DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a compactor/crusher particularly adapted to be used for the compaction and/or crushing of containers of the disposable type, such as for example empty cans of drinks or food, glass or plastic bottles and the like.

It is known that compacting or crushing machines are used to reduce the volume of containers of the disposable type, which machines allow the volume to be reduced by squeezing, when the material is mechanically yielding, or by crushing when the material is brittle.

This allows reducing the overall dimensions of said materials to facilitate the collection, transport and storage thereof.

According to the prior art, said machines are substantially constituted by a containment structure, provided with a mouth for loading the material to be compacted, inside which there is a pair of compacting rollers arranged parallel and side by side between them, connected to a motorization group which sets them in rotation according to opposite directions towards the intermediate area defined between the rollers themselves where the disposable containers to be compacted and/or crushed are conveyed.

To facilitate this conveyance, the external surface of the rollers has a series of ribs which prevent the containers from slipping when they rest upon falling on the surface of the rollers.

In said applications the two rollers are placed at a distance such as to define between them an open intermediate area with adjustable and predefined width which allows the reduction, in a substantially laminar form, of the objects to be compacted as they pass, as is normally the case in the treatment of cans.

It is evident that, in the case in which the treated containers are made of fragile material, such as for example glass, a crushing thereof is obtained.

The action of conveying the containers to be compacted and/or crushed towards the intermediate area of the rollers is favoured by the weight of the containers loaded in the containment structure which generate a more or less high pressure as a function of the load level inside the same structure.

To increase the efficiency in conveying, pusher means are normally used which act above the load with the aim of increasing the pressure of the containers against the external surfaces of the rollers. In other embodiments, the pusher means consist of a plurality of mutually spaced radial rods, associated with a shaft arranged inside each compacting roller and inserted in through openings obtained on the surface of the rollers which thus drag them in rotation.

Each shaft constraining the described radial rods is arranged in such a way that its own axis is parallel and does not coincide with the axis of the respective roller in which the shaft itself is inserted.

In this way, the radial rods, by rotating together with the tubular body, convey the containers towards the compaction and/or crushing area, gradually and continuously returning inside the tubular body near the compaction and/or crushing area.

The known mentioned compactors/crushers, however, have some recognized drawbacks.

A first drawback of the prior art is constituted by the fact that the described compactors/crushers absorb a high electrical power from the mains to which they are connected.

In fact, it is necessary that the electric motor, which drives the compacting rollers, develops sufficient power to compact and/or crush even the parts of the containers that are particularly hard, such as for example the caps of the plastic bottles.

Another drawback of the prior art, linked to the previous one, consists in the fact that, having to provide for a high installed power, said machines are adapted to be used only in industrial contexts and cannot instead be used in common commercial establishments, such as for example bars, canteens and restaurants, unless the installed powers and consequently the existing electrical systems are modified.

The present invention aims to eliminate the drawbacks listed above.

A first object of the invention is to realise a compactor/crusher which absorbs an electrical power equal to the one that is normally used in civil and commercial premises.

A further object of the invention is to realise a compactor/crusher particularly suitable for use in common commercial establishments, such as for example bars, canteens and restaurants, without having to modify the installed powers and consequently the existing electrical systems.

It is also an object of the invention to realise a compactor/crusher which allows performing a homogeneous compaction/crushing of the material introduced along the entire intermediate area between the two rollers.

Said objects are achieved with the realization of a compactor/crusher which, in accordance with the main claim, comprises:

- a containment structure provided with a mouth for loading the material to be compacted;

- a compaction group comprising at least a pair of rotating tubular bodies which have a mainly longitudinal development axis arranged parallel to each other, each of which is supported at the ends by support plates connected to the containment structure; the rotating tubular bodies are adapted to define an intermediate compaction and/or crushing area;

- a motorization group associated with each of the tubular bodies and adapted to rotate them.

Said compactor is characterized by the fact that it provides for a displacement group configured to allow the elastic movement of mutual distancing and nearing of the support plates of the rotating tubular bodies so as to modify the width of the intermediate compaction and/or crushing area between the tubular bodies, where the displacement group is configured to maintain the parallelism of the rotating tubular bodies during the distancing and nearing movement. Advantageously, the presence of a displacement group which allows the elastic movement of mutual distancing and nearing of the tubular bodies ensures that, when particularly hard parts of the containers arrive in the compaction area, they cause a mutual distancing of the tubular bodies with no need of engaging a very high power for being compacted and/or crushed.

Still advantageously, the presence of the displacement group, which selects the products to be compacted and/or crushed allowing the passage of the hardest parts between the rollers that would require a more powerful drive motor of the same rollers, ensures that the machine absorbs an electrical power equal to the one that is normally used in civil and commercial premises. Furthermore, still advantageously, the fact that during the mutual displacement of the rotating tubular bodies the parallelism thereof is maintained allows to define a width of the intermediate compaction and/or crushing area that is homogeneous over the entire length of the rotating tubular bodies, and therefore this allows to compact and/or crush the various products uniformly along the entire extension of said length. Said aims and advantages will be better highlighted during the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is given, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings where:

- fig. 1 represents an axonometric view of a compactor/crusher according to the invention;

- fig. 2 represents an axonometric view of a compaction group belonging to the compactor/crusher of the invention in fig. 1 ;

- fig. 3 represents a top view of the compaction group of fig. 2, in the rest configuration;

- figs. 4 and 5 show both side views of the compaction group of fig. 2, in the rest configuration;

- fig. 6 represents in sectioned view, according to the vertical section plane VI-VI shown in fig. 3, the compaction group of fig. 2, in the rest configuration;

- fig. 7 represents in sectioned view, according to the vertical section plane VII-VII shown in fig. 3, the compaction group of fig. 2, in the rest configuration;

- fig. 8 represents a top view of the compaction group of fig. 2, in the enlarged configuration;

- figs. 9 and 10 show both side views of the compaction group of fig. 2, in the enlarged configuration;

- fig. 11 represents in sectioned view, according to the vertical section plane

XI-XI shown in fig. 8, the compaction group of fig. 2, in the enlarged configuration;

- fig. 12 represents in sectioned view, according to the vertical section plane

XII-XII shown in fig. 8, the compaction group of fig. 2, in the enlarged configuration;

- figs. 13, 14 and 15 show in longitudinal section the different work phases of the compaction group in fig. 2.

The compactor/crusher of the invention is shown according to a preferred embodiment in fig. 1 , where it is indicated as a whole with 1.

Said compactor/crusher 1 generally comprises a containment structure 2.

The containment structure 2 in turn comprises a frame 29, preferably but not necessarily of metal with a mainly vertical development, on the upper part of which there is a loading mouth 3 from which the material B which must be compacted and/or crushed is loaded.

As can be observed in fig. 1 , in the lower part of the frame 29 there is a collector 30 adapted to receive the material B once it is compacted and/or crushed.

Furthermore, the compactor/crusher 1 of the invention, as can be observed in fig. 1 and in the detail of fig. 2, comprises a compaction group 4 in turn comprising a pair of rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, subsequently identified as the first rotating tubular body 5 and the second rotating tubular body 6, with substantially longitudinal development axes X and X’ arranged parallel to each other. Each of the aforesaid rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 is supported at the ends 5a, 5b, 6a and 6b by support plates 7, 8, 9 and 10 connected to the containment structure 2. In this way, the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 define between them an intermediate compaction and/or crushing area 11 , where precisely the material B to be compacted is introduced for the compaction and/or crushing thereof.

Furthermore, the compactor/crusher 1 of the invention comprises a motorization group 12 associated with each of the tubular bodies 5 and 6 so as to rotate the latter around its own development axes X and X’, usually with opposite rotation directions.

According to the invention, the compactor/crusher 1 comprises a displacement group 14 configured to allow the elastic mutual distancing and nearing movement respectively of the support plates 7 and 8 and of the support plates 9 and 10 belonging to the two pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10 arranged at the same ends 5a-6a and 5b-6b of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, as can be observed in figs. 4, 5 and 9, 10, respectively.

This consequently allows distancing and nearing the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 elastically, as can be observed in figs. 3 and 8, respectively, so as to modify the width of the intermediate compaction and/or crushing area 11 between said rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 and simultaneously so as to maintain the parallelism of the same rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 during said distancing and nearing movement and during compaction/crushing operations. As previously mentioned, this configuration advantageously makes it possible that when particularly hard parts of the containers arrive in the intermediate compaction and/or crushing area 11 , they cause a mutual distancing of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 with no need of engaging a very high power for being compacted and/or crushed.

Still advantageously, the presence of the displacement group 14 which selects the products to be compacted and/or crushed, allowing the passage between the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 of the hardest parts which would require a more powerful drive motor of the same rollers, ensures that the compactor/ crusher 1 absorbs an electrical power equal to the one that is normally used in civil and commercial premises.

Furthermore, still advantageously, the fact that during the mutual displacement of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 the parallelism thereof is maintained allows to define a homogeneous width of the intermediate compaction and/or crushing area 11 over the entire length of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, and therefore this allows the various products to be compacted and/or crushed uniformly along the entire extension of this length.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, represented in figs. 4, 5, 9 and 10, the displacement group 14 comprises, for each of the two pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10 arranged at the same ends 5a-6a and 5b-6b of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, a rotation group 15 and 16 adapted respectively to rotatably couple the support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 of said pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10 between them.

The two rotation groups 15 and 16 belonging to the displacement group 14 define rotation axes X” and X’” which substantially coincide with each other. Said rotation axes X” and X’” are also parallel to the development axes X and X’ of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, as can be observed in figs. 3 and 8. Even more preferably, each of the two rotation groups 15 and 16 comprises a pin, respectively indicated in the figures with 151 and 161, and two bearings 152, 153 and 162, 163 interposed respectively between the same pin 151 and 161 and each of the two plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 of one of the aforesaid pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10.

It is not excluded that said rotation group 15 and 16 may comprise a single bearing.

The displacement group 14 further comprises elastic control means 17 and 18 interposed between the support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 of each of the aforesaid pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10. Said elastic means 17 and 18 are configured to induce the nearing respectively of the support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 belonging to the aforesaid pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10. More specifically, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, both the aforesaid elastic control means 17 and 18 comprise tie rods 171 and 181 having their own axes Y and Y’ arranged substantially orthogonal to the rotation axes X” and X’” of the aforesaid two rotation groups 15 and 16.

Even more preferably, each of said tie rods 171 and 181 comprises a traction piston 1711 and 1811 with its own extension axis Y and Y’ arranged substantially orthogonal to the rotation axes X” and X’” of the two rotation groups 15 and 16.

Furthermore, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ends of each of the two traction pistons 1711 and 1811 are rotatably associated respectively with both the support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 of the aforesaid pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10.

This rotatable association is obtained by means of a pin defined on each of the aforesaid ends of the traction pistons 1711 and 1811 , holes defined in said support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 configured to accommodate said pins, and stop rings to prevent said pins from coming off once they are housed in the respective holes, but which allow precisely the rotary movement of the aforesaid pins and therefore of the traction pistons 1711 and 1811 with respect to the respective support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10.

This feature allows, advantageously, as will be clarified shortly, to associate the aforesaid pistons 1711 and 1811 to the relative pair of support plates 7-8 and 9-10 allowing equally the mutual rotation of the two support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 of each of said pairs around the axes X” and X’”.

It is not excluded that, according to a variant embodiment of the invention, said elastic control means 17 and 18 may be springs.

Furthermore, it is not excluded that, according to a further embodiment variant of the invention, said elastic control means 17 or 18 are interposed between the support plates 7, 8 or 9, 10 of only one of the aforesaid pairs of support plates 7-8 or 9-10.

As can be observed in figs. 4, 5, 9 and 10, in order to obtain the distancing of the support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 associated with the two rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, for each pair of support plates 7-8 and 9-10 arranged at the same ends of the same rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, the compactor/ crusher of the invention 1 provides for the rotation group 15 and 16 and the elastic control means 17 and 18 to be associated with said pair of support plates 7-8 and 9-10 on opposite sides with respect to the development axes X and X’ of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6.

Furthermore, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the support plates, indicated in figures with 7 and 9, and associated with the two ends 5a and 5b of the first rotating tubular body 5, are fixedly connected to the containment structure 2, preferably by means of bolts.

Otherwise, the support plates 8 and 10 associated with the second one of the rotating tubular bodies 6 are connected to the containment structure 2 by means of the support plates 7 and 10 associated with the aforesaid first rotating tubular body 5 and by means of the displacement group 14.

This contributes to the mutual distancing and nearing by rotation around the aforesaid axes X” and X’” between the support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 of both the aforesaid pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10. Consequently, this further feature allows the parallel distancing and nearing of the two rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the motorization group 12 comprises an electric motor 19 placed at one of the pairs of support plates 7-8, on the opposite side with respect to the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6. Furthermore, the rotation group 15 arranged on the same part of the aforesaid electric motor 19 comprises a tubular pin 151 , so that the drive shaft 191 of the same electric motor 19 is placed passing internally said tubular pin 151 and the end free 191a thereof is arranged towards the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6. As can be observed in figs. 6 and 11 , said free end 191a of the drive shaft 191 is provided with a pinion 20 meshed with two gear wheels 21 and 22, each of which is associated respectively with one of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, so as to transmit the rotation motion to the latter.

In particular, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pinion 20 and the gear wheel 21 associated with the first rotating tubular body 5, i.e. with the one associated with the plates that are fixedly connected to the support structure 2, result to be directly meshed with each other. On the other hand, the same pinion 20 and the gear wheel 22 associated with the second rotating tubular body 6 are meshed with each other by means of a return gear wheel 23, in turn rotatably associated with the support plate 8 of the second rotating tubular body 6.

Clearly, said support plate 8, as said before, results to be movable with respect to the containment structure 2.

The presence of this return gear wheel 23 advantageously allows the transmission of the rotary motion between the pinion 20 and the gear wheel 22 to be maintained constant, optimal and always in phase, for whatever position the support plate 8 and the second rotating tubular body 6 can assume with respect to the containment structure 2.

According to the invention, as can always be observed in figs. 4, 5, 9 and 10, preferably but not necessarily, the displacement group 14, on both pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10 arranged at the two ends 5a-6a and 5b-6b of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, comprises cushioning means 24 and 25 interposed between the two support plates 7, 8 and 9, 10 of each of the aforesaid two pairs of support plates 7-8 and 9-10, in an intermediate position between the elastic control means 17 and 18 and the rotation group 15 and 16. Preferably, said cushioning means 24 and 25 comprise a yielding body 241 and 251 , preferably an elastomer.

Finally, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the compactor/ crusher 1 comprises pusher means 13 adapted to convey the material B towards the intermediate compaction and/or crushing area 11.

More specifically, as can be observed in figs. 7 and 12, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, said pusher means 13 comprise a plurality of radial rods 26, spaced from each other, associated with a shaft 27 arranged inside each of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 and inserted in through openings 28 obtained on the surface of the same rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 which drag them in rotation.

Each shaft 27, to which the radial conveying rods 26 are associated, is arranged inside a respective rotating tubular body 5 and 6, so that its own axis is parallel to the development axis X, X’ of the rotating tubular body 5 and 6, but does not coincide therewith.

In this way, the radial rods 26 rotate together with the rotating tubular body 5, 6 conveying the material B to be compacted inside the intermediate compaction and/or crushing area 11 dragged by the rotary motion of the rotating tubular bodies 5, 6 gradually and continuously returning near the compaction area 11 itself.

Operatively, the material B to be compacted and/or crushed is inserted into the compactor/crusher 1 through the loading mouth 3 located in the upper part of the containment structure 2.

Subsequently, the material B falls by gravity positioning itself near the intermediate compaction and/or crushing area 11 and is conveyed by it, thanks to the rotary motion of the tubular bodies 5 and 6 and due to the effect of the conveying action of the radial rods 26 which are associated with each rotating tubular body 5 and 6, in the intermediate compaction and/or crushing area 11 , thus undergoing a progressive reduction of one’s volume due to the lamination effect by the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 themselves.

When the material B to be compacted has a hardness higher than that compatible with the power installed in the compactor/crusher 1 , the tubular bodies 5 and 6 move away in a controlled way due to the joint effect of the rotation groups 15 and 16 and the elastic control means 17 and 18, allowing the passage of the element T with higher hardness without modifying the power absorbed by the compactor/crusher 1.

The elastic control means 17 and 18 of the displacement group 14 are in fact sized as a function of the maximum hardness to be achieved in the compaction and/or crushing of the material B, such that it allows the displacement of the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 when they are crossed by an element T with a hardness higher than the one the compactor/crusher 1 is able to compact and/or crush as a function of the power of the electric motor 19 installed.

Advantageously, thanks to the particular configuration of the displacement group 14 just described, said distancing movement is actuated by maintaining the development axes X and X’ of the two rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 parallel to each other.

Figs. 13, 14 and 15 represent, by way of example, the different operating phases of the compactor/crusher 1 during the compaction of a bottle B.

In particular, in fig. 14 it is observed the compaction of the bottle B between the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6, conveyed by the pusher means 13 described above.

In fig. 15, on the other hand, it is observed that when the cap T of the bottle B reaches the intermediate area 11 , having it a hardness higher than the one of the body of the bottle B, a displacement distancing the rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 is generated which compact it only partly allowing the passage thereof through the intermediate area 11.

Subsequently, the compacted material B falls by gravity into the container 30 located on the bottom of the containment structure 2.

Once the compacted material B has passed beyond the intermediate area 11, the aforesaid elastic control means 17 and 18 exert a traction force between each pair of support plates 7-8 and 9-10 so as to bring the two rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 back to the preset rest configuration. Clearly, this nearing movement also takes place by keeping the development axes X and X’ of the two rotating tubular bodies 5 and 6 constantly parallel to each other.

On the basis of what has been said, it is therefore understood that the compactor/crusher 1 of the invention achieves all the set aims

In particular, the aim of realizing a compactor/crusher that absorbs an electrical power equal to the one that is normally used in civil and commercial premises is achieved.

A further achieved object of the invention is the realisation of a compactor/ crusher particularly suitable for use in common commercial establishments, such as for example bars, canteens and restaurants, without having to modify the installed powers and, consequently, the existing electrical systems.

The object of performing a homogeneous compaction/crushing of the material introduced along the entire intermediate area between the two rotating tubular bodies is also achieved.