The various embodiments disclosed and pictured illustrate a hammer for comminuting various materials. The embodiments pictured and described herein are primarily for use with a rotatable hammermill assembly. The hammer includes a connector end having a rod hole therein, a contact end for delivery of energy to the material to be comminuted, and a neck affixing the connector end to the contact end. The neck is formed with at least one neck recess therein. In other embodiments, one or more shoulders are positioned around the periphery of the rod hole for added strength. In still other embodiments, the contact end is configured with more than one contact surface.

A vertical shaft impactor includes an impacting assembly that is configurable in a number of different ways, depending on the material to be processed by the impactor. The vertical shaft impactor includes an impacting chamber and an impacting assembly disposed in the chamber. The impacting assembly includes a number of rotors supported on a shaft, with the locations of the rotors being adjustable along the shaft. The rotors include adjustable structures for working and reducing materials in the vertical shaft impactor.

A tub grinder has a rotor with hammers that pass between adjacent slug bars. The slug bars have a riser bar portion disposed on the top of the slug bars, the riser bar portions extending vertically higher on one end of each respective slug bar than on the other end of each respective slug bar so that the hammers extend farther beyond the top of the riser bar and slug bar when they pass by first end than when they pass by the second end of the riser bar.

A water saving and energy saving process the continuous production of whole grain flour and whole gluten-free flour is provided. The process includes preconditioning whole-grain or seed with water and uses an energy efficient blanching treatment with saturated steam. The process also provides flour having a bimodal size mixture of material having improved viscosity. The whole grain and whole gluten-free flour can be used to prepare grain products and baked foods.

A water saving and energy saving process the continuous production of whole grain flour and whole gluten-free flour is provided. The process includes preconditioning whole-grain or seed with water and uses an energy efficient blanching treatment with saturated steam. The process also provides flour having a bimodal size mixture of material having improved viscosity. The whole grain and whole gluten-free flour can be used to prepare grain products and baked foods.

A multistage hammer mill 10 has a plurality of milling stages arranged concentrically so that substantially all material in a first innermost of the milling stages passes through all subsequent adjacent milling stages. A central feed opening 12 enables material flow into a primary impact zone 14 of a first milling stage, which has an impact mechanism 16 and a first screen arrangement 20a. The impact mechanism 16 rotates about a rotation axis 18. The first screen arrangement 20a is disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from the impact mechanism 16 and has a plurality of apertures 22 through which impacted material of a first size range can pass. A second milling stage has a second arrangement 20b disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from the first screen arrangement 20a and a circular array of impact elements 50a between the first and second screen arrangements.

A multistage hammer mill 10 has a plurality of milling stages arranged concentrically so that substantially all material in a first innermost of the milling stages passes through all subsequent adjacent milling stages. A central feed opening 12 enables material flow into a primary impact zone 14 of a first milling stage, which has an impact mechanism 16 and a first screen arrangement 20a. The impact mechanism 16 rotates about a rotation axis 18. The first screen arrangement 20a is disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from the impact mechanism 16 and has a plurality of apertures 22 through which impacted material of a first size range can pass. A second milling stage has a second arrangement 20b disposed circumferentially about and radially spaced from the first screen arrangement 20a and a circular array of impact elements 50a between the first and second screen arrangements.

A toner producing apparatus including: a foreign matter separating unit including a foreign matter separating chamber for separating metallic foreign matters contained in raw powder material of toner from the raw powder material of toner by using gravity, a feeding pipe connected to the foreign matter separating chamber so as to feed the raw powder material of toner into the foreign matter separating chamber, and an exhausting pipe connected to the foreign matter separating chamber so as to exhaust the raw powder material of toner from the foreign matter separating chamber; and a pulverizing unit including a rotor, the pulverizing unit being connected to the exhausting pipe of the foreign matter separating unit.

A toner producing apparatus including: a foreign matter separating unit including a foreign matter separating chamber for separating metallic foreign matters contained in raw powder material of toner from the raw powder material of toner by using gravity, a feeding pipe connected to the foreign matter separating chamber so as to feed the raw powder material of toner into the foreign matter separating chamber, and an exhausting pipe connected to the foreign matter separating chamber so as to exhaust the raw powder material of toner from the foreign matter separating chamber; and a pulverizing unit including a rotor, the pulverizing unit being connected to the exhausting pipe of the foreign matter separating unit.

The various embodiments disclosed and pictured illustrate a hammer for comminuting various materials. The embodiments pictured and described herein are primarily for use with a rotatable hammermill assembly. The hammer includes a connector end having a rod hole therein, a contact end for delivery of energy to the material to be comminuted, and a neck affixing the connector end to the contact end. The neck is formed with at least one neck recess therein. In other embodiments, one or more shoulders are positioned around the periphery of the rod hole for added strength. In still other embodiments, the contact end is configured with more than one contact surface.