US 6,655,943 B1Granted

Artificial firelog and firestarter chip producing apparatus

OwnerGregory J. Peterson, Gary M. Flintinventors

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Abstract

An artificial firelog and firestarter chip producing apparatus comprising a cutting assembly, a compression conveyor auger assembly and a die. The apparatus converts standard waxed corrugated cardboard boxes into artificial firelogs by first slicing cardboard sheets into cardboard strips, then chopping the cardboard strips into cardboard segments in the cutting assembly. The cardboard segments are horizontally disposed between the rifling and compressed in the compression conveyor auger assembly and extruded in the die to form generally horizontally disposed, circular, longitudinally-shaped sections of a firelog. Firestarter chips are fabricated by the cutting assembly, which slices waxed cardboard sheets in conjunction with paper sheets into waxed cardboard and paper strips, then chopping the waxed cardboard strips into waxed cardboard segments and the paper strips into paper segments and waxed cardboard segments mix.

Claims69

Dependent claims

An apparatus for cutting, segmenting, compressing and extruding waxed corrugated cardboard sheets into a firelog having radially interlocking segments, comprising:

(a) a housing having an inlet end and an outlet end;
(b) a plurality of lower circular blades juxtaposed along a first common axis, said plurality of lower circular blades each including a first cutting edge;
(c) a plurality of upper circular blades juxtaposed along a second common axis, said plurality of upper circular blades each including a second cutting edge;
and
(d) a circular blade axial adjustment mechanism wherein the axial position of at least one axis of said circular blades can be positioned in relation to the other axis of circular blades to thereby provide control of the juxtaposition forces between upper and lower circular blades;
(e) said plurality of upper and lower circular blades configured to slice at least one waxed corrugated cardboard sheet placed generally into the inlet end of said housing into cardboard strips;
(f) wherein said first cutting edge overlaps said second cutting edge, and wherein said cutting blades are configured so that interaction between said upper cutting blades and said lower cutting blades proximal the location of cutting edge overlap causes corrugated cardboard being sliceably passed therethrough to exhibit cut edges containing significant fraying;
(g) a cutting mechanism configured to cut the cardboard strips into cardboard segments;
(h) a compression conveyor auger having shaft carrying a helical blade with a plurality of flights;
and
(i) a die, wherein said auger is configured to convey said cardboard segments into said die wherein the segments are compressed into a firelog.

8 more elements

A firelog manufacturing apparatus, wherein waxed corrugated cardboard sheets are segmented and compressed as radially interlocking segments within a manufactured composite firelog extrusion, comprising:

(a) a housing for the apparatus which includes an inlet end and an outlet end;
(b) a plurality of lower circular blades juxtaposed along a first common axis, said plurality of lower circular blades each including a first cutting edge;
(c) a plurality of upper circular blades juxtaposed along a second common axis;
said plurality of upper circular blades each including a second cutting edge;
(d) said plurality of lower and upper circular blades configured to slice at least one waxed corrugated cardboard sheet placed therebetween and generally into the input end of said housing, into cardboard strips, whereby said first common axis is approximately parallel to said second common axis, and said first cutting edge overlaps said second cutting edge;
(e) a cutting mechanism positioned to receive the waxed corrugated cardboard strips, said cutting mechanism configured to cut the waxed corrugated cardboard strips into waxed corrugated cardboard segments;
(f) a conveyor auger housing which includes an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein said outlet end is tapered, said conveyor auger housing is held in a fixed relation to said apparatus housing;
(g) an opening on said conveyor auger housing, wherethrough waxed cardboard segments enter said conveyor auger housing;
(h) a compression conveyor screw rotatably disposed within said conveyor auger housing, said compression conveyor screw including a helical blade extending toward said outlet end of said conveyor auger housing, said helical blade including a plurality of flights;
(i) a log extrusion orifice configured on the terminating end of said outlet end of said conveyor auger housing, wherethrough composite material is extruded, as a result of the rotation of the compression conveyor screw, into a predetermined cross-sectional shape;
and
(j) means for segmenting the composite firelog extrusion into individual log sections;
(k) wherein said cutting blades are configured so that interaction between said upper cutting blades and said lower cutting blades proximal the location of cutting edge overlap causes corrugated cardboard being sliceably passed therethrough to exhibit cut edges containing significant fraying.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/409,647Filed 1 Oct 1999 · continuation in part
Priority: 1 Oct 1998
Granted: 2 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

H04N 3/22
By deflecting electron beam in cathode-ray tube , e.g. scanning corrections: circuits for controlling dimensions, shape or centering of picture on…
B26D 7/065
Arrangements for feeding or delivering work of other than sheet, web, or filamentary form: by the cutter itself because of its form
B30B 11/24
Extrusion presses; Dies therefor: using screws or worms
B30B 11/246
Using screws or worms: screw constructions