Feed particulator apparatus

Claim 1

In a feed particulator apparatus comprising an entry port communicating with a cylinder, said cylinder fitted with a plurality of rows of spaced apart teeth positioned at intervals around the external periphery of its curved wall and each of said rows of spaced apart teeth extending substantially across the width of said cylinder, said cylinder being rotatable about a center shaft, said shaft serving as a drive shaft for said cylinder, a curved arcuate member positioned adjacent the extremity of said teeth on said cylinder, said arcuate member having a radius of curvature corresponding to that of said cylinder, said arcuate member being movable inwardly and outwardly with respect to said cylinder and positioned in relation to said cylinder such that it does not restrict rotation of said cylinder, said arcuate member being fastenable into a fixed position at any predetermined spot within the extremities of its range of inward and outward movement, said arcuate member fitted with at least two rows of spaced apart teeth each of said rows extending substantially along the length of the arcuate member, the teeth of said arcuate member meshing with the teeth of said cylinder, a drive means connected to said drive shaft, a housing surrounding said cylindrical member at least over those portions not covered by said arcuate member and a discharge port rearward of said entry port, the improvement which comprises; the teeth on said cylinder and said arcuate member being tapered chisel-llke members, the forward face of each tooth forming a sharp edge at its junction with each of the sides, the outer tip of each tooth having an angled notch, the forward portion of each said notch being lower that that at the rear of said tooth, the opposite side faces of each of said teeth having angled raised sharp edged ridges, said ridges on both sides being tapered oppositely as viewed from the front of said tooth and a tapered bar mounted between each of said two rows of teeth in said arcuate member, said bar extending substantially across the length of the arcuate member from edge to edge, said bar tapering gradually upward from the front and dropping off sharply from top to bottom at its rear, and having angled, raised sharp-edged ridges across the top face of said bar from front to back.