DE202013001956U1 - Apparatus for making an oil absorbing article - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for the manufacture of a water buoyant oil absorbing device, the apparatus comprising: a cutting section for continuously cutting particles from a master web of an oil absorbing material; a portioning portion for collecting and passing a predetermined amount of the particles; and a transporting section comprising: - an insertion section for positioning the predetermined amount on a lower layer of a wrapping material; A welding section for placing an upper layer of water-permeable wrapping material on the predetermined amount of particles, and for heat-sealing peripheral portions of the upper and lower layers; and a discharge section from which the heat-sealed disc is removed from the transporting section, the transporting section being arranged to convey the devices thus produced from each section to the next and from the last section to the first in a concerted manner.

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the production of a buoyant, oil-absorbing device, and to the device thus produced.

Known oil absorbing devices, such as that disclosed in the patent US 3,904,528 discloses a single block of absorbent material disposed in a pocket-like envelope. This known device has a water-impermeable outer material. It has been shown in practice that this device has an insufficient oil absorption property.

It is also, for. B. off DE 23 63 396 A1 It is known to cut a preformed block of foam material into suitable pieces which are covered with a wrapping tissue to form a pillow or mattress. Such a process is limited to one-piece foam materials.

The present inventors have now found that, in order to provide reasonable oil absorbing properties, it is important that contaminated water has the volume of the oil absorbing device, which means that the oil absorbing material should be particulate, in the form of strips or chips , and neither monolithic nor granular or globular. The known device proved to be completely unsuitable for producing a device which has a water-permeable casing which is loosely filled with a particulate oil-absorbing material.

In order to solve the problem of being able to produce a buoyant, efficient oil-absorbing device, the present invention proposes the device according to claim 1. The resulting apparatus is recited in claim 10, and the oil absorbing material in claim 6.

The apparatus comprises a cutting section for continuously cutting particles of a master web of oil absorbing material, a portioning section for collecting and passing a predetermined amount of the particles, and a transporting section, in turn, having an entry section for positioning the predetermined amount on a lower layer of wrapping material a welding portion for placing an upper layer of water-permeable wrapping material on the predetermined amount of the particles and heat-sealing peripheral portions of the lower and upper layers, and a discharging portion from which the heat-sealed disc is removed from the conveying portion, the transporting portion being formed is to convey the devices thus produced from each section to the next, and from the last section to the first, in a concerted manner. This device is capable of producing quasi-continuous, efficient oil-absorbing devices, each containing hundreds or thousands of particles / pieces of the oil-absorbing material, leaving enough interstitial space between the particles to allow water to enter the volume of the devices, and containing oil Can bring oil-absorbing particles. Typically, the predetermined amount of the oil-absorbing particles or pieces are allowed to fall freely on the bottom sheet without inevitably compressing the resulting pile more than by the weight of the top sheet before the peripheral edges of the sheets are welded together.

In embodiments, the transporting section comprises a number of receptacles, each adapted to support one of the devices to be manufactured. The transporting section may include a turntable for rotationally transporting the devices between the sections. Such a turntable may have recesses formed in its surface as receptacles. In this way, it is possible to convey several semi-finished devices in a concerted manner from one assembly position to the next.

In embodiments, the cutting portion includes intermeshing cutting rollers whose surfaces carry cutting tools configured to cut particles out of the master web. In some embodiments, one of a pair of rollers acts as a knife, and the opposing roller acts as an anvil. In other versions, both roles work together in a scissor-like manner.

According to another aspect of the invention, an oil absorbent material is generally sheeted chips of a fibrous polymeric material, wherein the shape of the chips, when projected to the plane of maximum expansion thereof, is polygonal and / or at an angle beyond 180 °. It is not necessary for the chips to be strictly planar, although typically this is because they come from a planar web. The polygonal shape provides sharp corners that prevent the chips from assembling in stacks with a small overall surface area. The corners tend to adhere to surfaces of adjacent particles due to the fibrous nature of the polymeric material. The sharper, the more spacious the spaces formed, so in embodiments, two angles of the polygon are not greater than 100 °, or less than 75 °. In some embodiments, it suffices to provide inner corners, namely corners with angles beyond 180 °. Such inner corners pose in themselves Intermediate spaces ready. If even several inner corners are present, this results in a star-like structure.

In embodiments, the ratio of the equivalent diameter of the chips to their thickness is at least 5, or more than 8, but less than 20. In this range, the stability of the chips is sufficient to remain substantially planar in the environment in the device, but still within are able to keep adjacent pieces at the required distance.

In embodiments, the polymeric material is a polyolefin or meltblown polypropylene. This material has a very good oil-absorbing property, but is still available at an affordable price.

According to a further aspect of the invention related to the preceding aspect, a water floatable oil absorbing device comprises the above-described oil absorbing material, the chips being sandwiched between two layers, at least one of which is water permeable the two layers are welded together at their peripheries. In this way it is ensured that water and the oil contained therein at all have access to the oil-absorbing material, but the oil-absorbing material can not escape from between the layers.

In some embodiments, both layers are water and oil permeable. This structure is best suited for surface applications where top and bottom access is required.

In other embodiments, the backsheet is impermeable to oil, which structure is best suited for on-shore applications, such as a beach to be protected from leaking oil. Waves beating on devices set on the beach carry the oil to the equipment, but the oil is absorbed and does not penetrate the lower layer of the equipment.

In some embodiments, the outer contour is generally rounded, oval, or circular. Such devices can be easily stacked to provide generally cylindrical modules that can be connected to chains. For this purpose, a hole is provided in each of the two layers in some embodiments for passing a rod or a tube.

In other embodiments, an outer contour is generally polygonal. Such devices can be easily interconnected at their edges to two-dimensional arrays that cover a surface. For this purpose, they may have a plurality of peripherally arranged connectors, which may be of the male / female connection type. Typical numbers of connectors are seven, eight, or more than eight, such as up to twelve. If there are eight of them, they can be around the circumference of a square device either one at each corner and one central at each side, as in the middle third; or two on each side in the outer thirds of the page in question. In both cases, a very regular manner is achieved so that each device can be easily connected to other, similar devices without tedious reorientation.

In order to improve the stability of the distribution of the particles in the device, even under the action of waves and the like, a central connection between the two layers may be provided. This effectively forces the particles into an annular space in the device, counteracting any tendency to form agglomerations.

The method of making the buoyant oil absorbing devices, therefore, involves cutting a polymeric master weave web into pieces; collecting a predetermined amount of the pieces; placing the predetermined amount of the pieces on a lower layer of wrapping material; placing an upper layer of wrapping material on the predetermined amount of the pieces and the lower layer; and thermally sealing or welding peripheral portions of the upper and lower layers together to form the device. The feeding of the master web can be done continuously, because the collecting step forces the following steps to an intermittent sequence, whereby a certain period of time z. B. for positioning the pieces on the lower layer, or for welding the peripherals is available.

In embodiments, in a subsequent step, the top and bottom layers are bonded together in a central region to achieve a stabilized distribution of the particles in the shell. Connectors may be attached to an edge region of the layers, e.g. At a welded area, or, if previously applied, at a region to be welded, to allow the later joining together of multiple devices (mats or cushions) into a two-dimensional array in an edge-to-edge manner.

In other embodiments, the top and bottom layers are each provided with a hole (before, during or after the process), and the finished device, along with other similar devices in side-by-side arrangement, becomes a stack on a stick or put a pipe so that the rod or pipe in the Holes is fitted and the pieces can not escape from the inside of the devices. Such a stack of devices (discussions) can be placed in a rigid cage with end parts and peripheral parts connecting the end parts.

Several such stacks or cages may be connected to a plurality of other devices between the facing end portions of the stacks or cages.

In a combination of the latter two embodiments, mats or cushions are provided with peripheral connectors with stacks or cages by means of mating connectors, e.g. B. attached to the cage, connected. In this combination, the cages can form a linear barrier, and the mats associated with it can form a carpet. Such a structure is very efficient for absorbing oil from an inland surface, or even offshore.

The invention will be described below with reference to the following drawings:

1 shows a plan view of an inventive device;

2 shows a stack of devices according to the invention;

3 shows a plan view of an inventive device;

4 shows another device according to the invention; and

5 shows a schematic view of the device.

According to the first embodiment of 1 is a number of 15-25 individual discussions 3 on a common rod or pipe 5 stacked, and forms a generally cylindrical module 1 , The stack is through Endgitter 7 held together, which end grille in turn by a number of 3-8 outer tubes 17 (In the example, 5 tubes are shown) are connected. The end grids 7 can have a star shape as shown (with 5 radial struts 19 of which one is shown in broken lines). The end grids can be made of a solid, hollow or porous plastic material. The central tube may be replaced by a rope which is stretched between the end grids, which in turn may be replaced by discs or concentric rings.

Regarding 2 is every single discus 3 round in shape and donut-shaped in cross-section, with an outer peripheral region in which the thickness tapers gradually towards the edge. Each disc has areas of grid-like polyethylene sheets, and an interior is made of polypropylene (and / or polyethylene) nonwoven (such as meltblown) web chips. The polyethylene meshes may have a weight of 300-400 g / m ² , with openings of 3-10 mm mean size, and / or 5-12 mm pitch; or 5-8 mm medium size and / or 7-10 mm center distance. The chips may be smaller than 7 cm, down to 4 cm or even down to 1 cm in length, 10-50 mm in width, and 0.5-5 mm in thickness, e.g. B. more than 2 mm up to 5 mm. In some applications, the thickness may be less than 1 mm down to 0.5 mm. Generally, the width / thickness ratio is in the range 1.5-10, with 3-5 being preferred. In one variant, the polyolefin nonwoven material is relatively thin, having a basis weight of about 120 to 240 g / cm ² , and is cut into elongated strips whose aspect ratio (length divided by equivalent diameter, ie the diameter of a circle having the same area as its cross section) is more than 5 or even 8. The circularity (the ratio between the minimum diameter and the maximum diameter at a particular cross-section, equal to 1 for a cylinder) of such strips can range from 0.2 to 0.95. In another variant, a thicker polyolefin nonwoven material having a basis weight of greater than 240 to 480 g / cm ^{2 is cut} into polygonal, pointed chips of generally flat shape. In this case, the ratio of the equivalent diameter of the chips to their thickness ("platyness") is at least 5, or more than B. It seems that such polygonal, especially triangular or square chips tend to form large spaces between each other into which Add water to bring oil to the absorbent chips. For this to happen, it is expedient if at least two corners of each chip have angles of not more than 100 °, or less than 75 °. Suitable shapes are essentially equilateral triangles, trapezoids, parallelograms, diamond shapes, squares and rectangles. If pentagons, hexagons or higher polygons are used, irregular or non-regular shapes with at least two acute angles are preferable.

While the size D of the discs depends on the intended use, it has been found that 30-100 cm is the most convenient, with 40-70 cm preferred. The total diameter D 'is then slightly larger, by about 5 to 10 cm. The strip (or chip) shaped absorber material (250-350 g for a disc of 50-60 cm size) allows for a loose packing with no densification knots. Therefore, water can pass through the volume of the module relatively unhindered, with the generated turbulence bringing the oil to the absorber. Around the central opening can the front and the Rear grid welded together, or by a connection structure such. A plastic bushing, or may be left unconnected in embodiments if the size of the opening is sufficiently closely matched to the outside diameter of the bar, pipe or rope fitted therein so that the absorbent strips (or chips) will not pass through a formed one Gap can occur.

The process of making the individual disks involves placing an appropriate amount of the oil absorbing polypropylene (and / or polyethylene) strip (or chip) on a lower grid-like polyethylene sheet, then placing it in a similar position, and welding the sheets together at their peripheral edges 21 , The amount of the stripes is such that a central thickness of each disc is about 2 to 5 cm. In some embodiments, the central opening is then punched with or without forming a weld or other connection between the upper and lower grilles. In other embodiments, the central openings are formed prior to or during welding together.

In the in 1 illustrated embodiment are 25 discuses in each module 1 houses, with 5 more discuses 15 at an outward extension of the central staff 5 are arranged, held by an end plate 9 of the staff. Two cables 11 (Polypropylene) with hooks 13 are through two (non-adjacent) of the outer tubes 17 guided, for connecting adjacent modules 1 together. In the connected state, the 5 external disks fill 15 the space between adjacent modules 1 , In this way, a chain of modules 1 be designed transversely to the expected drift leaked oil, the oil everywhere on oil-absorbing modules 1 meets. A typical size of a module would be 0.5m to 1m in length L including the 10-20cm extension L '' for the outer discs 15 (Length of the main body L '= L - L'').

Each module of this type can absorb more than 100 liters and up to 150 liters of oil, e.g. B. 110-120 liters for a module with 60 cm diameter and 75 cm in length, which weighs only 12 kg dry. It should be noted that because of the low density of the plastic material of 950-965 kg / m ³ and the trapped air between the fibers, the structures of the invention have sufficient lift to float even in fresh water, more so in seawater. However, as the oil is absorbed and trapped air is displaced, the volume of the structures will gradually sink below the water level and therefore is able to continue to absorb oil from the passing water while no oil can pass beneath the modules.

In the second embodiment of 3 is a generally rectangular or square mat 10 shown with upper and lower layers of the same grid-like polyethylene material as described above, and also with the same filling of oil-absorbing polypropylene strips. In this example, the edges of the pad are folded (indicated by dashes) and eyelets 22 (Circular or oval as shown) are formed therethrough to provide connectivity. Welding the edges can be dispensable if the eyelets 22 are designed to secure the edges against unintentional re-opening. Folding the edges may also be dispensable if the weld itself is already sufficiently robust or reinforced by connectors attached to the unfolded edges. Such connectors will be described below.

Such mats 10 whose size z. B. between 50 cm and 100 cm side length can easily be combined with each other to form two-dimensional arrangements in principle unlimited size. In one version, such mats are folded together in the form of a stack to be ready for deployment as needed. In this way, it is possible to quickly apply large numbers of mats to an oil-contaminated water surface or beach area, and still be able to collect the oil-filled mats as easily later. Each mat of this type, containing about 2 kg / ^m2 of absorbent material, can absorb more than 10 liters and up to 20 liters of oil, e.g. B. 16 l per m ² .

In the embodiment of the 4 are two connectors (male 23 ' and / or female 23 '' ) on each side of a polygonal mat 20 arranged to provide a connection across the edge. In one example, a (male) connector extends 23 ' beyond the edge, and a corresponding (female) connector 23 '' only extends almost to the edge of the mat 20 , In other examples, two or three male connectors are disposed on the opposite edges, and two or three female connectors are disposed on the other opposite edges. Other regular arrangements are also possible. In the above embodiment, the peripheral areas 25 ' welded together, and the central area 25 '' is filled with the above-described absorbent material strips or chips, in a non-ordered and non-compressive manner, so that intentionally large gaps are formed between the strips (or chips). Bending the strips is convenient as long as the strips get caught. In the illustrated embodiment is also a central loop 27 through holes 29 in the lower layer and passed through the upper grid to provide increased stability and the Absorber filling (in area 25 '' ) when dealing with the mat 20 to keep it in place.

It is also contemplated to employ mats of this type along with the modules to absorb spilled oil when it has accumulated on the windward (or upstream) side of a chain of modules according to the invention.

5 implies that the masterweb 100 the clamping area between two cutting rollers 102 ' . 102 '' , one of which may be an anvil roll, fed from above. The clippings fall into a basket 104 to which a balance is assigned. Alternatively, the particles in a high technology version can actually be counted by optical means. After the correct amount has been collected, ie after a certain period of time, the soil becomes 105 of the basket 104 opened and falls the food to a first recording 108 on the turntable 106 , At the point I, where the material to be cut falls, the lower layer of the device is placed, just before the opening of the basket bottom. After a short setting time of a few seconds, z. B. 2 to 9 seconds, the turntable rotates by a full fraction - in the example shown, one-third - a full turn to the lower layer with the heaped it crop below II a ring-welding device 110 to position. Just before the welding device 110 is lowered, the upper layer is placed on the pile and the lower layer to be welded at the edges with the lower layer. Meanwhile, of course, the next lower layer below I the basket 104 The receptacles may be mere recesses in the surface of the turntable, more sophisticated means for attaching the bottom layer to the turntable, as required by the maximum rotational speed of the turntable. Generally, the energy loss during the braking steps may be stored electrically or mechanically by recuperation means to be used during the subsequent acceleration steps.

In a final rotation at the same angle of rotation and in the same time frame, the welded device is moved to a delivery position III, from where it is removed from the turntable to clear the relevant receptacle. All feeding and removal operations (indicated by double arrows) can be performed individually or automatically. In variants not shown, a full turn of the turntable is divided into more fractions, such as four 90 ° steps to z. For example, it may be possible to divide one of the steps described above into two substeps, if that is more practical. In principle, only two steps are required, but it may be impractical to omit the last step III, instead requiring immediate removal of the finished device from the turntable to clear the receptacle for the next one. In particular, in manual feed operation at least three or four steps are advisable.

The time required for a full revolution is apparently three times the life plus six times the acceleration / deceleration time in the illustrated example. This time is needed for the production of three devices. Assuming that the acceleration / deceleration time is half a second each, it can be seen that based on 2 to 9 seconds of life, the total time per device is 3 to 10 seconds, or 6 to 20 devices per minute, equal to 360 to 1200 Devices per hour and therefore, without any maintenance time to consider, 8,640 to 28,800 per day. In general, it is envisaged to produce about 8,000 to 30,000 devices per operating day in this manner.

In some embodiments, the individual devices become modules of e.g. B. each 25 devices combined (20 within each cage, 5 between adjacent cages). The above figures result in about 320 to 1200 modules per operating day, or about 200 to 900 meters barrier length. In the case of square mats for joining together in a two-dimensional array, the area covered is the crucial size: Assuming each mat covers an area of about one-half square meter, the above manufacturing figures translate to about 4,000 to 15,000 m ² per operating day ,

The knife parts of the cutter roll or rollers may comprise a set of parallel, spiral-like knives wound around the roll. In one variant, this sentence is zigzag. In order to be able to cut acicular particles from the Masterweb, a second set of shorter knives is placed at the prescribed acute angle between the first set. A vertical angle is also provided. The knives of the second set may or may not all be parallel; instead, they may consist of two sub-sets, each having mutually parallel blades but at an angle to each other and to the first set. In this way, z. B. trapezoidal particles are cut. The knives of the second set or sets may or may not be staggered, that is, non-continuous, where they abut the knives of the first set. If they are parallel, the shape of the particles will be that of parallelepipeds. Widely used roles are from the European Patent 1 612 011 B1 known.

Modifications or modifications to the above exemplary description, which are possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 3904528 [0002]
• DE 2363396 A1 [0003]
• EP 1612011 B1 [0043]

Claims (28)

Apparatus for the manufacture of a water buoyant oil absorbing device, the apparatus comprising: a cutting section for continuously cutting particles from a master web of an oil absorbing material; a portioning portion for collecting and passing a predetermined amount of the particles; and a transport section with: - An entry portion for positioning the predetermined amount on a lower layer of a wrapping material; A welding section for placing an upper layer of water-permeable wrapping material on the predetermined amount of the particles, and for heat-sealing peripheral portions of the upper and lower layers; and A discharge section from which the heat-sealed disc is removed from the transporting section, wherein the transporting section is adapted to convey the devices thus produced from each section to the next, and from the last section to the first in a concerted manner. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transporting portion comprises a number of receptacles each adapted to support one of the devices to be manufactured. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transporting section comprises a turntable for rotationally conveying the devices between the sections. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the turntable has recesses in its surface as receptacles. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cutting portion comprises intermeshing cutting rollers, the surface of which carries cutting tools which are designed to cut out particles from the master web. An oil absorbent material consisting of generally planar chips of a fibrous polymeric material, the shape of the chips being polygonal as viewed in a projection to the plane of maximum extension thereof and / or having an angle exceeding 180 °. An oil absorbent material according to claim 6, wherein two angles of the polygon are not greater than 100 °, or less than 75 °. An oil absorbing material according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the ratio of the equivalent diameter of the chips to their thickness is at least 5 or more than 8. An oil absorbing material. The oil absorbing material according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the polymer material is a polyolefin such as melt blown polypropylene or polyethylene. A water-floatable oil-absorbing device comprising the oil-absorbing material according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the chips are sandwiched between two layers, at least one of which is water-permeable, the two layers being welded together at their peripheries. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein both layers are water and oil permeable. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the lower layer is impermeable to oil. Apparatus according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein an outer contour is generally rounded, oval or circular. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the two layers each have a hole for passing a rod or a pipe. Apparatus according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein an outer contour is generally polygonal. Apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a central connection between the two layers. Apparatus according to claim 15 or 16 further comprising peripherally disposed connectors for interconnecting a plurality of devices into a two-dimensional array. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the connectors are of a male / female connection type. Apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the number of connectors is three to seven, eight, or more than eight, such as up to twelve. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein eight connectors are distributed around the circumference of a quadrangular device, either one at each corner and one central at each side, as in the middle third; or two on each side, located in the outer thirds of the page in question. A buoyant, oil absorbing device producible or manufactured by a process comprising: - cutting a polymeric masterweb nonwoven into pieces; Collecting a predetermined amount of the pieces; Placing the predetermined amount of the pieces on a lower layer of a wrapping material; Placing an upper layer of the wrapping material on the predetermined amount of the pieces and the lower layer; and - heat-sealing or welding peripheral portions of the upper and lower layers together to form the device. Apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising its manufacture or manufacturability comprising interconnecting said upper and lower layers in a central region. Apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, its manufacture or manufacture further comprising attaching connectors to an edge region of one of the layers. Apparatus according to claim 23, wherein a plurality of devices have been connected in edge-to-edge arrangement with the connectors to a two-dimensional arrangement. An apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising manufacturing the upper and lower layers each with a hole, and attaching to a rod or pipe together with other similar devices in a side-by-side arrangement as a stack, so that The rod or tube is fitted in the holes and the pieces can not escape from the inside of the device. An apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising manufacturing or fabricating the apparatus stack in a rigid cage having end portions and peripheral portions connecting the end portions. Apparatus according to claim 26, its manufacture or manufacture further comprising connecting a plurality of stacks, with a plurality of further devices between the mutually facing end portions of the stacks. Device according to one of claims 25 to 26, its manufacture or manufacturability comprising connecting other devices to the stacks, wherein the other devices are manufactured according to claim 23.

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