The present invention concerns a supply system for waste compacting-drying apparatus of the multiple compartment cage kind.

The invention is included in the technical field concerning the apparatuses for treatment of industrial working of waste materials, litter and like.

Systems are known for treatment of refusals that at the same time aim reducing the volume of refusals and inertisation of the putrefactive fraction. Objective of systems realised according to this technology is that of obtaining a solid, dry, sterilised and detoxified product, that can be sent in dump or even, in view of its very good stability features and exsiccation grade, can be used as material for environmental restoration material, i.e. as optimum fuel in heat fluid systems.

A particularly new solution is described in EP patent 0 663 227 B1 , concerning a refusal dehydrating pressing apparatus of the cage kind, comprising a cylindrically shaped body, for containing refusals to be subjected to treatment, and two resistant pressing plates for compacting said refusals, said pressing plates being provided one opposite the other and operating as movable basis of said cylindrically shaped body.

With respect to the prior art, EP patent 1 066 490 B1 , filed in the name of the present application, has innovative features permitting obtaining better results. It describes a compacting drying system of the cage kind, provided cylinder shaped body formed by longitudinal heating conduits run through by a heat transfer fluid, such heating conduits being arranged according to the generatrix lines of said cylinder and in spaced apart relation each other and having the functions both to act as a bearing structure of the apparatus and to transfer heat from said heat transfer fluid to the waste materials to be treated contained therein.

Two oppositely arranged and pressing plates, operating as mobile bases of said cylinder shaped body, obtain compacting action of the waste materials.

Heating conduits are constrained together by means of retainer hoops, arranged under a pre-established mutual spacing in order to assure stability of the conduits forming said cylinder shaped body (10) under the radial stresses generated by the waste materials being pressed as well as by thermal gradients.

Compacting system further comprises means for discharging the water vapour generated by the heating step of said waste materials, said means being formed by the longitudinal slots established between said heating conduits. Then, some drawbacks of the drier - compacting apparatus according to EP patent 1 066 490 B1 have been overcome by improved drier - compacting apparatus described in the International Patent application n° WO2004/030901 , structurally modified in order to increase the useful average fraction of the exchange surface of tubes run by heat transfer fluid and at the same time permitting continuous conduction of the system.

In order to reach the above results, solution according to International Application n° WO2004/030901 provides further heat sources within the cage drying - compacting apparatus, all along its length, suitably sized, comprised of tubes through which thermal carrier fluid passes. Additional tubes, beside being into the refuse mass, and consequently having a surface useful for thermal exchanging much higher than that of tubes comprising the outer perimeter of the cage, can be placed in such a way to divide the refuse drying - compacting apparatus into a plurality of sections all along its length, each section having a diameter equivalent minor than the diameter of the cage, and thus being more efficient to transmit heat to the refuse mass. Consequently, temperature of the treated mass reaches the required values in a reduced time. Positioning of the tubes realised according to International

Application n ⁰ WO2004/030901 further allows to obtain also the pressure that in the previous systems was carried out in the compaction section at room temperature positioned upward the drier - compacting apparatus, thus permitting, by a hopper, to directly feed the drying - compacting apparatus by the refuses to be subjected to treatment. As a consequence, it is possible to continuously operate the system.

However, solution according to the International Application n° WO2004/030901 has some difficulties in supplying the drier - compacting apparatus. In fact, once loading section has been filled in with wastes to be subjected to treatment, they are pushed within the relevant compartment comprising the apparatus, by the same pressing plates conferring to the treated material the wished compaction grade. During the

path toward the relevant compartments, wastes to be treated contact the collector conveying heat transfer fluid toward the tubes, by this are divided into divided charges corresponding to the compartments of the drier - compacting apparatus. Since different compartments, which are adjacent each other, are also divided by two tube rows (in this case a further vapour escape path being defined between the two rows), it is evident that profile of collector connecting each other all the tube heads, is an obstacle for the movement of the waste mass pushed by the pressing plates, determining its division into different compartments but also causing relevant stresses for the structure.

Particularly, presence of said obstacle, along with different composition of the load to be subjected to treatment, can induce forces and momentum that could modify the working line of the pressing plates, i.e. damaging collector, besides fatigue stressing structural components and restraint members between apparatus and its base.

It is therefore specific object of the present invention a supply system for waste compacting-drying apparatus of the multiple compartment cage kind, comprising a cylindrical shaped body comprised of heating longitudinal tubes, provided along the generatrixes of the cylinder, divided into sections by further heating longitudinal tubes, said tubes being run by a thermal carrier fluid, and being spaced each other, in such a way to realise longitudinal slots for passage of vapour but not for passage of material, said apparatus comprising pressing plates, at least one for each section, to which oppose, on the opposite side of the cylindrical shaped body, buckling means, permitting passage of material and means for collection of treated material, and comprising a partitioning device, provided on the side of the cylindrical shaped body from which wastes to be treated are supplied, comprised of a cylindrical skirt within which a plurality of sections is defined by walls, said section being provided in number corresponding to and having the shape of said cylindrical shaped body, each one of said sections of the partitioning device being supplied by independent supply means, through at least one opening realised on the cylindrical skirt. According to the invention, said supply means comprise a conduct connected with each opening of the cylindrical skirt, and within

which wastes are moved by gravity or by pneumatic or mechanical means, for example pushing device or worm screw.

Particularly, according to the invention, a hopper supplies each one of said conducts. Preferably, according to the invention, supply means of the upper sections of said partitioning device comprise a hopper directly connected with each opening of the cylindrical skirt corresponding to said upper sections.

Always according to the present invention, said pressing plates have a head shaped according to the cross - section of the relevant section of the partitioning device, with a lateral surface with such a length to cover the opening of the skirt during the advancement phase for pushing the waste within the cylindrical shaped body sections and have telescopical stems for extension of the plate stroke when necessary. Finally, according to the invention, each one of the partitioning device sections has a sheet extension of its walls, extending for some centimetres until inside the relevant cylindrical shaped body section.

Further particulars and advantages of the present invention will be evident from the following specification making reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein some preferred embodiments are represented for illustrative and not limitative purposes. In the drawings: figure 1 shows a schematic lateral vertical view of a compacting-drying apparatus of the multiple compartment cage kind provided with the supply system according to the present invention; figure 2 shows a cross-section of a first embodiment of the apparatus of figure 1 ; figure 3 shows cross-section of a second embodiment of the apparatus of figure 1; figure 4 is an axonometric view of the particular of the cage of the collector of apparatus of figure 1 ; and figure 5 is an axonometric view of the particular of the partitioning device of apparatus of figure 1.

Making reference to the enclosed figures, it can be observed that main body of compacting-drying apparatus according to the invention comprises a cylindrical shaped body 1 made up of an assembly of tubes 2 run by a thermal carrier fluid, said tubes 2 being positioned according to

the generatrixes of the cylinder. Thus, within the tubes 2 a cylindrical space is realised, said space being divided into four equivalent sections by further tubes 3, run as well by the thermal carrier fluid, arranged according to a cross position. Particularly, figure 3 shows that division of the cylindrical space is conveniently realised by a double tube row 3, between which a further vapour escape path is realised.

Different tube 2 rows comprising said cylindrical shaped body and tube 3 dividing the same into section are constrained each other by retainer hoops 4 and by cross shaped plates 5. Said retainer hoops 4 and said plates 5 are set with a given distance between centres in order to ensure stability of tubes stressed by transverse pushings exerted by pressed material and thermal gradient. These structures have a seat designed on the profile of the same tubes.

Longitudinal axial thrust for compaction of waste material contained within the cylindrical shaped body 1 is exerted by pressing plates 6, at least one for each section of the cylindrical body, to which buckling elements (not shown) oppose on the opposite side of the cylindrical shaped body, also permitting outlet of material when the required features have been reached. Tubes 2 communicate with inlet collectors 7 and outlet collectors 8 for the diathermic fluid, said collectors being shaped according to the transverse positioning of the tubes 2, 3 assembly, and provided with flanged gates 9 for connection with conducts closing the heating circuit.

Cylindrical body 1 is enclosed by a thermo insulating carter 10, acting as collector of vapour freeing through the ways of escape, which is under negative pressure, through a conduct 11 , by a closed circuit driving condensating unit, in order that system has not an impact on the outer environment, or on the working environment.

Supply system of the compacting-drying apparatus is comprised of an autonomous and independent partitioning device 12, within which heads 18 of pressing plates 6 operates, said partitioning device 12 being provided in the cylindrical shaped body 1 inlet zone. Partitioning device 12 has the function of eliminating of all the stressed action that pressing plates would exert on the structure according to the technical teachings of the known art.

Particularly, partitioning device 12 has a cylindrical shape, divided into four sections, corresponding to sections of cylindrical body 1

defined by tubes 3. outer skirt 13 and walls 14 of partitioning device 12 sections have such dimensions to exactly reproduce the collector profile 7. in this way, wastes loaded in partitioning device 12 can be conveyed to the cylindrical body 1 without any narrowing of the passage section, neither in correspondence of collector 7 or in correspondence of the inner part of cylindrical body 1.

Different sections of partitioning device 12 are separately loaded through suitable supply devices. Particularly, loading of partitioning device 12 sections occurs through slots realised o the cylindrical skirt 13, a number of slots at least corresponding to the number of the partitioning device 12 sections. Each one of the two upper sections of the partitioning device 12 is supplied for example by said hopper 15, by which wastes are loaded by gravity within sections, through relevant slots in the cylindrical skirt 13. Wastes are conveyed in the lower sections through conducts 16, communicating with sections through slots realised in the lower portion of cylindrical skirt 13. Each one of the conduct 16 can be supplied through relevant hoppers (not shown). Waste is thus conveyed to the partitioning device 12 sections, e.g. by plate pushing devices, one for each conduct 16, or by Archimedean screws 17, one for each conduct 16, or by pneumatic thrust.

Pressing plates 6 can be comprised of a shaped head 18 having a cylindrical portion, the lateral surface of which has such a length to obstruct skirt 13 slots of partitioning device 12 during the thrust of plates 6 on wastes in the different cylindrical body 1 sections. This solution prevents wastes can accumulate on the rear side of the pressing plates 6. stroke of pressing plates 6 is usually limited so as top of cylindrical head 18 covers the whole length of partitioning device 12, without being subjected to high temperatures within the cylindrical body 1. However, stems 19 of pressing plates 6 can be telescopic, in order to permit a longer stroke of the pressing plates 6, necessary in case consistency of wastes to be treated involves a swelling of the same after the pressing by plates (the so called "spring effect") that would diminish space available within partitioning device 12 sections, and thus loading capacity of the device. This problem is solved pushing wastes for a short time more inside sections of cylindrical body 1. Consequently, each one of the partitioning device 12 sections has a sheet extension of its walls, extending for some centimetres inside the relevant section of cylindrical body 1.

It is well evident that the solution according to the present invention completely eliminates stresses on the whole structure, caused by the resistance that wastes loaded within the device realised according to the known art experienced along its path from loading section to treatment section and particularly in correspondence of collector 7. Furthermore, solution according to the present invention annuls exposition of pressing plate stems at the warm zone of the device, i.e. tubes 2 and 3 of the cylindrical body 1.

The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.