Patent ID: 7448318

Claim:
A compacting apparatus for compacting scrap material entrained with fluid to form pellets and extract said fluid therefrom, for enabling more efficient and economical recycling of said pellets and separate handling of said fluid, comprising: a cylinder having an opening for introduction of said scrap material, a first end and a second end distal to said first end; a compactor piston adjacent to and closing said first end of said cylinder; a moveable gate having an aperture and a pressure face and moveable between a first position in which said pressure face selectively blocking passage of said scrap material substantially from said second end of said cylinder and a second position in which said aperture is aligned with said second end to selectively permit passage of said scrap material from said second end of said cylinder; said movable gate having at least one radial drain channel formed as a groove in a major side surface of the movable gate that faces the compactor piston, said at least one radial drain channel extending radially from said pressure face, and said at least one radial drain channel extending downwardly from said pressure face for draining fluid extracted from waste product during the compacting process; said aperture spaced from and vertically above said pressure face, whereby said extracted fluid is deterred from passing through said aperture by gravitational force.