Processing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CHOPPING MATERIAL SUCH AS EARS OF CORN, COMPRISING A ROTATABLE IMPELLER HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIAL VANES, CUTTER BARS DETACHABLY MOUNTED AT THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID VANES AND EACH HAVING AT LEAST TWO GENERALLY PARALLEL CUTTING EDGES, SAID CUTTER BARS BEING REVERSIBLE RELATIVE TO SAID VANES WHEREBY TO PERMIT SAID CUTTING EDGES OF EACH OF SAID CUTTER BARS TO BE ALTERNATELY PRESENTED, PERFORATED WALL MEANS EXTENDING ABOUT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID IMPELLER, SAID PERFORATED WALL MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENT PERFORATED FLAT WALL SECTIONS, SHEARING MEANS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED ABOUT SAID PERFORATED WALL MEANS AND ARRANGED FOR COOPERATION WITH SAID CUTTER BARS AT THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID VANES, AND SAID IMPELLER UPON ROTATION SERVING TO FRACTURE MATERIAL FED THERETO INTO PIECES AND TO MOVE THE LATTER BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TOWARD SAID PERFORATED WALL MEANS WHERE SAID PIECES ARE SHEARED INTO FRAGMENTS AS SAID CUTTER BARS AT THE ENDS OF SAID VANES PASS SAID SHEARING MEANS AND THEN THRUST BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE THROUGH SAID PERFORATED WALL MEANS.