Apparatus for compacting scrap materials, such as relatively comminuted scrap metal, waste, and the like

An apparatus for compacting into blocks scrap materials, such as relatively comminuted scrap metal, waste and the like, comprising:

• a feed chamber defining member for feeding therein pre-compressed material to be compacted into blocks, said feed chamber having an open ended cylindrical shape with a substantially vertical feed chamber axis and a side opening with a substantially horizontal feed inlet axis for feeding therethrough said pre-compressed material into said feed chamber, thereby to fill said feed chamber with said pre-compressed material,
• a compression chamber defining structure located below said feed chamber and having a substantially vertical compression chamber axis coaxially in alignment with said feed chamber axis, said compression chamber defining structure including a cylindrical open ended die cavity defining die removably arranged in said structure and at the top of said compression chamber a die inlet opening into said feed chamber and having at the bottom of said compression chamber a die outlet, said die inlet and said die outlet being in coaxial alignment with said compression chamber axis, said compression chamber defining structure comprising further a movable closure element at said die outlet for removably closing said die outlet during compression therein of said pre-compressed material, said feed chamber and said die cavity having cylindrical internal surfaces in flush alignment with respect to each other,
• a basement below said structure, said structure and said feed chamber defining member being arranged in stacked relationship to each other and removably supported on said basement,
• a compacting ram coaxial with said compression chamber axis and said feed chamber axis and vertically movable along said feed chamber axis and said compression chamber axis from a position above said chamber up to a position at said die outlet thereby to displace said pre-compressed material from said feed chamber into said compression chamber and simultaneously compress therein said pre-compressed material into a compacted block while said closure element is in a position closing said die outlet and expel said compacted block from said compression chamber through said die outlet when said closure element is moved away from said closing position thereof and
• at least one pre-compression chamber located upstream of said feed chamber and extending substantially horizontally, one said pre-compression chamber being coaxial with said feed inlet axis and opening into said side opening of said feed chamber, each said pre-compression chamber having a pressure element axially movable therethrough for partially pressing and displacing said pre-compressed material.