PRESSING HEAD, DEVICE FOR PRESSING MATERIAL TO BE PRESSED, AND METHOD FOR PRESSING MATERIAL TO BE PRESSED

Abstract

A pressing head (100) for a device for pressing material to be pressed, e.g., an extrusion press for pressing chips. The pressing head (100) comprises at least two pressing channels (1, 1), each having an inlet opening (11, 11) and an outlet opening (12, 12). Each pressing channel (1, 1) has a stationary supporting element (2, 2) and a movable pressing element (3, 3). The pressing element (3, 3) is movable on one side, preferably relative to the supporting element (2, 2). A cross-section (QA) of the pressing channel, at the outlet opening of the pressing channel, can be varied relative to the cross-section (QE) of the pressing channel, at the inlet opening of the pressing channel.

Claims

1-19. (canceled)

20. A pressing head, for an apparatus for pressing material to be pressed, comprising: at least two pressing channels each with one inlet opening and one outlet opening, wherein each pressing channel has a supporting element and one movable pressing element, the pressing element is movable, on one side, in such a way that a cross section of the pressing channel, at its outlet opening, is changeable relative to a cross section of the pressing channel, at its inlet opening.

21. The pressing head according to claim 20, wherein the pressing element is movable on one side relative to the supporting element in a region of the outlet opening.

22. The pressing head according to claim 20, wherein the pressing channels are formed in their cross section substantially in halves by way of the supporting element and the pressing element.

23. The pressing head according to claim 20, wherein the pressing channels have a common supporting element.

24. The pressing head according to claim 23, wherein the common supporting element is configured integrally.

25. The pressing head according to claim 20, wherein the pressing channels are arranged next to one another.

26. The pressing head according to claim 20, wherein the pressing channels are arranged opposite to one another.

27. The pressing head according to claim 20, wherein the pressing element is mounted such that the pressing element can be pivoted about a rotational axis, and the rotational axis is arranged substantially orthogonally with respect to the pressing channel.

28. The pressing head according to claim 27, wherein the rotational axis is fixed with respect to the supporting element in the region of the inlet opening.

29. The pressing head according to claim 27, wherein each pressing element is assigned an actuating element for adjusting the pressing element.

30. The pressing head according to claim 29, wherein each actuating element is independently adjustable.

31. The pressing head according to claim 25, wherein three pressing channels are arranged next to one another.

32. The pressing head according to claim 26, wherein three pressing channels each are arranged opposite to one another.

33. An apparatus for pressing material to be pressed, comprising at least one pressing head according to claim 20.

34. An apparatus for pressing material to be pressed, comprising at least one pressing head according to claim 29.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, comprising a control apparatus for adjusting the actuating element.

36. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein each pressing channel is assigned a pressing plunger for pressing the material to be pressed.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the pressing plungers are movable by a common cylinder.

38. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the apparatus comprises a pre-collecting chamber for receiving and/or for pre-compacting material to be pressed.

39. A method for pressing material to be pressed with an apparatus for pressing material to be pressed comprising the steps: feeding of material to be pressed, pressing of a first portion of the material to be pressed through a pressing channel by way of a first pressing stroke from a starting position by a forward movement in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the pressing channel of a pressing plunger, holding of the pressed first portion of the material to be pressed in the pressing channel by a movable pressing element, returning the pressing plunger back into the starting position, feeding of a second portion of material to be pressed, pressing of the second portion of the material to be pressed by way of a second pressing stroke of the pressing plunger, wherein the pressing force on the second portion of the material to be pressed is adjusted by the movable pressing element.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the apparatus for pressing material to be pressed comprises a control apparatus for adjusting the actuating element, the apparatus for pressing material to be pressed comprises at least one pressing head, the pressing head comprises at least two pressing channels with one inlet opening and one outlet opening each, and each pressing channel has a supporting element and one movable pressing element each, the pressing element is movable on one side, in such a way that a cross section of the pressing channel, at its outlet opening, is changeable relative to a cross section of the pressing channel, at its inlet opening, and the pressing element is mounted such that the pressing element can be pivoted about a rotational axis, and the rotational axis is arranged substantially orthogonally with respect to the pressing channel.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein the apparatus for pressing material to be pressed comprises a pressing head comprising: at least two pressing channels with one inlet opening and one outlet opening each, and each pressing channel has a supporting element and one movable pressing element each, the pressing element is movable on one side, in such a way that a cross section of the pressing channel, at its outlet opening, is changeable relative to a cross section of the pressing channel, at its inlet opening.

42. The method according to claim 39, wherein the pressing force on the second portion of the material to be pressed is adjusted by the movable pressing element by a holding force of the first portion of the material to be pressed in the pressing channel.

43. The method according to claim 39, wherein an actuating element for adjusting the holding force in dependence of an actuating variable at the pressing cylinder is adjusted independently for each pressing element.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the actuating variable is defined in dependence of a force at the pressing plunger.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein the pressing plunger is operated hydraulically, and the actuating variable is defined in dependence of the pressure.

Description

[0075] Different embodiments of the present invention will be described using the following figures, showing:

[0076] FIG. 1 an apparatus for pressing material to be pressed,

[0077] FIG. 2 a part of the apparatus from FIG. 1 having a pressing head,

[0078] FIG. 3 a cross section through a pressing channel from FIG. 2 in a perspective view,

[0079] FIG. 4 the cross section from FIG. 3 in an orthogonal view, and

[0080] FIGS. 5a to 5c different embodiments of a pressing head.

[0081] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 200 for pressing material to be pressed S. The apparatus 200 has a funnel 202, for receiving the material to be pressed S. The funnel 202 is connected to a pressing unit which comprises a pressing head 100. The apparatus 200 is seated on a machine frame 201.

[0082] FIG. 2 shows a part of the apparatus 200 from FIG. 1. A pressing head 100 is situated within the pressing unit. The pressing unit begins here with a stub 101, to which the filling funnel 202 (FIG. 1) is connected. A screw conveyor 203 (FIG. 3) is situated within said stub 101 and the filling funnel 202. In the figure, one actuating apparatus 30, 30 each is arranged above and below the pressing head 100. The pressing head 100 comprises a common supporting element 2 and six pressing elements 3. Six pressing elements 3 are shown, however, only one is labeled and described for clarity.

[0083] The supporting element 2 and the pressing element 3 form the pressing channel 1. Here, three pressing channels 1 are arranged opposite to another three pressing channels 1. Three of the pressing channels each are arranged next to one another. The actuating apparatus 30, 30 interact with the pressing elements 3. In the present case, the pressing head 100 is formed from two side plates, between which the supporting element 2 is arranged. The pressing elements 3 which, together with the supporting element 2, form six pressing channels 1 also belong to the pressing head 100.

[0084] FIG. 3 shows a cross section along the longitudinal axis of the pressing channel which is illustrated in FIG. 2. Here, FIG. 3 shows further details of the apparatus according to FIG. 1 which are not shown in FIG. 2. For instance, the machine frame 201, on which the pressing unit having the pressing head 100 is arranged, can be seen in FIG. 3. Here, the conveying direction of the material to be pressed is defined by way of the screw conveyor 203 and the pressing head 100, meaning that the conveying direction is from the screw conveyor 202 in the direction of the pressing head 100 having the outlet openings 12.

[0085] For clarity, only some of the same parts (analogously to FIG. 2) are labeled.

[0086] The filling funnel, into which the screw conveyor 203 extends, is not visible in FIG. 3. The material to be pressed is added to the filling funnel 202 (see FIG. 1) and is conveyed by way of the screw conveyor 203 into the pre-collecting chamber 204. The material to be pressed is collected in the pre-collecting chamber 204 and is pressed by means of the pressing plungers 4, 4 in the pressing head 100. To this end, the pressing plungers 4, 4 move in the conveying direction into the die 6 and press the material to be pressed through the die 6. The pressing head 100 is arranged downstream of the die 6. The pressing elements 3 and 3 of the pressing head 100 are mounted on rotational axes 5 and 5. The pressing elements 3 and 3 are mounted on the rotational axes 5 and 5 in such a way that they can move toward and away from the respective actuating apparatus 30, 30. After a single pressing operation has been carried out multiple times, a collection of individual briquettes is formed within the pressing channel 1, 1 which become ever denser. Said briquettes are held in their position in the pressing channel 1, 1 by way of the pressing elements 3, 3. As a result of the adjustment of the holding force by way of the actuating elements 31, 31 on the respective pressing elements 3, 3, the reaction force is likewise set to the force of the pressing plungers, and therefore indirectly the pressure on the briquette in the die 6.

[0087] FIG. 4 shows the cross section according to FIG. 3 in an orthogonal view. For clarity, only the elements of a single pressing channel 1 are labeled. The pressing channel 1 has an inlet opening 11 and an outlet opening 12. The inlet channel 1 has a cross section QA in the region of the inlet opening 11, and the pressing channel 1 has a cross section QE in the region of the outlet opening 12. The pressing channel 1 is formed by the actuating element 2 and the pressing element 3. The pressing element 3 is mounted rotatably on the rotational axis 5. This results in a regular cross section Q of the pressing channel 1 in the region of the rotational axis 5. When the actuating element 31 then acts on the pressing element 3 in the region of the outlet opening 12, the cross section QE at the outlet opening 12 naturally changes in relation to the cross section QA at the inlet opening 11. The briquette which is shaped by way of the pressing plungers 4 in the die 6 has a diameter which substantially corresponds to the cross section of the die 6. On account of the different nature of the briquettes, however, the elasticity of the briquettes in the cross-sectional direction is different. Once it has been pressed, the briquette is conveyed by way of the following briquette into the pressing channel 1. Said briquette has to be held in the pressing channel 1. The inhomogeneity between the briquettes is significant, but as a result of the adjustment of the pressing element 3 by way of the actuating element 31, a substantially constant holding force can be exerted on the briquettes in the pressing channel 1. Thus, a defined counterforce or reaction force with respect to the pressing plunger 4 is provided within the die.

[0088] FIGS. 5a to 5c show different embodiments of the pressing head. For the sake of clarity, in each case only some of a plurality of identical elements are provided with reference signs.

[0089] FIG. 5a shows a pressing head having two pressing channels 1 which lie next to one another. Here, the supporting element 2 is formed integrally with a side wall of the pressing head. Pressing channels 1 which are closed off by way of the pressing element 3 are visible within the pressing head. Here, two pressing elements 3 next to one another form the termination of the pressing channel 1 that is open upwardly.

[0090] FIG. 5b shows an arrangement according to FIG. 5a, wherein two pairs of pressing channels 1 are arranged opposite one another. It is conceivable that the two pairs of pressing channels 1 would be configured as described in FIG. 5a. Alternatively, it would be conceivable to realise the pressing channels 1 and the pressing element 3 as configured in FIG. 5b below. It would be conceivable that the supporting element 2 has an additional web 21 which divides the pressing channels with respect to one another. The pressing elements 3 can be configured only having the width of the diameter of the pressing channel 1, with the result that the pressing elements 3 form a push-in element for the pressing channel 1.

[0091] FIG. 5c shows a further embodiment of the pressing head, said embodiment corresponding substantially to the embodiment according to FIG. 5b, with the difference that three pressing channels 1 each are arranged opposite to one another, wherein three pressing channels 1 being arranged next to one another. Here, the supporting element 2 is likewise configured integrally with side walls of the pressing head. The pressing elements 3 correspond to the embodiment as described in FIG. 5a.