FR2784907A1 - Bulk household waste sorting method and device, uses an annular rotating table feeding hoppers - Google Patents

Abstract

The method is characterized in that the waste products are: fed onto a closed loop conveyor; - selected products are temporarily transferred into a storage hopper situated on a fixed unit around the periphery of the close loop conveyor - detect the level of filling of each hopper; - position under each hopper which is known to be full, a transfer conveyor; - empty the contents of the filled hopper onto the conveyor which feeds a common unit for the contents of the hopper. The waste products to be sorted are firstly emptied onto a closed loop conveyor of sensibly annular form. An Independent claim is also included for a device comprising: - a rotating annular table; - hoppers (12), arranged at fixed positions around the table, with trap doors (13); - a transfer conveyor (27) which is selectively displaced and immobilized under each trap (13), and; - a category selection conditioning unit (20) for similar products which is fed from the transfer conveyor.

Description

 The present invention relates to the field of sorting of various objects or products which should be able to be selected for example according to one or more selection criteria, while they are delivered, deposited, transported, brought in bulk to a place of sorting. The invention relates more particularly but not limited to the selective positive or negative sorting of products or objects reputed to be of different natures.

 The invention more specifically relates to the field of sorting household waste, so as to make a selection by category favorable to use, reuse or subsequent recycling.

 Although this application can be considered as one of the preferred, the object of the invention addresses the general problem of selective sorting which is preferably carried out by manual selection although arrangements according to the invention can be implemented. works for automatic sorting facilities and / or methods.

 To ensure, in particular, selective sorting of different products transported in bulk, installations have so far been used, the fundamental principle of which involves a sorting table at one end of which the products to be sorted are discharged in bulk. .

 In a generally usual manner, such a table is constituted in the form of a conveyor of static or dynamic nature being established in a rectilinear direction between a first end and the point of discharge and the opposite end.

 In such installations, the sorting stations are arranged on either side of the table axis, in such a way that automatic sorting or, more generally, manual sorting makes it possible to offer each attendant involved an accessible sorting surface. which, for reasons of efficiency, at least partially overlaps the sorting surface of the person occupying the next position in the direction of movement of the products to be sorted.

 A first observation leads to considering that, in such installations, all the products to be selected must be sorted before these products reach the end of the table opposite the spill point. In fact, in this type of installation, there is no possibility of subjecting the products to a second pass in front of the sorting stations if, for whatever reason, the complete sorting could not be carried out during the first pass.

 Such an obligation imposes low linear displacement rates having regard to the requirements of visual selection and manual removal, as well as in consideration of the mass of spilled products and their correct and homogeneous distribution on the path which, for reasons obvious, cannot have an excessive width in consideration of its useful length.

 Installations of the above type also involve, near or generally under the sorting table, the presence of receiving hoppers which are each assigned to a category of products to be selected. Due to the location of the installation, such hoppers are generally not easily accessible and, in any case, pose a problem of placement and extraction when it is necessary to discharge the sorted and selected products. they contain.

 These different reasons mean that the selective sorting of various products, and in particular of waste, is not entirely satisfactorily carried out in terms of processing capacity per unit of time and therefore involves, in order to absorb the general quantities to be sorted. , the multiplication of parallel installations which, however, each have the same drawbacks as those mentioned above.

 Thus, apart from a real maladjustment to the problem posed, the drawbacks inherent in such installations have a negative impact which is essentially the increase in the cost of intervention, in particular, when it is necessary to sort and select by category rigorously and as absolutely as possible.

 It is precisely the object of the invention to propose a new process and a new installation which are capable of overcoming the drawbacks mentioned above, without involving technical means which are of excessive cost, of implantation. delicate and conduct requiring the presence of highly qualified personnel.

To achieve the above objectives, the selective sorting method according to the invention is characterized in that it consists of
-dump the products on a closed loop conveyor,
-select selectively, at fixed stations, the products by category,
-transfer the sampled products belonging to the same category in a
temporary storage hopper assigned to said category and located at post
fixed at the edge of the conveyor,
-detect the filling level of each hopper,
- have a conveyor under a hopper detected as full
transfer even to be placed under any of the hoppers
affected bordering the conveyor in a closed loop,
- empty said hopper by the transfer conveyor responsible for feeding a
common unit for specific packaging of the same products
category.

The object of the invention also relates to an installation for the implementation of such a method, such an installation, of the type comprising a sorting table, a conveyor for bringing products onto the table, selective sorting stations. associated with the table and hoppers assigned to the reception of the products sorted by category, being characterized in that
-the table is constituted by a closed loop conveyor, rotating and
substantially annular shape,
-the hoppers are arranged at fixed positions at the periphery of the table and
have exit hatches organized to define a place
geometric sampling,
-a transfer conveyor is established to be able to be moved and
selectively immobilized under each hatch,
-and a unit for selective packaging by category, common to the said
products, is installed to be fed from the conveyor
transfer.

 Various other characteristics will emerge from the description given below with reference to the appended drawings which show, by way of nonlimiting examples, embodiments of the subject of the invention.

 Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the installation according to the invention.

 Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional elevation corresponding substantially to the broken line II-II of FIG. 1.

 Fig. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating a particular phase of operation of the installation for the implementation of the method.

 The subject of the invention is the field of preferably selective sorting of different products having the particularity of being conveyed in bulk on a deposition plan from which a selective sorting is carried out. In the schematic representations provided by figs. 1 and 2, the invention is illustrated in the application to the treatment of waste, but it should be understood that a different application may also be concerned, such as that of sorting semi-worked or manufactured products which are, in particular, produced in large quantities by parallel units, to the point of being the subject of a grouping, the routing of which involves selective sorting beforehand.

 The selective sorting method according to the invention is implemented by an installation comprising a sorting table 1 which is formed in the form of a conveyor in a closed loop, capable of being animated by a continuous or discontinuous movement in the direction, by example of arrow fi or in the opposite direction via an inverter. Such a conveyor may be of purely annular or substantially annular shape by being made rigidly, for example in the form of a rotating ring, or else in a flexible and / or deformable manner, for example by means of scales or analogs which make it possible to define a closed loop path which is not purely circular around an axis of revolution of the XX 'type as illustrated in the drawing and oriented vertically.

 If the annular shape centered on the X-X axis is judged to be one of the preferable, it is therefore not limiting.

 The closed-loop conveyor 1 is associated with a landscaping conveyor 2, the loading end 3 of which can be adapted in any suitable manner to favor the handling of waste 4 capable of being accumulated in any suitable manner. The feed conveyor 2 which is preferably but not exclusively of the endless belt type, has a discharge end 5 located directly above a discharge point 6 corresponding to the top of the closed loop conveyor 1. It should be understood, although this is not shown, that the end 5 can be associated with or form by itself a spreading weir having the objective of distributing the different products more homogeneously and rather in a thin layer. 4 discharged onto the closed-loop conveyor 1. Likewise, in certain cases, the feed conveyor 2 can be associated with a protection tunnel 7.

 The closed loop conveyor 1 is arranged to occupy a plane of level N which is, for example but not exclusively, defined by means of a super structure 8 carrying a chassis or the like 9 on which the conveyor 1 rests. The chassis 9 is designed to support the conveyor while allowing it to rotate in the direction in particular of arrow f, by means of a drive member not shown, but considered to be conventional in the matter and therefore of the known field of skilled in the art.

 The purpose of the super-structure 8 is also to form a platform 10 capable of promoting the easement, such a platform 10 having a gateway 11 capable of spanning the conveyor in closed loop 1.

 According to the invention, the closed loop conveyor 1 is associated with selective sorting stations P ,, P ,, ... P. which are located at fixed stations and which are, according to a preferred arrangement, established on the edge of the internal periphery of the conveyor 1. The number of stations P is obviously optional and depends on the number of selections or sorting categories which should be taken into account from products 4 whose composition is decisive for the choice of these stations .

 It should be considered within the meaning of the invention that the stations P could also be located, always preferably at a fixed station, not at the inner periphery of the closed-loop conveyor 1, but on the contrary at the edge of the outer periphery.

 The closed-loop conveyor 1 is, moreover, associated with hoppers 12 which, in the case which has just been mentioned, are distributed on the outer periphery of the conveyor so that their inlet sections, preferably corresponding to their tops open, are accessible from the plane of the conveyor 1. The open tops of the hoppers 12 can therefore be located substantially in the plane of the conveyor or slightly above or below.

 In the example of variant mentioned, if the stations P are located outside, then the various hoppers 12 occupy a position so as to be placed near the inner edge of the conveyor 1.

 The various hoppers 12 are located essentially below the level N and more particularly for the part of each constituting the base and comprising an outlet hatch 13 located at a level n lower than the level N.

 The various hoppers 12 are each assigned to a category of products, so that the selection of the latter allows the loading of each hopper with a single category of sorted products.

 In the example illustrated, the hoppers occupy a substantially radial position relative to the axis XX ′, but it goes without saying that a different arrangement could be encountered, just as it could be envisaged to ensure a implantation of hoppers 12 which are not completely adjacent to each other and which do not cover the entire angular range which the posts P are likely to occupy, ie a maximum of 360.

 As shown in fig. 2, the hoppers 12 are preferably suspended from the platform 10 by being linked in any suitable manner to the super-structure 8 or by resting on the ground by uprights or the like 14.

 The closed loop conveyor 1 is advantageously equipped in an alternative embodiment with a gantry 15 which is arranged upstream of the discharge point 6 in consideration of the direction of movement shown by the arrow f i. Such a gantry can be static or on the contrary dynamic in nature and, for example, then comprise a module 16 having the objective of causing either a mixture of the products carried by the conveyor in a commissioning situation as is apparent from the description of the sorting process below, ie an evacuation of the products. remaining on the conveyor for example in the case of application to a negative sorting.

 In another alternative embodiment, the closed-loop conveyor 1 is provided with a fixed crown 17 arranged in line with its outer periphery in the manner of a shell of appreciable height chosen as a function of the nature of the products discharged onto the conveyor . This ring 17 constitutes a retaining stop in the event that, by rotation of the conveyor or by interaction between them, some of the products would tend to be subjected to a centrifugal component.

 The installation described above is completed by a packaging unit 20 which is able to ensure, from the sorted products, the constitution of elementary volumes facilitating the handling, storage, handling, transport, etc. .

The packaging unit 20 is therefore essentially suitable for the products to be selected by category and, in the application given by way of example, such a unit is, for example, constituted in the form of a baler comprising a compaction member 21 comprising a push piston 22 capable of being driven by an alternating rectilinear movement at constant or variable speed by means of a drive member 23.

 The unit 20, which is located at a level lower than that of the table or of the conveyor 1 comprises, for example and, preferably in the case of construction illustrated, in coincidence with the axis X-X ′ a discharge chute 24 which leads to a compaction chamber 25. The chute 24 is preferably formed in the form of a turret so as to support the end portion 26 of a transfer conveyor 27, advantageously but not exclusively constituted by an endless belt whose rising upper strand can be moved in the direction of arrow f ..

 The transfer conveyor 27 has a structure such that its lower end 28, called the pick-up end, can be brought, by means of a motorized carrying carriage 29, to move along a geometrical place 30 which corresponds to the plumb of the different hatches 13 of the different hoppers 12. Thus, in the case where the hatches 13 of the hoppers 12 occupy a position centered on the axis XX ′, then the geometrical location 30 is similar to a circulation and guide track circular for carriage 29.

 The installation described above therefore involves a single conveyor capable of being placed by its lower part 28 selectively in relation to the hatch 13 of each of the hoppers 12, while being, on the other hand, maintained in permanent relation with the chute 24 centralized discharge belonging to the packaging unit 20 which is common for all the products or all the categories of products likely to be selected.

 When it is necessary to ensure an automated functional cycle of the installation, it is advantageous to have each of the hoppers 12 have a high level sensor 31 which is coupled to an addressing module 32 whose signals are taken into account by a programmable controller 33. Additionally, it is also advantageous to have each hopper have a locating boom 34 capable of being able to be read by a cell 35 carried by the terminal part 28 of the transfer conveyor 27. Terminal 34 and the cell reading 35 are connected to the programmable automaton 33 which is responsible for controlling the operation of the motor carriage 29, or even of the operating cycle of the compacting member 21 and / or of the unit 20.

 By implementing the above means, the sorting process according to the invention takes place as follows.

 The products 4 to be sorted, taken over by the feed conveyor 2, are conveyed in bulk and dumped at the right of point 6, while the closed-loop conveyor 1 is driven simultaneously in rotation in the direction of the arrow fi. for example.

 By the simultaneity of the two actions, the products 4 experience spreading over the rotating useful surface of the loop conveyor 1 which makes them pass in front of the different successive stations P, at the right of which the products are presented in an appropriate manner to favor the selection visual determining sorting. Thus, the operator occupying the position P, can easily detect the products which it is up to him to select, collect and sort, so as to transfer them to one or more of the affected hoppers. In consideration of fig. 1, the operator of the station P, can, for example, be responsible for selecting two categories of products which he must transfer into the hoppers 12, and 122. The rotation of the conveyor in a closed loop brings the products 4 not withdrawn before successively the other sorting stations P ... Po at the level of which the products of the categories corresponding to each of the stations are removed to be transferred to the corresponding assigned hoppers.

 One of the advantages of the process involving a closed loop conveyor 1 is that after a complete rotation of the conveyor, it may happen that certain products have not been the subject of selection, choice or sorting, for example due to an unsuitability of the sample on the part of the operator (s) or else due to an effective visual non-appreciation in the case where the layer of products carried by the conveyor in closed loop is relatively thick. In such a case, the products are subjected to a new selection revolution, so that the method makes it possible in all cases to ensure effective selection and efficient sorting by category of all the products carried by the conveyor in a closed loop.

 In order to improve the visual perception and the efficiency of sorting, in particular in the case where all the products could not have been the subject of a selection during a single revolution, the putting into service of the portal 15 allows residual products to be brewed, mixed or even turned over so as to present them in the best possible situation for selection, sorting or sampling beyond the point spill 6.

 In the case of negative sorting, the gantry crane 15 can be used to directly evacuate, in the hopper allocated for this purpose, the products remaining on the conveyor 1 after almost a revolution of one turn.

 It should be noted that the presence of the fixed crown makes it possible to favor the action of the gantry 15, just as it makes it possible to ensure a retention of the products against any untimely fall in the hoppers 12 following, either of a centrifugal effect due to the rotation of the conveyor 1, or of a radial discharge component by relative interaction between the products carried by the conveyor.

 The progress of a sorting phase for a relatively long period of time can lead to the filling of certain hoppers, if not all. A check can be carried out visually so as to cause each full hopper to be emptied by placing the terminal part 28 of the transfer conveyor 27 under the hatch 13 of the hopper concerned. The opening of this hatch 13, as illustrated in FIG. 3, allows, with the commissioning of the transfer conveyor 27, to pick the products selected from the hopper assigned to the category in question and to transfer these products through the terminal part 26 into the chute 24 so that the operation of the unit 20 allows to proceed, for example by compaction and strapping or the like, to the constitution of bales 40 which are evacuated via an outlet conveyor 41 of static or dynamic nature.

 According to the method of the invention, automatic operation occurs through the use of the control means described above.

 When a hopper 12 is full, the level detector 31 emits a signal which passes through the addressing module 32 so as to be supplied to the programmable controller 33. The level indication and the location of the hopper are taken into account by the programmable controller, so that the latter controls the operation of the motor carriage 29 to bring the terminal part 28 of the transfer conveyor 27 in relation to the hatch 13 of the hopper considered to be full. In order to have a suitable positioning or indexing assessment, the reading cell 35 is responsible for detecting the presence of the location terminal 34 assigned to the hopper concerned and when this reading occurs, most often in advance, the programmable controller 33 interrupts the supply to the motor carriage 29, so that the terminal part 28 of the transfer conveyor 27 is immobilized under the hatch 13 of the full hopper 12, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

 In such a situation, the hatch 13 is open as shown in FIG. 3 so that the commissioning of the transfer conveyor 27 collects the products 4 delivered by the hopper 12 and transfers these products to the unit 20 to be the subject of the required packaging.

 It should be appreciated that, in accordance with the method of the invention, knowledge of the location of the hopper considered to be full provides the programmable controller 33 with information which is related to the allocation of the hopper to receive a category particular of selected and sorted products.

 This information can be used by the programmable logic controller 33 to control the operation of the unit 20 in order to adapt the packaging to the nature of the products to be packaged. Such an adaptation may consist of an arrangement of the compaction phases for example, or even additionally or in a unique manner in the adaptation of the conditioning means to form a bale or an elementary volume of subsequent care.

 As is apparent from the above, the means according to the invention make it possible to produce a relatively small space installation, nevertheless offering a significant sorting capacity. These technical means, characteristic not by their individual choice but by their combination and their functional interaction do not imply a high expense and do not require the presence of a large and highly qualified staff.

 It may even be envisaged to keep the installation in service with only the occupation of a single sorting station, since the continuous revolution of the conveyor makes it possible to pass through the products several rotations in a row before sampling.

 Although this is not indicated, provision may be made to add to the conveyor a crown of the type of the crown 27 but bordering the inner periphery.

 The invention is not limited to the examples described and shown, since various modifications can be made thereto without departing from its scope.

Claims (21)

 1. Sorting process for products conveyed in bulk, characterized in that it consists of  -dump the products on a closed loop conveyor,  - collect products at fixed stations,  -transfer the sampled products falling into a storage hopper  temporary located at a fixed post at the edge of the conveyor,  -detect the filling level of each hopper,  - have a conveyor under a hopper detected as full  transfer even to be placed under any of the hoppers  affected bordering the conveyor in a closed loop,  - empty said hopper by the transfer conveyor responsible for feeding a  common unit for specific product packaging  2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the different bulk products are poured onto a closed loop conveyor of generally substantially annular shape.  3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the different bulk products are poured onto a closed loop conveyor animated with a continuous movement.  4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the different bulk products are poured onto a conveyor in a closed loop and in that the selected products are removed and transferred by categories into affected hoppers bordering the outer periphery of the conveyor.  5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that each hopper is emptied by means of a single transfer conveyor which is made mobile between a centralized discharge chute corresponding to the inlet of the packaging unit and a geometric sampling location on which the hopper exit hatches are located.  6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the selective sampling by category of the various products is established from fixed stations located on the edge of the inner periphery of the conveyor in a closed loop.  7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the specific operation of the packaging unit is controlled by the category of sorted and transferred products.  8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the specific operation is controlled by  -has a level sensor in each hopper,  -allocating an addressing module to each hopper,  -connecting the sensor and the module to a loaded programmable controller  to control in particular the supply of a driving organ  for moving the transfer conveyor on site  geometric sampling,  -placing on said conveyor a reading cell of a terminal of  location assigned to each hopper,  -interrupting, by the programmable controller, the supply of the organ  motor as soon as the cell identifies the terminal corresponding to the hopper  whose level sensor has entered service, so that the  transfer conveyor under the outlet hatch of said hopper,  -and then controlling, by the programmable logic controller, the opening of the  hatch, commissioning of the transfer conveyor and operation  of the packaging unit.  9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the signals emitted by the level sensor, the addressing module and the location terminal are used to control, by the programmable controller, the specific operation of the 'Conditioning unit.  10. Sorting installation for products conveyed in bulk, of the type comprising a sorting table (1), a conveyor (2) for bringing products onto the table, sorting stations (3) associated with the table, and hoppers (12) assigned to the reception of sorted products, characterized in that  -the table is constituted by a closed loop conveyor (1), rotating  and of substantially annular shape,  -the hoppers (12) are arranged at fixed positions at the periphery of the table and  have exit hatches (13) organized to define a place  sampling geometry (30),  -a transfer conveyor (27) is established to be able to be moved and  selectively immobilized under each hatch,  -and a unit (20) of packaging, common to said products, is  installed to be fed from the transfer conveyor.  11. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the table (1) occupies a plane of level N while the outlet hatches are located in a plane of level n less than level N.  12. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the table (1) occupies a plane of level N located above the plane of the packaging unit.  13. Installation according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the table is continuously rotating relative to sorting stations (P) fixed.  14. Installation according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the table is bordered on the outer periphery by hoppers (12) each assigned to the reception of a category of products.  15. Installation according to one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the table is bordered on the outer periphery by fixed work stations.  16. Installation according to one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that the table (1) is bordered by hoppers (12) each having a level detector (31) and an addressing module (32) whose signals are taken into account by a programmable controller (33) controlling the operation of the installation.  17. Installation according to claim 16, characterized in that the table (1) is bordered by hoppers (12) each having a location terminal (34) intended to be detected by a reading cell (35) for controlling, by the programmable logic controller, movement and stop of the transfer conveyor in coincidence  with the hopper exit hatch, the level sensor of which has entered service.  18. Installation according to claim 17, characterized in that the programmable controller, influenced by the reading cell (35) of the transfer conveyor (27), controls the selective operation of the packaging unit (20).  19. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the conditioning unit (20) is common to all the hoppers (12) and comprises a centralized discharge chute (24), in permanent relation with the transfer conveyor (27 ) which is mounted mobile so as to be able to follow the geometric location (30) of sampling.  20. Installation according to one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that the table is bordered on the outer periphery by a fixed ring (27).  21. Installation according to one of claims 10 to 17 and 20, characterized in that the table is provided with a gantry (15) for mixing or evacuation disposed upstream of the point of discharge (6) of the products under consideration the direction of movement of the table.