A device for pulverizing waste food and other similar materials employing a pivotally mounted hammer on a horizontally rotating plate which operates in relation to a fixed cylindrical surface of variable height lands and grooves, and thereafter, the food is passed between horizontally arranged and relatively rotating sets of lands and grooves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to the conversion of vegetable and animal matter 
into an emulsion, and more particularly to a system which includes 
improved means for pulverizing and emulsifying the source material. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
A principal problem in the construction of a compact and economical system 
for the conversion of waste food, including bones and tough fibers, to 
dried animal feed is that of breaking down the food into sufficiently 
small particles and to accomplish this economically. Heretofore, it has 
been found that the particle size should be reduced down to a maximum 
cross section of approximately 0.03 inch in order to achieve consistency 
in drying and sterilization. The applicant is unaware of the existence of 
any single apparatus for accomplishing this, it having been the known 
practice of utilizing staged breakers, cutters, and even then the results 
were not entirely satisfactory. Particularly, it has been most difficult 
to obtain uniformity in particle size from a variety of waste food 
sources. 
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved 
animal and vegetable material pulverizer wherein a smaller and more 
uniform pulverization is achieved. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with this invention, pulverization is achieved by a device 
having two basic parts, a rotor and a stator. The stator has a series of 
vertically and circumferentially spaced lands on an inner surface of a 
tubular portion of it and a series of radially and circumferentially 
spaced lands on the underside of a plate portion which extends radially 
outwardly and horizontally from a bottom end of the tubular portion. The 
rotor member, generally in the form of a rotating plate, includes a 
pivotally attached hammer which operates between variable height lands on 
the tubular portion of the stator and radially and circumferentially 
spaced lands which rotate within the horizontally arranged lands of the 
stator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Referring to the drawings, pulverizer 10 includes a throat region 12 
through which waste food is supplied. Pulverizer 10 basically consists of 
stator 14 and rotor 16, the latter being driven by motor 18 via shaft 20, 
which is attached by means of nut 22. Hammer assemblies 23, 24, 25, and 
26, spaced 90.degree. apart, each include first and second hammers 28 held 
on frame member 30 by pin 32. Each of these assemblies is attached to a 
generally flat plate central region 34 of rotor 16 by bolt 36. Hammers 28 
have diagonally cut sides 38 with a height dimension which fits with a 
0.020 to 0.030 inch clearance between upper and lower surfaces 40 and 42 
of mating circular lands 44 in a tubular portion of stator 14. Four 
grooves 45, formed between the lands, are shown, as well as only two sets 
of mating hammers; but it is to be appreciated that additional hammers may 
be added above the two shown to operate in the remaining grooves 45 of 
stator 14. An annular extension 46 of stator 14 is formed by a generally 
horizontal stator plate 48, extending radially outward from the lower edge 
50 of the tubular portion of stator 14. The lower surface 52 of this 
extension consists of radially and circumferentially spaced lands 54 which 
form a generally peripheral portion of stator 14. An outer annular portion 
56 of rotor 16 has a like configured, but a complementary set of lands 58 
which rotate within grooves 60 formed by the lands 54 of stator 14. 
Exterior of the outer edge of rotor plate 16 and stator 14 is an annular 
cavity 62 in which vanes 64, attached to rotor plate 16, operate and form 
a pump which picks up pulverized particles. Thus, the waste food, 
progressively pulverized, flows down through tubular cavity 66 of the 
device and out between the horizontally mated lands and grooves 58 and 60, 
respectively, where it is pumped out through exit opening 68. 
FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a portion of rotor 16. It particularly 
illustrates, with FIG. 1, the different surface levels, radially measured, 
of the lands and grooves. Thus, grooves 45, vertically arranged in 
otherwise columns of lands 44, are less deep, radially measured, than 
column of grooves 70. Additionally, the height of successive columns of 
lands, radially measured, are graduated as shown by the difference in 
height between grooves 70 and 45 and land columns 72, 74, 76, and 78. The 
progressive change in radius of these six surfaces is approximately 0.0625 
inch. The pattern of variable heights of the lands is repeated around the 
periphery of rotor 16. 
OPERATION 
Moist waste food or other like material is fed by gravity into throat 12 of 
pulverizer 10. This causes it to be initially deposited on rotor plate 16 
which, by centrifugal force, moves the material laterally to inner 
circular wall 114, forming with rotor plate 16 a grinding bowl. The 
radially extending hammers 28, extending by centrifugal force, force the 
material between lands 44 of wall 114, causing the material to be reduced 
to small particles. The material is then forced downward and along the 
forward (considering direction of movement) inclined plane 38 of hammers 
28. This motion is continuous until the waste food is essentially 
liquified and forced downward to the radial space formed between mating 
lands 58 of rotor 16 and lands 54 of stator 14. The material is then 
forced outward between these lands and further reduced in particle size. 
It then reaches vane pump 62 where the pump vanes 64 force the material 
out through outlet 68 to an appropriate storage container or to other 
equipment for, for example, dehydration. In addition to the particular 
effectiveness of hammer 38 with its inclined side surfaces, the variable 
heights of lands and grooves as shown in FIG. 4 prevents mere shaving and 
assist in achieving a rapid and fine pulverization of material.