Refuse bag opener

• US 5,433,577 A
• Filed: 05/11/1994
• Issued: 07/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magnificant Machinery, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Magnificent Machinery, Inc.
• Inventors: Roycraft, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Frank E.
• Application Number:
  US08/241,202
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 414/403, 414/411, 414/412, 414/326, 414/786, 198/658, 198/676, 198/677, 241/260.1
• US Class Current: 414/412
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 19/22 Crushing mills with screw-shaped crushing means
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 69/0008 Opening and emptying bags
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/00 Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers nail pullers or extractors B25C11/00; attached to, or incorporated in, containers or container closures B65D75/58, B65D77/30

Abstract

A bag opening machine includes a trough and a feed screw that is rotatably mounted in the trough to advance bags that at least partially fit between the flight of the feed screw along the length of the trough. There are a pair of restrictions that the bags encounter that cause the bags to be ripped open. The machine has a shear plate running the length of the trough which provides a surface against which bags between the flight rub to be opened. The flight of the conveyor is provided with pins which project generally in a down stream direction and assist in ripping open bags. Each of the restrictions is lined with another shear plate. An expansion chamber is located between the two restrictions. The restrictions completely surround the feed screw, which is mounted eccentrically in the opening defined by the feed screw. A hinged lid over the expansion chamber helps prevent the build-up of excess material. At the outlet end, the feed screw has a conical anti-clogging device that directs materials out of the feed screw, especially long strips that might have gotten wrapped around the feed screw.

Claims

1. An improved apparatus for rupturing bags of material comprising:

an axially extending transport trough for receiving the bags of material, the trough having an inlet end and an outlet end,

a feed screw rotatably mounted in said trough for conveying the bags of material along the trough, said trough surrounding a lower portion of a circumference of the feed screw,

a restriction positioned along the trough, the restriction and the trough cooperating to completely surround the feed screw for a portion of a length of the feed screw,

the feed screw including a helically wound flight and a replaceable wear surface along the flight where the flight passes through the restriction, and

pins projecting perpendicular to the flight and generally in a direction of travel of the material being conveyed by the conveyor flight that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the trough and which engage bags being conveyed and assist in opening them.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pins are bolts which also serve to secure the replaceable wear surface in place on the flight of the conveyor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pins extend approximately two inches beyond the surface of the flight generally in the direction of travel of the material being conveyed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including a replaceable wear plate lining an interior of the trough.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the trough has a cross-section including generally planar sections joined by a continuously curved section, the planar sections being at about a 45 degree angle to each other.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the trough includes guide bars to position and support the feed screw to keep it centrally located between the planar sections of the trough.

7. An improved apparatus for rupturing bags of material comprising:

an axially extending transport trough for receiving the bags of material, the trough having an inlet end and an outlet end,

a feed screw rotatably mounted in said trough for conveying the bags of material along the trough, said trough surrounding a lower portion of a circumference of the feed screw,

a first restriction cooperating with the trough and surrounding the feed screw to define an opening through which the feed screw carries the bags of materials,

the feed screw including a helically wound flight proportioned to receive a portion of a bag containing material with a remainder of the bag being radially outward of the flight as it is carried from the inlet end of the trough by the feed screw toward the first restriction,

the feed screw including a helically wound flight and a replaceable wear surface along the flight where the flight passes through the first restriction, and

pins projecting generally in a direction of travel of the material being conveyed by the conveyor flight that is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the trough and which engage bags being conveyed and assist in opening them.