GB2268438A - Machine for compacting waste tyres - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for compacting waste tyres comprises a pair of spaced, upright plates 18,32 from one of which extends a horizontal probe member 22 for receiving thereon tyres 40 to be compacted and in the other of which is formed a central aperture to receive therein the probe member 22. A hydraulic ram 8 moves the plates 18,32 towards one another to compact the tyres between the plates. The machine further comprises, in or on the probe member 22 and in the plates 18,32 a series of slots 18,29,38 whereby, with the probe member 22 received within the other plate 32, a series of banding wires can be tied around the compacted tyres 40 to retain them in their compressed condition. <IMAGE>

Description

A MACHINE FOR COMPACTING WASTE TYRES This invention relates to a machine for compacting waste tyres, and more particularly to a machine for compacting waste tyres into readily manageable bales.

In the United Kingdom, about 30 million tyres are removed annually from motor vehicles with only about 20% of these tyres being retreaded. Thus there is a need to dispose of the remaining 80%, and the bulk of these waste tyres are located into landfill sites. Clearly this provides significant transportation problems in view of the substantial bulk of the waste tyres in their loose form.

It would therefore be desirable to be able to treat the waste tyres whereby transportation of the tyres for disposal purposes was facilitated.

Furthermore, current law requires that any tyres disposed of by means of landfill tipping must be mixed with other waste material with the result that, when the tyres make their way to the surface of the tips as invariably occurs, there is emission of methane gas as a result of the reaction between the air trapped in the tyres and the waste material, clearly an undesirable situation.

It would therefore be further desirable to be able to treat the waste tyres whereby the emission of unwanted gases from landfill tips was reduced.

It is anticipated that the disposal of waste tyres by landfilling will have to cease in the United Kingdom in the year 2000, and there is therefore a need to devise some other means of disposal.

It would therefore be still further desirable to be able to treat the waste tyres such that they could be put to some useful purpose.

According to the present invention there is provided a machine for compacting waste tyres comprising a first upright plate from which extends an elongate axial probe member adapted to extend through, to receive thereon, a plurality of aligned waste tyres, a second upright plate parallel with but displaced from said first plate and provided with an aperture therein co-axial with the probe member, the radial dimensions of the probe member and the aperture being such that the probe member, when received in the aperture, is a close sliding fit therein, and means for displacing the first and second plates relative to one another such that the probe member is moved into said aperture and the tyres between the first and second plates are compressed between the plates, the probe member having at least one axially-extending slot formed in or on its outer surface, and each plate having at least one radial slot therein communicating with the at least one axiallyextending slot in the probe member whereby, with the probe member extending into the aperture in the second plate, and with the tyres compressed between the first and second plates, a banding wire can be fed along the slot in the probe member, through the central apertures of the aligned compressed tyres and tied around said tyres to maintain them in a compressed condition.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are four circumferentially spaced axial slots formed in or on the outer surface of the probe member, and a corresponding number of radial slots in each of the first and second plates co-operating with associated ones of said slots in the probe member whereby four spaced banding wires can be tied around the compacted tyres.

The or each axial slot in the probe member may be formed in, to extend below, the surface of the probe member, or, alternatively, may be defined between a pair of longitudinal flanges upstanding from the surface of the probe member and extending axially thereof.

The relative movement between the first and second plates may be achieved by means of a double-acting hydraulic ram, the first plate and associated probe member conveniently being mounted to the free end of the ram, and the second plate being fixed in position on the machine.

Preferably the machine includes a chassis adjacent one end or which is mounted the hydraulic ram and adjacent the other end or which is mounted the second plate, the first plate being slidable along said chassis towards and away from the second plate on actuation of said hydraulic ram.

By way of examples only, embodiments or the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figs. 1 to 4 show a first machine according to the invention in various operative conditions; Fig. 5 is a side view of an alternative probe member and first plate, and Fig. 6 is a front view in the direction of arrow VI-VI of the probe member and plate of Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs 1 to 4, the illustrated machine comprises a chassis indicated generally at 2 and including a pair of opposed channel section rolled steel joists 4 supporting a flat bed 6 of steel plate.

Mounted adjacent one end of the chassis 2 is a hydraulic ram indicated generally at 8. The ram 8 includes a cylinder 10 located and supported by fixed rear and intermediate brackets 11, 12 respectively both secured to the chassis 2, and a piston 14 to the front end of which is attached a first support assembly 16. The assembly 16 is moveable with the piston 14, and is guided for sliding movement along the bed 6 by co-operation with opposed guide rails mounted on the bed 6 to extend the full length thereof. An anti-friction material such as nylon is provided on the underside of the assembly 16 to facilitate sliding along the bed 6.

Secured to the front of the assembly 16 is a first plate 18 of generally circular shape to the rear of which are attached a plurality of strengthening webs 20.

An elongate probe 22 of circular cross-section extends forwardly from the centre of the plate 18, the probe 22 forming a horizontal continuation of the piston 14 and having a tapering front end extent 24.

Four pairs of parallel upstanding flanges 26 are provided on the external surface of the rear extent of the probe 22 to define therebetween four equi-spaced, axiallyextending slots 28 on the probe 22 for reasons which will become apparent.

The plate 18 includes four equi-spaced radial slots 29 therein feeding one into each of the slots 28 again for reasons which will become apparent.

A second support assembly 30 is secured to the chassis 2 adjacent the other end thereof, a second plate 32 of generally circular shape being mounted to the assembly 30 to extend parallel with the first plate 18, strengthening ribs 34 reacting between the rear of the plate 32 and the assembly 30.

The plate 32 and the assembly 30 are provided with a central aperture 36 therethrough the diameter of which is fractionally greater than that of the main extent of the probe 22, while four equi-spaced radial slots 38 are formed in the plate 32 to feed into the central aperture in said plate.

The described machine is typically of the order of 7 metres in overall length, with a spacing of about 3.5 metres between the plates 18 and 32 when the machine is in its inoperative position as shown in Fig. 1. Tyres having an internal diameter of between 25 cms and 40 cms are particularly suited to compaction by the illustrated machine, with the central probe 26 being ideally located for tyres having an internal diameter of 33 cms. The spacing between the plates 18 and 32 permits between 20 and 25 tyres of average width to be accommodated in the machine.

The machine operates as follows. With the piston 14 fully retracted within the cylinder 10 of the ram 8, as shown in Fig. 1, tyres 40 to be compacted are loaded onto the probe 22 and thence into the gap between the end extent 24 of the probe 22 and the plate 32 until the space between the plates 18 and 32 is substantially full of upright tyres on the bed 6, as seen in Fig. 2.

The hydraulic ram 8 is then actuated such that the assembly 16 and attached plate 18 are moved along the bed 6 towards the assembly 30 and associated plate 32. During this movement, the tyres are gradually compressed or compacted in an axial direction between the plates 18,32.

When the tapered end extend 24 of the probe 22 reaches the plate 32, it enters the central aperture in said plate, further movement of the piston 14 causing the main extent of the probe 22 to enter into, to be guided by, said aperture.

In the position of maximum compaction of the tyres 40 shown in Fig. 3, the free end of the probe 22 just projects from the assembly 30, and the right-hand end extents (as viewed in Fig. 1) of the slots 28 are aligned with the radially inner ends of the associated slots 38 in the plate 32. The machine is then in a position whereby banding wires can be applied to the compacted tyres.

More particularly, a length of wire 42 is fed along each slot 28 of the probe 22 from one end of said slot to the other, thereby passing through the aligned central apertures in the compacted tyres 40, the provision of the slots 29, 38 in the plates 18, 32 respectively enabling the end extents of each wire 42 to be passed round the outer surfaces of the tyres and tied together to provide four wire loops which retain the tyres in their compressed condition.

The piston 14 of the double-acting hydraulic ram 8 is then retracted to withdraw the probe 22 from the assembly 30 and from the bale of compacted tyres 40 which expand slightly in an axial direction once the pressure of the plate 18 is released therefrom by an amount dependent upon the tension in the loops of wire 42.

A stop member 44 provided in the bed 6 prevents the bale moving rearwardly with the probe 22 on retraction of the piston 14. Said stop member is conveniently urged by gravity into a normal rest position upstanding. from the bed 6 as shown in the drawings, but is such that, on passage thereover of the tyres 40 during compaction of the bale, the stop member 44 is moved downwardly by the tyres to an unobstructive displaced position substantially flush with the surface of the bed 6.

The bale of tyres so formed, as shown in Fig. 4, can then be rolled off the bed 6 to the opposite side to that of loading.

The fully compacted bale is typically 53 cms long prior to release of the hydraulic pressure, and expands to a length of 70 cms in the condition shown in Fig. 4. Thus it will be appreciated that the described machine enables the volume of the tyres to the be reduced to about 20% of their original volume, which, in turn, enables transportation costs to be reduced by up to 50%, as vehicles can be loaded to gross weight capacity rather than by loose tyre volume.

Furthermore, the volume of air within the compacted bale is substantially reduced so that, on landfill tipping, the formation of undesirable gases, as well as the fire risk involved, is proportionately reduced.

A particular use for the described bales of tyres is in the formation of artificial reefs at sea. More particularly, the compacted bales are filled with concrete to form rubber rocks which are constructed into artificial reefs typically 30 metres wide adjacent the shore line in relatively rough waters, the reefs sloping towards the oncoming waves to absorb the energy of the waves and to provide calmer waters nearer the shore.

In the described machine, the provision of a doubleacting hydraulic ram 8 ensures that the conversion and return strokes can be completed in the shortest possible time cycle.

The machine is designed to be transportable with the chassis 2 being capable of doubling as the chassis of a road legal trailer.

The machine may be provided with either an electric or a diesel engined power pack - with the latter option, the machine can be mounted upon a 4-wheel trailer and be completely mobile.

The provision of anti-friction material between the moving assembly 16 and the bed 6 allows ready replacement when worn out and eliminates any metal-to-metal contact.

The machine illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 can be modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

In particular, and referring to Fig. 5, the axial slots 28 in the probe 22 may be formed in the surface of the probe in the form of channels below the surface of the main body of the probe, while the number of such slots can be varied to suit particular requirements. Furthermore, the dimensions of the machine, and in particular the height of probe 22 above the bed 6, can be altered dependent upon the sizes of the tyres to be compacted, as can the diameters of the plates 18,32.

The banding wires 42 may be applied manually or automatically and the tension therein chosen to provide bales of a desired length.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the components shown in Fig.

5, the tapered nose or free end extent 24 of the probe 22 allowing ready alignment of various different tyre sizes in the machine. The four radial slots 29 in the plate 18 are clearly seen in this view, said slots 29 feeding one into each of the axial slots 28 which terminate just beyond the plate 18 as seen in Fig. 6.

Claims (6)

1. A machine for compacting waste tyres comprising a first upright plate from which extends an elongate probe member adapted to pass through, to receive thereon, a plurality of aligned waste tyres, a second upright plate parallel with but spaced from said first plate and provided with an aperture therein co-axial with the probe member, the radial dimensions of the probe member and the aperture being such that the probe member, when received in the aperture, is a close sliding fit therein, and means for displacing the first and second plates relative to one another such that the probe member enters the aperture in the second plate and the tyres between the first and second plates are compressed between said plates, the probe member having at least one axially-extending slot formed in or on its outer surface, and each plate having at least one radial slot therein communicating with the at least one axially-extending slot in the probe member whereby, with the probe member extending into the aperture in the second plate and with the tyres compressed between the first and second plates, a banding wire can be fed along the slot in the probe member, through the central apertures of the aligned compressed tyres and tied around said tyres to maintain them in a compressed condition.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which there are four circumferentially spaced axial slots formed in or on the outer surface of the probe member, and a corresponding number of radial slots in each of the first and second plates co-operating with associated ones of said slots in the probe member whereby four spaced banding wires can be tied around the compacted tyres.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the or each axial slot is formed in, to extend below the surface of, the probe member.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the or each axial slot is defined between a pair of longitudinal flanges upstanding from the surface of the probe member and extending axially thereof.

5. A machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the relative movement between the first and second plates is achieved by means of a double-acting hydraulic ram, the first plate and associated probe member being mounted to the free end of the ram, and the second plate being fixed in position on the machine.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5 and including a chassis adjacent one end of which is mounted the hydraulic ram and adjacent the other end of which is mounted the second plate, the first plate being slidable along said chassis towards and away from the second plate on actuation of said hydraulic ram.