Floor-standing equipment and methods that employ them use nylon netting and/or fine mesh to trim off leafy matter, break down leafy matter, and separate various aspects of plants from each other. The netting and/or fine mesh is formed into large cylindrical drum into which plant material is loaded through a door flap in the mesh cylinder. An electric motor or handcrank causes the load to tumble over and over a horizontal axle for 3-5 minutes at about 35 RPM. The plant matter trims, separates, and breaks itself down which then drops through the netting, down through a funnel bag into a basin on the floor. The flowers and/or larger plant material are then dropped out separately through the door flap in the netting and through the funnel bag into a second basin on the floor which replaced the first.

Floor-standing equipment and methods that employ them use nylon netting and/or fine mesh to trim off leafy matter, break down leafy matter, and separate various aspects of plants from each other. The netting and/or fine mesh is formed into large cylindrical drum into which plant material is loaded through a door flap in the mesh cylinder. An electric motor or handcrank causes the load to tumble over and over a horizontal axle for 3-5 minutes at about 35 RPM. The plant matter trims, separates, and breaks itself down which then drops through the netting, down through a funnel bag into a basin on the floor. The flowers and/or larger plant material are then dropped out separately through the door flap in the netting and through the funnel bag into a second basin on the floor which replaced the first.

An apparatus for separating material includes a frame and a rotatable sleeve supported by the frame. The sleeve has a first end, a second end, and a wall with a plurality of apertures to permit material smaller than a first size to fall through the apertures. A source of forced air is arranged to force air through an interior of the sleeve.

An apparatus for separating material includes a frame and a rotatable sleeve supported by the frame. The sleeve has a first end, a second end, and a wall with a plurality of apertures to permit material smaller than a first size to fall through the apertures. A source of forced air is arranged to force air through an interior of the sleeve.

A vertical ball mill for grinding a solid input material to form a slurry, and includes a grinding tank which defines a mixing chamber, rotatable main auger assembly having mixing blade in a lower portion of the mixing chamber and a materials flow guide. The flow conduit is provided within the grinding tank interior, and includes one or more conduit segments configured to direct input material downwardly in the grinding tank towards the lower mixing chamber and auger mixing blade. An impeller is provided within the flow conduit, with a blade configuration selected to effect the downward flow of input material through the conduit segments and outwardly therefrom adjacent to the mixing blade as the auger assembly is rotated.

An apparatus for separating material includes a frame and a rotatable sleeve supported by the frame. The sleeve has a first end, a second end, and a wall with a plurality of apertures to permit material smaller than a first size to fall through the apertures. A source of forced air is arranged to force air through an interior of the sleeve.

An apparatus for separating material includes a frame and a rotatable sleeve supported by the frame. The sleeve has a first end, a second end, and a wall with a plurality of apertures to permit material smaller than a first size to fall through the apertures. A source of forced air is arranged to force air through an interior of the sleeve.

A vertical ball mill for grinding a solid input material to form a slurry, and includes a grinding tank which defines a mixing chamber, rotatable main auger assembly having mixing blade in a lower portion of the mixing chamber and a materials flow guide. The flow conduit is provided within the grinding tank interior, and includes one or more conduit segments configured to direct input material downwardly in the grinding tank towards the lower mixing chamber and auger mixing blade. An impeller is provided within the flow conduit, with a blade configuration selected to effect the downward flow of input material through the conduit segments and outwardly therefrom adjacent to the mixing blade as the auger assembly is rotated.

The present invention provides a system and method for more efficient utilization of comminution mills. Sensors are provided in the liners placed within the mill shell. The sensors may include RFID tags, liner wear profile sensors (e.g., such as an ultrasonic sensor), an inertial sensor (preferably included both an inclinometer and an accelerometer, and an acoustic sensor, among others. When the liners are installed in the shell, the RFID tag is used to register the location of the liner within the shell. In operation, the information provided by the sensors is collected by a data transmission unit and sent by transmitter over the air to a computer having an antenna and receiver for such data. The data is correlated and the data is reviewable in real time while the mill is in running.

The present invention provides a system and method for more efficient utilization of comminution mills. Sensors are provided in the liners placed within the mill shell. The sensors may include RFID tags, liner wear profile sensors (e.g., such as an ultrasonic sensor), an inertial sensor (preferably included both an inclinometer and an accelerometer, and an acoustic sensor, among others. When the liners are installed in the shell, the RFID tag is used to register the location of the liner within the shell. In operation, the information provided by the sensors is collected by a data transmission unit and sent by transmitter over the air to a computer having an antenna and receiver for such data. The data is correlated and the data is reviewable in real time while the mill is in running.