PASSERINI, Massimo (Via Luigi Sessa, 19 MIRABELLO, Italy, I-44043, IT)
VINCENZI, Lamberto (Via Chiesa 33, San Prospero, I-41030, IT)
MARCHESINI, Vainer (Via Seidenari 6, San Prospero, I-41030, IT)
PASSERINI, Massimo (Via Luigi Sessa, 19 MIRABELLO, Italy, I-44043, IT)
VINCENZI, Lamberto (Via Chiesa 33, San Prospero, I-41030, IT)
| CLAIMS 1. A machine (1) for draining humid waste comprising a containment structure (2), means for feeding the humid waste (5) housed in said containment structure (2) , and a drainage bed (6) , which is also housed in said containment structure (2) and is set underneath at least one first stretch of said feed means (5); said machine (1) being characterized in that said means for feeding the humid waste comprise a plurality of Archimedean screws (5) and in that said drainage bed (6; 25) comprises a plurality of filtering structures (7; 26) each of which has a concave conformation such as to co-operate in contact with the thread of a respective Archimedean screw (5) ; said machine comprising at least one thrust assembly (20) set between an end wall (3) of said containment structure (2) and said drainage bed (6; 25) and designed to force said filtering structures (7; 26) into contact with the blades of said Archimedean screws (5) . 2. Machine (1) for draining humid waste as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that each of said thrust assemblies (20) co-operates by thrust with said drainage bed (6; 25) at a respective portion of connection provided between two consecutive filtering structures (7; 26) . 3. Machine (1) for draining humid waste as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that said containment structure (2) comprises said end wall (3) , two side walls (4) , and movement means (10) , which are designed to modify the distance between said side walls (4) and said end wall (3); said drainage bed (6; 25) being laterally fixed to said side walls (4) . 4. Machine (1) for draining humid waste as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that said movement means comprise a jack (10) . 5. Machine (1) for draining humid waste as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that each of said thrust assemblies (20) comprises a resting structure (21) fixed to said end wall (3) and a thrust element (22) , which is made of plastic material and rests upon said resting structure (21) . 6. Machine (1) for draining humid waste as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that said drainage bed (6; 25) comprises a plurality of connection elements (17) , each of which is designed to couple together two side connecting edges (7a) of respective filtering structures (7) ; each of said thrust elements (22) acting on a respective connection element (17) . 7. Machine (1) for draining humid waste as claimed in Claim 6, characterized in that said connection elements (17) are made of plastic material by means of molding; each of the connection elements (17) comprising a polygonal body with substantially triangular cross section (18) and a pair of splines (19) , which are set convergent with respect to one another and have a first longitudinal portion (19a) internal to the body (18) and a second longitudinal portion (19b) , which comes out of the polygonal body (18) and engages respective seats made in said side connecting edges (7a) of said filtering structures (7) . 8. Machine (1) for draining humid waste as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that said drainage bed (25) is made up of a plurality of filtering structures (26) set alongside one another and mutually constrained along respective ends by means of a through pin; each of said thrust elements (22) acting on a respective hinge portion. |
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a machine for draining humid waste .
BACKGROUND ART
Machines for draining humid waste generally consist of an Archimedean screw, which is used to transport the waste from a loading station to an unloading station, where the drained waste is conveniently compacted. Furthermore, this type of draining machines comprises a drainage bed provided with a filtering structure, thus conveniently perforated, arranged underneath a first stretch of Archimedean screw so as to filter the liquid waste and hold the solid waste, which is moved by the Archimedean screw itself until it is unloaded into the unloading station.
To obtain an effective draining effect and to generally ensure a safe operation of the machine, the filtering structure is arranged as close as possible in contact with the thread of the Archimedean screw. For this purpose, the filtering structure has a concave conformation such as to be mate as much as possible with the spirals of the Archimedean screw itself.
The drainage beds are generally made of plastic material such as to have sufficient elasticity both to be forced against the spirals and to allow solid bodies, which could be jammed underneath, to pass over the spirals themselves .
However, no valid solution has been yet found to force the drainage beds against the spirals of the Archimedean screw.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a machine for draining humid waste, the technical features of which are such to comprise a drainage bed adapted to cooperate with a plurality of Archimedean screws while ensuring a correct contact thereof with the spirals of the Archimedean screws themselves .
Hence, it is the object of the present invention a machine for draining humid waste, the essential features of which are set forth in independent claim 1, and the preferred and/or auxiliary features of which are set forth in claims 2-8.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the invention, two embodiments are described below by way of non-limitative example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:
figure 1 shows a perspective top view of a preferred embodiment of the machine for draining humid waste object of the present invention;
- figure 2 shows a section taken along line II-II in figure 1; and
- figure 3 shows a plan view, with parts broken, of a second embodiment of part of the machine for draining humid waste object of the present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
In figure 1, numeral 1 indicates as a whole a machine for draining humid waste object of the present invention.
Draining machine 1 comprises a containment structure 2 arranged obliquely and consisting of an end wall 3 (shown in the section in figure 2) and of two side walls 4 parallel to each other and coupled on opposite sides to the end wall 3 as disclosed below.
Draining machine 1 comprises three Archimedean screws 5 arranged with their respective axes (X) parallel to one another and housed within the containment structure 2 , and a drainage bed 6 which is also housed in the containment structure and arranged underneath a first stretch of the three Archimedean screws 5. In particular, the drainage bed 6 comprises three filtering structures 7 having a concave conformation, each of which is arranged to cooperate with a respective Archimedean screw 5.
Machine 1 further comprises an uploading station 8, arranged underneath an upper end 2a of the containment structure 2. Such an unloading station 8 comprises, in turn, a further Archimedean screw 9 adapted to receive and transport the drained solid waste and then unload it into an unloading container- (not shown for simplicity) .
As shown in the section in figure 2, the side walls end wall 3 thereof by means of a plurality of jacks 10, the function of which, as described below, is to ensure that the filtering structures 7 are in contact with the Archimedean screws 5.
In particular, each of jacks 10 comprises a screw 11 having two threaded portions HA, HB. If, for example, the portion HA has a right-hand threading, then the portion HB will have a left-hand threading.
Portion HA is adapted to be screwed into a first nut screw 12A made in an overhang 13A integral with a side wall 4. Portion HB, in turn, may be screwed into a second nut screw 12B made in an overhang 13B integral with the end wall 3. Screw H is manually rotated (or by means of any motorized system) by means of a control wheel 14 fixed at the upper end of the screw 11 itself.
Moreover, an elastic device 15 is provided between each side wall 4 and the end wall 3.
In use, in order to either raise or lower the side wall 4 with respect to the end wall 3, the control wheel 14 is simply rotated, and according to its rotation direction, it will move the side wall 4 to/from the end wall 3, either pressing or extending the elastic device 15, respectively.
Thereby, the relative position of the end wall 3 and the side walls 4 with respect to each other may be defined as desired.
The drainage bed 6 comprises three filtering structures 7 made of plastic material by molding. Each of the filtering structures 7 has a concave conformation and a plurality of conical openings 16, the size of which gradually increases as they are moved away from the respective Archimedean screw 5, such as to facilitate the liquid passing without any risk of clogging due to solid bodies which could enter into the openings 16 themselves.
The filtering structures 7 are side by side and are reciprocally coupled along their respective connecting side edges 7a by using connection elements 17. By virtue of the concave conformation of the filtering structures 7, the connection elements 17 define respective peaks of the drainage bed 6 as a whole.
The two side filtering structures comprise a side fixing portion 7b, which is fixed to a respective side wall 4 in a known manner, not disclosed for simplicity.
The connection elements 17 are also made of plastic material by molding and extend along- the side connecting edges 7a. Each of the connection elements 17 comprises a polygonal, substantially triangular cross-section body 18 and a pair of splines 19 , which are arranged so as to be convergent to each other, and having a first horizontal portion 19a inside the body 18 and a second longitudinal portion 19b, which protrudes from the polygonal body 18 and engages respective seats obtained in the side connecting edges 7a of the filtering structures 7. In particular, the connection elements 17 are made by co-molding techniques and, as shown in figure 2, the polygonal body 18 may have a solid structure with lightening holes or an entirely net- like structure .
Machine 1 further comprises a pair of thrust assemblies 20, which directly act on the connection elements 17 of the drainage bed 6 and, therefore, on the peaks that they define.
Each of the thrust assemblies 20 preferably comprises a metal resting structure 21 fixed to the end wall 3 and a thrust element 22 made of plastic material by molding. Each of the thrust elements 22 comprises a base portion 23 arranged so as to rest inside the resting structure 21 and a spline 24 having a lower longitudinal portion accommodated in the base portion 23 and an upper longitudinal portion arranged in a specific seat obtained in a respective connection element 17. In particular, the thrust element 22 is made by the co- molding technique and could also directly rest on the end wall 3a through the base portion 23.
Each of the thrust elements 22, being made of plastic material, has an elasticity such as to exert a thrust on the drainage bed 6 at the peaks and thus force the drainage bed 6 itself against the Archimedean screws 5, thus ensuring the desired contact. Moreover, the thrust elements 22 serve the function of avoiding accumulations of material at the intersection zones between the Archimedean screws while increasing the efficiency.
As apparent from the section in figure 2, the thrust assemblies are loaded by means of jacks 10 which, by moving the two side walls 4 towards the end wall 3, impose a raising of the connection elements 17, until they come in contact with the Archimedean screws 5, thus compressing the thrust elements 22. The compression of the thrust element 22 causes the elastic loading thereof, and therefore a thrust of the drainage bed 6 against the Archimedean screws 5.
As apparent from the above description, the draining machine 1 object of the present invention allows to simultaneously process large amounts of humid waste with obvious advantages in terms of efficiency and practicality, without therefore compromising the operative effectiveness of the machine itself. Indeed, the possibility of having a drainage bed consisting of a plurality of filtering structures, each of which cooperates with a respective Archimedean screw, and the presence of the thrust assemblies, which exert their function in the connection points of the various filtering structures, allows to simultaneously process a potentially very large amount of humid waste.
In figure 3, numeral 25 denotes as a whole a further embodiment of the drainage bed of the machine object of the present invention. Drainage bed 25 consists of a plurality of filtering structures 26, rectangular in plan, arranged side by side and mutually hinged along the respective edges by means of a through pin.
Drainage bed 25 laterally comprises two fixing panels 27, each of which has a first edge hinged to a respective filtering structure 26 and a second edge fixed to a respective side wall 4.
In drainage bed 25, each of the filtering structures 26 takes a concave conformation, as described above in connection with the drainage bed 6, defining a respective peak portion identified by a hinge between two consecutive filtering structures. The thrust assemblies 20 will be arranged at such peak portions for the purpose of ensuring the aforesaid contact between drainage bed and Archimedean screws.