Patent US3650890A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3595389A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3595389A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Reclamation method and apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-03-05
•
Granted: 1971-07-27
•
Expires: 1990-03-05
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and method for economically separating reusable paper, cardboard, rags, metal, glass and the like from mixed household refuse is described. A separation station, preferably at a refuse transfer point, has a plurality of feed conveyors for moving mixed refuse past a plurality of work stations where valuable components of the mixed refuse are removed. These components are placed in receiving hoppers which communicate by chutes with a matrix of conveyor belts below the floor level of the work stations. Each work station has a plurality of such hoppers, each for receiving a particular component such as, for one example, cardboard, and the several cardboard hoppers feed onto ''''cardboard'''' conveyors for continuously moving the cardboard to a baling station or the like. Separate conveyors carry other components, such as metal, glass, paper or the like to separate processing stations. Some of the conveyors, preferably those handling large volume, run transverse to the feed conveyors and in opposite directions for carrying the bulkiest products to separate locations. Other conveyors at different elevations from the transverse conveyors run parallel to the feed conveyors for moving other products. Thus, each feed belt has a plurality of work stations, and each work station has a plurality of productreceiving hoppers. Each product-receiving conveyor serves a plurality of product-receiving hoppers of the same kind. Thus a large volume of refuse can be sorted rapidly and economically with most of the material handling being done automatically.
Inventors
- 👤 George W Morgan
- 👤 Douglas S Whitney
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 22:42
CPC Classifications
B; B03; B03B; B03B9/00; B03B9/06; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S209/00; Y10S209/93
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
Apparatus for sorting a mixture of articles into separate components of the mixture comprising: a feed conveyor for moving a mixture; a plurality of work modules for partial sorting along the conveyor, each work module including a plurality of receivers for separated components of the mixture; a plurality of conveyor means below the work modules for continuously moving different separated components with each of the conveyor means, each of the conveyor means passing beneath a plurality of receivers for the same component; means for passing a separated component from a receiver to the corresponding conveyor means; and means for discharging remaining mixture at the end of the feed conveyor after partial sorting; and wherein each work module comprises: a first position for occupation by a worker and wherein a first one of the receivers in to the right of the positiOn and a second of the receivers is to the left of the position; said apparatus further comprising: a second position for a worker between each pair of adjacent work modules along the feed conveyor so that the first receiver of one station is on the left hand of the second position, and the second receiver of an adjacent station is on the right hand of the second position so that 2n-1 workers occupy work modules where n is the number of work modules along the feed conveyor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
228 words
Apparatus for sorting a mixture of articles into separate components of the mixture comprising: a feed conveyor for moving a mixture; a plurality of work modules for partial sorting along the conveyor, each work module including a plurality of receivers for separated components of the mixture; a plurality of conveyor means below the work modules for continuously moving different separated components with each of the conveyor means, each of the conveyor means passing beneath a plurality of receivers for the same component; means for passing a separated component from a receiver to the corresponding conveyor means; and means for discharging remaining mixture at the end of the feed conveyor after partial sorting; and wherein each work module comprises: a first position for occupation by a worker and wherein a first one of the receivers in to the right of the positiOn and a second of the receivers is to the left of the position; said apparatus further comprising: a second position for a worker between each pair of adjacent work modules along the feed conveyor so that the first receiver of one station is on the left hand of the second position, and the second receiver of an adjacent station is on the right hand of the second position so that 2n-1 workers occupy work modules where n is the number of work modules along the feed conveyor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
158 words
A three-dimensional matrix of conveyors comprising: a plurality of parallel feed conveyor means for continuously moving a mixture of components across an upper level of the matrix; a plurality of parallel receiving conveyors transverse to and below the feed conveyors for continuously moving separated components of the mixture laterally from the matrix; a plurality of parallel receiving conveyors parallel to and below the feed conveyors for continuously moving separated components of the mixture from the matrix, the receiving conveyors parallel to the feed conveyors being in a different plane from the conveyors transverse to the feed conveyors; means at the discharge ends of the parallel conveyors for removing like components from the conveyors; and a plurality of work modules above the intersection of conveyors when projected to a horizontal plane and communicating vertically through the matrix for transferring separated components to selected parallel receiving conveyors, a plurality of work modules being arranged serially along each feed conveyor means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
158 words
A three-dimensional matrix of conveyors comprising: a plurality of parallel feed conveyor means for continuously moving a mixture of components across an upper level of the matrix; a plurality of parallel receiving conveyors transverse to and below the feed conveyors for continuously moving separated components of the mixture laterally from the matrix; a plurality of parallel receiving conveyors parallel to and below the feed conveyors for continuously moving separated components of the mixture from the matrix, the receiving conveyors parallel to the feed conveyors being in a different plane from the conveyors transverse to the feed conveyors; means at the discharge ends of the parallel conveyors for removing like components from the conveyors; and a plurality of work modules above the intersection of conveyors when projected to a horizontal plane and communicating vertically through the matrix for transferring separated components to selected parallel receiving conveyors, a plurality of work modules being arranged serially along each feed conveyor means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A three-dimensional matrix of conveyors as defined in claim 2 further comprising means at the discharge ends of the feed conveyor means for receiving unseparated mixture therefrom.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
A three-dimensional matrix of conveyors as defined in claim 3 wherein each of the work modules comprises a manual separating station at the level of the feed conveyor means; a plurality of component open top receiving hoppers at the level of the feed conveyor means; and chutes for passing separated components from the hoppers to selected lower parallel conveyors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
A three-dimensional matrix of conveyors as defined in claim 4 further comprising: a second work station intermediate each pair of first work modules and providing a worker position between hoppers of adjacent work modules so that workers in the first and second stations can both use the same hoppers for separated components of the mixture.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for separating valuable components from domestic waste comprising the steps of: continuously conveying a mixture of domestic waste past a plurality of serially arranged work modules; manually separating a portion of selected components from the mixture at each of the work modules; and wherein the step of separating comprises selecting and removing the same selected components at substantially all of the work modules; dropping the separated components to a lower level; continuously conveying the separated components at the lower level laterally and separately; collecting the separated components separately; and discharging mixed refuse remaining after selected components are separated therefrom.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for separating valuable components from domestic waste comprising the steps of: continuously conveying a mixture of domestic waste past a plurality of serially arranged work modules; manually separating a portion of selected components from the mixture at each of the work modules; and wherein the step of separating comprises selecting and removing the same selected components at substantially all of the work modules; dropping the separated components to a lower level; continuously conveying the separated components at the lower level laterally and separately; collecting the separated components separately; and discharging mixed refuse remaining after selected components are separated therefrom.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
275 words
Apparatus for separating valuable components from mixed domestic waste or the like comprising: a plurality of feed conveyors for continuously moving mixed waste along parallel horizontal open paths; means at the discharge end of the feed conveyors for receiving unsorted, mixed waste; a plurality of substantially identical work modules serially located along the length of each of the feed conveyors; a first receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a first conveyor below the first drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated first valuable component away from the work modules to a first location; a second receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a second Conveyor below the second drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated second valuable component away from the work modules to a second location remote from the first location; a third receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module for receiving a third valuable component of mixed domestic waste; a third conveyor for the third component below the third drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving the separated third component away from the work modules to a third location remote from the first and second locations; a receiving fourth hopper and drop chute at each work module for receiving a fourth valuable component of mixed domestic waste; and a fourth conveyor for the fourth component below the fourth drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving the separated fourth component away from the work modules to a fourth location remote from the first, second and third locations.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
275 words
Apparatus for separating valuable components from mixed domestic waste or the like comprising: a plurality of feed conveyors for continuously moving mixed waste along parallel horizontal open paths; means at the discharge end of the feed conveyors for receiving unsorted, mixed waste; a plurality of substantially identical work modules serially located along the length of each of the feed conveyors; a first receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a first conveyor below the first drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated first valuable component away from the work modules to a first location; a second receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a second Conveyor below the second drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated second valuable component away from the work modules to a second location remote from the first location; a third receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module for receiving a third valuable component of mixed domestic waste; a third conveyor for the third component below the third drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving the separated third component away from the work modules to a third location remote from the first and second locations; a receiving fourth hopper and drop chute at each work module for receiving a fourth valuable component of mixed domestic waste; and a fourth conveyor for the fourth component below the fourth drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving the separated fourth component away from the work modules to a fourth location remote from the first, second and third locations.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the means for receiving unsorted, mixed waste comprises a refuse conveyor transverse to the plurality of feed conveyors for collecting and discharging unsorted, mixed waste therefrom.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
251 words
An apparatus for separating valuable components from mixed domestic waste or the like comprising: a plurality of feed conveyors for continuously moving mixed waste along parallel horizontal open paths; means at the discharge end of the feed conveyors for receiving unsorted, mixed waste; a plurality of work modules serially located along the length of each of the feed conveyors; a first receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a first conveyor below the first drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated first valuable component away from the work modules to a first location; a second receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a second conveyor below the second drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated second valuable component away from the work modules to a second location remote from the first location; a plurality of parallel first conveyors transverse to the direction of the feed conveyors, each first conveyor being below a plurality of first component receiving hoppers and drop chutes at work modules along separate feed conveyors for continuously moving the separated first component laterally from the apparatus in a first direction; and a plurality of parallel second conveyors transverse to the direction of the feed conveyors, each second conveyor being below a plurality of second component receiving hoppers and drop chutes at work modules along separate feed conveyors for continuously moving the separated second component laterally from the apparatus in the second direction.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
251 words
An apparatus for separating valuable components from mixed domestic waste or the like comprising: a plurality of feed conveyors for continuously moving mixed waste along parallel horizontal open paths; means at the discharge end of the feed conveyors for receiving unsorted, mixed waste; a plurality of work modules serially located along the length of each of the feed conveyors; a first receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a first conveyor below the first drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated first valuable component away from the work modules to a first location; a second receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a second conveyor below the second drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated second valuable component away from the work modules to a second location remote from the first location; a plurality of parallel first conveyors transverse to the direction of the feed conveyors, each first conveyor being below a plurality of first component receiving hoppers and drop chutes at work modules along separate feed conveyors for continuously moving the separated first component laterally from the apparatus in a first direction; and a plurality of parallel second conveyors transverse to the direction of the feed conveyors, each second conveyor being below a plurality of second component receiving hoppers and drop chutes at work modules along separate feed conveyors for continuously moving the separated second component laterally from the apparatus in the second direction.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
73 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 9, further comprising a plurality of third conveyors for third components of the mixture, said conveyors extending parallel to the feed conveyor and on a lower level therefrom for removing third components to a third location remote from the first and second locations; and a collection conveyor transverse to the third conveyors at the discharge ends thereof for collecting components discharged from the plurality of third conveyors.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
223 words
An apparatus for separating valuable components from mixed domestic waste or the like comprising: a plurality of feed conveyors for continuously moving mixed waste along parallel horizontal open paths; means at the discharge end of the feed conveyors for receiving unsorted, mixed waste; a plurality of work modules serially located along the length of each of the feed conveyors; a first receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a first conveyor below the first drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated first valuable component away from the work modules to the first location; a second receiving hopper aNd drop chute at each work module; and a second conveyor below the second drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated second valuable component away from the work modules to a second location remote from the first location; and wherein each of the work modules comprises a manual sorting station providing a worker position between dissimilar hoppers; and further comprising a worker position between each pair of adjacent work modules providing manual access to one type of hopper at one work module and another type of hopper at the adjacent work module so that manual selection and removal of the same selected components is provided repetitively along each of the feed conveyors.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
223 words
An apparatus for separating valuable components from mixed domestic waste or the like comprising: a plurality of feed conveyors for continuously moving mixed waste along parallel horizontal open paths; means at the discharge end of the feed conveyors for receiving unsorted, mixed waste; a plurality of work modules serially located along the length of each of the feed conveyors; a first receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a first conveyor below the first drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated first valuable component away from the work modules to the first location; a second receiving hopper aNd drop chute at each work module; and a second conveyor below the second drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated second valuable component away from the work modules to a second location remote from the first location; and wherein each of the work modules comprises a manual sorting station providing a worker position between dissimilar hoppers; and further comprising a worker position between each pair of adjacent work modules providing manual access to one type of hopper at one work module and another type of hopper at the adjacent work module so that manual selection and removal of the same selected components is provided repetitively along each of the feed conveyors.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
252 words
An apparatus for separating valuable components from mixed domestic waste or the like comprising: a plurality of feed conveyors for continuously moving mixed waste along parallel horizontal open paths; means at the discharge end of the feed conveyors for receiving unsorted, mixed waste; a plurality of work modules serially located along the length of each of the feed conveyors; a first receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a first conveyor below the first drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated first valuable component away from the work modules to a first location; a second receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; and a second conveyor below the second drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated second valuable component away from the work modules to a second location remote from the first location; and wherein the first and second valuable components are paper and cardboard, respectively, and the first and second conveyors are each transverse to the feed conveyor, and movable in opposite directions for conveying bulky paper and cardboard laterally from opposite sides of the apparatus, and further comprising: a third receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module for receiving a valuable component having a lesser volume than separated paper and cardboard; and a third conveyor parallel to the feed conveyor below the third receiving hopper at drop chute at each work module for continuously moving the third separated component from the apparatus.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
252 words
An apparatus for separating valuable components from mixed domestic waste or the like comprising: a plurality of feed conveyors for continuously moving mixed waste along parallel horizontal open paths; means at the discharge end of the feed conveyors for receiving unsorted, mixed waste; a plurality of work modules serially located along the length of each of the feed conveyors; a first receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; a first conveyor below the first drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated first valuable component away from the work modules to a first location; a second receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module; and a second conveyor below the second drop chutes of a plurality of work modules for continuously moving a separated second valuable component away from the work modules to a second location remote from the first location; and wherein the first and second valuable components are paper and cardboard, respectively, and the first and second conveyors are each transverse to the feed conveyor, and movable in opposite directions for conveying bulky paper and cardboard laterally from opposite sides of the apparatus, and further comprising: a third receiving hopper and drop chute at each work module for receiving a valuable component having a lesser volume than separated paper and cardboard; and a third conveyor parallel to the feed conveyor below the third receiving hopper at drop chute at each work module for continuously moving the third separated component from the apparatus.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
147 words
A reclamation station for recovering a plurality of valuable components from domestic waste comprising: means for receiving mixed domestic waste from trucks or the like; means for conveying mixed domestic waste continuously through at least a portion of the station; a plurality of serially arranged sorting stations along the means for conveying for selectively separating individual valuable components from the mixed domestic waste; means for discharging mixed refuse from the means for conveying; and a three-dimensional matrix of conveyor means each for an individual separated valuable component for continuously removing the respective separated component from the sorting stations to a plurality of separate locations, the conveyor means including: a plurality of parallel first conveyors running in a first direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste; and a plurality of parallel second conveyors running in a second direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
147 words
A reclamation station for recovering a plurality of valuable components from domestic waste comprising: means for receiving mixed domestic waste from trucks or the like; means for conveying mixed domestic waste continuously through at least a portion of the station; a plurality of serially arranged sorting stations along the means for conveying for selectively separating individual valuable components from the mixed domestic waste; means for discharging mixed refuse from the means for conveying; and a three-dimensional matrix of conveyor means each for an individual separated valuable component for continuously removing the respective separated component from the sorting stations to a plurality of separate locations, the conveyor means including: a plurality of parallel first conveyors running in a first direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste; and a plurality of parallel second conveyors running in a second direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
197 words
A reclamation station for recovering paper, cardboard, metal, and other valuable components from domestic waste comprising: means for receiving mixed domestic waste from trucks or the like; means for conveying mixed domestic waste continuously through at least a portion of the station; a plurality of serially arranged sorting stations along the means for conveying for selectively separating paper, cardboard, metal and other valuable components from the mixed domestic waste; means for discharging mixed refuse from the means for conveying; and a plurality of conveyor means each for a separated paper, cardboArd, metal or another separated valuable component for continuously removing the respective separated component from the sorting stations to a plurality of separate locations, the conveyor means being at a lower elevation than the means for conveying; and wherein the plurality of conveyor means comprises a three-dimensional matrix comprising: a plurality of parallel paper conveyors running in a first direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste; a plurality of parallel cardboard conveyors running in a second direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste; and a plurality of parallel third conveyors running in a third direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
197 words
A reclamation station for recovering paper, cardboard, metal, and other valuable components from domestic waste comprising: means for receiving mixed domestic waste from trucks or the like; means for conveying mixed domestic waste continuously through at least a portion of the station; a plurality of serially arranged sorting stations along the means for conveying for selectively separating paper, cardboard, metal and other valuable components from the mixed domestic waste; means for discharging mixed refuse from the means for conveying; and a plurality of conveyor means each for a separated paper, cardboArd, metal or another separated valuable component for continuously removing the respective separated component from the sorting stations to a plurality of separate locations, the conveyor means being at a lower elevation than the means for conveying; and wherein the plurality of conveyor means comprises a three-dimensional matrix comprising: a plurality of parallel paper conveyors running in a first direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste; a plurality of parallel cardboard conveyors running in a second direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste; and a plurality of parallel third conveyors running in a third direction and below the means for conveying mixed waste.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
101 words
A reclamation station as defined in claim 14, wherein each sorting station comprises: a paper hopper for receiving paper; drop chute means for guiding paper downwardly from the paper hopper to a paper conveyor; a cardboard hopper for receiving cardboard; drop chute means for guiding cardboard downwardly from the cardboard hopper to a cardboard conveyor; a third hopper for receiving a third component; drop chute means for guiding the third component to a third conveyor; and a worker station for providing manual access to the means for conveying mixed waste and to at least a pair of hoppers for dissimilar components.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
53 words
A reclamation station as defined in claim 15, further comprising: a second worker station between each adjacent pair of sorting stations along the means for conveying mixed waste for providing manual access to one type of hopper at one sorting station and to a different type of hopper at the adjacent sorting station.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
32 words
A reclamation station as defined in claim 14, further comprising: a paper baler for receiving paper discharged from the paper conveyors; a cardboard baler for receiving cardboard discharged from the cardboard conveyors.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2328299A
Cited
US2377619A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-26 | 1975-01-25 | 1975-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-26 | 1979-01-25 | 1979-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-26 | 1983-01-25 | 1983-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |