METHOD OF REPLACING HAMMERS & SPACERS

Abstract

Improved free-swinging hammermill hammer configurations are disclosed and described for comminution of materials such as grain and refuse. The hammer configurations of the present disclosure are adaptable to most hammer mill or grinders having free-swinging systems. The configurations as disclosed incorporate comminution edges having increased hardness for longer operational run times. The improved configurations improve installing, removing, and cleaning hammer components within the hammermill. More particularly, a method for replacing hammers and spacers includes pre-assembling hammers, spacers, hammer saddles, locking collars, or any combination thereof and temporarily attaching them to one another before placement onto a hammermill rod. Once placed on the hammermill rod, the temporary attachment is broken such that the hammers within the pre-assembled group may move freely with respect to one another.

Claims

1. A method of installing hammers onto a hammermill rod comprising: arranging at least two hammers into a group; securing adjacent members of the group to one another with a temporary attachment; placing the group onto the hammermill rod; and removing or breaking the temporary attachment such that the hammers within the group may move freely with respect to one another.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the temporary attachment is a brittle weld.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the brittle weld comprises boron nitride.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the temporary attachment is a brittle adhesive.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the brittle adhesive is a glue.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the group further comprises a spacer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the group further comprises a hammer saddle.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transporting the group using an assembly rod before placing the group onto the hammermill rod.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein several groups are transported using the assembly rod before placing the group onto the hammermill rod.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two hammers have distinct configurations.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the group spans approximately 3.5 inches.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the removing or breaking of the temporary attachment is accomplished by hitting the temporary attachment with a blunt object.

13. An assembly for a hammermill, the assembly comprising: a group of hammers, each hammer in the group of hammers comprising: a front surface; a rear surface opposite the front surface; a first end; a second end for contact and delivery of momentum to material to be comminuted, wherein said second end has a weld hardened edge; and a rod hole for securing the hammer to a hammermill rod of the rotatable hammermill assembly; and a temporary attachment operatively securing at least one hammer in the group of hammers to at least one other hammer in the group of hammers.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the temporary attachment is a brittle weld.

15. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the temporary attachment is a brittle adhesive.

16. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising a spacer within the group of hammers.

17. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising a locking collar within the group of hammers.

18. The assembly of claim 16 wherein the weld hardened edge of each hammer is welded to the periphery of the second end and comprises: two side contact edges opposite one another; a top contact edge; and tungsten carbide for increased hardness.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the two side contact edges are stepped.

20. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the hammer is symmetrical across the front surface such that either of the side contact edges may be the leading edge during operation of the rotatable hammermill assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] FIG. 1 provides a schematic for an exemplary hammermill layout known in the art, the hammermill layout using hammers with hammer saddles and spacers.

[0047] FIG. 2 provides a schematic for an improved hammermill layout which shows the use of temporary attachments securing pre-installed groups of hammers to one another as they are initially placed onto a hammermill rod.

[0048] FIG. 3 provides a perspective view of an improved hammer.

[0049] FIG. 4 provides an edge view of the hammer of FIG. 3.

[0050] FIG. 5 provides a side view of the hammer of FIG. 3.

[0051] FIG. 6 provides a top view of the hammer of FIG. 3.

[0052] FIG. 7 provides a perspective view of a hammer assembly that implements several hammers of FIG. 3.

[0053] FIG. 8 provides a side view of the improved hammer assembly of FIG. 7.

[0054] FIG. 9 provides a top view of the improved hammer assembly of FIG. 7.

[0055] FIG. 10 provides a perspective view of an alternative improved hammer.

[0056] Various embodiments of the present disclosure illustrate several ways in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views. Reference to specific embodiments does not limit the scope of the present disclosure and the drawings represented herein are presented for exemplary purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The following definitions and introductory matters are provided to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which embodiments of the present invention pertain.

[0058] The terms a, an, and the include plural referents unless context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, the word or is intended to include and unless context clearly indicate otherwise. The word or means any one member of a particular list and also includes any combination of members of that list.

[0059] The terms invention or present invention as used herein are not intended to refer to any single embodiment of the particular invention but encompass all possible embodiments as described in the specification and the claims.

[0060] The terms about and substantially as used herein refer to variation in the numerical quantities that can occur, for example, through typical measuring techniques and equipment, with respect to any quantifiable variable, including, but not limited to, mass, volume, time, distance, wave length, frequency, voltage, current, and electromagnetic field. Further, given solid and liquid handling procedures used in the real world, there is certain inadvertent error and variation that is likely through differences in the manufacture, source, or purity of the ingredients used to make the compositions or carry out the methods and the like. The claims include equivalents to the quantities whether or not modified by the term about or substantially.

[0061] The term configured describes an apparatus, system, or other structure that is constructed to perform or capable of performing a particular task or to adopt a particular configuration. The term configured can be used interchangeably with other similar phrases such as constructed, arranged, adapted, manufactured, and the like.

[0062] Terms such as first, second, vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper, lower, front, rear, end, sides, concave, convex, and the like, are referenced according to the views presented. These terms are used only for purposes of description and are not limiting unless these terms are expressly included in the claims. Orientation of an object or a combination of objects may change without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0063] The apparatuses, systems, and methods of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of the components of the present invention described herein. The term consisting essentially of means that the apparatuses, systems, and methods may include additional components or steps, but only if the additional components or steps do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed apparatuses, systems, and methods.

[0064] The following embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention however other embodiments may be utilized. Mechanical, procedural, and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0065] FIG. 1 shows a schematic for an exemplary hammermill layout 5 known in the art for a known hammermill 1, the hammermill layout 5 utilizing hammers with saddles 2, a hammermill rod 3, spacers 4A-4G. The spacers 4A-4G are relied on primarily to eliminate slack and movement among the known hammers with saddles 2 while maintaining an optimized distance between consecutive hammers. However, these spacers are expensive, and a single set of spacers 4A-4G can cost an owner of a hammermill over $900 for a single hammermill.

[0066] In the example shown, the spacers 4A-4G have increasing thicknesses (e.g., 4G is thicker than 4F which is thicker than 4E, etc.). As can be seen from FIG. 1, a known hammermill rod 3 may include spacers arranged in one of three exemplary patterns, in order to optimize comminuting of a material put into the known hammermill 1:

[0067] First Exemplary Row: 4A, 4D, 4A, 4A, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4D, 4D, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4A, 4A, 4D, 4A; Second Exemplary Row: 4A, 4A, 4B, 4B, 4E, 4B, 4E, 4E, 4B, 4E, 4E, 4B, 4E, 4E, 4B, 4E, 4A, 4A, 4E, 4E, 4A, 4A, 4E, 4B, 4E, 4E, 4B, 4E, 4E, 4B, 4E, 4E, 4B, 4E, 4F, 4A;

[0068] Third Exemplary Row: 4A, 4F, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4D, 4D, 4A, 4A, 4A, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4G, 4C, 4B, 4B, 4A, 4A.

[0069] FIG. 2 shows a schematic for an improved hammermill layout 9 for an improved hammermill 6 which can eliminate the need for the use of spacers because the hammer saddles essentially incorporate the spacer directly into the hammer/saddle 7 and reduce the number of parts required to be installed on the hammermill rod 8. Similar patterns may be created to those discussed above depending on the varied thicknesses of the plates which make up the hammers/saddles 7.

[0070] To further facilitate and simplify the installation process, several of the hammers, saddles, spacers (such as those seen in FIG. 1), locking collars (such as those seen in FIG. 1), or some combination thereof may be grouped into a pre-installed hammer group or pocket 110 before being assembled onto the hammermill rod. The pre-installed hammer group 110 is temporarily grouped together until the pre-installed hammer group 110 is placed onto the hammermill rod. The pre-installed hammer group 110 may be secured to one another with temporary attachments 112 as is exemplified in FIG. 2. The temporary attachments 112 may comprise a brittle weld such as a boron nitride weld or a brittle adhesive such as a glue to secure the hammers, saddles, spacers, locking collars, or some combination thereof to one another during transportation and assembly of the pre-installed hammer group 110. During transportation the pre-installed hammer group 110 may be placed onto an assembly rod (e.g., a cardboard or paper assembly tube, a plastic or metal pipe, or any suitable substantially cylindrical object, etc.) having a similar diameter to the hammermill rod the pre-installed hammer group 110 will eventually be installed on. The temporary attachment 112 is eventually easily broken (e.g., by tapping them with a blunt object) after the pre-installed hammer group 110 is eventually placed onto the hammermill rod. This allows the individual hammers within the hammer group to move freely with respect to one another.

[0071] The exemplary improved hammers 10 shown in FIGS. 3-10 increase the surface area available to support the hammer 10 relative to the thickness of the hammer body 12. Increasing the surface area available to support the hammer body 12 while improving securement also increases the amount of material available to absorb or distribute operational stresses while still allowing the benefits of the free-swinging hammer design, e.g., recoil to non-destructible foreign objects. The configuration also greatly reduces lateral movement of the hammer 10 and can be made wide enough to eliminate it completely. The hammer body 12, the front plate 30, or the rear plate 31 can be made wider to reduce lateral movement.

[0072] The hammer body hammer body 12, the front plate 30, or the rear plate 31 allow the three-piece hammer 10 to be heat treated so that the hammer body 12 is as hard as needed to reduce hole wear and acts more like spring steel (e.g., taking some impact without breaking). However, it should be appreciated a similar concept could still work using a single piece integrally formed by the hammer body 12, front plate 30, and the rear plate 31, however this could complicate the process associated with manufacturing such a piece. If hammer body 12 is heat treated, the timing of the heat treatment with respect to when hammer body 12 is integrated into hammer 10. This configuration allows for a denser hammer pattern and hammers thinner than the industrial standard of thick. However, in some situations, the hammer body 12 may not need to be heat treated to achieve the desired level of hardness.

[0073] Because it is preferred that variable hammer 10 be at least three separate pieces, including one plate on each side of planar hammer body 12, an operator of the hammermill can still easily replace worn or broken hammers without having to disassemble the hammermill rod from the hammermill assembly. This installation process allows an installer to complete the installation process in approximately or less than one hour, whereas previous methods of installing the hammers took approximately eight hours. A typical hammermill will wear through nine or eighteen sets of hammers a month, and so this significantly increases the time in which the hammermill may be operated, and significantly decreases costs associated with the installation process, as less labor is required.

[0074] The width of the mounting portion of hammer 10 has been increased by the front plate 30 and the rear plate 31, thus allowing for a thinner hammer body 12. Increasing the surface area available to support the hammer 10 improves securement and increases the amount of material available to absorb or distribute operational stresses while still allowing the benefits of the free-swinging hammer design, e.g., recoil to non-destructible foreign objects. Additionally, the amount of material surface supporting attachment of hammer 10 to a hammermill rod (not shown) is dramatically increased. This has the added benefit of eliminating or reducing the wear or grooving of the hammermill rod (not shown).

[0075] Further benefits of the improved hammer 10 include the prevention of hammer 10 figure eighting during hammermill operation.

[0076] FIGS. 3-10 show exemplary improved, (preferably non-forged) planar hammers 10 to be installed in a hammermill assembly similar to that of the improved hammermill configuration 9. Planar hammer 10 includes planar hammer body 12.

[0077] Hammer body distal end 16 has contact edges 28A-C that comminute and grind grains, animal food, pet food, food ingredients, mulch, bark, etc. during operation of the hammermill assembly. In the embodiment shown, hammer body 12 is symmetrical across hammer body front surface 24 and hammer body rear surface 25 such that either of the side contact edges 28A, 28C may be the leading edge during operation of the hammermill assembly. The side contact edge 28A/28C serving as the leading edge will wear much faster than the trailing side contact edge 28A/28C. Changing which side contact edge is the leading edge may be accomplished by reversing the direction of rotation of the hammermill assembly or may be accomplished by re-installing the planar hammer 10 in the mirrored orientation. The width of the contacting edges 28A-C is substantially equivalent to the width of distal end 16 of the hammer body 12. It may be preferred that contact edges 28A-C have been welded onto distal end 16 using tungsten carbide to increase hardness and durability of the planar hammer 10, as is shown in FIGS. 3-9. It may also be preferred that side contact edges 28A, 28C be stepped, as is shown in FIG. 10. Other types of welding materials known to those skilled in the art may also be applied.

[0078] The hammer body proximate end 18 is used to secure planar hammer 10 to the front plate 30 and the rear plate 31 at the end where planar hammer body 12 attaches to the hammermill rod 8 of a hammermill assembly 9. Planar hammer body 12, the front plate 30, and the rear plate 31 are welded together where hammer body first side edge 20 meets front plate side surfaces 40 and rear plate side surfaces 41. Welds 22 may span the entire width of the side of the hammer 10 or may be less than the total. Welds 22 are preferably fusion type welds, but the present disclosure also contemplates utilizing solid-state welding methods or other types of welding methods known to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is also not limited to the use of welds to secure the planar hammers 10 to the front plate 30 and the rear plate 31. For example, the planar hammers 10 could be secured to the front plate 30 and the rear plate 31 via rivets or any other known means for fastening non-forged steel together.

[0079] The front plate 30 and the rear plate 31 generally include front surfaces 32, 33, rear surfaces 34, 35, internal rod hole edges 36, 37 bottom surfaces 38, 39, a pair of side surfaces 40, 41, and top surfaces 42, 46. As is substantially shown, the front and rear plates 30, 31 are plates with a rectangular perimeter with circular holes bored through the center of the plates. However, the present disclosure contemplates any known shape may be used for the perimeter, including a circular shape, elliptical shape, buckle shape, triangular shape, or any other known shape. The side surfaces 40, 41 extend from the bottom surfaces 38, 39 at the proximate end 18 of planar hammer body 12 to the top surfaces 42, 46. It is preferable that the hammer body bottom surface 26 is flush with the front plate bottom surface 38 and the rear plate bottom surface 39 such that each of the surfaces is substantially within the same plane, however the present disclosure is not to be limited to such a configuration. The front plate 30 and the rear plate 31 are secured or otherwise operatively attached to the hammer body front surface at the proximate end 18. In a preferred embodiment, the front plate 30 is of a thickness that is different than the thickness of the rear plate 31 and the front plate 30 and the rear plate 31 are not integrally formed with the hammer body front surface 24 or the hammer body rear surface 25.

[0080] Planar hammer body 12 has a hammermill rod hole 14 and a hammermill rod hole edge 15 near its proximate end 18. In the embodiment shown, hammermill rod hole edge 15 and front plate and rear plate rod hole edges 36, 37 create a continuous surface for hammermill rod engagement. Planar hammer body 12, the front plate 30, and the rear plate 31 may be welded together before attachment to a hammermill rod when the hammermill 6 is dis-assembled.

[0081] Additionally, FIGS. 3-6 show planar hammer body 12 including hammer body holes 48 to allow for a lighter blade. Hammer body holes 48 may be elliptical (including circular), partially elliptical (including oval shaped and semi-circular), conical, or polygonal in nature, be shaped to form any other known shapes, or shaped using a combination of any of the preceding shapes.

[0082] FIGS. 7-9 show an improved, non-forged hammer assembly 50 to be installed in a hammermill assembly 9 using planar hammers 10 from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-6. The proximate ends 18 of the planar hammer bodies 12 are now used to secure the planar hammers 10 to one another.

[0083] The present disclosure is not limited to the use of a circular rod hole. For example, the hammermill rod hole 14 may be tear drop shaped, polygonal, or any other known shape which allows the hammer bodies 12 to attach to a hammermill rod 8, as is shown in the parent application (U.S. Ser. No. 15/912,056) to the present application. In fact, the use of non-circular shapes for the hammermill rod hole 14 may facilitate cleaning of the hammermill rod hole 14 while the hammer 10 is still attached to the hammermill rod 8.

[0084] A method of installing the hammers 10 or hammer assemblies 50 on a hammermill rod of a hammermill is contemplated by the present disclosure. More particularly, the installation process may include acquiring a hammermill having several support members, a hammermill rod, and several different hammers 10 in accordance with the aspects of the present disclosure described above. The hammermill rod can then be fed through apertures within each of the support members of the hammermill or otherwise secured to the support members of the hammermill. As the hammermill rod is being fed through the apertures of each of the support members, the hammers 10 may be placed onto the hammermill rod such that they are snugly arranged (e.g. the hammers 10 are adjacent to and contact front plates 30, rear plates 32, other hammers 10, or support members of the hammermill) according to a desired pattern. Using the improved hammers 10 eliminates the need for spacers and locking collars, however some spacers or locking collars may still be used.

[0085] From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of the stated objectives.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0086] The following list of reference numerals is provided to facilitate an understanding and examination of the present disclosure and is not exhaustive. Provided it is possible to do so, elements identified by a numeral may be replaced or used in combination with any elements identified by a separate numeral. Additionally, numerals are not limited to the descriptors provided herein and include equivalent structures and other objects possessing the same function. [0087] 1 known hammermill [0088] 2 known hammers with saddles [0089] 3 known hammermill rod [0090] 4A-4G known spacers [0091] 5A-5C known hammermill row configuration [0092] 6 improved hammermill [0093] 7 improved hammers with saddles [0094] 8 improved hammermill rod [0095] 9A-9C improved hammermill row configuration [0096] 10 hammer [0097] 12 hammer body [0098] 14 hammermill rod hole [0099] 15 hammermill rod hole edge of the hammer body [0100] 16 hammer body distal end [0101] 18 hammer body proximate end [0102] 20 hammer body first side edge [0103] 21 hammer body second side edge [0104] 22 fusion weld [0105] 24 hammer body front surface [0106] 25 hammer body rear surface [0107] 26 hammer body bottom surface [0108] 28A first side contact edge [0109] 28B top contact edge [0110] 28C second side contact edge [0111] 30 front plate [0112] 31 rear plate [0113] 32 front plate front surface [0114] 33 rear plate front surface [0115] 34 front plate rear surface [0116] 35 rear plate rear surface [0117] 36 front plate rod hole edge [0118] 37 rear plate rod hole edge [0119] 38 front plate bottom surface [0120] 39 rear plate bottom surface [0121] 40 front plate side surfaces [0122] 41 rear plate side surfaces [0123] 42 front plate top surface [0124] 46 rear plate top surface [0125] 48 hammer body hole [0126] 50 hammer assembly [0127] 110 pre-installed hammer group or pocket [0128] 112 temporary attachment (e.g., boron nitride weld)

[0129] The present disclosure is not to be limited to the particular embodiments described herein. The following claims set forth a number of the embodiments of the present disclosure with greater particularity.