Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Disassembling
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-05
2004-08-10
Rosenbaum, I Cuda (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Disassembling
C029S402030, C029S700000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06772497
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
Reference to a “Computer Listing Appendix Submitted on a Compact Disc”
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for automatically processing multiple used oil filters used for internal combustion engines for disposal, in particular for disposal in which essentially all of the residual oil is removed making the crushed canister and internal element a non-hazardous material and making the connector base plate available for recycling as scrap steel.
(2) Description of Related Art
Many state governments have classified used automotive and truck oil filters with substantial amounts of retained oil as a hazardous waste material causing a high disposal cost. A number of states have statutes that provide for special hazardous waste sites for landfill of these materials with substantial charges for their use. There is also a potential generator liability where filters have been disposed of without removing essentially all the retained oil.
Methods have been devised for removing residual oil from used filters and for removing the base plate. However, the more common method in general use for removing the oil involves crushing the filter axially with the base plate intact. Most filters are constructed with a check valve in conjunction with the base plate preventing free flow of oil out of the filter assembly during axial crushing thus leaving a substantial amount of oil. The methods devised for removing the base plate lack the simplicity and/or ruggedness needed for an economical automatic system.
The ideal location for processing used oil filters is at the service facility that removes the filter from the vehicle, in particular if the filter can be processed while it is still warm. Service facilities normally deal with more than one size of filter. This multiple size processing requirement coupled with the numerous small business locations require an economical rugged system with adaptive size processing capability.
Automatic operation is needed for uniformity of processing and for labor savings. Automatic operation also facilitates the processing of warm filters as they are removed from the vehicle, as minimal operator input is required to initiate the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,906 provides for shearing off the base plate and then crushing the canister and filter element normal to the filter axis. The mechanism as claimed in '906 is not suitable for adapting to automatic operation, particularly where it is desired for the processed filter components to have a minimum amount of residual oil or where it is desired to separate the base plate from the canister and filter element. '906 deposits the sheared connector plate and crushed canister assembly into a common receptacle where oil from subsequent cycles will drain onto previously processed filter components. It has been found that when severing filter connector plates, small pieces of the internal construction of filters are generated and it is believed that shearing plate 43 in '906 will generate shaving like pieces which will collect and fill shear plate receiving slot 58 requiring on going maintenance and thus limit the utility of apparatus described.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a method for automatically processing multiple used oil filters used for internal combustion engines for disposal, in particular for disposal in which essentially all of the residual oil is removed making the crushed canister and internal element a non-hazardous material and making the connector base plate available for recycling as scrap steel.
Therefore, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for processing used oil filters for recycling where the connector plates are severed from the canister and where the canister and filter elements are crusher squeezing out waste oil. A processing or crushing zone with one stationary wall and one opposite and parallel movable wall is provided on guide-ways and with both walls having one edge in a common plane.
Thus, the present invention provides an apparatus for processing multiple used oil filters for an engine using oil for lubrication by shearing a connector plate of each filter from a canister and then crushing the canister which comprises (a) a fixed wall in a frame against which a used oil filter is positioned in a crushing zone with the connector plate below the canister; (b) a movable wall mounted on the frame which is movable by a driving means to engage the filter in the crushing zone to crush the filter, and which is retracted by the driving means from the crushing zone; (c) blade means mounted adjacent to the movable wall or adjacent to the fixed wall so as to shear the connector plate from the canister as the movable wall crushes the canister against the fixed wall; (d) a floor mounted on the frame for the removal of the used oil the sheared connector plate and the crushed canister from the apparatus; and (e) a feed chute with an escapement means for individually and automatically feeding the oil filters to the crushing zone based upon the position of the movable wall wherein the retaining means holds a preceding oil filter of the multiple filters away from the crushing zone until the used oil, the crushed canister and the sheared connection plate have been removed from the crushing zone of the apparatus.
The present invention further provides a process for automatically processing used oil filters of the type used in an engine which comprises (a) individually crushing the filters fed by a multiple filter feed means of an apparatus with an escapement for metering one filter at a time into a crushing zone; (b) removing a filter connector base plate from a canister of the filter in the crushing zone by a guillotine like shearing action; (c) compressing the canister of the filter with an internal filter element to a crushing pressure thereby extracting residual oil from the canister and filter element; and (d) discharging the connector plate and crushed canister filter element from the apparatus.
Further still, the present invention provides an apparatus for automatically processing used oil filters of the type used in an engine comprising (a) a multiple filter feed means with an escapement for metering one filter at a time into a zone with a blade means, which removes a connector plate from a canister of the filter by a guillotine like shearing action, compression means for compressing the canister and filter element at a crushing pressure thereby extracting residual oil from the filter element, door means for selectively discharging the crushed canister, filter element and the connector plate from the apparatus.
Further still, the present invention provides an apparatus for processing multiple used oil filters for an engine using oil for lubrication by shearing a connector plate of each filter from a canister and then crushing the canister which comprises (a) a fixed wall in a frame against which a used oil filter is positioned in a crushing zone with the filter axis parallel to the fixed wall; (b) a movable wall mounted on guideways of the frame which is movable by a driving means to engage the filter in the crushing zone to crush the filter, and which is retracted by the driving means from the crushing zone; (c) blade means mounted on the driving means adjacent to the movable wall and adjacent to the fixed wall so as to shear the connector plate from the canister as the movable wall crushes the canister against the fixed wall; (d) a retractable floor in said crushing zone mounted on the frame which retracts for the removal of the used oil, the sheared connector plate and the crushed canister from the apparatus; and (e) a feed chute with an escapement means for individually and automatically feeding the oil filters to the crushing zone based upon the position of the movable wall, wherein the retaining means holds a preceding oil filter of the multiple filte
Franklin Charles H.
Rice Edwin E.
Cuda Rosenbaum I
Kenny Stephen
McLeod Ian C.
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