Patent Application
20160207049
The present invention refers generally to an apparatus and method for mechanically breaking or decompressing blocks of compressed particulate material.
Coir is a natural fiber extracted from the husks of coconuts that can be used in a variety of different products. One of the primary uses for coir is as a soil additive in the horticultural industry. Coconut coir can be used as a sustainable and renewable alternative to peat moss, which takes an extremely long time to form and thus is not easily renewable. Coir provides many of the same benefits as peat moss when used as a soil additive, such as improving the structure of soil. Coir also retains moisture in soil during dry conditions and drains well during wet conditions.
Bulk coconut coir is typically supplied to the horticultural industry in the form of compressed blocks or bricks of material. Supplying compressed blocks of material is advantageous because the blocks can be shipped and handled more easily. However, the compressed blocks of coir must be broken apart, or decompressed, before the coir can be used as a soil additive. Because the blocks are highly compressed, breaking the coir apart can be difficult. Commonly, users in the horticultural industry decompress coir by soaking the blocks in water. However, the wet coir then becomes difficult to handle, particularly with respect to conventional particle handling systems used in the industry.
Thus, it is desirable to have an apparatus that can be used for decompressing coir blocks in a dry state. U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,674 to Ellis dated Nov. 24, 1998 discloses such a device. This device breaks apart dry coir blocks using a rotary breaker bar inside a breaking chamber. The breaker bar is disposed within the chamber in a spiral configuration, and as the bar rotates it causes the blocks to continually collide with each other inside the chamber. The continual collisions cause the compressed blocks to break apart. However, in recent years suppliers of coir blocks have increased the size of the blocks. The larger block size results in blocks that are more difficult to break apart using currently available technology, thereby causing the decompression process to be less efficient than desirable.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a device that can be used to mechanically decompress coir blocks at a greater level of efficiency than is currently achievable.
A preferred embodiment of a version of the invention is directed generally to an apparatus and method for mechanically breaking or decompressing blocks of compressed particulate material and, more specifically, to an apparatus and method for breaking apart blocks of coir, peat moss, or similar materials generally used in the horticultural industry. Furthermore, the compressed materials are decompressed into a loose mass of material without causing physical damage to the material. The decompression process is typically carried out in a dry state, though one skilled in the art would recognize that the apparatus may be operated in a wet state as well. In a dry state, the loose mass of decompressed material may be easily handled using conventional bulk handling systems.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, compressed coir blocks are fed into a confined chamber where the blocks are broken apart into a decompressed mass of material. Inside the breaking chamber, one or more spirally-oriented breaker bars rotate around a central axle. The breaker bars are rigidly connected to the axle by support arms radially extending from the axle. As the breaker bars rotate, the blocks of compressed material are forced to collide with one another inside the breaking chamber, thereby causing the compressed blocks to break apart and form a decompressed mass of material.
To further facilitate decompression and make the process more efficient, a preferred embodiment of the invention further comprises a set of teeth connected to the breaker bars. In a preferred embodiment, the teeth point outward from the breaker bars relative to the central axle. The teeth pass in close proximity to breaking elements found along the interior of the side walls of the breaking chamber. The teeth also pass in close proximity to a screen located below the breaker bars at the bottom of the breaking chamber.
The breaking elements are attached to the side walls of the chamber and extend inward into the chamber. During normal operation, some of the compressed blocks of material (or smaller pieces of compressed material that have broken off from a block) become forced between the teeth connected to the breaker bars and the breaking elements attached to the side walls. This action causes the teeth to break apart and decompress the compressed material, thereby speeding up the process and increasing the overall efficiency of the apparatus. Furthermore, this action increases the mixing of material inside the chamber, which further reduces the original size of the compressed material inside the chamber and thereby increases the efficiency of the apparatus.
As the process continues, the compressed blocks of material turn into loose, decompressed material. This decompressed material falls to the bottom of the chamber and through the screen located below the rotary breaker bars. The material is then collected in a chute below the screen and discharged from the apparatus.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for mechanically breaking or decompressing blocks of compressed particulate material. Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for decompressing blocks of compressed particulate material that operates more efficiently than other devices that are currently available.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, and the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features, including method steps, of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with/or in the context of other particular aspects of the embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.
The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, etc. are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” components A, B, and C can contain only components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C, but also one or more other components.
Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two ore more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).
Turning now to the drawings,
The breaking chamber 10 is a confined space where the compressed blocks of particulate material are broken apart into a decompressed mass of material. The breaking chamber 10 is comprised of opposed pairs of side walls 30 and end walls 32. In a preferred embodiment, the breaking chamber 10 further comprises a cover 42 over the top of the chamber 10, the cover 42 comprising a feed hopper 44 through which blocks of compressed material may be fed into the chamber 10. The breaking chamber 10 is further comprised of a pair of inwardly and downwardly inclined bottom walls 34. The bottom walls 34 are connected to a discharge chute 50, which collects decompressed material and discharges the decompressed material from the apparatus.
The rotary breaker assembly is housed inside the breaking chamber 10 and is comprised of a central axle 14, at least one spirally-oriented breaker bar 12-1, 12-2, and support arms 16 connecting the breaker bars 12-1, 12-2 to the central axle 14. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in
The radially opposed pairs of support arms 16 are connected to the central axle 14 at approximately equidistant intervals along the length of the axle 14. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a first plurality of teeth 20 are connected to each of the breaker bars 12-1, 12-2. In another preferred embodiment, the teeth 20 are shaped like cones and point outward relative to the central axle 14. In yet another preferred embodiment, a plurality of breaking elements 24 are attached to the interior of each of the side walls 30. The breaking elements 24 are generally vertical planar elements that are generally perpendicular to the side walls 30. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
In addition, as illustrated in
Thus, a preferred embodiment of the invention is comprised of a combination of both breaking elements 24 and a plurality of teeth 22 connected to the interior of each of the side walls 30. However, an alternative embodiment may comprise only breaking elements 24 connected to the interior of each of the side walls 30. Yet another alternative embodiment may comprise only a plurality of teeth 22 connected to the interior of each of the side walls 30. In addition, another embodiment may include any number of both breaking elements 24 and teeth 22 connected to the interior of each of the side walls 30, but connected in a different configuration than the configuration illustrated in
The relative positioning of the breaking elements 24 and both pluralities of teeth 20, 22 facilitate decompression of the blocks of compressed material and make the overall process more efficient. As the breaker bars 12-1, 12-2 rotate, the blocks of compressed material are forced to collide with one another inside the breaking chamber 10, thereby causing the compressed blocks to break apart and form a decompressed mass of material. During normal operation, some of the compressed blocks of material (or smaller pieces of compressed material that have broken off from a block) become forced between the teeth 20 connected to the breaker bars 12-1, 12-2 and the breaking elements 24 attached to the side walls 30 due to the close proximity of the breaking elements 24 to the breaker bars 12-1, 12-2 as they rotate. This action causes the teeth 20 to forcefully engage with the compressed material and break apart the material, thereby speeding up the process and increasing the overall efficiency of the apparatus.
In addition, some pieces of compressed material are forced between the breaking elements 24. These pieces are then forcefully engaged with the teeth 22 connected to the side walls 30. This action further helps in breaking apart compressed material, thereby increasing the rate of decompression and the efficiency of the apparatus. The breaking apart of compressed material by both sets of teeth 20, 22 helps to increase the mixing of material inside the breaking chamber 10. Increased mixing helps to further break apart the compressed material, which further increases the efficiency of the apparatus.
As the process continues, the compressed blocks of material turn into a loose, decompressed mass of material, which falls to the bottom of the chamber 10. The breaking chamber 10 houses a screen 18 located below the rotary breaker bars 12-1, 12-2 at the bottom of the chamber 10. The screen 18 allows decompressed particulate material to fall from the breaking chamber 10 down through the screen 18 and into the discharge chute 50. The screen 18 also supports the blocks of material inside the chamber 10 during the decompression process. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
The screen 18 is sized so as to allow decompressed particulate material to pass through the screen 18. In a preferred embodiment, the openings in the screen 18 will be larger than about 6 mm to 12 mm, which will effectively accommodate coconut coir. However, one skilled in the art would understand that the size of the openings in the screen 18 may be varied to accommodate different types of materials to be decompressed, and that different sized openings will fall with the scope of this invention.
As decompressed material falls through the screen 18, the material is collected in a chute 50 located below the screen 18, where it can then be discharged from the apparatus. The discharge chute 50 is elongated and extends outwardly from one end of the apparatus. The outwardly-extending end of the discharge chute 50 is comprised of a discharge opening 52 where decompressed material exits the apparatus. The discharge chute 50 comprises a means of conveying decompressed material toward the discharge opening 52. In preferred embodiment, the means of conveying decompressed material is a rotary auger screw 54. In an alternative embodiment, the discharge chute 50 also comprises a means of optionally spraying water onto the decompressed material as it moves through the discharge chute 50.
As illustrated in
When an operator is ready to begin using the apparatus, he can activate the electric motor 60 by moving a switch contained in a motor control box 68 into an “on” position. Activation of the electric motor 60 will cause the rotary breaker bars 12-1, 12-2 and the auger screw 54 to begin rotating concurrently. Blocks of compressed material may then be introduced into the breaking chamber 10 through the feed hopper 44. The rotation of the rotary breaker bars 12-1, 12-2 will then cause the compressed blocks to collide with each other in the breaking chamber 10. The collisions of the blocks will cause the blocks to break apart, thereby decompressing the material.
In a preferred embodiment, the rotary breaker bars 12-1, 12-2 will rotate in the direction that will cause the blocks of material to move to the center of the breaking chamber 10 relative to the longitudinal length of the central axle 14. As illustrated in
The teeth 20, 22 found on both the breaker bars 12-1, 12-2 and the side walls 30, as well as the breaking elements 24 found along the side walls 30, will forcefully engage the compressed blocks of material and thereby speed up the rate at which the blocks are broken apart. As the process of decompressing the blocks continues, decompressed material will continually fall to the bottom of the chamber 10 and through the screen 18. As it passes through the screen 18, the decompressed material will enter the discharge chute 50. As the auger screw rotates 54, this material will be conveyed to the discharge opening 52, where it will exit the apparatus. Upon exiting the apparatus, the material may be transported by any suitable means. For instance, in a dry state the decompressed material may be conveyed more conveniently by conventional particulate bulk handling systems.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the compressed blocks of particulate material are blocks of compressed coconut coir. However, the apparatus may be used to decompress other compressed blocks of particulate material such as peat moss blocks or any other type of horticultural or non-horticultural particulate materials.
An alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown in the drawings) also comprises a plurality of lift teeth, which are generally triangularly shaped and connected to the support arms. These lift teeth are oriented in the direction of rotation of the support arms and help to keep the compressed blocks of material moving inside the chamber. The lift teeth are an optional feature of the present invention.
It is understood that versions of the invention may come in different forms and embodiments in addition to the preferred embodiments disclosed herein. Additionally, it is understood that one of skill in the art would appreciate these various forms and embodiments as falling within the scope of the invention as disclosed herein.
