Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
298 words
Apparatus comprising in combination an impacting crusher and a feed distributor; said impacting crusher having an inlet, a rotor within the housing and an outlet, the rotor comprising a shaft having rotating impact members mounted thereon and extending outwardly from the shaft along a given length of said shaft to define a relatively wide rotor, the width of said inlet being substantially equal to or greater than the width of the rotor; said distributor including an enclosure defined by confining means for surrounding an inventory of material laterally and from beneath, said confining means including a moveable supporting member defining a portion of the enclosure and being positioned to bear at least a portion of the weight of the inventory, said enclosure being openable to define an opening which is presented to the rotor, is elongated in a horizontal direction generally parallel to the rotor axis, is about as long as the width of the rotor, is positioned with its ends substantially above the ends of the rotor and is of substantially uniform width across the width of the rotor, said moveable member being connected with closing means having the property of exerting sufficient closing force on said moveable member to keep the entire length of said opening covered by said inventory while said inventory is flowing through the opening, and being responsive to the inventory present in the enclosure for moving said moveable member and respectively decreasing and increasing the width of said opening in response to decreased and increased inventory, whereby such apparatus will cause the material passing through said opening to be distributed substantially uniformly across the length of the opening, so that the side and central portions of the rotor will receive substantially equal quantities of the material over an extended period of operation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
298 words
Apparatus comprising in combination an impacting crusher and a feed distributor; said impacting crusher having an inlet, a rotor within the housing and an outlet, the rotor comprising a shaft having rotating impact members mounted thereon and extending outwardly from the shaft along a given length of said shaft to define a relatively wide rotor, the width of said inlet being substantially equal to or greater than the width of the rotor; said distributor including an enclosure defined by confining means for surrounding an inventory of material laterally and from beneath, said confining means including a moveable supporting member defining a portion of the enclosure and being positioned to bear at least a portion of the weight of the inventory, said enclosure being openable to define an opening which is presented to the rotor, is elongated in a horizontal direction generally parallel to the rotor axis, is about as long as the width of the rotor, is positioned with its ends substantially above the ends of the rotor and is of substantially uniform width across the width of the rotor, said moveable member being connected with closing means having the property of exerting sufficient closing force on said moveable member to keep the entire length of said opening covered by said inventory while said inventory is flowing through the opening, and being responsive to the inventory present in the enclosure for moving said moveable member and respectively decreasing and increasing the width of said opening in response to decreased and increased inventory, whereby such apparatus will cause the material passing through said opening to be distributed substantially uniformly across the length of the opening, so that the side and central portions of the rotor will receive substantially equal quantities of the material over an extended period of operation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rotor comprises a main shaft, a plurality of rotor discs mounted at axially spaced positions on said rotor shaft, a plurality of sub shafts carried at peripherially space positions around said discs parallel to and spaced radially from the main shaft, and a plurality of impact members mounted at axially spaced locations on said sub shafts.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said rotor is mounted for grinding in cooperation with an adjustable cage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said impact means are hammers having shank and head portions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rotor is mounted for grinding in cooperation with an adjustable cage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said enclosure has generally upright side walls which diverge outwardly in a downward direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said opening is defined by a plurality of moveable supporting members.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a generally vertical fixed skirt is secured within said moveable support members.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said skirt includes side walls which diverge outwardly in a downward direction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said moveable supporting members include bottom walls sloping downward towards said opening.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said moveable supporting members include side, end and bottom walls, said bottom walls sloping downward towards said opening, each of said moveable supporting members defining half of an open top enclosure with said opening at the bottom, said halves being pivotally mounted to open and close in the manner of a clam shell.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein a fixed skirt member is secured within said moveable support members, said skirt member having end walls which are configured to conform to the slope of the bottom walls of said clam shell assembly to culminate in an inverted apex adjacent the ends of said opening.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for exerting closing force includes spring means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said opening is defined by a plurality of moveable support means, said spring means being secured to each of said moveable support means in position to develop tension for closing said opening.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including a conveyor positioned to direct feed material into said feed distributor, said conveyor being sufficiently narrower than said rotor so that the discharge therefrom would wear the rotor unevenly in the absence of said feed distributor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
195 words
A feed distributor including an enclosure defined by confining means for surrounding an inventory of material laterally and from beneath, said confining means including at least one moveable member having intersecting side, end and bottom walls, said side walls being generally upright, said bottom walls sloping downwardly and inwardly from said side walls, said moveable member being moveable to define between itself and an adjoining portion of said confining means an opening which is elongated in a horizontal direction, which is of substantially uniform width across the enclosure and which is in position to release material in substantially vertical free fall, said moveable member being connected with closing means having the property of exerting sufficient closing force on said moveable member to keep the entire length of said opening covered by said inventory while said inventory is flowing through the opening, and being responsive to the inventory present in the enclosure for moving said moveable member and respectively decreasing and increasing the width of said opening in response to decreased and increased inventory, whereby such apparatus will cause the material passing through said opening to be distributed substantially uniformly across the length of the opening.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
195 words
A feed distributor including an enclosure defined by confining means for surrounding an inventory of material laterally and from beneath, said confining means including at least one moveable member having intersecting side, end and bottom walls, said side walls being generally upright, said bottom walls sloping downwardly and inwardly from said side walls, said moveable member being moveable to define between itself and an adjoining portion of said confining means an opening which is elongated in a horizontal direction, which is of substantially uniform width across the enclosure and which is in position to release material in substantially vertical free fall, said moveable member being connected with closing means having the property of exerting sufficient closing force on said moveable member to keep the entire length of said opening covered by said inventory while said inventory is flowing through the opening, and being responsive to the inventory present in the enclosure for moving said moveable member and respectively decreasing and increasing the width of said opening in response to decreased and increased inventory, whereby such apparatus will cause the material passing through said opening to be distributed substantially uniformly across the length of the opening.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
10 words
Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said opening is horizontal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
193 words
A feed distributor including an enclosure defined by confining means for surrounding an inventory of material laterally and from beneath, said confining means including a pair of moveable members having intersecting side, end and bottom walls, said side walls being generally upright, said bottom walls sloping downwardly and inwardly from said side walls, said moveable members being moveable, and said bottom walls including edges, for defining between them an opening which is elongated in a horizontal direction, which is of substantially uniform width across the enclosure and which is in position to release material in substantially vertical free fall, said moveable members being connected with closing means having the property of exerting sufficient closing force on said moveable members to keep the entire length of said opening covered by said inventory while said inventory is flowing through the opening, and being responsive to the inventory present in the enclosure for moving said moveable members and respectively decreasing and increasing the width of said opening in response to decreased and increased inventory, whereby such apparatus will cause the material passing through said opening to be distributed substantially uniformly across the length of the opening.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
193 words
A feed distributor including an enclosure defined by confining means for surrounding an inventory of material laterally and from beneath, said confining means including a pair of moveable members having intersecting side, end and bottom walls, said side walls being generally upright, said bottom walls sloping downwardly and inwardly from said side walls, said moveable members being moveable, and said bottom walls including edges, for defining between them an opening which is elongated in a horizontal direction, which is of substantially uniform width across the enclosure and which is in position to release material in substantially vertical free fall, said moveable members being connected with closing means having the property of exerting sufficient closing force on said moveable members to keep the entire length of said opening covered by said inventory while said inventory is flowing through the opening, and being responsive to the inventory present in the enclosure for moving said moveable members and respectively decreasing and increasing the width of said opening in response to decreased and increased inventory, whereby such apparatus will cause the material passing through said opening to be distributed substantially uniformly across the length of the opening.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
10 words
Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said opening is horizontal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said moveable members are pivotally mounted on pivot means for opening and closing in the manner of a clam shell.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said pivot means is above said opening.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 18 including a skirt member having generally upright walls and an open top and bottom secured within said enclosure for isolating feed material within said skirt from the side walls of said enclosure.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
234 words
A feed distributor including an enclosure defined by confining means for surrounding an inventory of material laterally and from beneath, said confining means including at least one moveable member and a skirt member, said moveable member having intersecting side, end and bottom walls, said side walls being generally upright, said bottom walls sloping downwardly and inwardly from said side walls, said moveable member being moveable to define between itself and an adjoining portion of said confining means an opening which is elongated in a horizontal direction, which is of substantially uniform width across the enclosure and which is in position to release material in substantially vertical free fall, said skirt member having generally upright walls and an open top and bottom secured within said enclosure for isolating feed material within said skirt from the side walls of said moveable member, said moveable member being connected with closing means having the property of exerting sufficient closing force on said moveable member to keep the entire length of said opening covered by said inventory while said inventory is flowing through the opening, and being responsive to the inventory present in the enclosure for moving said moveable member and respectively decreasing and increasing the width of said opening in response to decreased and increased inventory, whereby such apparatus will cause the material passing through said opening to be distributed substantially uniformly across the length of the opening.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
234 words
A feed distributor including an enclosure defined by confining means for surrounding an inventory of material laterally and from beneath, said confining means including at least one moveable member and a skirt member, said moveable member having intersecting side, end and bottom walls, said side walls being generally upright, said bottom walls sloping downwardly and inwardly from said side walls, said moveable member being moveable to define between itself and an adjoining portion of said confining means an opening which is elongated in a horizontal direction, which is of substantially uniform width across the enclosure and which is in position to release material in substantially vertical free fall, said skirt member having generally upright walls and an open top and bottom secured within said enclosure for isolating feed material within said skirt from the side walls of said moveable member, said moveable member being connected with closing means having the property of exerting sufficient closing force on said moveable member to keep the entire length of said opening covered by said inventory while said inventory is flowing through the opening, and being responsive to the inventory present in the enclosure for moving said moveable member and respectively decreasing and increasing the width of said opening in response to decreased and increased inventory, whereby such apparatus will cause the material passing through said opening to be distributed substantially uniformly across the length of the opening.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
139 words
A method comprising: feeding particulate solid feed material, in a stream having a given maximum horizontal dimension and characterized by uniform or variable flow rate and particle size, from a conveyor to an enclosure; maintaining an inventory of the material in the enclosure; feeding material from said inventory to a rotor of an impacting crusher through an opening in the enclosure which is elongated in a horizontal direction generally parallel to the rotor axis, which is about as long as the width of the rotor, which is positioned with its ends substantially above the ends of the rotor and which is of substantially uniform width across the width of the rotor; and respectively decreasing and increasing the opening width as the inventory decreases and increases, while maintaining the opening sufficiently small to keep the opening covered with said inventory.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
139 words
A method comprising: feeding particulate solid feed material, in a stream having a given maximum horizontal dimension and characterized by uniform or variable flow rate and particle size, from a conveyor to an enclosure; maintaining an inventory of the material in the enclosure; feeding material from said inventory to a rotor of an impacting crusher through an opening in the enclosure which is elongated in a horizontal direction generally parallel to the rotor axis, which is about as long as the width of the rotor, which is positioned with its ends substantially above the ends of the rotor and which is of substantially uniform width across the width of the rotor; and respectively decreasing and increasing the opening width as the inventory decreases and increases, while maintaining the opening sufficiently small to keep the opening covered with said inventory.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 24 wherein the feeding of material from said inventory includes releasing the material from said opening in vertical free fall.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
Method according to claim 24 wherein said impacting crusher is a reversible impacting crusher and said material is dropped from said opening in vertical free fall to the top dead center position of the rotor.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 24 wherein the periphery of the rotor defines a hammer circle and the material is released from the opening at a predetermined height above the rotor and is caused to move toward the rotor without substantial redirecting of its path by intervening guide members until the material penetrates the hammer circle.