EP1764210B1

EP1764210B1 - Method for pressing scrap

Info

Publication number: EP1764210B1
Application number: EP06120222.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Claudio Colombo
Original assignee: Colombo Giovanni Srl
Current assignee: Colombo Giovanni Srl
Priority date: 2005-09-15
Filing date: 2006-09-06
Publication date: 2015-11-11
Anticipated expiration: 2026-09-06
Also published as: ITUD20050143A1; ES2562054T3; EP1764210A2; PL1764210T3; EP1764210A3

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a method for pressing a loose mass of scrap, to reduce it to a compact mass of a desired section, which can be further compressed by a longitudinal thrust against a fixed wall, or divided into parts, if the device is provided with shears mounted at the end and fed by a longitudinal thrust, so as to be able to send it to subsequent steps, for example recycling or melting. To be more exact, the present invention allows to reduce to a minimum the steps and movements of its oscillating covers during the compacting of the mass of scrap.
In the following description we shall refer specifically to the volumetric reduction by pressing a loose and incoherent mass of voluminous metal scrap, such as automobiles, cisterns, collection materials or other, but the present invention can equally be applied for pressing and compacting small-size metal and non-metal scrap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various methods and devices are known, able to reduce the volume of loose masses of scrap into a compact mass of desired section, and then to compact it into packs and/or divide it into parts, so that it can then easily be sent to subsequent steps of recycling and/or melting.
One known method and device for pressing scrap is for example described in the Italian patent IT-B-1226197 , in which two pressure means, or oscillating covers, reciprocally rotatable and pivoted with respect to a plane pressing base, interact with each other and with the base in order to compact a loose and incoherent mass of scrap so as to form a compact mass of polyhedral form.
Other solutions are known which provide a substantially L-shaped base on the ends of which are pivoted, respectively, on the horizontal side an arched cover, and on the vertical side a plane cover, the latter of smaller size than the arched cover.
An example of this device is disclosed in IT-B-1206444 which discloses a method according to the preamble of claim 1.
Another example of press device is disclosed in US 2009/0056564 .
These known solutions provide that the arched cover is of a size and at a distance from the plane cover such that the top of the arched cover overlaps, in the closed, compacting position, the top of the plane cover, so that the latter is obliged to cooperate, in all the steps of the pressing cycle, with the inner surface of the arched cover.
This solution, however, has the disadvantage that it is necessary to effect a high number - up to ten - of steps and cycles to alternately and reciprocally bring together and distance the two covers during the initial pressing steps, so as to prevent the scrap from escaping from above through the space defined initially between the tops of the two covers, that is to say, until the plane cover is brought into contact with the inner surface of the arched cover.
In this way the time needed for compacting the scrap is lengthened, and the processing costs are also increased.
The Japanese patent application JP-A-63 212098 discloses a scrap press device for forming a compact mass from metal chips. The device comprises a higher zone of trimming, an intermediate zone of pre-pressing and a lower zone of pressing and forming the compact mass. In the intermediate zone of pre-pressing two lids are provided which serve, in their closed position, as a containing means for the orthogonal press positioned below. In their open position the lids allow the chips and the scrap to enter in the underlying press. Actually, the lids are not operative elements in the pressing and compacting action on the chips and the scrap, but they feed the material to the underlying press and contain it when the orthogonal press is made to operate.
One purpose of the present invention is to perfect a method for pressing scrap, which will reduce the times and costs necessary for compacting the initial mass of scrap while guaranteeing an optimum result of the compacting performed.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain this and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the claim 1.
In accordance with the above purpose, a method for pressing scrap according to claim 1 is disclosed.
According to a characteristic feature of the present invention, in the second pressing step, the first pressing means cooperates, with its top, with an inner surface of the second pressing means, in order to thrust all the mass of scrap with great efficiency towards the pressing base.
In fact, with the present invention, in one operating pressing condition, the top of the first pressing means is at a lower height than the top of the second pressing means, and possibly comes into contact with it.
This type of geometric cooperation between the first pressing means and the second pressing means determines a trajectory of the top of the first pressing means that prevents the accidental upward escape of the mass of scrap between the two tops of the two pressing means when the latter are drawing near each other in the closing step.
Moreover, the reciprocal configuration assumed by the two pressing means in the position of reciprocal cooperation determines a compacting of the mass of scrap such that, with a single progressive movement of the second pressing means towards the pressing base, it is possible to make the desired compact mass of scrap.
With the present invention therefore, substantially with two movements, that is, an initial movement of the first pressing means until the top cooperates with the inner surface of the second pressing means, and a final movement of the second pressing means until the scrap is compacted in a defined and compact mass, we obtain the same result which in the state of the art was obtained with a plurality of progressive and alternate approaching movements of the two pressing means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

figs. 1 to 6 show relative steps of the method for pressing scrap according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT

With reference to the attached drawings, a method for pressing scrap according to the present invention is actuated with a pressing device, or press, 10.
In this case, the method is intended to reduce the volume by pressing a loose and incoherent mass 14 of scrap, consisting for example of parts of motor vehicles, cisterns, metal girders, reinforcement or other metal scrap, to reduce it to a compact mass of desired section.
To be more exact, the device, or press, 10 comprises a pressing base 11 with a L-shaped cross section, and two pressing covers, respectively an arched one 12 and a plane one 13.
The arched cover 12 and the plane cover 13 are both pivoted to the base 11, respectively the first to one end of the horizontal segment of the base 11, and longitudinally thereto, and the second to one end of the vertical segment of the base 11, longitudinally thereto. Thanks to this configuration, the two pivoting points of the covers 12, 13 are always positioned on different laying planes or levels, the amount of the difference in height depending from the length of the vertical segment of the base 11.
The arched cover 12 comprises an inner pressing surface 15 which follows the curvilinear development of the structure of the arched cover 12, and a top 16 disposed on the opposite side with respect to its pivoting point.
More particularly, the inner pressing surface 15 of the cover 12 has a first lower segment substantially straight in order to define a vertical wall of the press, in a step of the pressing process, and a second upper curvilinear segment which cooperates with the other cover 13 in another step of the pressing process.
The plane cover 13 comprises a substantially plane inner pressing surface 17, and a top 19, disposed on the side opposite its point of pivoting with the base 11.
To be more exact, the inner pressing surface 15 of the pressing cover 12 describes, in its higher portion, an arc of a circle having as its geometrical center the point of pivoting of the arched cover 12 with the base 11.
In the operating condition shown in fig. 2, the top 16 of the arched cover 12 is at a lower height than the top 19, and in a position such that it does not contact the inner pressing surface 17 of the cover 13, even if the angle α, defined by the inner pressing surface 17 and by a substantially vertical plane, is about equal to 0°.
In this case, the angle α defined by the plane cover 13 and a substantially vertical plane is comprised between about 0° and about 20°, on the opposite side with respect to the arched cover 12, so as to further facilitate the contact of the top 16 with the inner pressing surface 17.
In the same operating condition, the distance between the top 16 of the arched cover 12 and the inner pressing surface 17 of the plane cover 13 is variable between about 50% and about 5% of the distance between the respective points of pivoting of the two covers 12 and 13, that is, substantially corresponding to the horizontal segment of the base 11.
The distance between the points of pivoting of the two covers 12 and 13 is variable from about 600 mm to about 1200 mm.
As shown in fig. 3, the arched cover 12 can effect a rotation of more than 90°, so as to be able to possibly come into contact with the surface 17 of the plane cover 13 when it provides a positioning in the direction of opening with an angle α≠0°.
Advantageously, the plane cover 13 can rotate for an amplitude of even 90° + α, from its initial position shown in fig. 1.
In this way, the arched cover 12 performs a trajectory such that it effects a downward thrust on the mass of scrap 14 to be compacted, thus preventing the latter from escaping upwards through the open space between the two covers 12 and 13 at the beginning of the pressing procedure.
The pressing method according to the present invention is defined in claim 1.
It is clear, however, that modifications and/or additions of parts or steps may be made to the method as described heretofore, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Method for pressing scrap comprising at least a first loading step, wherein a loose and incoherent mass (14) of said scrap is loaded onto a pressing base (11), on first pressing means comprising an arched cover (12) and on second pressing means comprising a plane cover (13), said arched cover (12) and said plane cover (13) being associated on opposite sides with said base (11), said base (11) having a L-shaped cross section with a horizontal segment and a vertical segment, a second pressing step, wherein said arched cover (12) and said plane cover (13) cooperate with each other in order to press said mass (14) towards said base (11), and a third compacting step, wherein said plane cover (13) cooperates with its top (19) with an inner surface (15) of said arched cover (12), in order to define a compact mass (24) of scrap, wherein each of said arched cover and plane cover (12, 13) are pivoted to a respective opposite end of said base (11), characterized in that in said second pressing step the arched cover (12) is rotated from a first position horizontal with respect to said L-shaped base (11) to a second position of pressing said scrap (14) in which a top (16) of said arched cover (12) disposed on an opposite side with respect to the pivoting point of the arched cover (12), is progressively brought in contact with an inner surface (17) of said plane cover (13), maintained rotated with respect to the vertical of an angle α ≠ 0 and comprised between 0 and 20° away from said arched cover (12), by rotating said arched cover (12) of an angle of 90° plus α; and
- in said third compacting step said plane cover (13) is rotated from a loading position vertical to a compacting position horizontal and perpendicular with respect to said arched cover (12), maintained vertical, in order to thrust all said mass (14) of scrap towards said base (11) and form said compact mass (24),
in that in said second pressing step, the top (16) of said arched cover (12) is at a lower height than the top (19) of said plane cover (13)
and
in that between said second pressing step and said third compacting step at least an intermediate return step is provided, wherein said arched cover (12) is retracted to a vertical position in order to allow said top (19) of said plane cover (13) to cooperate with said inner surface (15) of said arched cover (12) in said third compacting step.