Apparatus for reducing preconditioned garbage to a clinkerless combustible

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DISPOSING OF REFUSE SUCH AS GARBAGE AND THE LIKE FROM WHICH HEAVIER FERROUS MATERIAL HAS BEEN REMOVED AND THE REMAINING REFUSE GROUND UP, SHREDDED AND DRIED AS A PRECONDITIONED MATERIAL; A CLOSED AIR SYSTEM FOR SEPARATING HEAVIER, NON-COMBUSTIBLE ELEMENTS IN SUCH MATERIAL FROM LIGHTER FRACTIONS THEREIN PRELIMINARY TO CONSUMPTION OF THE LATTER BY FIRE OR CONVERSION INTO USEFUL PRODUCTS COMPRISING: A. A FEED CONVEYOR FOR FEEDING SUCH PRECONDITIONED MATERIAL TO THE CLOSED CONVEYOR; B. A HOPPER FOR RECEIVING SUCH PRECONDITIONED MATERIAL FROM SAID FEED CONVEYOR; C. AN AIR SEALED GATE AT THE OPEN UPPER END OF SAID HOPPER OPENABLE BY DISCHARGE OF SUCH PRECONDITIONED MATERIAL FROM SAID FEED CONVEYOR INTO SAID HOPPER; D. AN ELONGATED TAPERING INFEED DUCT HAVING A RESTRICTED OPEN END COMMUNICATING WITH LOWER END OF SAID HOPPER FOR RECEIVING SUCH PRECONDITIONED MATERIAL THEREFROM AND DECLINDING AT A SLIGHT ANGLE RELATIVE TO HORIZONTAL FROM SAID RESTRICTED OPEN END AND EXPANDING IN AREA PROGESSIVELY THEREFROM TOWARD A TERMINAL END; E. A STACK OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED ZIGZAG DUCTS HAVING ITS LOWER END COMMUNICATING WITH THE TERMINAL END OF SAID ELONGATED TAPERING INFEED DUCT AND PROVIDING A TORTUOUS PATH DISCHARGING AT ITS UPPER END; F. A CLOSED CHAMBERED STORAGE BIN COMMUNICATING WITH THE DISCHARGE UPPER END OF SAID STACK OF ZIGZAG DUCTS; G. A BLOWER, HAVING A HOUSING COMMUNICATED WITH THE RESTRICTED OPEN END OF SAID TAPERING INFEED DUCT FOR CREATING A VENTURI ACTION AAT THE LOWER END OF SAID HOPPER FOR TRANSMITTING SUCH PRECONDITIONED MATERIAL THEREFROM AND FOR CAUSING THE INCOMING SHREDDED, DRIED MATERIAL TO SPREAD OUT AND FLOW MORRE LOOSELY AND OPENING THROUGH THE GRADUALLY EXPANDING ELONGATED TAPERING INFEED DUCT AND INTO SAID STACK OF ZIGZAG DUCTS FOR DISCHARGING LIGHTER FRACTIONS FROM THE LATTER INTO SAID STORGAE BIN; H. AN AIR RETURN DUCT BETWEEN SAID CLOSED CHAMBERED STORAGE BIN AND SAID BLOWER FOR RECIRCULATING AIR FROM THE BIN TO THE BLOWER; I. A BAFFLE WALL PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM THE DECLINING BOTTOM WALL OF SAID ELONGATED TAPERING INFEED DUCT AT THE OPEN LOWER END THEREOF FOR PROVIDING A TROUGH-LIKE TERMINAL END THEREIN; J. A PERFORATED PLATE MOUNTED IN THE TROUGH-LIKE TERMINAL END OF SAID INFEED DUCT AND EXTENDING TANGENTIALLY FROM THE BOTTOM WALL THEREOF TOWARD THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID BAFFLE WALL FOR PROVIDING AN AIR LIFT CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN; AND K. A SUPPLEMENTAL AIR SUPPLY DUCT COMMUNICATING SAID BLOWER WITH SAID AIR LIFT CHAMBER FOR SUPPLYING AIR THROUGH THE PERFOATED PLATE TO CREAT AN AIR CUSHION FOR LIFTING PRECONDITIONED MATERIAL THEREFROM AND INTO THE AIR STREAM PASSING FROM SAID INFEED DUCT INTO THE LOWERMOST ONE OF SAID ZIGZAG DUCTS IN THE STACK THEREOF.