Vehicle recycling system and method

• US 6,571,693 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Al-Jon Manufacturing LLC (Equivu Capital LLC)
• Original Assignee: Al-Jon
• Inventors: Wellings, Norman, Kaldenberg, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ostrager, Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy T
• Application Number:
  US09/684,151
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 100/901, 100/224, 100/902, 100/95, 100/229.R, 100/215, 100/218, 414/222.01
• US Class Current: 100/95
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 9/32 for consolidating scrap metal or for compacting used cars
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 100/901 Scrap auto body crushers

Abstract

A vehicle recycling system includes an hold-down mechanism, a crane having an engine puller, a component disassembly station, a feed press, and a material press, all of which are housed within a building. A vehicle is placed onto a hold-down table where it is held in place by the hold-down mechanism while the engine and other valuable components are removed using the crane. Components not requiring further processing are placed into bins. Components requiring further disassembly are fed to the component disassembly where they are further disassembled and placed in bins. Once the high value components are removed, the crane loads the vehicle onto the feed press. The feed press then moves the vehicle onto the material press where it is compressed by the press. The back wall of the press is then raised so the crushed vehicle can be removed.

Claims

1. An indoor system for recycling scraped vehicles;

comprising

an engine pulling means for removing an engine from a vehicle that is to be scraped; and

a hold down means for restraining the vehicle from moving in the direction in which the engine is being pulled by the engine pulling means while the engine is being removed from the vehicle;

a material press means for compressing the body of the vehicle once the engine has been removed from the vehicle;

means for moving the vehicle body into the material press following removal of the engine by the engine pulling means; and

a building enclosing the engine pulling means, the hold-down means and the material press means.

2. The indoor vehicle recycling system of claim 1, further comprising a crane having a movable boom and wherein the engine pulling means comprises:

a member having first and second ends and being pivotally connected at its first end to boom of the crane;

a hydraulic cylinder connected between the boom of the crane and the member for pivoting the member relative to the boom;

a gripping means carried by the second end of the member for securely gripping an engine mounted in a vehicle.

3. A vehicle recycling system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the gripping means includes first and second tongs, each having first and second ends, each of the tongs being pivotally connected adjacent its first end to the second end of the member for pivotal movement relative to the member between a first, engine gripping position at the second ends of the tongs are adjacent to each other so as to be able to grip the sides of an engine to be pulled from a vehicle, and a second, open position at which the second ends of the tongs are spaced from one another, the gripping means further including first and second hydraulic cylinders connected between the member and the first and second tongs, respectively, and being adapted to move the tongs between their engine gripping and open positions.

4. The indoor vehicle recycling system of claim 1, wherein the material press means comprises:

a generally horizontal, elongated bed having first and second vertical guide mechanism extending from opposite ends of the bed;

a lid slidably connected to the guide mechanisms for vertically movement relative to the bed between an upper position at which the lid is vertically displaced from the bed and a lower position at which the lid is juxtaposed next to the bed;

a pair of hydraulic cylinders mounted for moving the lid between its upper and lower positions.

5. The indoor vehicle recycling system of claim 4, wherein the means for moving the vehicle into the material press comprising a feed press, the feed press comprising:

a base;

a generally horizontal bed which is sized to receive a vehicle, the bed being mounted for movement relative to the base between a retracted position at which the bed is laterally displaced from the material press means and a extended position at which the bed of the feed press bed overlies and is supported from below by the bed of the material press; and

a hydraulic cylinder mounted for moving the bed of the feed press between its retracted and extended positions.

6. The indoor vehicle recycling system of claim 4, wherein the means for moving the vehicle into the material press comprising a feed press, the feed press comprising:

a base interposed between the hold-down mechanism and the material press;

a bed supported by the base;

a pusher plate movable across the bed between a retracted position at which it the pusher plate is laterally displaced from the material press and an extended position at which it is adjacent to the press; and

a hydraulic cylinder mounted for moving the pusher plate between its extended and retracted position.

7. The vehicle recycling system of claim 1, wherein the hold-down means comprises:

a hold-down table comprising a generally horizontal, elongate bed; and

at least one hold-down beam movable relative to the bed between a first or open position where the beam does not interfere as vehicles are being loaded onto and off of the table and a second or closed position at which the beam is in contact with the upper surface of the of a vehicle located on the table so as to restrict and restrain the vehicle against movement while the engine is being removed via the engine pulling mechanism; and

a hydraulic cylinder mounted for moving the hold-down beam between its open and closed positions.