GONELLA, Carlo (Via Schierano, 174, Roccagrimalda, I-15078, IT)
| Claims 1. A machine (10) for processing the organic fraction of urban solid waste, characterized in that it comprises: - a supporting frame (12), - a rectilinear channel (36) which is open upwards to be loaded with material to be processed, and has an inlet mouth (36a) and an outlet mouth (36b) at its opposite longitudinal ends, - a perforated, rectilinear tube (30) which is aligned to said rectilinear channel (36) and has an open inlet end (30a) connected to the outlet mouth (36b) of said horizontal channel (36), as well as an open outlet end (30b), - shutting means (49, 146) connected to first piston driving means (50, 148), which are operable to close said outlet end (30b) of the perforated tube (30), and - a pressing member (40) which is slidably insertable through the inlet mouth (36a) of the channel, under control of second piston driving means (42), to progressively enter the channel (36), in such a way as to push the material contained therein into the perforated tube (30), then the perforated tube, with said shutting means (49, 146) in a closed configuration, in such a way as to squeeze the material with drainage of its humid fraction through the holes in the perforated tube (30), and finally to continue its stroke into the perforated tube (30), with said shutting means (49, 146) in an open configuration, in such a way as to eject the squeezed material through said outlet end (30b) of the perforated tube. 2. The machine of claim 1, characterized in that said loading channel (36) is formed at the bottom of a loading hopper (34). 3. The machine of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said outlet end (30b) of the perforated tube (30) leads to a duct (44) extending at right angles to the perforated tube, and said shutting means comprise a shutter (49) which is slidably received within said duct (44). 4. The machine of claim 3, characterized in that said shutter (49) has a sharp edge (49a) which is slidable in a scraping relation along the edge of said outlet end (30b) of the perforated tube (30). 5. The machine of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said shutting means comprise a shutting member (146), which is longitudinally movable with respect to said perforated tube (30), under control of third piston driving means (148), to abut against the outlet end (30a) of said perforated tube (30) with its front surface. 6. The machine of claim 5, characterized in that said outlet end (30b) of the perforated tube (30) leads to a vertical duct (144), and in that it comprises a guillotine (149) driven by respective piston driving means (150) and having a first sharp edge (149a) which is slidable in a scraping relation along the edge of said outlet end (30b) of the perforated tube (30). 7. The machine of claim 6, characterized in that said guillotine (149) also has a second sharp edge (149b) which is slidable in a scraping relation along the front surface of said shutting member (146). 8. The machine of any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said perforated tube (30) and said pressing member (40) have complementary rectangular profiles. 9. The machine of claim 8, characterized in that said channel (36) and said pressing member (40) have complementary rectangular profiles. 10. The machine of any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said perforated tube (30) is axially sandwiched between said frame (12) and a structure (26) by means of tie rods (32). |
The present invention relates to a machine for processing the organic fraction of urban solid waste (USW) deriving from differentiated collection, hereinafter referred to as organic fraction.
As known, with the practice of the differentiated collection the organic fraction of urban solid waste is separed from the remaining, substantially inert fractions. The organic fraction in turn contains a "humid" fraction, which can be recycled, e.g., for production of fertilizers, and a "dry" fraction, i.e., a fraction having a low percentage of water, which can be recycled, e.g., for production of fuel.
EP 1 207 040 describes a machine which compacts urban solid waste by separing the humid fraction from the dry fraction. This machine comprises three perforated cylinders supported on a revolving drum. The drum is driven to rotate by steps, so that each cylinder is cyclically conveyed in front of a loading station, where it receives the material to be compacted from a hopper via an auger, then in front of a compacting station, where a plunger enters the cylinder and squeezes the material contained therein, thereby causing the fluid fraction to be drained through the holes, and finally in front of an unloading station, where a piston pushes the compacted material away from the cylinder.
Since complications rise from processing a very unhomogeneous material such as the USW, which can also contain rigid bodies having a huge size and made of very resistant materials, such as metal, wood, and the like, the machines according to the above-mentioned patent are designed and sized in such a way that they can stand very high pressures and resist to the high abrasive action exerted by the material. However, this circumstance considerably increases the manufacturing costs of the machine, the use of which, consequently, is not advantageous when only the organic fraction of urban solid waste (FORSU), which is by nature a more homogeneous and yielding material, has to be processed.
Therefore, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a machine designed and optimized for processing only the organic fraction of urban solid waste by separing the "humid" fraction from the "dry" fraction.
The above object and other advantages, which will better appear from the following description, are achieved by a machine having the features recited in claim 1, while the dependent claims state other advantageous, though secondary features of the invention.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to a few preferred, non-exclusive embodiments, shown by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal cross-section of the machine of Fig. 1 ;
Figs. 3 to 8 are views similar to Fig. 2, showing the machine in respective six, subsequent operative steps;
Fig. 9 is a plan view of the machine according to an alternative embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 10 is a view in longitudinal cross-section of the machine of Fig. 9;
Figs. 11 to 20 are views similar to Fig. 9, showing the machine in respective ten, subsequent operative steps.
With reference to the above Figures, a machine 10 for processing the organic fraction of urban solid waste comprises a supporting frame 12 supported on feet such as 14, 16. Frame 12 comprises two side members 18, 20 which are interconnected at their ends by cross members 22, 24. A structure 26 is arranged in front of one end of frame 12, which also is supported on feet such as 28. A horizontal, perforated tube 30 is axially sandwiched between frame 12 and structure 26 by means of tie rods 32 pulling on frame 12 and structure 26.
Perforated tube 30 has a rectangular profile and is open at both its end facing frame 12, hereinafred referred to as inlet end 30a, and its opposite end facing structure 26, hereinafter referred to as outlet end 30b.
Frame 12 supports a hopper 34 at the bottom of which a loading channel 36 is formed, which is aligned to perforated tube 30 and has the same rectangular profile. Loading channel 36 has an inlet mouth 36a and an outlet mouth 36b which is connected to inlet end 30a of perforated tube 30.
A pressing member 40 is insertable through inlet mouth 36a of channel 36, which has a rectangular profile matching with the profile of perforated tube 30, and is driven by a first hydraulic cylinder 42 supported on frame 12 for progressively entering channel 36 and perforated tube 30, as will be better described below.
Outlet end 30b of perforated tube 30 leads to a vertical duct 44 defined in structure 26, which is open at its lower end.
A shutter 49 is slidably received within duct 44 under control of a hydraulic cylinder 50 for closing outlet end 30b of the perforated tube. Shutter 49 has a sharp edge 49a which is slidable in a scraping relation along the edge of outlet end 30b of perforated tube 30.
In operation, at the beginning machine 10 is configured as shown in Fig. 2, shutter 49 is lifted and pressing member 40 is withdrawn so that it does not engage channel 36 and perforated tube 30. Then, channel 36 is filled with organic material M to be processed via hopper 34 (Fig. 3). Now, shutter 49 is lowered, thereby closing outlet end 30b of perforated tube 30, and pressing member 40 is moved forward so that it enters channel 36 and pushes the material contained therein into perforated tube 30 (Fig. 4). Then, pressing member 40 is further moved forward so that it enters perforated tube 30 and squeezes the material contained therein, with drainage of the fluid fraction through the holes of the tube (Fig. 5). Now, shutter 49 is lifted (Fig. 6) in order to open outlet end 30b of perforated tube 30, and pressing member 40 is further moved forward, thereby unloading block B made of compacted, "dry" material into vertical duct 44 (Fig. 7). Now, pressing member 40 is withdrawn to the initial, resting position, so that fresh material to be compacted will drop into channel 36 (Fig. 8). In the following cycle, during the lowering of shutter 49, any residuals on the edge of outlet end 30b of perforated tube 30 will be removed by the scraping action exerted by sharp edge 49a of shutter 49.
Of course, the operation of the machine throughout the various, above- described steps can be automatized way by conventional, programmable control systems which will not be described because they fall outside the scope of the invention.
According to an alternative embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 9 to 20, the closing of, and the scraping action on, outlet end 30b of perforated tube 30, are performed by two separate components, rather than being both performed by a shutter. The elements unvaried with respect to the previous embodiment will be referred to by the same reference numbers, while those elements which are only similar will be referred to by the same number augmented by 100. In this embodiment, a shutting member 146 aligned to first hydraulic cylinder 42 is horizontally driven by a respective hydraulic cylinder 148, which is supported on a structure 126 arranged in front of frame 12, likewise the previous embodiment, for abutting against outlet end 30a of perforated tube 30 with its front surface.
Likewise the previous embodiment, a vertical duct 144 is defined in structure 126, downstream of perforated tube. A guillotine 149 driven by a third hydraulic cylinder 150 is slidable within vertical duct 144, and has a sharp edge 149a which is slidable in a scraping relation along the edge of outlet end 30b of perforated tube 30, as well as an opposite sharp edge 149b which is also slidable in a scraping relation along the front surface of shutting member 146 at its withdrawn, resting position, i.e., at a position which is axially spaced from outled end 30b of perforated tube 30 and does not engage vertical duct 144 (Fig. 10).
Also with this arrangement, machine 10 is initially configured as shown in
Fig. 10, with all the hydraulic cylinder completely withrawn. Likewise the previous embodiment, channel 36 is filled with organic material to be processed via hopper 34 (Fig. 11). Now, shutting member 146 is moved forward up to close outlet end 30b of perforated tube 30 (Fig. 12), and pressing member 40 is moved forward to fill the perforated tube and squeeze the material contained therein, likewise the previous embodiment (Figs. 13, 14). Now, shutting member 146 is withdrawn so that it disengages duct 144 (Fig. 15), and pressing member 40 is further moved forward to push the compacted material into duct 144 (Figs. 16, 17). Now, pressing member 40 is withdrawn to the initial, resting position, so that fresh material to be compacted will drop into channel 36 (Fig. 18). Therafter, guillotine 149 is operated for scraping both the edge of outlet end 30b of perforated tube 30 (Fig. 19) and the surface of shutting member 146, and finally the initial configuration of the machine (Fig. 20) is restored for starting a new cycle.
A few preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein, but of course many changes may be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the claims. For instance, in the above-described embodiments the various chambers, as well as the slidable elements arranged therein, generally have a rectangular profile, because the operative pressures are relatively low, due to the relative yielding nature of the material under processing, so that it is not necessary to use cylindrical profiles that, as well known to the person skilled in the art, feature a better stress distribution. However, of course it is possible to use different profiles, e.g., polygonal profiles, as well as the above-mentioned cylindrical profile.