Dross compression apparatus including a cooling system for cooling the compression head and cooling method

Abstract

A cooling head for cooling material recovered from an industrial process when the material is disposed in a material container. The cooling head includes a downwardly projecting portion that is shaped to engage the material. A plurality of ribs may extend across a top of the cooling head.

1 . A cooling head for cooling material recovered from an industrial process when the material is disposed in a material container, comprising a downwardly projecting portion that is shaped to engage the material and a plurality of ribs extending across a top of the cooling head.  
     
     
         2 . The cooling head of  claim 1 , wherein the material is aluminum dross.  
     
     
         3 . The cooling head of  claim 1 , wherein the downwardly projecting portion includes ribs on a lower surface thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The cooling head of  claim 1 , wherein a lower surface of the cooling head is configured to engage an upper edge of the material container so as to rest thereon during cooling of the material.  
     
     
         5 . The cooling head of  claim 1 , further comprising tubular members configured to receive forks of a forklift truck for moving of the cooling head.  
     
     
         6 . A cooling system, comprising: 
 the cooling head of  claim 1;     a material container; and    a lever arm moveable to lower the cooling head onto the material container and lift the cooling head off of the material container.    
     
     
         7 . A cooling system, comprising: 
 the cooling head of  claim 1;     a material container, the cooling head disposed on the material container; and    a means for directing cooling air across the top of the cooling head and between the ribs for cooling the cooling head.    
     
     
         8 . A cooling system, comprising: 
 the cooling head of  claim 1;     a material container having holes for draining a liquid component of the material, the cooling head disposed on the material container; and    a collector pan disposed under the material container for collecting the drained liquid component.    
     
     
         9 . A dross compression apparatus, comprising: 
 the cooling head of  claim 1;  and    a drive means for vertically moving the cooling head and forcing the cooling head into material retained by a material container to compress and cool the material.    
     
     
         10 . The dross compression apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a means for directing cooling air across the top of the cooling head and between the ribs for cooling the cooling head.  
     
     
         11 . The dross compression apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the material is aluminum dross.  
     
     
         12 . A method of cooling material recovered from an industrial process, comprising: 
 placing the material into a material container; and    placing a cooling head with respect to the material container so that a downwardly projecting portion of the cooling head engages the material and heat is radiated from a plurality of ribs extending across a top of the cooling head.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the material is aluminum dross.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the downwardly projecting portion includes ribs on a lower surface thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a lower surface of the cooling head is configured to engage an upper edge of the material container so as to rest thereon during cooling of the material.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the cooling head is lowered into contact with the material with a lever arm.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising directing cooling air across the top of the cooling head and between the ribs to cool the cooling head.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising collecting a liquid component of the material that drains through holes of the material container with a collector pan.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising forcing the cooling head into the material to compress and cool the material.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , directing cooling air across the top of the cooling head and between the ribs to cool the cooling head.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising compressing the material with a compression head of a compression apparatus before placing the cooling head with respect to the material container.