Metal scrap compressor

Abstract

A metal scrap compressor obviates cut scraps accumulation potentially causing malfunction of a press cylinder device. In a metal scrap compressor, a press cylinder device includes: a pair of wall-like side blocks disposed between a cylinder flange at an end of a cylinder tube and a base on a base stand so as to form a frame structure; and a cup-shaped block member removably mounted on the base as disposed between these side blocks and containing therein a pressure forming chamber. The block member includes a charging opening for metal scraps, allows a press ram replaceably mounted to a distal end of a piston rod of the press cylinder device to be reciprocally slidably inserted therein through a ceiling thereof, and includes therein a press forming die replaceably mounted to a distal end of the press ram and reciprocally moved in the pressure forming chamber.

Claims

1. A metal scrap compressor comprising on a base stand: a hopper supplied with metal scraps; a pressure forming chamber which stores the metal scraps delivered from the hopper; a press cylinder device for pressure-forming the metal scraps charged in the pressure forming chamber; a gate cylinder device for pushing and discharging a formed article to an outside of the pressure forming chamber after pressure-forming the metal scraps; and a controller for controlling drive of working fluid pressure for the press cylinder device and the gate cylinder device, wherein the press cylinder device includes: a pair of wall side blocks which forms a frame structure as disposed in mutually opposed relation between a cylinder flange at an end of a cylinder tube and a base on the base stand; and a cup-shaped block member removably mounted on the base of the base stand as disposed between the pair of wall side blocks and containing therein the pressure forming chamber, the pressure forming chamber is arranged above a discharge plunger of the gate cylinder device, the gate cylinder device is configured so that the formed article which has been pressure-formed above the discharge plunger falls from the pressure forming chamber by moving back the discharge plunger, and then discharges the formed article by moving forward the discharge plunger, the block member includes a charging opening for receiving the metal scraps delivered from the hopper, allows a press ram replaceably mounted to a distal end of a piston rod of the press cylinder device to be reciprocally slidably inserted therein through a ceiling thereof, and stores therein a press forming die replaceably mounted to a distal end of the press ram and reciprocally moved in the pressure forming chamber, and the block member is configured so that the press forming die is replaceable with respect to the distal end of the press ram in a state where only the block member is lifted up.

2. The metal scrap compressor according to claim 1, wherein the press cylinder device includes the cylinder tube, the cylinder flange fixed to the end of the cylinder tube, the piston rod movably connected to the cylinder flange, the press ram fixed to the distal end of the piston rod and reciprocally moved together with the piston rod in the pressure forming chamber, and the press forming die replaceably mounted to the distal end of the press ram, and the pair of wall side blocks extends between the cylinder flange and the base stand to connect side portions of the cylinder flange and side portions of the base stand, and the block member is disposed on the base stand between the pair of wall side blocks to form an open space above the block member, and the piston rod reciprocally moves between the base stand and the cylinder tube through the open space.

3. The metal scrap compressor according to claim 2, wherein the block member further includes tie rods arranged at side portions of the block member and penetrating through the block member to fix the block member to the base stand.

4. The metal scrap compressor according to claim 3, further comprising another press forming die to be replaced with the press forming die, wherein the block member is arranged such that when the another press forming die is replaced with the press forming die, the tie rods are unfasten to release the block member from the base stand and the block member is lifted up to remove the press forming die, and the another press forming dies is replaced with the press forming die without removing the pair of wall side blocks from the base stand and the cylinder flange.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION. OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic fragmentary configuration diagrams showing a structure of a compression-side part of a press cylinder device of a metal scrap compressor according to one embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1A representing a front view thereof and FIG. 1B representing a side view thereof;

(2) FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D are fragmentary sectional views for illustrating the operations of a conventional metal scrap compressor, FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D representing respective steps in sequence; and

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic fragmentary front view showing a structure of a compression-side part of a press cylinder device of the conventional metal scrap compressor.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(4) A metal scrap compressor according to the invention features a press cylinder device in which: a frame structure is formed by a pair of wall-like side blocks disposed in mutually opposed relation between a cylinder flange at an end of a cylinder tube and a base on a base stand; a cup-shaped block member is disposed between the pair of side blocks or inside the frame structure and is removably mounted on the base; a press ram fixed to a distal end of a piston rod is reciprocally slidably inserted in the block member through a ceiling thereof; and a pressure forming die replaceably mounted to a distal end of the press ram is reciprocally moved in a pressure forming chamber inside the block member. According to the invention, therefore, in space between the cylinder flange and the base of the press cylinder device, only the periphery of the pressure forming chamber is substantially covered by the block member. In this configuration, there is no fixing member that closes a space above the block member. In the replacement of the die, therefore, the removal of the die is enabled simply by lifting up the block member alone, negating the need for the removal of other members such as the side blocks.

(5) This eliminates the need for the extensive work using the overhead traveling crane, forklift and the like. The die replacement work becomes much simpler than the conventional work where the block entirely covering the space between the cylinder flange and the base is removed by unfastening the tie rods. Further, the space above the block member is not closed so that a fear of the cut scraps being accumulated and causing the malfunction of the press cylinder device is eliminated.

(6) A method of mounting the block member on the base can employ any one of various mechanisms that can removably fix the block member in state as it is placed on the base. However, it is more desirable to employ a simpler mechanism. An example of the desirable mechanism is a configuration where the block member is fastened to the base by means of the tie rod vertically extending through the block member. In this case, a die replacement work is easy because what is to be done for replacing the die is simply to unfasten the tie rod having substantially the same height as the block member.

Embodiment

(7) A partial structure of a press cylinder device of a metal scrap compressor according to one embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic fragmentary configuration diagrams showing a structure of a part of a press cylinder device 2, which is between a cylinder flange 2Y fixed to an end of a cylinder tube 2x and a base 14, FIG. 1A representing a front view thereof and FIG. 1B representing a side view thereof. An internal structure of a block member 8 is delineated by the dotted lines in the figures.

(8) As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the press cylinder device 2 according to the embodiment has a frame structure formed by a pair of wall-like side blocks 7 which are disposed on opposite sides of a space between the cylinder flange 2y and the base 14 and fixedly fastened in position by means of tie rods.

(9) Inside this frame structure, the cup-shaped block member 8 is removably fastened and fixed directly onto the base 14 by means of tie rods T. This block member 8 defines therein a pressure forming chamber 5 which is formed with a charging opening F on a rear side thereof for receiving metal scraps delivered from a hopper (not shown).

(10) Further, the block member 8 is formed with a through-hole 9 in a ceiling portion on a center axis thereof. A press ram 4 fixed to a distal end of a piston rod 3 is reciprocally slidably inserted in the block member via the through-hole 9. The press ram is adapted to move up and down in the pressure forming chamber 5 as driven by the press cylinder device 2.

(11) A pressure forming die 6 replaceably mounted to a distal end of the press ram 4 is moved up and down along with the press ram 4 in the pressure forming chamber 5. In a pressure forming step, the press forming die is drivenly lowered so as to compress and pressure form the metal scraps charged in the pressure forming chamber 5 into a mass. At this time, the pressure forming step can be performed based on the same operating procedure as that of the conventional metal scrap compressor as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2D. Hence, drive control and the like for automatic operation need not be subjected to any change.

(12) When the die 6 need be replaced after long-term use, the die replacement work can be easily accomplished simply by unfastening the short tie rods T to release the block member 8 from the base 14 and lifting up the block member. This negates the need for removing the side blocks 7. Further, deposition substance adversely affecting the drive of the press cylinder device 2 is not produced during the pressure forming step because the space above the block member 8 in the frame structure is open.

(13) While the block member 8 is directly fixed onto the base 14 by means of the tie rods T in the above embodiment, the invention is not necessarily limited to this mounting method. For example, an adoptable configuration is made such that as placed on the base 14 at a predetermined position, the block member 8 has an upper part thereof releasably bolted to the side block 7 by means of connecting fittings or the like.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(14) 1: Metal scrap compressor 2, 20: Press cylinder device 2X, 21: Cylinder tube 2Y, 22: Cylinder flange 3, 23: Piston rod 4, 24: Press ram 5, 25: Pressure forming chamber 6, 26: Die 7: Side block 8: Block member T: Tie rod 9: Through-hole 10: Gate cylinder device 11: Discharge plunger 12: Discharge gate 13: Discharge port 14: Base 16: Base stand F: Charging opening H: Hopper M: Motor C: Screw conveyor 27: Tie rod 28: Block