GB2258170A

GB2258170A - Garbage separator

Info

Publication number: GB2258170A
Application number: GB9116292A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Frederick North; Stephen George Frederick North
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-07-27
Filing date: 1991-07-27
Publication date: 1993-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 2011-07-27
Also published as: GB9116292D0; GB2258170B

Abstract

An apparatus for separating mixtures of solids e.g. garbage, involving jigging of the solids on an inclined perforated table(s) 1, 2, has the jigging motion imparted to the table by means of eccentrics 4, 6 placed on a straight drive shaft fixed in position. The shaft can be supported at various places (22, 20, Fig II, not shown) along its length. Each eccentric comprises a housing 4 fixed to the table and a wheel 6 rotatable in the housing. Shaft 7 is keyed eccentrically to the wheels such that shaft rotation causes eccentric motion of the wheels 6, housings 4 and hence of the table around the shaft. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention relates to an apparatus for separating mixtures of solids, in particular garbage mixtures having components of hig and low density, and is a modification of the invention disclosed in Rep155180.

The specification of EP155180 discloses a separating apparatus which comprises an inclined perforated table on to which a mixture to be separated may be deposited, means for imparting to the table an elliptical motion having a component in the vertical plane and means for selectively altering the angle of the inclination of the table according to the nature of the mixture to be separated. The lower end of the table is mounted on a support which in turn is mounted directly on a shaft driven by an eccentric drive from a motor. The eccentric movement of the shaft imparts to the support and thence the table an elliptical motion in the vertical plane.

The disclosure in EP155180 is to be taken as forming part of the present specification.

A serious shortcoming of the particular design in EP155180 is that its production capacity is limited by the width of the table which in turn is limited by the method adopted for imparting elliptical motion to the table. I have discovered that it is possible to increase the width of the table by adopting a different method of imparting elliptical motion to the table.

Accordingly the present invention provides as part of a separating apparatus, for instance as a substitute part of the apparatus disclosed and claimed in EP155180, an inclined perforated table mounted on at least one eccentric, said eccentric or eccentrics being driveable by a rotatable shaft.

Preferably an eccentric comprises a housing in fixed relationship to the table and a wheel rotatable within the housing, said shaft being keyed to said wheel and lying in a plane normal to the plane of the wheel at an off-axis position of the wheel whereby rotational movement of the wheel imparts an eccentric movement to said housing.

No eccentric motion is applied to the shaft which can consequently be supported in more than two places. Accordingly the present invention is also for a separating apparatus as described above wherein the shaft is supported at the two end regions thereof and at at least one other place along the shaft intermediate of the two end regions.

The present invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings in which figure I is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the present invention, figure II is an end elevation of the apparatus of figure I and figure III is an enlarged section of the jigging mechanism enclosed in housing 4 of figure I Referring to the drawings, the apparatus is seen to consist of perforated tables 1 and 2 mounted one above the other and inclined at approximately 18 deg. to the horizontal.

Tables 1 and -2 are supported at their lower end on a pair of brackets such as 3 to each of which is bolted cast aluminium housings 4.

In respect of housing 4, reference is made to figure III which shows the jigging mechanism for tables 1 and 2. A roller bearing 5 is located in housing 4 and a steel wheel 6 is secured within bearing 5. Wheel 6 is provided with an aperture into which is keyed, perpendicularly, drive shaft 7.

Referring back to figs. I and II an electric motor 10 drives shaft 7. A flywheel (not shown) may be keyed to the opposite end of the drive shaft 7 should vibration occur or stabilisation be required.

As well as end supports 22, an intermediate support or supports for drive shaft 7 such as roller hearing plummer block 20 may be provided. By this means tables 1 and 2 can be made much wider eg up to 4 or 6 metres wide since flexing of shaft 7 and fabricated ends (which can cause fractures) is reduced.

At their upper end, tables 1 and 2 are supported on a pair of swinging arms 11 pivotally attached to a table support frame 12 at 13. At their upper ends, the arms 11 are mounted on a shaft 14 pivoted to the machine frame at 15. The upper ends of the arms 11 are not directly attached to the rotatable shaft 14 but instead are contained in mechanical or hydraulic actuators 16 capable of adjusting the length thereof. The actuators may be those known as 'jacktuators' and may be driven by a suitable drive 17 from a central geared motor 18 or may have direct hydraulic drive to each actuator 16. In either event care is taken to see that adjustment of each actuator 16 is equivalent to the other so that each side of the table is at exactly the same height.

In use, material to be separated is placed on the upper table 2 approximately one-third of the way up as indicated by arrow A in figure I. The electric motor is switched on and motion is imparted to shaft 7 through a chain drive from the electric motor.

Rotation of shaft 7 forces wheel 6 to rotate in bearings 5.

Since shaft 7 is fixed in position, housing 4 is made to follow the motion of wheel 6 with a consequent induced movement in the table 1 connected via bracket 3 to housing 4. The jigging motion to the tables is thus provided by the elliptical movement of rigid housings 4 rather than the off-centre crank as described in EP155180. In this way it is possible to ensure that shaft 7 is straight and can be supported at any point along its length.

The jigging motion of the tables causes heavy material to move down and light material to move up the tables. The perforations in table 2 may be coarser than those in table 1 so that a second similar separation takes place in the lower table 1 of the finer components which have fallen through the mesh of the upper table 2. A chute 19 is placed beneath the lower table 1 to catch fine particles passing through the smaller mesh of that table.

Appropriate chutes may be placed at the upper and lower ends of tables 1 and 2 and the chute 19 in order to catch the various fractions. The construction of tables 1 and 2 and associated support frame 12 is preferably such as to be as light as possible and may be formed of metals such as aluminium or indeed even from plastics materials in whole or in part The apparatus may be fed by a suitable conveyor eg a belt feeder preferably extending across the width of the table. This may incorporate a surge hopper to even out fluctuating loads of feed stock.

Claims

1. As part of a separating apparatus, an inclined perforated table mounted on at least one eccentric said eccentric or eccentrics being driveable by a rotatable shaft.

2. A separating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the eccentric comprises a housing in fixed relationship to the table and a wheel rotatable within the housing, said shaft being keyed to said wheel and lying in a plane normal to the plane of the wheel at an off-axis position of the wheel whereby rotational movement of the wheel imparts an eccentric movement to said housing.

3. A separating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the shaft is supported at the two end regions thereof and at at least one other place along the shaft intermediate of the two end regions.

4. A separating apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.