CA2931936A1

CA2931936A1 - Method and equipment for the disassembly of mattresses

Info

Publication number: CA2931936A1
Application number: CA2931936A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Rob Wagenaar; Gerrit Lambertus Wagenaar; Jeroen Wagenaar; Robert WAGENAAR; Johannes VERBAKEL
Original assignee: RTM RECYCLING SYSTEMS BV
Current assignee: RTM RECYCLING SYSTEMS BV
Priority date: 2013-11-29
Filing date: 2014-11-28
Publication date: 2015-06-04
Also published as: NL2011861C2; EP3074200A1; WO2015080580A1

Abstract

An apparatus (1) to disassemble a mattress (2), the mattress including a mattress core (4) between a top ticking (3-1) and a bottom ticking (3-2) and the mattress having perimeter surfaces comprising a 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), the apparatus (1) including: a cutting arrangement (5) for applying at least one cut (6) along a length of at least one of the perimeter surfaces (2-1, 2- 2); and at least one peeling roller (7) having a peeling surface (7-5) with retractable pins (9) for engaging with the top and/or bottom ticking (3-1, 3-2), the retractable pins (9) being movable between a retractedposition and an extended position, wherein the at least one peeling roller (7) is rotatable in a peeling direction for peeling the top and/or bottom ticking (3-1, 3-2) from the mattress (2) with the pins (9) in the extended position and wherein the at least one peeling roller (7) is rotatable in a removal direction, opposite to the peeling direction, for removing the peeled ticking (3-1, 3-2) from the peeling surface (7-5) with the pins in the retracted position.

Description

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.

[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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

[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 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.

[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.

[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.

[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 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.

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.

[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.

[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 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.

[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 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, 7-2 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 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.

[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 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 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 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.

Claims

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1. 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:
.cndot. a cutting arrangement for applying at least one cut along a length of at least one of the perimeter surfaces; and .cndot. 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.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the pins are curved to facilitate engagement with the mattress ticking.

3. An apparatus according to claims 1 or 2 wherein 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.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein 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.

5. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the cutting arrangement includes a saw having at least one cutting element.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the saw includes a plurality of cutting elements.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein 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.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6 or 7 wherein the plurality of cutting elements are axially spaced apart.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein each cutting element is positioned above or below an adjacent cutting element.

10. An apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein the saw includes a rotatable axle and wherein the cutting elements are cutting blades mounted to the rotatable axle.

11. An apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 10 including a pair of saws arranged to cooperatively apply a cut along a length of the at least one perimeter surface.

12. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 further including 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.

13. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the position of the at least one peeling roller is adjustable.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 including 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.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the sensor is an ultrasonic distance sensor.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13, including a manually operable adjustment mechanism to adjust the height of the at least one peeling roller.

17. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16 including 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.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the friction portions comprise projection portions.

19. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, including 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.

20. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 19, including 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.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the guiding rollers have an outer layer of an elastic material, preferably a rubber material.

22. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the at least one peeling roller has a diameter between 400mm to 500mm.

23. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22 including 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.

24. 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:
.cndot. applying at least one cut along a length of at least one of the perimeter surfaces;
.cndot. 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,;
.cndot. 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 .cndot. 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.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein 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.

26. A method according to claims 24 or 25, wherein 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.

27. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein 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.

28. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein the at least one cut is applied to one of the side surfaces and to each of the end surfaces.

29. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein 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.

30. A method according to claim 29 wherein the plurality of cuts are applied the at least one perimeter surface are parallel.

31. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 30 including the step of applying a corner cut to at least one corner of the mattress on the mattress perimeter.

32. A method according to claim 31 wherein the corner cut extends at least partially between the top and bottom ticking.

33. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 32, wherein the at least one cut is applied by a cutting arrangement, the method further including the steps of:
.cndot. using a sensor to determine the position and/or dimensions of the mattress;
and .cndot. 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.

34. A method of disassembling a mattress according to any one of claims 24 to 33 using an apparatus to disassemble a mattress according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

35. 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.

36. 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.