AU640076B2

AU640076B2 - Recycling and waste disposal apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU640076B2
Application number: AU11132/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Terrence James Parke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-02-20
Filing date: 1992-02-19
Publication date: 1993-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 2012-02-19
Also published as: AU1113292A

Description

-1- 40076

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: RECYCLING AND WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS The following statement is a full description of this o, invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:ona 2 o I RECYCLING AND WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS :The present invention relates generally to the recycling and waste disposal industries. In particular the present invention relates to apparatus, appliances and assemblies that may be used to cut, crush, pulverise or otherwise reduce in size waste or scrap materials and/or to convert the materials into a size which is more useable or useful, such as for example, for use in further processing in the manufacture of recycled goods or for the ultimate disposal of the waste or scrap material. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus, appliance, assembly or installation equipped with a cutting means having one or more cutting elements and/or provided with cutting assemblies for reducing the size of materials.

The cutting means and/or assemblies including the cutting elements cooperate with each other to reduce the size of the material and may be used in a variety of applications to cut 3 a variety of different materials. One particular application relates to reducing the size of scrap materials, such as paper and paper products or scrap iron or metals for subsequent recycling into other useful products. Another application is to recycle domestic or industrial waste or by considerably reducing the size of the waste material to small sized particles which can then be readily reused or disposed of.

Although the present invention will be described i0 with particular reference to one form of the invention comprising a plurality of cooperatively engaging cutting S elements, it is to be noted that the present invention is not 0 limited in scope to this embodiment but rather is more extensive in scope so as to include other arrangements of the cutting elements and uses in other applications.

0 As time goes by more and more concern is being expressed over the rate of consumption of raw materials and over the rate at which waste materials are being generated.

In particular, great concern is being expressed over the amount of and the nature of waste materials which are being disposed of due to the manifold adverse effects that the disposal has on the environment. The concern has even gone so far that fear has been expressed that at some time in the not too distant future there may be serious shortages of one or other raw materials and that the adverse effects on the environment of the disposal of waste materials may be so great so as to permanently damage the environment. Serious environmental damage can arise through the careless disposal of waste or scrap materials in a form which cannot be readily degraded or converted into in a more beneficial form.

Therefore, if it were possible to recycle more materials or a to render the potentially polluting materials into a more inert form, not only would the consumption of raw materials be reduced in first instance but there would be less waste or scrap materials requiring disposal and accordingly there would be less harmful effects on the environment.

Therefore, it is an aim the present invention to at least alleviate the adverse affects on the environment due 4to the disposal of waste materials by converting the waste materials into a form which causes less harm to the environment and may be more readily disposed of and which may be recycled in greater quantities. The present invention sets out to achieve this aim by providing an apparatus having a cutting assembly provided with one or more cutting elements that can be used to recycle materials or convert materials into a form which is more useful or useable.

0 It is to be noted that the use of the term 0 "cutters", "cutting elements", "cutting assemblies", "cutting I surfaces" or the like used throughout the present Sspecification is not meant to be limiting by referring to the operation of reducing the size of materials by cutting only but rather is meant to include within its scope all operations for reducing the size of a material. Such size reducing operations include but are not limited to shredding, o o crushing, pulverising, grinding, comminuting and the like.

Therefore, any operation which reduces the size of materials o° 4 is included within the meaning of these terms as used in the °220 present specification.

The apparatus of the present invention finds 0 utility in a variety of applications ranging from paper shredding of office wastes up to crushing and cutting wrecked or scrapped car bodies, with many and varied uses in between, such as for example, as an apparatus for the disposal of domestic, household or commercial waste, as an appara'us for recycling motor vehicle tyres, as an apparatus for recycling garden refuse such as branches, logs and the like.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for reducing the size of material comprising at least one pair of cooperating cutters, said cutters being each rotatable about respective spaced apart parallel axis, each of said cutters having at least one continuous cutting surface disposeu circumferentially around said respective axis of rotation, said cutters being arranged with respect to each other to rotate simultaneously in opposite directions about their respective rotary axes with at least a part of the respective cutting surfaces of one 5 cutter being in contact with at least a part of the respective cutting surface of the other cutter, said cutting surfaces cooperating with each other to cut material located therebetween in use as the cutters rotate simultaneously, wherein said cutting surfaces are each oppositely inclined to one other and are angularly inclined with respect to the parallel axes of rotation.

According to another aspect of the present o invention there is provided a cutting assembly including at 1i least one pair of cooperating rotary cutters in the form of truncated cylindrical tubes, each of the cutters forming the one pair of cutters being rotatable in unison about respective spaced apart parallel axes, each cutter having a substantially continuous cutting surface disposed obliquely about said respective axis of rotation around the perimeter of the cutter, wherein the cutting surface of one of the cutters is oppositely angularly inclined to the cutting surface of the other of the cutters, and wherein a part of each of the cutting surfaces are cooperatively engaged with each other so that in use the cutters rotate in opposite directions to cut material located between the cutting surfaces.

3 Typically, the apparatus of the present invention has a plurality of rotary cutters in which the cutters are arranged in an array. Typically, the array is configured so that all of the cutters rotate in unison. More typically, the cutters are arranged so that each alternate cutter rotates in the same direction which is the opposite direc ion of rotation to that of the adjacent cutters.

Typically, the individual cutters are arranged in regularly spaced apart rows and columns in which the cutters forming an individual column are all arranged in the same vertical plane and the cutters forming an individual row are all aligned in the same horizontal plane.

Typically, the cutters are arranged in a herringbone-like or zig-zag type pattern when viewed in cross-section or from one side so that each alternate vertical column is aligned under each other and is spaced 6 apart vertically from each adjacent vertical column and each alternate horizontal row is aligned under each other but spaced apart horizontally from each adjacent horizontal row.

Typically, each of the rotary cutters is mounted on a shaft.

Typically, each shaft has 1, 2, 3, 4 or more individual cutters mounted thereon.

Typically, each cutter is spring loaded, spring biased or spring mounted on the shaft which allows axial movement of the cutter with respect to the shaft. Typically, the spring meai.s providing for the axial movement of the cutter is a compression spring mounted on the shaft. More typically, the spring means urges the cutting surfaces of adjacent cutters together into engagement with each other in order to maintain part of the cutting surfaces in intimate contact with each other during rotation of the cutters.

o°o ~Typically, the rotary cutters are substantially cylindrical. More typically, the rotary cutters are thin walled hollow outer cylinders. More typically, the cutting surfaces extend continuously circumferentially around the cutters. More typically, the cutting surface of each cutter is arranged obliquely to the central axis of the cutter.

Even more typically, the cutters are provided with two obliquoly inclined cutting surfaces located at either end of the cutter.

If there is more than a single cutter located on a shaft, all of the cutters on the shaft are arranged so that the cutting surfaces are collectively aligned with each other in the same direction.

More typically, the cutting surfaces of adjacent cutters are oppositely inclined to each other. Typically, the cutting surfaces are inclined at 450 to the central axis.

However, it is to be noted that the cutting surfaces may be arranged at any angle to the respective central axis.

Typically, the cutting apparatus of the present invention is provided with a feed means and a discharge means. More typically, the apparatus is provided with a material containment means facilitating recycling of the material through the apparatus so that the material is repeatedly 7passed through the cutters.

Typically, the cutting surfaces are self sharpening. Typically, the cutting surfaces are spaced apart from the shaft. Typically, the cutting surfaces are smooth.

Alternatively, the cutting surfaces may be provided with surface modifications or irregularities in order to assist in feeding, retaining or maintaining material between adjacent cutters during use. Typically, the cutters are provided with troughs and crests in the form of bars, bosses or other I0l surface projections on their surface. Typically, rubber inserts are provided externally around each cutter as a means to prevent materials wrapping around the shafts, cutters or the like.

Typically, the rotary cutter is a hollow cylinder having an obliquely inclined wall, with the edge of the wall forming the cutting surface. Typically, the edge is ground, such as for example hollow ground to facilitate cutting of the material. Alternatively, the edge is serrated.

o Typically, rubber cylinders may be mounted on the shafts between the cutters which are spaced on either side of the rubber cylinders to prevent material from falling down between the cutters and not being cut in use of the apparatus of the present invention.

Typically the space between the shaft and the cutting surface may be filled with a rubber annulus.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a partial crosssection of three individual cutters arranged adjacent each other in a cutting assembly of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cutters of figure 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the cutters of figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one form of an array of cutters forming a cutting assembly as one form of thie cutting apparatus of the present invention.

8 Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of one form of the cutters of the present invention showing the spring means.

Referring to figures 1 to 3 it can be seen that one form of the rotary cutters of the present invention is illustrated. It is to be noted that three individual rotary cutters are shown in the drawings merely for the sake of clarity and brevity of description. Any number of cutters arranged in any arrangement may be present in the apparatus.

Each of the individual cutters, generally denoted as 2, takes the form of a substantially thin walled hollow outer cylinder having one end which is a closed end 8 provided with an aperture 10 and an open end 12 and is attached to a shaft 6 extending along the central axis of the outer cylinder 4.

Shaft 6 may have a uniform diameter over its entire length or it may have portions of different diameters as shown lepending on the precise constructional details of the individual cutters and the manner in which the cutters are mounted on the shaft. As shown, shaft 6 has a relatively smaller diameter portion 6a and a relatively larger diameter portion 6b. Hollow cylinder 4 is fitted over shaft 6 so that shaft 6 passes through aperture 10 until closed end 8 abuts against the end of the larger diameter portion 6b. Hollow cylinder 6 can then be securely fastened to shaft 6 by any suitable, desirable or convenient means such as by welding.

Alternatively, shaft 6 may be provided with a flat portion at one location around this diameter to act as a key in conjunction with a correspondingly shaped flat portion of the cutter so that when the cutter is fitted over the shaft with the respective flats being aligned the cutter is retained in 3u place on the shaft whilst allowing rotation of the shaft and cutter in unison. In this embodiment outer cylinder 4 has a modified configuration in which the closed end is in effect replaced by a solid cylinder having a lengthwise extending centrally located bore and the flat portion is provided in the side surface of this bore.

Edge 14 of the thin walled portion 4 of the outer cylinder is inclined at an angle to the lengthwise extending direction of the shaft. Edge 14 forms the cutting surface of -9 the rotary cutter. Typically, the angle of inclination of edge 14 is from about 300 to 600, more typically 450. Thus, although edge 14 of the outer cylinder is circumferentially continuous it takes the form of a cylinder which has been cut at an angle as illustrated. In the described embodiment two adjacent cutters are arranged so that their respective obliquely inclined cutting surfaces are oppositely arranged to face each other so that as the cutters rotate the respective cutting surfaces are in constant engagement at least at a single point of their continuous substantially truncated circular cutting surfaces. In this arrangement the actual point of contact between the two adjacent cutting surfaces reciprocates back and forth in the lengthwise extending direction of the shaft as the cutters rotate so that sheet material processed through the cutters is cut in a sinusoidal pattern. The sinusoidal pattern corresponds to the movement of the point of contact between the respective cutting surfaces back and forth in the lengthwise extending direction of the shaft as the cutters rotate.

2. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and comprising three cutters there are two points of contact for the centrally located rotary cutter, one point associated with each of the mounted cutters so that sheet material cut by the central cutter is processed into a thin strip having two sinvsoidal edges. Accordingly, the sinusoidal shaped strips have thin webs of material located at regularly spaced apart locations over the length of the raterial which has just been cut, which thin webs correspond to where a crest and trough occur simultaneously. The sheet material may then be further reduced in size by cutting at the thin webs. This sinusoidal pattern facilitates the further reduction in size of the material being cut by the cutters of the present invention.

The rotary cutters of the present invention, in whatever form they take, are arranged on shafts which are in turn arranged in arrays to form the apparatus of the present invention as illustrated in figure 4. In the illustrated apparatus there are two cutters on each shaft. The cutters 10 on one shuft are arranged so that the respective cutting surfaces are all aligned in the same direction which is in the opposite direction to that of the cutting surfaces of the cutters located on the adjacent shafts which are similarly all aligned in the same direction. Although an apparatus having a single row of cutters is illustrated merely in the interest of clarity and brevity, it is to be noted that the apparatus can have any number of shafts arranged in any array.

I0 It is to be noted that some of the cutters shown in the apparatus of figure 4 are provided with two obliquely inclined cutting surfaces, one at either end of the cutter in order that the apparatus is more effective in cutting material.

The apparatus shown in figure 4 comprises a plurality of shafts 6 having cooperating cutting assemblies comprising two cutters 2 mounted on each shaft arranged in a common horizontal plane at spaced apart locations. Shafts 6 are supported for rotation about spaced apazt parallel axis 2o20 between two end plates 24, 26 forming the body of the apparatus. Each cutting assembly comprising a shaft and two cutters has an inwardly extending drive shaft 3) which passes S through end plate 24. The drive shafts 30 are each provided with a spur gear 32 which are operatively connected to one another so that the respective adjacent spur gears rotate in opposite directions as shown by the arrows in Figure 4. As shown in figure 4 centre spur gear 34 is driven from the drive shaft 36 so that all of the cutting assemblies will contra-rotate in unison.

As the cutting assemblies contra-rotate the respective cutting surfaces of the cutters will be maintained in contact with each other at the overlap and the effective cutting edge will reciprocate along the inclined cutting faces as the shafts rotate. A compression spring 38 is supported about the respective shafts 6 so as to cooperate with the cutters to urge them into abutting engagement with the cutting edge of the assemblies.

The drive shaft 36 may be driven by a suitable, -11 desirable, or convenient driving means, such as an electric motor or other powered motor means. Output shaft 34 may be coupled directly or indirectly to the motor means.

In operation of the apparatus of the present invention material is fed by a suitable inlet means to pass through two adjacent cutters of the array. If the cutters are arranged in m,iltiple levels, the material will pass through each level of the cutters until being discharged through the outlet means. In some embodiments, the material after having ,)assed through the array of cutters a first time, will be recycled to the top of the array for a further passage through the array and so on. By this means the material is repeatedly passed through the cutting assembly so that the final size of the material can be very fine indeed.

One way of providing for repeated passage of materials through the cutting assembly is to mount the assembly inside a rotating drum or cage so that material is continuously being recycled through the assembly as the drum rotates around the assembly allowing material to fall under gravity through the cutters. This form of the device finds particular application as a domestic or commercial waste disposal unit and is particularly suitable for recycling household rubbish or garden refuse.

Another embodiment of the present invention finds application as a community waste disposal system in which the cutting assembly can be of very large dimensions suitab]h for recycling or converting all of the rubbish disposed by a community. Such assemblies could replace conventional tips, pits or the like and may be located at strategic locations in the community. As the wcste material is ultimately of a very small size due to being repeatedly passed through the assembly, disposal presents no real problem.

IDI's dGr~crr ibed/ arranemntha be~Rfft-~-6t8Ra V avancad-byexplanation and m-y modifications may be made without departing from the spirl nd scope of the invention which 35 depapeing includes every novel feature an ovel combination of features hereindisclosed.

Thosesipe-l-e-pe-tha-t-t-he

Claims

2. A cutting assembly including at least one pair of o° substantially cylindrical cooperating rotary cutters, each of the cutters forming tho one pair of cutters being rotatable 0J in unison about respective spaced apart parallel axes, each oao cutter having a substantially continuous cutting surface disposed obliquely about said respective axis of rotation around the outer surface of the cutter wherein the cutting surface of one of the cutters of the pair of cutters is oppositely angularly inclined to the cutting surface of the other of the cutters and wherein a part of each of the cutting surfaces cooperatively engage with each other so that in use the cutters rotate in opposite directions so as to cut material located therebetween.
3. A cutting assembly according to any preceding claim further comprising a plurality of rotary cutters arranged in an array.
4. 3 A cutting apparatus according toany preceding claim~wherein the rotary cutters of the array are all adapted to rotate in unison. A cutting apparatus according to any prOeceding 3orLi claim inwhich the cutters forming the array are arranged so that each alternate cutter rotates in the same direction which is the opposite direction of rotation to that of the adjacent cutters.
6. A cutting apparatus according to any24in lea-m- in which the individual cutters forming the array are arranged in regularly spaced apart rows and columns.
7. A cutting apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the cutters are arranged in a herringbone-like or zig-zag type pattern when viewed in cross-section or from one side of the apparatus so that each alternate cutter in the same vertical column is aligned under each other and is spaced apart vertically from each adjacent cutter in the same vertical column and each alternate cutter in the same horizontal row is aligned under each other but spaced apart horizontally from each adjacent cutter in the same horizontal row.
8. A cutting apparatus according to any preceding claim in which each of the cutters is spring mounted on a shaft so as to provide for axial movement of the cutter with respect to the shaft wherein the spring means is a i compression spring urging adjacent cutters together into engagement with each other so as to provide for maintaining part of the cutting surfaces in intimate contact with each other during rotation of the cutters.
9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which each of the rotary cutters is a substantially cylindrical thin walled hollow cylinder in which the cutting surface extends continuously circumferentially around the cutters to form the thin wall and wherein the cutting surface of each cutter is arranged obliquely to the central axis of 74' ;r V"7 (Y' 0~1roSJ3 rotation of the cutter. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which each of the cutters is provided with two obliquely inclined cutting surfaces located at either end of the cutter wherein the two obliquely inclined cutting surfaces are arranged to extend in -plaa--a. aligned parallel witi respect to each other.
11. A cutting apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the cutting surfaces are inclined at 450 to Q: the central axis of rotation.
12. A cutting apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising feed means for facilitating introduction of materials to be cut to the cutting apparatus and discharge means allowing removal of the material after being cut.
13. An apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising containment means for facilitating recycling of the material being cut through the apparatus so that the material can be repeatedly passed through the cutters before being discharged.
14. A cutting apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the cutting surfaces are smooth or are provided with surface modifications or irregularities in order to assist in feeding, retaining or maintaining material between adjacent cutters in use. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which rubber cylinders are mounted on the shafts between adjacent cutters which are in turn spaced on either side of the rubber cylinders to prevent material from I- between the covers in use. 6 491. A cutting assembly according to any preceding Claim C C 0: K ~~ca 0 wherein the shafts upon which the rotary cutters are mounted are inter-connected by a spur-gear so as to rotate in unison and at the same speed.
17. A cutting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which ones of the respective pairs of cutters are arranged in a common first plane, and others of the respective pairs of the cutters are arranged in a common second plane, said first plane being spaced apart from and arranged parallel to said second plane. S 18. A cutting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the rotating axes of ones of the pair of cutters is in a plane arranged alternatively between common corresponding planes of the rotating axes of o the others of the pair of cutters.
19. A cutting assembly according to any one of the o preceding claims in which each cutter has associated with it -o a spur-gear for driving engagement with at least one other spur-gear for driving all of the cutters in unison. A cutting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims further including a drive shaft for driving all of the cutters in unison, by means of spur-gears, the spur-gears being arranged so that the said one of the pairs are driven in the direction opposite to the direction of the said others of the pair.
21. A cutting assembly according to any one of the preceding clams in which the respective cutters as they contra-rotate their respective cutting edges will be maintained in contact with one another at the overlap of the cutting edges and the effective cutting point formed from point to point contact will reciprocate along the inclined cutting faces as the cutters rotate.
22. A cutting assembly including a plurality of pairs of cooperating rotary cutters, each said pair being rotatable in unison about spaced parallel axes, said cutters each having a truncated cylindrical cutting surface disposed obliquely to said axes of rotation and the cutting surface of one said cutter of each said pair of cutters being rearwardly directed to engage operatively with the forwardly directed cutting surface of the other said cutter, and there being provided means to maintain said cutting surfaces in operative relationship to one another.
23. including described A cutting assembly or anshe 4. apparatus a cutting assembly substantially as hereinbefore with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 19th day of February, 1992 TERRENCE JAMES PARKE By his Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia 21~ 1::I CF~;rJ i~; 18 ABSTRACT A cutting apparatus having a plurality of contra- rotating cutting elements mounted on shafts for simultaneous rotation in use. Each of the cutting elements is provided with a cutting surface which is obliquely inclined to the axis of rotation of the cutting element. The cutting surface is substantially continuous and is at least in part in intimate contact with a part of the cutting surface of an adjacent cutting element so that upon operation of the apparatus material fed between the adjacent cutting elements is cut by the contra-rotating cutting surfaces. The cutting elements are spring mounted on shafts to allow relative axial movement of the cutters in use.