EP0999142B1 - Method and apparatus for emptying drums,filled with solid material - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for emptying barrels filled with solids according to the preamble of claim 1 and a device for emptying barrels filled with solids according to the preamble of claim 7.

In order to fully utilize the absorption capacity of barrels, solids are often filled into barrels with the help of a so-called "drum compactor", ie the solids are strongly compressed when they are filled into the barrels and stored in the barrel in compressed form. Due to the compression, a compact solid mass is created, in which the individual parts and particles partially adhere firmly to one another. A drum packed in this way and filled with a solid mass of solids can often no longer be simply emptied by gravity by turning the drum with the lid side facing downwards after removing the drum cover. Even highly viscous substances, which behave similarly to solid substances adhering to one another, can often hardly be removed from their barrels. A simple turning over of the barrels as well as a repeated jerky lifting of the upturned barrel remains both for barrel fillings with highly viscous substances and with compressed ones Solids are often unsuccessful. Attempts to empty the barrel with the help of a auger are also often unsuccessful. The co-burning of the drums in the case of garbage drums is usually not ecologically sensible and, moreover, uneconomical, since the drums can damage the inner lining of the incinerators. The downtimes of an incineration plant for repairs and the repair costs themselves make burning the drums unprofitable, especially for incinerators for hazardous waste.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method and a device for the simple and effective emptying of drums filled with solids.

The object is achieved by a method according to the features of claim 1 and by a device according to the features of claim 7.

In the method according to the invention, a barrel freed from its lid is separated from its barrel bottom and the solids therein, including highly viscous substances, are pressed out of the barrel with the aid of a pressing body penetrating the barrel. The advantage of this process is that the drum can always be emptied regardless of the composition and consistency (compression) of the solids. Loose solids more or less fall out of the barrel on their own when they are pushed out of the barrel by a pressing body, strongly compressed solids are driven out of the barrel in the form of a plug by the pressing body.

A cutting ring is advantageously used to separate the barrel bottom from the barrel, on which the barrel with the barrel bottom is applied approximately vertically. On In this way, the cutting forces that occur are distributed evenly over the approximately circular cutting line defined by the cutting ring.

A particular advantage results when a cutting force acting in the longitudinal axis of the barrel is applied, since only forces acting on the barrel parallel to the barrel wall are thus applied. The cutting ring then acts like a punch.

If the pressing body penetrates into the barrel freed from its lid, the separation of the barrel bottom from the barrel and the emptying of the barrel can be combined in one work step. Another advantage that this procedure brings with it is that deformation of the barrel can be largely excluded by transferring the cutting force via the solids inside the barrel and via the barrel bottom to the cutting ring.

A device according to the invention makes it possible to separate a barrel bottom from the barrel with the aid of a cutting ring, as a result of which solids in the barrel are accessible on the top and bottom sides. As a result, the solids can be pressed out of the barrel with the aid of a pressing body provided in the device and a stop. By arranging the cutting ring, the stop and the pressing body on a longitudinal axis, which corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the barrel to be positioned, the barrel can be left in the device at the same location for all work steps. While the solids are pressed out of the barrel, the barrel is supported with a barrel wall edge on the stop. As a result, only axial forces act on the barrel wall when the solids are pressed out, which is particularly advantageous.

The pressing body is advantageously arranged opposite the cutting ring and the stop such that it penetrates into the barrel on the cover side and the barrel is emptied on the bottom side. In this way, the separated barrel bottom with the solids can be pressed out of the barrel and removed without the risk of the barrel bottom jamming in the barrel.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the cutting ring is dimensioned such that it cuts within the barrel wall. This makes it easier to position the drum on the cutter ring, since the drum base is usually bulged by the protruding drum wall. It is also an advantage to have the serrated edge of the cutting ring, ideally designed in triangular serrations, because the cutting force initially only acts on the points of the serrations, which facilitates the penetration of the cutting edge into the barrel bottom.

It is particularly advantageous to design the stop so that the entire periphery of the barrel wall lies on the stop. As a uniform distribution of the forces acting on the barrel wall is achieved over the entire barrel wall. As a stop, e.g. a grid or plate or the like can be used which has an opening concentric with the cutting ring. The radius of this opening preferably corresponds to at least one outer radius of the compact, since this allows the barrel to be emptied without hindrance. In addition, the pressing body can be moved through such an opening of the stop without any problems.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the cutting ring is arranged to be stationary and the pressing body can be displaced in the form of a ram along the longitudinal axis in the direction of the cutting ring. Such an embodiment allows the barrel bottom and pushing the solids out of the barrel in one step.

In such an embodiment, the cutting ring is advantageously fixed in a holding device which also forms the stop.

In addition to the cutting ring fastened in or on a holding device, an additional stop can advantageously be provided, which is arranged between the barrel to be positioned and the holding device and is displaceable along the longitudinal axis. Such a stop has an opening whose opening radius is larger than the outer radius of the cutting ring and can be moved between a stop position and a stop position. In the holding position, the stop is in front of the cutting ring against the barrel, while in the stop position the cutting edge of the cutting ring is in front of the stop against the barrel. In this way, the stop can be used at the same time for positioning the barrel on the cutter ring and, after emptying, for releasing the barrel from the cutter ring.

If the stop can be moved beyond the holding position in the direction of the pressing body, the barrel wall can be pressed against a stop plate with its help. The stop plate is located on the side of the pressing body opposite the stop and at least one barrel height away from it. To stabilize the barrel wall during the pressing together, it is particularly advantageous to leave the pressing body inside the barrel wall until the pressing process has ended.

A positioning device, which positions the barrel in the device and preferably also removes the emptied barrel from it, enables automation of the emptying of barrels.

If the device is positioned over a container, the solids can be collected in the container. Such a positioning of the device over a container is e.g. for emptying garbage drums, the device being arranged, for example, over a trough or a garbage bunker.

If the entire device is arranged so that the barrel stands upright when emptying and the pressing body executes its working stroke from top to bottom, the effect of gravity can also be used to empty the barrel. In addition, no additional holding devices for the barrel are then necessary, since the barrel is held on the cutting ring or the stop by gravity.

Further preferred embodiments are the subject of further dependent claims.

Fig. 1

eine Vorrichtung zum Entleeren von mit Feststoffen gefüllten Fässern mit einem in der Vorrichtung positionierten Fass, vor dessen Positionierung auf einem Schneidering der Vorrichtung;

Fig. 2

die Vorrichtung und das Fass aus Fig.1 mit dem auf dem Schneidering positionierten Fass;

Fig. 3a

von der Seite eine weitere bevorzugte Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung mit einem in der Vorrichtung positionierten Fass, wobei der Anschlag in Richtung auf den Presskörper gegen eine Anschlagplatte bewegbar ist, so dass eine Fasswand in Richtung der Fasslängsachse zusammengepresst werden kann;

Fig. 3b

die Vorrichtung aus Fig. 3a im Schnitt entlang der Linie B-B; und

Fig. 4a bis 4e

im Längsschnitt eine dritte bevorzugte Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung mit einem in der Vorrichtung positionierten Fass in verschiedenen Abschnitten des Verfahrens.

The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. It shows purely schematically:

Fig. 1

a device for emptying barrels filled with solids with a barrel positioned in the device, before its positioning on a cutting ring of the device;

Fig. 2

the device and the barrel of Figure 1 with the barrel positioned on the cutting ring;

Fig. 3a

from the side a further preferred embodiment of the device with a barrel positioned in the device, the stop being movable in the direction of the pressing body against a stop plate, so that a barrel wall can be pressed together in the direction of the barrel longitudinal axis;

Fig. 3b

the device of Figure 3a in section along the line BB. and

4a to 4e

in longitudinal section a third preferred embodiment of the device with a barrel positioned in the device in different sections of the method.

1 and 2 show a device 10 according to the invention with a cutting ring 12, a stop 14 and a pressing body 16. The cutting ring 12, stop 14 and pressing body 16 are arranged in a support frame 9 on a longitudinal axis 17 such that the barrel 18 to be positioned is introduced vertically with its barrel bottom 58 down into the device 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The cutting ring 12 is then located approximately horizontally below the barrel 18.

The cutting ring 12 is in a holding device 21, e.g. attached with the help of a clamping ring 28. The cutting ring 12 projects with its cutting edge 22 in the direction of the barrel 18 beyond the holding device 21. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cutting ring 12 is additionally supported with its edge 26 opposite the cutting edge 22 in a cutout 30. A hole 34 in the holding device 21, which is located concentrically to the cutting ring 12 and is located directly below the cutout 30, has a hole radius r3 which is equal to the inner radius r4 of the cutting ring 12.

As can be clearly seen in FIG. 2, the cutting ring 12 is dimensioned such that the cutting edge 22 cuts within the barrel wall 32. The outside radius r1 of the cutting ring 12 is therefore smaller than the inside radius r2. The cutting edge 22 of the cutting ring 12 is in the form of triangular prongs 24.

The pressing body 16 is designed in the form of a hydraulic tappet 36 which has a tappet plate 38. The ram plate 38 has a plate radius r5, for which r5 <r2 <r3, r4 applies. With the help of three hydraulic cylinder-piston units 40, the plunger 36 can be displaced from its rest position A along the longitudinal axis 17, the plunger plate 38 being movable during a working stroke up through the cutting ring 12 and the hole 34 in the holding device 21. Clogging of the cutting ring 12 and the hole 34 can thereby be prevented.

The stop 14 in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is designed such that it can be used for positioning the barrel 18 on the cutting ring 12 and also for releasing the emptied barrel 18 from the cutting ring 12. For this purpose, the stop 14 is designed in the form of a plate 42 which has an opening 46, the opening radius r6 of which is greater than the outer radius r1 of the cutting ring 12. The stop 14 designed as a plate 42 is arranged in front of the holding device 21 in the direction of the barrel 18 and arranged so that the opening 46 and the cutting ring 12 are concentric. The plate 42, driven by hydraulic cylinders 48, can be displaced along the longitudinal axis 17 between a stop position a, in which the stop 14 rests on the holding device 21 of the cutting ring 14 (see FIG. 2), and a holding position b, in which the stop 14 is so spaced from the holding device 21 that it is in front of the cutting edge 22 of the cutting ring 12 (cf. FIG. 1).

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hydraulic cylinders 48 are located under the holding device 21 and are firmly connected to the latter. The associated pistons 50 are guided through passage openings 52 in the holding device 21 and firmly connected to the plate 42.

For easy positioning on the plate 42 and to prevent the barrel 18 from slipping sideways during the movement of the plate 42, e.g. a hollow cylinder or another holder 54 can be arranged with a receiving opening 56 concentric with the hole 46, as is shown in FIG. 1 with dashed lines. The receiving opening 56 is dimensioned such that the barrel 18 fits into it with play.

The device 10 'shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b has essentially the same structure as the device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The same elements are therefore also identified by the same reference numerals. In contrast to the device 10, the pressing body 16 in the device 10 'shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b not only has a tappet plate 38, but also an enveloping cylinder 80 surrounding the hydraulic cylinders 40 and connected to the tappet plate 38. The enveloping cylinder 80 prevents that when the pressing body 16 ends in the barrel 18, solids 60 passing laterally through a gap existing between the barrel wall 32 and the ram plate 38 reach the side of the ram plate 38 facing away from the barrel 18 and contaminate the ram plate 38 and possibly the hydraulics 40. For this purpose, the plunger plate 38 is either fitted snugly into the enveloping cylinder 80 or the enveloping cylinder 80 has the same outer radius r ₅ as the plunger plate 38 and is attached to the plunger plate 38 on the side facing away from the barrel. Especially with barrels filled with special waste, it is very important to prevent contamination of the side of the pusher plate facing away from the barrel with the contents of the barrel.

Another difference from the device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that a stop plate 82 is arranged opposite on the side of the pressing body 16 and the cutting ring 12. The Stop 14 can be moved hydraulically along the longitudinal axis 17 beyond its holding position b up to this stop plate 82 into a pressing position c, whereby the barrel wall 32 can be pressed together after the barrel 18 has been emptied. In this example, the hydraulic cylinders 48 to the pistons 50 moving the stop 14 are arranged on the side of the pressed body 16, the pistons being passed through openings 84 in the stop plate 82. Concentric to the cutting ring 12 and the pressing body 16, the stop plate 82 has a further opening 86 for the passage of the pressing body 16.

As shown in FIGS. 4a to 4e, it is also possible to provide the stop plate 82 on the side facing away from the barrel with a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit 90 and thus to make the stop plate 82 movable in the direction of the stop 14. Stop plate 82 and stop 14 can also be designed to be movable towards one another.

The method for emptying a drum 18 filled with solids 60, which also includes highly viscous substances, is described for the sake of simplicity with the aid of the devices shown in the figures.

A barrel 18, the cover of which has already been removed, is transported, for example, via a roller drive 88, as shown in FIG. 3a, and with the aid of a positioning device 92, for example with a driven hollow cylinder whose diameter can be adjusted or a corresponding robot gripper, such as it is shown in Fig. 4a, placed on the stop 14 located in the holding position b. The barrel is concentric with the opening 46 of the stop 14 on the plate 42 of the stop 14, with its barrel bottom 58 facing downward. The stop 14 is now moved to the stop position c the barrel 18 with its barrel bottom 58 comes to rest on the cutting ring 12, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4b. Now the plunger 36 is moved along the longitudinal axis 17 against the cutting ring 12, as shown in Fig. 4b. The plunger 16 penetrates into the barrel 18 on the cover side and, with its plunger plate 38, first presses the solids 60 located in the barrel 18 against the barrel bottom 58. If the solids 60 cannot be pressed further together, the compressive force, which acts uniformly distributed on the solids 60 via the pusher plate 38, is transmitted fully to the drum base 58 and further to the cutting ring 12. The pressure force acting in the direction of the cutting ring, parallel to the barrel wall, acts as a cutting force and presses the barrel bottom into the prongs 24 of the cutting ring 12. The barrel bottom 58 is finally separated from the barrel 18 in a manner similar to a punching process.

The drum base 58 can now be collected with the solids 60 from the drum 18 in a collecting container 94 below the cutting ring 12. However, the drum base 58 can also be previously separated from the contents by means of a corresponding transport device 96 and passed on to a separate container 98 for the drum material. 4b shows a transport device 96 with a hydraulic cylinder 70 and an associated piston 72 as an example. At the front end of the piston 72, a plate-like element 76 having a flange 78 is connected to the piston 72 via a joint 74. During the separation of the drum base 58 from the drum 18, the plate-like element 76 is located below the cutting ring 12 in order to catch the drum base 58 if it falls off after the separation. The drum base 58 is transported hydraulically on the plate-like element 76 to above the container 98. Via the joint 74, the plate-like element 76 is tilted above the container 98 by at least 90 ° and the barrel bottom 58 dropped from the plate-like member 76 into the container.

The pressing body 16 continues its working stroke and the contents of the barrel 18 are pressed down over the cutting ring 12 until it hits the stop 14 with its barrel wall edge 62 and is held by the latter against the pressing force of the pressing body 16. The solids 60 are pushed further down by the plunger 36 and pressed out from the bottom of the barrel 18 and further through the hole 34 in the holding device 21 into the collecting container 94. If the barrel bottom 58 adheres firmly to the solids 60 from the barrel 18, it will it is pressed out of the barrel 18 with the solids 60 and can be stripped laterally from the solids 60 when the plate-like element 76 is reached by means of the flange 78.

The separation of the drum base 58 from the drum 18 and the emptying of the drum 18 thus take place in a single step. Before the barrel bottom 58 is separated from the barrel 18, loose solids 60 are first compressed by the plunger 36 and fall in compressed form from the barrel 18 or also loose, if the compression does not cause the solid parts in the barrel 18 to stick together. In contrast, heavily compressed solids 60 stored in the barrel 18 can hardly be compressed further and are pressed out of the barrel like a stopper.

After emptying, the stop 14 is moved back into the holding position, the barrel 18 resting on the stop 14 with its barrel wall edge 62 being pushed upwards beyond the cutting ring 12 and being released from the cutting ring 12.

In the embodiment of the device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the empty barrel 18 is now, for example, by means of a positioning device 92, as shown in FIG. 4a, or a removal device removed from the stop 14 and disposed of, for example, in a collecting container 96.

In the devices 10 ', 10' 'shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b and 4a to 4e, the cylindrical barrel wall 38 is then pressed together in the direction of the longitudinal axis 17 after the barrel 18 has been emptied. For this purpose, either the stop 14 can be moved hydraulically onto the stop board 82, as in FIG. 3a, or the stop board 82 can be moved hydraulically onto the stop 14, as shown in FIGS. 4 a to 4 e. For stabilization, the pressing body 16 with its enveloping cylinder 88 remains in the center of the same during the pressing together of the barrel wall 58, as can be seen in FIG. 4c. The compressed barrel wall 32 'can finally be removed from the device 10', 10 '' by means of a corresponding device 100, as shown in Fig. 4d, and e.g. can also be placed in the container 98 for the barrel material.

Finally, a new barrel 18 filled with solids 60 can be positioned and the process started again.

Instead of a cutting force that is applied solely in the form of a compressive force acting parallel to the barrel wall, it is also conceivable that the cutting ring is additionally set in a rapid rotation, so that shear forces occur and the separation of the barrel bottom 58 from the barrel 18 is less of a punching out than cutting.

The device 10, 10 ', 10''can of course also be arranged horizontally or inclined downward with its longitudinal axis 17. A slope upwards or even mirror-inverted is also conceivable. However, in these embodiments, a special holding device for holding the drum 18 must be provided since it does not pass through gravity is held on the cutting edge 22 of the cutting ring 12.

Instead of the displaceable stop 14, the holding device 21 of the cutting ring 12 can also be provided as a stop 14, for example. The stop 14 and the stop plate 82 can instead of a plate also as a grid or in the form of e.g. bracing formed by beams.

Moving the cutting ring 12 and the stop 14 together with the barrel 18 against a pressing body 16 is also conceivable and would lead to the same goal. Likewise moving elements 12, 14 and 16/36 towards one another.

The pressing body 16/36 can also be driven into the bottom of the barrel 18 and the solids 60 can be pressed out on the cover side. The drum base 58 must then, however, possibly be removed in a separate work step or also pressed through the drum 18 with the solids 60.

Even holding the barrel 18 during the working stroke of the pressing body by other means than by the stop 14 is conceivable as long as the forces for holding the barrel are not greater than the deformation resistance of the barrel wall 32. However, this should be the case for barrels with compressed ingredients and from conventional ones Barrel materials are rarely the case.

Claims (18)

1. Method for emptying a drum which is filled with solids and has been freed from its drum lid, characterized in that the drum base is separated from the drum and the solids are forced out of the drum at the bottom end or at the lid end with the aid of a pressing body that penetrates into the drum at the lid end or at the bottom end, respectively.
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the drum base is separated from the drum with the aid of a cutting ring on which the drum is positioned approximately vertically on its drum base, the cutting ring preferably occupying a position horizontally underneath the drum.
3. Method according to Claim 2, characterized in that a pressure acting in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the drum is applied to the cutting ring as the cutting force for separating the drum base from the drum, this force preferably being applied by means of the pressing body via the solids in the drum and via the drum base.
4. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pressing body penetrates into the drum at the lid end and the solids are forced out of the drum at the bottom end, and in that the separation of the drum base from the drum and the forcing out of the solids takes place, in particular, in one working step.
5. Method according to Claim 4, characterized in that the drum is supported by a drum wall edge against a stop while the solids are being forced out.
6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a wall of the drum is compressed in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the drum, the pressing body preferably remaining in the centre of the drum wall to perform a stabilizing function during the compression process.
7. Apparatus for emptying a drum (18) which is filled with solids (60) and has been freed from its drum lid, characterized in that a cutting ring (12) for separating the drum base (58) from the drum (18), a pressing body (16) that penetrates into the drum at the lid end or at the bottom end for forcing the solids (60) out of the drum (18) at the bottom end or at the lid end, respectively, and a stop (14) for supporting a drum wall edge (62) of the drum (18) while the solids (60) are being forced out of the drum (18) are arranged on a longitudinal axis corresponding to the longitudinal axis (17) of the drum (18) to be positioned in the apparatus (10), the stop (14) and the pressing body (16) being arranged in such a way that the drum (18) to be positioned can be introduced between them, and the stop (14) and/or the pressing body (16) being displaceable along the longitudinal axis (17).
8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, characterized in that the pressing body (16) is arranged in such a way relative to the cutting ring (12) and the stop (14) that it penetrates into the drum (18) at the lid end during the performance of a working stroke and forces the solids (60) out of the drum (18) at the bottom end.
9. Apparatus according to Claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the cutting ring (12) is dimensioned in such a way that it cuts the drum base (58) within the drum wall (32), and in that its cutter (22) is preferably toothed, in particular in the form of triangular teeth (24).
10. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the stop (14) is designed in such a way, preferably in the form of a grid or a plate, that it supports the drum wall edge (62) over its entire circumference, and in that it has a circular aperture (34) which is arranged approximately concentrically with respect to the cutting ring (12) and the aperture radius (r₃) of which is no larger than an internal radius (r₂) of the drum and preferably at least as great as a radius (r₅) of the pressing body.
11. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the cutting ring (12) is arranged in a fixed manner and is preferably secured in a holding device (21), and in that the pressing body (16) is in the form of a ram (36) which preferably has a ram plate (38) and can be displaced towards the cutting ring (12), the amplitude of motion corresponding to at least one times the drum height.
12. Apparatus according to Claim 11, characterized in that the holding device (21) is a body, preferably in the form of a grid or a plate, with an approximately circular hole (46), the cutting ring (12) being secured concentrically in or above the hole (46), and in that the holding device (21) forms the stop (14) in particular.
13. Apparatus according to Claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the ram plate (38) is connected to a jacket cylinder (88) in such a way that none of the contents of the drum (18) can reach the side of the ram plate (38) opposite the drum.
14. Apparatus according to one of Claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the ram (36) has a ram radius (r5) which is smaller than an internal radius (r4) of the cutting ring (12) and the amplitude of motion of which during a working stroke extends from a rest position (A) of the ram (36) and preferably through the cutting ring (12) and the aperture (34) or hole (46) in the stop (14, 21).
15. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7 to 11, 13 or 14, characterized in that, for the purpose of positioning the drum (18) on the cutting ring (12) and to release the drum (18) from the cutting ring (12) after emptying the drum (18), the stop (14) is arranged between the drum (18) to be positioned and the holding device (21) of the cutting ring (12) and is displaceable along the longitudinal axis (17), more specifically between a stop position (c) in which the cutter (22) of the cutting ring (12) projects beyond the stop (14) in the direction of the drum (18) and the stop (14) preferably rests on the holding device (21) of the cutting ring (12), and a holding position (b), in which the stop (14) is spaced apart from the holding device (21) in such a way that it projects beyond the cutter (22) of the cutting ring (12) in the direction of the drum.
16. Apparatus according to Claim 15, characterized in that a stop plate (82) is arranged at the level of a rest position (A) of the pressing body (16) and in that the stop (14) or stop plate (82) can be moved in such a way that a drum wall (32) can be compressed between the stop (14) and the stop plate (82).
17. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7 to 16, characterized in that it has a positioning device (92) for positioning the drum (18) above the cutting ring (12).
18. Apparatus according to one of Claims 7 to 17, characterized in that the apparatus (10, 10', 10") is arranged in such a way above a container (94) that the solids (60) forced out of the drum (18) enter the container (94).