1. An apparatus for cutting an article, comprising:
a cutting head adapted for rotation about an axis, said cutting head including at least one set of elongate cutting knives having respective linear cutting edges; and
at least two coaxially disposed flat circular disk-saws, each disk-saw having respective pluralities of cutting teeth, said disk-saws attached to said cutting head and defining respective distinct outer cutting diameters, each of said cutting teeth having two cutting edges, one of said cutting edges being oriented parallel to said axis and the other of said cutting edges being oriented perpendicular to said axis, for producing, as a result of said rotation, both slicing and facing cuts in the article.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first one of said disk-saws defines an annular ring having an inner diameter, the outer cutting diameter of said first disk-saw being greater than the outer cutting diameter of a second one of said disk-saws, the outer cutting diameter of said second disk-saw being less than the inner diameter of said first disk-saw for nesting said second disk-saw inside said first disk-saw.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said disk-saws are axially adjustably spaced relative to one another.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising at least one control plate interdisposed between at least one of said disk-saws said cutting head, for axially positioning said at least one disk-saw with respect to said cutting head.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising at least two control plates, at least one control plate being interdisposed between a first said disk-saw and said cutting head, and at least one control plate being interdisposed between the first said disk-saw and a second said disk-saw.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a first one of said disk-saws defines an annular ring having an inner diameter, the outer cutting diameter of said first disk-saw being greater than the outer cutting diameter of a second one of said disk-saws, the outer cutting diameter of said second disk-saw being less than the inner diameter of said first disk-saw for nesting said second disk-saw inside said first disk-saw.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the inner diameter of said first disk-saw, said second disk-saw and said cutting head define a space therebetween, and wherein said cutting head is relieved behind at least said cutting teeth of said second disk-saw to permit sawdust that migrates past said second disk-saw into the space and out through said cutting head.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising at least two control plates, at least one control plate being interdisposed between a first said disk-saw and said cutting head, and at least one control plate being interdisposed between the first said disk-saw and a second said disk-saw.
9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inner diameter of said first disk-saw, said second disk-saw and said cutting head define a space therebetween, and wherein said cutting head is relieved behind at least said cutting teeth of said second disk-saw to permit sawdust that migrates past said second disk-saw into the space and out through said cutting head.
10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a first one of said disk-saws defines an annular ring having an inner diameter, the outer cutting diameter of said first disk-saw being greater than the outer cutting diameter of a second one of said disk-saws, the outer cutting diameter of said second disk-saw being less than the inner diameter of said first disk-saw for nesting said second disk-saw inside said first disk-saw.
11. An apparatus for cutting an article of wood, comprising: a cutting head adapted for rotation about an axis, said cutting head including at least two flat circular disk-saws axially adjustably spaced relative to each other, each disk-saw having respective pluralities of cutting teeth, said disk-saws attached to said cutting head and defining respective distinct outer cutting diameters for producing respective slicing cuts, wherein a first one of said disk-saws defines an annular ring having an inner diameter, the outer cutting diameter of said first disk-saw being greater than the outer cutting diameter of a second one of said disk-saws, the outer cutting diameter of said second disk-saw being less than the inner diameter of said first disk-saw for nesting said second disk-saw inside said first disk-saw.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising at least one control plate interdisposed between at least one of said disk-saws and said cutting head, for axially positioning said at least one disk-saw with respect to said cutting head.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least two control plates, at least one control plate being interdisposed between a first said disk-saw and said cutting head, and at least one control plate being interdisposed between the first said disk-saw and a second said disk-saw.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the inner diameter of said first disk-saw, said second disk-saw and said cutting head define a space therebetween, and wherein said cutting head is relieved behind at least said cutting teeth of said second disk-saw to permit sawdust that migrates past said second disk-saw into the space and out through said cutting head.
15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the inner diameter of said first disk-saw, said second disk-saw and said cutting head define a space therebetween, and wherein said cutting head is relieved behind at least said cutting teeth of said second disk-saw to permit sawdust that migrates past said second disk-saw into the space and out through said cutting head.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of producing a granule containing acephate comprising the steps of providing acephate in powder form along with a liquid comprising water to a noncompressive agglomerator and processing said powder and said liquid through said agglomerator to yield a granule which is, on a dry basis, at least 40 weight percent acephate, said agglomerator being a vertical continuous agglomerator and having a rotatable vertical shaft with a plurality of blades mounted to the shaft, wherein sufficient water is provided via the liquid to effectively process the acephate through the agglomerator, wherein said powder and said liquid is processed through said agglomerator in a retention time of less than 2 seconds, and wherein the granule produced by the process has a diameter of 0.15-3.5 mm and a tapped bulk density of 32-40 lbscubic foot.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said agglomerator has a mixing chamber surrounded by a flexible sidewall which is continuously deformed during operation.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said granule is, on a dry basis, at least 80 weight percent acephate.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said granule is, on a dry basis, at least 88 weight percent acephate.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said granule is, on a dry basis, 0.1-8 weight percent binding agent.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said powder and said liquid is processed through said agglomerator in a retention time of less than 1 second.
7. The method of claim 2, wherein said flexible sidewall is continuously deformed by a plurality of sidewall rollers.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the blades are adjustable.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein said binding agent is selected from the group consisting of starch, polyvinylpyrrolidone, vinyl pyrrolidonevinyl acetate copolymer, and potassium sulfate.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the granule produced by the process is, on a dry basis, 1-15 weight percent filler.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the granule produced by the process has a diameter of 0.25-2.4 mm.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the granule produced by the process has a tapped bulk density of 33-39 lbscubic foot.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the granule produced by the process has a dissolution rate in water of not more than 15 inversions, said inversions being counted by filling a 100 mL graduated cylinder with 100 mL of water, adding 1 g of said granules, stoppering the cylinder, then inverting the cylinder for the first inversion and permitting the granules to settle to the bottom, then repeating these inversions until the granules have dissolved.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is added such that the granules exiting the agglomerator are about 3-6 weight percent water.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein, during processing, the vertical shaft rotates at a speed of 1000-3500 RPM.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the granule produced by the process has a loose bulk density of 29-37 lbscubic foot.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein said granule is, on a dry basis, at least 92 weight percent acephate.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the granule produced by the process has an attrition rate of about 0.01-5 percent.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein said granule is, on a dry basis, at least 95 weight percent acephate.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein said granule is, on a dry basis, at least 98 weight percent acephate.