Shutter press compressor with movable jaws

1. An apparatus for compressing a material, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of levers, each lever comprising a lever outer end and a radially-inward end portion and a lever longitudinal axis extending from the lever outer end to the radially-inward end portion;

a plurality of jaws each attached to a lever to form a lever/jaw combination, wherein each jaw has a compression surface having an area and wherein the compression surface defines a plane that is generally parallel to the lever longitudinal axis;

a compressing mechanism configured to move each lever in a non-linear motion such that the area of a compression surface exposed to the material decreases with the inward movement of that compression surface, wherein each lever/jaw combination includes a biasing mechanism configured such that adjacent jaws contact each other.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the biasing mechanism is configured such that adjacent jaws contact each other throughout a compression cycle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion of each jaw is curvilinear.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material has an initial compression diameter and a final compression diameter, and wherein the ratio of the initial compression diameter to the final compression diameter obtainable with the apparatus is greater than two.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material has an initial compression diameter and a final compression diameter, and wherein the ratio of the initial compression diameter to the final compression diameter obtainable with the apparatus is greater than five.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material has an initial compression diameter and a final compression diameter, and wherein the ratio of the initial compression diameter to the final compression diameter obtainable with the apparatus is greater than ten.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material has an initial compression diameter and a final compression diameter, and wherein the ratio of the initial compression diameter to the final compression diameter obtainable with the apparatus is greater than twenty.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a fixed ring, wherein each lever is pivotably attached to the fixed ring with a pivot pin, wherein adjacent levers are pivotably connected to a chain link, and wherein the pivot pin is disposed between the jaw and the chain link.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each lever includes a lever longitudinal axis, wherein each lever is fixed longitudinally, and wherein each jaw is movable longitudinally with respect to its lever.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the biasing mechanism includes a spring or an elastomeric component.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the biasing mechanism includes a pneumatic component, a hydraulic component, or an electrical component.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the biasing mechanism includes mechanical gearing or a cam mechanism.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the biasing mechanism includes a mechanical engagement mechanism or a supplemental linkage.

14. An apparatus for compressing a material, the apparatus having a central longitudinal axis and comprising:

a plurality of levers, each lever comprising a lever outer end and a radially-inward end portion and a lever longitudinal axis extending from the lever outer end to the radially-inward end portion and each lever having a tool carrier;

a plurality of jaws each attached to a lever at a tool carrier to form a lever/jaw combination, wherein each jaw has a compression surface having an area and wherein the compression surface defines a plane that is generally parallel to the lever longitudinal axis;

a compressing mechanism configured to move each lever in a non-linear motion such that the area of a compression surface exposed to the material decreases with the inward movement of that compression surface, wherein each lever/jaw combination includes a biasing mechanism configured such that adjacent jaws contact each other, and wherein the plane of each compression surface is predominantly tangential to the apparatus central longitudinal axis.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein each lever includes a lever longitudinal axis, wherein each lever is fixed longitudinally, and wherein each jaw is movable longitudinally with respect to its lever.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the biasing mechanism includes one or more of a spring, an elastomeric component, a pneumatic or hydraulic component, an electrical component, mechanical gearing, a cam mechanism, a mechanical engagement mechanism, and a supplemental linkage.

17. An apparatus for compressing a material, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of levers, each lever comprising a lever outer end and a radially-inward end portion and a lever longitudinal axis extending from the lever outer end to the radially-inward end portion and each lever having a tool carrier;

a plurality of jaws each attached to a lever at a tool carrier to form a lever/jaw combination, wherein each jaw has a compression surface having an area and wherein the compression surface defines a plane that is generally parallel to the lever longitudinal axis;

a compressing mechanism configured to move each lever in a non-linear motion such that the area of a compression surface exposed to the material decreases with the inward movement of that compression surface, wherein each lever/jaw combination includes a biasing mechanism configured to bias its jaw along the lever longitudinal axis toward an adjacent jaw.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein each lever is fixed longitudinally, and wherein each jaw is movable longitudinally with respect to its lever.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the biasing mechanism includes one or more of a spring, an elastomeric component, a pneumatic or hydraulic component, an electrical component, mechanical gearing, a cam mechanism, a mechanical engagement mechanism, and a supplemental linkage.