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

A fragmenting rotor assembly for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material, the assembly comprising:

• a drive shaft and mechanism for driving the drive shaft in a direction of rotation about a longitudinal drive shaft axis;
• a hammer support carried by the drive shaft and projecting radially relative to the drive shaft axis and including a radially outer hammer head;
• a fragmenting knife removably secured to the hammer head and having a reducing edge disposed in a radially outer cutting position;
• and
• a deflecting member carried by the drive shaft and having a radially outer end disposed in a position and configured to deflect fragments away from at least a portion of the fragmenting knife, at least one of the hammer support and the deflecting member being carried by at least one rod of a plurality of circumferentially-spaced axially-extending rods that are carried on the drive shaft by axially-spaced rotor members, the deflecting member having a generally oblong body with a lobular outer end.

A fragmenting rotor assembly for comminuting waste wood and other fragmentable material, the assembly comprising:

• a drive shaft and mechanism for driving the drive shaft in a direction of rotation about a longitudinal drive shaft axis;
• a hammer support carried by the drive shaft and projecting radially relative to the drive shaft axis and including a radially outer hammer head;
• a fragmenting knife removably secured to the hammer head and having a reducing edge disposed in a radially outer cutting position;
• and
• a deflecting member carried by the drive shaft and having a radially outer end disposed in a position and configured to deflect fragments away from at least a portion of the fragmenting knife, at least one of the hammer support and the deflecting member being carried by at least one rod of a plurality of circumferentially-spaced axially-extending rods that are carried on the drive shaft by axially-spaced rotor members;
• the hammer support being carried by two rods of the plurality of rods;
• the deflecting member being carried by two rods of the plurality of rods;
• and
• at least one of the rods carrying the deflecting member being disposed circumferentially adjacent and rotatively preceding at least one of the two rods carrying the deflecting member.