Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes a slip clutch coupled to an actuator of a mechanical driver that feeds solid extrusion material into a heater for supplying thermoplastic material to a manifold in an extruder head. A speed of the actuator can be set to enable the actuator to operate at a rotational speed that is slightly greater than the rotational speed of the mechanical mover. This configuration enables the pressure of the thermoplastic material in the manifold of the extruder head to be in a predetermined range no matter how many nozzles are opened in the extruder head.

Abstract: A pick-up assembly for an agricultural machine having a pick-up drum rotatably mounted in a frame; a windguard mounted at a free end of two lateral support arms, the two lateral support arms pivotably mounted at their other end to the frame; a crossbar having tines mounted at one end to the crossbar, the crossbar pivotably mounted to the support arms for allowing a range of free movement of the free extremities of the tines between an upper limit and a lower limit wherein two elongate flexible tension elements are connected at one end eccentrically to the crossbar and at their other end to the frame.

Abstract: The invention concerns a calender which comprises a vertical stack of interlinked rollers driven individually by regulated electric motors. The regulation process acts on the distribution of the delivered power to the individual rollers such that the forces acting on the rollers in the horizontal direction and measured in the roller bearings are minimized, so enabling slimmer rollers to be used.

Abstract: The invention proposes a transporting apparatus for transporting single or double workpieces through processing stations of presses, in which apparatus up to 9 degrees of freedom are integrated in the transporting system. Necessary changes in position for, for example, feeding into dies can take place directly by way of the transporting apparatus. It is possible to dispense with intermediate set-down locations or orienting stations.

Abstract: A transportable apparatus includes a housing with a door which opens to facilitate placement of trash within a trash receiving chamber of the apparatus. A sweep within the trash receiving chamber is actuated upon closing the door, forcing the deposited trash into a first compaction chamber, wherein the trash is mixed and compressed into a condensed mass by converging chamber walls and a downwardly directed spray of water released from high pressure nozzles at the top of the chamber. A reciprocating horizontal plate at the lower end of the first compaction chamber slices off a bottom layer of the mass of trash with each cycle of forward and rearward movement. The sliced layers of trash are pushed and compacted into a second compaction chamber until the second chamber is full. The trash is then compressed to form a composite unit of predetermined size and configuration.

Abstract: An enclosed type two-stage garbage compaction and storage structure, in particular a structure having both a hydraulic cylinder and a rotary inner cylinder provided with guide plates to compact garbage in two stages. The structure includes a housing, the hydraulic cylinder, and the inner cylinder. The housing is provided with a plurality of garbage slots to achieve quick collection of garbage. The housing has a front outlet and a lid. A slide plate is provided in front of the front outlet. The hydraulic cylinder is disposed horizontally, and has a piston rod at a front end and a push stop plate connected to the piston rod for pushing dumped-in garbage into the inner cylinder. The inner cylinder has a gate at an entrance thereof and a plurality of guide plates on its inner wall. When the inner cylinder rotates, a compaction effect is generated.

Abstract: A sugar cane milling system for two roll or three roll crushing mill modules in tandem in which one or more of these mill modules is provided in addition and adjacent to it with at least one toothed feeder roller and with a juice drainer in the form of a scraper-cum-short deflector for feeding a compact mat of prepared cane/bagasse directly to the nip of the crushing rolls of the modules. The prepared cane mat is fed approximately at the same speed as the surface speed of the crushing mill rolls without sharp changes in direction. Superficial juice is separated out as the cane mat is fed. A pressurized juice extracting conveyor is provided for removing the extra unabsorbed juice as well as squeezing out the absorbed juice out of cush-cush.

Abstract: A compactor assembly comprises a ground supported housing having an open top through which waste material is deposited. An auger is rotatable on an axis positioned within the housing for breaking waste material received therein through the open top, and for transporting the waste material therethrough. A drop area is downstream of the receiving chamber of the housing and has a remote open portion. A compactor ram is reciprocal on an axis parallel to the auger axis for transferring waste material through the open portion. A first drive is operably associated with the auger for rotating the auger, and a second drive is operably associated with the compactor ram for causing reciprocation thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing and baling plastic webs from agricultural fields including a carriage, a conveyer for receiving and conveying a plurality of plastic webs with sufficient force to remove the webs from the ground, a guide for guiding the webs to the conveyer while removing substantial amounts of dirt and debris therefrom, a hopper for receiving the plastic webs from the conveyer, a baler for compacting the plastic webs into bales, and an hydraulic drive for driving the conveyer and the baler.

Abstract: The horizontal press appears as an elongated hollow structure (1) of flat profile resting on a frame (2a, b, c, d), and comprises a ram (6) reciprocated by a fluid power cylinder (5), a hopper (8) through which crushed and stemmed grapes fall into an inlet chamber (9) coinciding with the space swept by the ram, and a compression chamber (112) of tapered longitudinal section terminating in a narrow outlet (13) from which the pressed skins emerge. The top of the compression chamber consists in the flexible undersides (115) of a succession of inflatable cushions (120a . . . n) by which a downward compressive force is applied to the grapes, whilst the bottom takes the form of a continuous belt (122) fashioned from a filtering material, looped flexibly around at least two end rollers (123, 124) and supported by a frame (128) in such a way as to pass above and below a trough (125) from which the filtered juice is drawn off by conventional means.

Abstract: An apparatus for metered infeeding, compacting as required, and pumping coarse material of little fluidity such as raw feathers includes infeed metering transferring compacting and pumping mechanisms. The infeed metering mechanism intermittently infeeds a slug of material being at original uncompressed bulk density and approximately equal to an amount of material required for each cycle of operation of the apparatus. The transferring mechanism has a rotatable screw conveyor operable for rapidly receiving and transferring the slug and a wiper arm mounted to a discharge end of the screw conveyor to rotate therewith and create a plane of cleavage in the material being discharged therefrom. The compacting mechanism has an elongated chute with an offset located adjacent the discharge end of the screw conveyor and a compactor reciprocally movable in the chute between retracted and extended positions. The chute is disposed in transverse relation to the screw conveyor for receiving the slug of material therefrom.

Abstract: Roll press or mill with two adjacent rolls (2, 4) with cooperating compression surfaces, mounted in bearing housings located between an upper and lower box girder, one roll being adjustable, with a material feed system with at least one fill chamber (6) with walls (22, 24) parallel to the roll axes and extending into the roll gap (8) and with apparatus to eliminate the air entering the roll gap with the material, provided with air admission holes in the region of the roll gap leading into an air collection chamber connected with air outlets. On each side of the fill chamber walls, parallel to the axes, chambers (16, 18) extend essentially over the breadth of the compression surfaces of the rolls and are closed at their ends. The chambers are each connected to the roll gap by a passage (28, 30) formed between the compression surfaces at the perimeter of the rolls and the lower end of the walls adjacent to the walls of the filling chamber. The chambers (16, 18) are provided with air outlets (34, 36).

Abstract: A filter press for the thickening of cellulose pulp or sludge in which the filter press is furnished with a feedbox to lead the sludge suspension to the wire. In order to increase the capacity of filter presses or the like, the sludge to be dried can be fed through a feedbox in accordance with the invention, in which box there is at least one surface penetrating the liquid to facilitate thickening of the sludge suspension before it is lead to the filter press wire.

Abstract: An apparatus for crushing articles, such as aluminum beverage cans. The crushing apparatus includes a primary crusher followed by a secondary crusher. The primary crusher is composed of a rotatable, polygonal-shaped drum having a blade mounted on each flat surface which projects outwardly beyond the surface. The articles or cans to be crushed are introduced into the area between the drum and a spring loaded pressure plate, and on rotation of the drum, the blades engage the articles and move them into the nip between the drum and the pressure plate to provide a primary stage of flattening of the cans. The cans are then delivered to the secondary crusher which comprises a pair of cooperating rolls, which more fully crush or flatten the cans and deliver them to a pneumatic discharge conveyor. The apparatus also includes a feed conveyor having a provision for rejecting steel cans, as well as heavy objects, such as cans filled with liquid or foreign materials.

Abstract: A compact snow removal apparatus for continuously removing snow from a generally horizontal surface. The snow is then compacted to substantially remove all air and reduce it to ice or an ice-like substance. The apparatus employs several steps to achieve the compaction. By addition of accessories the ice pieces may be tossed to the side, stored in a container within the apparatus or conveyed to the box of a truck to which the snow removal device is attached or adjacent.

Abstract: The apparatus accepts dry stripped crude fiber such as straw or sugar cane wastes, coconut husks, or elephant grass, compacts them into a relatively dense sheet, and bonds a strong surfacing material such as a heavy paper to the faces and edges. The sheet, continuously flowing from the apparatus, is cut into standard lengths and the cut ends are capped with the same surfacing material. A precompactor near the end of an entrance chute into the apparatus uniformly predensifies the incoming fiber prior to its compaction by means of a ram. The ram is carried on roller bearings especially adapted to withstand the weight and other forces associated with the continuous movement of the ram. The compacted material is continuously propelled by the ram and enters a press, where heat and pressure produce a dimensionally stable sheet bonded together partially by natural resins released from the fibers by the heat, and partially by mechanical interlinking between fibers.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for dewatering screenings collected at a sewage treatment plant or the like continuously and effectively by preliminary and secondary dewatering processes. Any alien substance mixed in the screenings such as stone, chips of wood, etc. which cannot be dewatered can be detected automatically and extracted immediately, without suspending the operation of the apparatus.

Abstract: A method is provided for splitting and extracting green plants, such as lucern, for fodder and preserving of the pulp. The method provides for separatelygathering the juice and the pump with various percentages and at a desired rate for more judicious utilization of those components and in particular, a better valorization of proteins; and forpreserving the pump in commercial fractions by a method of batch-compaction and of anaerobic storage, eliminating all dehydrations and thus exhibiting an appreciable savings of energy.The method is characterized in that it includes a primary phase of crushing and breaking of stems without mixing of the cellulose and a secondary phase in which one realizes a definitive splitting to the desired degree. A device for using the method is also disclosed. The method and device have application in the agro-alimentary industries.

Abstract: A system for extracting liquids from fruit, vegetables, or other similar materials with particular application to dejuicing grapes. The system provides a destemmer for receiving picked grapes and for removing stems and leaves therefrom. The destemmer partially crushes the grapes during the destemming operation producing free run juice in the resulting grape must. The must is transferred to a predrainer screw press which separates and collects the free run juice and a preselected portion of the residual juice by means of a gentle pressing action augmented by centrifugal force. The partially dewatered must is then transferred to one or more final screw presses which apply heavy compression to extract the remainder of usable juice from the predrained must. The predrainer press and final presses have throughput control means to provide a continuous feed of grapes through the system for maximum efficiency of juice extraction.

Abstract: Compression apparatus including a press framework defining a compression region for housing material such as straw to be compressed, one or more compression elements such as two opposed arrays of compression teeth for compressing material by movement along the compression region, and a drive mechanism for moving the compression teeth in a cycle of movement. The cycle includes the compression teeth entering into the compression region, moving along the compression region along a substantially rectilinear path to compress material in the compression region, and returning to the position occupied at the beginning of the cycle, the compression teeth being at least partially removed from the compression region during the return movement.

Abstract: Continuous cycle demuster press consists of perforated cylinder divided into two portions, a cylindrical pressing piston inside a smaller section downstream portion, and annular piston being disposed inside a larger section upstream portion; the two pistons are coaxial, and the annular piston is disposed between the skirt of the smaller piston and the larger perforated cylinder.

Abstract: A press comprising an apertured press box which opens on a side parallel to its axis to admit the product to be pressed. After closing of the press box a ram is forced axially through the press box to compress the material and squeeze the liquid therefrom. A restricted opening is then formed at the end of the press box and the material in the cylinder is extruded therethrough.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for extracting juice from juice-laden material are disclosed. A tank system defines a row of material treating stations. A plurality of perforated baskets are swingably mounted at respective stations, each basket being operable to receive a charge of material. A flow of liquid is conducted through the stations in juice-extracting contact with the material. A basket actuating mechanism swings each basket from its associated station into a generally inverted position above the basket of a successive station to transfer the charge of material. In one preferred embodiment of the invention the basket is articulated intermediate its ends about a floating hinge. The basket actuating mechanism collapses the basket about the floating hinge to squeeze juice from the material before the material is delivered to the basket of a successive station.

Abstract: Apparatus for making a stable block from paper including means for providing a plurality of moist paper fragments, means for roughening the outer surface of a group of the moist paper fragments, and means for compressing the group of paper fragments to form the group of paper fragments into a stable block without the addition of an adhesive.