Apparatus and Method for Processing a Rope Formed in a Pulper

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a rope formed in a pulper, comprising a conveying mechanism, in particular a winch, for pulling the rope, with the forward end first, out of the pulper, is characterized in that the conveying mechanism is positioned and designed in such a way that the rope can be fed, with the forward end first, directly to a shredder by the conveying mechanism.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. An apparatus for processing a rope (15) formed in a pulper (19) comprising a conveying mechanism (13) for pulling the rope (15) with the forward end (17) first out of the pulper (19), wherein the conveying mechanism (13) is arranged and designed in such a manner that the rope (15) can be fed, with the forward end (17) first, directly to a shredder (21) by the conveying mechanism (13).

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the shredder (21) is a two-shaft shredder.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the two-shaft shredder (21) comprises two rotatably driven shafts (29) extending at least substantially parallelly, with cutting elements (33) for shredding the rope (15).

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the cutting elements (33) are dismountable from the shafts (29) and/or exchangeable, and/or that the shafts (29) of the shredder (21) are exchangeable.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the forward end of the rope (17) can be fed to a region of the shredder (21) which lies between the two shafts (29), and/or in that the shredder (21) is arranged in such a manner that the shafts (29) are extending at least substantially parallel to a direction alongside which the forward end of the rope (17) is fed to the shredder (21).

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein for each shaft (29) a separate drive (31) is provided.

24. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said apparatus comprises a control (37) for the conveying mechanism (13), wherein the control (37) is arranged in a manner to adjust the conveying speed and/or the conveying direction of the rope (15) based on at least one operating parameter of the shredder (21).

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the operating parameter is the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic drive (31) of the shredder (21) and/or the torque on one shaft (29) of the shredder (31sic!) and/or an electric parameter of the electric drive (31) of the shredder (21).

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said apparatus comprises a measuring unit (39) for measuring the hydraulic pressure and/or for measuring the torque and/or for measuring the electric parameter.

27. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the conveying mechanism (13) comprises a winch with a drivable roll and a counter roller and is designed in such a manner that the rope (15) is conveyed between the roll and the counter roller.

28. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said apparatus moreover comprises a pulper (19), wherein the conveying mechanism (13) is arranged above the pulper (19) and between the pulper (19) and the shredder (21).

29. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said apparatus comprises a guidance device (27) between the conveying mechanism (13) and the shredder (21) for guiding the forward end of the rope (17).

30. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the rotation speed and/or the direction of rotation of at least one shaft (29) of the shredder (21) is set based on the torque on the shaft (29) and/or the hydraulic pressure of the drive (31) of the shaft (29).

31. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein another shredder is arranged downstream the shredder (21).

32. A method for processing a rope (15) formed in a pulper (19), wherein the rope (15) with its forward end (17) first is pulled out of the pulper (19) by means of a conveying mechanism (13) for the rope (15), and wherein the rope (15) is fed, with the forward end (17) first, directly to a shredder (21) by the conveying mechanism (13).

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the rope (15), with its forward end (17) first, is fed directly to a two-shaft shredder (21) by the conveying mechanism (13).

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein at least one operating parameter of the shredder (21) is measured and the conveying speed and/or the conveying direction of the rope (15) is set based on the at least one operating parameter.

Description

[0038] Hereafter, the present invention is exemplified with reference to the drafts. The figures show the following, each schematically:

[0039] FIG. 1 a side view of an apparatus according to the invention,

[0040] FIG. 2 a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1,

[0041] FIG. 3 a perspective partial view of a two-shaft shredder of the apparatus according to FIG. 1,

[0042] FIG. 4 another partial illustration of the shredder of FIG. 3,

[0043] FIG. 5 a schematic illustration for explaining the functioning principle of the shredder shown in FIG. 3, and

[0044] FIG. 6 a block diagram of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

[0045] The apparatus 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a conveying mechanism 13 for pulling a rope 15 with the forward end 17 first, out of a pulper 19. The conveying mechanism 13 is thereby arranged and designed in such a way that the rope 15 can be fed, with the forward end 17 first, directly to a shredder 212 by the conveying mechanism 13.

[0046] The pulper 19 comprises a trough-like tank 25 open to the top that is filled with water and in which the material to be dissolved, such as waste paper, cellulose, cardboard or paperboard is imported and intensively meshed with the water in order to dissolve it. In this respect, it is possible to use a mixing and comminuting rotor (not shown) arranged at the bottom of the tank.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rope 15 is hanging into the tank. The rope 15 is a rope-like wire bundle, into which primarily coarse, insoluble impurities, such as transparent films, packing tapes or textile scraps are spun.

[0048] The conveying mechanism 13 is provided as a winch and comprises a driven roll 41 and a counter roller 43, wherein the rope is conveyed between the roll 41 and the counter roller 43.

[0049] As is also apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, the conveying mechanism 13 is arranged above the pulper 19 andat least from a functional point of viewbetween the pulper 19 and the shredder 21, so that the forward end of the rope 17 can not only be pulled out of the pulper 19 by the conveying mechanism 13, but also be fed to the shredder 21.

[0050] In the apparatus 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 an upper platform is provided, through which the tank 25 protrudes. The conveying mechanism 13 is arranged on a socket 47, which is standing on the upper platform 45. The conveying mechanism 13 is thereby arranged sideways next to and above the opening of the tank in order to pull the rope 15 out of the tank 25.

[0051] The shredder 21 is arranged on a rack 49 beneath the platform 45. The shredded material falling out of the shredder 21 at the bottom falls into a container 23 provided beneath the shredder 21, or beneath the rack 49, respectively.

[0052] The conveying speed with which the conveying mechanism 13 pulls out the rope 15 of the tank can be set in such a manner that a reasonable spinning of impurities on the rope is possible without risking that the rope 15 is too big. The conveying speed can thus primarily be associated with the spinning of material on the rope 15 in the pulper 19.

[0053] A guidance device 27 is arranged between the conveying mechanism 13 and the shredder 21 in form of a slide, which supports the conveying of the forward end of the rope 17 to the shredder, namely in such a manner that the forward end of the rope 17 is fed at least substantially parallel to two parallelly extending shafts 29 of the shredder 21 (cf. FIG. 3).

[0054] The shredder 21 is thus provided as two-shaft shredder. Each shaft 29 comprises its own hydraulic drive 31 which can drive the respective shaft 29 rotatably. As an alternative, the drive 31 can also be provided as electric drive.

[0055] Cutting elements 33 are arranged on each shaft 29 of the shredder 21, wherein between the adjacent cutting elements 33 of one shaft at least one spacer disk 29 is arranged. Adjacent cutting elements 33 of one shaft are thus spaced apart relative to one another. The cutting elements 33 of the two shafts 29 are offset to one another in an axial direction, so that each cutting element 33 of one shaft is opposed to the respective spacer disk of the other shaft. The cutting elements 33 of the one shaft 29 thus engage with the free spaces formed by means of the spacer disks of the other shaft 29. As is apparent from the cross-sectional views in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cross-section of a cutting element 33 of the one shaft 29 thus overlaps with the cross-section of the adjacent cutting element 33 of the other shaft 29 in the region between the two shafts. In case of counter-rotating shafts 29, the cutting elements 33 of the two shafts are thus passing each other, thereby separating or shredding the material 51 (cf. FIG. 5), which is conveyed between the two shafts 29.

[0056] Each cutting element 33 comprises at its outer circumference at least one hooked projection 35, the tip of which is pointing in the direction of the respective main direction of rotation of the respective shaft 29. As shown in FIG. 5 by the arrows, the main direction of ration Ha for the left shaft 29 moves clockwise, while the main direction of rotation Hb for the right shaft 29 moves counter-clockwise.

[0057] When the shafts 29 run counter-rotate in their respective main directions of rotation Ha, Hb, the fed material 51, in particular by means of the at least one protrusion 35, can be taken up by the shafts 29 and pulled in the shredding area between the two shafts 29 and be shredded there.

[0058] Due to the separate drives 31 for the shafts 29, the direction of rotation Ha, Hb of at least one shaft 29 can be shortly reversed. This may in particular take place if for a short time a lot of material 51 is added. By reversing the direction of rotation, the material 51 can be conveyed to the top from the shredding area between the two shafts 29, in order to disburden the shredder 21.

[0059] By means of a control 37 (cf. FIG. 6) for the conveying mechanism 13, the conveying speed of the rope 15 can be adjusted also based on one operating parameter of the shredder 21. In this way, an overload or work below capacity of the shredder 21 can be avoided.

[0060] The operating parameter might be the hydraulic pressure of one of the hydraulic drives 31 for the shafts 29, for instance, or the torque at one of the shafts 29. For measuring the torque or the hydraulic pressure, a measuring unit 39 can be arranged in the shredder 21, which delivers the respective measured value to the control 37.

[0061] If, for instance, the hydraulic pressure or the torque exceeds a specific, preset threshold value, this might be seen as an indication that the shredder 21 is strongly loaded. Thereupon, the control 37 may reduce the conveying speed of the rope 15 by controlling the conveying mechanism 13 accordingly. In exceptional cases the conveying direction of the rope 15 can be reversed as well in order to pull the forward end 17 of the rope 15 out of the shredder 21. If, on the contrary, the measured hydraulic pressure or the measured torque falls low of another preset, lower threshold value, this can be seen as an indication that the shredder 21 works below capacity. The conveying speed of the rope 15 can then be increased by activating the conveying mechanism 13 accordingly.

[0062] Another second shredder can be arranged downstream the shredder 21 (not shown) in order to comminute the parts comminuted by means of the shredder 21 even further.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0063] 11 apparatus [0064] 13 conveying mechanism [0065] 15 rope [0066] 17 forward end of the rope [0067] 19 pulper [0068] 21 shredder [0069] 23 container [0070] 25 tank [0071] 27 guiding device [0072] 29 shaft [0073] 31 drive [0074] 33 cutting element [0075] 35 projection [0076] 37 control [0077] 39 measuring unit [0078] 41 roll [0079] 43 counter roller [0080] 45 platform [0081] 47 socket [0082] 49 rack [0083] 51 material [0084] Ha main direction of rotation [0085] Hb main direction of rotation