GB2206297A

GB2206297A - Waste handling apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2206297A
Application number: GB08715721A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Maurice Finch
Original assignee: Henley Burrowes and Co Ltd
Current assignee: Henley Burrowes and Co Ltd
Priority date: 1987-07-03
Filing date: 1987-07-03
Publication date: 1989-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 2007-07-03
Also published as: GB2206297B; GB8715721D0

Abstract

A waste handling system for solid, domestic or commercial waste materials, serving as a pre-screening plant for such materials prior to further treatment thereof and adapted to receive materials in both bagged and loose forms, comprising an input hopper (10), and an input conveyor (11) leading to the input end of a rotary screening drum (16). Product material passes through the drum to an outlet (19) whilst screened materials are conveyed away by a conveyor (20) to one or more further outlets (21). In its passage to the drum, the materials, some bagged, are subjected to a tearing and levelling action by a toothed device (14), which slits open the bags. The device (14) comprises an endless series of teeth (22) carried on chain-link plates (23) around a pair of chain wheels (24) at least one of which is motor-driven. The device is pivotable about an axis (26) and can swing through an arc (27) above the input conveyor (11). <IMAGE>

Description

WASTE HANDLING APPARATUS THIS INVENTION concerns apparatus for handling solid domestic or commerical waste materials and serves as a pre-screening plant for such materials prior to further treatment thereof.

Pre-treatment requires that the material be passed through a screening device, usually a rotary drum from which the product material issues along the axis of the drum whilst certain other materials pass through the perforated wall of the drum to be collected at a second outlet.

Many of today's waste collection procedures include the facility for packaging waste materials in polyethylene bags, and these must be opened and emptied prior to screening.

It is an object of the present invention to provide waste handling apparatus which is adapted to receive bagged waste materials in addition to such materials in loose form. A further object is to provide such apparatus with means for controlling the flow of materials to the screening step.

According to the present invention there is provided waste handling apparatus comprising an input conveyor to receive and transport waste materials, and a rotary screening drum fed by the input conveyor and having outlets for screened and product materials respectively, characterised by a bag splitting and materials constraining device positioned over the input conveyor in its approach path to the screening drum.

An embodiment of the invention will now be decribed further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevation of apparatus made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a part thereof; and Fig. 3 is a section taken along line III-III of Fig. 2.

The apparatus consists essentially of an input hopper 10 for waste materials, an input conveyor 11 having an inclined section 12 feeding the inlet of a rotary drum screening device 13, and a bag splitting and materials constraining device 14 positioned over the inclined section 12 of conveyor 11.

In further detail, input conveyor 11 is of the type comprising chain-link plates having upstanding teeth, of which the upper run travels in a direction indicated by arrow 15. The conveying surface forms the base of hopper 10 so to carry materials therein upwardly into the mouth of rotary screening drum 13. The latter consists of a perforated drum 16 rotatable about its axis on rollers 17 and 18 at least some of which are motor driven. Product material issuing from the drum is collected at outlet 19, whilst screened material passing through the wall of the drum is collected on an output conveyor 20 and fed to a second outlet 21.

The bag splitting and materials constraining device 14, as can be seen from Figs. 2 and 3 consists of an endless series of teeth 22 carried on chain-link plates 23 around a pair of spaced chain wheels 24 the axis of least one of which is motor driven. The direction of movement of the teeth 22 is indicated by arrow 25. As can be seen from Fig. 3 the teeth are arranged in spaced rows with alternate rows consisting of three and two teeth respectively. It might be preferable in some cases for some rows of teeth, perhaps alternate rows, to be reversed thus presenting a leading cutting edge which is normal to the direction of movement rather than inclined as in the illustrated embodiment.

The device 14 is pivotable about an axis 26 and as can be seen from Fig. 1 may swing through an arc 27.

In practice, the device is permitted to swing down under its own weight to its lowest position as illustrated in Fig. 1 but it may be fixed out of use in its upper position if required.

In use, the linear speed of teeth 22 in the same direction as conveyor 11 is greater than the latter so to impart a tearing and levelling action on the waste materials carried on the conveyor. If the materials are fed to the apparatus in bagged form then the bags are split open by the teeth 22 and its contents are conveyed forwards to the screening unit as a stream of materials whose density and depth are controlled by the action of the device 14.

Ideally, the linear speed of the teeth 22 may be adjusted for optimum performance in accordance with the characteristics of the incoming materials. Any large or solid objects which cannot be disinegrated by the teeth 22 will cause the whole device to lift out of the way thus permitting the object to pass without damaging the teeth 22.

Claims

1. Waste handling apparatus comprising an input conveyor to receive and transport waste materials, and a rotary screening drum fed by the input conveyor and having outlets for screened and product materials respectively characterised by a bag splitting and materials constraining device positioned over the input conveyor in its approach path to the screening drum.

2. Waste handling apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said input conveyor is of the type comprising chain-link plates having upstanding teeth of which the upper run travels towards the rotary screening drum.

3. Waste handling apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the conveying surface of the input conveyor forms the base of a hopper containing waste materials to be conveyed towards the screening drum.

4. Waste handling apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the rotary screening drum is driven in rotation about its axis and open at inlet and outlet ends respectively, there being an output conveyor beneath the drum for collecting screened materials passing through the wall.

5. Waste handling apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said bag splitting and materials constraining device consists of an endless series of teeth located above said input conveyor and driven in the same direction as the latter to impart a tearing and levelling action on the waste materials carried thereon.

6. Waste handling apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein said teeth are carried on chain link plates around a pair of spaced chain wheels at least one of which is motor driven, the teeth being arranged in spaced rows each consisting of two or more teeth.

7. Waste handling apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein the linear speed of said teeth in operation, in the same direction as said input conveyor, is greater than the latter so to impart said tearing and levelling action on the waste materials carried thereon.

8. Waste handling apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the bag splitting and materials constraining device is so positioned over said input conveyor as to be pivotable between an operative position in close proximity therewith, and an inoperative position spaced above the latter to an extent wherein it is out of contact with materials conveyed on the input conveyor.

9. Waste handling apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said teeth of are arranged with alternate rows consisting of three and two teeth respectively.

10. Waste handling apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein the leading cutting edge of each tooth is inclined with respect to its direction of movement.

11. Waste handling apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein the leading cutting edges of at least some of said teeth are normal to the direction of movement thereof.

12. Waste handling apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein said bag splitting and materials constraining device is freely pivotable about one end such that the whole device may be lifted out of the way of any large or solid objects which cannot be disintegrated by the device.

13. Waste handling apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said input conveyor consists of a horizontal input section followed by an inclined section leading to the input end of the rotary screening drum whose axis of rotation is inclined downwardly from its input end such that the product material issues from the output end of the drum whilst screened material is conveyed to one or more further outlets beneath the drum.