts or conduits 86 formed by the breaker plates 29, their grates 34 and the adjacent wall of the housing or main frame It and thepassageways between the louvres II into the feed chute II where it flows with material to be reduced into the reducing chamber i2.

'Referring again to the aterial reducing chamber l2 and the rotor. assembly "which is between and separates the chamber I! from the reduced material receiving chamber I5, I have found that in material reducers or grinders of the reversible rotor type, material which is fed into the material reducing chamber to that side of the upright plane 28 which is opposite the breaker wall or surface 30 with which the material reducing hammers or elements of the rotor II are co-operating to reduce material, will be thrown or knocked upwardly into the feed chute or opening II, and that under certain conditions the material being thrown or knocked upwardly by the rotor and the material flowing in the chute it will Jam in the chute and prevent or materially interfere with the feeding of material into the material reducing chamber I2. I have also found that when all of the material is caused to enter the material reducing chamber It to that side of the upright plane 28 which is ad- Jacent that breaker plate or arm 29 with which the material reducing hammers or elements of the rotor are co-operating to reduce material, the clogging tendencies above described are materially reduced. I have further found that in certain instances it is desirable that material entering the chamber i2 should be deflected to or caused to be struck by the reducing elements or hammers ll of the rotor assembly it to that side of the plane 28 which is in the direction of rotation of the material reducing hammers or elements of the rotor and adjacent that breaker plate or arm 29 with which the material reducing elements are co-operating to reduce material at least the distance herein designated A, which distance is at least equivalent to the width (indicated at A in Fig. 2) of the widest material reducing element carried by the rotor it since, as hereinafter explained, material struck by the reducing elements or hammers I4 is knocked generally tangentially from the circle or cylinder defined by the paths of the rotating reducing elements or hammers I4 and when the material is struck by the hammers the distance A, above described, to one side of the plane 28, the material is thrown or knocked sidewardly rather than vertically upwardly into the feed chute ll.

It will be seen that when the rotor assembly I! is being driven, the material reducing elements thereof define a cylinder (indicated by phantom line 9| in Fig. 2) and that material which comes against or within the periphery of cylinder ll will be reduced by impact and knocked generally tangentially from the cylinder by the hammer elements H. I have further found that when material fed into the material reducing chamber I2 is deflected sidewardly in the direction of rotation of the rotor at least to the point of tangency of a plane tangent to the cylinder ll defined by the moving reducing elements of the rotor and intersecting the breaker surface 30 of the working breaker wall or arm II with which the hammer elements are co-operating to reduce material at most at a right angle above the tangent plane and the generally upright breaker surface 30, that even when sticky material such, for example, as moist iron ore is being reduced, there is substantially no tendency of the material to clog the feed chute or opening it.

Referring to Fig. 2, the tangent plane above described is indicated at 81, the point of tangency with the cylinder defined by the moving reducing elements is indicated at 88, and the angle between the tangent plane 81 and the working breaker surface 30 is indicated at B. Dotted line 8! indicates the left boundary of a stream of material entering the material reducing chamber I2 through the feed chute or opening H which has been deflected by the material directing or diverting member I.

A worn hammer element is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 at 80, which hammer has been worn by impacts with material in the reducing 9 chamber. I have found that each of the hammers wears so that the working or front face 9| thereof which strikes the material wears to a curved surface, such as indicated at 92, and as the original sharp corners of the hammers wear to form the curved surface there is a tendency for. them to knock or throw material which they strike sidewardly and outwardly from the rotor, thus, as seen in Fig. 2, when the hammer are new they will throw the materialy tangentially therefrom toward the breaker surface 30 with which they are co-operating substantially at the acute angle B indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings and as the hammers gradually wear, the material is thrown outwardly and upwardly against the breaker surface 30 with the angle B gradually approaching a. right angle, the upward movement being in proportion to the amount of wear of the hammers. When the material is deflected by the material directing or diverting means 46 to the point of tangency 88 material which is thrown by the worn hammers will be thrown against the breaker surface 30 substantially at a right angle thereto and therefore not in a path which will cause material entering the reducing chamber l2 through the feed chute or opening it to become jammed in the feed chute oropening 64 thereby substan tially completely eliminating the detrimental effect of an accumulation of material within the feed chute or opening it. It will, of course, be seen that the material being thrown directly against the breaker surface 30 by the rotor will prevent major accumulations of material thereon and within the 'material reducing chamber l2. The co-operating ears or lugs 5i and 52 associated respectively with main frame wall l9 and handle or lever 50 of the material directing or diverting member E6 preferably also form electrical circuit breakers, not shown, which are connected into the power supply lines of the electric motor, not shown, which drives the rotor.

The circuit breakers are connected into the power supply lines so as to reverse the direction of operation of the driving motor in accordance with the position of setting to which the material directing or diverting member 46 is swung by the handle or lever 50, that is, when the material directing means is swung to the position shown in Fig. 2 the power supply lines are connected to the driving motor so that it will operate in a direction to drive the rotor assembly l3 in a clockwise direction and when the material directing or diverting member is swung to the position in which it directs material to the left, as seen in Fig. 2, the power supply lines to the motor will be reversed by the circuit breakers of which ears or lugs 50 and 5| form parts to drive the rotor as- .sembly in a counter-clockwise direction. It will be seen that because of the described electrical circuit, the direction of rotation of the rotor assembly I3 is determined by the position of the material directing or diverting member 46.

In operaton, with the rotor assembly l3 being driven at reducing speed, material to be reduced is fed into the reducing chamber i2 through the feed chute or opening l4 wherein it is reduced and discharged into the reduced material receiving chamber l5. It may be noted here that the cross bars or plates 93 of each grate 34 are so arranged that the planes of their outside surfaces 95 are substantially tangent with the cylinder 94 defined by the rotating hammers 14 of the rotor assembly i3. Because material is thrown generally tangentially by the hammer elements, re-

, l0 duced material which is thrown toward the grates 34 may pass directly through the spaces between the bars or plates 93 without clogging the passageways between the bars or plates 93 of the grates 34. Material which is discharged into the reduced material receiving chamber I5 falls upon the upwardly moving top run or belt I6 of the conveyer ll which is within the reduced material receiving chamber l5 and is conveyed thereby sidewardly through the boot 83 and through the variable size discharge opening therein which is formed by the flexible curtain 82', which curtain preferably drags or rides upon the top of the material being conveyed in the troughed belt l6 and materially restricts or seals the reduced material receiving chamber I5 against the egress of air or gas which is being impelled by the rotor assembly IS. The air or gas which is impelled by the rotor assembly l3 flows upwardly in the ducts 86 which are in communication with the reduced material receiving chamber l5 and enters the feed chute or opening [4 through the passages between the louvres 85 where the air flows downwardly in the feed chute or opening I l and is diverted sidewardly by the material directing or diverting means 46 as it flows back into the reducing chamber l2. This feature of my material reducing apparatus is particularly advantageous in that it tends to reduce air or gas pressure within the reduced material receiving chamber 45 and to reduce the horse power required to drive the apparatus since all of the air or gas which is caused to flow by the rotor assembly i3 is re-circulated.

The positions of the grates 34 may be adjusted with respect to the material reducing elements of the rotor assembly it to change or alter their positions with respect thereto for producing ground material of different size ranges. When one side of the material reducing hammer elements It becomes worn, the direction of operation of the apparatus may be reversed which is substantially the full equivalent of renewing the hammers 14 since those surfaces which were the backs of the hammers now become the Working faces thereof. It will also-be seen that with my apparatus the right grate, as seen in Fig. 2 for example, may be adjusted to such position with respect to the rotor l3 that when the rotor is driven in a clockwise direction the material will be reduced or ground to a relatively fine condition and that the grate on the left side of the machine is inoperative. The grate on the left side of the machine may be adjusted to cause the reducing apparatus to produce a coarser finished product and thus by merely reversing the direction of operation of the machine it may be caused to produce selectively a relatively fine or a relatively coarse finished product.

It will also be seen that as each of the grates 34 is adjusted, the upright angular position of its supporting breaker plate, wall or arm 29 will change and that as the grate 3 5 is adjusted away from the rotor assembly I 3, its supporting breaker plate, wall or arm 29 will move to a position which is more nearly verticaL. This is advantageous because the more nearly vertical the position of the breaker wall or arm 29, the greater is its tendency to deflect the material thrown against it by the hammer elements 14 back into the path or cylinder =94 defined by the rotating hammers.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make I various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims 11 hereto appended and I wish therefore not to be restricted to theprecise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A grinder for reducing material including means forming a main frame, a material reducing chamber, wall means forming a side wall of said reducing chamber, pivot means supporting said wall means from said main frame for swinging movement about an axis, a power driven rotor in the bottom of said reducing chamber, material reducing elements carried by said rotor adapted to reduce material by impact and crushing. grate means carried by said wall means, said grate means including a face adapted to co-operate with said reducing elements for crushingmaterial, pivot means connecting said grate means to said wall means for movement about an axis parsaid second means, all of said pivots lying on parallel axes whereby said grate means may be moved to and from said rotor thereby changing the angular position of said wall means and the position of the grate means with respect to the material reducing elements.

. 2. A grinder for reducing material including means forming a main frame, a material reducing chamber, wall means forming a side wall of said reducing chamber, pivot means supporting said wall means from said main frame for swinging movement about an axis, a power driven rotor in the bottom of said reducing chamber, material reducing elements carried by said rotor adapted to reduce material by impact and crushing, grate means carried by said wall means, said grate means including a face adapted to co-operate with said reducing elements for crushing material, pivot means connecting said grate means'to said wall means for movement about an axis parallel to the supporting pivotal axis of the latter,

13 a second means oo-operating with said we! means supportingsaidgratemeansfmmssid mainframe forswingingmovement,pivotmeans connectingsaiiiseveondmeanstosaiiiinainframs,

pivotmeansconnectingsaidgratemeanstosaid secondmeans. allofsaidpivotslyingonparallel axes whereby said grate means may be moved to andfromsaidrotortherebyohanginlthea'nmlar position of said wall means and the position at the grate means with respect to the material reclucing elements, and adjusting means for adiusting the positions of said wall and grate means as aforesaid.

FRED J. WRIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 204,849 Sherwin June 11. 1878 384,949 Zonca et al June 19, 1889 640,845 Webster Jan. 9, 1900 730,503 Williams June 9, 1908 759,856 Borton May 17, 1904 1,043,513 Dell Nov. 5. 1912 1,071,237 Jeflries Aug. 26, 1913 1,086,868 Stimpson Feb. 10, 1914 1,288,832 Carr Dec. 24, 1918 1,418,785 Plaisted June 6, 1922 1,739,135 Foresman Dec. 10, 1929 1,752,290 Ammon Apr. 1, 1930 1,773,228 Jungels -1 Aug. 19, 1980 1,997,214 Guest Apr. 9, 1938 2,026,790 Mankoif Jan. 7, 19.39 2,027,782 Lundgren Jan. 14, 1938 2,149,571 Battey Mar. 1, 1939 2,171,100 Sakurai Aug. 29, 1939. 2,287,799 Hartshorn June 30, 1942 2,411,302 Stine Nov. 19, 1946 2,428,852 Muir Oct. 14, 1947 2,444,751 Scott July 6, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 641,419 Germany Jan. 30, 1987

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