Method and apparatus for handling material in a penumatic materials handling system

Abstract

A method for handling material in a pneumatic materials handling system, in which material, such as waste material, is input from an input aperture of an input point, such as from an input aperture of a refuse chute or of some other input point, and is handled with a shaping device, arranged in connection with the input point or in the proximity of it, to be more compact and is transferred onwards. The shaping device is a rotary shaper, which includes rotatable handling device, which includes an aperture, which is arranged eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation, and which rotary shaper includes at least one stationary handling device, in which case the material to be handled is conducted into the rotary shaper and/or through it at least partly by means of gravity and/or suction and/or a pressure difference.

1 . A method for handling material in a pneumatic materials handling system, in which the material, such as waste material, is input from an input aperture of an input point, such as from an input aperture of a refuse chute ( 3 ) or of some other input point ( 200 ), and is handled with a shaping device ( 1 ), arranged in connection with the input point or in a proximity of it, to be more compact and is transferred onwards,
 wherein the shaping device ( 1 ) is a rotary shaper, comprising:   rotatable handling means ( 10 A,  10 C), which comprise an aperture ( 11 A,  11 C), which is arranged eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation, and which rotary shaper ( 1 ) comprises at least one stationary handling means ( 10 B), in which case the material to be handled is conducted into the rotary shaper ( 1 ) and/or through it at least partly by means of gravity and/or suction and/or a pressure difference.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the handling means ( 10 A,  10 C) of the rotary shaper when rotating, feed the material to be handled through the handling means. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable handling means ( 10 A,  10 C) shapes the material, together with at least one other, preferably a non-moving handling means ( 10 B). 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein in a direction of travel of the material to be handled, a cross-sectional area of a flow of the material passing through the handling means ( 10 A,  10 B,  10 C) of the rotary shaper is decreased such that the material can be conducted into the material transfer pipe ( 4 ,  5 ) disposed after the rotary shaper. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a direction of rotation of the rotatable handling means ( 10 A,  10 C) can be varied. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable handling means ( 10 A,  10 C) are driven with a drive device ( 7 ), such that torque can be varied. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a direction of rotation of each the rotatable handling means ( 10 A,  10 C) can be varied individually. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive device ( 7 ) of the rotatable handling means is an electric motor, a pneumatic motor or a hydraulic motor. 
     
     
         9 . The method according  claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic materials handling system is a pipe transport system of the material, more particularly of the waste material. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein medium is brought to a gap between at least a part of the handling means ( 10 A,  10 B,  10 C) and/or to the gap between the handling means ( 10 A,  10 B) and the parts ( 27 ,  28 ) supporting them. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the mutual shape of the edges ( 13 A,  13 B,  13 C) of the apertures of the handling means ( 10 A,  10 B,  10 C) is adapted such that they center the material that has been inputted, independently of a direction of rotation of the rotatable handling means. 
     
     
         12 . A rotatable handling means for a rotary shaper, wherein the rotatable handling means ( 10 A,  10 C) is a ring like means comprising an aperture ( 11 A,  11 C) arranged eccentrically with respect to an axis of rotation of the rotatable handling means. 
     
     
         13 . The rotatable handling means according to  claim 12 , wherein the aperture ( 11 A,  11 C) of the handling means is round or oval in shape. 
     
     
         14 . The rotatable handling means according to  claim 12 , wherein the edge ( 13 A,  13 C) of the aperture ( 11 A,  11 C) of a handling means has a shape containing an outer curved section ( 13 A 1 ,  13 C 1 ) and a second inner curved section ( 13 A 3 ,  13 C 3 ), wherein the curved sections are connected with a mainly straight section ( 13 A 2 ,  13 C 2 ). 
     
     
         15 . The rotatable handling means according to  claim 12 , wherein the outer rim ( 15 A,  15 C) of the handling means ( 10 A,  10 C) has a cambered or barrel-like shape.