# US 11,440,021 B2 · Pulverizer system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,021 B2 - Document ID: US11440021B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/405,626 - Filed: 2017-01-13 - Published: 2019-01-03 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-15 - Assignees: Torxx Kinetic Pulverizer Limited - Applicants: Torxx Kinetic Pulverizer Limited - Inventors: Jaroslaw Lutoslawski; Mark Christopher Lugowski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440021B2 ## CPC - B02C 25/00: Control arrangements specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating - B02C 13/18: with beaters rigidly connected to the rotor - B02C 13/288: Ventilating, or influencing air circulation - B02C 13/30: Driving mechanisms - B02C 23/08: Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating (B02C23/18 takes precedence {; beater mills combined with sifting devices B02C13/13, B02C13/14; for tumbling mills B02C17/1835}) - B02C 2013/28636: {of conveyor belt type} - B02C: CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN ({household tools and machines for pulverising foodstuffs, e.g. coffee and spice mills A47J42/00; pharmaceutical mortars A61J3/02; mechanical processing of refuse and garbage B03B9/06; dressing mould materials by grinding B22C5/04}; obtaining metallic powder by crushing, grinding or milling B22F9/04; {recovery of plastics by disintegrating B29B17/00; crushing raw materials in starch making C08B30/02; beaters for papermaking D21D1/02; crushing devices specially for transport in mines E21F13/002; slag crushing devices F23J1/00; fuel milling devices in combustion apparatus F23K1/00; household devices for crushing coal F24B15/02; ice disintegrating devices F25C5/02}) ## Abstract A pulverizer may have such features as an ability to detect wrapping as well as possibly deter wrapping. A processor may also adjust the speed of rotation of the arms within the pulverizer and/or the speed of feed of input for various considerations. In fact the rotation direction may be reversed for at least brief periods of time in an effort to remove wrapped material. Vibration may also be sensed and efforts to prevent damage may be instigated by a processor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pulverizer comprising: a top, and a conveyor feeding an inlet at the top; a bottom; a drum located between the top and the bottom; a rotating shaft extending vertically within the drum between the top and bottom, the rotating shaft having radially extending arms creating flow currents within the pulverizer thereby reducing the size of product input at the inlet so as to produce a size reduced material that is discharged at an outlet; a motor coupled to the rotating shaft; a vibration sensor coupled to the rotating shaft to sense vibration of the rotating shaft, and a processor communicating with at least one sensor programmed for: directing the rotation speed of the shaft based at least partially on input of the at least one sensor; and directing the speed of the conveyor based on at least one of an amperage of the motor and the rotation speed of the shaft; monitoring the amperage of the motor; monitoring a throughput rate of flow of the inlet or the outlet; determining that material is wrapped around at least one of the arms or the shaft based on detection of an increase in the amperage of the motor while sensing no increase in the throughput rate of flow does not increase; upon determining that material is wrapped around the at least one of the arms or the shaft, slowing and stopping the rotation of the shaft and subsequently temporarily reversing rotation of the shaft; temporarily reducing the speed of the conveyor upon detection, by the at least one sensor, of one of the slowing and the stopping of the shaft; and reducing the speed of at least one of the motor and the conveyor if vibration sensed by the vibration sensor exceeds a first predetermined threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pulverizer of claim 1 wherein the motor comprises a variable speed motor driving the shaft which receives direction from the processor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pulverizer of claim 1 wherein the motor has a variable frequency drive. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The pulverizer of claim 1 wherein the processor at least assists in controlling a pressure within the drum. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The pulverizer of claim 4 further comprising a vacuum applied to the drum. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pulverizer of claim 5 further comprising a dust collection system having a variable vacuum controlled by the processor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The pulverizer of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a shaft speed sensor for a feed back loop for communicating shaft speed to the processor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pulverizer of claim 1 further comprising a door interlock whereby the processor is configured to prevents opening an access door to the drum when the shaft is rotating. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The pulverizer of claim 1 wherein the processor directs stopping the shaft if the vibration of the rotation shaft exceeds a second predetermined threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The pulverizer of claim 1 wherein the processor has a wrap detection algorithm whereby wrapping of material about the arms is detected by performance of the pulverizer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The pulverizer of claim 10 whereby the wrap detection algorithm further comprises sensing at least one of an increase in amperage required by the motor, slowing down of the shaft and increased the vibration of the shaft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The pulverizer of claim 10 whereupon sensing wrapping, the pulverizer reverses direction of rotation, at least briefly in an effort to dislodge wrapped material on the aims. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The pulverizer of claim 1 further comprising spacing ribs located proximate to the arms to assist in preventing wrapping. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The pulverizer of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for increasing the speed of the shaft in a forward direction when the wrapping of material around at least one of the arms and the shaft is no longer detected and for reducing or maintaining the speed of the conveyor during the increasing of the speed of the shaft. ### Claim 15 A pulverizer comprising: a top, and a conveyor feeding an inlet at the top; a bottom; a drum located between the top and the bottom; a rotating shaft extending vertically within the drum between the top and bottom, the rotating shaft having radially extending arms creating flow currents within the pulverizer thereby reducing the size of product input at the inlet so as to produce a size reduced material that is discharged at an outlet; a vibration sensor coupled to the rotating shaft to sense vibration of the rotating shaft; a motor coupled to the rotating shaft; and a processor communicating with at least one sensor and configured for: monitoring an amperage of the motor; monitoring a throughput rate of flow of the inlet; if the amperage of the motor increases when the throughput rate of flow does not increase, determining that material is wrapped around at least one of the arms or the shaft; upon determining that material is wrapped around the at least one of the arms or the shaft, slowing, stopping and subsequently temporarily reversing rotation of the shaft; and temporarily reducing the speed of the conveyor upon detection, by the at least one sensor, of one of the slowing and the stopping of the shaft; and reducing the speed of at least one of the motor and the conveyor if vibration sensed by the vibration sensor exceeds a first predetermined threshold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The pulverizer of claim 15 wherein the processor directs the speed of at least one of (a) the shaft and (b) the conveyor based at least partially on input of the vibration sensor and the at least one sensor.