Grinder

Abstract

A grinder includes a generally vertical, rotatable shaft having at least one set of cutter blades driven thereby and a fan assembly mounted on the shaft below the cutter blades in position to receive output therefrom. The fan assembly includes a fan disc secured to the shaft and rotatable therewith. Fan blades are secured to the fan disc in a generally radial orientation. Each fan blade includes a bottom flange secured to a top surface of the fan disc, a web extending upwardly from the bottom flange and a top flange extending outwardly from the web in a direction of rotation of the fan disc. The fan blades are preferably moveably mounted to the fan disc such that the angle of the fan blades relative to a true radial orientation can be adjusted.

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A fan assembly to secure to a rotatable shaft of a grinder to provide airflow through the grinder, comprising:
 a fan disc, the fan disc having a direction of rotation;   a plurality of fan blades; each of the fan blades having a web extending upwardly from the fan disc and a top flange extending outwardly from the web in the direction of rotation of the fan disc.   
     
     
         14 . The fan assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the web extends generally vertically upward from the fan disc; and   the top flange extends generally horizontally outward from the web.   
     
     
         15 . The fan assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein each fan blade further includes a base flange and the web is connected to the base flange along an edge of the base flange oriented in the direction of rotation of the fan disc; and the top flange is connected to the web along a top edge thereof. 
     
     
         16 . A fan assembly to secure to a rotatable shaft of a grinder to provide airflow through the grinder, comprising:
 a fan disc, the fan disc having a direction of rotation; and,   a plurality of fan blades connected to a top surface of the fan disc and positionable in selected angular orientations relative to the top surface by pivoting the fan blades relative to the top surface and fastening the fan blades to the top surface.   
     
     
         17 . The fan assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein each the fan blade is connected to the fan disc by a plurality of fasteners. 
     
     
         18 . The fan assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of fasteners connecting the fan blade to the fan disc includes a first fastener received through a first hole in the fan disc proximate an outer edge of the fan disc. 
     
     
         19 . The fan assembly according  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of fasteners includes a second fastener and the fan disc has multiple second holes formed therein in which the second fastener can be selectively installed to secure the fan blade to the fan disc while the first fastener is received in the first hole and connects the fan blade to the fan disc.)