US2971551A

US2971551A - Prebreaker

Info

Publication number: US2971551A
Application number: US707402A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl A Rietz
Original assignee: Rietz Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Rietz Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1958-01-06
Filing date: 1958-01-06
Publication date: 1961-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-02-14

Description

C. A. RlETZ PREBREAKER Feb. 14, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 6, 1958 N RN INVENTOR. CARL A. lP/ETZ C. A. RIETZ PREBREAKER Feb. 14, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1958 M PN INVENTOR. CARL A. P/Erz BY ATTORNEYS v Pw Rn wm Feb. 14, 1961 c. A. RIETZ PREBREAKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 6, 195a INVENTOR.

CARL A. R/ETZ ATTORNEY5 United States Patent PREBREAKER Carl A. Rietz, San Francisco, Calif, assignor to Rietz Manufacturing (10., Santa Rosa, Califl, a corporation of California Filed Jan. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 707,402

Claims. (Cl. 146-482) This invention relates generally to machines for the mechanical disintegration of various materials. More particularly it relates to disintegrating apparatus of the rotary crusher mill type such as is suitable for use in the food processing industry.

In industrial processes where it is desired to subject material to mechanical disintegration, it has been common to utilize mills of the axial crusher type, which disintegrate by mechanical impact. One very satisfactory mill of this type is disclosed in US. Patent 2,738,932, and makes use of a horizontal rotor carrying a plurality of crusher or breaker arms. Mills of this type are widely used in shredding and breaking operations to produce a final product or in prebreaking operations for the reduction in size of large blocks of material prior to subsequent fine disintegration or granulation.

There are many instances in which it is desirable to subject very hard feed material to disintegration, for example, in the breaking up or chopping of large blocks of frozen meat, vegetables and similar material, or the shredding and breaking up of bulky press cake. Materials in a hard or frozen block form are quite difiicult to disintegrate, particularly frozen foods which are generally shipped in large chunks ranging in size from 50 to 200 pounds. These blocks are not responsive to normal distintegration in a crusher mill, since they tend to ride on the rotor with the arms working grooves in the block material. To facilitate thawing, however, it is necessary that the blocks be broken up in large quantities and relatively rapidly. Consequently the present practice is to slice off small layers or shavings of the frozen material with high speed rotating knife assemblies or vertically operating power saws, prior to the breaking operation. Use of such equipment is not only expensive but involves an additional time-consuming operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel machine which is particularly applicable to the breaking and disintegration of large blocks of very hard or frozen material of the type described.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character which is capable of exerting very high disintegrating forces, while maintaining a very fast through-rate of feed material to produce the disintegrated product.

Additional objects of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view illustrating a machine incorporating the present invention.

Patented Feb. 14, 1961 ice Figure 2 is a front elevational view illustrating the machine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a like view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view looking toward the discharge end of the machine.

Figures 7, A, B, C, and D, illustrate the novel construction of the breaker arms.

Figures 8, A and B, are details illustrating the construction of the deflecting anvils.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail view in section along the line 99 of Figure 6, showing details of the discharge orifice plate.

The disintegrating machine illustrated in the drawings comprises an elongated horizontal rotor 10, one end of which is supported within the external bearing housing 12. The other end of the rotor is enclosed within the breaker housing 14. The breaker housing, which may be fabricated in two parts, consists of a cylindrical breaker section 16 and a hopper section 18.

The hopper section includes a lower cylindrical wall 20, a portion of which is oifset, as at 22, so as to be spaced from a cylinder of revolution of the rotor 10. This construction is shown in Figure 4. The wall 24 opposite the offset hopper portion is preferably provided with an upper outwardly flaring portion 24 to facilitate the feeding of large blocks of material into the hopper. The upper wall portion 26 of the hopper is inclined from the receiving opening 28 forwardly to a line of connection 30 with the cylindrical section 16, as shown in Figure 3. As will be presently explained, this construction causes blocks of material introduced into the hopper to be urged forwardly into a cornered position within the ofiset wall portion 22, and to be held there until sufficiently disintegrated to pass into the cylindrical breaker section 16.

The rotor 10 consists of a shaft 32 which is journalled at one end by the exterior bearings 34 and 36. The overhanging end 38 of the shaft extends to a position adja cent but spaced from the discharge opening 40 of the cylindrical breaker section. The spaced relationship of the shaft is maintained by the flange 42 on the forced thrust bearing 36, by the spacer sleeves 44 and 45, and by the locknut 46. The end of the shaft carried by the bearings 34 and 36 can be provided with an extension 50 for connection with suitable power driving means (not shown).

Mounted upon the shaft 32 within the breaker housing 14 are a plurality of specially shaped vane-like breaker arms 52, such as illustrated in detail in Figures 7, A, B, C, and D. As illustrated each breaker arm has a pointed, beak-like material engaging end or hook 56 which enables the arms to gouge and tear small chunks of material from even the hardest blocks of feed material. In addition, the cutting edge 60 trailing the point 56 fireferably curves radially outward, as illustrated in Figure 7B, so as to insure the progressive shaving of additional material from the feed blocks. The breaker arms are also thickened at their base portions 58 and inclined to the axis of the rotor shaft, for example as in Figure 7C, so as to urge the material being disintegrated toward the discharge end 40 of the breaker housing.

placed by about 120,- and spaced axially along the shaft so as to provide substantially equal zones of operation of adjacent arms. Desirably the breaker. structure nearest the discharge opening 40 comprises a pair of breaker arms 53, displaced 180 from each other.

Figures 8A and 8B illustrate an improved construction of the stationary breaker anvils 64. As illustrated the anvils are constructed to provide a pointed protrusion 66 adapted to-hold the material being disintegrated in the path of the hooked breakertarms 52, and to assist in the initial tearing and shredding action. To facilitate a rapid through-rate of disintegrated material, which is a particular feature of the invention, the anvils are provided with a hardened impact face 67 inclined towards the discharge opening 40, preferably at an angle of about 20 to 30 .relative to the axis of the rotor shaft. Preferably, the base portions of the anvils are thickened, as at 68, with the sides tapering generally inwardly as illustrated in Figure 8A to provide a sturdy tapered configuration. I have found that a desired breaking and disintegrating action as well as a more positive conveying action can be achieved by positioning the anvils 64 in a longitudinally spaced row in the bottom wall of the hopper section 18, as indicated in Figures 1 and 8, and in spaced relation about the breaker section 16, as shown in Figures 3 and 5.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated the anvils are integrally cast as part of the housing or housing sections forming the hopper and breaker sections. This construction is preferred, particularly in food handling operation, because it facilitates cleaning and maintenance of sanitary conditions within the housing. It will be understood that the overhung shaft construction, permitting ready access to the housing through the discharge opening 40, also facilitates maintenance of proper standards of cleanliness and sanitation.

The discharge opening of the breaker housing can be provided with an orifice plate 70 of a construction adapted to cooperate with the terminal pair of breaker arms 53 to provide a final shearing of the product before discharge. Figures 6 and 9 illustrate a novel-construction of anorifice plate for this purpose. As shown the orifice plate is provided with a plurality of widely spaced, diagonally radiating spokes 72 which permit a progressive cutting or shearing of the material between the spokes and the arms 53. Plates with radial spokes used heretofore have presented a problem in that a relatively large chunk of material would have to be cut in two almost instantaneously, such cutting action frequently subjecting the orifice plate and rotating breaker arms to excessive pressures or torques. With the illustrated construction, it will be understood that a scissors-like shearing action will occur radially inwardly or'outwardly, depending upon whether the spokes 72 are canted in the direction of rotation or in the direction opposed to the rotation as illustrated in Figure 6. This scissors actionpermits a rapid efficient cutting or shearing of the particles being discharged, and at relatively low power input. p

The rate of discharge of the disintegrated material, as well as the effectiveness of the above described shearing action, can be greatly enhanced by the spacing and cross sectional shape of the spokes 72. As illustrated in Figure 9, the leading edges 74 of thespok'es are bevelled to provide an inclined face' 75 terminating in a cutting edge 76, immediately adjacent the rotating breaker arms 53. This construction not only provides an enhanced excess of 10 tons per hour. .of frozen meat are easily handled without bridging or cutting action but also permits a more rapid discharge of the disintegrated material in the general direction of rotation of the rotor shaft. The trailing edges of the spokes can also be bevelled, as illustrated at 78. It will be understood that the angular spacing of the spokes 72 serves to provide a measure of control over the size of the particles discharged through the orifice plate.

Operation of the machine as described above is as follows: the shaft 32 is driven at a relatively low rate of speed, preferably at about 20 to 30 r.p.m., thereby developing high breaking torques while keeping maintenance and power requirements relatively low. The ma terial introduced into the hopper adjacent the inclined wall 24 is immediately grabbed by the pointed ends of the breaker arms 52 and rotated into the offset portion 22 of the hopper. Because of the hooked, outwardly tapering cutting edge of the breaker arms, the material being handled is quickly shredded and broken up and forced downwardly in the hopper into shearing contact with the anvils 64. As the material is broken up it is forced by the breaker arms, and by the inclined faces of the anvils, toward the right as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, and into the cylindrical breaker section16 of the housing. The initial action of the breaker arms is primarily a tearing and gouging action whereas, adjacent the anvils the action is a breaking, crushing and shearing action. It will be understood that the shearing action is due to the close proximity of the rotating breaker arms to the anvils. Adjacent the discharge orifice plate 70, a progressive cutting or scissors-like shearing action is produced due to the diagonally radiating cutting edges 76. Throughout a disintegrating operation, the overhung construction of the rotor shaft, in conjunction with the inclined faces of the arms 52 and anvils 64, insures a very fast throughrate .of disintegrated material.

By way of example, a relatively small machine having an overall length of about inches and developing 15 horsepower at 22 r.p.m. is able to crush and chop frozen blocks of meat, ground bone, eggs, vegetables, fish, etc. on a very high capacity, continuous basis, at a rate in One hundred-pound blocks choking at a rate of 3 or 4 per minute. A somewhat larger machine using 30 horsepower or less is able to re duce such -pound blocks to an average 2-inch to 3- inch size at-a rate of up to 12 tons per hour, accepting the blocks in any position without bridging or choking.

I claim: 7

1. In a disintegrating machine: a housing including a hopper section having an opening for receiving feed material, and .a cylindrical breaker section having an end opening for discharge of disintegrated material; said hopper section having a lower cylindrical wall, a portion of which is offset so as to be spaced from a cylinder of revolution passing therethrough, and an upper wall portion inclined from said receiving opening forwardly to said cylindrical breaker section; a pair of spaced cylindrical bearings mounted externally of said hopper section; a rotatable horizontal shaft journalled in said bearings so as to extend through the cylindrical portions of said hopper and breaker sections, the extending end of said shaft being adjacent to but spaced from said discharge opening; a plurality of vane-like breaker arms angularly displaced Withrespect to each other and integral with said shaft; each arm including a thickened web portion inclined with respect to the axis of the shaft so as to urge material being disintegrated toward the discharge end of the housing, and a pointed, beak-like material engaging end; and spaced breaker anvils mounted on the housing and extending between paths of movement of said breaker arms, said anvils being disposed to pass between adjacent breaker arms and spaced in relationship thereto so as to hold the material being disintegrated in the path of the pointed material engaging ends of said breaker arms.

2. A machine as in claim 1 in which said inclined and offset wall portions of the hopper section are slightly curved.

3. A machine as in claim 1 in which said breaker arms curve forwardly in the direction of rotation of said shaft, and are provided with a sharpened leading edge curving outwardly to a point.

4. A machine as in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical breaker section is provided with a discharge orifice plate having spacing means adapted to limit the size of disintegrated material being discharged.

5. A machine as in claim 1 wherein wall portions of the hopper section above said offset portion are in a substantially vertical plane extending upwardly from said offset portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 230,708 Leopold Aug. 3, 1880 424,758 Brown Apr. 1, 1890 469,097 Seaberg Feb. 16, 1892 1,170,963 Coolie Feb. 8, 1916 2,614,597 Magnus Oct. 21, 1952 2,695,644 Talge et al. Nov. 30, 1954 2,738,932 Rietz Mar. 20, 1956 2,796,901 Autio June 25, 1957