Cremated remains processor

Claim 2

Apparatus for reducing cremated remains including the combination of a housing having an entry opening for receiving a charge of the remains, a hollow reducing drum mounted for rotation about is longitudinal axis within the housing, said drum including an outer cylindrical shell formed with a plurality of apertures sized for passing fragments of the remains below a predetermined size, the shell further including an end opening positioned in register with the entry opening of the housing for receiving the charge of remains, means for rotating the drum about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of elongate rods carried within the drum, at least certain of the rods having disparate diameters, means for constraining the rods for relative movement about the inner periphery of the drum whereby the rods are caused to react with the rotating shell of the drum and tumble one over the other for progressively reducing the remains to a size for passing through the apertures, and means for collecting the remains which pass through the apertures.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the means for constraining the rods comprises annular flange means formed on opposite ends of the drum with the flange means projecting inwardly from the ends in spaced-apart relationship with the inner periphery of the shell to define channels for supporting opposite ends of the rods for said relative movement about the periphery of the drum.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2 in which the flange means is spaced from the inner periphery of the drum a distance greater than the sum of the diameters of the rods of disparate diameters whereby the rods are free to tumble past one another in the channels.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 3 which includes a loading funnel having a downwardly inclined spout terminating with a discharge opening sized commensurate with the entry opening of the housing, and means for detachably connecting the discharge opening of the spout on the housing about said entry opening whereby the funnel can be removed to permit access into the drum for purpose such as cleaning and removal of any metal fragments.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 4 in which the collection means includes discharge funnel means mounted in the housing below the drum for receiving the reduced remains which drop by gravity from the apertures, said discharge funnel being formed with an opening at its lower end, and a collection pan removably mounted in the housing below the opening of the discharge funnel for receiving the remains discharged therefrom.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 3 in which the plurality of rods includes a single rod having a diameter greater than one-half of said distance spacing of the flange means from the shell, together with at least two additional rods having diameters permitting the additional rods to move in the clearances between the single rod and the channels.

Claim 8

Cremated remains processing apparatus comprising a drum having a cylindrical wall formed with a plurality of apertures, said apertures being sized for passing cremated remains fragments which are smaller than a predetermined size, one end of said drum being formed with an entry opening for receiving a charge of cremated remains, means forming annular flanges about opposite ends of the drum with the flanges projecting inwardly of the drum ends in spaced-apart relationship with the cylindrical wall to form channels therewith, a plurality of elongate cylindrical rods mounted within the drum with their opposite ends supported for relative movement within the channels, at least a pair of the rods being of disparate diameters whereby reaction of the rods with the cylindrical wall during rotation of the drum causes the rods to disparate diameters to rotate at different rates and tumble one over the other for reducing the cremated remains, means for rotating the drum, and collection means mounted below the drum for collecting the remains which pass through the apertures.

Claim 9

Cremated remains processing apparatus comprising a drum having a cylindrical wall formed with a plurality of apertures, said apertures being sized for passing cremated remains fragments which are smaller than a predetermined size, one end of said drum being formed with an entry opening for receiving a charge of cremated remains, means forming annular flanges about opposite ends of the drum with the flanges projecting inwardly of the drum ends in spaced-apart relationship with the cylindrical wall to form channels therewith, a plurality of elongate cylindrical rods mounted within the drum with their opposite ends supported for relative movement within the channels, at least a pair of the rods being of disparate diameters whereby reaction of the rods with the cylindrical wall during rotation of the drum causes the rods to disparate diameters to rotate at different rates and tumble one over the other for reducing the cremated remains, means for rotating the drum, and collection means mounted below the drum for collecting the remains which pass through the apertures.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 7 which includes a loading funnel having a downwardly inclined spout terminating with a discharge opening, and means for detachably mounting the funnel with its discharge opening in register with the shell, said funnel being removeable for permitting access into the shell for removal of metal fragments therefrom.