Trash separating apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus for extracting sheet plastic films and the like from a mixture of shredded paper materials and film, comprising conveyor means for conveying the mixture along a predetermined path, a first extraction device disposed above said path, said extraction device comprising rotary brush means for brushing through the mixture conveyed therepast to a first predetermined depth, means for inducing an electrostatic charge on said brush means for attracting plastic films from the mixture and removing the films therefrom, comb means in engagement with said brush means for removing from said brush means plastic films extracted thereby, and exhaust means for carrying off films removed from said brush means by said comb means, including a second said extraction device disposed above said path at a location downstream of said first extraction device, said second extraction device being disposed for brushing through the mixture conveyed therepast to a second predetermined depth which is in closer to said conveyor means than said first extraction device, including paper pickup means disposed intermediate said first and second extraction devices for picking up paper materials from a depth substantially equal to the depth of extraction by said first extraction device and above, and for delivering the paper materials thus picked-up to said conveyor means downstream of said second extraction device, in by-passing relation relative to said second extraction device.

Claim 2

An apparatus for extracting sheet plastic films and the like from a mixture of shredded paper materials and film, comprising conveyor means for conveying the mixture along a predetermined path, a first extraction device disposed above said path, said extraction device comprising rotary brush means for brushing through the mixture conveyed therepast to a first predetermined depth, means for inducing an electrostatic charge on said brush means for attracting plastic films from the mixture and removing the films therefrom, comb means in engagement with said brush means for removing from said brush means plastic films extracted thereby, and exhaust means for carrying off films removed from said brush means by said comb means, including a second said extraction device disposed above said path at a location downstream of said first extraction device, said second extraction device being disposed for brushing through the mixture conveyed therepast to a second predetermined depth which is in closer to said conveyor means than said first extraction device, including paper pickup means disposed intermediate said first and second extraction devices for picking up paper materials from a depth substantially equal to the depth of extraction by said first extraction device and above, and for delivering the paper materials thus picked-up to said conveyor means downstream of said second extraction device, in by-passing relation relative to said second extraction device.