Systems and methods for mechanically binding loose scrap

• US 10,435,320 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baker, John Wayne, Charbonneau, Mark William
• Primary Examiner(s): Szewczyk, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US16/114,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20180362381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 3/04 co-operating with one another, e.g. with co-operating cones
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 1/02 Compacting the glass batches, e.g. pelletising
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/005 of glass-forming waste materials disposal or transformation of solid waste in general B09B; treatment of radioactive waste G21F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/2356 Submerged heating, e.g. by using heat pipes, hot gas or submerged combustion burners bubblers C03B5/193
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/50 Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping

Abstract

A method of forming a rope material from a loose feed scrap includes a number of operations to mechanically bind the loose feed scrap. The feed scrap is collected. The feed scrap is twisted and compressed, operations that may be performed simultaneously. This twisted and compressed feed scrap, now in the form of a rope material, is then fed into a melter system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a collection station for collecting a substantially loose feed scrap;

an advancing mechanism for advancing the substantially loose feed scrap through the system in a feed direction, wherein the advancing station comprises a plurality of advancing conveyers;

a first twisting station for twisting the substantially loose feed scrap into a substantially twisted feed scrap, wherein the first twisting station comprises a plurality of first twisting rollers disposed at a first angle to and offset from the feed direction;

a first compressing station for compressing the substantially twisted feed scrap into a substantially roped feed scrap, wherein the first compressing station comprises a plurality of first compressing rollers disposed at a second angle to and offset from the feed direction, wherein the second angle is different than the first angle; and

a feed station for feeding the substantially roped feed scrap into a melter system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first twisting station and the first compressing station are contained in a first combination station.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second twisting station and a second compressing station contained in a second combination station.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first combination station is disposed at a first end of the advancing mechanism and the second combination station is disposed at a second end of the advancing mechanism.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rollers each comprise a plurality of teeth projecting from the rollers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first angle comprises an oblique angle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second angle comprises a substantially orthogonal angle.