GB2324313A - Building cavities:fibrous insulant:bales:machine for comminuting and installing - Google Patents

Abstract

Baled, fibrous insulant is comminuted by rotor 18 and blown by compressor 24 into a building cavity. A bale is lightly compressed in chamber 10 by member 28 moved by chains. Plate 35 with knife 37 is advanced by a ram to cut and isolate a fibre portion which is then forced by member 34 into chamber 16, between rollers 60, 62 and against rotor 18. The machine is hydraulically driven. It avoids problems with known larger, heavier machines where seals of a rotary, pocketed fibre valve need frequent replacement.

Description

machine for. P$poessing and Instaling Fibrous IPspla.ti.n.g Material" This invention relates to a machine for processing fibrous insulating material and then installing it in a building cavity, and more specifically to a machine for comminuting baled fibrous insulating material and then blowing it into a building cavity. The bales conventionally measure, for example, approximately 80 x 40 x 26 centimetres and are wrapped in polythene.

Hitherto, in a typical machine for this purpose the material has been broken up during the whole of its passage through the achine. It has been loaded in bales into a chamber and the polythene wrappers removed, roughly broken up by two parallel horizontal elongated shafts at the base of the chamber on each of which there are fixed numerous radialiy-extending tines or fingers, moved by a horizontal screw conveyor disposed beneath said shafts into a smaller chamber, further broken up by three parallel short high-speed shafts with radial tines, allowed to fall into six axlally-extending pockets around the periphery of a valve rotateable about a horizontal axis, and discharged from the valve into a flexible conduit through which it is blown by an air compressor into a building cavity. The valve has axial rubber sealing strips between the pockets which contact the bore of its casing to prevent any blow-back of air, but these strips are susceptible to wear and thus need frequent replacement. A simple manually slideable plate controls the rate at which the broken up material is allowed to fall into the valve, and this renders the machine open to rnaladustment by the operator and frequently to abuse as it enables the material to be deliberately installed at lower than recommended densities. The output of the machine is adversely affected by the discharge from the pockets of the valve into the conduit of small amounts of maternal separated by small amounts of air. The two elongated shafts, the screw conveyor, the three short high-speed shafts, the rotatable valve and the air compressor are ail individually driven nsechanxcally by means of belts and chains from an internal combustion engine which is an integral part of the machine.

Consequently, the machine is large and heavy so that, to transpcrt it and a supply of bales to sites where the installation of cavity insulation is required, it is typically mounted permanently in an enclosed truck of 7.5 tones capacity. The operation of a vehicle of this size involves onerous regulations concerning licensing, driver's hours, tachographs and annual plating tests.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine which avoids the many disddvantages mentioned above.

According to the invention. a machine for processing and installing fibrous insulating material in a building cavity comprises weans for tightly compressing baled material at a controllable rate into contact with a rotor adapted to Scomminuta the material into fine fragments, and an air compressor arranged to blow the fragments directly from the rotor through a conduit into the cavity.

The means preferably comprise a first chamber into which the material is loaded and then initially lightly compressed, and a second chamber in which the material is further compressed at a controllable rate into contact with the rotor.

Preferably, the baled material is loaded into the first chamber through at least one door.

Preferably, also. the direction of the initial compression is at right angles to that of the further compression.

Preferably the material is initially compressed by a ram which is a close sliding fit in the first chamber, said ram being actuated by vertical runs of power-driven chain disposed externally at opposite sides of the first chamber, said runs being connected to respective spigots which project through vertical slots in the opposite sides of the first chamber and which are fixed to said ram.

A quantity of material is preferably cut of in that end portion of the first chamber remote from the ram in said chamber, and said portion is temporarily closed off.

by á plate which is provided with a knife on its leading edge and which is caused to traverse said portion.

Preferably, the material is further compressed by a ram which is caused to traverse that end portion of the first chamber remote from the ram in said chamber, and then to enter the second chamber as a close sliding fit therein, after said portion has been closed off by said plate.

Power-driven rollers are preferably journalled in the second chamber to restrict the rate at which material is forced towards the rotor.

Preferably, the machine is driven by hydraulic motors and hydraulic piston-and-cylinder means all of which ars actuated by a hydraulic pump driven by a prime mover, and are individually controlled by hydraulic valve means.

Preferably, the prime mover s an internal combustion engine comprising an integral part of the machine.

Preferably, also, the valve means are controlled by microprocessor means.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine for processing and installing fibrous insulating material with parts omitted for clarity; and Figure 2 is a front eievation of a first chamber of the machine showing some of the parts ofrlltted from Flsure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine comprises means for tightly compression baled fibrous insulating material during the opening stages. of its passage through the machine, said means iiicluding a first chamber 10 with a capacity of up to about seven bales having a lower door 12 and an upper door 14, and a second chamber 16 rigidly securad to, communicating with, and disposed at right angles to the chamber 10. A rotor 18 shown in broken lines is rotateable about an axis 20 in that end of the chamber 16 remote from the chamber 10, and comprises a shaft on which numerous radlally-extending tines are weided. The shaft of the rotor 18 is driven at variable high speed by a hydraulic tutor (not shown) of gear type. An oil tank 22 is disposed on top of the chamber 16, and an air compressor 24 of lobed rotor type and a hydraulic control valve means 26 controlled by micr3processor means (not shown) are disposed on top of the tank 22. The air compressor 24 is driven b a hydraulic motor (not shown! of gear type. A ram in the form of a first horizontal plate 28 which is shown cross-hatched for clarity in Figure 1 is a close slidinq fit in the first chamber 10 and is accordingly of rectangular, roughly-square shape.

As shown in Figure 2, the plate 25 is actuated so as to make a working stroke downwards in the chamber 10 by means comprising a power-driven shaft 44 jouralled on top of said chamber so as to extend beyond both sides 30 and 32 thereof. The shaft 44 has respective sprockets 46 fixed to its ends which mesh with respective loops 48 of driving chain disposed externally at opposite sides of the chamber 10. The loops 48 also mesh with respective idler sprockets 50 rotatably mounted near the bottom of the chamber 10 at opposite sides thereof. Two spigots 52 fixed to opposite sides of the plate 28 on its centre-line project through respective vertical slots 54 ( see Figure 1) formed in the sides 30 and 32 of the chamber 10. Each spigot 52 carries a bracket 56 which is connected to one vertical run of the adjacent loop 48 of driving chair. The shaft is driven by a reversible hydraulic motor 58 of gear type mounted on top of the chamber 10. A ram in the form of a vertical second plate 34 makes working strokes from the position shown by traversing that end portion of the first chamber 10 remote from the plate 28 and then partially entering the second chamber 16 where it is a close sliding fit and is accordingly of rectangular shape. A separate horizontal plate 35 disposed immediately above the plate 34 also makes working strokes from the position shown by traversing that end portion of the first chamber 10 remote from the plate 28, and is thus adapted to close off said end portion of the first chamber 10 at the end of each working stroke of the plate 35. Said plate is provided on its leading edge with a reciprocating knife 37 driven by a hydraulic motor by way of mechanical means (not shown).

The plates 34 and 35 are both shown cross-hatched for clarity in Figure l, and each cf said plates is actuated by means (not shown) comprising a double-acting hydraulic piston-and-cylinder assembly for urging it alternately in its working direction and in the return direction. These two cylinders are housed in a chamber 36 rigidly secured to the first chamber 10. Two pairs 60 and 62 of power-driven rollers are journal led in the chamber 16 between the chamber 10 and the rotor 18. all of said rollers being driven in the direction of the arrows shown by a common hydraulic motor and toothed gearing (not shown). Each pair of rollers comprises a smaller diameter roller adjacent to the chamber 10 and a roller of larger diameter remote from. said chamber, the axes of said rollers being so arranged that the gap between the two pairs converges to a slot having a depth of, say, two inches between the two rollers of larger diameter, Said pairs of rollers act to restrict the rate at which material is forced towards the rotor 18. An internal combustion engine 38, for example a small three-cylinder diesel engine, which forms an integral part of the machine is disposed on top of the chamber 36, and a generator 40 to provide electrical power for percussively drilling holes in masonry walls is mounted on the engine 38. The generator 40 is driven as required by a hydraulic motor (not shown) of gear type. The engine 38 drives a close-coupled hydraulic pump (nct shown) which actuates all the afore-mentioned hydraulic motors and hydraulic piston-and-cylinder assemblies, said motors and assemblies being individually controlled by respective valves of the hydraulic control valve means 26 as hereinafter described.

The chambers 10, 16 and 36 are made by welding together thick sheets of aluminium.

In one minor modification, the generator 40 and its hydraulic motor are dispensed with, and a percussive drill driven as required by an integral hydraulic motor actuated by the hydraulic pump is employed. In another minor modification, the height of the first chamber 10 is reduced so that its capacity is reduced to as little as two bales, in which case it only requires a single door.

In a further modification, the engine 38 is dispensed with and the hydraulic pump is driven by the engine of an enclosed truck in which the machine is permanently mounted. In yet another modification, the engine 38 is dispensed with and the hydraulic pump ;s driven by means of an electric motor. In yet a further modification, the knife 37 is rctating. In still another modification, the ram which is a close sliding fit in the first chamber is actuated by a shaft driven by a reversible hydraulic motor and iournalied on that side of said ram remote from the material, which shaft projects beyond both sides of the ram and through vertical slots formed in the sides of said chamber and has rspective tootned pinions fixed to its ends which mesh with rspective toothed racks fixed externally to opposite sides of said chamber.

In operation, several bales of insulating material are loaded into the lower part of the first chamber 10 illustrated and the polythene wrappers removed therefrom, the lower door 12 is closed to hold them In position, and further bales are then loaded into the upper part of said chamber, their polythene wrappers are removed, and the upper door 14 is closed. The engine 38 drives the hydraulic pump at a variable speed, and a first valve of the hydraulic control valve means 26 supplies oil under pressure to the hydraulic motor mounted on the top of the chamber 10 which causes the first plate 28 to move downwards and thus lightly compress the material in said chamber. A second valve of the hydraulic control means 26 then supplies oil under pressure simultaneously to the hydraulic motor which operates the knife 37 disposed at the leading edge of the plate 35, and to the hydraulic piston-and-cylinder assembly which actuates the plate 35 so that said plate advances and said knife cuts off a quantity of material at the bottom of the chamber 10 until the plate 35 closes off the lower end portion of said chamber whereupon said plate is caused to dwell there with the knife inactive due to temporary closure of the second valve. A third valve of the hydraulic control means 26 then supplies sil under pressure to the hydraulic motor which drives the two pairs 60 and 62 of rollers and to the hydraulic piston-and-cylinder assembly in the chamber 36 so as to cause the second plate 34 to force the material cut jff by the knife 37 between said pairs of rollers into the second chamber 16, and further compress it into contact with the rotor 18. A fourih valve of the hydraulic contrul means 26 continuously supplies oil under pressure simultaneously to the hydraulic motor which drives the rotor, and to the hydraulic motor which drives the air compressor 24. The rotor 18 comminutes trae tightly compressed material into fine fragments, and the compressor 24 is arranged to blow the fragments in a continuous stream directly from the rotor as indicated by the yarrow 42 through a flexible conduit (not shown) into a building cavity. Blow-back is completely prevented by the tightly compressed material in the chamber 16. The rate of flow of the comminuted material is controlled by the microprocessor which causes the third valve of the hydraulic control means 26 to regulate th rate at which the hydraulic piston-and-cylinder assembly in the chamber 36 further compress the material in the chamber 16. en the plate 34 reaches the end of its working stroke the second and third valves cause the respective plates 35 and 34 to be moved back slmultaneously by their respective hydraulic piston-and-cylinder assemblies to the positions illustrated. The plate 28 is next caused to move further downwards, and the plate 35 and 34 are then sequentially urged once again in their working direction. The whole procedure continues, under the control of the microprocessor, until the material in the chamber 10 is exhausted, after which said chamber is reloaded if necessary and said operation is repeated. If at any time the fourth valve of the hydraulic control means 26 is closed, all the other valves close.

The machine has an improved output, needs no valve or other means to prevent blow-back, has few rotating parts and low maintenance requirements, cannot be adjusted by the operator thus eliminating maladjustment and the risk of deliberate low density installation, ar,d is significantly smaller and lighter tham machines used hitherto for the same purpose thus enabling it to be mounted in an enclosed truck of about 3.5 tones capacity which is not subject to the onerDs regulations applied to larger vehicles.

In an alternative but nor,-preferred embodiment which falls within the scope of this rnventio, a number of bales of insulating material are loaded into a chamber and their polythene wrappers removed, a combined top wall and side dcor assembly is swung downwards to close the chamber, the side door is next disengaged from the top wall and moved into the chamber to compress the material lightly, a plate in the chamber is then removed at right angles to the direction of movement of the side door to shear off a quantity of the material and further compress it, and finally another smaller plate in the chamber is moved in the same direction as that of the side door to compress the material tightly at a controllable rate into contact with a vertical high-speed rotor having radial tines which comminutes the material into fine fragments, an air compressor being arranged to blow the fragments continuously downwards directly from the rotor into a flexible conduit leading to a building cavity. As in the preferred embodiment all of the moving parts are actuated hydraulically, either by motors or piston-and-cylinder assemblies as appropriate which are supplied with oil under pressure from an engine-driven hydraulic pump and individually controlled b hydraulic valve means simply switched electrically by the operator.

Claims (12)

Claims:-

1. A machine for processing and installing fibrous insulating material in a building cavity comprising means for tightly compressing baled material at a controllable rate into contact with a rotor adapted to comminute the material into fine fragments, and an air compressor arranged to blow the fragments directly from the rotor through a conduit into the cavity.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the means comprise a first chamber into which the material is loaded and then initially lightly compressed, and a second chamber in which the material is further compressed at a controllable rate into contact with the rotor.

3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the baled material is loaded into the first chamber through at least one door.

4. A machine accordlng to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the direction of the initial compression is at right angles to that of the further compression.

5. A machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the material is initially compressed by a ram which is a close sliding fit in the first chamber, said ram being actuated by vertical runs of power-driven chain disposed externally at opposite sides of the first chamber, said runs being connected to respective spigots which project through vertical slots in the opposite sides of the first chamber and which are fixed to said ram.

6. A machine according to clam 5, wherein a quantity of material is cut off in that end portion of the first chamber remote from the ram in said chamber, and said portion is temporarily closed off, by a plate which is provided with a knife on its leading edge and which is caused to traverse said portion.

7. A machine according to clain 6, wherein the material is further compressed by a ram which is caused to traverse that end portion of the first chamber remote from the ram in said chamber, and then to enter the second chamber as a close sliding fit therein, after said portion has been closed off by said plate.

8. A machine according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein power-driven rollers are journal led in the second chamber to restrict the rate at which material is forced towards the rotor.

9. A > machine according to any one of the preceding claims which is driven by hydraulic motors and hydraulic piston-and-cylinder means all of which are actuated by a hydraulic pump driven by a prime mover, and are individually controlled by hydraulic valve means.

10. A machine according to claim 5, wherein the prime mover is an internal combustion engine comprising an integral part of te machine.

11. A machine according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the valve means are controlled by miczoprocessor means.

12. A machine for processing and installing fibrous insulating material in a building cavity, constructed.

arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to. and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.