Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A process for recovering fuel, as well as other reusable materials, from municipal solid waste which includes paper and other fibrous materials, non-fibrous organic materials, metal, glass and other inorganic materials comprising: a. dry shredding the waste to pieces of a range of predetermined sizes, b. separating said shredded refuse by air classification into a light fraction which is predominantly paper and a heavy fraction, c. treating said heavy fraction to reduce the relatively frangible portions thereof to less than a predetermined particle size by subjecting said heavy fraction in the presence of a liquid to substantial and violent mechanical and hydraulic shear to form a slurry, d. separating the inorganics in said slurry from the organic material therein, e. dewatering said organic material to a particulate mass, and f. combining said particulate mass with said light fraction for use as fuel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A process for recovering fuel, as well as other reusable materials, from municipal solid waste which includes paper and other fibrous materials, non-fibrous organic materials, metal, glass and other inorganic materials comprising: a. dry shredding the waste to pieces of a range of predetermined sizes, b. separating said shredded refuse by air classification into a light fraction which is predominantly paper and a heavy fraction, c. treating said heavy fraction to reduce the relatively frangible portions thereof to less than a predetermined particle size by subjecting said heavy fraction in the presence of a liquid to substantial and violent mechanical and hydraulic shear to form a slurry, d. separating the inorganics in said slurry from the organic material therein, e. dewatering said organic material to a particulate mass, and f. combining said particulate mass with said light fraction for use as fuel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said particulate mass is dewatered to a moisture content of the order of 50%, and wherein said air classification is so controlled that said light fraction has a moisture content of less than 20%.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process as defined in claim 1 including the step of further shredding said light fraction prior to said step of combining with said dewatered organic material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
A process as defined in claim 3 wherein said particle size in said slurry is established by extraction of said slurry through perforations of the order of 1/2 to 11/2 inches in diameter, and wherein said further shredding step is carried out to the extent of reducing said pieces to the same size range as said particle size in said slurry.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said light fraction comprises between about 30 and 40% by weight of the total refuse.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said particle size in said slurry is established by extraction of said slurry through perforations of the order of 1/2 to 11/2 inches in diameter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
78 words
A process as defined in claim 1 which includes the step of separating the waste into a metals-rich fraction and an organics-rich fraction prior to carrying out said steps (a) through (f) on said organics-rich fraction, and which also includes the steps of dry shredding said metals-rich fraction, removing the various metal constituents of said shredded metals-rich fraction, and combining the remainder of said fraction with said heavy fraction of said organics-rich fraction prior to said step (c).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the solid waste is initially separated into a garbage fraction and a trash fraction, wherein the various metal constituents are removed from said trash fraction prior to carrying out said steps (a) through (f) on said trash fraction, and wherein said garbage fraction and said heavy fraction of said trash fraction are combined prior to said step (c).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
94 words
A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the solid waste is initially separated into a garbage fraction and a trash fraction, wherein the trash fraction is further separated into a metals-rich fraction and an organics-rich fraction, wherein said organics-rich fraction is subjected to said steps (a) through (f), wherein said metals-rich fraction is subjected to dry shredding followed by removal of the various metal constituents thereof, and wherein said garbage fraction and the remainder of said metals-rich fraction are combined with said heavy fraction of said trash fraction prior to said step (c).