Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title of Invention
METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE DISASSEMBLY OF MATRESSES
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus
for
disassembling a mattress to facilitate recycling of the constituent materials.
In particular, the
invention concerns a method of removing the outer layer of a mattress in a
typically early
stage of a mattress recycling process. However, it is to be appreciated that
the invention
could be applied in other aspects or stages of a mattress recycling process.
Background of Invention
[0002] The following discussion of the background to the invention is intended
to facilitate
an understanding of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that the
discussion is
not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was
published,
known or part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the
application.
[0003] Typical mattresses are constructed using a variety of materials, many
of which are
suitable for recycling the end of the mattresses' usable life. In addition to
avoiding the
creation of undesirable landfill, the recycling of unserviceable or unwanted
mattresses
provides an opportunity to recover valuable constituent materials which can be
sold for new
applications.
[0004] In general terms, mattresses can be divided into two categories, those
with internal
metal springs and those without. Mattresses having internal metal springs
consist, typically,
of an inner core of metal springs or coils to provide support for a sleeper's
body. The inner
core is surrounded by several layers of upholstery usually including a layer
of felt padding
and at least one layer of foam, for example polyurethane foam, to provide
cushioning and
additional support. The outer layer of mattress upholstery is generally formed
by a durable
textile known as ticking which surrounds the inner upholstery and springs. In
many
instances, this outer layer is formed of a multi-layered quilt including a
central layer of foam
wadding. Additional materials such as timber, plastic stiffeners, latex rubber
or fibrous
padding may also be included, many of these materials also being suitable for
recycling.
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[0005] The alternative category of mattresses is those which do not have an
internal spring
core. These alternative types of mattresses such as latex or fully-foam
mattresses may not
have a spring inner core but are nonetheless desirable for recycling purposes.
In this regard,
non-spring mattresses can undergo a somewhat simplified recycling process
because the
process step of separating the metal spring core from the remaining upholstery
and
cushioning is obviated.
[0006] Unwanted or discarded mattresses therefore provide an attractive source
of
recyclables, provided that the mattresses can be disassembled and separated
into
constituent materials before distribution. In either category of the above
categories of
mattress core, the first step in a mattress recycling process will often be
the removal of the
outermost layer of upholstery known as ticking or quilting. Whilst mattresses
can be
manually dissembled with a cutting instrument such as shears, pliers or other
cutters, the
introduction of manual labour into a recycling process line is generally
undesirable in terms
of safety, for example, due to the high levels of dust expelled during the
recycling process
and also the potential for repetitive strain injuries. Moreover, manual
mattress disassembly is
time consuming and inefficient in terms of labour cost per unit of recovered
material.
[0007] It is therefore desirable to provide an improved or alternate method or
device to
facilitate mattress disassembly in an efficient and timely manner.
Summary of Invention
[0008] It is to be understood that spatial references throughout the
specification are
generally based upon and reference to a conventional sleeping mattress of the
type that will
be readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art. On this basis, terms
such as a mattress
"sleeping surface" will be appreciated as the largest surface of the mattress
and this surface
being a generally rectangular surface. Similarly, terms such as "lengthwise"
or "longitudinal
axis" will be appreciated as referring to the direction extending between the
head and the
foot of a mattress. It will also be appreciated that spatial references to
"top" and "bottom" will
be understood with reference to a mattress lying flat in its conventional
orientation with one
of the sleeping surfaces facing downwards and the other sleeping surface
facing upwards.
[0009] According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus to
disassemble a
mattress, the mattress including a mattress core between a top ticking and a
bottom ticking
and the mattress having perimeter surfaces comprising a pair of opposing side
surfaces
extending in a longitudinal direction and a pair of opposing end surfaces
extending between
the opposing side surfaces, the apparatus including: a cutting arrangement for
applying at
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least one cut along a length of at least one of the perimeter surfaces; and at
least one
peeling roller having a peeling surface with retractable pins for engaging
with the top and/or
bottom ticking, the retractable pins being movable between a retracted
position and an
extended position, wherein the at least one peeling roller is rotatable in a
peeling direction
for peeling the top and/or bottom ticking from the mattress with the pins in
the extended
position and wherein the at least one peeling roller is rotatable in a removal
direction,
opposite to the peeling direction, for removing the peeled ticking from the
peeling surface
with the pins in the retracted position.
[0010] The present invention therefore provides an apparatus which can
advantageously
disassemble a mattress to allow constituent elements to be separated and
sorted for
recycling purposes. By way of example, ticking removed from the mattress core
by an
apparatus of the present invention may contain cotton which can be
subsequently sorted
and baled for transport for subsequent recycled application in the textile
industry. Similarly,
the polyurethane exposed by removal of the external ticking can have a variety
of uses, in
particular as recycled carpet underlay. Moreover, the removal of external
mattress ticking
exposes the mattress core which, in the case of a foam core, may be
subsequently cut into
smaller portions and baled for subsequent recycling applications. In the case
of a metal
mattress core, the exposed core can now be conveniently stripped of any
padding or
cushioning beneath between the ticking and the core before being conveyed to a
metal
shredding device and pressed into shredded steel bales for transport.
[0011] Advantageously, the present invention employs mechanical processes to
at least
partially automate the disassembly process. By way of explanation, mattress
first undergoes
a cutting step performed by the cutting arrangement where at least one of the
perimeter
surfaces of the mattress is cut to separate or substantially loosen the
connection between
the mattress ticking and the mattress core. In the next stage, the mattress is
engaged by a
peeling roller with pins that engaged the partially severed mattress ticking
and thusly peel
the ticking away from the mattress core. In a final step, the direction of the
peeling roller is
reversed in order to remove the peeled ticking from the peeling roller for
subsequent
recycling and to clear the peeling roller for the next mattress in the process
line. It will thusly
be appreciated that the present invention facilitates efficient recovery of
the above materials
due to the apparatus of the invention eliminating the need for manual
cutting/removal of the
mattress ticking using hand implements such as shears or knives.
[0012] In some forms of the present invention, the pins of the peeling roller
are curved to
facilitate engagement with the mattress ticking. This form of the invention is
advantageous
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with particular mattress ticking that is more securely bound to the mattress
core than other
mattresses. In particular, certain types of mattress (typically those having
metal cores) may
include internal stapling elements known as hog rings which provide an
additional
connection between the ticking and the remainder of the mattress. In
processing such
mattresses, it may be desirable to utilise curved pins having a greater
capacity to grip and
peel ticking away from a mattress core. In some forms, the pins may therefore
have a curve
in a circumferential direction of the peeling roller so as to point in the
direction of roller
rotation when the mattress is fed into the at least one peeling roller. The
increased ticking
engagement is due to curved pins penetrating in an angled direction, relative
to the mattress
surface, into the mattress ticking. The result being that ticking is more
securely engaged to
the surface of the peeling rollers and less likely to slip off the pins as
they rotate away from
the mattress core. In an alternative form of the invention, the pins are
straight but are angled
in the direction of peeling roller rotation during the peeling stage.
[0013] In another form of the invention, the peeling roller includes a
plurality of pin actuators
to actuate movement of the pins between the extended and retracted positions,
each pin
actuator being associated with at least one pin. Advantageously, this form of
the invention
facilitates some degree of independent control over the movement of pins on
the peeling
roller. Accordingly, in a particular form of the invention, the plurality of
pin actuators are
independently operable to facilitate movement of pins on a section of the
peeling surface
that is independent from movement of pins on a separate section of the peeling
surface.
[0014] The above form of the invention is advantageous in that a particular
sequence of pin
movement may be adopted to facilitate the peeling process. By way of example
in some
embodiments of the invention, the pins on the at least one peeling roller may
be retracted at
a particular point of the rotation so as to disengage with the mattress
ticking. By way of
example, it may be desirable in certain embodiments of the invention for the
pins to retract
at a point of rotation when they are oppositely disposed (i.e. 180 ) from the
portion of the
roller in contact with the mattress. In particular forms of the invention,
this may allow for the
peeled ticking to be selectively directed away from the peeling roller under
the influence of
gravity or, alternatively, another roller such as a guiding roller.
[0015] It will be appreciated that the present invention is intended for
application to a wide
variety of mattresses. In this regard, the Applicants have discovered during
testing that
mattresses from particular regions of the world exhibit certain construction
characteristics
which are seldom encountered in other regions. By way of example and as noted
above,
internal connective elements such as metal hog rings are frequently used in
the construction
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of Australian and New Zealand mattresses whereas European originating
mattresses
seldom include such components. For this reason, in some forms of the
invention it may be
desirable to provide pins configured for increased engagement with the
mattress ticking.
One such example is the curved pin configuration discussed above. Another
example is to
provide pins having increased length to provide a deeper penetration with the
mattress
ticking and therefore greater engagement therewith.
[0016] In another embodiment of the present invention, the cutting arrangement
includes a
saw having at least one cutting element. This form of the invention may
therefore employ a
cutting saw to apply the cut to the perimeter surface of the mattress. In this
regard, a cutting
'saw' refers to a cutting device with an associated cutting element having a
toothed surface,
for example a rotary saw, jig saw, chainsaw or other cutting device with an
associated
toothed cutting element. Of course, alternative cutting arrangements other
than saw-type
devices are envisioned and may instead include, for example, a fluid cutter
such as a high
pressure water jet cutter. Alternatively, the cutting arrangement could
utilise a non-toothed
cutting element such as a cutter with a sharpened slicing disc.
[0017] In certain forms, the saw of the above embodiment includes a plurality
of cutting
elements. As noted earlier, during testing and development of the present
invention the
Applicants have identified discrepancies between mattress constructions based
on
geographical origin. In this regard, certain mattresses, for example those
which include
internal hog ring connective elements may require a saw having a number of
cutting
elements to sufficiently free the mattress ticking from the mattress core so
as to facilitate
removal of the ticking in the subsequent peeling stage. Advantageously,
providing a saw
with a plurality of cutting elements necessarily produces a plurality of cuts
on the perimeter
surface of the mattress and, thusly, provides a significantly improve
likelihood of severing
the mattress ticking from any internal connective elements.
[0018] In one form of the invention, the saw is mounted to the free end of a
pivotable cutting
arm. Advantageously, the cutting arm may be biased to a normal position such
that the
conveyed mattress will contact the saw and cause the cutting arm to swing
around the
perimeter surface of the mattress whilst the saw is maintained in contact with
the perimeter
surface due to the bias in the cutting arm.
[0019] In particular forms of the invention, the plurality of cutting elements
includes between
three and eight cutting elements, preferably between four and seven cutting
elements and
more preferably six cutting elements. In this regard, the Applicants have
successfully tested
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a multi blade saw having six cutting elements. It is noted that the number of
cutting elements
may be limited by the subsequent decrease in spacing between each cutting
elements due
to the amount of cutting debris being funnelled through the spaces. Moreover,
it will be
appreciated that the pressure of the saw against the perimeter surface of the
mattress is
generally constant such that an increase in cutting elements causes a
corresponding
decrease in the force applied to each cutting element against the mattress
perimeter
surface. For this reason, the efficiency of the cutting arrangement will begin
to diminish at a
certain number of cutting elements and, thusly, the Applicants have identified
an optimum
range of between three and eight cutting elements.
[0020] Turning now to the specific arrangement of the saw and the cutting
elements, in a
particular embodiment of the invention, the plurality of cutting elements are
axially spaced
apart on the saw body. Accordingly, in some forms, each cutting element is
positioned
above or below an adjacent cutting element on the saw body. These forms of the
invention
advantageously provide that a plurality of cuts will be applied across the
thickness of the
mattress between the top and bottom ticking thereby further increasing the
likelihood of
severing or partially separating the ticking from the mattress core.
[0021] In a particular form of the above described embodiment, the saw
includes a rotatable
saw body wherein the cutting elements are cutting blades mounted to the
rotatable saw
body. In this form, a conventional rotary saw is utilised with cutting
rotatable cutting blades
mounted thereto. In alternative forms of the invention, the saw may be formed
by a
bandsaw. In still further alternatives, the saw may include a chainsaw
arrangement. It will be
appreciated that a person skilled in the art may readily envisage alternative
forms of cutting
arrangements which are encompassed by the scope of the present invention.
[0022] In another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a pair of
saws arranged to
cooperatively apply a cut along a length of the at least one perimeter
surface. In this regard,
the cutting arrangement may employ two or more separate saws to perform the
cutting
function. Advantageously, this form of the invention increases the speed at
which the cutting
stage can be performed by enabling the cutting to be shared by more than one
saw. The
cutting on the mattress perimeter surface may thusly be divided into separate
sections which
can each be performed by a separate saw.
[0023] In a further form of the invention, the apparatus may include a corner
cutter for
applying a cut to at least one corner of the mattress, the cut extending at
least partially
between the top and bottom ticking. This form of the invention facilitates a
cut to be applied
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at least one corner of the mattress i.e. the point at which of the opposing
side surfaces
meets one of the opposing end surfaces. Advantageously, applying a cut at a
corner of the
mattress has been found to reduce the tension in the outer layers of mattress
quilting or
ticking thereby further facilitating removal of the ticking in the subsequent
peeling stage. In
some forms, the corner cutter may apply a generally vertical cut which extends
between the
top and the bottom ticking. In other forms, the corner cut may only extend
partially between
the top and the bottom ticking. It will be appreciated that the precise
orientation or length of
the corner cut may vary between mattresses so long as the cut is suitable for
at least
partially relieving the inherent tension or tautness in the outer layers of
the mattress.
[0024] In another embodiment of the invention, the position of the at least
one peeling roller
is adjustable. As noted above, the present invention is intended for
application to a variety of
mattress types and sizes. Accordingly, this form of the invention
advantageously enables for
the position of the peeling roller, relative to the mattress, to be adjusted
to thereby facilitate
optimisation of the engagement between the pins and the mattress ticking. By
way of
example, it may be desirable when processing a thicker mattress to adjust the
position of the
peeling roller in order to accommodate the increased mattress size in the
peeling stage.
Similarly, when processing a particularly thin mattress it may be desirable to
adjust the
peeling roller closer to the mattress surface to improve engagement between
the pins and
the mattress ticking. In addition to the advantages noted above, the Applicant
has
determined that where an apparatus includes pair of peeling rollers, an
adjustment of the
bottom peeling roller to a level above the infeed conveyor may result in a
better engagement
with the mattress ticking.
[0025] In addition to adjustment of peeling roller position, in some forms of
the invention it
may be desirable to adjust the rotational speed of the peeling roller. In
embodiments of the
invention utilising a pair of peeling rollers, it may be advantageous to
adjust the rotational
speed of each roller independently to provide particular operational
parameters for specific
types of mattresses. In this regard, the method according to the present
invention may
include selectively determining the rotational speed of the peeling roller
according to
structural or dimensional parameter of a particular mattress.
[0026] In a particular form of the above-described embodiment, the apparatus
includes a
sensor and a controllable actuator to adjust the position of the at least one
peeling roller into
an engagement position based on the position and/or dimensions of the mattress
determined by the sensor. As discussed in the background to the invention, in
many
instances it is desirable to automate the mattress disassembly process insofar
as possible
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for the purposes of efficiency and/or safety. This form of the invention
advantageously
allows for an adjustment of the peeling roller position to be automated
according to mattress
data determined by a sensor. In some forms, the sensor may be an ultrasonic
distance
sensor. In alternative forms, the sensor may include a laser or infrared
device. In still further
forms, the sensor could comprise a mechanical limit switch, for example, an
actuator in
physical contact with a surface of the mattress and arranged to switch or
trigger an
adjustment of the apparatus depending on the position or nature of contact
made upon the
actuator by the mattress.
[0027] Notwithstanding the above advantages of an automated adjustment
process, in an
alternative form of the invention, there is provided a manually operable
adjustment
mechanism to adjust the height of the at least one peeling roller. In some
applications, the
automated adjustment mechanism discussed above may not be necessary where
mattresses of a consistent size are being processed. In this regard a manually
operable
adjustment mechanism enables operators to configure the apparatus for a
particular
mattress size and then adjust the configuration if and when necessary to
process
mattresses having a different size. Moreover, a manually operable adjustment
mechanism
provides a reliable backup in the event of any technical problems with a more
complex,
automated system. In some forms of this embodiment, a manually operable
adjustment
mechanism may take the form of a hand crank or handle in operative association
with a lead
screw connected to the at least one peeling roller. In this form, rotation of
the crank or
handle will operate to adjust the position of the peeling roller as desired.
Of course, it will be
appreciated that a person skilled in the art may readily conceive of
alternative manually
operable adjustment mechanisms which fall within the scope of the present
invention.
[0028] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus
includes a conveyor
for conveying the mattress through the cutting arrangement wherein the
conveyor includes a
plurality of friction portions for restricting movement of the mattress
relative to the conveyer.
Advantageously, friction portions reduce the likelihood of the mattress
shifting on the
conveyor throughout the disassembly process and, in particular, during the
application of the
cut to the mattress perimeter surface by the cutting arrangement. It will be
appreciated that
movement of the mattress during the cutting stage is generally undesirable as
it may cause
the cut to be discontinuous and therefore reduce the severance of the outer
mattress layers
from the mattress core. In a particular form of this embodiment, the friction
portions comprise
projection portions. Advantageously, the projection portions provide a high
friction surface
which greatly restricts potential movement on the mattress thereon. In
alternative
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embodiments, the friction portions may consist of a series of spiked portions.
In still further
alternatives, the friction portions may be formed by a partially adhesive
conveyor surface.
[0029] For similar reasons as discussed above for which friction portions are
desirable, in
another form of the invention, the apparatus may include a conveyor for
conveying the
mattress on a conveyor surface through the cutting mechanism wherein the
apparatus
further includes an overhead roller located above the conveyor for
facilitating movement of
the mattress through the cutting mechanism and for restricting movement of the
mattress
relative to the conveyor surface. In this form of the invention, potential
movement of the
mattress on the conveyor is arrested or at least reduced by the overhead
rollers exerting a
downward force on the mattress thereby increasing the frictional engagement
between the
underside of the mattress and the conveyor. In a further form of the
invention, the overhead
rollers may be provided in addition to the friction portions discussed above.
[0030] The apparatus of the present invention may also include at least one
row of guiding
rollers positioned adjacent to the at least one peeling roller for guiding a
portion of peeled
ticking toward the peeling surface to facilitate engagement of the pins with
the top and/or
bottom ticking. In this form, the guiding rollers advantageously guide the
free end of the
peeled ticking toward the peeling roller thereby increasing engagement between
the pins
and the ticking. In some forms, the guiding rollers may be positioned so as to
facilitate
engagement by exerting a pressure on the ticking. In alternative forms, the
guiding rollers
may be positioned so as to prevent the free end of the ticking from moving
apart from the
peeling roller but not sufficiently close such that a pressure is directly
exerted on the ticking.
In still further embodiments, an adjustment mechanism may be provided to
adjust the
position of the guiding rollers depending so as to, for example, facilitate
engagement
between the pins and the ticking during the peeling stage and allowing the
guiding rollers to
be re-positioned to increase clearance when the peeling roller direction is
reversed to
disengage the ticking from the peeling roller. In certain forms of the
invention, the guiding
rollers may be formed by an elastic material. In a particular form, the
guiding rollers may be
formed of rubber.
[0031] In some forms of the invention, the peeling roller may have a diameter
between
400mm to 500mm. As noted above, in processing mattresses with internal
connective
elements or otherwise strongly connected external ticking, it may be desirable
to utilise pins
of increased length so as to increase the engagement between peeling rollers
and the
mattress ticking. In this regard, a peeling roller of sufficient diameter is
required to house the
larger pins. To this end, the Applicant has identified a preferred peeling
roller diameter of
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400-500mm. In addition to accommodating pins of increased size, providing a
peeling roller
having this increased diameter (as compared with the Applicant's earlier
apparatus') allows
for easier access to the roller interior thereby allowing for simpler
maintenance and
installation. Moreover, the Applicant has determined that using a peeling
roller of this
increased diameter provides a smoother and a larger pulling force for the
improved peeling
of larger mattresses.
[0032] In a particular form of the invention, the apparatus includes a top
peeling roller and a
bottom peeling roller, the peeling rollers being spaced apart to receive a
mattress
therebetween and wherein the top peeling roller and bottom peeling roller are
positioned for
engaging and removing the top ticking and the bottom ticking respectively. In
this form of the
invention, a pair of peeling rollers is provided to simultaneously engage with
the top and
bottom ticking of the mattress and thereby peel ticking from both top and
bottom sides of the
mattress concurrently. Moreover, the provision of a pair of peeling rollers
advantageously
increases engagement between the pins and mattress ticking due to the force
being applied
on each side of the mattress. Of course, depending on the particular recycling
application
and/or the type of mattress being processed, in other forms of the invention,
mattress ticking
is removed from one side only. This could be achieved with an apparatus
according to the
present invention which included only a single peeling roller. Alternatively,
this could be
achieved using a pair of peeling rollers but by activating the retractable
pins on only one of
the pair of peeling rollers.
[0033] According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of
disassembling
a mattress, the mattress including a mattress core between a top ticking and a
bottom
ticking and the mattress having a perimeter comprising a pair of opposing side
surfaces
extending in a longitudinal direction and a pair of opposing end surfaces
extending between
the opposing side surfaces, the method including: applying at least one cut
along a length of
at least one of the perimeter surfaces; feeding the mattress, in a cut-first
orientation, into at
least one rotating peeling roller, the at least one peeling roller having a
peeling surface with
retractable pins movable between a retracted position and an extended
position; moving the
pins of the at least one peeling roller to their extended position during the
feeding of the
mattress into the at least one peeling roller to engage and remove at least
one of the top or
bottom ticking of the mattress; and moving the pins of the at least one
peeling roller to their
retracted position and reversing the direction of rotation of the at least one
peeling roller to
disengage the ticking from the at least one peeling roller for subsequent
removal.
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[0034] The above method advantageously provides for efficient recovery of
mattress
constituent materials for the reasons discussed above in reference to the
mattress
disassembly apparatus. It will also be appreciated that while the above method
may be
performed by the apparatus discussed earlier there may be alternative devices
also suitable
for performing the above disassembly method.
[0035] In one form of the above method, during rotation of the at least one
peeling roller, the
movement of the pins toward a retracted or an extended position occurs
separately on a first
section of the peeling surface from the movement of the pins on a second
section of the
peeling surface. In a further form of the above method, during feeding of the
mattress, at
least some of the pins are moved so as to extend partially between their
retracted position
and their extended position. With reference to the various advantages of semi-
independent
pin retraction control discussed above, this form of the present invention
advantageously
enables greater control over the pin movement thereby facilitating specific
sequences of pin
movement which may improve the ticking engagement and ticking disengagement
steps of
the peeling roller process.
[0036] In another form of the above-described method of disassembling a
mattress, the
mattress is fed between a top peeling roller and a bottom peeling roller to
remove the top
and bottom ticking of a mattress respectively. As noted above, the cooperation
of a pair of
rollers facilitates simultaneous removal of the top and bottom mattress
ticking thereby
improving overall efficiency of the mattress disassembly process.
[0037] In another form of the above method, the at least one cut is applied to
one of the
side surfaces and to each of the end surfaces. In this form, a more extensive
cut is applied
to the mattress in order to increase the severance of mattress ticking from
mattress core,
prior to the mattress entering the ticking peeling stage. In this regard,
applying a cut to three
of the mattress perimeter surfaces forms a U-shaped cut which thereby improves
the
efficiency of the subsequent peeling step.
[0038] In one form of the present invention, the at least one perimeter
surface includes a
lengthwise direction extending between two corners of the mattress and a
thickness
direction, perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, extending between the
top and bottom
ticking, wherein a plurality of cuts is applied to the at least one perimeter
surface in a
lengthwise direction, each cut in the plurality of cuts being spaced apart
from an adjacent
cut in the thickness direction. In this form, the method of the present
invention
advantageously applies a number of cuts to the mattress perimeter surface
thereby
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increasingly the severance of mattress ticking or quilting from the mattress
core. As noted
above, this method is particularly advantageously when processing mattresses
having
internal connective elements such as hog rings which provide points of
additional connection
between the mattress ticking and the mattress core that may be missed where
only a single
cut is applied to the mattress perimeter surfaces. In a particular embodiment
of this form, the
plurality of cuts are applied the at least one perimeter surface are parallel.
[0039] In another form the above method of disassembling a mattress includes
the step of
applying a corner cut to at least one corner of the mattress on the mattress
perimeter. With
reference to the advantages conveyed by the corner cut apparatus above, it
will be
appreciated that the step of applying cuts to a corner of the mattresses
releases the tension
or inherent tautness of the outer mattress textile or ticking thereby
facilitating its subsequent
removal in the peeling stage. In particular forms, the corner cut may extend
at least partially
between the top and bottom ticking. In alternative forms, the corner cut may
extend
continuously between the top and bottom ticking.
[0040] In a further embodiment, the at least one cut is applied by a cutting
arrangement and
the method further including the steps of: using a sensor to determine the
position and/or
dimensions of the mattress; and adjusting the position of the at least one
peeling roller
and/or the position of the cutting arrangement based on the determined
position and/or
dimensions of the mattress. Advantageously, this form enables optimisation of
the method
of mattress disassembly by automatically adjusting the position of the peeling
roller for
optimum engagement with the mattress ticking. In some forms of this
embodiment, an
ultrasonic distance sensor may be utilised.
[0041] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention there is provided
a method for
a mattress that has a mattress core between a top ticking and bottom ticking
wherein: a cut
is applied along at least one length; after which the mattress with the cut
facing forward is
fed in to a rotating top and/or bottom roller with retractable pins fitted to
the circumference of
these rollers during which whilst the mattress is moving forward the extended
pins remove
the top and/or bottom ticking which then is wrapped around the top and/or
bottom roller and
whilst the pins are retracted in the rollers the bottom and/or top ticking is
unwrapped from
the rollers when their rotation is reversed.
[0042] In another form, during the rotation of the rollers the pins, at least
over a section of
the rollers circumference, can extend or retract.
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[0043] In another form of the above method, during the forward feeding of the
mattress, for
at least a section of the rollers circumference, the pins can extend
completely or partially to
engage with the top ticking and/or the bottom ticking.
[0044] In a further form, the top ticking is removed over the top of a top
roller and/or the
bottom ticking is removed along the bottom of a bottom roller.
[0045] In another embodiment, the mattress is not only cut along the length
but also at least
on one of the other sides.
[0046] In a particular form, the cut may is done by means of cutting and/or
sawing.
[0047] In another form of the above method, whilst the mattress is moving
forward between
the rollers, the pins of both rollers are extended and when the rotation of
the rollers is
reversed the pins in at least one of the top and/or bottom rollers are
retracted.
[0048] In yet another embodiment, the result of the cuts in the mattress takes
the form of at
least part of the shape of the letter U.
[0049] According to the present invention, there is also provided a device to
automatically
disassemble a mattress which has a mattress core between a top ticking and
bottom ticking
where this device includes a cutting mechanism to cut the mattress along the
length on at
least one side and the apparatus further includes spaced apart rotating top
and bottom
rollers between which a mattress with the cut facing forward is fed in to a
rotating top and/or
bottom roller with retractable pins fitted to the circumference of these
rollers during which
whilst the mattress is moving forward the extended pins remove the top and/or
bottom
ticking which then is wrapped around the top and/or bottom roller and whilst
the pins are
retracted in the rollers the bottom and/or top ticking is unwrapped from the
rollers when their
rotation is reversed.
[0050] In a particular embodiment of the above device, at least one of the
rollers is mounted
to the device at a fixed height. In another embodiment, the device has at
least one
adjustable in height roller, preferably the top roller, with which, together
with a sensor and
controllable actuator the distance between the bottom and top roller can be
adjusted
depending on the height or thickness of the mattress as measured by the
sensor.
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[0051] In a further embodiment, the device has fitted, near the top and/or
bottom rollers, an
adjustable row of pressure rollers to assist with the engagement of the top
and/or bottom
ticking with the pins. In one form, the pressure rollers may have an outer
layer of elastic
material. In a particular form, the pressure rollers have an outer layer of
rubber.
[0052] In another embodiment of the above described device, the device has a
programmable control system to run and control the multiple steps of the above
described
method. It will be appreciated that a person skilled in the art will have
knowledge of an
appropriate control systems or programmable microprocessors capable of
suitable
controlling the components of the disassembly apparatus discussed above.
[0053] The present invention will now be further described by the following
non-limiting
examples. It is to be understood that the following description is for the
purpose of
describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting with
respect to the
above description.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0054] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mattress peeler forming part of a
mattress
disassembly apparatus according to the present invention.
[0055] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the various components of a mattress
and the
interaction with a cutting device as part of the method and apparatus
according to the
present invention.
[0056] Figure 3 is a close-up perspective view of a retractable pin
arrangement in a peeling
roller according to the present invention.
[0057] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a mattress disassembly apparatus
according to the
present invention.
[0058] Figure 5 is an illustration of a mattress recycling process
incorporating a mattress
disassembly apparatus and method according to the present invention.
[0059] Figure 6 is an illustration of a peeling roller having curved pins
which provides an
alternative to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3.
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[0060] Figure 7 is a view of a multi-blade saw in an alternative embodiment of
the present
invention.
[0061] Figure 8 is a perspective of an embodiment of the invention where the
cutting
arrangement includes a pair of the multi-blade saws illustrated in Figure 7.
[0062] Figure 9 is a cross sectional view of a peeling roller according to an
embodiment of
the present invention with pins in an extended position.
[0063] Figure 10 is a cross sectional close up view of a pin actuator
mechanism with a pin in
an extended position.
[0064] Figure 11 is a cross sectional close up view of the pin actuator
mechanism of Figure
10 with a pin in a retracted position.
[0065] Figure 12 is a diagram of a peeling process performed by an embodiment
of the
present invention.
[0066] Figure 13 is a side perspective of a manual adjustment mechanism for
adjusting the
position of the bottom roller in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0067] Figure 14 is a perspective of the cutting arrangement illustrated in
Figure 8 with an
additional corner cutting device.
[0068] Figure 15 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the
present invention
including a pair of top rollers applied to the top surface of the mattress.
[0069] Figure 16 is a side view of a mattress disassembly apparatus according
to an
alternative embodiment of the invention in which a top conveyor is included at
the cutting
station.
Detailed Description
[0070] As briefly discussed in the background to the invention, mattresses to
which the
present invention are applicable may come in a variety of shapes and sizes and
contain a
variety of internal materials in a various quantities. The illustrated
embodiment relates to a
typical rectangular sleeping mattress 2, shown in Figure 2, having a mattress
core 4
between a top ticking 3-1 and a bottom ticking 3-2. The perimeter of mattress
2 comprises a
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pair of opposing side surfaces 2-1 extending in a longitudinal direction and a
pair of
opposing end surfaces 2-2 extending between the opposing side surfaces 2-1.
[0071] Between the mattress core 4 and the top and bottom layers of ticking 3-
1, 3-2 is
several layers of cushioning foam and felt which are sought to be removed
throughout the
recycling process. The reasons for removal of these layers is firstly to
recover and sort
recyclable material from these internal layers and secondly to free the metal
spring core
from as much associated upholstery as possible in order for the spring core to
be more
readily recyclable in a metal shredding device of a downstream recycling
process. As
discussed above, some mattresses will contain a mattress core 4 formed by
metallic springs
or coils while other mattresses will contain a mattress core formed by foam or
other non-
metallic materials. In either case, the out layers of ticking 3-1, 3-2 must
first be removed
before subsequent recycling processes can take place.
[0072] By way of contextual background, a mattress recycling process 14 is
illustrated in
Figure 5 incorporating an embodiment of the apparatus and method of mattress
disassembly which will be discussed in further detail below. At the first
stage of the
illustrated process, a supply of mattresses 2 is transferred to a supply
bunker 14-1 which is
fed via a conveyor to a metering conveyor 14-2. In the illustrated example,
the metering
conveyor 14-2 is sloped steeply such that mattresses 2 are not capable of
being conveyed
up the slope by conveyor friction alone. To assist in conveying mattresses 2,
a hook element
is embedded into metering conveyor 14-2 which periodically grasps a unitary
mattress 2 and
conveys the mattress 2 up the slope of the metering conveyor 14-2. In this
way, the feed of
mattresses from the plurality of mattresses 2 at supply bunker 14-1 is metered
and each
mattress 2 is consistently spaced apart on the conveyor line.
[0073] At the next stage of the mattress recycling process 14 illustrated in
Figure 5, a metal
detector station 14-3 identifies and separates mattress 2 having metal
components and
those without. Mattresses 2 are subsequently conveyed to one of two separate
conveyor
lines, one for mattresses containing metal and one for mattresses without
metal. Irrespective
of metal content, mattresses 2 are then conveyed to a cutting station 14-4.
The specifics of
the cutting station will be discussed in more detail below. However by way of
general
summary, cutting station 14-4 applies a U-shaped cut to three sides of the
mattress. The
purpose of this cut is to facilitate the subsequent processing stage at which
the mattresses 2
enter a peeling station 14-5 which peels away the top and bottom ticking 3-1,
3-2 from the
mattress core 4. After the peeling station 14-4, peeled layers of cotton are
directed toward
the cotton baler 14-6 and metallic mattress cores are directed to a metal
shredder 14-7.
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Remaining materials are subsequently separated between polyurethane foam and
latex
foam before being sliced into smaller portions at roll cutters 14-10. The
polyurethane foam
slices are then directed to PU foam baler 14-8 and latex foam slices are
directed to latex
foam baler 14-9. Baled materials may then be conveniently stockpiled according
to type
ready for collection and transport.
[0074] In the context of the above described mattress recycling process, the
mattress
disassembly apparatus and method of the present invention will be better
understood as
specific embodiments of the invention are now discussed in greater detail.
[0075] Referring firstly to Figure 4, there is illustrated a mattress
disassembly apparatus 1
according to an embodiment of the present invention. Apparatus 1 includes a
cutting station
14-4 and a peeling station 14-5. Cutting station 14-4 is downstream of from
cutting station
feed conveyor 13-1 and therefore positioned to receive a feed of mattresses 2
therefrom.
The direction of the feed of mattresses 2 is indicated by arrow "A". At the
end of feed
conveyor 13-1 is a cutting station conveyor 13-2 which conveys a mattress 2
through a
cutting process. Each of the conveyor surfaces may include a non-slip surface.
[0076] In this regard, cutting station 14-4 includes a pair of pivotally
mounted cutting arms 5-
4 with a respective saw 5 mounted to the free ends of each cutting arm 5-4.
The cutting
arms 5-4 are biased to a normal position at which the free ends of the cutting
arms 5-4, and
the pair of saws 5 mounted thereto, are suspended above and are generally
centrally of
cutting station conveyor 13-2. In the normal position, one saw 5 is positioned
upstream of
the other saw 5. The spacing between the saws 5 is sufficient such that the
radii defined by
the free ends of each of pivotally mounted cutting arms 5-4 do not intersect
and, therefore,
the upstream and downstream saws 5 cannot come into contact with one another.
The saws
5 each include a rotatable saw blade 5-1 powered by saw motor 5-3.
[0077] During operation of the cutting station 14-4, a mattress 2 is conveyed
by cutting
station conveyor 13-2 into contact with the saw blade 5-1 of the upstream saw
5. Turning
briefly to Figure 2, it will be appreciated that the mattress perimeter
surface 8 which faces
downstream will be the first surface to contact the saw blades 5-1. As
illustrated in Figure 2,
the mattress may be orientated with one of the opposing end surfaces 2-2 as
the
downstream surface. Alternatively, the downstream perimeter surface 8 could be
one of the
opposing side surfaces 2-1, depending on the orientation of the mattress 2 on
conveyors 13-
2.
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[0078] Referring again to Figure 4, downstream perimeter surface 8 will
contact the saw
blade 5-1 of the upstream saw 5, which rotating due to motor 5-3. Under the
influence of
cutting station conveyor 13-2, the movement of mattress 2 overcomes the bias
in cutting
arms 5-4 which are subsequently driven to swing about their pivotal mounting.
Saws 5 are
thusly swung away from their central position above conveyor 13-2 while being
maintained
in contact with a perimeter of the mattress 2 due to the bias in the cutting
arms 5-4. In this
manner, the upstream saw 5 contacts mattress 2 in a generally central position
of
downstream perimeter surface 8 and travels outwardly, away from the centre of
conveyor
13-2, toward the corner of the mattress before tracing around the corner and
following along
the perimeter surface of the mattress parallel with the direction of
conveyance A. The
downstream saw 5 behaves in a similar fashion but travels around the perimeter
of mattress
2 in the opposite direction to the upstream saw 5.
[0079] Referring to Figure 2, it will thusly be appreciated that saws 5 will
cooperate to
produce a U-shaped cut 6 on three sides of the mattress perimeter surface. In
this regard,
each saw 5 may perform an L-shaped cut therefore both saws 5 combining to
perform a U-
shaped cut 6. When saws 5 reach the end of the side surfaces 2-1, the mattress
2 has
therefore exited the radii of the cutting arms 5-4 which, under the influence
of their bias, are
subsequently returned to their normal position, ready for the next mattress 2
to enter the
cutting station. Accordingly, in the illustrated embodiment, the upstream
perimeter surface of
mattress 2, opposite to downstream surface 8, may not necessarily be cut by
the cutting
station 14-4. Of course, it is possible for some incidental cutting to occur
on the upstream
surface in the region of the upstream corners of the mattress as the cutting
arms 5-4
pivotally return to their normal position.
[0080] In the preferred embodiment, the direction of saw blade 5-1 rotation is
specific to
each saw 5 in order to assist in the pivotal movement of the cutting arm 5-4.
In other words,
each saw blade 5-1 will rotate in a direction so as to 'roll around' the
perimeter surface of the
mattress. In the illustrated embodiment, the upstream saw blade 5 is mounted
so as to
swing around the right hand side of mattress 2 (relative to the conveyance
direction A) rotate
in a clockwise direction (when viewed from above saw 5). Accordingly, the
downstream saw
5, which is mounted to swing around the left hand side of the mattress 2, will
rotate in an
anti-clockwise manner. In this regard, it will be appreciated that the portion
of saw blade 5-1
contacting the mattress 2 is moving in the direction of the mattress 2
relative to the cutting
arm 5-4, thereby facilitating the swinging movement of the cutting arm 5-4
around the three
perimeter surfaces of mattress 2.
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[0081] As illustrated in Figure 4, saws 5 may include a single cutting blade 5-
1. In a
preferred alternative embodiment illustrated in Figure 7, multi-blade saw 50
includes a
plurality of blades 50-1. In the embodiment, each of blades 50-1 comprise a
toothed disc
including cutting teeth however it will be appreciated that other cutting
elements may be
utilised for example a toothless slicing disc or even a saw having a
combination of toothed
and toothless cutting elements. In the particular embodiment illustrated in
Figure 7, six
toothed saw blades 50-1 are arranged coaxially in a stacked configuration and
spaced apart
by spacers 50-2. The six blades 50-1 and five spacers 50-2 thereby share a
common axle
driven by an overhead motor 50-3.
[0082] Turning now to Figure 8, there is illustrated a pair of multi-blade
saws 50, each
mounted to the free end of a respective cutting arm 5-4. As illustrated, multi-
blade saw 50
applies a plurality of parallel cuts 60 to the mattress perimeter, each of the
cuts in the
plurality of cuts corresponding with one of the saw blades 50-1 on the multi-
blade saw 50.
As discussed above, it will be appreciated that applying a plurality of cuts
60 increases the
degree to which the top and bottom ticking 3-1, 3-2 is partially freed from
the mattress core
4. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when processing mattresses
that have hog
rings or other internal stapling elements that provide an additional source of
connection
between the ticking 3-1, 3-2 and the mattress core 4. In this regard, the
applying a plurality
of cuts 60 significantly increases the likelihood of severing the connection
between the outer
layers of the mattress 2 and the internal connective elements.
[0083] Turning now to Figure 14, in an alternative embodiment of cutting
station 14-4, there
may be provided means for cutting the perimeter corners of mattress 2 to
further facilitate
the release of the outer quilting layers from the mattress core 4 and also to
release the
tension throughout the outer quilting/ticking. To this end, a corner cutting
device 5-5
comprises a corner cutting arm 5-6 with a corner cutting saw 5-7 mounted at
the free end
thereof. The corner cutting blades 5-8 are arranged in a generally vertical
orientation so as
to apply a generally vertical cut 5-9 to a corner of mattress 2, where one of
the perimeter
side surfaces 2-1 meets one of the perimeter end surfaces 2-2. The generally
vertical cut 5-
9 may extend all the way or, alternatively, a partial distance between, the
top ticking 3-1 and
the bottom ticking 3-2. In some embodiments, the corner cut 5-9 may be applied
prior to the
application of cut 6 by saws 5. In other embodiments, the corner cut 5-9 may
be applied
after mattress 2 has undergone cutting by saws 5.
[0084] Still referring to Figure 4, after exiting the cutting station 14-4,
cutting station
conveyor 13-2 conveys mattress 2 to a peeling station feed conveyor 13-3 which
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subsequently feeds mattress 2 into peeling station 14-5. As discussed above,
the purpose of
peeling station 14-5 is to peel away the top and bottom ticking 3-1, 3-2 from
the mattress
core 4. In this regard, the cut 6 applied by cutting station 14-4 to some of
the perimeter
surfaces of mattress 2 will greatly facilitate the peeling process conducted
at peeling station
14-5.
[0085] Turning now to Figure 1 there is illustrated a specific perspective of
the apparatus of
cutting station 14-5. Figure 1 illustrates a pair of peeling rollers 7
comprising a top peeling
roller 7-1 and bottom peeling roller 7-2, the pair of peeling rollers 7 each
having a peeling
surface 7-5 and being spaced apart to receive mattress 2 therebetween. On the
circumferential peeling surface 7-5 of each peeling roller 7 is a series of
retractable pins 9,
better illustrated in Figure 3. The size of rollers 7 are at least as long as
a mattress side
surface 2-1 so as to be suitable to receive a mattress 2 with its widest side
orientated
downstream as the mattress 2 enters peeling station 14-5. In an embodiment of
the
invention, the peeling rollers 7 are driven by electric motors thereby
allowing the speed of
roller rotation to be conveniently adjusted as necessary.
[0086] During operation of the peeling station 14-5, a mattress 2 is conveyed
along peeling
station feed conveyor 13-3 into peeling rollers 7 which, at this stage, have
pins 9 in an
extended or partially extended position. As will be appreciated with reference
to the
discussion above, the downstream perimeter surface 8 of mattress 2 now
includes a cut 6
(or cuts 60 in the case of multi-blade cutter 50) from cutting station 14-4
which, as illustrated
in Figure 2, also extends around perimeter side surfaces 2-1. As mattress 2 is
fed into the
peeling station 14-5, the rotation of peeling rollers 7 cooperate to receive
mattress 2 such
that the lower circumference of the top roller 7-1 and the upper circumference
of the bottom
roller 7-2 are each moving in the conveyance direction. As the downstream
mattress
perimeter surface 8 contacts peeling rollers 7, the extended pins 9 of the top
7-1 and bottom
7-2 peeling rollers penetratingly engage with the top 3-1 and bottom 3-2
layers of mattress
ticking. As downstream perimeter surface 8 passes through peeling rollers 7
the pins 9
engaged with the ticking 3-1, 3-2 begin to rotate away from the mattress core
4. Facilitated
by cut 6, the each of the downstream edges of ticking 3-1, 3-2 is thereby
peeled away from
the mattress core 4 by the outward movement of pins 9, relative to the
mattress core 4. By
this operation, top ticking 3-1 is subsequently pulled in a backward,
upstream, direction over
the top of top peeling roller 7-1 while bottom ticking 3-2 is pulled in a
backward, upstream
direction below bottom peeling roller 7-2. During this peeling state, the
rotation of rollers 7
can therefore be said to be rotating in a peeling direction.
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[0087] Turning now to Figures 9 to 11, the operation of the pins 9 will be
described in
greater detail. With reference to Figure 9, the movement of each of pins 9 is
controlled by
individual electro pneumatic actuators 9-1 each associated with a respective
pin 9. Of
course, it will be appreciated that other forms of the invention, the pin
actuators may be
associated with a number of pins 9 for example one actuator per 'row' of pins
extending in a
longitudinal direction along the peeling roller 7. As illustrated in Figure 9
and also Figure 3,
each pin 9 may be extended or retracted by the respective pin actuator 9-1
through an
opening 9-2 in the peeling roller 7. A closer view is provided in Figures 10
and 11 in which
the pin 9 is illustrated as extended and retracted respectively.
[0088] The precise behaviour of the peeled ticking 3-1, 3-2 may vary between
mattresses 2
however in many cases the ticking will become wrapped around at least one of
the peeling
rollers 7. For this reason, after mattress core 4 exits peeling station 14-5,
the peeling rollers
7 undergo a ticking disengagement stage to remove the ticking from peeling
rollers 7. In the
ticking disengagement stage, pins 9 are moved to a retracted position in
peeling rollers 7
and the direction of peeling roller 7 rotation is reversed to as to 'unwrap'
the ticking 3-1, 3-2
from the peeling surface 7-5 of at least one of the peeling rollers 7. The
removed ticking 3-1,
3-2 which will often be a durable cotton-based textile is subsequently
conveyed away from
peeling station 14-5 to an appropriate baling stage. This will best be
understood with brief
reference to Figure 5 which illustrates peeling station 14-5 adjacent to
cotton baler 14-6 and
connected by a conveyor mechanism therebetween. During the above described
disengagement or removal stage, the rotation of peeling rollers 7 operates to
remove the
ticking and the peeling rollers can therefore be said to be rotating in a
'removal direction'.
[0089] Referring again to Figure 1, the peeling station 14-5 in the
illustrated embodiment
includes several additional components to assist in the peeling process.
Adjacent to a side
of bottom peeling roller 7-2 is a row of guiding rollers 12 positioned to
guide the peeled
bottom ticking 3-2 toward bottom roller 7-2. The purpose of guiding rollers 12
is to direct the
peeled edge of ticking 3-2 towards the pins 9 of bottom roller 7-2 such that
engagement
between pins 9 and ticking 3-2 is maintained. This process is best illustrated
in Figure 12 in
which the position of guiding roller 12 with respect to bottom peeling roller
7-2 is shown. Of
course, it is to be appreciated that the size of the guiding roller 12 with
respect to the bottom
roller 7-2 is not drawn to scale in the illustration. In some embodiments, the
diameter of
guiding roller 12 may be relatively small with respect to the peeling rollers
7. In alternative
embodiments, the diameter of guide roller 12 may be similar to the diameter of
the peeling
rollers 7. It will therefore be appreciated that a variety of guiding roller
diameters is possible
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and that the illustrations are intended to illustrate the function of the
components and are not
indicative of the preferred proportions.
[0090] Still referring to Figure 12, guiding rollers 12 exert a degree of
pressure on the
bottom ticking 3-2 in an upstream direction which increases engagement with
pins 9. In
particular embodiments, the guiding rollers 12 may be mounted to a tilting
mechanism
whereby the rollers can be tilted forwards to provide clearance as mattress 2
is fed between
rollers 7. The guiding rollers 12 may then be tilted to another position as
necessary during
the ticking removal stage when the peeling roller 7 directions are reversed to
facilitate
removal of ticking from the rollers 7. As can be seen in Figure 1, guiding
rollers 12 are
positioned between the pins 9 of bottom peeling roller 7-2 so as to avoid
contact between
guiding rollers 12 and pins 9. In some embodiments, the rollers may be formed
by an elastic
material such as rubber. Of course, it is to be appreciated that guiding
rollers 12 are an
ancillary component to the peeling station 14-5 and therefore, in some
embodiments of the
present invention may not be necessary and therefore may not be present.
Similarly, in
alternative embodiments, top guiding rollers (not shown) may be included
adjacent to top
roller 7-1 to facilitate the removal of top ticking 3-1.
[0091] An example of a guiding roller tilt mechanism is illustrated in Figure
13. Guiding
rollers 12 are rotatably mounted to a guiding roller bracket 12-3 which is
pivotally mounted to
peeling station side frame 15. As illustrated in Figure 13, an actuator 12-1
is mounted, at
one end, to guiding roller bracket 12-3 and, at the other end, to peeling
station side frame
15. It will therefore be appreciated that guiding roller actuator 12-1 is
operable to tilt the
guiding roller bracket 12-3 thereby shifting the position of guiding rollers
12 toward or away
from bottom peeling roller 7-2.
[0092] Having described above the independent pin extension/retraction
mechanism and
also the operation of guiding rollers 12, reference is again made to Figure 12
in which a
particular embodiment of the invention is illustrated. In particular, Figure
12 illustrates an
arrangement whereby the guiding roller 12 and the independently retractable
pins cooperate
to remove bottom ticking 3-2 from mattress core 4 and direct the peeled
ticking toward a
receiving conveyer 13-7 positioned beneath the bottom roller 7-2. In some
embodiments
receiving conveyor 13-7 may lead to a cotton baler 14-6 as illustrated in
Figure 5.
[0093] As illustrated in Figure 12, mattress 2 is conveyed between top roller
7-1 and bottom
roller 7-2 in the conveyance direction. Top ticking 3-1 and bottom ticking 3-2
are engaged
and peeled away from mattress core 4 by pins 9 of the top and bottom peeling
rollers 7-1, 7-
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2 respectively. During the peeling stage, the pins 9 of top peeling roller 7-1
are maintained in
the extended position until the ticking is completely removed from mattress
core 4 and the
ticking disengagement stage commences to 'unwrap' top ticking 3-1 from top
peeling roller
7-1.
[0094] In contrast to the constant pin extension of top roller 7-1, the pins
9a-9e of the
bottom peeling roller 7-2 are sequentially retracted and extended during the
peeling stage to
cooperate with guiding roller 12 thereby facilitating the bottom ticking 3-2
being directed
towards receiving conveyor 13-7. As illustrated in Figure 12, at the top of
bottom peeling
roller 7-2, the bottom ticking 3-2 will initially engage with an extended pin
9a at a general 12
o'clock position on bottom roller 7-2. At a generally 2 o'clock position, the
next pin 9b, is also
in an extended position and continues to peel bottom ticking 3-2 away from
mattress core 4.
Continuing in a clockwise direction around the circumference of bottom roller
7-2. At a
generally 4 o'clock position, the bottom ticking 3-2 passes between guiding
roller 12 and
bottom roller 7-2. At a generally 5 o'clock position, pin 9c has passed
guiding roller 12 and is
now moved to a retracted position by a corresponding pin actuator 9-1. The
retraction of pin
9c at this point of rotation disengages the bottom ticking 3-2 from bottom
peeling roller 7-2.
At this point on the circumference of bottom roller 7-2, bottom ticking 3-2 is
separated from
bottom roller 7-2 and is directed by guiding roller 12 towards receiving
conveyor 13-7 below.
At a generally 7 o'clock position, pin 9d is retained in a retracted position.
At a generally 10
o'clock position, pin 9e is moved to an extended position ready for further
engagement with
a new section of bottom ticking 3-2 when it returns to the 12 o'clock
position. It will therefore
be appreciated that the independent movement of pins around the circumference
of at least
one peeling roller 7 can operate to selectively engage and disengage with
mattress ticking at
particular sections of the roller circumference.
[0095] In other embodiments of the peeling station 14-5, there is provided an
adjustment
mechanism 10 to adjust the position of top roller 7-1 relative to the position
of bottom roller
7-2. In this regard, the spacing between the pair of peeling rollers 7 can be
altered as
necessary for improved engagement with mattresses of particular dimensions. As
illustrated
in Figure 1, adjustment mechanism 10 includes a controllable actuator 10-1
mounted to the
frame of the peeling station 14-5. Actuator 10-1 is operable to depress a
first arm of linkage
10-3 which has a rotatable mounting 10-4. On the other side of rotatable
mounting 10-3 is a
second arm of linkage 10-3 to which one end of top roller 7-1 is rotatably
mounted thereto
and extending through a top roller adjustment slot 10-5. The distal end,
opposite to
controllable actuator 10-1, of linkage 10-3 is connected to a cross-bar 11
which extends
through a cross-bar adjustment slot 10-6 and overhead the top roller 7-1 to
the
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corresponding adjustment mechanism 10 on the other side of the cutting station
14-5. As will
be appreciated with reference to Figure 1, cross bar 11 is linked to the
adjustment
mechanism 10 on each end of the top roller 7-1 and thereby synchronises
movement at
each end of the top roller 7-1. It will therefore be appreciated that
depression of the first arm
of linkage 10-3 by actuators 10-1 in a downwards direction will operate to
pivot the linkage
10-3 about rotatable mounting 10-4 thereby raising the second arm of linkage
10-3 and
thereby raising the top roller 7-1 mounted thereto. Top roller 7-1 will thusly
move in an
upward direction following the path of top roller adjustment slot 10-5.
Similarly, cross-bar 11
will move in a likewise fashion following the path of cross-bar adjustment
slot 10-6. In this
manner, the height of the top roller 7-1 relative to the bottom roller 7-2 may
be adjusted and
therefore the spacing between the pair of rollers 7 may be adjusted to receive
mattresses 2
of various thicknesses.
[0096] In certain embodiments of the invention, the peeling station 14-5 may
(in addition or
as an alternative to the top roller adjustment mechanism) include a mechanism
for adjusting
the position of the bottom roller 7-2. In a particular form, a manually
operable hand crank
may be provided which operates a lead screw and thereby moving the bottom
roller up/down
relative to the top roller 7-1 and/or the peeling station feed conveyor 13-3.
In this regard, the
bottom roller could be adjusted to push, in an upwardly direction, against the
underside of
the mattress 2 and bottom ticking 3-2 to improve engagement of the pins 9 in
bottom roller
7-2 with the bottom ticking 3-2. Of course, it will be appreciated that a
manual adjustment
mechanism such as this may also be applied to the top roller 7-1 in lieu of
the automatic
adjustment mechanism described above. Similarly, the automatic adjustment
mechanism
discussed above may equally be fitted to adjust the position of the bottom
roller 7-3.
[0097] A particular embodiment of the above-described manually operable bottom
roller
adjustment mechanism is illustrated in Figure 13. Bottom peeling roller 7-2 is
positioned in
bottom roller adjustment slot 10-7 and is rotatably connected to mounting 7-3.
A pair of
threaded members 7-4 extends from the bottom of mounting 7-3 and through
corresponding
swivel nuts 7-5 which are rotatably mounted to the peeling station side frame
15 via a
bearing or another appropriate rotatable mounting. To manually adjust the
position of bottom
roller 7-2, swivel nuts 7-5 may be rotated, for example using a spanner or
wrench, to thereby
raise or lower threaded members 7-4 which are in threaded engagement with
swivel nuts 7-
5. In this way, rotatable mounting 7-3 may be raised or lowered and the
position of bottom
roller 7-2 may be shifted within bottom roller adjustment slot 10-7 to
optimise the
engagement of bottom roller 7-2 with mattress 2.
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[0098] In a particular embodiment of the invention and illustrated in Figure
1, the cutting
station 14-5 includes a sensor 10-2 for determining positional and/or
dimensional data of
mattress 2. In a particular embodiment, the information captured by sensor 10-
2 is applied
by an automatic adjustment mechanism to adjust the position of at least one of
the peeling
rollers 7 according to the position and/or dimensions of the oncoming mattress
2 as it is
conveyed toward the peeling rollers 7. In the illustrated embodiment, the
sensor 10-2 is an
ultrasonic sensor. In certain embodiments, the data determined by sensor 10-2
may be
provided to a controller or suitable processing system which will be readily
appreciable by a
person skilled in the art. In one example, the dimensional data may be fed to
a control
system associated with the controllable actuator 10-1 and, in this manner, the
position of top
roller 7-1 may be adjusted to suit, for example, the thickness of the oncoming
mattress 2. Of
course, it will be appreciated that various alternatives to this system are
within the scope of
the invention and may include alternative sensors, control systems and
adjustment
mechanisms.
[0099] A further ancillary feature of the present invention relates to the
cutting station 14-4
and is illustrated in Figure 8. It will be appreciated that the forces applied
to the mattress 2
as it is driven through cutting arms 5-4 may, in some cases, be sufficient to
shift the position
of the mattresses as it rests on cutting station conveyor 13-2. Whilst not
critical to the
performance of the disassembly apparatus 1, significant mattress movement can
potentially
affect the consistency of the cuts 6 applied by saws 5, corner saws 5-7 as
well as
detrimentally affect the engagement between the mattress ticking and the
peeling roller pins
9. To this end, particular embodiments of the invention, as is illustrated
Figure 8, may
include a cutting station conveyor 13-2 that is fitted with friction
projections 13-5 to increase
the friction between the underside of mattress 2 (e.g. bottom ticking 3-2) and
the surface of
the cutting station conveyor 13-2. In alternative forms, conveyor 13-2 may,
instead, be fitted
with friction pads or a series of friction spikes. It will be appreciated that
any elements or
pattern of conveyor belt 13-2 capable of increasing friction and thereby
resisting movement
of mattress 2 relative to conveyor 13-2 are within the scope of the invention.
[0100] In another embodiment, an alternative or additional means to resist
mattress
movement during cutting station 14-4 is illustrated in Figure 15. In this
embodiment, top
rollers 13-6 are located above mattress 2 and positioned so as to contact the
upper surface
of mattress 2 (e.g. top ticking 3-1) and exert a downwards pressure on
mattress 2 thereby
increasing friction with cutting station conveyor 13-2 and adding further
resistance to
mattress movement caused by the influence of cutting arms 5-4 and the
associated saws 5.
In the illustrated embodiment the top rollers 13-6 are mounted to support arms
13-9 however
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it will be appreciate that the top rollers 13-6 could be supported in a
variety of alternative
arrangements.
[0101] Figure 16 illustrates an alternative embodiment to the arrangement
shown in Figure
15, in which a top conveyor 13-8 is positioned above the cutting station feed
conveyor 13-1
to add additional resistance to mattress 2 movement caused by the influence of
cutting arms
5-4 and saws 5 during the cutting stage. Top conveyor 13-8 is arranged
generally parallel
and spaced apart from cutting station feed conveyor 13-1. In this embodiment,
mattress 2 is
conveyed between the opposing conveyors 13-1, 13-8 and is therefore retained
against
movement by friction upon the top ticking 3-1 from the top conveyor 13-8 in
addition to
friction from the cutting station feed conveyor 13-1 on the bottom ticking 3-
2. As will be
appreciated with reference to Figure 16, mattress 2 will pass from cutting
station feed
conveyor 13-1 to cutting station conveyor 13-2 and into contact with saws 5.
As mattress 2 is
conveyed through the cutting station 14-4, a portion of the upstream side of
mattress 2 is
still positioned between top conveyor 13-8 and cutting station feed conveyor
13-1 thereby
retaining mattress 2 against movement from the forces applied to the perimeter
surfaces of
mattress 2 in the cutting station 14-4.
[0102] To accommodate mattresses of various sizes, in some embodiments the
position of
top rollers 13-6 or the top conveyor 13-8 is adjustable with respect to the
cutting station
conveyor 13-2. In particular forms of the invention, the adjustment mechanism
is automated
such that the top rollers 13-6 or top conveyor 13-8 is automatically adjusted
to contact the
top ticking 3-1 of mattress 2 according to dimensional information of the
mattress 2 which is
collected by ultrasonic sensor 10-2 or by another appropriate device such as a
mechanical
limit switch.
[0103] In a still further alternative to the embodiments discussed above,
Figure 6 illustrates
an alternative to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 wherein straight pins
9 have been
replaced with curved pins 90. This alteration is directed at improving
engagement between
the peeling rollers 7 and the mattress ticking. To this end, pins 90 are
provided with a slight
curve in a circumferential direction so as to point in the direction of roller
rotation when the
mattress 2 is fed through peeling rollers 7. It will therefore be appreciated
that Figure 6
illustrates either bottom roller 7-2 viewed from a downstream perspective,
alternatively,
Figure 6 illustrates top roller 7-1 viewed from an upstream perspective.
Curved pins 90 are
particularly advantageous in that curved pins tend to 'bite' the mattress
surface by virtue of
curve pins 90 penetrating with a small component of lateral direction into the
mattress
ticking. The result being that ticking is more securely engaged to the peeling
surface 7-5 of
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peeling rollers 7 and less likely to slip off the pins as they rotate away
from the mattress core
4. In another alternative (not shown) the pins may straight in the same manner
as pins 9 but
are angled in the direction of peeling roller 7 rotation during the peeling
stage.
[0104] By way of further example, an operation sequence according to a
particular
embodiment of the invention is as follows. In a first stage of the process,
the incoming
mattress 2 is conveyed until its presence is detected by a mattress height
detection sensor
10-2. After detection, the height (i.e. the distance between top and bottom
surfaces) is
measured and this information provided to an adjustment mechanism 10 operable
to adjust
the height of top roller 7-2 accordingly. The height detection sensor 10-2
will continue to
detect the presence of mattress 2 until the mattress 2 has passed by the
height detection
sensor 10-2 at which point a timer will be triggered until the mattress 2 can
be assumed to
have passed through the peeling rollers 8 and therefore the ticking
disengagement stage
can commence.
[0105] Referring firstly to the operation of the top roller 7-1, the top
roller 7-1 will begin to
turn after the height of the mattress has been detected and measured. Pins 9
in the top
roller 7-1 will then extend at least partially before engagement with the
mattress surface and
will remain in this position until direction of the top roller 7-1 is reversed
in the ticking
disengagement stage. After a particular time delay measurable from when the
height
detection device detects that the mattress has passed by the detection device,
the pins 9 in
the top roller 7-1 are moved to their retracted position. The ticking
disengagement stage is
thusly commenced and the top roller 7-1 reverses direction which will tend to
transfer the top
ticking 3-1 in a downwards direction between the bottom roller 7-2 and the
guiding rollers 12.
[0106] Referring now to the operation of the bottom roller 7-2, as with the
top roller 7-1, the
bottom roller 7-2 will begin to turn after the height of the mattress 2 has
been detected and
measured (either manually or by a sensor device as discussed above). The pins
9 of the
bottom roller 7-2 are then at least partially extended and the position of the
guiding rollers 12
are adjusted towards the bottom roller 7-2 so as to contact or be in close
proximity with the
peeling surface 7-5 of the bottom peeling roller 7-2. The bottom ticking 3-2
is subsequently
engaged by pins 9 of the bottom peeling roller 7-2 and pulled downwards by
pins 9 between
the guiding rollers 12 and the bottom peeling roller 7-2. At the point of
rotation where the
pins 9 of the bottom roller 7-2 have rotated passed the guiding rollers 12,
the bottom ticking
3-2 may be sufficiently controlled by the guiding roller 12 such that the pins
9 of the bottom
roller 7-2 which have passed the guiding rollers 12 can move to the retracted
position. The
retracted pins which have passed guiding roller 12 are subsequently disengaged
from
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bottom ticking 3-2 as they rotate around towards the engagement point between
bottom
roller 7-2 and mattress 2. Prior to arriving at the engagement point, the
retracted pins 9 are
re-extended ready for engagement with a further section of bottom ticking 3-2.
The bottom
roller 7-2 then continues to rotate until the mattress 2 has passed through
the height
detection and, after a time delay, the mattress is assumed by the system to
have passed
through the peeling rollers and the ticking disengagement stage can commence
with the
guiding rollers 12 moving to their original position, thereby providing
clearance for ticking to
be removed from the bottom roller 7-2. Of course, the above operational
sequence is just
one non-limiting example of an apparatus according to the present invention
and it will be
appreciated that alternative sequences may be applied that are within the
scope of the
invention. In alternative embodiments, the pins of both the top and bottom
peeling rollers
may be retracted at a particular point of rotation in order to facilitate
disengagement with the
ticking respectively engaged to each peeling roller.
[0107] It will also be appreciated that whilst the shape of peeling rollers 7
in the illustrated
embodiment is cylindrical, references herein to terms such as 'roller' or
'circumference' do
not limit the scope of the invention to cylindrical rollers. In other forms of
the invention,
peeling roller 7 cross section may be elliptical, octagonal or any other shape
suitable to
perform the peeling function of the peeling rollers 7.
[0108] Where the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprised" or "comprising"
are used in
this specification (including the claims) they are to be interpreted as
specifying the presence
of the stated features, integers, steps or components, but not precluding the
presence of
one or more other feature, integer, step, component or group thereof.
[0109] The invention described herein is susceptible to variations,
modifications and/or
additions other than those specifically described and it is to be understood
that the invention
includes all such variations, modifications and/or additions which fall within
the spirit and
scope of the present disclosure.
