US3330488A

US3330488A - Comminutor for slaughterhouse waste and similar water suspensions

Info

Publication number: US3330488A
Application number: US414756A
Authority: US
Inventors: Muller Albrecht
Original assignee: Condux Werk Herbert A Merges KG
Current assignee: Condux Werk Herbert A Merges KG
Priority date: 1963-12-07
Filing date: 1964-11-30
Publication date: 1967-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-11
Also published as: FR1416796A; DE1459459A1

Description

A- MULLER 3,330,488 COMMINUTOR FOR SLAUGHTERHOUSE WASTE AND SIMILAR July 11, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet WATER SUSPENSIONS Filed Nov. 30, 1964 INVE/VT'OR A LBRECHT MULLER BYJ ATTORNEYS A. MULLER July 11, 1967 COMMINUTOR FOR SLAUGHTERHOUSE WASTE AND SIMILAR WATER SUSPENSIONS Filed Nov. 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet S;

INI/ENTOR ALBRECHT MULLER ATTORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,330,488 COMMINUTOR FOR SLAUGHTERHOUSE WASTE AND SIMILAR WATER SUSPENSIONS Albrecht Miiller, Wolfgang, near Hanan, Germany, assignor to Condnx-Werk Herbert A. Merges K.G., Wolfgang, near Hanan, Germany Filed Nov. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 414,756 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 7, 1963, C 31,621 Claims. (Cl. 241-88) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A communitor including a housing having a waste inlet and a waste outlet, with a cage disposed in a passageway between the waste inlet and waste outlet, and a rotary knife unit within the cage to cut up waste material passing therethrough. The cage and rotary knife unit are mounted on a hinged, tiltable cover plate which can be tilted to expose the interior of the passageway for removal of material therefrom and also to expose the cage and knife unit for servicing.

SPECIFICATION This invention relates to a unit for comminuting and disposing of waste materials, and is particularly concerned with such a unit for use under circumstances wherein the material to be comminuted is diflicult to handle in the usual device of this nature.

comminuting and disposing devices for waste materials are known and are widely used, but in certain instances, have heretofore had pronounced defects with -regard to the disposing of certain types of materials. For example, in slaughterhouses the disposing of intestines and other waste products with slippery surfaces and having an elongated nature will sometimes wrap around hammers and other parts of conventional comminuting units and make the device inoperative and require a shutdown, or will pass through the unit without being comminuted, in which case they will tend to form deposits or obstructions in the piping system.

With the foregoing in mind, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved comminuting device which will handle substantially any type of waste product and will successfully comminute the material so that it can readily pass through a discharge piping system.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a comminuting and disposing unit in which swinging hammers and the like are eliminated and wherein the unit will handle substantially any type of waste material.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a comminuting unit in which a direct cutting action is obtained on the product being comminuted and in which means are provided that will tend to prevent elongated objects from passing through the comminutor without being cut up into smaller pieces.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a comminuting unit according to the present invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a plan sectional view taken substantially along line IIII of FIGURE 1.

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT The device of the present invention, in general, comprises a housing having a waste inlet and a waste outlet. A cage consisting of a plurality of bars is disposed in the passage between the inlet and the outlet so that materials entering the inlet will have to pass through the cage to reach the oulet. Inside the cage is a rotary knife unit that cuts off material along the inside edges of the bars so that material cannot pass through the unit without being comminuted. Beneath the rotating knife is a catch basin for heavier particles that might pass through the cage.

One of the cage bars and the cutting knife are inclined so that a shearing action is had along the edge of each bar which greatly facilitates the comminuting operation.

The rotor consisting of the rotating knives and the cage surrounding the rotor and the drive motor for the rotor are mounted on a cover plate pivoted to the housing, and which cover plate can be tilted upwardly to expose the interior of the housing for removal of material from the catch basin and also to expose the cage and knives for servicing. Due to the tiltable cover, the unit can be permanently fixed in a waste discharge line and need not be removed therefrom for any servicing.

STRUCTURAL ARRANGEMENT Referring to the drawings somewhat more in detail, the comminuting unit according to the present invention comprises a housing 1 formed with :a flow passage 1a therethrough leading from inlet 1b to outlet 10. The passage includes a catch basin portion 2 in which may be disposed a removable basket 3, said catch basin and basket or container being provided for the purpose of catching heavy particles that might not pass readily through the waste passage. Catch basin 2 may comprise a drain plug 2a, if necessary, to drain the system, and in view of this, basket or container 3 may be formed of a screen or a perforated material.

As will be seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, passage 1a as it leads from inlet 1b includes a spiral portion 10' that terminates in an axially extending abutment region 4. This forms a sort of volute arrangement for distributing material about the comminuting device contained within the casing.

The housing 1 has an opening 1e in the top wall above the aforementioned volute portion, and this opening is adapted for being closed by a lid 5 pivoted to the housing by pivot means 5a. The lid, when closed, is clamped in position by the clamp means 5b and is .sealed to the housing as by sealing ring 50.

The lid 5 carries a drive motor 6, an electric motor for example, which has a shaft extending downwardly through a central opening in the lid and keyed to a rotor member 7. Rotor member 7 has a peripheral portion 8 in the form of a cylinder running immediately inside a cylindrical surface in the lid and formed about the said peripheral portion 8 is a thread 9 which feeds downwardly when the rotor rotates so as to inhibit movement of liquid inwardly along peripheral portion 8.

Rotor 7 carries a pair of wing-like curved projections 10 which at their leading edges have fixed thereto the cutting knives 11. These wing portions, as will be seen in FIGURE 2, spiral inwardly slightly in a direction away from the knives which are carried at their leading edges.

The knives 11 rotate inside a cylindrical cage or grating or basket 12 having a mounting ring 12a at its upper end by means of which it is secured to lid 5 as by cap screws 12b. At the lower end of the grating is another ring 12c, and extending between the rings are bars 13. Either the bars 13 or the knives 11 or both are inclined so that a shearing action is had on material passing between the bars and being engaged by the knives as the rotor rotates. In the drawings, it is the bars 13 which are indicated as inclined, but as mentioned, either the bars or the knives or both thereof could be inclined to obtain the shearing action.

It will be noted the knives have a clearance angle thereon and that the wings supporting the knives can be so formed so as to form a continuation of the surface of each knife on which the clearance angle is formed. This provides for good support of the knives so that they can be made of relatively hard material and will not tend to crack or fracture under impact with relatively hard pieces of waste material, while at the same time, there is ample clearance between the inside of the cage and the wings to prmit watse material to pass between the bars of the cage into position to be cut off by the knives.

A device according to the present invention is relatively inexpensive to make and has the distinct advantage that it will comminute materials that hereotfore have been treated only with difficulty in conventional type comminuting units, especially those having hammer elements therein. The unit according to the present invention is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and is easy to maintain.

It will be understood that this invention is suceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions; and accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for comminuting and disposing of waste products comprising; a housing having a passageway t-herethrough comprising an inlet portion and an outlet portion, an inlet in the housing at the entrance end of said inlet portion and an outlet in the housing at the exit end of said outlet portion, comminuting means in the housing disposed in the passageway between the exit end of said inlet portion and the entrance end of said outlet portion, drive means connected to said comminuting means, an aperture in the housing in axial alignment with said comminuting means, a cover member pivoted to said housing movable into position to close said aperture, and means mounting said comminuting means on said lid whereby tilting of the lid on the housing will withdraw the comminuting means from the housing.

2. A device for comminuting and disposing of waste products comprising; a housing having a passageway therethrough comprising an inlet portion and an outlet portion, an inlet in the housing at the entrance end of said inlet portion and an outlet in the housing at the exit end of said outlet portion, comminuting means in the housing disposed in the passageway between the exit end of said inlet portion and the entrance end of said outlet portion, drive means connected to said comminuting means, an aperture in the housing in axial alignment with said comminuting means, a cover member pivoted to said housing movable into position to close said aperture, means mounting said comminuting means on said lid whereby tilting of the lid on the housing will withdraw the comminuting means from the housing, said comminuting means being cylindrical and having an axis extending at right angles to the length of said inlet portion, and said inlet portion in the region of said comminuting means being in the form of a volute extending around said comminuting means whereby waste products flowing along said inlet portion and distributed around the periphery of said comminuting means.

3. A device for comminuting and disposing of waste products comprising; a housing having a passageway therethrough comprising an inlet portion and an outlet portion, an inlet in the housing at the entrance end of said inlet portion and an outlet in the housing at the exit end of said outlet portion, comminuting means in the housing disposed in the passageway between the exit end of said inlet portion and the entrance end of said outlet portion, drive means connected to said comminuting means, an aperture in the housing in axial alignment with said comminuting means, a cover member pivoted to said housing movable into position to close said aperture, means mounting said comminuting means on said lid whereby ,4 tilting of the lid on the housing will withdraw the comminuting means from the housing, said comminuting means being cylindrical and having an axis extending at right angles to the length of said inlet portion, and said inlet portion in the region of said comminuting means being in the form of a volute extending around said comminuting means whereby waste products flowing along said inlet portion and distributed around the perpihery of said communting means, said volute portion of said inlet portion including abutment means extending axially along the periphery of said comminuting means in the terminal region of said volute portion.

4. A device for comminuting and disposing of waste products comprising; a housing having a passageway therethrough comprising an inlet portion and an outlet portion, an inlet in the housing at the entrance end of said inlet portion and an outlet in the housing at the exit end of said outlet portion, comminuting means in the housing disposed in the passageway between the exit end of said inlet portion and the entrance end of said outlet portion, drive means connected to said comminuting means, an aperture in the housing in axial alignment with said comminuting means, a cover member pivoted to said housing movable into position to close said aperture, means mounting said comminuting means on said lid whereby tilting of the lid on the housing will withdraw the comminuting means from the housing, said comminuting means being cylindrical and having its axis extending at right angles to the length of said passageway, the said entrance end of said inlet portion being disposed beneath said comminnuting means, and a recess formed in said housing directly beneath said comminuting means for receiving heavy particles in the waste material.

5. A device for comminuting and disposing of waste products comprising; a housing having a passageway therethrough comprising an inlet portion and an outlet portion, an inlet in the housing at the entrance end of said inlet portion and an outlet in the housing at the exit end of said outlet portion, comminuting means in the housing disposed in the passageway between the exit end of said inlet portion and the entrance end of said outlet portion, drive means connected to said comminuting means, an aperture in the housing in axial alignment with said comminuting means, a cover member pivoted to said housing movable into position to close said aperture, means mounting said comminuting means on said lid whereby tilting of the lid on the housing will withdraw the comminuting means from the housing, said comminuting means being cylindrical and having its axis extending at right angles to the length of said passageway, the said entrance end of said inlet portion being disposed beneath said comminuting means, and a recess formed in said housing directly beneath said comminuting means for receiving heavy particles in the waste material, an upwardly opening receptacle being disposed within said recess and being removable from said housing upon tilting said cover member upwardly.

6. A device according to claim 1 in which said com minuting means comprises a stationarily mounted cylindrical outer cage having generally axially. extending circumferentially spaced bars, staid cage being open at the bottom, and a rotor disposed inside said cage and having generally axially extending knives movable closely inside said bars so as to comminute waste material entering the cage between said bars.

7. A device according to claim 1 in which said comminuting means comprises a stationarily mounted cylindrical outer cage having generally axially exuending circumferentially spaced bars, said cage being open at the bottom, and a rotor disposed inside said cage and having generally axially extending knives movable closely inside said bars so as to comminute waste material entering the cage between said bars, said rotor including a cylindrical top member, a cylindrical aperture in said cover member in which said cylindrical top member is mounted,

and a thread on the periphery of said top member operable to feed fluids downwardly during rotation of the rotor thereby to inhibit leakage upwardly between said top memberand said cover member.

8. A device according to claim 1 in which said comminuting means comprises a stationarily mounted cylindrical outer cage having generaly axially extending circumferentially spaced bars, said cage being open at the bottom, and a rotor disposed inside said cage and having generally axially extending knives movable closely inside said bars so as to comminute waste material entering the cage between said bars, said rotor comprising a top member and arcuzate wings dependent therefrom and having said knives mounted on the leading edges thereof.

9. A device according to claim 1 in which said comminuting means comprises a stationarily mounted cylindrical outer cage having generally axially extending circumferen-tially spaced bars, said cage being open at the bottom, and a rotor disposed inside said cage and having generally axially extending knives movable closely inside said bars so as to comminute waste material entering the cage between said bars, said rotor comprising a top member and arcuate wings dependent therefrom and having said knives mounted on the leading edges thereof, said wings being so formed as to form continuations of the clearance angles of said knives.

10. A device according to claim 1 in which said comminuting means comprises a st-ationarily mounted cylindrical outer cage having generally axially extending circumferentially spaced bars, said cage being open at the bottom, and .a rotor disposed inside said cage and having generally axially extending knives movable closely inside said bars so as to comminute waste material entering the cage between said bars, said rotor comprising a top member and arcuate wings dependent therefrom and having said knives mounted on the leading edges thereof, said wings being so formed as to form continuations of the clearance angles of said knives, at least one of said knives and bars being inclined at an angle to the axis of said comminuting means whereby a shearing action takes place between the knives and the bars during rotation of said rotor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,369,312 2/1945 Porteous 24l-90 2,573,048 10/1951 Newkirk et a1 24l86 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,137,929 10/196 2 Germany.

1,150,101 7/1957 France.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A DEVICE FOR COMMINUTING AND DISPOSING OF WASTE PRODUCTS COMPRISING; A HOUSING HAVING A PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH COMPRISING AN INLET PORTION AND AN OUTLET PORTION, AN INLET IN THE HOUSING AT THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID INLET PORTION AND AN OUTLET IN THE HOUSING AT THE EXIT END OF SAID OUTLET PORTION, COMMINUTING MEANS IN THE HOUSING DISPOSED IN THE PASSAGEWAY BETWEEN THE EXIT END OF SAID INLET PORTION AND THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID OUTLET PORTION, DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID COMMINUTING MEANS, AN APERTURE IN THE HOUSING IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID COMMINUTING MEANS, A COVER MEMBER PIVOTED TO SAID HOUSING MOVABLE INTO POSITION TO CLOSE SAID APERTURE, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID COMMINUTING MEANS ON SAID LID WHEREBY TILTING OF THE LID ON THE HOUSING WILL WITHDRAW THE COMMINUTING MEANS FROM THE HOUSING.