WO2007031086A1

WO2007031086A1 - A glass crusher and use thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2007031086A1
Application number: PCT/DK2006/000504
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carsten M. Schmidt
Original assignee: Anker Andersen A/S
Priority date: 2005-09-13
Filing date: 2006-09-13
Publication date: 2007-03-22

Abstract

A glass crusher (1) for the crushing of glass objects, such as recycled bottles (1A), has a housing with a compartment, wherein a plurality of rotating impact members (2) are rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft, which is driven by a motor (4). A plurality of stationary plate parts (3) are arranged between the rotating impact members (2), so that when a recycled bottle (1A) is conveyed into the compartment and is placed on the stationary plate parts, the recycled bottle will be crushed by the rotating impact members, and the crushed material will be conveyed down into a container (11A). The motor (4) is given a preset speed of rotation, and in the event that the speed is reduced, e.g. if a hard object cannot be crushed, the motor will stop and then reverse its direction of rotation, which means that the hard object will be moved back and further down into another container (11). The invention provides a glass crusher which is capable of crushing re- cycled bottles at a great speed, and thus there is no risk that the non- crushable objects will cause breakdown of the glass crusher.

Description

A glass crusher and use thereof

The invention relates to a glass crusher, wherein glass objects, such as bottles, are conveyed into a compartment through an opening in the com- partment, wherein the compartment contains a plurality of rotating impact members arranged on a shaft of a motor, between which impact members stationary plate parts are arranged, wherein the rotation is provided by the motor which applies a predetermined speed to the shaft, and wherein the motor has a overload device which causes the motor to change its direction of rotation if it is overloaded.

The invention moreover relates to use of the glass crusher.

DE 20 2004 017 402 U1 discloses a glass crusher, in which vertical bottles are conveyed into the bottle crusher, which has a vertical shaft to which a plurality of rotating impact members are secured. Since, as mentioned, the bottles are advanced in a vertical position, it may occur that they overturn, which results in operational stoppages. Further, broken glass may get jammed between the stationary plate parts and the rotating impact mem- bers. Finally, there is a risk that objects which cannot be crushed, cause breakdown of the motor of the glass crusher.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to remedy the problems that may occur with the known glass crusher.

The object of the invention is achieved by a glass crusher of the type defined in the introductory portion of claim 1 , which is characterized in that the overload device is formed by a speed monitoring detector.

Hereby, objects which cannot be crushed will be detected gently, thereby preventing breakdown of the glass crusher. Expediently, as stated in claim 2, the speed monitoring detector is formed by a speed indicator.

When, as stated in claim 3, the shaft is positioned horizontally, it is ensured that the bottles cannot overturn in the glass crusher and are thereby always disposed correctly relative to the impact members and the stationary plate parts.

It is advantageous, as stated in claim 4, that, when the motor reverses its direction of rotation, a plate pivots out from the compartment, so that an object which cannot be crushed by the impact members is transferred to a container.

To additionally ensure stable operation of the glass crusher, it is advanta- geous, as stated in claim 5, that the glass objects are conveyed to the compartment one by one.

As mentioned, the invention also relates to use. This use is defined in claim 6.

The invention will now be explained more fully with reference to the drawing, in which

fig. 1 shows the glass crusher according to the invention in perspec- tive,

fig. 2 shows the glass crusher of fig. 1 seen from the end in a first operational state and without protective plates, while

fig. 3 shows the glass crusher of fig. 1 seen from the end in a second operational state and likewise without protective plates. In the figures, the numeral 1 generally designates a glass crusher according to the invention.

As will be seen, a glass object in the form of a bottle 1A to be crushed is disposed in the glass crusher.

The glass crusher is formed by a housing which has a compartment in which a plurality of impact members are mounted on a shaft, one of which impact members is designated 2, cf. fig. 2 and fig. 3.

A plurality of stationary plate parts, one of which is designated 3, are mounted between the impact members 2.

The impact members, which are mounted on a shaft, are driven by a motor 4, which is also connected with the shaft. A control unit 5 is connected with the motor and is adapted to adjust the speed of the impact members 2 and to measure by means of a speed monitoring detector, e.g. a speed indicator, whether a given preset speed is observed, cf. the following.

A plate 6 is mounted on the front of the housing, said plate being pivotally connected with a shaft, whose one end is shown at 7.

The shaft is moreover connected with an arm 8, which is secured to the one end 9 of a spring, while the opposite end of the spring is connected with an attachment point 10 on the housing.

It will now be explained how the glass crusher operates.

The rotating impact members 2 are caused to rotate at a desired speed in the direction of the arrow 2A by the motor 4, following which bottles are introduced one by one from the front of housing down along the plate 6 to engage the stationary plate parts 3, where the bottle is crushed by the rotating impact members 2. The broken glass is conveyed down into a container 11 A below the glass crusher.

If an object which cannot be crushed is introduced into the glass crusher, the change in speed of the motor 4 is recorded by the speed indicator of the control unit 5, which causes the motor and thereby the rotating impact members 2 to change the direction of the rotation, at the same time as the arm 8 is forced to pivot the plate 6 downwards and inwards toward the inner wall of the housing, cf. fig. 3, so that the non-crushable object may be conveyed into an underlying container 11.

When the non-crushable object has been transferred to the container 11 , the plate returns to its starting position, as shown in fig. 2, under the action of a force from the spring 9, following which a new bottle may be introduced into the glass crusher.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A glass crusher (1), wherein glass objects, such as bottles (1A), are conveyed into a compartment through an opening in the compartment, wherein the compartment contains a plurality of rotating impact members (2) arranged on a shaft of a motor (4), between which impact members stationary plate parts (3) are arranged, wherein the rotation is provided by the motor (4) which applies a predetermined speed to the shaft, and wherein the motor has an overload device which causes the motor to change its direction of rotation if it is overloaded, ch a ra cte ri zed in that the overload device is formed by a control unit (5) which comprises a speed monitoring detector.

2. A glass crusher according to claim ^characterized in that the speed monitoring detector is formed by a speed indicator.

3. A glass crusher according to claims 1 -2, characterized in that the shaft is positioned horizontally.

4. A glass crusher according to claims 1 -3, characterized in that when the motor (4) reverses its direction of rotation, a plate (6) pivots out from the compartment, so that an object which cannot be crushed by the impact members (2) is transferred to a container (11 ).

5. A glass crusher according to claims 1 -4, characterized in that the glass objects (1A) are conveyed to the compartment one by one.

6. Use of a glass crusher according to claims 1 - 5 for the crushing of recycled bottles.