Kliklok Corporation

Other

Forrest C Bacon

William A Hadden

Gary G Highberger

Dale E Pribbernow

Wendell R Holland

Lial H Holland

Bruce H Dalrymple

William L Warner

Robert S Saak

Paul Meisner

Jack E Plahm

Lawrence H Long

Robert B Edwards

Transitional product flow and adaptive control

A rotating claw drum for shredding discarded material (such as used carpet) is created from flat circular plates that are stacked tightly together on a driveshaft or drum, to create an impermeable drum face that prevents particulates from entering and fouling the internal mechanisms. Each flat plate is provided with at least one claw-holding slot in its outer rim; 6 to 12 slots preferably should be provided in each plate. Locking means (such as a locking bar that will pass through aligned locking notches in the slots and claws) will lock the claws in place while the drum is in use. After the drum has been stopped, a locking bar can be removed, to release a damaged claw from its slot so it can be replaced, without having to disturb any other claws. Each claw-holding slot can also provide a remover notch, which will allow a remover bar with a wedged end to be hammered through a set of aligned remover notches, to dislodge the claws in a row, enabling removal of a damaged claw even if the claw is firmly stuck in its slot. This claw drum can be used in a three-cylinder shredding device that provides good results when used to shred discarded carpet.

Claw drum for shredding used carpet

A method and machine are disclosed for using a cold dry abrasion step for separating segments of discarded carpet into pile material (usually nylon) and backing layers (usually polypropylene) for recycling. A preferred method of abrasion uses dry ice pellets (made of frozen carbon dioxide) which are ejected at high speed from a set of nozzles that shoot the pellets directly into an abrasion zone, as a segment of discarded carpet on a conveyor system is being stripped apart and disassembled. The dry ice pellets 'freeze' the binder material (usually latex) by lowering it to a temperature that makes the binder brittle and easy to break apart. The pellets also serve as abrasive agents, in a manner comparable to sand-blasting; however, unlike sandblasting or liquid (steam or chemical) systems, the dry ice pellets evaporate (sublimate) directly into gas without going through a liquid phase, and without leaving any liquid or gritty residue. This eliminates the need for a drying operation, which saves time and energy and avoids a potential air pollution problem; it also renders the recyclable output material free of unwanted liquid residues, grit, or other materials that would decrease the value of the output material. This invention also discloses other processing methods which use cold dry abrasion, such as the use of freezing to render the latex binder brittle, coupled with the use of pellets made of a compatible material (such as nylon pellets, for carpets with nylone piles) as abrasive agents that can be mixed with the pile fibers that are recovered from a carpet without decreasing the value of the reclaimed pile material.

Method and machine for recycling discarded carpets

A continuous vertical form-fill-seal packaging machine is disclosed, along with a related method, utilizing a synchronized product clamp for staging/settling each product batch. The film feeding, carriage driving, sealing jaw movement, as well as the clamp operation, are computer controlled. In the continuous film/tube feed mode, the sealing jaws move in a modified sine wave motion with the film; the clamp for staging the product batches moving in a similar manner, but 180.degree. out-of-phase. Each product batch is released by the clamp adjacent to the sealing jaws so that the drop to the blousing plates and eventually into the bag being formed is minimized. The clamp is vibrated to further enhance the coalescing and settling function.

Continuous vertical form-fill-seal packaging machine with synchronized

An improved stripping and sealing operation in a form, fill and seal packaging system is provided. Stepper and servo motors are computer controlled including by a 3-axis coordinator operating the X and Y motion of the sealing jaws, as well as the Y' motion of the film/tube feed. The Y motion is provided by oscillatory driving movement of the carriage to move the stripper/sealing jaws in a substantially constant modified sine wave profile. The Y' motion is variable and tracks the carriage to precisely size and form the bag. Blousing is also provided by tube/carriage relative motion also induced by varying the film/tube feed.

Continuous vertical form-fill-seal packaging machine with constant

A combined blousing, stripping and sealing operation is disclosed for providing increased speed and efficiency to a form, fill and seal packaging system. An AC/DC brushless servo motor is utilized for driving the stripping/sealing carriage, as well as operating the sealing jaws to form the bags from a continuous film tube. Each servo motor drives a crank that is coupled for oscillating movement in response to a programmable index controller. Drive linkage connects the crank to the carriage/sealing jaws. The blousing function is provided by a pair of plates on the top of the sealing jaws. On the return movement of the carriage, the plates contact the bottom of the bag next in line to bulge the sides for receipt of the product. The programmable index controller provides a signal to the carriage/sealing jaws in dependence on an external signal indicative of the selected bag size being packaged.

Combined film feeding stripping and sealing for bag forming and method

Combined blousing, stripping and sealing for bag forming and method

A self-cleaning weighing hopper to be used in a weighing apparatus is particularly adaptable for utilization with a sticky product. The hopper has two rotary doors containing a series of tined panels. One tined panel on each of the two doors extend toward each other so as to form a hopper bottom to hold a product charge. The panels on the two doors rotate in unison to release the weighed product charge into a receptacle. The hopper includes a comb scraper through which each tined panel rotates following release of the product charge. The comb scraper removes the sticky remnants of the product charge from the tines of the panels while the weighing apparatus is in operation. The doors are operated by a sliding arm in response to an actuator. A pin on the arm is guided by a spring/linkage mechanism along a slot on a guide plate and a stop is provided on the arm to insure proper actuation.

Self-cleaning weighing hopper and drive mechanism

A combination weighing apparatus and method are provided particularly adapted for utilization with difficult to handle product. A series of in-line transfer conveyors form product feed lanes with individual volumetric cups designed to receive and hold a product charge. A scale and weighing hopper is associated with each transfer conveyor. The transfer conveyors are each advanced in stepped fashion so as to deliver a product charge from one volumetric cup at any single time to the associated weighing hopper. A washer unit cleans residue and the product buildup from the cups after delivery of the product charge. Once the product charge is delivered to the weighing hopper, the weight of the charge is registered by a control unit. The control unit scans various combinations of scales, calculates the total weight of product in the combination and selects the first combination that falls within an acceptable range above the target weight. The product charges are then delivered in timed relation to a plate as it advances along a conveyor beneath the scale hoppers. In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention a feedback mechanism is provided for indicating the weight trend of product charges being delivered to the volumetric cups. As long as the charge weights fall within a preselected range, the quality of charges from which the control unit selects is maintained at a high level so as to allow maximum operating efficiency.

Growing community of inventors

Conyers, GA, United States of America

Forrest C Bacon