EP1253003A1 - Head for compacting waste materials - Google Patents

Abstract

The compacting head is supported on the rubbish by a toothed roller (1) connected to a rotational drive from a support shaft (2). Deflectors (3) mounted near the drive push the rubbish into the roller driving space and guide it to a cutting zone where it is sliced by a circular cutter (4) rotating at the end of the roller. The cutter engages a groove to ensure a shearing effect.

Description

The present invention relates to the compaction of waste, as it can be practiced in a machine having a compaction allowing them to be shredded and compressed, so as to significantly reduce the volume they occupy in a fixed tank in which they are grouped.

In this context, the invention relates to a head of compaction which avoids the risks of blockage of a compaction machine, when the waste contains resistant materials. By resistant materials is meant here the materials which are not easily crushed under the action a traditional compaction head, like the rotary roller compaction, called toothed because it has rough edges surface, which is commonly used for compacting paper and packing cartons. These will include plastics, so in particular those that we also meet as constituent material of lost packaging.

Currently, compaction machines used in this area, as described for example in the US patent document US 5,492,056, have a vessel waste reception open upwards, fitted with one or more several feed hoppers through which operators introduce the waste into the tank, so that it is subjected to the action of a compacting head with the toothed roller in support on the waste, is rotated on itself from a support shaft. In the lower part of the tank, the waste compacted are usually accumulated in maintained bags suspended from a support ring which can easily be removed of the tank once full, the tank being advantageously provided opening doors for this purpose.

Such machines include, in known manner, a compacting head comprising a toothed roller, which is generally supported by a substantially horizontal arm. The head compaction is connected to a vertical support shaft located generally in the axis of the tank. The toothed roller pressing the waste is rotated on itself as well as in gyration around the axis of the vertical support shaft, in other words, in practical, turning around the axis of the tank. Such machines are described in French patent 97 12 697 of October 16, 1997 and in French patent application 99 16 833 of December 18 1999.

There are also tank compaction machines rectangular, where the compacting head performs a movement of pendulum on waste, unlike tank machines cylindrical previously mentioned where the compacting head performs a circular movement on the waste. Such a machine is described in European patent EP 0 042 580.

In general, the roller of the compacting head is cylindrical shape and its axis is substantially perpendicular to that of the tank. Depending on the machine, the roller presses on the waste of its own weight, or by applying pressure on the compaction head.

Generally, such machines are intended for compaction of waste like that of lost cardboard packaging or similar material, but are almost unusable for the compaction of waste made up of different materials such as, for example, waste consisting partly of cardboard and partly of plastic.

The object of the invention is therefore to resolve the technical and economic problem of the industrial reprocessing of such waste. In particular, the invention improves the conditions for industrial reprocessing when this involves the recovery of lost packaging made of different materials.

The present invention relates to a compacting head for waste, intended to be mounted mobile in a fixed tank of reception of the waste to be compacted, supported by said waste by a tooth roller associated with rotary drive means on itself from a support tree. It includes means fixed mounted deflectors in the vicinity of the drive means to push the waste away from said drive means of said roller. The deflector means guide the waste which nevertheless approach rotation drive means roll to a cutting area where they are subjected to the action of sharp means.

According to a preferred embodiment which will be detailed by thereafter, the cutting means are mounted mobile in rotation at neighborhood of the drive means while said means deflectors are mounted fixed. In other words, the means deflectors are advantageously mounted fixed relative to the sharp means.

As it is in itself classic, the toothed roller that comprises the compacting head according to the invention, is preferably cylindrical in shape and it is advantageously provided with teeth, in other words asperities which are shaped and arranged in connection with the fact that they are intended for waste shredding.

According to a preferred embodiment of the head compaction according to the invention, the cutting means comprise a movable circular knife, advantageously mounted integral with rotation of said toothed roller at one of its ends, that by which said toothed roller is linked to said drive means. The knife cooperates in said cutting area with a fixed groove to ensure a shearing effect favorable to cutting of said waste. Advantageously, the circular knife presents itself in the form of a circular ring outside a housing protection of the means for driving the roller in rotation on itself, in which the throat is formed. The circular ring being fitted with centripetal blades uniformly distributed around its internal periphery to enter said groove in the area of cutting. Advantageously, the circular knife is of the sawtooth, in other words, the blades of the knife have a radial attack face. It makes it possible to cut waste tending to infiltrate the means for driving the roller in rotation himself.

Generally, the deflector means according to the invention comprises a member for guiding the waste towards the cutting area, a means of protecting said means drive in rotation of the roller on itself and preferably buttress elements for its stiffening.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the head compaction according to the invention, the deflector means, or deflector, are in the form of a circular radial plate having a projecting rim which defines a first flange exterior, a shoulder defining a housing for a part of a protective casing of the drive means in rotation of the roller on itself, supporting the drive arm of the roller. In the shoulder of the deflector is provided a light through which said arm crosses the shoulder. This shoulder defines the protection member of said means drive in rotation of the roller on itself.

According to the preferred embodiment of the deflector which will be detailed later, it also includes a second flange protruding extending in the vicinity of the shoulder. This second flange constitutes the organ for guiding the waste towards the zone of cutting. Indeed, as will be explained later, the sharp means can lodge around this second collar to trap waste.

Finally, the deflector has protruding parts serving buttresses for its stiffening. The deflector is preferably held between the toothed roller and the knife circular.

When mounting the compacting head according to the invention, the deflector provided according to this preferred embodiment is fixedly mounted on the projecting part of the protective casing roller drive means, having the arm drive the roller, and blocked between the end of the roller, end by which it is linked to the drive arm, and the knife circular when the latter is fixed on the toothed roller. Of this way, the deflector is mounted fixed relative to the roller.

Thus, when the toothed roller is rotated, the circular knife is also rotated while the deflector, it remains fixed.

Advantageously, the part of the casing having the arm drive in rotation of the roller, intended to be inserted in the shoulder of the deflector is cylindrical. The training arm, also advantageously cylindrical in shape, is mounted preferentially eccentric on the part of the cylindrical casing, towards the bottom of the tank, so as to lower the roller as much as possible in the tank when mounted on the drive arm. So the distance between the height of the waste in the tank and the part bottom of the casing which protects the rotary drive means of the roller, or more precisely the transmission system mechanical movement, is more important. This allows best preserve the casing and by the same, the means drive the roller in rotation on itself. On the other hand, the drive arm is mounted eccentrically on the housing to allow also the shearing of waste by sharp means in a shear groove in the housing in the area waste cutting.

Other characteristics of the invention relate to deflector means. In particular, the parts projecting around which are placed the blades of the circular knife are advantageously made up of an internal collar, partially cylindrical, stopping on either side of the shoulder into which the cylindrical part of the casing, and along the edge of the deflector. Its role is to trap the waste seeping between the blades of the knife and itself, making them cling to the knife blades. The waste is then guided between the blades of the circular knife and the flange interior towards a cutting area located where the flange interior stops.

Preferably, the deflector also has a shoulder in which is provided a light intended to be crossed by the drive arm of the roller. The shoulder thus accommodates and protects the assembly constituted by the projecting part on the housing and the drive arm.

Finally, inside the deflector, it is advantageous to provide ribs serving as buttresses to solidify the deflector. Indeed, the roller being mounted eccentrically on the part cylindrical crankcase, the space between the level of waste compacted and the lower part of the housing is more important, as it was previously reported. Waste accumulating in the middle of the tank are therefore no longer in contact with the lower part of the deflector, in other words the part defined between the collar surrounded by the circular knife blades, and the deflector shoulder in which is inserted the cylindrical part of the housing.

In the case of a cylindrical tank machine, where the compaction is intended to be mounted mobile in gyration around the axis of the support shaft, preferably vertical according to a mode preferred embodiment of the invention, two double straight knives resistant waste cutting blade are fixed mounted on the support shaft, symmetrically with respect to the axis thereof, for oppose the winding of waste around the support shaft during the movement of gyration of the compacting head around it. They are advantageously flat knives, preferably rectangular, have two opposite oriented blades parallel to the axis of the support shaft, at its lower end, more precisely above the compaction head.

Thus, when wastes made of resistant materials, such as those made of plastic, are introduced into the tank, these straight knives help prevent them from rolling up spiral around the support shaft, while the circular knife prevents the introduction of plastic waste or its residues in the compacting head, which could cause its destruction as well as that of the rotary drive means of the roller.

According to a preferred embodiment of the head of compaction according to the invention, the toothed roller presses by its own weight on the waste, and it is driven not only in rotation around its axis, but also in gyration around the axis of the support shaft. To do this, a circular groove is provided in the housing fixed to the compacting head, protecting the system of transmission of movement which ensures the training of this last, where the straight knives fixed on the support shaft just above of the compacting head are placed, to allow the gyration movement of the compacting head around the axis of the support shaft, and the cutting of the waste tending to roll up around the support shaft.

Likewise, the casing is advantageously provided with a second waste shear groove providing passage to sharp means. Indeed, the shear groove presents itself advantageously in the form of an arc of a circle, the center of which is located on an axis advantageously perpendicular to that of the gorge where penetrate straight knives, this axis preferably being confused with the center of the circular knife.

The shape of the shear groove marries advantageously the internal shape of the circular knife, and the blades, facing the inside of the throat, penetrate perfectly in it when rotating the circular knife around its axis.

The advantageous combination of the eccentric arrangement of the compaction roller on the housing, and the existing relationship to during the rotation of the blades of the circular knife in the groove shear allows the existence of a lower part of the device where the waste is trapped between the blades of the knife circular and the inner flange of the deflector, and a part top of the device where the waste, entrained by the blades from the lower part of the device to this part upper, arrive in the cutting area where the distance between the axis of the toothed roller and the axis of the housing is the smallest, where they are sheared when the circular knife blades penetrate in the shear groove.

Advantageously, the two movements of rotation and gyration are controlled by a single motor, as described for example in French patent 97 12 967, and provision is made for this means of mechanical coupling between the support shaft and the arm which supports the toothed roller. Preferably, these means coupling consist of a transmission system mechanical movement with gears between the support shaft and the roller support arm. In this way, the two movements are in permanently synchronized exclusively by transmission mechanical.

• la figure 1 représente une vue éclatée de la tête de compactage selon l'invention ainsi que l'arbre support sur lequel elle est montée ;
• la figure 2 ;illustre une vue de profil du carter, tel qu'il est destiné notamment à protéger le système d'entraínement de la tête de compactage ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de profil du déflecteur;
• la figure 4 est une vue de profil du carter sur lequel est monté le déflecteur suivant l'invention;
• la figure 5 représente une vue de profil du carter sur lequel sont montés le déflecteur ainsi que le couteau circulaire suivant l'invention;
• la figure 6 illustre le couteau circulaire monté sur le rouleau de la tête de compactage en vue de profil ;
• la figure 7 représente une vue de profil du carter, illustrant le fait que, dans le mode de réalisation particulier choisi pour illustrer l'invention, celui-ci présente une gorge circulaire dans laquelle s'insèrent des couteaux droits ;
• et enfin la figure 8 illustre la tête de compactage suivant l'invention dont l'arbre support est représenté en vue de côté et dont le carter, ainsi que le rouleau, sont représentés en vue de coupe.

The invention will now be more fully described in the context of preferred characteristics and their advantages, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 in which:

• Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the compacting head according to the invention and the support shaft on which it is mounted;
• 2 illustrates a side view of the housing, as it is intended in particular to protect the drive system of the compacting head;
• Figure 3 is a side view of the deflector;
• Figure 4 is a side view of the housing on which is mounted the deflector according to the invention;
• FIG. 5 represents a profile view of the casing on which the deflector and the circular knife according to the invention are mounted;
• FIG. 6 illustrates the circular knife mounted on the roller of the compacting head in profile view;
• FIG. 7 represents a profile view of the casing, illustrating the fact that, in the particular embodiment chosen to illustrate the invention, the latter has a circular groove in which straight knives are inserted;
• and finally FIG. 8 illustrates the compacting head according to the invention, the support shaft of which is shown in side view and the casing of which, as well as the roller, are shown in section view.

It should be noted that the front and rear of the different elements shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 are reversed with respect to their representation in Figure 1.

The compacting head shown in Figure 1 is for cylindrical tank machines which are designed for allow compacting of waste, such as that existing in industrial places which are generally mainly consisting of cardboard and / or plastic packaging.

In such machines, the compacting head comprises a roller 1 rotatably mounted on a substantially horizontal arm, connected to a preferably vertical support shaft around which said roller 1 is advantageously driven in gyration.

The compacting roller 1 is advantageously in the form of a hollow cylinder, having two radial faces 10 and 12. All around the roller, teeth 11 point towards the outside of the latter and are intended to shred the waste on which the roller 1 exerts a pressure. According to this preferred embodiment, the roller presses on the waste by its own weight. Thus, as the waste is introduced into the tank, the toothed roller 1 rises gradually while remaining in contact with the waste. It is rotated around its axis X and in gyration around the axis Z of the support shaft 2 by the same motor advantageously located at the top end of the support shaft 2, as illustrated in Figure 1 .

Advantageously, the motor 21 is hydraulic and is mechanically coupled with a shaft 18 located inside the shaft support 2. The assembly constituted by the compaction head mounted on the support shaft 2 is susceptible to translational movements, up or down the tank in which it is placed, along the Z axis of the support shaft. To do this, the support shaft 2 is linked to a plate 8, itself linked to a hydraulic system not shown in the figures, which allows the assembly to be raised above of the tank when it is full, for example to empty it, to lower the assembly to the bottom of the tank when it is empty and let the assembly go up freely as you go that the tank is filled with compacted waste, the assembly pressing of its own weight on the waste.

To drive the roller 1 in rotation about its axis X , there is provided a mechanical transmission assembly between the shaft 18 and the drive arm 16 of the toothed roller 1 rotating on itself. The mechanical transmission assembly advantageously benefits from a bevel gear function. This angle reference between the shaft 18 and the drive arm 16 has not been shown for reasons of clarity in Figure 8. This arrangement allows only the rotational movement of the roller 1 on itself.

The support shaft 2 is secured to a toothed crown 57, meshing on a toothed pinion 17 secured to the drive arm 16 of the roller 1, allowing the turning movement of the roller 1 around the axis Z of the support shaft 2.

Thus, when the engine is activated, it drives the shaft 18, located inside the support shaft 2, in rotation about the axis Z of the support shaft 2. The latter, by the reference d 'angle not shown, causes the arm 16 to rotate about the horizontal axis X of the roller. The arm 16, being set in rotational movement, also drives the pinion 17 in rotation about the axis X of the roller 1. The teeth of the latter being meshed with that of the ring gear 57 which is fixed, being subject to l 'support shaft which is fixed, and the roller 1 is then driven in gyration around the axis Z, gyration which is superimposed in synchronism with the rotational movement of the roller on itself.

We therefore obtain a double synchronized movement of the roller 1. Preferably, when the motor 21 rotates the toothed roller 1 around the axis Z of the support shaft 2, for example in the clockwise direction, the toothed roller is driven in rotation on itself preferably in a counterclockwise direction.

The mechanical transmission assembly is protected by a casing comprising two parts 5 and 51, as shown in Figure 1.

In what follows, part 5 will be considered as the front part of the housing and part 51 will be considered as the rear part of the housing.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention where the machine works continuously, the direction of gyration and the direction of roller rotation are advantageously reversed regularly and automatically, so that the distribution of compacted waste in the tank is carried out particularly regularly.

A preferred embodiment of the compacting head object of the present invention will now be detailed in frame of a machine such as that previously described by making reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. A preferred mounting method as well as the operation of a machine fitted with such a head compaction will be described later.

The compacting roller 1 described above is advantageously in the form of a cylinder. One of two radial faces of the cylinder, the face denoted 12 in FIG. 8, is recessed, inside the roller, so as to form a hollow part 13 of cylindrical shape at one end of the roller, as shown in FIG. 8. The hollow part 13 comprises means 15 for assembling the roller to an arm drive 16, intended to give it a rotational movement around its axis.

To do this, the drive arm 16 and the means assembly 15 are both provided with splines complementary, so that the drive arm fits perfectly in the assembly means of the roll, and so that the arm drives the roller in rotation on itself when itself is rotated around its axis, advantageously coincident with the axis X of the roller 1 according to this embodiment of the invention.

The assembly means 15 are advantageously located formed in the center of the flat face set back at inside the roller, as shown in figure 6.

The hollow part 13 has dimensions such that it can receive a deflector 3 whose role is to prevent waste to be inserted into the drive arm 16 of the roller.

For reasons of understanding, the deflector part lying below a horizontal plane passing through the center of the deflector will be called the lower part of the deflector and the other part will be called the upper part of the deflector.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the deflector 3 which is place inside the hollow part 13 of the roller 1 occurs advantageously in the form of a circular plate comprising an outer collar, or rim 31, having a smaller diameter the inside diameter of the hollow part 13 of the roller. Of this way, when the deflector is inserted into the hollow part 13 of the roller 1, and that the latter is rotated on itself, the deflector rim does not touch inside edges of roller and the deflector remains fixed.

To be able to fit inside the hollow part 13 and protect the drive arm 16 of the roller 1 rotating on it even, the deflector has a light 35 which can be passed through by said drive body.

In order to better understand the particular forms that can present the deflector, the drive arm 16 will now be described.

The drive arm 16 connecting to the roller 1 and through the deflector is projecting from the housing 5-51, plus precisely projecting from the front part 5 of the casing. The housing 5-51, as shown in Figure 1 and 2 for example, is mounted on the support shaft 2 and protects the drive mechanism of the roller in rotation. The drive arm 16 is preferably of cylindrical shape and protrudes from a part 53 of the casing, it even of cylindrical shape, as we can see more precisely in figure 2.

The drive arm 16 is mounted eccentric relative to part 53 of the casing, towards the bottom of the tank. Indeed, the arm drive 16 being intended to be mounted in the axis of the roller, this eccentricity towards the bottom of the tank makes it possible to mount the roller on the vertical support shaft in the lower part, so that the distance between the level of compacted waste in the tank and the lower part of the housing protecting the drive mechanism of the roller, is more important, in order to better preserve all the elements of the compacting head lying above a plane horizontal containing the axis of the roller. On the other hand, this eccentricity allows the shearing of waste by sharp means.

The deflector 3, to protect the drive arm in rotation of the roller passing through it through the light 35 has a shoulder 34 of cylindrical shape in which the light and in which is placed the part 53 of the housing having the drive arm 16, passing through a bearing 52.

Thus, the deflector 3 is fixedly mounted on the part 53 of the casing, the latter having the same axis as that of the shoulder 34 and the drive arm 16 having the same axis as that of the light 35 formed in the shoulder 34.

The deflector 3 also includes a flange inner 32 for guiding the waste which is circular in shape offset from the housing to form a collection area waste opposite two cutting zones 56. The flange 32 begins at the top of the deflector, bypasses the shoulder 34 along the edge 31 of the deflector in descending in its lower part and ends symmetrically on the other side of the shoulder 34 going up in its part higher. It thus leaves two areas for cutting waste into upper part, noted 56 in FIG. 5.

Locking ribs 7, each consisting of a rectangular plate, are provided in the deflector 3 from the rim 31 of the latter at the cutting zones 56. These ribs 7 are intended to block the waste wanting to be inserted between the housing and the roller.

In addition, ribs 33 rise radially from of the collar 32 to ensure its rigidity. Indeed, as it was explained previously, the roller 1 is mounted eccentrically with respect to to casing 5; 51 thus offering a lower position of the axis of said roller relative to the axis of said casing to distance said means for driving the roller in rotation on itself from the surface said waste in the tank. These ribs 33 therefore make it possible to stiffen the lower part of the deflector most in contact with the waste, and therefore, the most requested. The ribs 33 therefore serve as foothills.

A circular knife 4, having the same diameter as that of toothed roller 1, and fixedly mounted on the end of the roller toothed 1, end by which the latter is connected to the arm 16. Advantageously, the circular knife 4 present in the form of a circular ring 41 provided with blades 42 centripetals uniformly distributed around its internal periphery (as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6). The blades 42 of circular knife advantageously have a leading face radial like that of the blades of a circular saw. When the knife is placed in the compacting head, its blades 42 surround the inner flange 32 of the deflector 3.

The circular knife 4 advantageously makes it possible to cut waste tending to infiltrate the drive means by rotation of the roller on itself. To do this, the circular knife 4, being mounted fixed on the toothed roller 1 and in combination with the deflector 3, is rotated about its axis when the toothed roller 1 is rotated on itself while the deflector remains fixed. In order not to hinder this rotational movement circular knife and to allow shearing of waste, a groove 54 is formed in the casing 5-51, preferably in the front part 5 of the casing, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 8 for example. Thus, the groove 54 is formed in the casing to deliver passage to the blades 42 of the circular knife during the movement of rotation of the toothed roller 1 on itself. Throat 54 presents itself in the form of an arc of a circle matching the circular shape inside of the circular knife, as shown in figure 5.

Thus, the combination of the deflector 3 mounted fixed to the neighborhood of the means for driving the roller with the means cutting edges 4 rotatably mounted in the vicinity of the drive means of the roller makes it possible to trap the waste between the blades 42 and the collar 32, to guide them to one of the cutting zones 56 of the deflector and shear them when entering the blades 42 into the throat 54.

According to the preferred embodiment of the object machine the invention, which is recalled to include a cylindrical tank and whose toothed roller is not only rotated around its axis but also in gyration around the Z axis of the support shaft 2, two straight knives 6 with double blades, shown in Figures 1, 7 and 8, are mounted on the support shaft 2. The knives 6 are preferably rectangular in shape. They each have two blades mounted parallel to the axis of the shaft support on which they are fixed, preferably just above housing 5-51. The knives 6 oppose the winding of waste around the support shaft 2 during the turning movement at the compacting head around it.

Now to better understand how different elements presented above are arranged together, a preferred mounting method will now be described.

The deflector 3 is fixed on the front part 5 of the casing, as shown in figure 4, by introducing the arm drive 16 of the protruding roller on the part 53 of the part front 5 of the housing in the circular light 35 formed in the deflector 3, as well as the part 53 inside the shoulder 34. Then the deflector 3 is fixed on the front part 5 of the casing preferably with bolts in 36, 37, 38 and 39 as shown in figure 3.

The roller 1 is then mounted on the drive arm 16. Beforehand, the radial face 10, opposite the face 12, is removed of the roller. We insert the drive arm 16 in the means assembly 15 of the roller, and the arm 16 is kept inside of the roller 1 by fixing, by bolts 9, a ring 19 on the bearing 52 projecting from the casing and crossed by the drive arm 16. Then we close the roller by fixing the radial face 10 preferably by bolts, as shown by example in figure 8.

The last step is to mount the circular knife 4. It comes beforehand in the form of two half knives circular. A circular half knife is first introduced in the groove 54 formed in the front part 5 of the casing, as illustrated in figure 8. Then place the blades of the other half-knife circular around the inner flange 32 of the deflector 3 and the connect the two half knives so that they form a single knife circular. This can be achieved by any known means such as as screwing, clipping etc. Finally, the circular knife as well positioned, trapped between the front part 5 of the casing and the deflector 3, is fixed to the toothed roller 1 by bolts 43 uniformly distributed on the ring 41.

In order to better understand the role of each of the organs of the compacting head described above, a mode of operation will now be presented.

When mounting the compacting head described above, the deflector is blocked between the end 12 of the roller, end by which the roller is connected to the drive arm, and the circular knife 4, as shown in FIG. 5 or 8.

Thus, the circular knife 4 being fixed on the toothed roller 1, and the deflector 3 being fixedly mounted on the part 53 of the housing, when the toothed roller 1 is rotated on itself, the circular knife 4 is also rotated around the axis X of the toothed roller 1, in the same direction as the toothed roller 1, but the deflector remains fixed, the part 53 of the front part of the casing being fixed.

Animated by this rotational movement, the circular knife 4 cuts waste trying to infiltrate the means drive the roller when they are housed in one of the cutting zones 56 (shown in FIG. 5) of the deflector 3.

The cutting area 56 is located in the upper part of the deflector as previously specified, at the place where the internal collar 32 surrounded by the blades of the circular knife stops, allowing the blades of the circular knife to penetrate this area and come directly into contact with the waste there penetrate.

More precisely, when a waste, for example a piece plastic intended to be compacted, tries to penetrate the toothed roller 1, it is stopped in its course by the deflector 3. If the waste enters directly into the cutting area 56 of the deflector, in other words in the deflector zone 3 where the blades 42 of the circular knife 4 come directly into contact with the waste, the waste is sheared by the blades 42 which, driven in rotation with the roller 1, enter the groove 54 of the casing. After having been cut, the waste falls back away from the head of compaction. If the blades 42 come into contact with a waste located in the lower part of the deflector 3, for example if a waste encountered the blades at the flange 32, the blades 42 then hang the waste and drag it into the area of cutout 56 while being driven in rotation. The waste is then cut in the same way as described above for waste coming directly into the cutting zone 56.

On the other hand, during the turning movement of the compacting head around the axis Z of the support shaft 2, if the teeth 11 of the roller 1 catch the waste having for example an elongated shape, such as tubes in plastic material, this waste begins to wrap around the support shaft. The waste then comes into contact with the blades of the straight knives 6 which cut them, thus reducing the length of this waste and preventing any spiral winding of the latter around the support shaft 2.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 for example, a circular groove 55 is provided on the casing 5-51 to allow passage at the ends of the straight knives 6, so as not to hinder the movement of gyration of the compacting head around the axis Z of the support shaft, and cooperate with these to cut by shearing the waste clinging to the blades of straight knives 6 during the movement of gyration of the roller around the support shaft. In fact, when the roller is rotated around the support shaft 2, the casing 5-51 is also rotated and the straight knives 6, placed in the groove 55 formed in the casing, rotating around the axis Z , does not hinder this movement in any way.

The above description clearly explains how the invention achieves the objectives it has set for itself. In particular, in the case of a machine where the roller is driven in rotation around its axis, waste (or waste residue) no longer enter the roller drive system thanks to the combination of circular knife, deflector and throat shear which reduces the amount of waste tending to fit into the compacting head by cutting them out, and which allows them to be removed from this compacting head.

The invention thus makes it possible not only to treat waste consisting mainly of lost cardboard packaging, but also, it makes it possible to treat waste consisting of different materials such as, for example, constituted waste lost cardboard and plastic packaging.

On the other hand, in the case of compaction machines traditional it has been observed that compacting long objects such as, for example, strip paper was difficult because one of the ends of the paper strip was often dragged by the roller of the compacting head by clinging to its teeth, in other words the roughness it presents (those which are normally intended for shredding the material), and the tape paper then wrapped around the vertical support shaft as well that around the roller, so that after a while, the head compaction found itself trapped, wrapped in waste, and thus reduced to immobility. This caused the the machine or even in some cases the destruction of the head compaction.

The invention allows the compaction of such waste. In particular, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention where the tank for receiving the waste to be compacted is cylindrical and where the roller is driven not only in rotation on itself but also in gyration around the axis Z of l support shaft which supports the compacting head, the straight knives prevent the waste from winding in a spiral around the support shaft, which warns, as explained above, of a possible stopping of the machine, or even possible destruction of the compacting head.

However, it follows from the above that the invention is not not limited to the modes of implementation which have been specifically described and represented in the figures.

For example, the compacting head according to the invention can be mounted on a telescopic shaft of a rectangular tank machine, such as that described in European patent EP 0 042 580, where the toothed roller, rotated on it- even, makes a back and forth movement on the waste, thus traversing the entire length of the tank. In this case, the roller not being subjected to a movement of gyration around the axis Z of the support shaft of the machine, it is possible to dispense with straight knives 6.

On the other hand, in the case of a cylindrical tank machine where the drive of the roller in rotation on itself is ensured by a first motor, and where the drive of the roller in gyration around the axis Z of the support shaft is provided by a second motor, the casing 5-51 is not always useful. It goes without saying that the deflector provided with the circular knife is not necessarily mounted between the toothed roller and a casing; it can also be mounted fixed relative to the roller, exclusively on the roller, preventing the infiltration of waste residues in the drive system which can, for example, be located in the roller.

The straight knives 6, mounted against the support shaft 2 of a compacting machine where the roller is rotated about its own axis as well as in gyration around the axis Z of the support shaft, can be animated a vertical back and forth movement ensured, for example, by a motor, allowing faster cutting of the waste winding around the support shaft.

The toothed roller is not necessarily cylindrical in shape, and for example, it can be in a conical shape, or any other shape with circular section.

Similarly, the circular knife can be presented under form of more than two pieces to be assembled during assembly, and not exclusively in the form of two half circular knives as described.

Optionally, the circular knife may have parts without blades and parts with blades evenly distributed or not around its inner periphery.

Claims (9)

Waste compacting head, intended to be mounted mobile in a fixed tank for receiving the waste to be compacted, supported on said waste by a toothed roller (1) associated with means for driving in rotation on itself from 'a support shaft (2), characterized in that it includes deflector means (3) mounted fixed in the vicinity of said drive means for pushing the waste away from said drive means for said roller and for guiding those which nevertheless approach it as far as a cutting zone (56) where they are subjected to the action of cutting means (4). Compacting head according to claim 1, characterized in that said cutting means comprise a movable circular knife (4), advantageously mounted in rotation with said roller (1) at one of its ends, that by which said roller (1) is linked to said drive means, said knife (4) cooperating in said cutting zone (56) with a fixed groove (54) to ensure a shearing effect favorable to the cutting of said waste. Compacting head according to claim 2, characterized in that said circular knife (4) is in the form of a circular ring (41) external to a casing (5; 51) for protecting said means for driving the roller in rotation about itself, in which said groove is formed, said circular ring being provided with centripetal blades (42) uniformly distributed around its internal periphery to penetrate said groove in said cutting zone. Compacting head according to claim 3, characterized in that said deflector means have a guide flange (32) of said waste which is circular in shape offset from said casing to form a waste collection zone opposite said zone cutting. Compacting head according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the said deflector means (3) comprise a member for guiding (32) the waste towards said cutting zone (56), a protective member (34 ) of said means for driving the roller in rotation on itself and preferably stiffener elements (33) for its stiffening. Compaction head according to any one of the preceding claims, intended to be mounted movable in gyration around an axis (Z) of the support shaft (2), characterized in that two straight knives (6) for cutting waste resistant are mounted fixed on the support shaft (2), symmetrically relative to the axis thereof, to oppose the winding of waste around the support shaft (2) during the turning movement of the compacting head around it. Compacting head according to claim 6, characterized in that said knives (6), preferably of rectangular shape, have two opposite blades oriented parallel to the axis of the support shaft (2). Compacting head according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that a circular groove (55) is formed in a casing (5; 51) for protecting said means for driving in rotation of said roller, to deliver passage at the ends of said knives (6) and cooperate with them to cut by shearing the waste clinging to the blades of said knives. Compaction head according to any one of claims 3 or 8, characterized in that the roller (1) is mounted eccentric with respect to said casing (5; 51), thus offering a lower position of the axis of said roller with respect to to the axis of said housing to move said drive means from the roller rotating on itself from the surface of said waste in the tank.

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