Solid material comminution or disintegration – Apparatus – Rotary striking member or hammer
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-09-25
Ostrager, Allen (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Apparatus
Rotary striking member or hammer
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293481
ABSTRACT:
The invention provides an improved striker for wood comminuting rotors which facilitates rapid replacement of the strikers without removal of associated parts and includes a combination of the striker and striker retainer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Prior art comminuting apparatus for reducing large diameter wood products and stumps to a desired size, have comprised a reduction chamber, with an impact rotor positioned concentrically therein, in combination with a housing, drive motor and infeed chute. The impact rotor is formed with a plurality of horizontally elongated impact strikers at its periphery. The rotor is positioned so that the elongated wood product or stump falling under the influence of gravity through the infeed chute is directed against the strikers, and repelled ahead of the rotor's rotational direction against an anvil formed along one side of the reduction chamber.
In prior art, wood comminuting apparatus, is often capable of comminuting trees or parts thereof up to 40 inches in diameter (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,611), strikers used for the comminution are bolted directly to mounting projections on the rotor which is rotated to produce the comminution. Maintenance to change strikers has required complete removal of the striker mounting bolts with a consequent potential loss of bolts and uneconomical use of maintenance time, especially in view of the substantial number of strikers on a rotor of such apparatus. Also the strikers of the prior art are only as wide as segments of the rotor with the result that wear on outer edges of the cutting edges of the strikers leaves gaps in cutting edges between segments leading to inefficient comminution and shortened striker life.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to improve maintenance time and ease of striker replacement in comminution apparatus without the potential for loss of components including bolts and associated nuts.
It is a further object of the invention to increase the life of strikers in such apparatus, as a result of (axial) edge wear of strikers.
According to the invention there is provided a comminuting striker for mounting on a rotor of a comminuting apparatus, comprising a body having opposed first and second ends, the first end of which defines a cutting edge and the second end of which defines a slot extending toward the first end, the slot being sized to provide passage for bolts used to attach the striker to a striker mounting face of the rotor and being shaped to allow the striker to be removed from the rotor without removing the bolts from the rotor.
According to the invention there is also provided a method facilitating replacement of a striker of a comminuting rotor in which the striker is clamped to a mounting face of the rotor by bolts, when tight, in engagement with the rotor and a retainer with the striker held in place by a projection on the retainer engaging a cooperating opening in the striker, comprising the step of: a) providing a slot in the striker to permit movement of the striker laterally of the bolts; b) loosening the bolts sufficiently, without the removal of the bolts and retainer from the rotor, to permit the projection to disengage from the opening; and c) sliding the slot of the striker laterally from the bolts to remove the striker from the rotor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3642214 (1972-02-01), Blackwell, Jr.
patent: 3935774 (1976-02-01), Craddy
patent: 4667713 (1987-05-01), Wright
patent: 5819825 (1998-10-01), Lyman et al.
patent: 5950945 (1999-09-01), Schaller
Davis & Bujold P.L.L.C.
Hong William
Ostrager Allen
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