Method and apparatus for the treatment of plastic materials
AssigneeMiddleton Engineering Limited
InventorAshley P. Middleton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Expanded or foamed plastic material, such as expanded polystyrene, is fed into a hopper containing an auger which carries blades for cutting the plastic material into pieces and for feeding it into a chamber containing a vertically reciprocable piston and a horizontally reciprocable piston. The two pistons operate sequentially to effect compression of the plastic material and to feed the compressed material into the entry end of a horizontal chute. A hydraulically operated main ram is movable along the chute to effect additional compression of the plastic material and to displace it along the chute for discharge.
Claims10
A method for the treatment of expanded or foamed plastic material, said method comprising the following steps:
- a) introducing the plastic material into a hopper which contains an auger having a cutting function,
- b) operating the auger so as to cut the plastic material into pieces and to feed the pieces of plastic material into a chamber containing a first reciprocable piston movable in a first direction to effect compression of the pieces of plastic material and a second reciprocable piston movable in a second direction transverse to said first direction to effect further compression of the pieces of plastic material and to effect transfer of the compressed plastic material into the entry end of a chute containing a reciprocable main ram,
- c) coordinating control of said first and second reciprocable pistons so that, while the main ram is in its non-advanced position, each of said first and second reciprocable pistons operates through a plurality of cycles to effect the transfer of a quantity of compressed plastic material into the entry end of the chute, and
- d) operating the main ram so that it advances along the chute to effect additional compression of the plastic material and displaces the plastic material towards the discharge end of the chute before returning to its original position.
Apparatus for the treatment of expanded or foamed plastic material, said apparatus comprising:
- a) a hopper into which the plastic material can be fed,
- b) an auger having a cutting function located within the hopper,
- c) control means for controlling operation of the auger,
- d) a chamber into which pieces of the plastic material are fed upon operation of the auger,
- e) a first reciprocable piston movable within said chamber in a first direction to effect compression of the pieces of plastic material,
- f) a second reciprocable piston movable within said chamber in a second direction transverse to said first direction to effect further compression of the pieces of plastic material,
- g) a chute containing a reciprocable main ram movable between a non-advanced and an advanced position,
- h) said chute having an entry end arranged so that it is in communication with said chamber so that operation of the second reciprocable piston serves to transfer the compressed pieces of plastic material into the entry end of the chute,
- i) control means for controlling operation of the first and second reciprocable pistons and the main ram so that, while the main ram is in its non-advanced or original position, each of said first and second pistons operates through a plurality of cycles to effect the transfer of a quantity of compressed plastic material into the entry end of the chute,
- j) said control means controlling operation of the main ram so that it advances along the chute to effect additional compression of the plastic material and to displace the plastic material towards the discharge end of the chute before returning to its original position, and
- k) the compressed plastic material being conveyed progressively along the chute during successive cycles of operation of the main ram so that the plastic material is formed into a bale from which lengths are or can be broken off.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.