EP3458257B1 - Device and method for compacting hollow articles by means of compression - Google Patents

Description

I. Field of application

The invention relates to hollow bodies such as plastic bottles or metal cans. These are returned by the customer and the deposit usually paid for the hollow body is repaid to the customer and the hollow bodies are usually compacted at the return location in order to reduce the transport volume for transport to the recycling plant.

Different methods are known:
One method is to shred the containers into small particles that can then be processed as bulk material.

Another method is to press the containers together, hitherto mostly into plate-shaped, flattened containers, which are thus devalued in terms of the deposit claim. This has the advantage that such flattened containers can also be compressed into bales and transported as strapped bales without further wrapping, which is not possible with shredded hollow bodies.

The present invention addresses the second method of squeezing the containers.

II. Technical background

As a rule, the containers are pressed together by being guided between two meshing pressing and cutting rollers, whereby the two opposing walls of the container are not only pressed against one another but are also cut through in sections by the cutting teeth of these pressing and cutting rollers, whereby the two adjacent walls of the collapsed container interlock and prevent subsequent springing back of the collapsed container from the sheet form to a thicker form due to the inherent resilience of the material of the container.

The incision also serves to allow the air contained in the container, which is often closed by means of a sealing cap, to escape when it is squeezed, and also to allow any residual liquid in the container to escape.

However, the density of a transport unit made from flat-pressed containers is lower than the density of a transport unit made from shredded containers, albeit dependent on the shape and size of the particles produced during shredding.

the US 201 5/033961 A1 discloses a device for compacting hollow bodies according to the preamble of claim 1 US 201 5/033960 A1 as well as the U.S. 2014/196616 A1 referred.

III. Presentation of the invention a) Technical task

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a method and a device for more compacting of entire hollow bodies, ie without cutting them up into particles.

b) Solution of the task

This object is solved by the features of claims 1 and 18. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the dependent claims.

With regard to the compaction process, the respective hollow body is first flattened, in particular by applying force transversely to its greatest direction of extension. This results in an approximately plate-shaped hollow body with two layers at least in the central region, the two layers being formed by sections of the wall of the hollow body lying opposite one another. These two layers are connected to one another in the outer areas all the way around by the material of the wall and possibly a closure, provided that the hollow body does not burst when flattened.

The latter is to be avoided in that at least one layer of the ultimately plate-shaped hollow body is perforated or severed by means of short cuts during flattening.

Depending on the device used, the two layers can also be in contact with one another at least in certain areas, but usually not over the entire surface of the plate, ie the plate-shaped hollow body, due to the spring-back properties of the material.

In some cases, both layers of the plate-shaped hollow body are severed with the same tool and at the same point when perforating or cutting in, primarily in order to achieve an interlocking of the cut edges of the two layers against one another and to minimize springback.

However, the cutting is only partial and the hollow body should not be cut into individual parts or even small particles.

The flattening preferably takes place in a continuous process, while the subsequently approximately plate-shaped hollow bodies are moved in the direction of throughput. The extension of the main plane of the plate-shaped hollow body transversely to the direction of passage and the direction of passage itself span a plane of passage.

According to the invention, after this known process step, the now approximately plate-shaped hollow body, i.e. the double-layer plate, is compressed in one of the directions of the main plane of this plate, i.e. pushed together, so that the plate becomes shorter in this direction, but of course also thicker, because of the compression an accordion-shaped, upset hollow body is produced in which each of the walls - cut along the direction of upsetting - has a wavy or zigzag shape.

It is advantageous if the upset hollow body is then compressed again transversely to its upsetting direction in order to further reduce the volume.

For example, a lateral breaking out, ie bulging, of the accordion-shaped hollow body is avoided by lateral guides which run approximately in the compression direction and delimit a guide slot.

The upsetting preferably takes place with an upsetting direction in the direction of the greatest extent of the flattened hollow body, which preferably corresponds to the greatest extent of the original, undeformed hollow body. When flattening takes place in a continuous process, the upsetting direction corresponds to the throughput direction during flattening or is directed in the opposite direction.

The upsetting is preferably terminated before stress whitening occurs, especially at the folds of the accordion, in a hollow body made of plastic, since this reduces the value of the upset hollow body.

The upsetting of the plate-shaped hollow body is preferably started before the previous flattening of the hollow body has ended. This facilitates the transition from the first to the second step, especially when flattening and/or upsetting is done in a continuous process, and reduces the risk of side chipping.

The upsetting of the plate-shaped hollow body is preferably ended at the latest when the flattening of the hollow body is also ended, especially when the upsetting of the hollow body is used as a counter bearing and stop during upsetting.

The hollow body is pressed flat by guiding it through a press slit between at least one rotatingly driven press roller and a counter-pressing element, be it a press sliding surface or a second press roller rotating in opposite directions, with the press slit preferably narrowing in the direction of travel, in particular up to to a thickness which corresponds approximately to the thickness of the plate-shaped hollow body produced thereby.

Preferably, in the case of two cooperating press rollers, the teeth of one press roller, which are spaced apart in the axial direction, mesh with the teeth of the other press roller by immersing into the axial spaces between the teeth thereof, thereby achieving a corrugated board-like, flattened hollow body.

Accordingly, the press slot in this context does not necessarily mean that, viewed in the axial direction of the at least one press roller, there is a free passage and view between the press roller and the press counter-element, for example the second press roller:
Because due to the mutual immersion of the teeth of a press roller in the circumferential grooves between the teeth of the other press roller is the press slot - viewed in the plan on through the two axes of rotation level defined by the intermeshing press rollers - on the one hand, it is often cranked and is also usually interrupted at several points in the axial direction, namely where mutually adjacent teeth of the two press rollers are arranged in close contact with one another in the axial direction, in order to prevent incision and penetration at this point at least one of the two walls of the hollow body to be flattened, which are closely adjacent to one another in the flattened state.

The hollow body to be machined is preferably fed to the press slot in a direction that corresponds to the greatest longitudinal extent of the hollow body, as a result of which the press rollers only require a relatively small axial length.

To be drawn into the press slot, the hollow body is grasped by means of teeth, preferably hook-shaped teeth, protruding radially from at least one of the press rollers, and is pulled into the press slot, with scrapers arranged between the teeth at the exit of the press slot preventing the teeth from gripped wall of the hollow body pull along in the circumferential direction after the end of the press slot.

The hollow body is preferably pressed into the press slot by a feed device upstream of the latter in the direction of passage through the press slot in order to facilitate and reliably carry out the gripping of the hollow body by the at least one, preferably both, press rollers.

However, the flattening can also be carried out by two press dies which are movable relative to one another and between which the hollow body is positioned and which can press the hollow body together, the area of the press dies preferably being chosen so large that the entire hollow body does not fit between the two press dies protrudes laterally beyond this.

If the hollow body is passed through a press slot for flattening, the upsetting can be carried out by braking the front end of the flattened hollow body in the throughput direction, so that the front end of the already flattened hollow body advances slower than the rear end, and the front end of the flattened hollow body may even come to a standstill downstream of the die before flattening in the die is finished.

Braking can be achieved by the end of the plate-shaped hollow body that is at the front in the direction of passage coming into contact with a stop as a compression element, which can be designed to be stationary or movable in the direction of passage. Braking can also be implemented by guiding the plate-shaped hollow body downstream of the compression slot through a compression slot whose throughput speed through the compression slot is lower than the throughput speed through the compression slot.

As long as the front area of the same plate-shaped hollow body is already in the compression slit and it rests against the compression element and its rear area is still in the compression slit, the plate-shaped hollow body is compressed as a result, with slippage between the plate-shaped hollow body and the compression element being prevented as far as possible.

The throughput speed through the compression slot is preferably less than half, preferably less than one third, of the throughput speed of the same hollow body through the compression slot.

In order to avoid slippage, the width of the compression slot is smaller in at least one direction than the flattened hollow body to be guided through, preferably smaller than its thickness in the transverse direction to the main plane of the flattened hollow body.

As a result, the hollow body, which has already been flattened and compressed in the direction of passage, is compressed again transversely to its direction of passage, in particular transversely to the main plane of the hollow body, which is still plate-shaped but compressed in one of the main planes of the plate, which causes further compaction.

The boundary surfaces of the compression slot represent the compression element, either by means of correspondingly high sliding friction in the case of a smooth boundary surface of the compression slot running in the direction of passage, or by positive locking if the boundary surface is at least partially aligned transversely to the direction of passage through the compression slot.

For the purposes of the present application, it should be made clear that the transverse direction - without further reference - with regard to the hollow body is understood to mean the perpendicular to the greatest direction of extension of a still undeformed hollow body, or later the perpendicular to the main plane of the flattened, plate-shaped hollow body. With regard to the device, the transverse direction is that direction which is, on the one hand, perpendicular to the direction of passage and, on the other hand, perpendicular to the axial direction of the rollers.

The movement through the press slot is effected by the flattened hollow body being gripped by at least one, preferably driven, rotating upset roller laterally delimiting the upset slot and being pulled through the upset slot. The peripheral surface of the at least one upset roller is then a boundary surface of the upset slot.

For this purpose, two juxtaposed compression rollers are preferably driven in opposite directions, which are so close together that when a plate-shaped hollow body is inserted between them, they contact it with such a great frictional force that it is pushed through the compression slot, but not with a greater one Throughput speed than it corresponds to the peripheral speed of one or both edging rollers, since preferably no slippage, or if it is then only as small as possible, should occur between the plate-shaped hollow body and the two edging rollers.

In order to achieve sufficiently high friction in relation to the plate-shaped hollow body, there is at least one compression roller, preferably both Compression rollers with teeth, between which the plate-shaped hollow body has to move, so that the surface of the teeth are also part of the boundary surface of the compression slot, but which are partially transverse to the direction of passage, and thus a relative movement between the flattened hollow body and the compression element in prevent the shape of the edging roll. The teeth of the two edging rollers can overlap in the radial direction and thereby mesh like gear wheels—albeit preferably without contact—and/or be offset from one another in the axial direction and engage in one another alternately in the axial direction.

Viewed both in the axial direction and in the direction of passage, the edging slot preferably consists of a constant distance between the two edging rollers.

In particular, during operation of the device, the circumferential speed of the at least one edging roller is therefore less than half, preferably less than a third, of the circumferential speed of the at least one press roller.

The hollow body to be processed can be pressed into the press slot by means of a feed device, in particular the vanes of a vane shaft whose axis of rotation is approximately parallel to the axes of rotation of the at least one press roller, if one is present.

The wing that comes into contact with the hollow body moves with its free end in the direction of the press slot or the pressing station, but the free end of the wing has a peripheral speed that is significantly greater than the peripheral speed of the at least one press roller when flattening is carried out by means of a press roller takes place.

The object with regard to the compacting device is thus achieved in that a generic pressing device for flattening hollow bodies additionally has a compression device arranged downstream thereof for upsetting the approximately plate-shaped hollow body flattened in the pressing device in one of the directions of the main plane of this plate.

The pressing device and the upsetting device are arranged at a distance from one another such that they can still act simultaneously on the same hollow body to be processed, i.e. the upsetting device more in its front area and the pressing device then more in its rear area.

The device is preferably not manually operated, but has a drive device which drives the pressing device and/or the compression device and/or the feed device, in particular the impeller shaft, and preferably also a controller for controlling at least all moving parts of the device and in particular this drive device . The controller can in particular be part of the controller of a higher-level unit in which the compacting device is installed, for example an automatic bottle return machine.

Preferably, only one motor drives both the pressing device and the upsetting device and possibly also the feeding device.

The pressing device comprises at least one rotationally drivable pressing roller, the function of which is to grip the hollow body and pull it through a pressing slot formed between the pressing roller and a counter-pressing element, thereby reducing the thickness of the hollow body and flattening it.

The throughput direction on the one hand and the axial direction of the at least one press roller on the other hand define the throughput plane.

For this purpose, the width of the pressing slot is of course significantly less than the thickness of the undeformed hollow body and has a thickness approximately corresponding to the desired thickness of the plate-shaped hollow body to be produced thereby.

In a simple case, the counter-pressing element can be a stationary press guide surface running in the throughput direction and arranged approximately parallel to the outer circumference of the press roller drivable and preferably meshing with this second press roller.

In order to grasp and also perforate the hollow body, it has at least one press roller, preferably both press rollers, teeth distributed and spaced apart over the circumference and/or in the axial direction, which are preferably designed like hooks and with a sharp cutting edge in order to grasp the hollow body well and in to be able to pull in the press slot and also to penetrate the wall of the hollow body and thereby allow the air and liquids contained therein to escape.

The teeth are arranged at an axial distance in toothed ring areas, which are preferably dimensioned in such a way that the toothed ring areas of one press roller can penetrate radially between the toothed ring areas of the adjacent press roller, with between the rollers, i.e. in the radial direction and in the axial direction there is a free space between the teeth and tooth-ring areas, which is sufficient to pass the hollow body between them, but nevertheless to press it flat.

Viewed in the axial direction, the press slit preferably has the same width over its entire length running in the axial direction, which means that the widest point is at most 20%, better at most 10%, better at most 5% wider than the narrowest point.

The axes of rotation of the press rollers are preferably arranged parallel to one another, but could also be at an angle to one another if the press rollers were designed conically, for example.

These features of a pressing device are essentially known.

In a very simple embodiment, the downstream upsetting device, i.e. arranged downstream in the throughput direction, can consist of a stop arranged in the path of movement of the plate-shaped hollow body coming out of the pressing slot, against which the plate-shaped hollow body presses with its front end and through which the supply of plate material comes out the pressing slot of this plate-shaped hollow body is compressed against the throughput direction, resulting in an approximately accordion-shaped compressed hollow body.

The stop can be stationary or move with the plate-shaped hollow body pressing against it in the throughput direction, but at a lower speed than the throughput speed of the same hollow body through the press slot.

To end the upsetting process, the stop can also be moved out of the path of movement of the plate-shaped and later upset hollow body in order to facilitate its removal.

For this purpose, the stop can also be subjected to a force counter to the direction of passage, for example by means of a spring or a braking device, in order to define the upsetting force.

However, the upsetting device according to the invention comprises at least one rotatingly driven first upsetting roller, which is used to grip and pull the flattened hollow body through an upsetting slot, but at a lower throughput speed than the throughput speed of the same object further upstream through the press slot, in which the rear part of the plate-shaped hollow body is still located while the front part is already being moved through the compression slit.

Preferably, the upsetting device comprises not only an upsetting guide surface extending in the throughput direction and parallel to the first upsetting roller as an upsetting counter-element, but also a second upsetting roller rotating in the opposite direction to the first upsetting roller, which is also in contact with the plate-shaped and already upset hollow body passed between the upsetting rollers stands, whereby a sliding friction against a fixed guide surface is avoided.

The axial directions of the edging rollers can be parallel to the axial directions of the press roller, or—viewed in the throughput direction—crazy, ie at an angle thereto, in particular at right angles thereto.

Due to the reduced throughput speed in the upsetting device, the plate-shaped hollow body accumulates in front of the upsetting device due to the post-conveyance of the plate-shaped hollow body from the press slot at a significantly higher speed, so that the actual upsetting process takes place in the area between the pressing device and the upsetting device, for which the upsetting rollers act as a kind of stop - take on the braking function, i.e. serve as a compression element.

Since the plate-shaped hollow body arrives at the compression slit in a compressed and thus also thicker, accordion-shaped state than in the plate-shaped state, the compression slit is also at least as wide transversely to the throughput plane as the compression slit, preferably dimensioned wider than the compression slit, but preferably at most twice as wide, at most three times as wide, twice as wide.

Because in the compression slot the already flattened and compressed hollow body should be compressed again in the transverse direction to the direction of passage by means of the compression rollers in order to further reduce the volume of the hollow body.

The compression slot is positioned in the throughput direction in such a way that a flattened hollow body coming out of the pressing device protrudes into the compression slot, before it has completely left the pressing device, and is caught by the at least one rotating compression roller or the compression roller pair and more slowly through the Compression roller pair and the compression slot is moved through.

As with the press rollers, the edging slot in the edging rollers should have the same width everywhere in the axial direction of the rollers, i.e. the widest point should not be wider than a maximum of 20%, preferably a maximum of 10%, better a maximum of 5% wider than the narrowest point. The axes of rotation of the press rolls are preferably also parallel to one another and/or parallel to the axes of rotation of the compression rolls.

The rollers--preferably both the press rollers and the edging rollers--have a bearing journal at their axial ends, and the effective area between them, which is usually occupied by teeth, can be used to act on the hollow bodies. Even more specifically, the effective area is that axial area of the rollers that can come into contact with the hollow bodies, in particular the area between the boundary plates on both sides, opposite which the press rollers are mounted. The effective area is preferably shorter in the axial direction than the greatest extent of the smallest hollow body provided for processing.

The effect of this is that the hollow bodies can only be fed to the entire device in the direction of their greatest extent.

The throughput is thereby reduced compared to a feed in the transverse direction of the hollow body, but for the subsequent upsetting, a plate-shaped, flattened hollow body that is as long as possible in the throughput direction is advantageous, since this makes it easier for its front area to be gripped by the upsetting device before its rear area has left the pressing device.

Accordingly, the distance between the pressing device and the upsetting device in the throughput direction, the so-called throughput distance, must also be selected depending on the dimensions of the hollow bodies intended for processing, and can in particular be adjustable, in particular also during operation of the device. Specifically, the passage distance is the distance between the narrowest points on the one hand of the press slot and on the other hand of the compression slot.

In order to be able to upset even the shortest hollow body intended for processing, this passage distance must be less than the length of this shortest hollow body intended for processing, measured in the direction of passage, in particular shorter than its greatest extent or its greatest extent in the flattened, plate-like state.

As a rule, however, the device should be able to process a certain size range of hollow bodies, and the throughput distance - and sometimes also the diameter of the edging rollers and/or the press roller - are fixed and selected in such a way that all hollow bodies within this size range can be processed with it can become.

However, since the compression that occurs with a long, flattened hollow body is greater with a fixed passage distance than with a short, flattened hollow body in the direction of passage, the passage distance must not be chosen too short, since this is particularly the case with a hollow body that is very long in the direction of passage the compression, especially in the case of a hollow body made of plastic, could become so severe that white fracture could occur at the bends of the accordion-shaped compressed hollow body, and even more so on the compressed hollow body that is then compressed again in the transverse direction - if it is made of plastic would reduce the value of the upset hollow body.

In practice, the passage distance is preferably chosen such that the shortest hollow body intended for processing in the direction of passage is just sufficiently compressed, but no stress whitening occurs in the longest possible container. The width of the compression slit will also be adjusted in this way.

If the passage distance is adjustable, this is preferably set automatically depending on the length of the hollow body detected in the feed to the device in the direction of passage, i.e. it is set shorter the shorter the hollow body just fed is in the direction of passage.

As with the at least one press roller, the at least one edging roller is also fitted with radially protruding teeth, which are preferably distributed over the circumference and/or are preferably arranged in axially spaced tooth ring areas.

In contrast to the press rolls, however, the teeth or tooth-ring areas do not necessarily have to engage in one another in the radial direction when there are two edging rolls, also in view of the fact that the hollow body arriving at the edging rolls is already upset and thus compared to the flattened state at the outlet of the pressing device is thickened, but causes such an interlocking particularly effective that no slippage can occur between the hollow body and the edging rollers in the edging slot.

This thickening can only be reduced to a limited extent by the upsetting device and in particular the at least one upsetting roller, i.e. in the upsetting slot, since excessive compression transverse to the main plane of the upset hollow body, which is now thicker but still in principle plate-shaped, leads to undesirable elongation of the compressed hollow body would lead in the throughput direction.

The width of the upsetting slot is therefore selected in such a way that the upset, plate-shaped hollow body that is guided through it can, as a rule, be separated from the two upsetting rollers can be detected well, but the hollow body cannot be pressed through the buckling slot faster than the peripheral speed of the at least one bucking roller.

However, the tooth shape of the at least one edging roller usually differs from that of the at least one press roller:
Since the reduction in thickness in the compression slit is usually less than in the press slit, there is no problem with the teeth of the at least one edging roller catching and pulling it in, especially since the hollow body fed is fed into the sizing slot with a considerable force in the throughput direction and presses against the teeth of the edging rollers. The teeth of the edging roller should therefore primarily cause a sufficiently strong static friction between primarily the teeth of the edging rollers and the accordion-shaped hollow body transported through them by corresponding distortion of the hollow body that is passed through.

The teeth of the press roller are preferably hook-shaped for gripping and also cutting, i.e. perforating, the wall of the hollow body, which is why the front surface pointing in the direction of rotation of the press roller is radial to the axial direction or its free outer end is even further forward than the inner end in the direction of rotation lies and thereby generates said hook shape.

Since this is not necessary with the edging roller, the front flank can also be designed receding in the direction of rotation, ie the free outer end of the front flank of the tooth is further back in the direction of rotation than the radially inner end.

Since no cutting function has to be fulfilled by the teeth of the edging roller, no sharp edge is provided at the relevant points, but rather a convex or concave rounding or bevel.

In the case of the teeth of the edging roller, this applies to their outer edges, ie either the edges running in the circumferential direction and/or also the outer end edges running transversely to the direction of rotation, which can then have a convex rounding or bevel.

In contrast, the incisions between two teeth following one another in the axial direction can have a concave rounding or bevel at the transition from their bottom to their flanks.

If the teeth not only protrude from a mostly cylindrical base body of the roll, in particular the edging roll, but also a circumferential groove is formed in this base body between the corresponding tooth ring areas, this also applies to the outer edges of these circumferential grooves running in the circumferential direction - Can have a convex rounding or bevel - and/or the transition from the bottom to the flanks, which can then have a concave rounding or bevel.

On the one hand, this serves to avoid the occurrence of stress whitening in the plastic material during compression and, on the other hand, to ensure that no circumferentially closed channels are formed on the outside of the container during compression and, if necessary, subsequent compression, but only depressions open to the outside, so that when the label residues are subsequently removed from the surface of the container, all surface areas are accessible, in particular for the rinsing and subsequent blow-drying or blowing off of the label residues, which is usually used for removal.

Apart from that, there should of course also be sufficient clearance between the interacting rolls and their parts, both in the radial and in the axial direction, in the case of cooperating rolls with teeth that dip into one another, i.e. whose center distance is less than the sum of their largest radii Passing through the hollow body be present.

From the known pressing devices having a pair of pressing and cutting rollers, plate-shaped or finger-shaped scrapers are known in principle, which are fixedly mounted downstream of the pressing rollers in the direction of passage and protrude radially into the axial distances, in particular the circumferential grooves, between the toothed ring areas and as close as possible reach up to the bottom of the slot.

This prevents the material of the hollow body from snagging so strongly with a tooth that it does not release the wall material at the end of the pressing slot, but takes it with it in the circumferential direction and thus undesirably widens the already flattened hollow body.

The stripper surface facing the pressing slot, i.e. the narrow side in the case of plate-shaped strippers, thus represents an extension and delimitation of the pressing slot as a guide slot and limits the thickening of the plate-shaped hollow body in this area of passage due to the upsetting that already occurs there.

In the device according to the invention with a downstream upsetting device, in particular a pair of upsetting rollers, these strippers are preferably extended in the direction of the upsetting device and can even dip into the spaces between the toothed ring areas of the upsetting roller or rollers.

Of course, this then requires that, viewed transversely to the direction of passage, the distances between the toothed ring areas of the at least one press roller are aligned with those of the at least one compression roller and preferably have approximately the same width.

This preferably also applies to the respective tooth-ring areas and their extension and positioning in the axial direction.

As a result, the wiper surfaces limit the thickness of the upsetting area between the pressing device and the upsetting device - viewed in the axial direction of the rolls - to the extent by which the hollow body pressed flat in the pressing device can widen transversely to the throughput plane - viewed in the axial direction of the rolls - as a result of the upsetting process .

This delimitation by the wiper surfaces also prevents the entire accordion-shaped hollow body forming in between from being able to break out laterally, so that the compressed, accordion-shaped plate essentially remains a flat plate.

Preferably—again viewed in the axial direction of the rollers—the width of this guide slot, delimited by the wiper surfaces, between the pressing device and the upsetting device increases in the direction of the upsetting device.

However, the wiper surfaces preferably end in the throughput direction in front of the outer circumference of the edging rollers, so that in the distance between them measured in the throughput direction, the plate-shaped hollow body can expand relatively unlimitedly transversely to the throughput plane due to the upsetting, because otherwise excessive forces could occur with an upset slot that is limited on all sides the accumulated material of the hollow body come, which could block or damage the device.

As is known in principle from the generic pressing devices consisting of a pair of pressing and cutting rollers, the pressing device can be preceded by a feed device which separates the incoming hollow bodies and primarily presses them into the pressing slot.

In principle, a vane shaft is already known for this purpose, which rotates about an axis of rotation parallel to the axes of rotation of the pressing device, and from which vanes radiate radially, which come into contact with a supplied hollow body - preferably on a supply sliding surface directed obliquely downwards in the direction of the press slot slides - and presses it in the direction of the press slot.

In the present case, the vane shaft preferably has two vanes lying opposite one another and thus radially bracing in diametrically opposite directions.

The vanes preferably have outer free ends which lag behind in the direction of rotation, ie which are further behind in the direction of rotation than their inner ends close to the axis of rotation.

During operation, such a vane shaft usually has a higher peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of the at least one press roller in the press device. This has the further effect that the vanes of the vane shaft, when they brush along the hollow body, already press it together somewhat, which makes it easier to grip and press flat in the subsequent pressing device.

The distance between the at least one impeller shaft, which forms a feed slot with the mentioned feed sliding surface, is selected in such a way that the front end of the fed hollow body is already gripped by the pressing and usually also the cutting rollers of the pressing device, during the rear area of the hollow body is still caught by the wings of the wing shaft and pushed forward.

In the radial direction, the smallest possible distance between the free end of a wing and the wing counter-element, in particular the feed sliding surface, is smaller than the thickness of the thinnest hollow body intended for processing, so that the wings can still come into contact with such a hollow body.

The greatest possible distance between the blade shaft, in particular its central body, to which the two blades are attached, and the blade counter-element, in particular the feed sliding surface, is greater than the thickness of the thickest hollow body intended for processing, since otherwise such a thickest hollow body could no longer be inserted into the feed slot. The vanes are preferably—viewed in the axial direction—curved or polygonal in shape with the end trailing behind in the direction of rotation.

The vanes of the vane shaft extend, in particular in the axial direction, over the entire length of the effective area of the at least one press roller and are preferably toothed at their free end edge.

In the embodiment according to the invention, the wings preferably have a bending stiffness that decreases towards the free end, so that the wings are preferably designed to be somewhat elastic at their free ends.

This can also be achieved in a simple manner with vanes which, viewed in the axial direction, consist of sheet metal material, for example, which is the same thickness over their entire radial extent, by supporting the vane on its rear side in its central area with respect to the direction of rotation. This can be done in a simple manner by the rear free end edge of the other wing lying against this rear side, which extends past the axis of rotation of the propeller shaft to the rear side of the other wing.

Due to this specific design of the feed device, the hollow bodies that are fed in their longitudinal direction in this case can be very strongly flattened by the pressing device, even with a relatively large thickness and thus usually length of this hollow body, which impairs the function of the subsequent upsetting device and the upsetting effect that occurs there enlarged as shown.

Particularly in the case of relatively large and therefore long hollow bodies, strong compression and thus a reduction in volume can thus be achieved.

c) exemplary embodiments

Figuren 1a, b:

unterschiedliche perspektivische Ansichten der ersten Bauform der Kompaktierungs-Vorrichtung,

Figuren 2a, b:

Schnittdarstellungen durch die Kompaktierungs-Vorrichtung der Figuren 1a, b, geschnitten lotrecht zur Achsrichtung der darin enthaltenen Walzen,

Figuren 3a - d:

vergrößerte Detaildarstellungen in einer Ansicht analog der Figuren 2 in unterschiedlichen Betriebszuständen bei der Bearbeitung eines Hohlkörpers,

Figur 3b1:

eine Detailvergrößerung aus Figur 3b,

Figur 3d1:

eine Detailvergrößerung aus Figur 3d,

Figuren 4a, b:

eine Stauchwalze in Seitenansicht und Stirnansicht,

Figuren 5a, b:

eine Presswalze in Seitenansicht und Stirnansicht,

Figur 6:

eine Seitenansicht auf gemäß dem Montagezustand in Durchlaufrichtung je eine hintereinander angeordnete Presswalze und Stauchwalze mit Abstreifern dazwischen

Figur 7a:

eine zweite, nicht-erfindungsgemäße Bauform der Kompaktierungs-Vorrichtung geschnitten lotrecht zur Achsrichtung der darin enthaltenen Presswalze,

Figur 7b:

eine Detailvergrößerung aus Figur 7a,

Figur 8:

eine dritte Bauform der Kompaktierungs-Vorrichtung geschnitten lotrecht zur Achsrichtung der darin enthaltenen Presswalze und Stauchwalze.

Embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below by way of example. Show it:

Figures 1a, b:

different perspective views of the first design of the compaction device,

Figures 2a, b:

Sectional views through the compaction device Figures 1a , b , sectioned perpendicular to the axial direction of the rollers contained therein,

Figures 3a - d:

enlarged detailed representations in a view analogous to that figures 2 in different operating states when processing a hollow body,

Figure 3b1:

a detail enlargement Figure 3b ,

Figure 3d1:

a detail enlargement Figure 3d ,

Figures 4a, b:

an edging roller in side view and front view,

Figures 5a, b:

a press roll in side view and front view,

Figure 6:

a side view of according to the assembly state in the throughput direction one behind the other arranged press roller and compression roller with strippers in between

Figure 7a:

a second design of the compacting device, not according to the invention, cut perpendicularly to the axial direction of the press roller contained therein,

Figure 7b:

a detail enlargement Figure 7a ,

Figure 8:

a third design of the compacting device sectioned perpendicular to the axis direction of the press roller and edging roller contained therein.

• zum einen eine Pressvorrichtung 1 zum Zusammenpressen von Hohlkörpern, umfassend zwei um parallele Rotationsachsen 1'a, 1'b nebeneinander gegenläufig rotierende und ineinander eingreifende Presswalzen 1a, b
• sowie eine in Durchlaufrichtung 10 stromabwärts der Pressvorrichtung 1 angeordnete Stauchvorrichtung 3 umfassend zwei um zueinander parallele Rotationsachsen 3'a, 3'b benachbart nebeneinander gegenläufig rotierende Stauchwalzen 3a, 3b, die entweder ebenfalls miteinander kämmen oder einen sehr geringen Stauchschlitz 5 zwischen sich aufweisen.

The basic structure of the compression device can best be based on the Figures 1a , b such as figure 2 to be discribed:
How best Figure 2a , b can be seen, includes the compaction device

• on the one hand a pressing device 1 for pressing hollow bodies together, comprising two press rollers 1a, b which rotate side by side in opposite directions about parallel axes of rotation 1'a, 1'b and engage in one another
• and an upsetting device 3 arranged downstream of the pressing device 1 in the throughput direction 10, comprising two upsetting rollers 3a, 3b rotating in opposite directions adjacent to one another about parallel axes of rotation 3'a, 3'b, which either also mesh with one another or have a very small upsetting slot 5 between them.

The press rollers 1a, b are driven in opposite directions in such a direction that they move in the throughput direction 10 in the circumferential area adjacent to one another. The same also applies to the two compression rollers 3a, b.

The press slit 2, i.e. the passage between the two press rollers 1a, 1b, and the edging slit 5, i.e. the passage between the two edging rollers 3a, b, are preferably aligned with one another, in that the two pairs of rollers have an aligned perpendicular bisector to the connecting line drawn in this view between them respective axes of rotation 1'a, 1'b or 3'a, 3'b, which represents the direction of passage 10, and in this case is not directed exactly vertically but obliquely from top to bottom.

In the figures 2a , b can be seen on each of the press rollers 1a, b in each case a plate-shaped stripper 9, the main plane of which is in the plane of the drawing Figure 2a , b is located, and from which in the direction of the figure 2 several in a row engaging in the grooves 8 (see Figure 5a, b) , in particular in all grooves 8, and which is held in position between the respective press roller 1a, b and a counter-body in a form-fitting manner transversely to the axial direction. The wipers 9, for example, are also in Figure 3d1 and in figure 6 shown.

A feed device 20 for feeding in the hollow bodies 100.1a, 100.1b to be processed is provided upstream of the pressing device 1 in the throughput direction 10, consisting of a feed device 20 running obliquely downwards in the direction of the pressing slot 2 Vane sliding surface 23 and a spaced-apart vane shaft 17 whose axis of rotation 17' is also parallel to the axes of rotation 1'a, 1'b or 3'a, 3'b of the four rollers 1a, 1b or 3a, 3b and which can be driven in such a direction of rotation that the two wings 17a, 17b protruding from the wing shaft 17 on both sides push hollow bodies located between them on the side facing the wing sliding surface 23 in the throughput direction, i.e. to the two pairs of rollers of the pressing device 1 and convey the downstream upsetting device 3.

Like the best Figures 1a , b show, all four rollers 1a, b, 3a, b as well as the impeller shaft 17 are accommodated between two side walls of a housing and mounted opposite them and all four rollers are driven together by a drive device 6, which comprises an electric motor 6a and an electrical connection box 7, the entire drive device 6 being mounted on a transverse plate which extends transversely to the two side walls and is bolted to both.

The drive device 6 drives all four rollers 1a, b, 3a, b as well as the impeller shaft 17 via gear wheels and chain drives, but with the different angular speeds discussed below.

For this purpose, the drive device 6 drives one of the two press rollers via a chain drive located just outside the one side cheek, which in turn also drives the other press roller and the two compression rollers 3a, b via pinions fixed to it in a rotationally fixed manner, while outside the other cheek via a further chain drive, the vane shaft 17 is driven by the directly driven press roller 1b, also via a chain drive.

It can also be seen that in this case the center distance between the two press rolls 1a, b is the same as the two compression rolls 3a, b, but this is not absolutely necessary for the implementation of the invention.

The passage distance 21 between the connecting lines running parallel to one another between the two axes of rotation of the pair of press rollers on the one hand and the pair of compression rollers on the other hand—viewed in the axial direction as in FIG Figure 2a - is only slightly larger than the average of the diameter of a press roll and the diameter of an edging roll.

At this point it should be clarified that due to the two-dimensional representation, for reasons of simplification we speak of a "connecting line" between the two axes of rotation, although it should of course be clear that this is a geometric connection plane that is defined by the two axes of rotation.

Preferably, on the one hand, the two press rollers 1a, b--at least in their effective area, which will be explained later--and on the other hand, the two compression rollers 3a, b are mirror-inverted when viewed in the axial direction.

the figures 2a , b differ in that the vane shaft 17 is shown in a different rotational position:
In Figure 2b If the vane shaft 17 is in such a rotational position that one of the vanes 17a is in the position in which its freely ending vane edge 17a1 - viewed in the axial direction - occupies the smallest possible vane distance 24a from the vane counter-surface 23.

In Figure 2b on the other hand, the vane shaft 17 is drawn in such a position that the free passage between the vane shaft 17 and the vane sliding surface 23 is maximized, ie the greatest possible vane spacing 24b is shown.

Depending on which smallest and largest blade spacing 24a, b is desired, the radius, i.e. the flight circle, of the freely ending edge 17a1, 17b1 of the blades 17a, b to the axis of rotation 17' must be specified, as well as the center distance 22 between the axis of rotation 17' of the blade shaft 17 and the blade sliding surface 23.

In this case, only two vanes 17a, b, which the vane shaft 17 has, are designed identically and are mounted on the vane shaft 17, so that the radial distance between their free end edges and the axis of rotation 17' is the same.

the Figures 3a - d show - again in a sectional view of the compacting device looking in the axial direction of the rollers 1a, b, 3a, b and/or the impeller shaft 17 - the function of feeding, compressing and upsetting the hollow bodies 100.1a, 100.1b to be processed.

In Figure 3a there is a still undeformed, large hollow body 100.1a in the form of a plastic bottle in the feed device 20, in which the still undeformed hollow body 100.1a rests on the wing sliding surface 23 and slides down - in the direction of its greatest extension 100' , so that its lower end already touches one of the two press rollers 1a, b.

As can be seen, the smallest extension 100" of this hollow body 100.1a of the largest hollow body 100.1 to be processed is still smaller than the largest possible blade distance 24b between the blade shaft 17 and the blade sliding surface 23.

The front surface of the vane 17a pointing in the direction of rotation has in the area between the central body of the vane shaft 17, to which it is screwed, and its free end edge 17a1 - which as in Figure 1b shown can have a toothing 25 - approximately in the middle of a bend, so that the free end area is bent backwards, ie lagging behind in the direction of rotation, compared to the area closer to the central body. This wing 17a rests approximately in this area with its front face on the upper side of the still undeformed container 100.1a.

When rotating the vane shaft 17 further, as in Figure 3b shown, this wing 17a presses on the one hand the hollow body 100.1a in the transverse direction 11 of the direction of its largest extension 100', in particular in the direction of its smallest extension 100", together and against the wing sliding surface 23 and additionally further in the direction of the pressing device 1, i.e. the pair of pressing rollers 1a, b, which with their teeth press the end of the hollow body 100.1a grasp and pull between them, i.e. through the pressing slot 2, thereby deforming it into an approximately plate-shaped hollow body 100.2a, as in 3c shown.

The vane shaft 17 has a peripheral speed that is several times higher than that of the press rollers 1a, b.

Since between the press rolls 1a, b usually no in the direction of Figure 3b , c remaining free distance, but the teeth of one press roller 1a engage between the teeth of the other press roller 1b, the approximately plate-shaped deformed hollow body 100.2a is corrugated in the direction of passage 10 on the one hand, and also corrugated in the axial direction 1'a of the press rollers 1a, b, like in the enlargement of the Figure 3c1 to recognize. In addition, the wall sections of the plate-shaped deformed hollow body 100.2a, which are closely adjacent to one another in this plate-shaped state, are partially cut through by their teeth 4.1, but only over a limited cutting length, ie perforated.

By pulling it through further, the plate-shaped hollow body 100.2a will protrude further and further out of the compression slot 2 of the compression device 1, and thus protrude into the compression slot 5 between the two subsequent compression rollers 3a, b and be gripped by their teeth 4.3, as in Figure 3d and the magnification Figure 3d1 shown.

The compression slot 5 can - as in Figure 3a shown - viewed in the axial direction, a distance between the outer circumferences of the edging rollers 3a, b, in the case of toothed edging rollers a free distance between the flight circles of their teeth 4.3, or these outer circumferences or flight circles can touch or almost touch - with a distance which is significantly less than the thickness of the compressed hollow body 100.3 - as in the figures 2a , b , 3b to d shown. However, the flight circles of the teeth 4.3 can also be in the radial direction overlap, so that the teeth 4.3 alternately dip in the circumferential direction into the gaps between the teeth 4.3 of the adjacent compression rollers, as shown in Figure 4b.

However, since the peripheral speed of the compression rollers 3a, b is significantly lower than the peripheral speed of the compression rollers 1a, b, the plate-shaped hollow body 100.2a pushed out of the compression slot 2 by the compression rollers 1a, b is between the compression roller pair 1a, b and the compression roller pair 3a, b against the direction of passage 10 and in this length - which is greatly shortened in direction of passage 10 - the already compressed hollow body 100.3a is passed between the compression rollers 3a, b and thereby again transversely to the plane of passage 10' - which is the plane running in direction of passage 10 which is parallel to the four Axis of rotation 1'a, 1'b, 3'a, 3'b is - compressed to form a compressed and additionally compressed in the transverse direction 11 hollow body 100.4a.

As above all the enlargement of the Figure 3d1 shows, the oppositely directed narrow sides of the plate-shaped scrapers 9, the scraper surfaces 9′, delimit a guide slot 12 in the transverse direction 11 to the passage plane 10′, which delimits the thickening of the flattened hollow body 100. 2a in this area.

However, since the scrapers 9 end at a distance 26 in front of the outer circumference of the edging rollers 3a, b in the throughput direction 10, an additional thickening of the already upsetting hollow body 100. 3a is possible in this distance 26 before it is gripped by the edging rollers 3a, b and is again compressed again in the transverse direction 11 .

In this sectional view of the Figures 3c , 3d , It is obvious that this final state of the hollow body 100.4a - whose dimension in the direction of view of these figures over all three work situations Figure 3b , c , i.e decreases - has a greatly reduced volume compared to the plate-shaped hollow body 100.2a compressed only by the pressing device 1, its length in the direction of passage corresponds essentially to the greatest extension 100' of the hollow body 100.1a.

In Figure 3b In addition to the maximum large hollow body 100.1a still to be processed by the compacting device, the smallest container 100.1b still to be processed by the device is also shown in the form of a beverage can.

In order to optimize the upsetting effect, it should be ensured that the hollow bodies 100.1 to be processed are each drawn in in the direction of their greatest extension 100' and guided through the device in the direction of passage 10.

Because of this, the width of the in Figure 5a shown axial effective range 1.1 of the press rollers 1a, 1b is selected to be smaller than the longest extent 100' of the smallest, i.e. above all the shortest, container 100.1b provided for processing, so that this too must be fed to the device in the direction of its greatest extent 100'.

Furthermore, in Figure 3b to realize that the in Figure 2a The smallest wing spacing 24a shown is less than the smallest extension 100" of this smallest container 100.1b to be processed, so that even with such a container, the wing 17a still grasps the container 100.1b and pushes it further in the direction of pressing device 1, preferably also in in its transverse direction, i.e. in the direction of its smallest extension 100". Because it is precisely this compression that opposes the rotating vane 17a, b with the resistance necessary for the adequate conveying effect.

Nevertheless, the wings 17a, b can have increasing elasticity as they progress towards the free end.

In the present case, this is achieved despite the constant wall thickness of the plate-shaped wings 17a, b, which project radially in opposite directions from their attachment point on the central body, by the wings 17a, b being separated from their Attachment point on the central body up to its front free end edge 17a1, 17b1, for example, wing 17b projecting is supported on its back approximately in the middle area, namely by the rear end edge 17a2 of one, in particular the other wing 17a, whereby there are preferably only two wings 17 a , b are distributed over the perimeter.

For this purpose, the plate-shaped vanes 17a, b, viewed in the direction of the axis of rotation 17', are bent twice with their end regions in the same direction, which are screwed to the central body of the vane shaft 17 in their central region between the two bends, the shape and dimensioning the wing 17a, b is selected in such a way that each wing 17a, b with its rear, free end edge 17a2, 17b2 supports the back of the front area of the other wing 17b, a between its screw connection on the base body and its free front end edge, preferably on the back of its front crank.

Figure 7a with a detail enlargement as Figure 7b shows a significantly simpler, second, non-inventive design of the compacting device.

In contrast to the first design, the pressing device 1 consists of only a single pressing roller 1a, which pulls the hollow body 100.1a through the pressing slot 2 between this pressing roller 1a and a pressing guide surface 2' running at a distance from its circumference, with the pressing guide surface 2 ' is preferably the extension of the vane sliding surface 23 of the upstream feeding device 20.

The upsetting device 3 is also constructed much more simply:
It consists only of a stop 13 in the form of a plate, which projects transversely into the movement path of the flattened hollow body 100.2a pushed out of the pressing device 1 and compresses it into a compressed hollow body 100.3a.

In order to take account of the increasing material being pushed out of the pressing slot 2 , this plate-shaped stop 13 is mounted pivotably away from the direction of passage through the pressing slot 2 and is pretensioned in the direction of the pressing device 1 by means of a spring 15 . This upsetting device 3 is essentially a braking device 16 for the flattened hollow body 100.2a pushed out of the pressing device 1.

Although this is compressed against the direction of passage 10, it can easily break out laterally, which is why a guide slot 12 is connected downstream of the press slot 2, formed on the one hand by the stripper surfaces 9' of the strippers 9 of the press roller 1a and on the other hand by a compression guide surface 5' , which consists in the extension of the press guide surface 2' in the throughput direction 10 beyond the area of the press roller 1a.

Nevertheless, both end at a distance in front of the plate-shaped stop 13.

Above all, however--in contrast to the first design--after the upsetting, the upset hollow body 100.3a is not compressed again in the transverse direction 11 to the direction of passage 10.

Thus, such a highly simplified device will by no means achieve the same compacting success as the illustrated first design of the device and will also not function as easily.

A middle ground between the first design of the figures 2 and 3 and the second design of the Figure 7a , provides the third design according to figure 8 represents:
The pressing device 1 is constructed in the same way as in the second design according to FIG Figures 7a, b , albeit with the difference that the only available press roller 1a reaches either directly to the press guide surface 2' or even into corresponding grooves running in the throughput direction 10 in the component, here a plate, the outer surface of which has the press guide surface 2' represents immersed in order to cause the walls of the hollow body 100.1a to be cut through by the teeth 4.1 of this press roller 1a.

The compression device 3 differs from those of Figures 7a , b in that it does not have a plate-shaped stop 13, but rather a rotating edging roller 3a analogous to the edging roller 3a of the first design, which is arranged downstream of the press roller 1a in the throughput direction, and an opposite edging guide surface 5' at a distance therefrom, between which the compression slot 5 is formed.

The upset guide surface 5' is the extension of the press guide surface 2'.

The shape of the figure 8 So you can see the half to the left of compression slot 5 and compression slot 2 of the first design according to FIG figures 2a , b , 3a to c , the half to the right of which is replaced by the pressing guide surface 2' and the subsequent compression guide surface 5', which preferably merge into one another without a shoulder.

Thus, with this design, the advantage is achieved that the upset hollow body 100.3a is additionally compressed again transversely to the throughput direction 10 by this design of the upsetting device 3 to form an upset and compressed hollow body 100.4a and thereby further compacted.

the Figures 4a, b , 5a, b show a press roller 1a and an edging roller 3a in side view and end view, as well as in 6 in their assembly state to each other:
the Figures 5a shows a side view, i.e. transverse to the axis of rotation 1'a of the press roller 1a shown, first of all the active area 1.1 in the middle, in which the toothed ring areas 14 with teeth 4.1 in the direction of rotation are located in the axial direction 1'a of the press roller 1a with annular grooves 8 alternate, the groove bottom has a smaller diameter than the base diameter 18 of Press roller 1a, from which the teeth 4.1a protrude outwards. The grooves 8 are preferably wider in the axial direction than the teeth 4.1.

On the front side, adjoining the effective area 1.1, the bearing journals 1.2 can be seen protruding axially, with which this press roller 1a in the two side cheeks, as they are in or on the Figures 1a , b are recognizable, is stored.

In addition, one of the bearing journals 1.2 is followed by an extension on the front side, which has a multi-tooth profile 1.3 on its circumference, which serves to push on and fix a pinion for the chain drive of this press roller 1a.

As in Figure 5a indicated in the right-hand part, the second press roller 1b is arranged with respect to the arrangement of its toothed ring areas 14 and its grooves 8 in relation to the first such that its teeth 4.1 engage radially in the grooves 8 of the first press roller 1a and vice versa, with preferably the teeth 4.1 of the a press roller 1b radially no more than up to the base diameter 18 between the toothed ring areas 14 of the other press roller 1b, as best seen in the end view of two such press rollers 1a and 1b meshing with one another in FIG. 5b.

The base diameter is 18 in Figure 5a present and shown on the face side outside of the last tooth-ring area 14 in the axial direction.

In order to achieve good gripping and pulling in of the hollow body 100.1a/b to be machined, the teeth 4.1, which are preferably evenly distributed over the circumference, each have a leading front flank 4.1a with the free radially outer end, whereby a hook-like front end region of the tooth 4.1 is formed is, which can engage and cut into the wall material of the container 100.1 with its sharp radially outer edge.

The according Figure 5b incisions between the circumferentially adjacent teeth 4.1a of a tooth-ring region viewed in the direction of the axis of rotation 1'a 14 are approximately U-shaped, with the transitions from their flanks to the bottom being strongly rounded, and the front flank 4.1a of this depression pointing forward in the direction of rotation is flatter than its rear edge, the front flank 4.1a of the next tooth 4.1.

These incisions often run helically around the axial direction 1'a of the respective press roller 1a, b, so that a hollow body is not gripped at the same time but at a time interval one after the other by two teeth 4.1 that are adjacent in the axial direction, which reduces the load on the press rollers 1a , b decreased.

• bezüglich des Basisdurchmessers 18 der Hälfte der Differenz zwischen dem Gesamtdurchmesser 19 der Presswalze 1a und dem Basisdurchmesser 18, und/oder
• bezüglich des Nutengrundes der Ringnuten 8 der Hälfte der Differenz zwischen dem Durchmesser des Nutengrundes und dem Gesamtdurchmesser 19 der Presswalze 1a.

The tooth height in the radial direction therefore corresponds

• with respect to the base diameter 18 of half the difference between the overall diameter 19 of the press roll 1a and the base diameter 18, and/or
• with respect to the groove base of the annular grooves 8, half the difference between the diameter of the groove base and the overall diameter 19 of the press roll 1a.

In the Figures 4a, b On the other hand, an edging roller 3a is shown in a side view and two edging rollers 3a, b meshing with each other, i.e. in their interaction, in a front view, from which the difference in design compared to a press roller 1a also becomes clear:
What they have in common is that a bearing pin 3.2 extends centrally at the end of the effective area 3.1 extending in the axial direction and, beyond one bearing pin, there is also an extension on which there is in turn a multiplicity of profiles 3.3.

Out of Figure 4b it is first clear that the inclination of the teeth 4.3 that can be seen in the axial direction - which are also distributed over the circumference and in the axial direction in the case of the edging roller 3a - opposes the direction of rotation, while in the case of the press roller 1a, b the inclination of the teeth 4.1 in Direction of rotation is directed. This improves the intended compression effect or braking effect for the plate-shaped hollow body 100.2 arriving in the compression slot 5.

It can also be seen that the distances 8' between the individual teeth 4.3 in the axial direction between the tooth-ring regions 14 in the edging rollers 3a, 3b do not extend radially down to the bottom of the tooth, i.e. the channel running in the axial direction 1'a between two circumferentially adjacent teeth 4.3 in the axial direction and there is no circumferentially extending groove in the bottom of the groove.

Furthermore, the extension of a tooth-ring area 14 in the axial direction is significantly larger than the axial extension of the distances 8' between the axially spaced teeth 4.3.

Accordingly, the two adjacent press rollers 3a, b rotating about parallel axes 3'a, 3'b can only mutually engage in that - as in Figure 4b recognizable - are positioned in their mutual rotational position in such a way that in the compression gap 5 the tooth 4.3 viewed in the axial direction of one press roller 3a dips between two circumferentially adjacent teeth 4.3 of the adjacent compression roller 3b, but does not reach the base diameter 18 of this other press roller 3b and vice versa .

The mutual distance both in the radial direction and in the circumferential direction is required for receiving the material of the already flattened container 100.2 passed between them, in contrast to the pressing rollers according to FIG Fig. 5a, b , in which a play in the axial direction between adjacent teeth 4.1 is not absolutely necessary or should even be avoided in order to cause the wall material of the container 100.2 to be cut through.

The other, preferred, solution is that between the flight circles of the teeth 4.3 of the two compression rollers 3a, b a free passage as compression slot 5 remains.

6 shows in a side view according to FIG Figures 5a , 4a the arrangement of a press roll 1a to the adjacent compression roll 3a.

Permanently mounted, plate-shaped scrapers 9 are drawn in, which extend with their main plane perpendicular to the direction of rotation 1'a and dip into each of the grooves 8 of the press roller 1a and reach as close as possible to their good base in order to remove any material adhering to the hollow bodies in the To remove rotation of the press roller 1a of this.

Two different options are shown side by side for the compression roller 3a shown below:
In the left area, the distances 8' between the teeth 4.3 of this compression roller 3a in the direction of rotation 3'a are smaller than the distances between the teeth 4.1 of the press roller 1a and also do not correlate with them in the axial direction.

Accordingly, the scraper 9 ends in front of the outer circumference of the teeth 4.3 of the edging roller 3a, where they look in the direction of figure 6 continue behind this in the direction of rotation 3'a.

In the right half, on the other hand, the grooves 8 of the press roller 1a are aligned with the distances 8' of the edging roller 3a in the axial direction, so that the scrapers 9 dip with their two end regions on the one hand into the grooves 8 and on the other hand into the distances 8', naturally at a distance from the Passing level 10', along which the flattened hollow body moves.

In particular, the base of the spacing 8' between the teeth 4.3, which has sloping flanks in the side view, is wide enough in the axial direction to allow the scrapers 9 to reach close to this base of the spacing.

REFERENCE LIST

1

pressing device

1a, b

press roller

1'a, 1'b

axis of rotation

1.1

effective range

1.2

bearing journal

1.3

multi-tooth profiling

2

press slot

2'

press guide surface

3

compression device

3a, b

compression roller

3'a, 3'b

axis of rotation

3.1

effective range

3.2

bearing journal

4.4.1,4.3

Tooth

4a

front flank

4b

outer edge

4c

rounding, bevel

5

compression slot

5'

upset guide surface

6

drive device

6a

engine

7

steering

8th

circumferential groove

8th'

Distance

9

scraper

10

flow direction

10'

flow level

11

transverse direction

12

guide slot

13

attack

14

tooth ring area

15

Feather

16

braking device

17

propeller shaft

17'

axis of rotation

17a, b

wing

17a1, 17b1

front free end edge

17a2, 17b2

rear free end edge

18

base diameter

19

overall diameter

20

Feeding Device

21

Pass Distance

22

axis distance

23

Wing counter-element, wing sliding surface

24a

smallest wing distance

24b

largest wing spacing

25

Perforation

26

Distance

100.1

(undeformed) hollow body

100.2

flattened, plate-shaped hollow body

100.3

compressed hollow body

100.4

compressed and then again flattened hollow body

100'

greatest extent

100"

smallest extent

Claims (23)

1. Device for compacting hollow bodies (100.1), in particular bottles of e.g. plastic and/or cans of e.g. metal, having

   a) a pressing device (1) for flattening and optionally perforating a hollow body (100.1), wherein

   b) an upsetting device (3) is arranged downstream of the pressing device (1) in the direction of passage (10) for upsetting the flattened, plate-shaped hollow body (100.2) in one of the directions of the main plane of the plate (100.2),

   wherein the pressing device (1) contains

   - at least one rotatably drivable pressing roller (1a) for gripping and drawing a hollow body (100.1) through a pressing slot (2) formed between the pressing roller (1a) and a pressing counter-element (1b) in the direction of passage (10), whereby the flattening takes place,

   the upsetting device (3) contains

   - at least one rotatably drivable first upsetting roller (3a) for gripping and drawing a flattened hollow body (100.2) through an upsetting slot (5) formed between the upsetting roller (3a) and an upsetting counter-element (3b) in the direction of passage (10),

   characterised in that

   - the at least one pressing roller (1a) has teeth (4) distributed over the circumference and projecting radially beyond a base diameter (18) of the pressing roller (1a) in an active region (1.1),

   - the teeth (4) are formed within a plurality of axially spaced tooth annular regions (14), and

   - scrapers (9) project into the axial spacings between the tooth ring regions (14) with their scraper surface (9') approximately tangentially to the circumference of the base body of the pressing roller (1a) and against the direction of passage (10).
2. Device according to claim 1,
   characterised in that

   - the device has at least one drive device (6) for driving the pressing device (1) and/or the upsetting device (3), and

   - in particular a control for controlling the at least one drive device (6),

   and/or

   - the upsetting device (3) is arranged for upsetting the flattened, plate-shaped hollow body (100.2) in or against the direction of passage (10).

   (Compression device = at least one compression roller)
3. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that

   - the press counter-element (1b)

   - either has one, in particular fixed, pressing guide surface (2')

   - or is a second rotatable pressing roller (1b), in particular one that can be driven in rotation in the opposite direction to the first pressing roller (1a).
4. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that

   - the pressing slot (2), viewed in the direction of passage (10), is the same width everywhere, in that the widest width is at most 20% wider than the narrowest width,

   and/or

   - the axes of rotation (1'a, 1'b) of the pressing rollers (1a, b) are arranged parallel to each other.
5. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that

   - the upsetting counter-element (3b)

   - either one, in particular fixed, upsetting guide surface (5')

   - or is a second rotatable upsetting roller (3b), in particular one that can be driven in rotation in the opposite direction to the first upsetting roller (3a).
6. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that

   - the upsetting slot (5) is arranged on the direction of passage (10) and/or is positioned in such a way that a flattened hollow body (100.2) moved through between the pressing rollers (1a, b) in the direction of passage (10) forcibly projects into the upsetting slot (5) and is gripped by the at least one rotating upsetting roller (3a),

   - at least one drive device (6) is provided which is capable of driving the at least one upsetting roller (3a), in particular both upsetting rollers (3a, b), at a lower circumferential speed than the circumferential speed of the two pressing rollers (1a, b).
7. Device according to claim 5 and, if desired, according to claim 6,
   characterized in that

   - the axis of rotation (3'a) of the first upsetting roller (3a), in particular also the axis of rotation (3'b) of the second upsetting roller (3b), is arranged either approximately parallel or at an angle, in particular at right angles, to the axes of rotation (1'a, 1'b) of the pressing rollers (1a, b), and/or

   - the rollers (1a, b, 3a, b) have, in the direction of their axes of rotation (1'a, 1'b, 3*a, 3'b), an active region (1.1, 3.1) in the central region and bearing journals (1.2, 3.2) projecting axially beyond the active region at the end face, the active region (1.1, 3.1) being shorter in its axial direction than the greatest extent (100') of the smallest hollow body (100.1b) provided for machining.
8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that

   - the at least one upsetting roller (3a, b) in the effective region (3.1) has teeth (4) which project radially over the base diameter (18) of the roller in the active region (3.1) and are distributed over the circumference, and

   - in particular the teeth (4) of the one pressing roller (1a) penetrate in the radial direction into the axial distances between the tooth-ring regions (14) of the neighbouring pressing roller (1b).
9. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that

   the passage distance (9) between the pressing device (1) and the upsetting device (3), in particular between the respective narrowest area of the pressing slot (2) and the upsetting slot (5),

   - is shorter than the length (100'), measured in the direction of passage (10), of the shortest flattened hollow body (100.2b) intended for processing, in particular shorter than the greatest longitudinal extent (100') of the shortest undeformed hollow body (100.1b)

   and/or

   - is at least so great that, when the longest hollow body (100.1) provided in the direction of passage (10) is processed, the compression is not yet so great that white fracture occurs at the bending areas of the compressed hollow body (100.3a), if it is made of plastic, in particular at more than 10% of the bending areas.
10. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that

    - the teeth (4.1) of the at least one pressing roller (1a, b), viewed in their axial direction (1'a, 1' b), have a front flank (4.1a) which points in the direction of rotation and is radial to the axial direction (1'a, 1'b) or whose free outer end is further forward in the direction of rotation than the inner end, and/or

    - the teeth (4.1) of the at least one pressing roller (1a) are dimensioned and positioned, in particular relative to the other pressing roller (1b), in such a way, in particular depending on the wall thickness of the hollow body (100.1) intended for processing, that when passing through the pressing device (1) at least one wall of the hollow body (100.2), preferably both walls, are penetrated, in particular cut through, by the teeth (4.1).
11. Device according to claim 8 and, if desired, according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that

    - the teeth (4.3) of the at least one upsetting roller (3a, b), viewed in the circumferential direction, have a rounding or chamfer (4c) at the transition from their outer edges (4b) to their lateral flanks,

    - or possibly existing circumferential grooves (8) between the tooth-ring regions (14.1, 14.3), viewed in the circumferential direction, have a rounding or chamfer (4c) at the transition from their groove bottom to their lateral groove flanks.
12. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that

    - the scrapers (9) project with their scraper surface (9') approximately tangentially to the circumference of the base body of the roller and against the direction of passage (10) into circumferential grooves (8) between the tooth-ring regions (14),

    - in particular the scrapers (9) of the at least one press roll (1a) extend as close as possible to the upsetting device (3), in particular the circumference of the at least one upsetting roller (3a), and in particular extend into the axial spacings between the tooth-ring regions (14) of the at least one upsetting roller (3a).
13. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the guide slot (12) delimited by the scraper surfaces (9') of the axially spaced scrapers (9) and possibly an opposite upsetting guide surface (5') widens in the direction of passage (10) - viewed in the axial direction.
14. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterised in that

    - a rotationally drivable impeller (17) is arranged upstream of the pressing device (1) in the direction of passage (10) with its axis of rotation (17') approximately parallel to the pressing slot (2) and opposite a impeller counter-element (23), in particular a feed sliding surface (18), the impeller blades (17a, b) of which impeller (17) are curved with the free ends lagging in the direction of rotation or are formed in the manner of a polygon as viewed in the direction of the axis of rotation (17'), and in particular

    - the impeller (17) is arranged at such an axial distance (22) from the press slot (2) and from the vane counter-element (23) that, when the impeller (17) is driven in the corresponding direction of rotation, the impeller blades (17a, b) press a hollow body (100.1) resting on the impeller counter-element (18) towards the press slot (2).
15. Device according to claim 14,
    characterized in that

    - the smallest possible impeller blades distance (24a) between the free end of a impeller blade (17a, b) and the impeller counter-element (23) is smaller than the smallest extension (100") of the thinnest and/or smallest hollow body (100.1b) provided for machining

    and/or

    - the greatest possible impeller blade distance (24a) between the impeller (17) and the impeller counter-element (23) is greater than the greatest extension (100') of the thickest and/or largest hollow body (100.1a) intended for machining.
16. Device according to claim 14 and, if desired, according to claim 15, characterized in that

    - the impeller blades (17a, b) extend in the axial direction of the impeller (17) over at least 60%, preferably at least 70%, preferably at least 80%, preferably at least 90% of the length of the active area (1.1) of the at least one pressing roller (1a), and/or

    - the free end edge of the impeller blades (17a, b) has a toothing (25), and/or

    - the impeller blades (17a, b) have a decreasing bending stiffness transverse to their main plane towards their free end,

    and in particular

    - each impeller (17a, b), viewed in the axial direction in its radial direction of travel, is supported in the central region in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation, i.e. on its rear side, in particular by the rear free end of another impeller blade (17b, a) resting against its rear side.
17. Device according to one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that

    the upsetting device (3) comprises a stop (13) which is arranged transversely to the direction of passage (10), in the path of movement of the flattened, plate-shaped hollow body (100.2), and which

    - movable, in particular movable in a controlled manner, out of the path of movement of the flattened, plate-shaped hollow body (100.2) transversely to the direction of passage (10),

    - in particular is subjected to force against the direction of travel, in particular by means of a spring (15) or a braking device (16),

    and/or

    - the stop (13) is movable, in particular controllably movable, in the throughput direction (10).
18. Method for compacting hollow bodies, in particular bottles made of e.g. plastic and/or cans made of e.g. metal, with a device according to one of the preceding claims, in that

    - the hollow body (100.1) is flattened,

    - subsequently the flattened, for example plate-shaped, hollow body (100.2) is compressed in one of the directions of the main plane of the plate (100.2),

    wherein

    - the flattened hollow body (100.2) is moved through an upsetting slot (5) by gripping the flattened hollow body (100.2) by at least one rotating upsetting roller (3a) laterally delimiting the upsetting slot (5) and drawing it through the upsetting slot (5).
19. Method according to claim 18,
    characterized in that

    - the upsetting of the flattened hollow body (100.2) is at least started before the flattening of the hollow body (100.1) has ended,

    and/or

    - the upsetting of the flattened hollow body (100.2) is ended at the latest when the flattening of the hollow body (100) is ended,

    and/or

    - the flattened, for example plate-shaped, hollow body (100.2) is upset in the greatest longitudinal extension (100.2') of the flattened hollow body (100.2).
20. Process according to one of the preceding process claims,
    characterised in that

    - the flattening of the undeformed hollow body (100.1) is carried out by drawing the undeformed hollow body (100.1) through the pressing slot (2) between at least one rotationally driven pressing roller (1a) and a press counter-element (1b), in particular a second pressing roller (1b) rotating in opposite directions,

    and/or

    - the upsetting is carried out by braking the front end of the flattened hollow body (100.2) in the direction of passage (10) with respect to its speed of passage through the press slot (2),

    - in particular by pulling the flattened hollow body (100.2) downstream of the pressing slot (2) through the upsetting slot (5) without slippage.
21. Process according to one of the preceding process claims, characterized in that

    - the flattened, plate-shaped hollow bodies (100.2) are fed to the upsetting slot (5) in one of the directions of the main plane of the plate (100.2), in particular in the direction of the greatest longitudinal extent (100') of the hollow body (100) in the initial state, and/or

    - the hollow bodies (100.1) to be machined are fed to the pressing slot (2) in the direction of their greatest longitudinal extent (100').
22. Process according to one of the preceding process claims,
    characterized in that

    - the device is operated in such a way that the speed of passage through the upsetting slot (5) is less than half, preferably less than 1/3, of the speed of passage through the pressing slot (2),

    - in particular the circumferential speed of the at least one upsetting roller (3a) during operation of the device is less than half, preferably less than 1/3, of the circumferential speed of the at least one pressing roller (1a).
23. Process according to one of the preceding process claims,
    characterized in that

    - prior to flattening, the hollow body (100.1) is transported towards it, in particular by means of the blades (17a, b) of a blade shaft (17), and

    - the device is controlled in such a way that the circumferential speed of the impeller blades (17a, b) of the impeller (17) during operation of the device is at least twice as great, preferably at least three times as great, as the speed of passage through the pressing slot (2), in particular as the circumferential speed of the at least one pressing roller (1a).

Images