Ultrasonic grinder

Apparatus for comminuting materials comprising first and second elements cooperating to mechanically comminute materials at a nip therebetween, said elements being a pair of parallel hollow pressure rolls, at least one of said rolls is resonant, a source of vibratory energy connected to said resonant roll, said source being of sufficient power level so that vibratory energy may be transmitted by said resonant roll to the material being comminuted to cause cyclic fatigue stresses in the material while the material is being mechanically comminuted, and motor means separate from said source of vibratory energy, said motor means being connected to at least one of said rolls for causing relative movement therebetween to effect the mechanical comminution of the material being treated.

Apparatus for comminuting materials comprising first and second elements cooperating to mechanically comminute materials at a nip therebetween, said first element being rotatable within said second element, said second element being resonant, said second element having a cylindrical inner periphery, said first element having a tapered outer periphery, a source of vibratory energy connected to said resonant second element, said source being of sufficient power level so that vibratory energy may be transmitted by said resonant element to the material being comminuted to cause cyclic fatigue stresses in the material while the material is being mechanically comminuted, and motor means separate from said source of vibratory energy, said motor means being connected to at least one of said elements for causing relative movement therebetween to effect the mechanical comminution of the material being treated.

Apparatus for comminuting materials comprising first and second elements cooperating to mechanically comminute materials at a nip therebetween, said first element extending downwardly from above into a cavity in said second element, said cavity having a discharge opening adjacent its lower end, at least one of said elements being resonant, a source of vibratory energy connected to said resonant element, said source being of sufficient power level so that vibratory energy may be transmitted by said resonant element to the material being comminuted to cause cyclic fatigue stresses in the material while the material is being mechanically comminuted, and motor means separate from said source of vibratory energy, said motor means being connected to at least one of said elements for causing relative movement therebetween to effect the mechanical comminution of the material being treated.

A method of comminuting materials such as coal, rock and the like comprising mechanically comminuting material at a nip between first and second cooperating elements one of which is resonant, coupling a motor means to said resonant element for causing relative movement between said elements to effect said mechanical comminution, vibrating said resonant element by a source of vibratory energy discrete from said motor means to cyclicly fatigue stress the material being treated while the material is being mechanically comminuted.