Abstract:
A hammer mill apparatus to shred and chip boards fed therethrough comprising a shredding rotor assembly rotatably disposed within a debris chamber formed within a rotor housing including an entry portion and an exit portion formed therein, the shredding rotor assembly includes at least one rotor disc assembly having a plurality of hammer elements pivotally coupled to the periphery thereof being operatively connected to a rotor drive assembly including a drive motor and a rotatable rotor drive shaft to rotate the rotor disc assembly exerting centrifugal force on the plurality of hammer elements such that a line coincident with the longitudinal axis of each hammer element extends through the rotatable rotor drive shaft whereby the outer end of the hammer elements engage boards in the entry portion to shred and chip such boards entering the debris chamber and discharges the reduced material from the exit portion.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This is a Continuation-In-Part Application of pending application Ser. No. 833,792 filed Feb. 12, 1992, pending. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     A hammer mill apparatus to shred and chip boards fed therethrough. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Numerous devices have been developed to chip, shred, mulch and otherwise reduce wood, branches, limbs, leaves and the like. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,034 shows an apparatus for shredding branches, limbs, twigs, leaves or like material including a housing having a rotatable shredding mechanism disposed in the lower portion thereof including a plurality of pivotally mounted substantially triangular shaped hammers for shredding material within the cavity. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,767 discloses a chipper comprising a housing to support a feed roll positioned above a guide chute extending to a rotor having a series of axially spaced circular rotor plates rigidly secured to a driven rotor with a series of peripherally spaced shaft members extending axially through segments of the rotor plates and a plurality of hammer elements mounted on each shaft member between the rotor plates for full 360 degree rotation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,212 teaches a hammer hog to reduce various materials into different sizes including a hinged housing top having a rotatable assembly of hammers and/or impactors disposed therein. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,220 shows a chipping knife and shredder flails mounted for rotation about a common axis. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,856,134 discloses a soil pulverizer and horticultural hammer mill comprising a housing having a material feeding hopper opening through one wall thereof and at least one discharge therefrom, a rotor mounted for rotation in the housing and having a plurality of rows of blades each pivotally supported on axes parallel to the rotor axis. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a hammer mill apparatus to shred and chip boards fed therethrough. Specifically, the hammer mill apparatus comprises a shredding rotor assembly rotatably disposed within a rotor housing operatively supported on a frame. 
     The rotor housing comprises a debris chamber having an entry portion and an exit portion formed on opposite sides thereof to feed boards to the debris chamber and discharge debris therefrom. The entry portion comprises an entry chute having an inlet opening to receive boards therethrough; while, the exit portion comprises an exit chute having an outlet opening to discharge debris therefrom. The debris chamber includes a chamber inlet disposed adjacent the inner end of the entry chute and a chamber outlet disposed adjacent the inner end of the exit chute. An anvil assembly is disposed adjacent the chamber inlet to cooperate with the shredding rotor assembly to shred and chip boards entering the debris chamber as described more fully hereinafter. 
     The shredding rotor assembly comprises a plurality of rotor disc assemblies each including a plurality of hammer elements pivotally coupled to the periphery thereof. The plurality of rotor disc assemblies are operatively coupled to a rotor drive assembly including a drive motor by a rotatable rotor drive shaft to rotate the plurality of rotor disc assemblies to exert centrifugal force on the plurality of hammer elements such that a line coincident with the longitudinal axis of each hammer element extends through the rotatable rotor drive shaft. 
     In operation, the rotor shredding assembly is rotated at substantially 1,200 revolutions per minute. As boards are fed through the entry chute, the rotating hammer elements and anvil assembly cooperatively shred or chip the boards at the inner end of the entry chute drawing the debris into the debris chamber through the debris chamber inlet, through the debris chamber and discharged through the debris chamber outlet end exit chute. The debris may then be collected in a separate hopper. 
     The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the hammer mill apparatus. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the housing and shredding rotor assembly of the hammer mill apparatus. 
     FIG. 3 is a partial side view of the shredding rotor assembly. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded partial isometric view of the shredding rotor assembly. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the housing and shredding rotor assembly of the hammer mill apparatus within an alternate anvil assembly. 
     FIG. 6 is a partial isometric view of the alternate anvil assembly and a rotor disc assembly. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the housing and shredding rotor assembly of the hammer mill apparatus with a hammer element control means. 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the housing and alternate embodiment of the shredding rotor assembly of the hammer mill apparatus. 
     FIG. 9 is an exploded partial isometric view of the alternate embodiment of the shredding rotor assembly. 
     Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention relates to a hammer mill apparatus generally indicated as 10 to shred or chip pallets 12 having nails and the like. Specifically, the hammer mill apparatus 10 comprises a shredding rotor assembly generally indicated as 14 rotatably disposed within a rotor housing generally indicated as 16 supported on a frame generally indicated as 18. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the frame 18 comprises a pair of substantially horizontal rotor housing support members 20 disposed on opposite ends of the rotor housing 16 held in fixed spaced relationship relative to a base 22 by a plurality of upright frame members each indicated as 24. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotor housing 16 comprises a debris chamber 26 cooperatively formed by a pair of end plates 28 disposed on opposite ends of a substantially cylindrical shell 30. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an entry portion generally indicated as 32 and an exit portion generally indicated as 34 are disposed on opposite sides of the debris chamber 26 to feed pallets 12 thereto and discharge debris therefrom as described more fully hereinafter. The entry portion 32 comprises an entry chute 36 having an inlet opening 38 to receive pallets 12 therethrough; while, the exit portion 34 comprises an exit chute 40 having an outlet opening 42 to discharge debris therefrom. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the debris chamber 26 further includes a chamber inlet 44 formed in the substantially cylindrical shell 30 adjacent the inner end 46 of the entry chute 36 and a chamber outlet 48 formed in the substantially cylindrical shell 30 adjacent the inner end 50 of the exit chute 40. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, an anvil assembly generally indicated as 52 is disposed adjacent the chamber inlet 44 to cooperate with the shredding rotor assembly 14 to shred and chip pallets 12 entering the debris chamber 26 as described more fully hereinafter. The anvil assembly 52 comprises an anvil element 54 substantially the width of the substantially cylindrical shell 30 including an inclined anvil surface 56 slidably disposed within an anvil channel 58 formed on the substantially cylindrical shell 30. The anvil element 54 is adjustable longitudinally within the anvil channel 58 to vary the distance between the inclined anvil surface 56 and shredding rotor assembly 14. The anvil element 54 is selectively secured within the anvil channel 58 by a fastening means 60. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the longitudinal axes of the entry chute 32 and exit chute 34 form angles of 60 degrees and 45 degrees respectively relative the horizontal plane. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 through 4, the shredding rotor assembly 14 comprises a plurality of rotor disc assemblies each generally indicated as 62 operatively mounted on a rotatable rotor drive shaft 64. Each rotor disc assembly 62 comprises a plurality of hammer elements each indicated as 66 pivotally mounted to the periphery of a pair of substantially parallel, spaced apart circular rotor discs each indicated as 68 by a corresponding pivot element indicated as 70 extending through a corresponding rotor disc aperture 72 and hammer element aperture 74. The pivot element 70 may comprises a threaded bolt 76 and nut 78 combination or suitable alternative. 
     As best shown in FIG. 4, each circular rotor disc 68 is mounted on the rotatable rotor drive shaft 64 by a corresponding mounting collar generally indicated as 80 having a centrally disposed aperture 82 formed therethrough to receive the rotatable rotor drive shaft 64. Each mounting collar 80 comprises a substantially circular mounting element 84 affixed within a corresponding centrally disposed rotor disc aperture 86 and a substantially circular spacer element 88 having a width slightly greater than the width of the hammer elements 66. The rotor disc assemblies 62 are maintained in operative alignment relative to each other by a key 90 affixed within a slot 92 formed on the rotatable rotor drive shaft 64 extending through key ways 94 formed in the periphery of the substantially circular spacer elements 88 to cooperatively form a rotor disc alignment means. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the shredding rotor assembly 14 preferably comprises at least two rotor disc assemblies 62 each including four hammer elements 66 symmetrically disposed on the corresponding circular rotor disc 68. As shown, the hammer elements 66 of adjacent rotor disc assemblies 62 are off-set relative to each other. In this configuration, the hammer elements 66 are restricted to pivotal movement within an arc of substantially 180 degrees by the next adjacent pivot elements 70. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the rotatably rotor drive shaft 64 extends through bearings 94 mounted to end plates 28 and bearing 96 mounted to mounting brackets 98 attached to the substantially horizontal rotor housing supports 20. A rotor drive assembly including a drive motor 100 mounted to the base 22 is operatively coupled to the rotatable rotor drive shaft 64 by a drive pulley 102 mounted thereon and drive pulley 104 mounted on an output drive shaft 106 having a drive belt 108 extending therebetween. The drive motor 100 is coupled to an electrical source (not shown) by conductor 110. Alternately a gasoline engine may be used. 
     In operation, the rotor shredding assembly 14 is rotated at substantially 1,200 revolutions per minute. As pallets 12 are fed through the entry chute 36, the rotating hammer elements 66 and anvil assembly 52 cooperatively shred or chip the pallets 12 at the inner end 46 of the entry chute 36 drawing the debris into the debris chamber 26 through the chamber inlet 44, through the debris chamber 26 and discharged through the chamber outlet 48 and exit chute 40. The debris may then be collected in a separate hopper not shown). Since the anvil element 54 is adjustable within the anvil channel 58, the distance between the outer ends of the rotating hammer elements 66 and inclined anvil surface 56 may be adjusted to determine the size of the debris. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show an alternate embodiment of the anvil assembly generally indicated as 112. The anvil assembly 112 comprises an anvil element 114 substantially the width of the substantially cylindrical shell 30 having a plurality of spaced apart anvil elements each indicated as 116 extending outwardly therefrom to cooperatively form hammer element spacer 118 between adjacent anvil elements 116. The anvil element 114 is selectively secured within the anvil channel 58 by a fastening means 60 extending through apertures 120 and 122 formed on the anvil element 114 and channel 58 respectively. 
     As best shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of hammer elements 66 of the rotor disc assembly 62 corresponding to each hammer element space 118 are aligned to pass therethrough upon rotation of the rotor shredding assembly 14 otherwise the operation is the same as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 4. The longitudinal center line of the anvil elements 116 are aligned with the rotor drive shaft 64. 
     As shown in FIG. 7, the hammer mill apparatus 10 may further include a plurality of hammer element control means each generally indicated as 124 corresponding to each hammer element 66 to limit the pivotal movement thereof. Each hammer element control means 124 comprises a hammer element engagement means generally indicated as 126 to engage the sides adjacent hammer elements 66 of each rotor disc assembly 62 to limit the movement thereof secured in place by a corresponding securing member 128 mounted on the corresponding pivot element 70. Each hammer element engagement means 126 comprises an interconnecting base member 130 pressed against the periphery of the substantially circular spacer element 88 having a resilient limit member 132 inclined on opposite ends thereof to engage the hammer element 66. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternate shredding rotor assembly generally indicated as 14&#39; comprising a plurality of rotor disc assemblies each generally indicated as 62&#39; operatively mounted on the rotatable rotor drive shaft 64&#39;. Each rotor disc assembly 62&#39; comprises a plurality of hammer elements each indicated as 66&#39; mounted within a plurality of corresponding slots each indicated as 67&#39; formed on the periphery of a rotor disc 68&#39; by a corresponding coupling element indicated as 70&#39; extending through a corresponding rotor disc aperture 72&#39; and hammer element aperture 74&#39;. The coupling element 70&#39; may comprise a threaded bolt and nut combination or suitable alternative. 
     Each rotor disc 68&#39; is mounted on the rotatable rotor drive shaft 64&#39; extending therethrouqh a centrally disposed aperture 82&#39; formed therethrough to receive the rotatable rotor drive shaft 64&#39;. At least one spacer element 88&#39; is operatively disposed between adjacent rotor disks 68&#39;. Each spacer element 88&#39; includes a plurality of spacer apertures each indicated as 83&#39; formed about the periphery thereof to receive the coupling elements 70&#39; therethrough and a centrally disposed aperture 85&#39; to reveive the rotor drive shaft 64&#39; therethrough. The rotor disc assemblies 62&#39; are maintained in operative alignment relative to each other by a key 90&#39; affixed within a slot 92&#39; formed on the rotatable rotor drive shaft 64&#39; extending through key ways 94&#39; formed in the rotor discs 68&#39; and spacer elements 88&#39; to cooperatively form a rotor disc alignment means. 
     The shredding rotor assembly 14&#39; preferably comprises at least two rotor disc assemblies 62&#39; each including four hammer elements 66&#39; symmetrically disposed on the corresponding rotor disc 68&#39;. As shown, the hammer elements 66&#39; of adjacent rotor disc assemblies 62&#39; are off-set relative to each other. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. 
     Now that the invention has been described,