AU675110B2

AU675110B2 - A crumbing machine

Info

Publication number: AU675110B2
Application number: AU59258/94A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gregory Allan Chapman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-04-05
Filing date: 1994-04-05
Publication date: 1997-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 2014-04-05
Also published as: AU5925894A

Description

Y P/00/011 AUSTRALIA Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

NOTICE

1. The specification should describe the invention in full and the best method of performing it known to the applicant.

2. The specification should be typed on as many shoots of good quality A4 International size paper as are necessary and Inserted inside this form.

3. The claims defining the invention must start on a now page. If there is insufficient space on this form for the c;aims, use separate sheets of paper.

The words "The claims defining the invention are as follows" should appear before claim 1. After the claims the date and the name of the applicant should appear in block letters.

4. This form must be accompanied by a true and exact copy of the description, claims and drawings (if any) and an additional copy of the claims.

(see Pamphlets explaining formal requirements of specifications and drawings) TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT GREGORY ALLAN CHAPMAN N a m e of A pp lica nt: Actual Inventor(s):.. GREGORY ALLAN CHAPMAN o o° o* o o o oo Actual Inventor(s) -HA LL../OIA YS Address for Service: 44 ASHLEY STREET,

HORNSBY

N.S.W. 2077, AUSTRALIA A CRUMBING MACHINE Invention Title: Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Nos: PL8149 filed O5.0.93 D e t il p p li 1 The following statement Is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- A CRUMBING MACHINE.

This invention provides a machine to reduce the annular wall sections of suitable motor vehicle tyres (excluding the bead portions which engage with wheel rims) to crumb sized particles. Suitable tyres are those without steel wire reinforcement in the tyre walls, which usually excludes tyres used on trucks and other large vehicles. The produce from the proposed machine is rubber crumb of a high quality, which can 10 include synthetic thread reinforcement which will not inhibit its subsequent use.

In the climate of recycling that presently exists the idea of using at least part of the many thousands of car tyres discarded each year has attraction. It "has been found that the rubber from the side walls of suitable tyres when reduced to particulate (crumbed) form and blended with other materials has many commercial uses. As disposal of tyres is a problem persons offering to take the tyres away are paid to provide this service. The payment subsidises the cost of manufacturing the rubber crumb and so the rubber crumb and products including the rubber crumb can be economically produced.

Nevertheless, in any manufacturing process there is always a need to improve the techniques used, so as to increase the use of the product by reducing its manufacturing cost or to increase the profit margin from the sales of the product. With this in mind a number of machines to crumb vehicle tyres have been developed over the years. The present invention a further development in machines for reducing tyres to crumb material.

This machine however is intended to only handle annular tyre walls. The preliminary step of reducing a tyre to a tread strip and two annular walls does not form part of the invention.

Broadly stated the invention can be said to provide a crumbing machine to produce crumb material from the annular wall portion of a vehicle tyre hereinafter called a tyre annulus, said machine includes a base on which there is mounted a multi-toothed crumbing rasp which is rotatable about a first axis, a work head mounted on said base so as to be movable towards and away from said rasp, t7re annulus drive means on the work head to grip and rotate said tyre annulus in a plane and about a second axis which is concentric with the center of the tyre annulus and stationary annulus supporting means on said work head at an elevation relative to said plane such that said annulus will bear on said support as said annulus is rotated.

2. The machine of the invention in several forms will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig.l is a perspective view of the machine of the invention, Fig.2 is a front fragmentary view of portiun of the machine, Fig.3 is a rear fragmentary view of portion of the machine, Fig.4 is a schematic plan view of the machine of the invention according to the embodiment of Fig.l, -3is a schematic plan view of the machine incorporating an alternative means for moving the machine work head, Figs.6 to 8 illustrate schematically feeding steps of the machine work head, Fig.9 illustrates schematically a plan view of an alternate tyre annulus rotating means and is a sectional elevation on the section line 10-10 of Fig.9.

The machine comprises a base 1 with a drive head 2 .0 for a shaft 3 on which there is mounted a rasp 4. The rasp as illustrated is of the type used in the tyre retreading industry and includes a hub on which there is mounted a number of toothed blades known in the trade as rasp blades. There are many forms of rasp blade in commercial use and different blades can provide rubber crumb of different type. The machine of this invention is not limited to the use of any particular type of rasp blade.

Mounted on the base and located closely adjacent the rasp 4 there is a support 5. It is to be noted that the support 5 provides a support surface 6 which lies at about the same vertical height as the axis of rotation of the rasp 4 but is in a plane at an acute angle to the axis of rotation of the shaft 3. The angular relationship between the support surface 6 and the axis of rotation of the shaft 3 is preferred but not essential.

A work head 7 is pivotally mounted on a column 8 on 4 the base 1 and includes a bedplate 9. There is a tyre annulus drive means 10 on the bedplate 9 comprising a drive wheel support 11 pivotally connected at 12 to the bedplate 9. A drive wheel 13 rotateably mounted on the drive wheel support 11 is driven by a motor 14 extending from the underface of the support 11. The drive wheel 13 co-operates with idler wheels supported from the bedplate 9. The work head 7 is S moveable by means of a piston in cylinder assembly 16 10 and the drive wheel support 11 is pivotally moveable relative to the bedplate 9 by a piston in cylinder assembly 17.

Referring to Fig.2, it will be seen that the tyre annulus 21 when mounted with the tyre bead 19 supported on the idler wheels 15 and engaged with the drive wheel 13 lies in a rest plane acutely angled at to the axis of rotation of the shaft 3. Whilst this is r preferred arrangement the annulus 21 need not lie in a plane angled to the axis of rotation of the shaft 3.

The angle of the tyre annulus 21 is, as illustrated, greater than the angle of the support surface 6 to the axis of rotation of the shaft 3. Whilst this arrangement is preferred the stated angular relationship between the support surface 6 and rest plane of the annulus 21 is not essential for the operation of the machine. With the arrangement of Figs.l and 2 the tyre annulus 21 where supported by the support surface 6 is deflected from the rest plane when in position to be engaged by the rasp 4. Because of the resilient nature of the tyre annulus 21 the deflection causes firm contact between the annulus 21 and the support surface 6 and presents the portion of the tyre annulus 21 to be engaged with the rasp 4 at a desired angle to the rasp 4. This angled presentation of the annulus 21 to the rasp teeth along with the rotation of the annulus 21, which draws the cut surface of the annulus 21 laterally across the rasp teeth, promotes an effective cutting pattern and provides i.o 10 crumb of preferred form.

In order to further support the annulus 21 adjacent the face of the annulus 21 engaged with the rasp 4 an upper support member 18 many be provided. The upper support member 18 overlies the support surface 6 and is shown in broken outline in Fig.2.

The schematic views 4 and 5 illustrate the two forms of work head positioning that can be used.

"'ig.4 represents the arrangement described in detail :above in which there is an arcuate movement of the work head towards the rasp and Fig.5 illustrated an alternative arrangement where the movement of the work head towards the rasp is linear.

Figs.6 to 8 illustrate in schematic manner the progressive engagement of the tyre annulus 21 with the rasp using the work head feeding arrangement of Figs.l and 2 and illustrates the possibilities of operation.

For example, with the infeed of the work head terminated at the position shown in Fig.7 the width of the annulus can be reduced by a strip for each 6 revolution of the annulus. After the strip is removed another strip would be removed and so on until all that remains is the bead 19 of the annulus 21. Fig.8 shows the entire useable width of the annulus 21, down to the bead 19, being removed in one rotation of the annulus.

Fig.9 and 10 illustrated diagrammatically another rotating means for the annulus 21. It comprises pairs of feed rollers 20 between which the annulus 21 is mounted and at least one pair of the rollers 20 are 10 driven and grip the annulus 21. Centralising rollers 22. maintain the annulus 21 central with an axis of rotation during the rasping operation.

As will be understood the specific configuration of the parts of the machine can be varied from those which have been illustrated and described hereinbefore without departing from the inventive concept disclosed, s h as hereinafter claimed.

9 *a*

Claims

1. A crumbing machine to produce crumb material from the annular wall portion of a vehicle tyre hereinafter called a tyre annulus, said machine includes a base on which there is mounted a multi-toothed crumbing rasp which is rotatable about a first axis, a work head mounted on said base so as to be movable towards and away from said rasp, tyre annulus drive means on the work head to grip and rotate said tyre annulus in a plane and about a second axis which is concentric with the center of the tyre annulus and stationary annulus supporting means on said work head at an elevation relative to said plane such that said annulus will bear on e:o: said support as said annulus is rotated.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 where there is an acute angle between said first and second axes. a.

S3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the work head is moveable arcuately towards and away from said rasp.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the work head is moveable linearly towards and away from said rasp.

A machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said rasp is substantially cylindrical with surface teeth and said support means has a tyre annulus support surface which lies closely adjacent said rasp ana lies in a plane which is 8 at first acute angle with respect to said first axis and is at a second and greater acute angle with respect to the second axis.

6. A machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the tyre annulus drive means comprises a plurality of wheels to bear against the inner surface of said tyre annulus with at least one of said wheels driven and with at least one of said wheels moveable relative to the other wheels thereby to apply gripping pressure to the inner surface of said annulus.

7. A machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the tyre annulus drive means comprises roller pairs radially C:. spaced relative to said second axis and between the rollers *of which said tyre annulus is gripped with at least one of said roller pairs driven. C

8. A crumbing machine substantially as hereinbefore S described with reference to any one of the Figs. 1 to 11. DATED this 15th November, 1996 GREGORY ALLAN CHAPMAN By his Paten Attorneys, CARTER SMITH BEADLE R. G. HALLIDAY