Abstract:
Material reducing apparatus having a drive arrangement for a pair of shafts carrying double edge cutter discs, motor driven transmissions for each shaft having different speed characteristics for reducing motor speeds to double digit speeds, bearings mounted in pillow blocks so that the pillow blocks can be opened to allow removal of the bearings so the shafts carrying the double edge cutters can be repositioned to present the cutters selectively to reduce material with either edge of the double edge cutters. The drive arrangement is also duplicated at the opposite ends of the pair of shafts for selective connection to drive the shafts either by one of the drive arrangements or by the duplicate drive arrangement.
Abstract:
Apparatus for shearing waste material such as a discarded vehicle tire including parallel first and second rotatable shafts, each having an alternating pattern of driving rings and split sharpenable shear members along the length thereof. The driving rings and the shear members all abut the circumference of the associated shaft. The driving rings are keyed to the shafts and the shearing members are fixed to the driving rings. The shearing members of each shaft are axially aligned with the driving rings of the other shaft and are in meshing relation with the shearing members of the other shaft. The optimal edge-to-edge dimension of the shearing members is maintained after material reduction from the edges by insertion of a shim between the blades that comprise the split shearing members. After each periodic sharpening of the shear members, additional shim are added between the blades or the existing shims are replaced with larger shims.
Abstract:
A shredding machine for shredding vehicle tires and various other materials includes a pair of rotatable shafts and a cutting block mounted within a frame. The cutting block includes a top surface and a plurality of slots extending downwardly from the top surface and located on each side of the cutting block. The top surface of the block and each of the slots define respective U-shaped cutting edges. The shafts are rotatably mounted on the frame on opposite sides of the cutting block. Each shaft includes a plurality of cutting teeth which are spirally arranged along the length of each shaft. Each shaft may include one or more spirals of cutting teeth. The shafts are rotated in opposite directions relative to one another with one or more of the cutting teeth on each shaft being rotated through a respective slot in cutting engagement with the U-shaped cutting edge of the slot. The cutting teeth and the U-shaped cutting edges coact to shred material which is fed into the shredding machine into uniformly sized pellets. A stationary cleaning bar is mounted on the frame adjacent to each respective shaft for removing any shredded material which may cling to the cutting teeth.
Abstract:
Apparatus for crushing, grinding and shredding solid waste material in which two interacting stacks of cutting and shredding elements are positioned on two substantially parallel shafts and mounted transversely with respect to the directions of waste material fed into the apparatus. Cutting members on one stack interact with cutting members on the other stack. In each stack adjacent cutting members are spaced from each other by a spacer. The spacers in the apparatus differ from those used in prior comminutors of this type in that they also have cutter elements on their periphery and thereby serve as cutters or shredders as well as spacers. This double function of the spacers increases the efficiency of the comminuting apparatus. Most importantly there are cutting edges from the bottom to the top of each stack so that there are no intermediate elements on which strings or wires can be wrapped without encountering a cutting edge. While this is important in the shredding of relatively soft or easily shredded material, this is even more important in the comminuting of tires which have been reinforced with nylon cord or steel wire which have a tendency to wind around sections not having cutting edges. The process of effecting the difficult task of comminuting automobile and truck tires is also described.
Abstract:
An apparatus for cutting scrap tires and other waste products is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame having a cylindrical anvil roll rotatably mounted therein. A pair of blade rolls are also mounted in the frame for rotation about corresponding axes which are parallel to the rotational axis of the anvil roll, the blade rolls being angularly spaced from one another relative to the axis of the anvil roll and being positioned about the periphery of the anvil roll. The blade rolls are each provided with a plurality of blades of predetermined diameter fixed thereto and rotatable therewith, the blades of one blade roll being at a low angle to the axis of that roll and the blades of the other blade roll being at a high angle to the axis of that roll, so that a tire passing between both blade rolls and the anvil roll will be cut into rhomboidal pieces that are nearly rectangular in shape during a single pass through the apparatus. The blade rolls are each also provided with a pair of axially spaced thrust wheels, with the thrust wheels being positioned outboard of the blades and being equal to or slightly greater in diameter than the predetermined diameter of the blades. Driving means are provided in the apparatus for rotating the anvil roll in one direction and the blade rolls in an opposite direction. Biasing means are also provided for forcing the outer peripheries of the thrust wheels and the anvil roll into hard contact with one another thereby to maintain fixed the spacing between the cutting surfaces of the blades and the outer surface of the anvil roll notwithstanding the separating forces caused by the movement of a tire between such surfaces.
Abstract:
Multiple cutting discs are fixed in spaced-apart positions on each of two side-by-side counterrotating shafts so that peripheral portions of the discs on each shaft extend into the spaces between discs on the opposite shaft. Each disc has a smooth cylindrical peripheral surface which meets opposed sidewalls at sharp continuous cutting edges. The clearance between adjacent discs on opposed shafts is small so that their cutting edges coact to shear material fed into the bight between opposed counterrotating discs in their feed-through direction. Removable infeed teeth project from the peripheral surface of each disc at circumferentially spaced positions to help feed material into the bight between opposed discs. Material shredded by the discs falls onto a slowly rotating screening drum encircling the disc assembly. The smallest shredded pieces pass through such drum onto a discharge conveyor. Larger pieces are carried by inwardly extending rake-like carriers on the drum upwardly back to the infeed side of the cutting discs for reshredding into smaller pieces. A powered disc-sharpening grinder associated with the disc assembly simultaneously grinds the peripheral surfaces of all cutting discs on a shaft, after removal of their feed teeth. A lugged infeed conveyor feeds tires one at a time from a tire stack upwardly to the infeed side of the cutting disc assembly. The feeding of a tire into the disc assembly is alternated with the feeding of shredded material for reshredding so as not to overload the disc assembly.
Abstract:
Multiple cutting discs are fixed in spaced-apart positions on each of two side-by-side counterrotating shafts so that peripheral portions of the discs on each shaft extend into the spaces between discs on the opposite shaft. Each disc has a smooth cylindrical peripheral surface which meets opposed sidewalls at sharp continuous cutting edges. The clearance between adjacent discs on opposed shafts is small so that their cutting edges coact to shear material fed into the bight between opposed counterrotating discs in their feedthrough direction. Removable infeed teeth project from the peripheral surface of each disc at circumferentially spaced positions to help feed material into the bight between opposed discs. Material shredded by the discs falls onto a slowly rotating screening drum encircling the disc assembly. The smallest shredded pieces pass through such drum onto a discharge conveyor. Larger pieces are carried by the drum upwardly back to the infeed side of the cutting discs for reshredding into smaller pieces. A powered disc-sharpening grinder associated with the disc assembly simultaneously grinds the peripheral surfaces of all cutting discs on a shaft, after removal of their feed teeth. A lugged infeed conveyor feeds tires one at a time from a tire stack upwardly to the infeed side of the cutting disc assembly. The feeding of a tire into the disc assembly is alternated with the feeding of shredded material for reshredding so as not to overload the disc assembly.
Abstract:
A machine for chopping polymers, and in particularly elastomeric materials such as tires, into uniform small size particles through the use of a rotating cutting head having teeth that have side cutting edges generally perpendicular to their outer end edges, which are parallel to the axis of rotation, and interfit with stationary teeth formed in complimentary shape. The cutting head is used in combination with a material infeed mechanism that maintains a steady, positive feed of material to reduce the elastomeric material into uniform small chunks that can be used for fuel, or otherwise more readily disposed than the present large size tires or similar articles.
Abstract:
A method for cutting vehicle tires and the like is disclosed together with apparatus for practicing the method comprising a first plurality of cutting discs axially spaced from each other along a first shaft and a second plurality of cutting discs axially spaced from each other along a second shaft parallel to the first. The thickness and spacing of the cutting discs along their respective shafts and the spacing of the shafts with respect to each other is such that the cutting discs of each plurality intermesh with those of the other plurality with the overlapping side surfaces of the discs substantially in contact to provide a scissor like cutting action and the free peripheral surfaces of the discs of each plurality are spaced from the shaft of the other plurality a distance sufficient to allow passage of the cut slices of the vehicle tires or the like. Various embodiments including means for enhancing feeding action and for recycling the cut slices are described.
Abstract:
A crusher comprising a cylindrical crushing chamber defined by a casing composed of at least two segments dividably joined together diametrically thereof, the crushing chamber having a feed inlet at its starting end and a discharge outlet at its terminal end, stationary blades interposed between the joining faces of the segments and extending over the entire length of the crushing chamber in parallel to its axis, and blocklike rotary cutters rotatably supported on a shaft side by side within the crushing chamber and each having on its outer periphery a plurality of helical blades at a desired twist angle with respect to the axis. Since the blade of the block-like rotary cutter has the desired twist angle with respect to the stationary blades, both blades shear a material in an obliquely cutting manner while a thrust acting on the face of the helical blade pushes the material forward within the crushing chamber during shearing. The crushing chamber is formed in its lower portion with an opening extending over its entire length and provided with size regulating member having a semicircular cross section and a great number of discharge control apertures for controlling the crushed product to a uniform size. The size regulating member may further be provided at the terminal end of the crushing chamber to continuously discharge from the chamber crushed pieces not greater than the desired size to permit the thrust to act effectively. Irrespective of whether the material is hard, soft, ductile or fragile the crusher is capable of crushing various materials such as tire incorporating bead wire, empty can, plastics, paper, wood, fiber, glass, straw, etc.