US2797051A

US2797051A - Cylindrical drum mill with plurality of pivotally mounted hammers on inner periphery

Info

Publication number: US2797051A
Application number: US489131A
Authority: US
Inventors: Norman A Pierson
Original assignee: Naturizer Co
Current assignee: Naturizer Co
Priority date: 1955-02-18
Filing date: 1955-02-18
Publication date: 1957-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 1974-06-25

Description

June 25, 1957 k N. A. PIERSON 2,797,051

cyuunmcm. DRUM MILL WITHT-PLURALITY 0F PIVOTALLY MOUNTED HAMMERS-QN -h-INNER PERIPHERY Fi l e'd Feb. 18, .1955

IN V EN TOR. NA Pz'e/"so/z A r TORNEX CYLINDRECAL DRUM MELT. WITH PLURALTTY F PIVOTALLY MQUNTED HAl /IMERS 0N DJNER PERKPHERY Norman A. Pierson, Norman, Okla, assignor to Naturizer Co, Norman, Okla, a corporation of Uitlahoma Application February 18, 1955, Serial No. 489,131 3 filairns. (Cl. 241-176) This invention relates generally to improvements in grinding apparatus, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved pulverizer for reducing the aggregate size of municipal refuse.

The present invention contemplates a novel pulverizer utilizing a cylindrical housing having a plurality of hammer elements pivotally secured to the inner periphery of the housing. The housing is rotated around its longitudinal axis while the articles to be pulverized are passed lengthwise through the housing. During rotation of the housing, the hammer elements are pivoted to strike the articles by centripetal force. Although not limited thereto, my novel pulverizer is particularly adapted for use in pulverizing municipal refuse. Municipal refuse normally contains hard articles such as tin cans, tree limbs and rocks which cannot be pulverized by the present day apparatuses, such as hammer mills. The present pulverizer beats, tears and masticates such articles to small aggregate size for use in composting operations.

An important object of this invention is to pulverize substantially all articles normally contained in municipal refuse.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel pulverizer which provides a combination beating and masticating action on articles passing therethrough.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel pulverizer utilizing pivotal hammers operated by centripetal force for reducing the aggregate size of articles passing therethrough.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel pulverizer for municipal refuse which provides an efiicient aerating of the refuse, as well as pulverization.

Another object of this invention is to facilitate the composting of municipal refuse.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simply constructed pulverizer which may be economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my novel pulverizer.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a typical elevational view of one of the hammer elements and its attaching bracket.

Figure 4 is another typical elevational view of a hammer element as viewed 90 from Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly Figures 1 and 2, reference character 6 generally designates my novel pulverizer mounted on a base 8. The base 8 may be constructed in any suitable manner to support a pair of idler rollers 10, driving rollers 12 and power unit 14.

The idler rollers are mounted in aligned relation on the opposite ends of an idler shaft 16. A pair of bearing members 18 are secured in spaced and aligned 1;; Pat

relation on the base 8 to receive the shaft 16 and rotatably support the rollers 10 in fixed vertical positions, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth. The driving rollers 12 are mounted on the opposite ends of a shaft 20 in spaced, but aligned, relation to the idler rollers 10. The

shafts

16 and 20 are supported in parallel relation. A pair of bearing members 22 are secured in spaced relation on the base 8 to rotatably support the shaft 20 and driving rollers 12.

A suitable gear box 24 is connected to the central portion of the shaft 20 to transmit power from the engine 14 and drive shaft 26 to the shaft 20. The base 8 is suitably formed to support the gear box 24 and engine or power unit 14.

An elongated cylindrical housing 31) extends between and in parallel relation to the

shafts

16 and 20, and rests on the rollers 14 and 12. The housing 30 is hollow and has an inlet end 32 and an outlet or discharge end 34. A curved spout 36, having an inlet aperture 38 of smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the housing 30, is rigidly secured around the inlet end 32 in any suitable manner, such as by welding. An annular shaped baffle plate 40 is secured around the outlet end 34 of the housing 30. The baffle plate 40 has an inner diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet spout aperture 38 for purposes as will be hereinafter set forth.

The housing 30 is preferably tilted downward towards the discharge end 34 to move the material (not shown) being pulverized through the housing by gravity. Therefore, the shafts 16 and 2d are also tilted or slanted in the same direction. Any suitable stopping roller (not shown) may be extended from the base 8 to the lower discharge end 34 to prevent lengthwise slippage of the housing 30 on the

rollers

10 and 12.

A plurality of hammer elements 44 are pivotally secured to the inner periphery of the housing 30 to reduce the aggregate size of the refuse or other material being pulverized. Each hammer element 44 (see Figures 3 and 4) comprises an elongated body portion 46 having irregular or jagged teeth 48 formed in the small sides thereof over substantially one-half the length of the body. The outerend 49 of each hammer body 46 is rounded and pivotally secured in a bracket 51 extending inwardly from the inner periphery of the housing 30. Each bracket 50 is formed in two sections rigidly secured to the housing 30 in spaced relation to receive the hammer 44 therebetween. A bolt 52 extends through each bracket 50 and the respective hammer body 46 to pivotally secure the hammers 44 in the housing 30 whereby the hammers may pivot transversely in the housing 30.

As shown in Figure 2, the hammers 44 are secured in four

rows

60, 70, and along the length of the housing 30. Each of the

rows

60, 70, 80 and 90 is arranged in a spiral around the inner periphery of the housing 30 as illustrated by the dotted lines for

rows

60 and 10 in Figure 1. In order to clarify the illustration, rows '70 and 81) are not shown in Figure 1. Also, the hammers 44 in each row are spaced along the length of the housing 30 from the adjacent hammers in adjacent rows. For example, the hammer 44 in row 70 nearest the housing inlet 32 (the first hammer) may be spaced two inches along the length of the ,housing 30 from the first hammer in row 60; the first hammer 44 in row 80 may be spaced in the same manner from the first hammer in row 70, etc.

It will thus be seen that when progressing from the inlet end 32 toward the outlet end 34 of the housing 30, each hammer 44 in each row is spaced both longitudinally and circumferentially from the adjacent hammers 44 in the adjacent rows. It is also desirable that each hammer 44 be secured to the housing 30 over ninety degrees from the adjacent hammer 44 in the adjacent rows. As will be observed in Figure 2, the hammer 44 in row 60 nearest the end 32 of the housing 30 is spaced more than ninety degrees from the first hammer 44 in row 70 and so on around the inner periphery of the housing. This circumferential spacing feature has been magnified inFigure 2 for purposes of clarifying the illustration. In an actual installation, the circumferential spacing may be only slightly over ninety degrees, such as ninety-one degrees. It should also be noted that although it appears in Figure 2 that the first hammer 44 in row 90 is lessthan ninety degrees from row 60, when referring to Figure 1 it will be apparent that the first hammer 44 in row 90 is actu: ally closer to the second hammer in row 60, and the spacing therebetween is in excess of ninety degrees. Therefore, the circumferential spacing described above holds true for all of the rows of hammers.

Operation In utilizing the pulverizer 6, the power unit 14 is first placed in operation to rotate the driving rollers 12 through the shaft 26, gear box 24 and shaft 20. The rollers 12 frictionally engage the outer surface of the housing 30 to rotate the housing around its longitudinal axis. The idler rollers assist in supporting the housing 30, and are rotated by the housing simultaneously with the rotation of the driving rollers 12.

Refuse or other material tobe pulverized is fed into the housing through the inlet chute aperture 38, and progresses by gravity through the housing 30 and out of the baffle plate at the outlet end 34 of the housing. The refuse may be fed into the housing 30 by any suitable means, and the chute 36 tends to prevent a spilling of the refuse out of the inlet end 32. The baffle plate 40 retards the discharge of refuse and assures a suflicient level of refuse in the housing 30 for an efficient action of the hammer elements 44 as will now be described.

The housing 30 may be rotated in either direction but for the purposes of illustration, it will be assumed that the housing 30 is rotated clockwise when viewed at the inlet as shown in Figure 2. As each hammer 44 reaches the crown of the housing 30, or the uppermost position of the hammer, it hangs downward toward the center of the housing 30 as illustrated by the first hammer in row 60. During continued rotation of the housing, the hammer 44 pivots counter-clockwise to rest on the refuse or inner surface of the housing in the position illustrated by the first hammers in rows 70 and 80. However, as the bracket of the respective'hammer 44 moves upward above the center line of the housing 30, the hammer 44 pivots clockwise with substantial force into the refuse into the position shown by the first hammer in row 90 in Figure 2. V

The spiral arrangement of the hammers 44, along with the circumferential spacing of the hammers in adjacent rows, results in only one hammer striking the refuse at one time. Therefore, the shock on the housing 30 will be retained at a minimum, to obtain the maximum striking force for each hammer.

The force at which each hammer 44 strikes the refuse is dependent first upon the weight of the hammer, and secondly upon the speed of rotation of the housing 30. As each hammer 44 begins to pivot and fall, its respective bracket 50, being moved upward, forces the outer end 49 in the opposite direction to provide an added rotation and centripetal force to the toothed portion of the hammer. Each hammer 44 strikes the refuse with substantial force to provide a beating or pulverization of the refuse. It will be observed in Figure 2 that each hammer 44 is of a length to overlap the adjacenthammers 44 in adjacent rows-note the first hammers 44 in rows 80 and 90. Therefore, the refuse will also be masticated and ground between the falling hammer and the adjacent hammers, as well as between the falling hammer and the inner periphery of the housing 30. It will also be observed that the refuse will be turned by the rotation of the housing 30 and action of the hammers 44 to provide a complete aeration and homogeneous mixing of the refuse.

In utilizing the pulverizer 6 for grinding or pulverizing refuse, the hammers 44 will efficiently grind up hard articles such as tin cans, tree limbs, wooden boxes, bones, etc., as well as the usual soft portions of the refuse, such as paper, cardboard, vegetable matter and cooking scraps. The size of the pulverizer will, of course, determine the size of articles which may be pulverized. However, substantially any article which is normally found in municipal refuse and which may be passed through the housing 30 will be beat, torn and masticated to a small aggregate by the hammers 44.

The capacity of the pulverizer 6 may be varied by changing the tilt of the housing 30. When the height of the inlet end 32 is increased relative to the outlet end 34, the refuse will move through the housing at a faster rate and the capacity will be increased. However, the aggregate size of the refuse discharging through baffle 40 will be increased, since the refuse will be subjected to a shorter period of action by the hammers 44. Contra, the capacity is decreased by leveling the housing 30, but the aggregate size of the refuse will be decreased. The aggregate size of the refuse being discharged may be increased by decreasing the spacing between the hammers 44 along the length of the housing 30, and vice versa. Also, the housing 30, having a solid wall, prevents the loss of moisture from the refuse. Water may be applied to the refuse at the inlet end 32, and the thorough mixing of the refuse, along with the retention of moisture in the housing 30 and con stant flow of refuse through the housing, facilitates the obtaining of a small aggregate refuse having a constant moisture content.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the present invention provides a novel pulverizer which will pul' verize substantially all articles normally contained in municipal refuse. The hammer elements are pivoted by centripetal force and provide a combination beating and masticating action on articles passing through the pulverizer. When used for pulverizing municipal refuse, the present invention provides an efficient aerating of the refuse and facilitates the retention of a constant moisture content for the refuse.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as heretofore set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings, it being understood that any modification in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A pulverizer, comprising a hollow cylindrical housing, said housing being rotatable around its longitudinal axis, a row of elongated hammers pivotally secured along the inner periphery of said housing, a second row of elongated hammers pivotally secured along the inner periphery of said housing, said rows being circumferentially spaced more than ninety degrees and spiral in configuration, and each of said hammers being secured to pivot transversely in said housing upon rotation of said housing.

2. A pulverizer, comprising a hollow cylindrical housing, said housing being rotatable around its longitudinal axis, a row of elongated hammers pivotally secured along the inner periphery of said housing, a second row of elongated hammers pivotally secured along'the inner periphery of said housing, said rows being circumferentially spaced more than ninety degrees, and each of said hammers being secured to pivot transversely in said housing upon rotation of said housing.

' 3. A pulverizer, comprising a hollow cylindrical housing, said housing being rotatable around its longitudinal axis, a row of elongated hammers pivotally secured along the inner periphery of said housing, a second row of elongated hammers pivotally secured along the inner periphery of said housing, said rows being spiral shaped and circumferentially spaced more than ninety degrees, each hammer in said first row being spaced along the length of said housing from the adjacent hammers in said second row, and each of said hammers also being of a length to overlap the adjacent hammer in the opposite row when said hammers are pivoted toward one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS