Solid material comminution or disintegration – Processes – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-11
2001-05-08
Rosenbaum, Mark (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Processes
Miscellaneous
C241S200000, C241S605000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227468
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for loosening a block of compressed loose material, such as potting compost, comprising a container with wall members for receiving the block, scraping means cooperating therewith and a discharge opening arranged in the container. The invention further relates to a method for using the device.
In the following specification and accompanying claims the term “loose material” means a material which normally has an incoherent structure, but which, because of its structure, can also be compressed into a coherent whole. When the loose material is compressed into a coherent whole it is referred to as “compressed loose material.” Some examples of such loose material include potting compost, peat, paper, silage, straw and cotton.
Loose material is compressed into blocks of compressed loose material to reduce the cost of its packaging, transporting and processing. To subsequently process a block of compressed loose material, for instance in the case of potting compost using a machine that fills flower pots with potting compost, the block must be returned to the loose material condition such that its coherent structure is broken down. To use such machines it is necessary that the compressed loose material be returned to a fine structure or nearly the original loose material structure. Also sufficient air has to be present between the particles of the material and lumps have to be prevented.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a device for loosening a block of compressed loose material, which meets the requirements mentioned above. To that end a device designed according to the present invention is characterized in that a scraper is arranged in a first supporting wall member of a container for holding the block of compressed loose material. In this way advantageous use is made of the weight of the block of compressed loose material to force the block against the scraper to ensure good scraping activity and to allow the block to lower itself downwards in constant contact with the scraper.
Preferably the scraper is moved in an upward direction along or in said first supporting wall member to also provide a conveyance function. Thus, the loosened material can be brought to one side of the device, to be received there for further handling.
To permit the device to interact with a known machine that further processes the loose material, such as a pot filling machine, the first supporting wall member having the scraper is preferably placed at an angle with respect to the horizontal. The device may also be used with the first supporting wall member set parallel to the horizontal. As a result of the inclined positioning the device has a shorter height or width, depending on the shape of the block. Furthermore the pressure of the block on the scraper can be kept limited, as a result of which the design of the scraper can be simpler. A discharge opening is arranged in the container, preferably at one end of the first supporting wall member, preferably the opening is elevated and situated at least at a height that is equal to the input opening of a further processing machine. Thus the scraper delivers the loosened material to the opening for further processing.
In one embodiment, a fixed angled arrangement of the first supporting wall member to the horizontal is used, and another block supporting wall member, which connects to the first supporting wall member containing the scraper, is pivotable between a receiving position and a supporting position for receiving the block. In this way the block can very simply be fed into the device and tilted as will be described below.
Preferably the scraper is formed by an endless belt or chain on which scraping elements are attached. For good scraping activity the scraping elements preferably are L-shaped strips.
Preferably the first supporting wall member comprises a plate below the scraping elements to prevent downward flow of scraped material. Thus, as the scraping elements are moved the scraped-off material is then shoved or taken to the discharge opening over the plate by the scraping elements.
In the discharge opening a stirring assembly is arranged to additionally shake the scraped-off material loose so that sufficient air is present between the material, lumps are crushed and the original volume is obtained again.
International patent application WO 94/03043 discloses a device for making hay or straw put together in a roll smaller, the roll being supported on a trapezium-shaped bottom in which a number of strips attached to an endless, driven chain are accommodated in order to unroll the bale of hay or straw and transport its end upwards to a separate reduction means, where the stalks are cut into pieces.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,128 discloses a device for reducing a bale of for instance straw comprising a bale supporting wall member and a roll placed on one side thereof with a number of teeth, with which the upstanding side of the bale is pulled out. The bale is pushed to the side of the roll by means of a revolving series of angle profiles driven by means of chains.
In the method of using the device, preferably the block of compressed loose material is supplied in an upright position on a pallet, it is then put down with the pallet on an another supporting wall member for the support of the block, which wall member may or may not be open, the wall member is then tilted to let the block rest with a side surface on the first supporting wall having the scraper elements. The scraper is then activated to begin scraping the block of compressed loose material. Preferably the scraping direction is upwards toward the discharge opening, which is located above.
These and other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be described as follows.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2646913 (1953-07-01), Goldberg et al.
patent: 3175595 (1965-03-01), Coutts
patent: 4078733 (1978-03-01), Popiolek
patent: 4360167 (1982-11-01), Beccalori et al.
patent: 4923128 (1990-05-01), Ostrowski
patent: 5975444 (1999-11-01), Ethier
patent: 2371868 (1978-06-01), None
patent: PCTAU9300407 (1994-02-01), None
Howard & Howard
Logitec Plus, B.V.
Rosenbaum Mark
LandOfFree
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