Patent Publication Number: US-2021187513-A1

Title: Modular roller grinding mill

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a grain grinding mill, and more particularly a roller grinding mill with modular ease of service and/or re-configuration characteristics. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Roller grinding mills are commonly used in the beer brewing industry to grind grain and the like. Typical grinding mills have been purpose built for high capacities required by high volume beer production. 
     Competition in the roller mill industry has focused attention on process flexibility, quality control, labor requirements and overall reductions in manufacturing and installation costs. 
     Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a roller mill that overcomes deficiencies in the prior art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, where like reference numbers in the drawing figures refer to the same feature or element and may not be described in detail for every drawing figure in which they appear and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic isometric view of an exemplary roller mill drive module. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic isometric view of an exemplary grinding roller. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of the roller mill module of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a close-up view of area B of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic first side view of a two module assembly. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic second side view of the assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic isometric view of the assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic front side view of the roller mill module of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a close-up view of area A of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic isometric view of an exemplary sampler. 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic first side view of a three module assembly. 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic second side view of the assembly of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic isometric view of the assembly of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic front side view of the assembly of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 15  is a cut-away view taken along line A of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 16  is a close-up view of area C of  FIG. 15 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The inventors have recognized that a growing craft beer brewing industry has created a need for roll mills adapted for use in relatively small batch environments with ease of use characteristics. Equipment serviceability, particularly by small companies that may not have a dedicated staff of mechanics is another factor for commercial success. Further, there is a need for expandability so that initial equipment investments are not lost as a small organization grows/evolves. 
     As shown for example in  FIG. 1 , an exemplary roller mill module  2  has a fixed grinding roller  4  with a first grind surface  6  rotatably supported within a grind area  8  between a first drive end  10  and a second drive end  12  of a support structure  14 . An adjustable grinding roller  16  with a second grind surface  6  is also rotatably supported within the grind area  8 , alongside the fixed grinding roller  4 . Baffles  9  extending between the first and second drive ends  10 ,  12 , which define the grind area  8  therebetween, may be applied to guide product towards the grind gap  18 . 
     The fixed and/or adjustable grinding rollers  4 ,  16  may be provided with grooves  7  or other surface features on the grind surfaces  6 . The grooves  7  may be applied, for example, parallel or skewed with respect to a longitudinal axis of the respective fixed and/or adjustable grinding rollers  4 ,  16 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the adjustable grinding roller  16  is movable with respect to the fixed grinding roller  4 , for example via a threaded screw  20  pushing and/or pulling a stop surface  22  coupled to the adjustable grinding roller  16  as the screw  20  is rotated to thread into or out of the stop surface  22 , to adjust a grind gap  18  (see  FIGS. 15 and 16 ) between the first grind surface  6  and the second grind surface  6 . Applying a pair of the screws  20 , one at each of the first drive end  10  and the second drive end  12  enables precision adjustment of the grind gap  18 , for example placing the fixed and adjustable grinding rollers  4 ,  16  parallel to one another or skewed as desired to obtain both a desired grind size and/or range of grind sizes. 
     A spring  23 , for example biased against the stop surface  22 , may be applied to provide a relief bias for the adjustable grinding roller  16  to reduce damage if an oversize foreign object encounters the grind gap  18 . 
     The fixed and adjustable grinding rollers  4 ,  16  are driven via drive shafts  24  of the fixed grinding roller  4  and the adjustable grinding roller  16  extending from the first and the second drive ends  10 ,  12  of the support structure  14 . As best shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , a motor  26  is coupled to the drive shafts  24 , for example via a belt  27  running upon drive wheels  31  mounted on the drive shaft  24  of the fixed grinding roller  4  and the drive shaft  24  of the adjustable grinding roller  16  outboard of the first drive end  10  of the support structure  14 . 
     One skilled in the art will appreciate that while rotation speed of the rollers is a function of motor  26  speed, set for example by a variable frequency drive, rotation speeds of the fixed and adjustable grinding rollers  4 ,  16  with respect to one another may be the same or set at a differential when a diameter of the fixed drive wheel  31  is selected to be different from a diameter of the adjustable drive wheel  31 . 
     To adjust the motor  26  speed and/or grind gap  18  for a desired product grind, the current product grind may be sampled via a sample port  28  (See  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) provided in a front side  29  of the support structure  14  that is coupled to a sample passage  30  extending to a position below the grind area  8  and opposite a sampler stop surface  32 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , a sample cavity  36  formed by a cut-out  38  in a sampler  34  is filled with the current product grind passing through the grind gap  18  when the sampler  34  is inserted through the sample port  28  and sample passage  30  to contact the sampler stop surface  32 . For ease of emptying the sampler  34 , the sampler  34  may be provided with an open end  40 . A cover  42 , operable to open and close access to the sample port  28  may be provided to close/seal the sample port  28  when not in use. 
     The roller mill module may be used as a stand alone unit or as an assembly of roller mill modules. For example,  FIGS. 5-7  show two roller mill modules mated together as bottom and middle mill modules  44 ,  46 . The bottom mill module  44  drives the middle mill module  46  via additional belts  27  and drive wheels  31  at the second drive ends  12  of the respective drive shafts  24 . The drive shaft  24  of the fixed grinding roller  4  of the bottom mill module  44  is coupled to the drive shaft  24  of the fixed grinding roller  4  of the middle mill module  46  outboard of the second drive ends  12  of the support structures  14  of the bottom and middle mill modules  44 , 46 . Similarly, the drive shaft  24  of the adjustable grinding roller  16  of the bottom mill module  44  is coupled to the drive shaft  24  of the adjustable grinding roller  16  of the middle mill module  46  outboard of the second drive ends  12  of the support structures  14  of the bottom and middle mill modules  44 ,  46 . 
     Further roller mill modules may be added as desired. For example,  FIGS. 11-15  show three roller mill modules mated together as bottom, middle and top mill modules  44 ,  46 ,  48 . The middle mill module  46  drives the top mill module  48  via additional belts  27  and drive wheels  31  at the first drive ends  10  of the respective drive shafts  24 . The drive shaft  24  of the fixed grinding roller  4  of the middle mill module  46  is coupled to the drive shaft  24  of the fixed grinding roller  4  of the top mill module  48  outboard of the first drive ends  10  of the support structures  14  of the middle and top mill modules  46 ,  48 . Similarly, the drive shaft  24  of the adjustable grinding roller  16  of the middle mill module  46  is coupled to the drive shaft  24  of the adjustable grinding roller  16  of the top mill module  48  outboard of the first drive ends  10  of the support structures  14  of the middle and top mill modules  46 ,  48 . 
     Utilization of the drive shafts  24  alternating between the first and second drive ends  10 ,  12  balances the loads upon the fixed and adjustable grinding rollers  4 ,  16 , improving overall wear characteristics of the assembly. Further, assembly/maintenance is simplified, as any of the belts  27  may be accessed, without disturbing other belts  27 . 
     The modularity of the roller mill module  2  enables initial acquisition with a minimum capital investment that need not be wasted when further capacity or functionality is required. For example, as the needs of the brewer grow, in addition to adding additional roller mill modules  2  to enable single pass progressive milling, blast gates  50  and/or hoppers  52 , including weigh cell metering hoppers, may be easily added without requiring replacement of the original roller mill module. 
     Further, should maintenance be required, a single roller mill module  2  with an issue may be quickly exchanged by staff with minimal mechanical abilities/training. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Table of Parts 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 2 
                 roller mill module 
               
               
                 4 
                 fixed grinding roller 
               
               
                 6 
                 grind surface 
               
               
                 7 
                 groove 
               
               
                 8 
                 grind area 
               
               
                 9 
                 baffle 
               
               
                 10 
                 first drive end 
               
               
                 12 
                 second drive end 
               
               
                 14 
                 support structure 
               
               
                 16 
                 adjustable grinding roller 
               
               
                 18 
                 grind gap 
               
               
                 20 
                 screw 
               
               
                 22 
                 stop surface 
               
               
                 23 
                 spring 
               
               
                 24 
                 drive shaft 
               
               
                 26 
                 motor 
               
               
                 27 
                 belt 
               
               
                 28 
                 sample port 
               
               
                 29 
                 front side 
               
               
                 30 
                 sample passage 
               
               
                 31 
                 drive wheel 
               
               
                 32 
                 sampler stop surface 
               
               
                 34 
                 sampler 
               
               
                 36 
                 sample cavity 
               
               
                 38 
                 cut-out 
               
               
                 40 
                 open end 
               
               
                 42 
                 cover 
               
               
                 44 
                 bottom mill module 
               
               
                 46 
                 middle mill module 
               
               
                 48 
                 top mill module 
               
               
                 50 
                 blast gate 
               
               
                 52 
                 hopper 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to ratios, integers, components or modules having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. 
     While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus, methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept. Further, it is to be appreciated that improvements and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention as defined by the following claims.