Process of reclaiming scrap vulcanized rubber

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR RECLAIMING DEFIBRED WHOLE TIRE SCRAP VULCANIZED RUBBER TO OBTAIN A RECLAIM PRODUCT REQUIRING NO REFINING, WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF THE SUCCESSIVE STEPS OF: (1) SUBJECTING A MASS OF SUCH SCRAP TO INTENSE SHEARING ACTION IN A CONFINED WORKING SPACE WHILE EXERTING MECHANICAL PRESSURE ON THE MASS TO COMPACT AND DENSIFY THE SAME FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT ONE TO ABOUT FOUR MINUTES, WHILE PREVENTING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MASS DURING SUCH PERIOD FROM EXCEEDING AN AVERAGE IN THE RANGE OF FROM 150*F. TO 250*F., WHEREBY TO CONVERT SAID MASS INTO FINELY DIVIDED POWDER WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT DEVULCANIZATION OF THE RUBBER, AT LEAST 80 PERCENT OF THE POWDERED RUBBER BEING SUFFICIENTLY FINE TO PASS A 40 MESH SCREEN, (2) SEPARATING FROM THE POWDER THE PORTION THEREOF WHICH PASSES A 20 MESH SCREEN, (3) SUBJECTING SAID PORTION OF THE POWDER TO ADDITIONAL SUCH SHEARING ACTION FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 5 TO 8 MINUTES, DURING WHICH PERIOD THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MASS IS MAINTAINED AT AN AVERAGE IN THE RANGE OF 300*F. TO 400*F., WHEREBY TO DEVULCANIZE THE RUBBER, AND (4) SHEETING THE RESULTANT MASS.