Patent ID: 6926215

Claim:
A hammermill for reducing oversized particulates to desired sized particulates, comprising: a housing with an inlet end for receiving oversized particulates and a discharge end for exiting desired sized particulates, the housing defining a longitudinal axis; a rotor assembly disposed within the housing for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the housing; a first plurality of hammers coupled to the rotor assembly, the first plurality of hammers disposed intermediate the inlet end and the discharge end of the housing, each hammer of the first plurality of hammers being spaced from an adjacent hammer of the first plurality of hammers along the longitudinal axis and positioned at substantially at a right angle to the adjacent hammer; a second plurality of hammers coupled to the rotor assembly, the second plurality of hammers disposed proximate the inlet end of the housing and adjacent the first plurality of hammers; a first attrition plate assembly having a generally circular configuration and secured within the housing intermediate the inlet end and the discharge end of the housing, wherein a least a portion of each hammer of the first plurality of hammers closely overlies a portion of the first attrition plate assembly so that the hammers of the first plurality of hammers cooperate with the first attrition plate assembly; and a second attrition plate assembly having a generally semi-circular configuration and secured within the housing adjacent the inlet end of the housing and the first attrition plate assembly, wherein a least a portion of each hammer of the second plurality of hammers closely overlies a portion of the second attrition plate assembly so that the hammers of the second plurality of hammers cooperate with the second attrition plate assembly, wherein each of the respective first and second attrition plate assemblies comprises a plurality of attrition impact plates, each attrition impact plate having a curvilinear inner surface, and wherein at least two attrition impact plates of the first attrition plate assembly form a substantially continuous work surface having a generally cylindrical shape that encloses the first plurality of hammers.