Abstract:
A rotary press is supported on a frame allowing liquid and solid receivers to be placed underneath the rotary press. The rotary press has an outer ring and an inner drum. The inner drum has an upper and lower flange with a stripper ring retained between these flanges. The flanges form two sides of the cavity where the pressing takes place. The flanges carry the solids away from the pressing zone to a discharge zone where the stripper ring expels the solids. By transporting the solids away from the pressing zone where liquids are expelled, reabsorption of the liquid is avoided. The stripper ring can move relative to the two flanges and is biased against the outer ring by the inner ring. The stripper ring applies pressure to the material to be processed and also pushes solid material from between the upper and lower flanges to fall into a receiver for the solids.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Presses are used to apply pressure to solid-liquid mixtures to separate the two components from each other. Separation of the components is preferable for the proper recycling, reuse, or disposal of the two components. A typical type of press includes two plates brought together under pressure, with the material to be treated disposed between them. This type of press is an incremental process as the material has to be brought between the two plates and stopped while the two plates are brought together with the liquid exiting the material under the pressure of the plates. After pressing, the remaining solid material is removed from between the plates. This type of press is not advantageous for treating a stream of material on a continuous basis. 
   Another type of press uses the interior surface of a large drum and an exterior surface of a smaller drum placed within the larger drum to form two surfaces between which material is squeezed. 
   Once such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,184 (Graham et al.). Graham et al. disclose a outer drum  1  and inner drum  2  receiving material from a horn-shaped stationary chamber  4  leading to the pinchpoint between the outer and inner drum. Liquid material passes through the drums into a pair of troughs  13 ,  14 . Pressed cake falls away from the drums after passing through the pinchpoint. 
   Another rotary press is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,067 (Kipelainen et al.). Kipelainen et al. discloses a rotatable dewatering drum with a eccentrically-located press roll within the drum. The outside surface of the press roll and the inner surface of the drum define a press gap. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 1,655,333 (Perazio) discloses a fruit crusher and squeezer having a crushing ring  7  driven by pinions  15  and  16  connected to handwheel  18 . Fruit placed within the crusher and squeezer is pressed between crushing ring  7  and crushing and squeezing roller  21 . 
   Besides the use of presses, thermal methods of evaporating liquids are used to remove liquids from solids. 
   There is a need in the prior art for a rotary press removing substantially all the liquid from a solid. 
   It is an object of the invention to provide a rotary press able to remove substantially all of the liquid from a solid in a single pressing. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a press having exits for liquid and solids spaced from one another. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a press having an outer ring and inner drum, the inner drum having movable parts to allow for both maximum pressure to be applied to the material being processed and to transport the solid after pressing into an exit spaced from the liquid exit. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a rotary press that is portable and inexpensive. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a rotary press that is simple to operate, yet effective in removing liquids from solids. 
   It is yet another object of the invention to avoid the reabsorption of liquids of liquids by the solids after pressing. 
   It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of removing liquids from solids that is cheaper than thermal methods. 
   It is another object of the invention to reduce the amount of liquids being disposed of in landfills. 
   These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing disclosure of the invention. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A rotary press is supported on a frame allowing liquid and solid receivers to be placed underneath the rotary press. The rotary press has an outer ring and an inner drum. The inner drum has a load wheel, an upper and lower flange with a stripper ring retained between these flanges. The flanges form two sides of the cavity where the pressing takes place. The flanges carry the solids away from the pressing zone to a discharge zone where the stripper ring expels the solids. By transporting the solids away from the pressing zone where liquids are expelled, reabsorption of the liquid is avoided. The stripper ring can move relative to the two flanges and is biased against the outer ring by the load wheel. The stripper ring applies pressure to the material to be processed and also pushes solid material from between the upper and lower flanges to fall into the receiver for the solids. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the rotary press; 
       FIG. 2   a  is a top view of the inner ring; 
       FIG. 2   b  is a cross-section of the inner ring; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the removable flange; 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the stripper ring; 
       FIG. 5  is a top view of the inner drum with the stripper ring and inner ring shown in phantom; 
       FIG. 6   a  is a top view of the divider plate; 
       FIG. 6   b  is a front view of the divider plate; 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of the outer ring and inner drum; 
       FIG. 8  is a top view of the outer ring and inner drum in operation; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-section of the rotary press; 
       FIG. 10  is a top view of the support and loading mechanism for the inner drum; 
       FIG. 11  is a top view of the support for the divider plate; 
       FIG. 12  is a side view of the support for the divider plate; 
       FIG. 13  shows a second embodiment of the hopper and removable flange; 
       FIG. 14  depicts a side view of the hopper of  FIG. 13 ; 
       FIG. 15A  is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the stripper ring; 
       FIG. 15B  is a detailed view of the stripper ring of  FIG. 15 ; 
       FIG. 16A  is a top view of one of the rings used to make the stripper ring of  FIG. 15 ; 
       FIG. 16B  is a detailed view of the top surface of  FIG. 16A ; 
       FIG. 16C  is a cross-sectional view along line I—I of  FIG. 16A ; and 
       FIG. 16D  is a cross-sectional view along line II—II of  FIG. 16A . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The rotary press is seen in the side view of  FIG. 1 . The rotary press is supported upon a frame  12  having front legs  14  and rear legs  16 . Lower cross-members  18  and upper cross-members  20  extend between the front and rear legs to provide rigidity. Frame  12  also supports motor  26 , reducer  27  and diagonal supports  22 . Driving gear  28  engages the rotary press and is connected to a reducer  27 . The reducer is powered by the motor  26  by a belt drive  25 . Table  24  rests upon the diagonal supports  22 , at a 45° angle. Extending from the frame is a liquid chute  36  leading to liquid receiver  38  and solid chute  40  leading to solid receiver  42 . 
   The inner drum is formed by three pieces. The first piece is inner ring  62 , seen in  FIG. 2 . The inner ring  62  has load wheel  64  and outwardly extending lower flange  68 . As seen in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 2   b , the inner ring has a central bore lined with bushing  66 , made of low friction material such as oil impregnated bronze, and the load wheel  64  has six bolt holes. 
   The second piece is removable flange  70  having six bolt holes which register with the bolt holes of the inner ring. As seen in  FIG. 3 , blades  72  extend outwardly from the center of the removable flange  70 , the purpose of these blades being discussed later. Any number of blades may be used but six blades, one extending between each pair of bolt holes, is illustrated. The removable flange  70  has essentially the same size and shape as lower flange  68 . 
   The stripper ring  74 , placed between the upper and lower flange, is seen in  FIG. 4 . A better understanding of the arrangements of the three parts making the inner drum is seen in  FIG. 5 , a top view of the inner drum. As will be explained later, the load wheel  64  is biased against the inner surface of the stripper ring  74 . When, in this position, the outer surface of the stripper ring  74  at a point diametrically opposed to the point of contact between the load wheel  64  and inner surface of the stripper ring  74  is tangent to the outer edge of the upper and lower flanges. A crescent-shaped section of the upper and lower flanges is produced with its maximum width being at the point of contact between the load wheel  64  and stripper ring  74  and gradually decreasing. The purpose of this crescent-shaped section will be explained later. The lower flange is provided with drainage holes to expedite the drainage of the relaeased fluids. 
   Clearly seen in  FIG. 6   a  is the bi-level aspect of the divider ring. The divider ring has a lower section  52 , an upper section  56 , substantially parallel to the lower section, and a slope  54  connecting the upper and lower section.  FIG. 6   b  shows the top of a divider plate  50 . As seen in a top view, the divider plate has a crescent shape with an outer surface having a radius of curvature slightly larger than the inner surface of the outer ring and an inner surface having the same radius of curvature as the outer surface of the lower flange. As such, the divider plate serves as a bridge between the outer ring and lower flange. The slope has notch  55  allowing for the passage of solids that will not compress. 
   The interaction between the various parts of the rotary press are seen in  FIG. 7 . The outer ring  30  is provided with outwardly extending gear teeth meshing with driving gear  28  to cause counterclockwise rotation of the outer ring. Attached to and extending upwardly from the outer ring is hopper  34 . Upper flange  70  extends slightly over the outer ring  30  when the stripper ring and inner load wheel are biased against the inner surface of the outer ring  30 . Bridging the gap between the lower flange and inner surface of the outer ring is the divider plate. Also seen is blade  72  extending from the removable flange  70  and in close proximity to the hopper  34 . The blades perform two functions, serving to break up large pieces of material, held cohesive by liquid and also pushing material to be processed on the outer ring  30  onto divider plate  50  where it is moved towards the contact area between the stripper ring and outer ring  30 . 
   The pressing operation between the stripper ring  74  and outer ring  30  is seen in  FIG. 8 . Material on the divider plate  50  is moved towards the convergence of the stripper ring and outer ring, first through a packing zone  75  where air is removed from the material to be processed. Thereafter, the material enters a pressing zone where liquid begins to be expressed from the material. The material continues onto the exit zone, the point of closest distance between the stripper ring and outer ring. The solid material is retained on the crescent-shaped area defined between the outer edge of the flanges and the outer surface of the stripper ring, discussed with reference to  FIG. 5 . As the material rotates with the stripper ring, the crescent-shaped area becomes smaller and the stripper ring pushes the material out from between the flanges. The material goes under the upper section  56  of the divider plate, through a discharge area and then exits the press. 
   Further details of the pressing operation can be seen with reference to  FIG. 9 . In this view, the stripper ring  74  is pressed up against the outer ring  30 . In use, material being pressed is located between these two pieces, the inner ring and stripper ring being pushed against its bias, which will be explained later. As seen in this view, the stripper ring has the same height as the outer ring, allowing the flanges  68  and  70  to extend over the outer ring. Also seen is the distance between the stripper ring and load wheel  64  when the edge of the stripper ring  74  is aligned with the edge of the flanges as the stripper ring is pinched between the load wheel  64  and outer ring  30 . 
   The outer ring is connected to the outside of a slewing ring  31  with the inside of the slewing ring connected to the table  24 . A driving gear  28  engages teeth on the outer surface of the slewing ring to rotate the hopper. The stripper ring and inner ring are biased against the outer ring so as to rotate at the same speed. The inner ring can be provided with its own motor causing the inner ring and outer ring to rotate at different speeds. This differential in speed produces a grinding action in addition to the pressing action. 
   The ability of the stripper ring to apply pressure against the outer ring  30  is essential to the function of the press. The mechanism for applying pressure is seen in  FIG. 10 . An L-shaped arm  82  having a pivot  84  has one end attached to a spindle  80  extending to the inner ring. The other end of the L-shaped arm  82  has a pivot connection  86  to connecting rod  88 . A spring  89  applies force on the connecting rod, drawing the pivot connection  86  closer to the spring. This force, in turn, urges the inner ring outwardly, towards the front of the press. This outward force causes the load wheel to press against the stripper ring, keeping it in contact with the outer ring. 
     FIG. 11  shows the relationship between the divider plate  50  and the L-shaped arm  82 . A support  51  extends upwardly from the L-shaped arm, attaching to the bottom of the divider plate. The side view of  FIG. 12  shows the support  51  and the placement of relief notch  55  allowing the mechanism to open and pass solids due to the resiliency of the support  51 . 
     FIG. 13  shows the press and table mounted upon a frame. An auger  120 , connected to the frame by support  125  extends downwardly into the hopper. As the hopper is turned by the motor, the auger remains still, leading to relative motion between the auger and the contents of the hopper. A series of lifters  140  extending from the sidewalls of the hopper  134  further enhance the movement of the material towards the press. A side view of the auger, with support  125  removed for clarity, can be seen in  FIG. 14 . The hopper  134  has an upper cylindrical section with a lower conical section. The lifters  140  extend from the inner surface of the conical section. The lifters  140  are plates extending upwardly from the side wall and may be permanently or removably attached. The advantage of removably attaching the lifters is the ability to use lifters of different design depending upon the material to be pressed. In addition to plates, the lifters may be a series of rods extending upwardly from the side wall. The rods may be connected to a base plate which is removably attached to the hopper in order to install and uninstall the rods in an efficient manner. The auger  120  extends downwardly to near the top of the upper flange. Connected to the top of the upper flange is single blade  134  formed by a steel rod having its end bent upwardly at an angle and a middle section connected to the upper flange. 
   Besides a smooth surface, the stripper ring can be provided with a textured surface to enhance the function of the upper ring or be provided with openings allowing the removal of the liquid content.  FIG. 15   a  shows a stripper ring  174  formed by a plurality of rings  176  stacked on one another. Each ring has a series of rivet holes. When the various rings are stacked, one on the other, the holes are put in registry and rivets extend through the holes to form the stripper ring  174 . 
   As can be seen with respect to  FIG. 15   b , the top edge of each ring, except for the top ring, is provided with filter hole openings  180 . The filter hole openings allow liquid to pass but is such a size as to prevent particles which would cause clogging to pass. 
     FIG. 16A  shows a top view of one of the rings  176  used to make the stripper ring, when stacked upon each other. Seen here are the rivet hole  182 . Between each rivet hole is an oil discharge channel  184  which will be described later.  FIG. 16B  shows a detailed view of a section of the top surface of the stripper ring. The solid material S is pressed against the outside surface  186  of the stripper ring and liquid is forced into the filter hole  180 . Liquid entering the filter hole plows a path to the oil discharge channel  184  on the inside surface  188  of the stripper ring. 
     FIG. 16C  is a cross-section of the ring through line I—I of  FIG. 16A . This view cuts through the rivet hole  182 . Seen here is the filter hole opening formed in the top edge of the ring. When another ring is placed on top of the first ring, the filter hole opening is formed. 
     FIG. 16D  is a cross-sectional view along line II—II of  FIG. 16A  and cuts through an oil escape channel. In this view, the filter hole opening is in communication with the oil escape channel, located slightly below the top edge of the ring. 
   As can be appreciated, the various features of the two embodiments may be used with each other. For instance, the hopper  134  having a cylindrical and conical section may be used with the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, variations and modifications would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. The invention encompasses such variations and modifications. For instance, the top flange may be formed as one piece with the load wheel which is removably attached to the bottom flange.