Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of processing waste material which contains moisture as well as heavier and lighter solid constituents and wherein said lighter constituents include fibers, comprising the steps of (A) subjecting moist waste material to a first comminuting action to thus convert said waste material into heavier particles and lighter particles including lighter fibrous particles of a first size and additional lighter particles of a larger second size; (B) segregating at least the major percentage of heavier particles from lighter particles; (C) subjecting said additional lighter particles to a cutting action to thus reduce their size to a size not exceeding said first size; and (D) reducing the moisture content of all lighter particles.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
113 words
A method of processing waste material which contains moisture as well as heavier and lighter solid constituents and wherein said lighter constituents include fibers, comprising the steps of (A) subjecting moist waste material to a first comminuting action to thus convert said waste material into heavier particles and lighter particles including lighter fibrous particles of a first size and additional lighter particles of a larger second size; (B) segregating at least the major percentage of heavier particles from lighter particles; (C) subjecting said additional lighter particles to a cutting action to thus reduce their size to a size not exceeding said first size; and (D) reducing the moisture content of all lighter particles.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step (A) includes reducing waste material to a particle size of at most 100 mm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step (A) includes reducing waste material to a particle size of at most 80 mm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said heavier particles include first heavier particles whose size exceeds and second heavier particles whose size is less than a predetermined size, said step (B) including segregating all first heavier particles from said lighter particles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the size of said second heavier particles is less than said first size.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method as defined in claim 4, further comprising the steps of (E) segregating fibrous particles of said first size and said second heavier particles from said additional lighter particles prior to said step (C), and (F) admixing the fibrous particles of said first size and said second heavier particles to comminuted additional particles subsequent to said step (C).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising the step of (G) segregating said second heavier particles from fibrous particles of said first size and from comminuted additional particles subsequent to said step (D).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step (A) includes crushing and/or breaking the waste material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of (H) equalizing the moisture content of waste material prior to said step (B).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as defined in claim 9, wherein said step (A) precedes said step (H).