Apparatus for compacting low density articles

摘要

Compactor apparatus comprises a conveyor for supplying articles to a hopper positioned alongside the upper end of a compression chamber in which a platen powered by a hydraulic cylinder is adapted to be reciprocated. The hopper is mounted at one end of a beam balance, the displacement of the other end of which measures the weight of a charge in the hopper. When the presence of a specified charge in the hopper is sensed, the conveyor is disabled, the hopper and hydraulic cylinder with the platen in the retracted position are swung laterally to bring the hopper over the compression chamber to dump the contained articles into the chamber. The hopper and cylinder are then returned to their initial positions, the cylinder is actuated to cause the platen to compress the dumped articles, and the conveyor is again enabled to supply articles to the hopper. If multiple charges are required to produce a compressed biscuit of given weight, a selected weight is represented by presetting the positional relation between an actuator and a sensor and successive displacements of the beam balance are caused to change that positional relation until the actuator is in position to actuate the sensor. The operation of the method and apparatus are controlled automatically by a programmed computer.