Waste material separator and collector

Claim 2

Apparatus for treating a mixture of waste materials and air or other gas comprising: an upper chamber; gas permeable means disposed within said upper chamber for separating said waste material from said air or other gas; an inlet in the upper portion of the upper chamber for delivering said mixture into said separating means; an outlet in said upper chamber for said air or other gas; exhaust means operatively associated with said outlet of said upper chamber to draw said air or other gas from said upper chamber; a lower chamber communicating with said separating means in said upper chamber to collect said separated waste material; a partition separating said upper and lower chamber; pressure actuated damper means in said upper chamber responsive to pressure in the chamber and operative to permit entry of outside air or gas to maintain the pressure of said upper chamber to prevent flow from said lower chamber to said upper chamber.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said damper means is disposed below said outlet in said upper chamber.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said outlet in said upper chamber is disposed in the upper portion of said upper chamber.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said separating means includes a tubular filter screen element vertically disposed within said upper chamber whereby said upper chamber defines a plenum surrounding said screen element, said screen element being adapted to communicate at its lower end with said lower collecting chamber through an opening in said upper chamber, and said inlet in the upper chamber includes a duct adapted to communicate with the upper end of said screen element through an opening in the top wall of said upper chamber.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said separating means includes a like plurality of spaced apart, tubular filter screen elements vertically disposed within said upper chamber whereby the latter defines a plenum surrounding said like plurality of filter screen elements, each of said screen elements being adapted to communicate at their lower ends respectively with said lower collection chamber through a series of corresponding openings in said upper chamber, and said inlet in the upper portion of the upper chamber includes a plurality of ducts adapted to communicate with the respective upper ends of said like plurality of screen elements through a corresponding series of openings in said upper chamber top wall.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said lower collecting chamber comprises a bin for storing said separated waste materials, said bin further including an access door for removing said waste materials therefrom.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said lower collecting chamber comprises a duct extending substantially downwardly relative to said upper plenum chamber whereby under the force of gravity said separated waste materials may be carried through and by said duct to a separate apparatus for reutilization therein.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said exhaust means further includes means for regulating the rate of flow of said separated air or other gas from said plenum.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said respective tubular filter screen elements are tapered; the cross-sectional area thereof being greater at the bottom than at the top.

Claim 13

The system of claim 10 wherein said lower collection chamber comprises a duct extending downwardly and away from said partition member for conveying said waste materials to a separate apparatus for reutilization therein, said duct having a planar filter screen element disposed intermediately therein for defining two parallel conduits extending longitudinally along the interior of said duct, one of said conduits being in registry with the opening in said partition member and therefore in registry with the lower end of said tubular filter screen element, an aperture in said partition member communicating with said plenum chamber, the other of said conduits communicating with said plenum chamber through said aperture whereby any dust laden gas escaping into said first conduit through said opening in said partition member passes through said planar filter screen element, said aperture in said partition member, into said plenum chamber, and out through said exhaust duct, and said downwardly extending duct having a plate member for sealing off the lower end of said second conduit whereby only said waste material enters said separate apparatus through said first conduit.

Claim 14

The system of claim 11, wherein a damper is located in a side wall of said plenum chamber below said exhaust port for permitting entry of outside air to neutralize any pressure drop between said plenum chamber and collection chamber.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an exhaust fan coupled to said exhaust duct, and a two-way valve connected to the output of said exhaust fan for directing said exhausted flow of dust laden gas through a first output duct in one position thereof and through a second output duct in another position thereof, said first output duct being adapted to carry said dust laden gas to a separate apparatus having provision therein for separating and collecting the dust from said gas, and said second output duct being adapted to carry said dust laden gas to the outside atmosphere.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 13 further including a damper plate adjustably supported within said exhaust duct for selectively regulating the rate of flow of dust laden gas therethrough.

Claim 17

In combination: the waste material separator and collector as defined in claim 10 and, a dust separator and collector, said dust separator and collector including an input duct for receiving a stream of dust impregnated gas, means for separating said dust from said gas, means for storing said separated dust, and output means for delivering dust free gas wherein, said waste material separator and collector exhaust duct is coupled to said dust separator and collector input duct.

Claim 18

A waste material separator and collector comprising, a casing having its interior divided into an upper plenum chamber and a lower collecting chamber by a partition plate horizontally disposed within said casing substantially intermediately thereof, said casing including: a top wall and a plurality of side walls, a plurality of openings in said top wall, a corresponding series of openings in said partition plate, a plurality of hollow, cylindrical, tapered, spaced apart filter screen elements fixedly supported in vertical alignment within said upper plenum chamber, each hollow filter screen element communicating with one of said openings in said top wall and one of said corresponding openings in said partition plate respectively: the cross-sectional area of said screen elements being greater at the bottom than at the top, an exhaust port located in one of said side walls near said top wall, an exhaust duct having therein an adjustable damper plate connected to said exhaust duct for exhausting the contents of said upper plenum chamber, a plurality of intake ducts connected to said casing top wall in registry with each of said openings therein respectively for delivering a plurality of streams of dust impregnated air having bits and pieces of waste material suspendEd therein into the upper ends of said respective hollow filter screen elements and whereby said dust impregnated air passes through said screen elements and into said plenum chamber, said escaping dust impregnated air being exhausted through said exhaust port into said exhaust duct by said exhaust fan, said bits and pieces of waste material being trapped in said hollow filter screen elements and falling downwardly therethrough under the force of gravity through said openings in said partition plate and into said collection chamber, a damper located in a side wall of said plenum chamber below said exhaust port for permitting entry of outside air to neutralize any pressure drop between said plenum chamber and collection chamber, said collection chamber comprising a downwardly extending duct for conveying said separated waste materials to a machine for reutilization therein, and said downwardly extending duct further including additional filter screen means for permitting any dust impregnated air escaping into said downwardly extending duct and passing through said additional filter screen means to be exhausted into said plenum chamber and out through said exhaust port in said casing side wall.

Claim 19

A waste material separator and collector comprising, a casing having its interior divided into an upper plenum chamber and a lower collecting chamber by a partition plate horizontally disposed within said casing substantially intermediately thereof, said casing including: a top wall and a plurality of side walls, a plurality of openings in said top wall, a corresponding series of openings in said partition plate, a plurality of hollow, cylindrical, tapered, spaced apart filter screen elements fixedly supported in vertical alignment within said upper plenum chamber, each hollow filter screen element communicating with one of said openings in said top wall and one of said corresponding openings in said partition plate respectively: the cross-sectional area of said screen elements being greater at the bottom than at the top, an exhaust port located in one of said side walls near said top wall, an exhaust duct having therein an adjustable damper plate connected to said exhaust duct for exhausting the contents of said upper plenum chamber, a plurality of intake ducts connected to said casing top wall in registry with each of said openings therein respectively for delivering a plurality of streams of dust impregnated air having bits and pieces of waste material suspendEd therein into the upper ends of said respective hollow filter screen elements and whereby said dust impregnated air passes through said screen elements and into said plenum chamber, said escaping dust impregnated air being exhausted through said exhaust port into said exhaust duct by said exhaust fan, said bits and pieces of waste material being trapped in said hollow filter screen elements and falling downwardly therethrough under the force of gravity through said openings in said partition plate and into said collection chamber, a damper located in a side wall of said plenum chamber below said exhaust port for permitting entry of outside air to neutralize any pressure drop between said plenum chamber and collection chamber, said collection chamber comprising a downwardly extending duct for conveying said separated waste materials to a machine for reutilization therein, and said downwardly extending duct further including additional filter screen means for permitting any dust impregnated air escaping into said downwardly extending duct and passing through said additional filter screen means to be exhausted into said plenum chamber and out through said exhaust port in said casing side wall.