Apparatus for grinding and pulverizing ear corn and the like

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR GRINDING AND PULVERIZING EAR CORN AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING AN INLET IN ONE SIDE THEREOF AND HAVING AN OUTLET IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF; AN INTERNAL WALL DISPOSED INSIDE, AND CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER END TO, SAID HOUSING AND TAPERING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY TO FORM A GRAVITY FEED CHUTE LEADING DOWNWARDLY FRON SAID INLET; A HORIZONTAL SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID INTERNAL WALL AND ROTATABLY JOURNALED THEREIN; A HORIZONTAL, GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL ROTOR INSIDE SAID GRAVITY FEED CHUTE AND COAXIALLY KEYED TO SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID ROTOR COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CUTTER HEADS EACH INCLUDING A SUPPORT MEMBER OF GENERALLY FOUR-CUSPED, HYPOCYCLOIDAL CONFIGURATION, AND A BLADE SECURED TO EACH CUSP THEREOF, SAID CUTTER HEADS EACH BEING KEYED TO SAID SHAFT IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-OFFSET RELATION TO THE NEXT ADJOINING CUTTER HEAD WHEREBY THE BLADES OF ADJOINING CUTTER HEADS ARE SPACED FROM EACH OTHER APPROXIMATELY 30* AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTOR; A PAIR OF BRAKER BARS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFT AND TO EACH OTHER AND SECURED TO SAID INNER WALL AT TWO OF ITS LOWER EDGES, SAID BRAKER BARS BEING LOCATED GENERALLY IN THE HORIZONTAL PLANE CONTAINING SAID SHAFT AND CLOSELY ADJACENT THE CIRLAR PATH DESCRIBED BY SAID ROTATION CUTTER HEADS WHEREBY SAID EARS OF CORN MAY BE ENTRAPPED BETWEEN SAID CUTTER HEADS AND SAID BRAKER BARS DURING ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT; AND A SEMI-CYLINDRICAL, LONGITUDINALLY CORRUGATED, PERFORATED SCREEN DISPOSED COAXIALLY BENEATH SAID ROTOR WITH EACH OF ITS LONGITUDINAL EDGES SECURED TO SAID LOWER EDGES OF SAID INTERNAL WALL ADJACENT SAID BREAKER BARS.