Pressure roller for an apparatus for compaction of empty beverage containers

An apparatus for compaction of empty hollow bodies comprising:

• at least one pressure roller comprising at least one roller body having an essentially cylindrical mantle surface;
• and
• a counter-bearing, wherein the at least one roller body is disposed at a distance from the counter-bearing, forming a gap,
• wherein the essentially cylindrical mantle surface is formed in a working region of the at least one roller body,
• wherein each of the at least one roller body possesses multiple regions of the same width, in an axial direction, in the working region,
• wherein the multiple regions are separated from one another by a circumferential recess extending in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction,
• wherein each of the multiple regions, viewed along the axial direction, comprises multiple sections that follow one another and are separated from one another,
• wherein one of the multiple sections comprises multiple cam-shaped projections that project radially away from the mantle surface,
• wherein sections of the multiple sections next to the section having the cam-shaped projections are configured with pressure surfaces of radially the same, constant height in relation to a center of the roller body,
• wherein the pressure surfaces have a width that is at least half the width of the section having the cam-shaped projection,
• wherein all parts of the cam-shaped projections have a same relative height over the pressure surfaces of the multiple sections next to the sections having the cam-shaped projections, and
• wherein either
• an edge region, that is formed by a side flank of the respective cam-shaped projection and the sections next to the section having the cam-shaped projection, is in each instance a beveled surface, which reaches maximally down over a length of up to half of said relative height;
• or
• an edge region, that is formed by a side flank of the respective circumferential recess and an adjacent section of the multiple sections of the multiple profiled partial regions, is in each instance a beveled surface, which reaches maximally down over a length of up to half of said relative height,
• wherein a width of the cam-shaped projections in the axial direction is smaller than a width of the circumferential recesses in the axial direction,
• wherein the counter-bearing is at least one second pressure roller in the construction of the at least one pressure roller, and
• wherein said at least one pressure roller and said at least one second pressure roller are arranged respectively such that during rotation the cam-shaped projections of said at least one pressure roller and said second pressure roller, respectively, each plunge into the circumferential recesses of said second pressure roller or said at least one pressure roller, respectively.

A method of forming an apparatus for compaction of empty hollow bodies, having at least one pressure roller disposed at a distance from a counter-bearing, forming a gap, comprising the following steps:

• providing the pressure roller comprising a single and continuous mantle surface in an axial direction,
• forming the single and continuous mantle surface of the pressure roller in a working region of the pressure roller so that the at least one pressure roller possesses multiple regions having the same width, in an axial direction, in the working region of the pressure roller, separating the multiple regions from one another by a circumferential recess extending respectively in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, and wherein each of the multiple regions, viewed along the axial direction, has multiple sections that follow one another and are spaced apart from one another,
• forming on one of the multiple sections in each of these multiple regions multiple cam-shaped projections that project radially away from the single and continuous mantle surface,
• forming on sections of the multiple sections next to the section having the cam-shaped projections pressure surfaces of radially the same, constant height in relation to a center of the roller body, wherein the pressure surfaces have a width that is at least half the width of the section having the cam-shaped projection, and
• placing the pressure roller at a distance to the counter-bearing with the gap there between as a device for comminution of hollow bodies made of glass, which correspond to a beverage container in terms of their shape and size,
• wherein all parts of the cam-shaped projections have a same relative height over the pressure surfaces of the multiple sections next to the sections having the cam-shaped projections,
• wherein before placing the pressure roller one of the following step takes place:
• forming a beveled surface on an edge region formed by a side flank of the respective cam-shaped projection and the sections next to the section having the cam-shaped projection, which reaches maximally down over a length of up to half of said relative height;
• or
• forming a beveled surface on an edge region formed by a side flank of the respective circumferential recess and an adjacent section of the multiple sections of the multiple profiled partial regions, which reaches maximally down over a length of up to half of said relative height,
• wherein the counter-bearing is at least one second pressure roller in the construction of the at least one pressure roller, and
• wherein said at least one pressure roller and said at least one second pressure roller are arranged respectively such that during rotation the cam-shaped projections of said at least one pressure roller and said second pressure roller each plunge into the circumferential recesses of said second pressure roller or said at least one pressure roller, respectively.