Patent ID: 7530513

Claim:
Apparatus for fragmenting particles comprising: a throwing wheel comprising a body having a central inlet port along an axis of the body and a periphery having a plurality of particle exits, the port being adapted for receiving particles, and a plurality of channels within the body extending generally radially from the central inlet port to the plurality of particle exits, each channel having a top wall, a bottom wall, and side walls, wherein the side walls of each channel converge towards the particle exits at the periphery, and wherein the throwing wheel is rotatable in a first direction and operable to receive the particles for accelerating and directing the particles from a periphery of the throwing wheel along a particle trajectory; an impact rotor having a peripheral impact surface positioned concentrically about the throwing wheel for intersecting the particle trajectory; the impact rotor rotatable in a second direction opposite to the throwing wheel for increasing an impact speed of the particles and fragmenting the particles when the particles collide with the impact surface; a first motor directly coupled to the impact rotor and operable to power the impact rotor; and a second motor directly coupled to the throwing wheel and operable to power the throwing wheel.