Apparatus and method for controlled impact comminution of wood

摘要

A method and apparatus (10) for the controlled impact comminution of wood pieces (100) is described. The apparatus includes a housing (12) within which is located a comminuting chamber (14). The acceleration zone (14A) of the chamber has an impeller system (36) with flails (42). A fan (54) is also mounted adjacent the lower portion of the chamber. The comminution zone (14B) of the chamber includes first and second impact plates (26 and 30) and a funnel (34) having an outlet tube (34B) which is connected by a tube (56) to the inlet (54A) of the fan. The outlet (54B) of the fan is connected by an outlet chute (58) to a cyclone collector (60) positioned over a bin (62). To comminute the wood pieces, the pieces are fed into the impeller path (44). The flails of the impeller move the pieces around the path and accelerate the pieces into contact with the impact plates. As a result of the impact, the pieces are reduced into smaller pieces. Depending on the weight of the pieces, the pieces either reenter the impeller path for further comminution or if the pieces have been reduced to a predetermined size the pieces are drawn upward and out of the chamber through the outer tube to the cyclone collection and the bin by the fan.