GB2032842A

GB2032842A - A method and an apparatus for compacting a light material of varying nature and dimensions to a product processible to bales

Info

Publication number: GB2032842A
Application number: GB7938200A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Machinefabriek Bollegraaf Appingedam BV
Current assignee: Machinefabriek Bollegraaf Appingedam BV
Priority date: 1978-11-06
Filing date: 1979-11-05
Publication date: 1980-05-14
Also published as: GB2032842B; FR2440826A1; DE2944328A1; NL7811039A; NL187471C; BE879797A; NL187471B; FR2440826B1; DE2944328C2

Abstract

In a process for compacting a light material such as paper wherein the material is compacted by means of a pressing member 12 operating in a channel-shaped space, the material is first subjected to a pre-pressing operation and is supplied in pre- compacted form to the channel- shaped space. Apparatus for performing the method comprises a first shaft 5 in communication with a second shaft 6, the second shaft defining a channel-shaped space and containing a pressing member 12 for subjecting the material to be compacted to a pressing operation. The first shaft 5 is provided with a worm 7 for subjecting the material to be compacted to the pre-pressing operation. A valve 9 having the shape of a cylinder quadrant is provided for closing the bottom of the shaft 5. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method and an apparatus for compacting a light material of varying nature and dimensions to a product processible to bales The invention relates to a method of compacting light material of various nature and dimensions to a product processible into bales, whereby the material to be compacted may or may not be subjected to an operation for reducing it to pieces of limited dimensions wherein the material is compacted to the contemplated density in a channel-shaped space by means of a pressing member.

Such a method is generally known, principally for the processing of waste paper and used paper, and in practice is usually effected in a completely or substantially completely automatically operating apparatus. A difficulty herein is that the previously reduced paper material to be compacted by pressing is voluminous and as a result the pressing efficiency per press operating stroke, and consequently the production capacity, is comparatively slight. When a higher production capacity is required in practice, the number of press operating strokes according to the prior art method is increased per unit of time. A drawback of this method is that as a result a disproportionately heavier type of the press portion and the driving portion of the apparatus is required, which is technically complicated and hence uneconomical.

It is the object of the invention to provide a method of the above described type which'does not have the above described drawbacks, wherein such material as for example, used paper, wood shavings, textile fibres and onion skins, may be processed.

According to the invention the operation is such that the light material to be reduced is subjected to a pre-pressing operation and is supplied in precompacted form to the channel-shaped space for compaction therein to the contemplated density.

Surprisingly it has been found that by the feature according to the invention a production result or efficiency is obtained that, with a corresponding eventual density of the pressed material, is substantially higher without requiring drastic technical provisions and consequently attainable in an economically justified manner.

The invention also provides an apparatus for performing the above described method, comprising a first shaft for receiving light material to be compacted, e.g. paper material, which is in communication with a second shaft containing a pressing member for subjecting the material to be compacted to the pressing operation up to the contemplated density, adjustable means for achieving the eventually contemplated density of the material to be compacted, and means for discharging the compacted material, wherein the first shaft is provided with a worm for subjecting the material to be compacted to a prepressing operation, means for exerting a counter pressure during the pre-pressing operation, adjustable means for achieving the density contemplated in the pre-pressing operation and means for admitting the pre-compacted material to the second shaft.

It is surprising that by using a worm, which conventionally, in conjunction with a housing designed for the purpose serves for transport of flowable materials, such as powders, pastes and liquids, it is possible to execute a pre-pressing operation on a non-flowable material, e.g. in the form of a reduced paper material, in such a way that in the scope of the above described method, with the same cycle duration, a three-fold larger yield may be obtained. Such a result is the more surprising, since in practice the shaft within which the pre-pressing operation is performed by means of the worm, in consequence of the eventual shape of the bales, normally has a rectangular crosssection and consequently is not adapted in design to the most efficient functioning of the worm.

A major advantage of the application of the worm is that the pressing operation performed therewith has a continuously progressing pattern, so that within the pre-pressing operation the final pressure to be attained is continuously adjustable.

As a result it is possible to control the duration and the course of the compaction cycle, comprising the pre-pressing operation, the supply of the precompacted material to the second shaft, the pressing of the pre-compacted material in the second shaft to the eventual contemplated density and discharge of the compacted material from the second shaft, through adjustment of the worm to a pre-set maximum pre-pressing pressure to be attained, which is a preferred embodiment.

One embodiment of a complete system for compacting and processing bound bales will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-section of an apparatus for storage and processing of waste paper or used paper to bound bales, with which apparatus is associated the compaction portion according to the invention, and Fig. 2 is a view of the apparatus on the line ll-ll in Fig. 1.

In the drawing 1 shows a cellar in which waste paper of varying origin is stored for further processing. After having been reduced in a reducing apparatus, not shown, to pieces of dimensions of approximately 20 x 20 cm, the reduced paper material 1 6 to be compacted is transported via conveyer chains 2 and 3 to the compaction device 4. The compaction device 4 comprises a vertical shaft 5 in which the prepressing operation is performed and which has the shape of a chute of rectangular cross-section of e.g. 130 x 110 cm and a horizontal shaft 6 to which the vertical shaft 5 is connected and wherein the final pressing operation is executed.

In the vertical shaft to the top of which the paper material 1 6 to be compacted is supplied, a worm 7 is mounted in the upper part, the worm 7 being suspended vertically from one end by means of a member 8. The feed-through aperture at the junction between the vertical shaft 5 and the horizontal shaft 6 may be closed at the end of the vertical shaft by a valve 9 having the shape of a cylinder quadrant. The valve 9 is adapted for rotation about the shaft 10 thereby opening or closing the feed-through passage to the horizontal shaft. The worm 7 is driven by motor 11.

The horizontal shaft 6 is fitted with a ram 1 2 by means of which the final pressing operation may be performed in the direction indicated by the arrow. When the eventual contemplated compaction is attained, the compacted paper product 1 4 is pushed away into the discharge path and bound therein to form bales.

When in the pre-pressing operation using the worm 7 the pre-set maximum pre-pressing pressure has been attained, a switch is operated and the compaction cycle is further continued electrically or electronically. The worm 7 is disengaged and the valve 9 is opened by rotating it about shaft 10 allowing the pre-compacted paper material to fall into the horizontal shaft 6.

The valve 9 is then closed and the ram 12 moved to the left in the drawing, pressing the precompacted paper material 1 5 until the eventual contemplated compaction is obtained, after which the ram 1 2 is returned to the starting position thereof and the compaction cycle is complete.

The next cycle may be started by supplying new paper material to be processed to the shaft 5.

A practically suitable apparatus is for instance one in which the worm has a length of 1 50 cm, a diameter of 900 mm and a pitch of 600 mm. Said worm may be suitably driven by means of a motor having a power of 1-10 hp (0.74-7.4 kW) with maintenance of a rotation speed of 40 revolutions/min. Under these conditions a maximum pre-pressing pressure of 300 kg/cm2 may be set and when this is reached, as mentioned hereinbefore, the worm 7 may be arrested and the valve 9 be opened electrically via a switch.

By means of a thus dimensioned compaction apparatus, in which the shaft 5 has a rectangular cross-section of 1 30 x 110 cm, and with a compaction cycle period of 28 seconds, 1 50 kg of paper/cycle can be processed, while without a pre-pressing operation, the through put is only approximately 50 kg of paper/cycle.

A major advantage of the application of the worm as means for subjecting the paper material to a pre-pressing operation is furthermore that the worm may simultaneously function as means for reducing the paper, so that no separate reducing device is necessary for this purpose. If desired, the worm, at its free end, may be provided with axial cutting means along the outer circumference which cuts the paper during rotation of the worm and thus promotes the effective reduction of the paper.

The above described apparatus shown in the drawing may naturally be altered without thereby departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, it is not necessary that the shaft containing the worm is arranged vertically. It may for example be arranged horizontally. Moreover, the apparatus is not only applicable to the processing of old or used paper, but will also serve, for instance, for dried spices, wood shavings, textile fibres, onion skins and other similar materials.

Claims

1. A method of compacting a light material to a product processible to bales, wherein the material to be compacted is subjected to a pre-pressing operation and is supplied in pre-compacted form to a channel shaped space in which it is further compacted by means of a pressing member.

2. Apparatus for performing the method according to claim 1, comprising a first shaft for reception of the material to be compacted which is in communication with a second shaft defining a channel shaped space and containing a pressing member for subjecting the material to be compacted to a pressing operation, the first shaft being provided with a worm for subjecting the material to be compacted to a pre-pressing operation and means for admitting the precompacted material to the second shaft.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein there is provided means for adjusting the degree of compaction of the material in the pre-pressing operation.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein means are provided by which the duration and the course of the compaction cycle can be controlled by adjustment of the worm to a preset maximum pre-pressing pressure to be obtained.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein means are provided whereby when the preset maximum pre-pressing pressure is obtained switch means are operated thereby terminating the pre-pressing operation and allowing the pre compacted material to pass into the second shaft.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the means for admitting the pre compacted material to the second shaft comprises a valve having the shape of a quadrant of a right circular cylinder mounted for rotation about an axis of the cylinder lying in a wall of the first shaft, the curved face of the cylinder, in the closed position of the valve, lying within the first shaft.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the first and second shafts each have a rectangular cross section.

8. A method of compacting a light material substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. Apparatus for use in compacting a light material substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.