Reduction mill

Claim 1

A reduction mill comprising: a cage defining a reduction chamber; an endless conveyor having an upper conveying pass which leads into and terminates within the reduction chamber; a feed roll journaled for rotation in the cage about an axis extending transverse to the direction of movement for the upper conveying pass, the feed roll being located generally above the terminal end of the upper conveying pass and having outwardly projecting feed arms which are mounted rigidly thereon and are arranged in axially and circumferentially spaced relation with respect to each other, the feed arms upon rotation of the feed roll describing a circular path, at least a portion of which is presented directly above the conveying pass; a shredding roll journaled for rotation in the cage about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation for the feed roll, the shredding roll being located directly beyond the end of the conveying pass and having outwardly projecting shredder arms which are rigidly mounted thereon and are arranged in axially and circumferentially spaced relation with respect to each other, the shredder arms being axially offset from the feed arms and upon rotation of the shredding roll describing a circular path which extends below the upper surface of the conveying pass on the conveyor; the paths described by the ends of the feed and shredder arms further overlapping generally above the end of conveying pass so that the feed arms of the feed roll pass in between the shredder arms of the shredding roll, and drive means for rotating the feed and shredding rolls in the same direction whereby at the area of overlap between the circular paths described by the feed and shredder arms the feed and shredder arms will movE in opposite directions the drive means rotating the shredding roll at a greater angular velocity than the feed roll and rotating the feed roll in the direction which causes the ends of its feed arms to pass downwardly toward the upper surface of the conveying pass on the conveyor and thereafter pass above the conveying pass of the conveyor generally in the same direction as the direction of movement for that conveying pass, whereby the feed arms are forced into material on the conveyor while the material is still supported by the upper conveying pass and once engaged with the material further assist the conveyor in advancing the material into the revolving shredder arms.