US 7,404,665 B2 · Device for charging a screw lodged in a housing and method for operating a device of this type

Abstract

An apparatus for filling a screw (7) bearingly supported within a housing (6), in particular of an extruder, for processing of pre-comminuted synthetic plastics material, in particular PET, has a filling opening (5) for the screw housing (6). This filling opening (5) is in flow connection with the lower outflow opening (4) of an upright receptacle 81) for the material to be processed. Within the receptacle (1), tools (30, 31) circulate around a preferably vertical axis, and they act on the material positioned within the receptacle (1). This material is introduced into the evacuable receptacle (1) through a sluice (60). A quickly circulating tool (30) for creating a mixing cone (71) is disposed between an upper interior portion (68) and a lower interior portion (69) of the receptacle (1). Within the lower interior portion (69) that constitutes a dwell space for the heated plastics material that has reached it for thermal homogenization thereof, also circulating tools (31) are disposed, which, however, are mere mixing tools without substantial introduction of power, so that within this dwell space an agglomeration of the plastics material is avoided.

Claims26

Dependent claims

Apparatus for processing a pre-comminuted plastic material comprising

a screw rotatably supported in a housing having a filling opening,
an upright receptacle for receiving material having a height and a lower outflow opening proximate a lower end of the receptacle in fluid communication with the filling opening for feeding the material to the screw,
the receptacle defining an upper space and a lower space in fluid communication with the outflow opening which forms a dwell space for the material while material is being processed,
first and second tools rotatably arranged in the receptacle for acting on the material, the second tool being arranged below the first tool, and
a drive for rotating the first tool at a sufficient rotational speed so that the first tool introduces heat energy into the material in an upper space of the receptacle above the first tool and for rotating the second tool at a rate selected to introduce less heat energy into the material in a lower space of the receptacle below the first tool than the heat energy introduced into the material in the upper space so that the second tool thereby homogenizes the temperature of the material heated by the first tool and prevents an agglomeration of the material in the lower space.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device for charging a screw lodged in a housing and method for operating a device of this type

Life of this patent

Device for charging a screw lodged in a housing and method for operating a device of this type

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26