Patent US3890220A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3890220A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Fiber waste reclaim system and method
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Corp
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Filing: 1973-12-26
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Granted: 1975-06-17
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Expires: 1993-12-26
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for the recovery of wood pulp fibers from scrap products having the wood pulp fibers in fluff form. Such products include disposable diapers, sanitary napkins and the like wherein the fibers are commonly retained by sheet material. The sheet material may be a liquid impervious plastic or a liquid pervious nonwoven or both. The scrap products so called include production line rejects, trim and the like. The recovery apparatus particularly includes means to cut or chop the scrap into small pieces and a breaker operating in an upwardly directed air stream to separate from the sheet material the fibers as substantially individual fibers so that they are carried by the air stream from the breaker. The air stream is intercepted by a traveling screen which passes the upwardly moving air and fibers but prevents passage of larger pieces.
Inventors
- 👤 Dean K Anderson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 19:19
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07B; B07B9/00; B07B9/02; D; D21; D21B; D21B1/00; D21B1/02; D21B1/026; D21B1/028; D21B1/04; D21B1/06; D21B1/08; Y; Y02; Y02W; Y02W30/00; Y02W30/50; Y02W30/64
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
The method of separating fibers from a wrapping sheet for the fibers which comprises subjecting pieces of the fiber-sheet composite to a breaking action to break up the wrapping sheet and remove the fibers therefrom, passing an air stream through the pieces of the fiber-sheet composite as they are subjected to the breaking action, and intercepting the air stream containing the fibers and sheet material as the air stream moves upwardly from the zone of the breaking action by passing across the air stream a foraminous screen having openings of a size sufficient to permit airborne fibers to pass therethrough and also sufficient to retain other larger pieces.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
108 words
The method of separating fibers from a wrapping sheet for the fibers which comprises subjecting pieces of the fiber-sheet composite to a breaking action to break up the wrapping sheet and remove the fibers therefrom, passing an air stream through the pieces of the fiber-sheet composite as they are subjected to the breaking action, and intercepting the air stream containing the fibers and sheet material as the air stream moves upwardly from the zone of the breaking action by passing across the air stream a foraminous screen having openings of a size sufficient to permit airborne fibers to pass therethrough and also sufficient to retain other larger pieces.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
282 words
A fiber recovery apparatus for recovering fibers from composite waste products of fiber and plastic wherein the fiber is in a fluff form retained at least in part by the plastic, the said apparatus comprising means for feeding the waste products, chopper means positioned to receive the feeding waste products and as they feed to chop the waste products into relatively large pieces but sufficient to expose the fiber fluff, breaker means positioned for receiving the chopped pieces to reduce the size of the chopped pieces and to free fibers from the pieces, a vertical air column communicating the breaker means with the exterior of the apparatus, a perforated traveling belt interrupting the said air column and having openings of a size to pass fluff fibers loosened from the chopped pieces in the breaker means and air column but insufficient to pass the chopped pieces including pieces of plastic film, such that some fibers and film are retained by the perforated belt and others fall under the influence of gravity against the rising air column back to the breaker means for reworking, removal means in the course of belt travel to remove from the belt any pieces of waste product material clinging thereto prior to belt reexposure to the same air column, and between the air column and removal means a second breaker means provided below the perforated belt, and a downwardly directed air column and then a second and upwardly directed air column also traversing the belt, the downwardly directed air column being disposed to purge material from the belt to the second breaker means and the second upwardly directed air column arranged to direct broken material to the traveling belt.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
282 words
A fiber recovery apparatus for recovering fibers from composite waste products of fiber and plastic wherein the fiber is in a fluff form retained at least in part by the plastic, the said apparatus comprising means for feeding the waste products, chopper means positioned to receive the feeding waste products and as they feed to chop the waste products into relatively large pieces but sufficient to expose the fiber fluff, breaker means positioned for receiving the chopped pieces to reduce the size of the chopped pieces and to free fibers from the pieces, a vertical air column communicating the breaker means with the exterior of the apparatus, a perforated traveling belt interrupting the said air column and having openings of a size to pass fluff fibers loosened from the chopped pieces in the breaker means and air column but insufficient to pass the chopped pieces including pieces of plastic film, such that some fibers and film are retained by the perforated belt and others fall under the influence of gravity against the rising air column back to the breaker means for reworking, removal means in the course of belt travel to remove from the belt any pieces of waste product material clinging thereto prior to belt reexposure to the same air column, and between the air column and removal means a second breaker means provided below the perforated belt, and a downwardly directed air column and then a second and upwardly directed air column also traversing the belt, the downwardly directed air column being disposed to purge material from the belt to the second breaker means and the second upwardly directed air column arranged to direct broken material to the traveling belt.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
199 words
Fiber recovery apparatus for material comprising plastic and fibers in fluff form comprising means defining a pair of upwardly directed air columns and a downwardly directed air column between the said pair serving to communicate the columns of the pair, a traveling foraminous belt interrupting in one reach thereof each of the said air columns, breaking means for loosening fibers from a retaining plastic film, one breaking means being well down in each upwardly directed air column and operable to urge loosened fiber material to the traveling belt, the downwardly directed air column also communicating with breaking means well down in the column and to which partially loosened material is fed by the downwardly directed air column, said foraminous belt being generally pervious to dispersed airborne fibers but of sufficient size to retain plastic pieces and clots of fibers, said upwardly directed air columns being each communicable with the exterior of the apparatus through the pervious belt whereby fibers in an upwardly moving column are carried to the apparatus exterior, and removal means engageable with material carried on the foraminous belt beyond the air columns in the direction of belt travel to remove the material from the traveling belt.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
199 words
Fiber recovery apparatus for material comprising plastic and fibers in fluff form comprising means defining a pair of upwardly directed air columns and a downwardly directed air column between the said pair serving to communicate the columns of the pair, a traveling foraminous belt interrupting in one reach thereof each of the said air columns, breaking means for loosening fibers from a retaining plastic film, one breaking means being well down in each upwardly directed air column and operable to urge loosened fiber material to the traveling belt, the downwardly directed air column also communicating with breaking means well down in the column and to which partially loosened material is fed by the downwardly directed air column, said foraminous belt being generally pervious to dispersed airborne fibers but of sufficient size to retain plastic pieces and clots of fibers, said upwardly directed air columns being each communicable with the exterior of the apparatus through the pervious belt whereby fibers in an upwardly moving column are carried to the apparatus exterior, and removal means engageable with material carried on the foraminous belt beyond the air columns in the direction of belt travel to remove the material from the traveling belt.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
151 words
The method of separating wood pulp fibers from sheet material retaining the fibers which comprises chopping a body of the sheet-material-fibers to reduce the sheet material to small size pieces, supporting the chopped sheet-material-fibers in a stream of downwardly moving air while effecting the chopping, subjecting the pieces to a breaking action to break up the pieces and remove fibers therefrom, directing the stream upwardly and intercepting the stream of air with a pervious screen which passes the air and fibers but prevents passage of other pieces, collecting from the screen the pieces which fail to pass the screen, subjecting the pieces which failed to pass the screen to a second downwardly directed air stream to impel the latter mentioned pieces and to further break the pieces, and again subjecting the pieces to an upwardly moving air stream to separate with a pervious screen the fibers and air from large pieces.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
151 words
The method of separating wood pulp fibers from sheet material retaining the fibers which comprises chopping a body of the sheet-material-fibers to reduce the sheet material to small size pieces, supporting the chopped sheet-material-fibers in a stream of downwardly moving air while effecting the chopping, subjecting the pieces to a breaking action to break up the pieces and remove fibers therefrom, directing the stream upwardly and intercepting the stream of air with a pervious screen which passes the air and fibers but prevents passage of other pieces, collecting from the screen the pieces which fail to pass the screen, subjecting the pieces which failed to pass the screen to a second downwardly directed air stream to impel the latter mentioned pieces and to further break the pieces, and again subjecting the pieces to an upwardly moving air stream to separate with a pervious screen the fibers and air from large pieces.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-16 | 1978-12-16 | 1979-06-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-16 | 1982-12-16 | 1983-06-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-16 | 1986-12-16 | 1987-06-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |