June 16, 1964

C. R. STEELE

3,137,334

DISINTEGRATOR HAVING DOWNWARDLY INCLINED BAFFLES

Filed Nov. 17, 1960

2 Sheets-Sheet l

//( r 3 In);

37
4

33//

U
U
was.

INVENTOR.
CLARENCE R. STEELE

ATTORNEYS

June 16, 1964

c. R. STEELE

3,137,334

DISINTEGRATOR HAVING DOWNWARDUII INCLINED BAFFLES

2 Sheets-Sheet 2

Filed Nov. 17, 1960

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\

IFIJGI4I
INVENTOR.

CLARENCE R. STEELE

AT TO R NEYS

United States

' 3,131,334

PatentO 1C6

Patented June 16, 1964

2

Still another object is to provide a novel hammer ar~

accomplishes the desiredfunc

rangement which not only
tion of disintegration, but also employs a novel, mounting
to prevent damage to the hammers by foreign materials

3,137,334
DISINTEGRATOR HAVING DOWNWARDLY
INCLINED BAFFLES

>

_.

Clarence R. Steele, Denver, Colo., assignor to Silver

(Zorporation, Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado
Filed Nov. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 69,992

passing in contact therewith.

It is a furtherv object of my invention to provide a

novelclosure and aperture arrangement enclosing the

disintegrating zone whic 7 takes advantage of inherent

16 Claims. (Cl. 146-192)

This invention is directed to a comminutor or disin

tegrator and more particularly to method and means for 10

characteristics of material being processed to obtain a

superior disintegration.

disintegration and size reduction of vegetal materials.

Other features and

advantages of my invention, inc-i

cluding novel details of construction and combinations

and arrangements of parts, will becomeobviousto those,

In the comminution and size reduction of vegetal ma

terials, and particularly ?brous vegetal materials such as

skilled in the art from the following description in which
sugar cane, special designs, construction, and method of 15 reference is made to the appended exemplary drawings.
operation are required because available apparatus used
in treatment of other material of similar size is not suited
for treating certain of these vegetal materials, such as
sugar cane, having intrinsic moisture or natural sap con
tent which tends to cause lumping, agglomerating build

up or packing of material in the'apparatus. I have found

it desirable that the material treated be forced into and

In

these

drawings:

- .

'

'

'

'

'

FIG. 1 is a partially. broken side elevation of disin~

tegrating apparatus embodying features of myinventive

concept;

through the zone of disintegration and maintained un

..

FIG. 2 is a section along the 'line 2-2 of FIG. -1; I

FIG. 3 is a partial section taken along the line 33

20

of FIG. 1;

"

FIG. 4 is an alternative arrangement of hammer ele-c

der pressure during its passage therethrough. Further,

mentsof a device such as shown in FIG. 1; and '
my invention takes advantage of this same tendency of
FIG.v 5 is a developed elevation of a portion of the
v25
such vegetal materials to agglomerate by providing a
enclosure for the disintegration zone
the apparatus .
novel internal screening closure and de?ecting structure
at a subsequent stage. The disintegrating zone includes
Before describing the drawings in detail, it should be
novel hammer members, which reduce the-vegetal ma
understood that I do not wish to be limited thereby, but '
of FIG.

1.

terial to a?nely divided mass, and are designed to over 30 rather by'the spirit and 'a scope .of my invention as de
come the deleterious e?ects of tramp iron, stones and ?ned in the hereafter appended claims.
A disintegrator according to my inventive concepts is
the like in the feed.
'
.
Brie?y, my invention is comprised, essentially, of a
shown in FIG, 1 as including a generally tubular central
housing having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the

housing sectionT10 connected .between a discharge case

opposite end into which cut- or chopped materials are 35' ing ll'fsiand an upper housing 12 by means such as bolts
force-fed through a restricted feed conduit at the top. 313 and 14, respectively. .Mounted on the top of the
Theupper zone of the housing has additional force feed-~
housing 12 is a housing 15 for supporting a power source
ing mechanism which continually pushes or forces the 16 such as an electric motor.
, '
'
T
material into and through the disintegrating zone in con
The disintegrator preferably , has an upper'feed dise.
tact. with a plurality of vertically spaced groups or- sets 40 tributing zone 17 with a positive feed mechanism therein
of hingedly mounted hammer members so as to reduce , comprised ofaplurality oiyertically spaced impellers]
the vfeed mass to a ?nely divided, substantially homo ~ ~ preferably, in the form of vthelvertically mounted double
geneous mass and extrude or force it as substantially
screw conveyor 18. The conveyor18, is mountedfon

contiguous rod-like mass through a plurality of large,

a central shaft 19 which'is suitably supported by the a
generally rectangular, apertures in an internalscreening 45 bearing arrangement 20 and forms an extensionof the
closure.> The material forced through the apertures,- is
power take off shaft 21, ofhthe motor 16., vA second
de?ected downwardly by a plurality of vanes or baffles,

positive feed mechanism, a1so'..pref_erably- a, screw con

veyor, and shown as
c double screw conveyor 25, extendsvv
through a housing 26 adjoining a side of, housing 12-at'
the top of distributing; zone, "17 to provide a 'force feed

which tend to choke 'thedischarge from the apertures

andaid the extruding process.

The downwardly ' and '

'

outwardly positioning of the vanes or ba?iles directs, the 50

rod-like masses into contact with impellerspwhich break.
to said zone and a.-Ihopper .22} delivers the feed into
up the rods and lumps of material and eject it for ?nal housing 26. The shaftportion 27 ofv the conveyor 25,
movement through the outlet.
_ extendsoutwardly for interconnection
a'lpower source
Becauseof the novel hinged or pivotal mounting ar-.
(not shown).

' '

rangements forwthe hammers, ,tramp iron, rocks; and 55v A, disintegratingzone is disposed below the upper feed
similar foreign materials do not damage the hammers > _ distributing zone vr17 vand receives the ,iegetal material.
with which they may ~come in contact. The same ham

mer mounting arrangement and construction also pro

vides multiple selective arrangements of hammers at. ,

'force fed by'conveyor 318.1 A housing or closure 31' c

c
forms
an annular extension, of housing'12' and has a;

plurality of parallel rows of; enlarged apertures32 '(see -

various positions in the disintegrating zone.

_
60
' It is an object of my inventionto provide cacsimple,

FIG. 5) which in fcommehrcial "devices "may 'be of the-~

e?icient and economical methodof disintegrating vegetal

materials which is adapted to>accommodatel variations.

of the closure member1 ,

by four inches' high.--. The height
_

in properties and characteristics of such material by,

parts of the. inecha-1 65

simple adjustments of component
_

nism used in performing such methods.

Another object of this invention is to provide simple,

approximate dimensions of two and one-half inchesfwide'

31; is'a substantial "portion :of-theq lengthbf the central

housing or casing710 and preferably'f'is about one-half:

the heightthereof.

"

'

"

'

~1

-'

As shown nr-FIG. 5,. the" apertures 32 areia'rranged ini '

.upper andilowerrows, andjbafiles such ast'ba?les 33am"

durable and efficient apparatus for disintegrating vegetal - 34, extend at a downward inclination from the itop'of-g materials: which employs a force feeding action into,-1 -- 9 each row ' in substantially parallel relationship; 'i'lia?les
through and out of the-disintegrating zone was to main: 70 33 extend outwardly beyondi/batlles '34 in spaced relation
tain full capacity operation over extended periods of- treat. c. to housingflo and de?ne passages of: substantially unis
31.1

ment.

'

3,137,334
form size from top to bottom.

As shown in FIG.
3, ba?ie 34 is formed in two sections 34a and 3% having
end ?anges 340 secured by bolts 34d. Battle 33 may be

assembled in the same way.

members 33 and 34. The deflected material then passes

into contact with the impellers'Sll and 51 which are also

moving in conjoint rotation with the shaft 19. 7 These

The lower end of the shaft 19 is maintained in a thrust

impellers break up the rods and lumps of material which

bearing relationship with a lower housing 35 by a sup

porting spider assembly 36. A plurality of vertically

then fall through the casing 11 in a loosened or ?uffy

condition for disposition at any stage of the re?nery
operation. '

spaced hammer members 37 are supported on the shaft

Any tramp iron, rocks, and other relatively hard foreign

19 for conjoint rotation therewith in substantially hori

zontal paths. The preferred manner of mounting these
hammers is to sandwich them between a spacer 4d and
a collar 41 disposed directly above and below each ham
mer 37.

material which is included in the feed material will .';not

damage the hammers or impellers because of their pivotal .

hinged arrangement wherein upon contacting such hard

materials, they pivot

This arrangement is repeated and continued

or move out of contact therewith,

without damage to the hammers.

along the shaft from the top to bottom of the disintegrat
When different consistenciesgor toughness of feed vma
ing zone. The collars and hammers are held together 15
terialsare encountered, selective arrangement of the ham- _
in the sandwich by elongated bolt and nut arrangements
such as 45 and 45a.
'
a
mers between their respective collars may be made to
provide increased efficiency. For
In FIG. 3, it will be seen that the collarmembers 41
instance, if a relatively,
tough material is being encountered, the uppermost col
are keyed to the shaft 19 by an elongated key 42 ?tting
in opposed complementary slots in the collars and shaft. 20 lars may have only two or. three hammers therebetween.
The, number of hammers in progressively lower series
With this arrangement, each of the hammers 37 is adapted
can then'be increased and/or staggered with relationrto
for limitedhorizontal pivotal movement, between pins.
43, normal to the shaft. - These pins are spaced at regu~

the uppermost, to thereby obtain the desired consistency

lar intervals around'the collars, and will be referred to

in the disintegrated product. i r

in more detail hereinafter. The dotted line 44 in FIG. 3 25

A, distinctive feature of the structural arrangement

previously described is the provision of a space of sub
stantial vertical extent between the lowermost hammer
member and the impellers Y50 and 51 which permits
passage of material outwardly into. impact. relationship "

is indicative of the rangeor magnitude of pivotal move

ment of the hammers 3'7.

One or a plurality of impellers are mounted on shaft

19 below the hammers 37 for conjoint rotation therewith

to intercept falling material discharged through openings

32.> In the drawings, I have shown a pair of hinged im
pellers 5t} and 51 spaced 180 relative to each other and
mounted in the same horizontal plane. The outerends
of the impellers are disposed in closely spaced relation
to housing 10 so as to contact; fallingmaterial throughout
the entire area of housing 10.

'The pins 43 are arranged for selective interchangeable

I and staggered arrangements for mounting the hammers

with said impellers and discharge in a?uffy; consistency

distant from the shaft rather than packing around said
shaft as otherwise might'occur.

Another distinctive feature of the arrangement is the

choking effect on the

intermediate zone deriving from 1
the position of baflles '33 and 34, which cause material
in the intermediate zone to be delayed inwardly of the
periphery of the enclosure before discharge through the '
apertures 32. Most of the hammer action is directed
against material alined with, said openings rather than

37, such as the arrangement'shown in FIG. 4, wherein

the uppermost collar shown has three hammers mounted 40 material located between the walls of closure 31 and '
the outer ends of hammers 37, thereby preventing an
thereon. The collar below the uppermost, also has three
accelerated passage of material through the intermediate
hammers but they are staggered in non-equiangular rela
tion to the uppermost hammers.
}
zone and assuring adequate hammer impact to attain the '
desired reduction before
' In assembling the hammers for a given operation, the
the discharge apertures 32.such material passes. out of .
spacing positions are selected and elongated bolts such as
45 or 45a are passed through aligned openings in the 45. Having thus describedmy invention, what I' desire ,
to have protected
collars 41"and hammers 37. ' After
following claims. by Letters Patent is set forth in'the
spacing in this manner, pins 43
remaining openings so as to act
pivotal movement of the hammers-

In operation, a disintegrator such as shown inthe draw

. ings may be placed in a conventional material treatment
circuit such as a sugar cane re?nery. . The material which

is fed to the disintegrator will. have been previously re

duced to'about three or four inch lengths and is fed

into the feed hopper 2S and thence into contact 'with the
7 positive feed means, or double
4

'

screw conveyor 25._ The

I claim:
, 1. A disintegrator comprising a hollow 'housinghav- '
ing an upper feed distributing zone, an intermediate com-_v . '

minuting zone and. a lowerpro'duct:

sive'of a bottom discharge outlet, a

ing downwardly through said upper and '

vzones, a plurality of vertically spaced. hammer members

hingedly supported from said shaft for conjoint rota

vtion therewith within said intermediate :zone, a stationary:

rotating conveyor 25 in housing 26 forces the confined

material into the upper feedzone 17. The-double screw

conveyor or positive feed means 18 rotating therein on
' thershaft l9, forces
v
thematerial down into and through

the intermediate disintegrating zone into contact with a

' plurality of vertically spaced sets or groups of hammers

$7. The hammers also are moving in conjointrotation

with the shaft andthey hammer and break up the ma
terial fed in contact therewith. The. comminuted ma
terial is forced through the apertures 32'and because of
the close spacing between the closure vand the -:ends of
the hammers andjthe inherent tendency of the material,
such as vegetal materials to lump and agglomerate, such

material is discharged through

extrusion. . The rod-like

'masses of material passing"

1 ing said shaft.

' V I

'7 _

.2. A disintegrator, comprising a hollow housing

van inlet and an upper feeddistributing zone,
_

havin

aninter

mediate commmuting zone and a lower product

removal '

through the apertures are_,subjected to the choking in

?uence of the outwardly and downwardly extending ba?le

into_ said intermediate zone,- a plurality of vertically.

spaced hammer members hingedlyr supported from said-f

'
i _ V

3,137,334
through said openings, and means for rotating said shaft

r 5

shaft for conjoint rotation therewith within said inter

mounted on said housing.

mediate zone, a stationary closure beyond the ends of

said members having upper and lower rows of discharge

6. A disintegrator comprising a hollow housing having

an inlet and an upper feed distributing zone, an interme

openings of substantial vertical extent, a downwardly

inclining ba?le mounted on the exterior'of said closure

diate comminuting zone and a'lower product removal.

' zone inclusive of a bottom dischargeoutlet, a rotary shaft

at the top of each row, at least one impeller supported

for rotation by said shaft below said inclining baf?es, a
positive-feed mechanism for moving a material to be

extending downwardly through at least said upper zone

and into said intermediate zone, a plurality of vertically
, spaced hammer members hingedly supported from said

disintegratedinto said upper zone, said vertically-spaced

for conjoint rotation therewith within said interme

10 shaft
diate zone, a stationary tubular closure surrounding the

hammer members being arranged to direct incoming ma

ends of said members having a plurality of vertically

spaced rows of-discharge openings of substantial vertical
3. A disintegrator comprising a hollow housing having
extent around said"closure,~a ba?le member mountedv on 1
an inlet and an upper feed distributing zone, an inter
the exterior of said closure and having a planar bottom . .
15
surface downwardly inclining from the top of each row,
mediate comminuting zone and a lower product removal;
discharge outlet, a rotary shaft
a pair of impellers supported in 180 relation to each other ~
zone inclusive of a bottom
and in substantially the same horizontal plane by said
extending downwardly through said upper zone and into.
shaft beneath said inclini'ngbaf?es; a positive-feed-mech
said intermediate zone, a plurality of vertically' spaced
ansim for moving material to be disintegrated into said
hammer members supported from said shaft for conjoint
upper zone, said vertically-spaced hammer members '
rotation therewith within said intermediate zone and
hinged for pivotal movement normalto said shaft, a sta
arranged to direct incoming material downwardly through
said
intermediate zone and extrudeit throughsaid open
tionary closure beyond the ends of said members having
a
i
Y
upper and lower rows of discharge openings of substantial
_ _ings,and means for rotating said shaft.
- 7. A'disintegrator; comprising ahollow housing having
vertical extent, a downwardly inclining Vba?ie mounted,

terial through said intermediate zone and out said open- ~

ings, and means for rotating said shaft.
7

on the exterior of said closure at the top of each row,

v25 an inlet and an upper feed distributing zone, an interme

diate comminuting' zone anda lower product removal

zone inclusive of a bottomdischarge outlet, a rotary shaft
extendingdownwardly throughatleast said upper zone

at least oneimpeller supported for rotation by said shaft

beneath said inclining baffles, a positive-feed mechanism
for moving material to be disintegrated into saidupper

and into said intermediate'zone, a plurality of vertically

zone, positive-feed means for moving material through

said upper zone to said intermediate zone,

spaced hammer members hingedly; supported from c said

shaft ifor conjoint rotation therewith-within said interme-_
,diate zone, a stationaryytub'ular closuresurrounding the
ends of said members having aplurality of vertically

said vertically- ~

spaced hammer members and said impeller cooperating to

direct incoming material downwardly through said in
termediate zone and from said lower zone, and means
for rotating said shafL'

. .

spaced rows of discharge openings of substantial vertical

4. A disintegrator comprising a hollow housing having

extent around said closure, a

baf?e member mounted'on

the:exterior of said closure and having a planar bottom

surface downwardly incliningffrom the top of eachrow',
at. leastone impeller supported for'rotation by said shaft

an inlet and an upper feed distributing zone, an inter

mediate comrninuting zone and a lower product removal
zone inclusive of a bottom discharge outlet, a rotary

shaft extending downwardly through said upper zone .40 beneathisaid inclining baffles, a positive-feed mechanism
for moving material. to be disintegrated into said upper
and into said intermediate zone, a plurality of vertically
zone, said, yertically-spaced hammer membersarranged
spaced hammer members'hingedly supported from said
shaft for conjoint rotation therewith within said inter~ , to direct incomping material downwardly through said
intermediate zone andi'extrude it through-said openings,
mediate zone, fa stationary annular closure beyond the
and means for rotating said shaft. , '
'
"
ends ofsaid members having upper and lower rows of
.8. VA distintegratorfcomprisingla.hollowhousing havdischarge openings of substantial vertical extent, a down-, 45
second hollow housing
wardly inclining ba?le mounted on the exterior of said ' ing an inlet arid.'anioutlet,-a

mounted internally of! said?rst housing and'exten'ding,

closure at the top of each row, at least one impeller sup-o

throughout a major portion of the length thereof,-an_ upper

feed distributing zone' in said ?rst housing includingposi

ported for rotation by said shaft beneath said inclining

ba?ies, a positive-feed mechanism for, moving material

comminuting zoneiin
to be disintegrated into said .upper zone, said vertically 50 tive feed means, an intermediate 1 plurality
of vertically,
said
second
housing
including
a,
spaced hammer members and said impeller cooperating .
spaced hammer members supported from a rotary shaft,v

to direct incoming material? downwardly through said

a pluralityof rows of dischargeopenings of substantial

intermediate zone and from said lower-zone, andtmeans

forfrotating said shaft.

~ '

vertical extent in

"

> 5. A disintegrator comprising a hollow housing having

tions extendingrfrom the't'op of each ofsaidopenings;

and at least one impellersupported ori'said shaftfor rota:

an inlet and anrupper feed distributing zone,-,an interme:

diate comminuting zone and a lower , product removal
zone inclusive of a bottom discharge outlet, a-rotary shaft

extending'downwardly through said upper zone and into

said-intermediate zone,v a plurality of vertically spaced

hammer. members hingedlysupported from said shaft for
conjoint rotation therewith within said intermediate zone,1

tion below said intermediate comminutingizoneand said

ba?le-meansfor impactingmaterial descending from said j

60

a stationary annular closure beyond the ends of. said mem-_

bers having upper and lowerv rows of discharge openings

of substantial-vertical extent around the closure, a down-

wardlyinclining ba?ie mounted 'onzthe'exterior. of said

closure at the top of each row, at least one impeller sup

the said second housingmember,_ baffle ~

'

means having downwardly inclined bottom _ surface _ por

t ba?lemeans.
L 9. A distintegrator,comprising
7
aghollow
"
7 housing
i _ Thaving

j an inlet 'andfan outlet, asecond hollow housing conceit;

trically mounted internally-offsaidj ?rst housingandiexf,

_ tending through out

a major portion of thekilengthlthereof,

an upper feed'distributirlg zone vin said ?rsthousinginclud
.ing 7 positive ,fe'e'd - means; an

intermediate eomminuting

zbnewzini saidi'rsecond'housing"including-{a plurality of :verti-: ' V

cally, spaced hammer members _ supported-{from a rotaryl _ f

ported for rotation by said. shaft beneath saidiinclining

shaft, a plurality of rowsfof discharge openings ofx'subi.
ba?les, a positive-feed mechanism for: moving material to 70
the said, second housing member, v,

bedisintegated intosaid upper zone through saidirilet,

positive-feed means for moving 'material' through'said

upper zone'to said intermediate -lzone,"afplurality of'said

vertically-spaced impellers arranged to direct incoming

material downwardly through saidintermediate zone and

' stantirallverticalrewxtent

@5211?! bqt'tomjsurfacesz 7'

of each of said'openings,

~ ba?le meanslhaving'downwardly

portions extending-from the Atop

' and at leastlone impeller'supported on said'shaft for'rota~ .

tion below saidyintermediate comminuting

'

zone and said

8,187,334
G

ibame means for impacting material descending from

said
'

battle means.

being mounted about 180? relative to each other in sub: ,

'10. A distintegrator comprising a hollow housing hav

stantially the same horizontal plane.

ing an inlet and an outlet, 21 second hollow housing

14., A disintegrator comprising-a hollow housing having

imounted internally of Said ?rst housing and extending,

an upper feed distributing zonekan intermediate commi

Ithroughout a major portion or" the length thereof, an upper

nuting zone and a lower product removal zone inclusive of

5feed distributing zone in said ?rst housing including posi

a bottom'discharge out et, a rotary shaft extending down

tive feed means, an intermediate comminuting zone in

angles relative to
a plurality of rows of

discharge openings of substantial vertical extent in the

" Wardly inclining battle mounted on :the exterior of said

diate comminuting zone and said battle means for impact
ing material descending from said baffle means.

closure at thejtop of each row, at least one

_ portedvtor'rotation by said shaft below impeller sup

7
said, inclining
ba?lcs, a positive-reed
mechanism for moving
material to

be disintegrated into said upper zone, positive-feed means

for rotating said shaft. '

15. A disintegrator comprising a hollow housing having >

an upper feed distributing zone, an. intermediate corn

charge openings of substantial vertical, extent in said tu~

bular closure, ba?le means having a downwardly extend

ing bottom surface extending from the top of each of said
openings, at least one impeller supported on said shaft'for I

rotation below sa1d intermediate comminuting zone and

:said ba?fle means for impacting material descending
:said bathe means.
12. A disinte

said inclining

Fing an inlet and an outlet, a tubular closure concentrically '

ing material t ba?les, a positive-feed mechanism for mojv

o be disintegrated into said upper zone, posi
tive feed means mounted on said shaft above said hamF;

'60

diate zone, and means for rotating'said shaft.

'
References Cited in the: ?le of this patent
.

said second housing, downwardly

'cormninu'ting

means; and said impeller members

UNITED STATES PATENTS-

Baker ____-_____._'_'__>___-. Jan. 30, 1883

287,360 "

top of each

[70
zone and said ba?ie

271,399

Bell ___

_'_ _____ _.,_i.. Oct. '23, 1883

2,345,779

Wagner

_'__-.___

2,543,599}?

Rietz-;__~.

_,_l. Feb. 27, 19571 ' a

Urscbel ;

_,__; _____ __ Mar. 3, 1959; "

2,875,809, ,
' v2,913,114.

'

Plaven"__

21952288 L ?chnell

' __' Apr. '4, 1944

_'_____ __ Nov. 17,1959

_._,_'_;____ Sept. -3, 1960,11 ;