Raw material delivery system for compacting press

In a press operable in cycles for compacting raw material in a die to produce a product in each cycle, the press being of the type having a table with a horizontal surface and an opening in the horizontal surface for raw material to be delivered to the die, a system for heating raw material and delivering heated raw material to a die comprising:

• a feed shoe having a central bore, said feed shoe being movable in a direction parallel to the horizontal surface of the table;
• a tube having top and bottom openings and a passage extending between the openings, the tube being supported independent from the table;
• wherein said feed shoe is movable on said table to a retracted position wherein the central bore is positioned to receive raw material from said bottom opening and an extended position wherein the central bore is aligned over the die;
• means for heating said raw material before the raw material reaches said feed shoe;
• and
• an enclosure with a bore through which raw material may pass, said enclosure extending between said feed shoe upper surface and said bottom opening of said tube so that when said feed shoe is in the retracted position material passing from said tube bottom opening to said feed shoe central bore passes substantially free from exposure to a cross-flow of air;
• the table being vertically movable and being in a plurality of vertical positions in each cycle, the enclosure moving with the vertical movement of the table to be in a plurality of vertical positions in each cycle,
• the tube maintaining a vertically fixed position with respect to the table throughout the cycle, the bottom opening of the tube being received within the enclosure at a plurality of vertical positions of the enclosure during the cycle.

In a press for compacting raw material in a die to produce a product, the press being of the type having a table with a horizontal surface and an opening in the horizontal surface for raw material to be delivered to the die, a system for delivering raw material to a die comprising:

• a feed shoe having a central bore with a central vertical axis, said feed shoe being movable in a direction parallel to the horizontal surface of the table;
• a feed tube having top and bottom ends with openings in the ends and a passage extending between the openings, the opening at the top end having a central axis and the opening at the bottom end having a different central axis;
• an assembly positioned to supply raw material to the top end of the feed tube, a portion of the assembly being received within the top end of the feed tube;
• a horizontal plate positioned above the surface of the table and having a plate bore extending through the plate, the plate bore having a central vertical axis;
• means for pivotally mounting said bottom end of said feed tube on said horizontal plate so that said bottom opening can be pivoted about the central axis of the opening at the top end of the feed tube to a delivery position vertically aligned with said plate bore and can be pivoted about the central axis of the opening at the top end of the feed tube to a drain position wherein the bottom opening is spaced from the plate bore;
• wherein said feed shoe is movable on the table to a retracted position wherein the central bore is aligned beneath the bottom opening of said feed tube and said plate bore to receive raw material from said feed tube and an extended position wherein the central bore is aligned over the die.

In a press operable in cycles for compacting raw material in a die to produce a product in each cycle, the press being of the type having a table with a horizontal surface and an opening in the horizontal surface for raw material to be delivered to the die, a system for delivering raw material to a die comprising:

• a horizontal plate positioned above the surface of the table and having a plate bore with a vertical axis extending through the plate;
• a feed shoe having a central bore with a vertical axis, said feed shoe being movable in a direction parallel to the table surface between an extended position wherein said central bore of said feed shoe overlies the die and a retracted position wherein said central bore of said feed shoe is vertically aligned with the plate bore;
• a vertically movable feed tube for delivering raw material to said central bore of said feed shoe, said vertically movable feed tube having top and bottom ends with openings in each end and a passage between said openings, wherein said feed shoe is movable to said retracted position wherein the central bore of said feed shoe is aligned with said bottom opening, so that raw material can travel from said top opening through said passage and out said bottom opening and into said central bore when said feed shoe is in the retracted position, said vertically movable feed tube being supported to move with vertical movement of the table;
• a vertically fixed feed tube telescopically received in said vertically movable feed tube, said fixed feed tube having top and bottom ends and a passage between said top and bottom ends, said passage being capable of receiving and holding raw material;
• a supply apparatus connected to supply raw material to the top end of the vertically fixed feed tube;
• means for selectively allowing raw material to pass from said vertically fixed tube through to said vertically movable feed tube;
• means for heating a portion of said vertically movable feed tube so that raw material in said passage is heated;
• and
• a seal with a central bore through which raw material may pass, said seal being positioned between said feed shoe upper surface and said bottom opening of said vertically movable feed tube so that when said feed shoe is in the retracted position material passing from said bottom opening to said central bore passes substantially free from exposure to a cross flow of air;
• and
• means for pivotally mounting said bottom end of said vertically movable feed tube on said horizontal plate so that said bottom opening can be pivoted to a delivery position aligned with said plate bore, to a blocked position wherein the bottom end of the feed tube overlies a solid portion of the horizontal plate spaced from the plate bore and to a drain position wherein the bottom opening is spaced from the plate bore and from the solid portion of the horizontal plate;
• the vertically fixed feed tube having a central vertical axis, at least a portion of the vertically movable feed tube being co-axial with the vertically fixed feed tube, at least a portion of the vertically movable feed tube having a central vertical axis spaced from the central vertical axis of the vertically fixed feed tube, the means for pivotally mounting said bottom end of said feed tube on said horizontal plate allowing the vertically movable feed tube to be pivoted about the central vertical axis of the vertically fixed feed tube, the vertically movable feed tube being pivotable with the vertically fixed feed tube within the vertically movable feed tube and with the supply apparatus connected to the vertically fixed tube.