Pulping apparatus for waste material

Claim 2

Apparatus of the character described adapted to comminute pieces of relatively flexible material, comprising a. a chamber for receiving a charge of such flexible material, b. a rotor including a rotor body mounted for rotation on an axis within said chamber, c. at least one vane projecting from said body and having a leading edge portion, d. means forming a cutter on said vane extending generally in alignment with said leading edge portion thereof, e. means forming at least one cutter fixedly mounted in said chamber in position for cooperative cutting action with said cutter on said vane as said rotor rotates, f. means for rotating said rotor to cause said pieces of flexible material to fold over said leading edge portion of said vane, and g. means on said one vane for holding said folded pieces of flexible material against travel along said vane in order to retain such pieces folded over said leading edge portion of said vane and said cutter thereon for cutting by said cutters.

Claim 3

Apparatus of the character described adapted to pulp solid waste material containing a substantial quantity of pieces of relativelY flexible material such as tubing, rope, wire and/or sheet plastic, comprising a. a tub for receiving a suspension of such waste material in a carrier medium, b. a rotor including a rotor body mounted adjacent a wall of said tub for rotation on an axis, c. at least one vane projecting from said rotor body in spaced relation with said tub wall and having a leading edge portion, d. means for rotating said rotor to cause vertical circulation of said suspension within said tub and centrifugal movement of said suspension with respect to said rotor and to cause pieces of flexible material to fold over said leading edge portion of said vane, e. means forming a cutter fixedly mounted on said tub wall opposite said vane, f. means forming a cutter on said vane extending generally in alignment with said leading edge portion of said vane for cooperative cutting action with said fixed cutter as said rotor rotates, and g. at least one rib on said vane and having the length thereof extending generally tangentially of said rotor body to hold folded over pieces of flexible material against travel along said vane and thereby to retain such material folded over said leading edge portion of said vane and said cutter thereon for cutting by said cutters.

Claim 4

Apparatus of the character described adapted to pulp solid waste material containing a substantial quantity of pieces of relativelY flexible material such as tubing, rope, wire and/or sheet plastic, comprising a. a tub for receiving a suspension of such waste material in a carrier medium, b. a rotor including a rotor body mounted adjacent a wall of said tub for rotation on an axis, c. at least one vane projecting from said rotor body in spaced relation with said tub wall and having a leading edge portion, d. means for rotating said rotor to cause vertical circulation of said suspension within said tub and centrifugal movement of said suspension with respect to said rotor and to cause pieces of flexible material to fold over said leading edge portion of said vane, e. means forming a cutter fixedly mounted on said tub wall opposite said vane, f. means forming a cutter on said vane extending generally in alignment with said leading edge portion of said vane for cooperative cutting action with said fixed cutter as said rotor rotates, and g. at least one rib on said vane and having the length thereof extending generally tangentially of said rotor body to hold folded over pieces of flexible material against travel along said vane and thereby to retain such material folded over said leading edge portion of said vane and said cutter thereon for cutting by said cutters.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of said vanes arranged on said rotor in equally angularly spaced relation, there being one of said cutters on each of said vanes, and further comprising a plurality of said fixed cutters arranged in angularly spaced relation around said rotor axis.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 comprising a plurality of said vanes arranged on said rotor in equally angularly spaced relation, there being one of said cutters on selected equally angularly spaced ones of said vanes, the others of said vanes having pumping surfaces thereon contributing to said vortical circulation of said suspension, and said apparatus further comprising a plurality of said fixed cutters arranged in angularly spaced relation around said rotor axis.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 comprising at least two of said ribs mounted in generally radially spaced relation on each of said selected vanes.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 comprising a drive shaft for said rotor extending through said wall of said tub to the exterior thereof, means securing said rotor on said shaft, and means accessible from the exterior of said tub for moving said shaft axially to adjust the relative spacing of said cutters.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said cutters have substantially straight cutting edges and wherein said cutters are so arranged that said edges define relatively large shearing angles as each said movable cutter passes over each said stationary cutter such that hard objects which come therebetween are urged outwardly thereof.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said shearing angles are of the order of 30*.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 comprising means maintaining said rotor with each said vane in predetermined spaced relation with said tub wall establishing a maximum size of flexible material capable of being folded over said leading edge portion of said vane and said cutter thereon.

Claim 12

Apparatus of the character described adapted to pulp solid waste material containing relatively infrangible items as well as pieces of relatively flexible material such as tubing, rope, wire and/or sheet plastic, comprising a. a tub for receiving a suspension of such waste material in a carrier medium, b. a rotor including a rotor body mounted adjacent the bottom of said tub for rotation on a substantially vertical axis, c. a plurality of vanes projecting from said rotor body transversely of said axis in overhanging spaced relation with said tub bottom and each having a leading edge portion and upper and lower surfaces trailing said edge portion, d. means forming an outlet in the bottom of said tub located radially outwardly of said vanes for receiving by gravity relatively infrangible items from said suspension, e. means for rotating said rotor to cause vortical circulation of said suspension within said tub and centrifugal movement of said suspension with respect to said rotor and to cause pieces of flexible material to fold over said leading edge portions of said vanes, f. means forming a cutter fixedly mounted on the bottom of said tub below said vanes, g. means forming a cutter on said lower surface of at least a selected one of said vanes extending generally in alignment with said leading edge portion of said vane for cooperative cutting action with said fixed cutter as said rotor rotates, h. means on each said selected vane for holding such folded pieces of flexible material against travel along said outer vane surface in order to retain such material folded over said leading edge portion of said vane and said cutter thereon for cutting by said cutters, and i. means on the others of said vanes for urging relatively infrangible items radially outwardly of said cutters for reception in said outlet.

Claim 13

Apparatus of the character described adapted to pulp solid waste material containing relatively infrangible items as well as pieces of relatively flexible material such as tubing, rope, wire and/or sheet plastic, comprising a. a tub for receiving a suspension of such waste material in a carrier medium, b. a rotor including a rotor body mounted adjacent the bottom of said tub for rotation on a substantially vertical axis, c. a plurality of vanes projecting from said rotor body transversely of said axis in overhanging spaced relation with said tub bottom and each having a leading edge portion and upper and lower surfaces trailing said edge portion, d. means forming an outlet in the bottom of said tub located radially outwardly of said vanes for receiving by gravity relatively infrangible items from said suspension, e. means for rotating said rotor to cause vortical circulation of said suspension within said tub and centrifugal movement of said suspension with respect to said rotor and to cause pieces of flexible material to fold over said leading edge portions of said vanes, f. means forming a cutter fixedly mounted on the bottom of said tub below said vanes, g. means forming a cutter on said lower surface of at least a selected one of said vanes extending generally in alignment with said leading edge portion of said vane for cooperative cutting action with said fixed cutter as said rotor rotates, h. means on each said selected vane for holding such folded pieces of flexible material against travel along said outer vane surface in order to retain such material folded over said leading edge portion of said vane and said cutter thereon for cutting by said cutters, and i. means on the others of said vanes for urging relatively infrangible items radially outwardly of said cutters for reception in said outlet.