Milling apparatus

Abstract

Milling apparatus suitable for mechano-chemical breakdown of contaminated media reliant upon housed ball mill units each able to be cradle mounted to receive a rotational drive of a shaft and to feed material downwardly from housing to housing.

1 . Milling apparatus comprising or including
 a shaft having a drive coupling and carrying agitator forms (“agitators”) to rotate with the shaft,   a drum or other chamber defining means (“drum”) about the agitators on part of the length of the shaft thereby defining a chamber containing or to contain impact elements to be energised by agitation, the drum having an inlet and an outlet for process stream material(s),   a drive having a drive coupling to complement that of the shaft,   a support for the shafted drum which enables the drive via the coupled couplings to rotate at least the shaft and its agitators about the shaft axis when it is substantially horizontal, and   optionally the impact elements (e.g. ball, barrels, pins and/or the like masses).   
   
   
       2 . Apparatus of  claim 1  wherein there is within the drum a partition whereby impact elements to be retained can not access a said outlet but finer material(s) can. 
   
   
       3 . Milling apparatus comprising or including
 a shaft having a drive coupling,   agitator forms (“agitators”) sleeved on the shaft to rotate with the shaft,   a drum or other chamber defining means (“drum”) about the agitators on part of the length of the shaft thereby defining a chamber containing or to contain impact elements to be energised by agitation, the drum having an inlet and an outlet for process stream material(s),   a drive having a drive coupling to complement that of the shaft,   a support for the shafted drum which enables the drive via the coupled couplings to rotate at least the shaft and its agitators about the shaft axis when it is substantially horizontal, and   optionally the impact elements (e.g. ball, barrels, pins and/or the like masses).   
   
   
       4 . Horizontally Shafted milling apparatus comprising or including
 a shaft having a drive coupling and carrying agitator forms (“agitators”) to rotate with the shaft,   a drum or other chamber defining means (“drum”) about the agitators on part of the length of the shaft thereby defining a chamber containing or to contain impact elements to be energised by agitation, the drum having an inlet and an outlet for process stream material(s),   a drive having a drive coupling to complement that of the shaft,   a support for the shafted drum which enables the drive via the coupled couplings to rotate at least the shaft and its agitators about the shaft axis, and   optionally the impact elements (e.g. ball, barrels, pins and/or the like masses).   
   
   
       5 . Milling apparatus comprising or including
 a shaft having a drive coupling and carrying agitator forms (“agitators”) to rotate with the shaft,   a drum or other chamber defining means (“drum”) about the agitators on part of the length of the shaft thereby defining a chamber containing or to contain impact elements to be energised by agitation, the drum having an inlet and an outlet for process stream material(s),   a drive having a drive coupling to complement that of the shaft,   a support for the shafted drum which enables the drive via the coupled couplings to rotate at least the shaft and its agitators about the shaft axis, and   optionally the impact elements (e.g. ball, barrels, pins and/or the like masses).   
   
   
       6 . An assembly providing part or to provide parts of a milling apparatus comprising or including
 a shaft having a drive coupling and carrying agitator forms (“agitators”) to rotate with the shaft, and   a drum or other chamber defining means (“drum”) about the agitators on part of the length of the shaft thereby defining a chamber containing or to contain impact elements to be energised by agitation, the drum having an inlet and an outlet for process stream material(s),   the shaft preferably to be rotated substantially horizontally.   
   
   
       7 . Milling apparatus comprising or including
 a shaft having a drive coupling and carrying agitator forms (“agitators”) to rotate with the shaft,   a drum or other chamber defining means (“drum”) about the agitators on part of the length of the shaft thereby defining a chamber containing or to contain impact elements to be energised by agitation, the drum having an inlet to receive a feed from above to discharge to below when appropriately operated with the shaft at least substantially horizontal and an outlet,   a drive having a drive coupling to complement that of the shaft,   a support for the shafted drum which enables the drive via the coupled couplings to rotate at least the shaft and its agitators about the shaft axis, and   optionally the impact elements (e.g. ball, barrels, pins and/or the like masses).   
   
   
       8 . A gang of milling apparatus where at least one feeds material to another, at least one or more milling apparatus comprising or including
 a shaft having a drive coupling and carrying agitator forms (“agitators”) to rotate with the shaft,   a drum or other chamber defining means (“drum”) about the agitators on part of the length of the shaft thereby defining a chamber containing or to contain impact elements to be energised by agitation, the drum having an inlet and an outlet for process stream material(s), and   optionally the impact elements (e.g. ball, barrels, pins and/or the like masses).   
   
   
       9 . Milling apparatus comprising or including
 a plurality shafted chambers containing impact masses capable of being energised by agitator formations carried by each shaft when rotated, each chamber having an inlet and an outlet, and   a drive or drives to rotate the shafts,   wherein an inlet of a first said chamber can receive a solids stream and its outlet can discharge to an inlet of a second said chamber and the outlet of that second chamber can discharge either (I) for harvesting the out put or (II) to an inlet of a third said chamber, etc.   
   
   
       10 . In combination,
 a shafted housing having, or to have, balls or the like therein, ball mill,   a mount to cradle the housing yet to allow shaft rotation when and/or if the housing is fixed in the cradle, and   a coupler of a drive to couple to the shaft so as to drive, in use, the cradle mounted ball mill by rotating the coupled shaft.   
   
   
       11 . Milling apparatus comprising or including
 a plurality shafted chambers of impact masses capable of being energised by agitator formations carried by each shaft when rotated, each chamber having an inlet and an outlet, and   a ganged drive to rotate the shafts,   wherein an inlet of a first said chamber can receive a solids stream and its outlet can discharge to an inlet of a second said chamber and the outlet of that second chamber can discharge either (I) for harvesting the out put or (II) to an inlet of a third said chamber, etc.   
   
   
       12 . In combination,
 a ball mill having a housing and a shaft,   a mount to cradle the housing yet to allow shaft rotation when and/or if the housing is fixed in the cradle, and   a coupler of a drive to couple to the shaft so as to drive, in use, the cradle mounted ball mill by rotating the coupled shaft.   
   
   
       13 . Milling apparatus comprising or including
 a plurality shafted chambers or drums (“chambers”) of impact masses capable of being energised by agitator formations carried by each shaft when rotated, each chamber having an inlet and an outlet, and   a drive or drives to rotate each of the shafts via a drive input,   wherein an inlet of a first said chamber can receive a solids stream and its outlet can discharge to an inlet of a second said chamber and the outlet of that second chamber can discharge either (I) for harvesting the out put or (II) to an inlet of a third said chamber, etc,   and wherein each shaft can be disconnected for removal (preferably with its chamber) from its drive input.   
   
   
       14 . In combination,
 a ball mill having a housing and a shaft,   a mount to cradle the housing yet to allow shaft rotation when and/or if the housing is fixed in the cradle, and   a coupler of a drive to couple to the shaft so as to drive, in use, the cradle mounted ball mill by rotating the coupled shaft.   
   
   
       15 . Milling apparatus comprising or including
 a plurality shafted chambers of impact masses capable of being energised by agitator formations carried by each shaft when rotated, each chamber having an inlet and an outlet, and   a drive or drives to rotate the shafts,   wherein an inlet of a first said chamber can receive a solids stream and its outlet can discharge to an inlet of a second said chamber and the outlet of that second chamber can discharge either (I) for harvesting the out put or (II) to an inlet of a third said chamber, etc,   and wherein each shafted chamber as a unit can be replaced by uncradling and/or disconnection from its drive input.