US3614821A

US3614821A - Means for crushing or compacting disposable objects and refuse

Info

Publication number: US3614821A
Application number: US883159A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold J Qualheim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-04-22
Filing date: 1969-12-08
Publication date: 1971-10-26
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-26

Abstract

ROLLERS TO BE JOURNALLED IN A FRAME AND EMPLOYED TO COMPACT, CRUSH, OR OTHERWISE TREAT DISPOSABLE MATERIAL, SUCH AS METAL CONTAINERS, BOTTLES, OTHER FRANGIBLE OBJECTS AND REFUSE. THE ROLLERS ARE RADIALLY AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY YIELDABLE RELATIVE TO THEIR SHAFTS AND ENGAGE THE OBJECTS AS THE LATTER PASS BETWEEN THE ROLLERS.

Description

Oct. 26, 1971 H. J. QUALHEIM 3,614,821

MEANS FOR CRUSHING OR COMPACTING DISPOSABLE OBJECTS AND REFUSE Original Filed April 22, 1968 INVENTOI? HA Row J. QUALHE/M 3,614,821 MEANS FOR CRUSH-TING OR COMPACTING DISPOSABILE OBJECTS AND REFUSE Harold .l. Qualheirn, 641 Tower Circle, Racine, Wis. 53403 Original application Apr. 22, 1968, 8er. No. 722,898, now Patent No. 3,504,621, dated Apr. 7, 1970. Divided and this application Dec. 8, 1969, Ser. No. 883,159 lint. Cl. 821i. 27/00 11.8. C1. 29-121 3 (Ilaims ABEiTlRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Rollers to be joumalled in a frame and employed to compact, crush, or otherwise treat disposable material, such as metal containers, bottles, other frangible objects and refuse. The rollers are radially and circumferentially yieldable relative to their shafts and engage the objects as the latter pass between the rollers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention This application is a division of application Ser. No. 722,898 filed Apr. 22, 1968, now Pat. No. 3,504,621 which issued Apr. 7, 1970 and relates to resilient rollers employed to compact or crush objects such as containers, bottles, and other disposable refuse.

(2) Description of the prior art The prior art comprises the following patents: Groat, 382,973; Smith, 1,384,103; Grupe, 2,374,194; Cornell, 2,414,855; Coute et al. 3,066,600; Adee et al., 3,085,384.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An accumulation of empty metal containers, glass bottles, fiber cartons, and disposable refuse in general of various materials, often occupies space that is needed for other purposes, so the compacting and disposal of such material is desirable. It is an object, therefore, of this invention to provide a means to compact, crush, or otherwise treat such materials that it occupies a minimum of space for subsequent disposal.

Another object of this invention is to provide rollers that will positively engage the disposable material and advance it through the compacting cycle.

Another object is to provide rollers that are resilient, so that they may yield radially as well as circumferentially in order to absorb vibration during the compacting or crushing cycle, thereby reducing noise, vibration and bearing wear.

The rollers of this invention are especially effective when employed as the final rollers in a disposer comprising a series of rollers that successively engage the objects as the latter advance through the compacting or crushing cycle: Such a disposer is disclosed in application Ser. No. 722,898, filed Apr. 22, 1968.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a disposer frame showing the rollers of this invention, with a container in the process of being compacted, and shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section taken at 22 of FIG. 1, and showing a container in dotted lines, in the process of passing between the rollers during the final step of the compacting operation.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of one of the rollers of FIG. 1, with a portion broken away to show the resilient core.

A typical disposer embracing this invention comprises a frame having

side plates

12 and 14. End plates 16 3,814,821 Patented Oct. 26, 1971 as 20, thus defining a downwardly-converging passageway 22.

Rollers

24 and 26 are identical so only one need be described in detail. Each of

rollers

24 and 26 is provided with a shaft 28 which is journalled in suitable bearings 30 mounted in

side plates

12 and 14, with the axes of shafts 28 mutually parallel.

Gears 32 are secured to shafts 28, and are mutually meshed together so shafts 28 will rotate in the directions indicated by arrows 34 of FIG. 2. The means to rotate the shafts 28 engages one of the gears 32, is conventional, and need not be further described.

Each of

rollers

24 and 26 comprises a drum 36 concentric with the axis of shaft 28. The circumferential space between shaft 28 and the inner surface of drum 36 is filled with a resilient yieldable material 38, such as rubber or other suitable material. The material 38 is bonded integrally to shaft 28 and to the inner surface of drum 36: Thus shaft 28 and drum 36 are resiliently secured together, permitting the drum 36 to yield radially and circumferentially, to a limited degree with respect to shaft 28. A means of providing additional resiliency comprises providing longitudinal passageways 40 in the resilient material 38. These passageways are positioned circumferentially about shaft 28 and spaced radially from the axis of the shaft.

A plurality of axially-extending longitudinal radial projections or ribs 42, preferably eight in this instance, are circumferentially spaced about the outer surface of drum 36, and are welded or otherwise. secured to the drum. Ribs 42 extend radially and are of a radial length in this instance to permit those of each roller to circumferentially overlap the ribs of the other roller, as shown in FIG. 2. The free terminal edges 44 of ribs 42 extend uninterruptedly, and are sharp in order to assure a positive grip on the object as the latter passes between the rollers. The metal container indicated as C of FIGS. 1 and 2 will be deformed to the approximate shape shown as it passes between the

rollers

24 and 26, and then because of resiliency, will assume a somewhat substantiallyflat condition upon leaving the rolllers. When glass objects pass between the rollers, the former will obviously be shattered in small pieces.

It is believed that the resilient rollers of this invention are novel in that the circumferential and radial forces being imparted to the rollers during the compacting of a container or the crushing of a glass bottle, are effectively absorbed by the resilient material supporting the shaft 28 relative to the drum 36; the result being a reduction in noise and vibration with a consequent reduction in bearing wear.

It is within the purview of this invention to employ these rollers for other and similar purposes when suitable, and singly when they can be so employed.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A roller for use in treating disposable objects and refuse, comprising a shaft, a drum coaxial with said shaft and defining a peripheral space surrounding said shaft, radial support for said drum with respect to said shaft comprising resilient materiall filling said peripheral space and bonded to said shaft and to said drum, and peripherally-spaced longitudinal, radial projections on the outer surface of said drum and integral therewith, each of said projections being of rectangular cross section and having uninterrupted longitudinal terminal edges.

2. A roller as set forth in claim 1, in which the resilient material has provided therein axially-directed passage- 3 Ways spaced peripherally about said shaft and radial y 2,374,194 4/1945 Grupe 2913O X outwardly from sald Shaft 2,414,855 1/1947 Cornell 241-459 X 3. A roller as set forth in claim 1, in which each of said longitudinal terminal edges are substantially BILLY WIVLHITE Primary Examiner sharp. 5

References Cited I US, Cl, XQR. UNITED STATES PATENTS 29130, 132

1,232,053 7/1917 Lawrence 29-130X 1,928,763 10/1933 Rosenberg 29-130 U X 10