GB2338921A

GB2338921A - A closed die briquetting machine

Info

Publication number: GB2338921A
Application number: GB9813891A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Rochester Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-06-27
Filing date: 1998-06-27
Publication date: 2000-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 2018-06-27
Also published as: GB9813891D0; GB2338921B

Description

2338921 IMPROVEMENT9 IN OR RELATING TO BRIQUETTING MACHINES The present

invention relates a briquetting machine. Such machines are used f or f orming briquettes f rom a wide range of materials such as coal dust, wood dust, wood chip, metal chip and metal swarf.

In particular the present invention relates to a briquetting machine of the closed die type in which a carousel having a number of equi-spaced dies is employed.

Moulding and pressing machines which utilise a carousel are well known. However, the forces necessary to rotate the die containing carousel in a briquetting machine are relatively high due to the extrusion of material between the carousel and a press plate which is located under the carousel. Because of the relatively high forces involved the means for rotation of the carousel which are common to other types of moulding or pressing machines such as gears, indexing pegs and ratchets are not applicable to the rotation of a carousel in a closed die briquetting machine.

The present invention seeks to provide a briquetting machine which includes a multi-die carousel and a means for rotating the carousel.

2 Accordingly the present invention provides a closed die briquetting machine comprising a rotatably mounted multi-die carousel, means for ejecting a formed briquette from the carousel, the ejecting means also being operable to partially rotate the carousel.

The ejecting means can comprise a punch which is mounted for limited angular movement.

The punch can be mounted on a swingable arm and the arm can be operated by means of a cylinder and ram assembly.

The briquetting machine can also include a material feed means comprising a hopper and a rotatable screw.

The machine can also include a pre-compacting punch.

The machine can also include drying means.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an elevation of one form of briquetting machine according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the briquetting machine shown in Figure 1; 3 Figure 3 shows a view of the briquetting machine similar to that shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 shows a view on Arrow A in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a briquetting machine (10) comprising press plate (12), an intermediate plate (14) and an upper plate (16) which are mounted on three pillars (18, 20, 22).

A carousel (24) is rotatably mounted on bearings (26) on the pillar (18) and has six equally spaced hardened steel dies (28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38).

A material feed mechanism (4 0) is located between the press plate (12) and the intermediate plate (14) and comprises a hopper (42) and a screw (44) driven by an electric motor (46).

A pre-compacting press (48) is secured between intermediate plate (14) and the upper plate (16) and comprises an hydraulic cylinder (50) and ram (52). A press (54) also located between the intermediate plate (14) and the upper plate (16) comprises an hydraulic operated cylinder (56) and piston (58).

Briquette ejection apparatus (60) is mounted on a swinging arm (62) which is mounted in bearings (64) on pillar (18).

4 The ejection means (60) comprises an hydraulically operated cylinder (66) and piston (68).

The movement of the swing arm (62) is actuated by an hydraulic ram assembly (70) comprising a cylinder (72) which is pivotally attached to the intermediate plate (14) at location (74) and a piston (76) which is pivotally attached to the swing arm (62).

As shown in Figure 2, the dies (28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) define six pressing stations (I to VI).

In operation the material to be compacted is loaded into the hopper (42) and is transported from the hopper (42) by means of the screw (44) to station (III) where it can, if required, be pre-compacted by operation of the piston (52) of the precompactor.

The carousel (24) is rotated as will be described below to the pressing station (V) where the piston (58) of the press (54) compacts the material into the hardened die and compaction takes place against the press plate (12).

The final position of the press piston (58) is measured by an indexing device (78) connected to a programmable logic controller (PLC) or other control device.

The pre-compression pressure and/or the feed time of the screw is altered by the PLC in order to maintain constant control of the briquette length.

Once a briquette is made in one of the dies it remains in the die and is carried round to station (1) where it is ejected by the punch piston (68).

The press plate (12) is shaped so as to leave either a slot or an open area beneath stations (I) and (II) in order to facilitate ejection.

When the punch piston (68) is located in the die the punch also serves as a means of rotating the carousel.

As the punch is mounted on the swinging arm (62) the hydraulic ram (72) is operated so as to move the swinging arm (62) and thereby partially rotate the carousel (24).

In the example illustrated there are six dies mounted in the carousel. The length of the cylinder (72) is designed to move the arm exactly 1/6th of a revolution of the carousel (24).

It will be appreciated that the use of the ejector punch (68) enables the carousel to be easily rotated and a large rotating force can be applied by means of the hydraulic ram (72) and the carousel can be locked precisely in position as the ram (76) reaches a mechanical stop at the end of its stroke.

The control system ensures that the ejector punch (68) cannot withdraw from position until the main press piston (58) has entered the die at position (V).

Likewise, the main press piston cannot leave station (V) until the ejector punch (68) has entered the die at position (I).

Thus the speed of the briquetting machine in accordance with the present invention is increased over other briquetting machines which have rotatable dies which need to wait both for the ejector piston and the piston of the main press to withdraw.

Because the piston of the main press cylinder does not have to retract far enough to accommodate a pre-charging chamber in front of it and then displace the pre-charged material into the die commonly known as the box method the cycle time of the machine according to the present invention is decreased significantly.

In the case of some materials, especially when liquids are being pressed from loose material e.g. metal swarf and machine coolant, it is advantageous to press the briquette twice or more with a delay between pressings as to allow liquid to escape.

In the machine according to the present invention, the first compression occurs at station (III) and the liquid can then drain out as the preformed briquette is moved to station (IV) and then station (V) for final pressing.

Any such delay in the previously described box method of briquetting adds directly to the cycle time. Furthermore, an additional drying process can be added at station (IV) such as vacuum, gas blowing, or another compression can be included.

In the case of materials which require a hold time in the die after pressing, which in other briquetting machines extends the cycle time, but in the case of the present invention this time delay can be achieved by increasing the number of stations in the carousel and moving the ejector station round to the third station before final pressing.

Similarly, a relaxation after the pre-charging can be included.

As the machine according to the present invention has three distinct stations for filling, pressing and ejecting, the machine can be made modular and hence easily adapted to a wide range of materials.

The dies in the carousel can be provided with a taper in order to assist compaction. The taper can either increase or decrease according to the type of material being compacted.

Ejection can then be either forwards or backwards so that the taper is always increasing to minimise ejection force. In the case of other closed die systems ejection generally takes place in the direction of pressing only.

The modular design of the machine according to the present invention enables either vertical or horizontal assembly of the press to optimise f low of feed material and briquettes and direction of liquid run off in the case of wet material. It also prevents the possibility of back pressure to the f eed system during compaction of wet materials.

9

Claims

1. A closed die briquetting machine comprising a rotatably mounted multidie carousel, means for ejecting a formed briquette from the carousel, the ejecting means also being operable to partially rotate the carousel.

2. A machine according to claim 1 including a punch mounted for limited angular movement in which the ejecting means comprises a punch mounted for permitting limited angular movement.

3. A machine according to claim 2 in which the punch is mounted on a swing arm.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3 in which the swing arm is operable by a cylinder and ram assembly.

5. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a material feed means.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5 in which the f eed means comprises a hopper and screw.

7. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a pre-compacting punch.

a. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including drying means.

9. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which dies in the carousel are tapered.

10. A briquetting machine constructed and arranged for use and operation substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.