Reducing machine rotor assembly and methods of constructing and operating the same

1. In a method of making a fragmenting rotor assembly operable with an anvil surface for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material:

a. providing a drive shaft and mechanism for driving the shaft in a direction of rotation;

b. supporting a plurality of rotor members in axially-spaced relationship along the drive shaft;

c. supporting a series of circumferentially-spaced axially extending rods on and extending between the rotor members;

d. providing a series of radially projecting hammer supports having respective radially outer hammer heads, the hammer supports being spaced along a rotational axis of the shaft and carried by the rods such that each rod carries a plurality of hammer supports;

e. providing fragmenting lives that each have a reducing edge, and that are removably secured to respective ones of the hammer heads such that the reducing edge of each knife is positioned in a radially outer cutting position; and

f. supporting a plurality of deflecting members on the rods in axially-spaced positions along the rods such that each rod carries a plurality of deflecting members and such that radially outer ends of the deflecting members are disposed in respective positions to deflect wood fragments away from at least portions of fragmenting knives carried by respective hammer heads.

2. The method of claim 1 in which:

the step of providing fragmenting lives includes providing fragmenting knives having axially extending reducing edges removably secured to rotatively leading portions of the hammer heads;

the step of supporting a plurality of deflecting members on the rods includes mounting separately replaceable deflecting members independently of the hammer heads and in radial plane with and spaced between pairs of hammer heads, the deflecting members having outer ends moving in circumferential paths of lesser radial extent than corresponding circumferential paths of the knife edges; and in which the method includes the additional steps of:

providing discs in axially spaced relationship along the drive shaft; and

mounting said hammer heads at the sides of the discs such that the paths of annular travel of the reducing edges secured on the hammer heads axially overlap without interfering.

3. The method of claim 1 in which:

the step of supporting a series of radially projecting hammer supports includes providing a series of radially projecting side for side reversible hammer supports;

the step of providing fragmenting knives includes providing fragmenting knives having axially extending reducing edges removably secured to the rotatively leading portions of the hammer heads;

the step of supporting a plurality of deflecting members on the rods includes mounting separately replaceable deflecting members independently of the hammer heads and in radial plane with and spaced between pairs of hammer heads, the deflecting members having outer ends moving in circumferential paths of lesser radial extent than circumferential paths of the knife edges; and in which the method includes the additional steps of:

providing discs in axially-spaced relationship along the drive shaft; and

securing the knives of hammer heads that are disposed on opposite sides of the same discs, in circumferentially displaced positions having rotary paths of axial overlap.

4. The method of claim 1 in which:

the step of supporting a plurality of deflecting members on the rods includes mounting separately replaceable deflecting members independently of the hammer heads and in radial plane with and spaced between pairs of hammer heads, the deflecting members having outer ends moving in circumferential paths of lesser radial extent than corresponding circumferential paths of the knife edges; and in which the method includes the additional steps of:

providing discs in axially-spaced relationship along the drive shaft;

mounting a series of circumferentially spaced axially extending pairs of rods to extend between the discs; and

mounting said hammer heads and deflecting members releasably on the pairs of rods in circumferentially alternating relation such that each hammer head is carried by a pair of rods and each deflecting member is carried by a pair of rods.

5. In a method of making a fragmenting rotor assembly operable with an anvil surface for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material:

a. providing a drive shaft and mechanism for driving the shaft in a direction of rotation;

b. supporting a plurality of rotor members in axially-spaced relationship along the drive shaft;

c. supporting a series of circumferentially-spaced axially extending rods on and extending between the rotor members;

d. providing a series of radially projecting hammer supports having radially outer hammer heads, the hammer supports being spaced along a rotational axis of the shaft and carried by the rods;

e. providing fragmenting knives that each have a reducing edge, and that are removably secured to respective ones of the hammer heads such that the reducing edge of each knife is positioned in a radially outer cutting position;

f. supporting a plurality of deflecting members on the rods such that radially outer ends of the deflecting members are disposed in respective positions to deflect wood fragments away from at least portions of fragmenting knives carried by respective hammer heads; and

g. the step of supporting a plurality of deflecting members on the drive shaft includes supporting the at least one deflecting member such that its radially outer end is disposed adjacent a radial plane of rotation of the at least one hammer support.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the step of supporting at least one deflecting member on the drive shaft includes supporting the at least one deflecting member such that its radially outer end is disposed in the radial plane of rotation of the at least one hammer support.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the step of supporting at least one deflecting member on the drive shaft includes supporting a plurality of deflecting members on the drive shaft in a helically staggered relationship along the shaft axis.

8. In a method of making a fragmenting rotor assembly operable with anvil surface for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material:

a. providing a drive shaft and mechanism for driving the shaft in a direction of rotation;

b. providing a series of radially projecting hammer supports with radially outer hammer heads situated along a rotational axis of the shaft and powered by the shaft, the hammer heads each having a rotatively leading portion and a trailing portion;

c. providing fragmenting knives having axially extending reducing edges removably secured to the rotatively leading portions of the hammer heads; and

d. mounting separately replaceable deflecting members independently of the hammer heads and radially between pairs of hammer heads, the deflecting members having outer ends moving in circumferential paths of lesser radial extent than corresponding circumferential paths of the knife edges; the deflecting members being provided as generally oblong bodies with a central portion and with lobular outer ends, and providing the hammer heads and deflecting members in helically staggered relation along the rotational axis of the shaft with each deflecting member lobular end in radial plane alignment with a hammer knife.

9. In a method of making a fragmenting rotor assembly operable with an anvil surface for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material:

a. providing a drive shaft and mechanism for driving the shaft in a direction of rotation;

b. supporting a plurality of rotor members in axially-spaced relationship alone the drive shaft;

c. supporting a series of circumferentially-spaced axially extending rods on and extending between the rotor members;

d. providing a series of radially projecting hammer supports having radially outer hammer heads, the hammer supports being spaced along a rotational axis of the shaft and carried by the rods;

e. providing fragmenting knives that each have a reducing edge, and that are removably secured to respective ones of the hammer heads such that the reducing edge of each knife is positioned in a radially outer cutting position;

f. supporting a plurality of deflecting members on the rods such that radially outer ends of the deflecting members are disposed in respective positions to deflect wood fragments away from at least portions of fragmenting knives carried by respective hammer heads; and

g. mounting the at least one deflecting member in substantially axial alignment with the at least one hammer support and reversing the hammer support side for side when it becomes worn.

10. In a method of making a fragmenting rotor assembly operable with an anvil surface for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material:

a. providing a drive shaft and mechanism for driving the shaft in a direction of rotation;

b. supporting a plurality of rotor members in axially-spaced relationship along the drive shaft;

c. supporting a series of circumferentially-spaced axially extending rods on and extending between the rotor members;

d. providing a series of radially projecting hammer supports having radially outer hammer heads, the hammer supports being spaced along a rotational axis of the shaft and carried by the rods;

e. providing fragmenting knives that each have a reducing edge, and that are removably secured to respective ones of the hammer heads such that the reducing edge of each knife is positioned in a radially outer cutting position;

f. supporting a plurality of deflecting members on the rods such that radially outer ends of the deflecting members are disposed in respective positions to deflect wood fragments away from at least portions of fragmenting knives carried by respective hammer heads;

g. at least one fragmenting knife is provided having two reducing edges, and is removably secured to the rotatively leading portions of at least one hammer head such that one reducing edge of the at least one fragmenting knife is positioned in a radially outer cutting position and the other reducing edge is positioned in a radially inner stowed position; and

h. at least one deflecting member is mounted such that a radially outer end of the at least one deflecting member is positioned to move in circumferential deflecting path radially beyond a circumferential path of the fragmenting knife reducing edge carried in the inner stowed position on the at least one hammer head and within a circumferential cutting path of the fragmenting knife reducing edge carried in the outer cutting position on the at least one hammer.