Screw conveyor system for compaction apparatus

A compaction apparatus comprising:

• a hopper receiving materials;
• a container storing the materials in a compacted fashion;
• and
• a screw conveyor system comprising:
• a screw conveying the materials from the hopper to the container and including a proximal segment including flights extending in the hopper and a distal segment including flights extending in the container, the screw having a longitudinal axis;
• and
• a passageway structure comprising a tunnel-like passage defined by at least one passageway wall, the tunnel-like passage allowing passage of the materials between the hopper and the container and being traversed by the screw, the passageway structure separating the hopper from the container, the tunnel-like passage being accessible from the hopper through an aperture having an asymmetrical shape along a cross-sectional axis extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the screw, the aperture conforming to a shape of the tunnel-like passage adjacent to the hopper, and the passageway structure comprising:
• a main passageway wherein the at least one passageway wall conforms a circumferential perimeter of the screw along a majority of the circumferential perimeter of the screw;
• and
• a by-pass passageway extending outwardly beyond the circumferential perimeter of the screw and offset from the main passageway.

A screw conveyor system for a compaction apparatus having a hopper receiving materials and a container storing the materials in a compacted fashion, the screw conveyor system comprising:

• a screw conveying the materials from the hopper to the container and including a proximal segment extending in the hopper, the screw having a longitudinal axis;
• and
• a passageway structure comprising a tunnel-like passage defined by at least one passageway wall, the passageway structure being traversed by the screw and separating the hopper from the container, the passageway structure defining an aperture allowing passage of the materials between the hopper and the container, the aperture having an asymmetrical shape along a cross-sectional axis extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the screw and the passageway structure comprising:
• a main passageway shaped to be in close relation to a circumferential perimeter of the screw along a majority thereof;
• and
• a by-pass passageway extending outwardly beyond the circumferential perimeter of the screw and offset from the main passageway, the by-pass passageway being located solely in a top right portion of the passageway structure for a rotation of the screw in a clockwise direction wherein the passageway wall substantially conforms to a circumferential perimeter of the screw in a top left portion of the passageway structure.

A compaction apparatus comprising:

• a hopper receiving materials;
• a container storing the materials in a compacted fashion;
• and
• a screw conveyor system comprising:
• a screw conveying the materials from the hopper to the container and including a proximal segment extending in the hopper, the screw having a longitudinal axis;
• and
• a passageway structure comprising a tunnel-like passage defined by at least one passageway wall, the passageway structure being traversed by the screw and separating the hopper from the container, the passageway structure defining an aperture allowing passage of the materials between the hopper and the container, the aperture having an asymmetrical shape along a cross-sectional axis extending normal to the longitudinal axis of the screw and the passageway structure comprising:
• a main passageway shaped to be in close relation to a circumferential perimeter of the screw along a majority thereof;
• and
• a by-pass passageway extending outwardly beyond the circumferential perimeter of the screw and offset from the main passageway, the by-pass passageway being located solely in a top right portion of the passageway structure for a rotation of the screw in a clockwise direction wherein the passageway wall substantially conforms to a circumferential perimeter of the screw in a top left portion of the passageway structure.