Feeding mechanism for reduction apparatus

Claim 2

Feeding means for delivering a mass of materials into reduction apparatus in which such materials are reduced and the reduced product is discharged, a rotor in said reduction apparatus with its axis extending in a lateral direction, reduction elements on said rotor and extending radially to contact said mass of materials as the rotor rotates and to tear portions of the materials from the mass of materials and to work the materials until the materials are reduced to a smaller sized product that is discharged from the reduction apparatus, a feeding table that is laterally disposed and is directed towards the axis of said rotor, endless traveling feeding means on said feeding table to move the mass of materials towards the reduction apparatus, a hold-down above the feeding table and extending laterally towards the reduction apparatus, endless traveling feeding means on said hold-down to move the mass of materials into the reduction apparatus and moving at the same rate of speed as the feeding means of the feed table, means to support said hold-down with the forward end thereof located forwardly of the feed table feeding means and to bear down on the mass of materials close to the reduction elements of the rotor, said hold-down support means including pivot means to pivotally supported the hold-down with the major part of the weight of the hold-down being disposed forwardly of the pivot means to cause the hold-down to bear down on the mass of materials, limit means connected to said hold-down to limit the downward movement of said hold-down against the mass of materials, said limit means comprising an extensible and retractable cylinder to adjust the position of the hold-down about said pivot means and to set the position of the forward end of the hold-down against the mass of materials

Claim 3

Feeding means for delivering a mass of materials onto reduction apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said extensible and retractable cylinder is fluid operated and is pressurized by a fluid medium to set the position of the forward end of the hold-down.

Claim 4

Feeding means for delivering a mass of materials into reduction apparatus as recited in claim 2, in which said extensible and retractable cylinder is pneumatically operated and thereby is yieldable and the position of the hold-down is responsive to the bulk of the material that is delivered to the reduction apparatus.

Claim 5

Feeding means for delivering a mass of materials into reduction apparatus in which such materials are reduced and the reduced product is discharged, a rotor in said reduction apparatus with its axis in a horizontal position, reduction elements on said rotor and extending radially to contact said mass of materials as the rotor rotates and to tear portions of the materials from the mass of materials and to work the materials until the materials are reduced to a smaller sized product that is discharged from the reduction apparatus, a horizontal feeding table directed toward said rotor in the horizontal plane of the rotor axis, endless traveling chain feeding means on said feeding table to move the mass of materials forwardly towards the reduction apparatus, a hold-down above said feeding table and extending forwardly towards the reDuction apparatus, endless traveling chain and flight feeding means on said hold-down to move the mass of materials into the reduction apparatus and moving at the same rate of speed as the feeding means of the feed table, means to support said hold-down with the forward end thereof forwardly of the forward end of the feed table feeding means to bear down on the mass of materials close to the reduction elements of the rotor, a fixed table part forming an extension of the forward end of the horizontal feeding table and disposed below the forward end of the hold-down close to the reduction elements of the rotor, said means to support said hold-down includes pivot means to mount the hold-down, the weight of said hold-down being distributed on opposite sides of said pivot means and a major part of the weight of the hold-down being disposed forwardly of the pivot means to urge the hold-down downwardly to engage and to bear on the mass of materials, an extensible and retractable cylinder connected to said hold-down to set the position of the hold-down about said pivot means in order to adjust the position of the hold-down relatively to said feeding table and against the mass of materials that is disposed between the hold-down and the fixed table part.

Claim 6

Feeding means for delivering a mass of materials into reduction apparatus in which such materials are reduced and the reduced product is discharged, a rotor in said reduction apparatus with its axis in a horizontal position, reduction elements on said rotor and extending radially to contact said mass of materials as the rotor rotates and to tear portions of the materials from the mass of materials and to work the materials until the materials are reduced to a smaller sized product that is discharged from the reduction apparatus, a horizontal feeding table directed toward said rotor in the horizontal plane of the rotor axis, endless traveling chain feeding means on said feeding table to move the mass of materials forwardly towards the reduction apparatus, a hold-down above said feeding table and extending forwardly towards the reDuction apparatus, endless traveling chain and flight feeding means on said hold-down to move the mass of materials into the reduction apparatus and moving at the same rate of speed as the feeding means of the feed table, means to support said hold-down with the forward end thereof forwardly of the forward end of the feed table feeding means to bear down on the mass of materials close to the reduction elements of the rotor, a fixed table part forming an extension of the forward end of the horizontal feeding table and disposed below the forward end of the hold-down close to the reduction elements of the rotor, said means to support said hold-down includes pivot means to mount the hold-down, the weight of said hold-down being distributed on opposite sides of said pivot means and a major part of the weight of the hold-down being disposed forwardly of the pivot means to urge the hold-down downwardly to engage and to bear on the mass of materials, an extensible and retractable cylinder connected to said hold-down to set the position of the hold-down about said pivot means in order to adjust the position of the hold-down relatively to said feeding table and against the mass of materials that is disposed between the hold-down and the fixed table part.

Claim 7

Feeding means for delivering a mass of materials into reduction apparatus as recited in claim 4, in which said extensible and retractable cylinder is a pneumatically operated cylinder in which pressure can be applied to one side of the cylinder to set the position of the hold-down and to urge the hold-down to such position and pressure can be applied to the other side of the cylinder to counterbalance the unbalanced weight of the hold-down and permitting the hold-down to adjust its position in response to the bulk of the mass of materials which is engaged by the hold-down against said fixed table part.

Claim 8

Feeding means for delivering a mass of materials into reduction apparatus in which such materials are reduced and the reduced product is discharged, a rotor in said reduction apparatus with its axis in a horizontal position, reduction elements on said rotor and extending radially to contact said mass of materials as the rotor rotates and to tear portions of the materials from the mass of materials and to work the materials until the materials are reduced to a smaller sized product that is discharged from the reduction apparatus, a horizontal feeding table directed toward said rotor in the horizontal plane of the rotor axis, endless traveling chain feeding means on said feeding table to move the mass of materials forwardly towards the reduction apparatus, a hold-down above said feeding table and extending forwardly towards the reduction apparatus, endless traveling chain and flight feeding means on said hold-down to move the mass of materials into the reduction apparatus and moving at the same rate of speed as the feeding means of the feed table, means to support said hold-down with the forward end thereof forwardly of the forward end of the feed table feeding means to bear down on the mass of materials close to the reduction elements of the rotor, a fixed table extension of said feeding table disposed below the forward end of said hold-down and close to said reduction element on the rotor so that the mass of materials is held between the hold-down and said fixed table extension as the reduction elements tear portions of the materials from the mass of materials.

Claim 9

Feeding means for delivering a mass of materials into reduction apparatus in which such materials are reduced and the reduced product is discharged, a rotor in said reduction apparatus with its axis in a horizontal position, reduction elements on said rotor and extending radially to contact said mass of materials as the rotor rotates and to tear portions of the materials from the mass of materials and to work the materials until the materials are reduced to a smaller sized product that is discharged from the reduction apparatus, a horizontal feeding table directed toward said rotor in the horizontal plane of the rotor axis, endless traveling chain feeding means on said feeding table to move the mass of materials forwardly towards the reduction apparatus, a hold-down above said feeding table and extending forwardly towards the reduction apparatus, endless traveling chain and flight feeding means on said hold-down to move the mass of materials into the reduction apparatus and moving at the same rate of speed as the feeding means of the feed table, means to support said hold-down with the forward end thereof forwardly of the forward end of the feed table feeding means to bear down on the mass of materials close to the reduction elements of the rotor, a fixed table extension of said feeding table disposed below the forward end of said hold-down and close to said reduction element on the rotor so that the mass of materials is held between the hold-down and said fixed table extension as the reduction elements tear portions of the materials from the mass of materials.

Claim 10

Feeding means for delivering a mass of materials into reduction apparatus as recited in claim 6, in which the reduction apparatus has a housing to enclose said rotor and said reduction elements, a feed opening in said housing to receive the forward end of the feeding table and the forward end of said hold-down, and said fixed table extension of the feeding table being disposed in said housing in the feed opening thereof.