Apparatus and method of separating medium-sized materials from garbage for collection

• US 20040226865A1
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WST International (Holdings) Limited
• Original Assignee: Steven Tse
• Inventors: Tse, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 6,962,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 11/00 Feed or discharge devices integral with washing or wet-separating equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 5/40 of trough type
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/06 specially adapted for refuse
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/10 Screens in the form of endless moving bands
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 15/00 Combinations of apparatus for separating solids from solids by dry methods applicable to bulk material, e.g. loose articles fit to be handled like bulk material using wet methods B03B7/00; using gas currents B07B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 4/02 while the mixtures fall
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 9/00 Combinations of apparatus for screening or sifting or for separating solids from solids using gas currents; General arrangement of plant, e.g. flow sheets
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/52 Mechanical processing of waste for the recovery of materials, e.g. crushing, shredding, separation or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/93 Municipal solid waste sorting

Abstract

An apparatus and method of separating medium-sized materials such as trash, bottles, floated articles, and submerged articles from garbage for collection by means of wind and water is disclosed. Moreover, an initial cleaning of garbage and a dilution of toxic materials contained therein are performed while disposing garbage, thereby significantly reducing a possibility of contracting diseases by or poisoning cleaning employees.

Claims

1. A method of separating medium-sized materials from garbage mixed with water and with heavy and large materials removed therefrom comprising the steps of:

(1) pouring garbage mixed with water into a conveyor screen assembly prior to separating a medium-sized garbage therefrom;

(2) separating heavy garbage and light garbage from the medium-sized garbage by blowing;

(3) separating empty cans and bottles from the light garbage by blowing; and

(4) separating floated and submerged articles from the remained garbage in the step (3) by water flow by discharging the light garbage from a inclined conveyor into a water channel and separating the floated and the submerged articles from the light garbage by water flow in the water channel for respectively collecting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (1) comprises the sub-steps of:

pouring the garbage mixed with water into the conveyor screen assembly to cause small garbage and organic matter to pass through the conveyor screen assembly for collection; and

blowing the not sifted medium-sized garbage out of a surface of the conveyor screen assembly for further processing by strong wind set up by a blower.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (2) comprises the sub-steps of:

activating blowing means to blow air into a wind channel for forcing the medium-sized garbage to fall onto an inclined conveyor; and

continuing to transport the lighter garbage and the empty cans and bottles along the inclined conveyor and dropping the heavy garbage out of the inclined conveyor for collection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (3) comprises the sub-steps of:

blowing wind toward the cans, the bottles, and the lighter garbage on the inclined conveyor for continuing to carry the lighter garbage upward along the inclined conveyor; and

dropping the empty cans and bottles out of the inclined conveyor for collection wherein the empty cans and bottles substantially have a round shape or being multiangular and have a sufficient weight.

5. An apparatus of separating medium-sized materials from garbage for collection comprising:

a conveyor screen assembly for permitting small, light garbage and organic matter in the garbage to pass through, the conveyor screen assembly comprising an internal blower proximate one end, the blower being adapted to obliquely blow air toward a surface and one end of the conveyor screen assembly;

a conveyor under one end of the conveyor screen assembly and perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the conveyor screen assembly, the conveyor being adapted to transport the medium-sized garbage sent from the conveyor screen assembly to a next stage;

a waterway beneath both the conveyor screen assembly and the conveyor;

a baffle above the conveyor and in front of one end of the conveyor screen assembly, the baffle being adapted to deflect the medium-sized garbage blown from the conveyor screen assembly onto the conveyor;

a wind channel for receiving a discharge end of the conveyor, the wind channel including a first blowing means under the conveyor for blowing air into the wind channel;

a trash conveyor under and perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the first blowing means, one end of the trash conveyor being horizontally extended away from the wind channel;

a trash collection container under a discharge end of the trash conveyor;

a gable wind duct coupled to a discharge opening of the wind channel at its intake end, the wind duct comprising a second blowing means at the intake end of the wind duct the second blowing means being adapted to blow air into the wind channel, the second blowing means being higher than the first blowing means, an internal inclined conveyor at a path of blowing air of the second blowing means, an angle of the inclined conveyor being adjustable and a top of the inclined conveyor being spaced apart from a bottom of a vertex of the wind duct for permitting a free garbage pass therebetween, a bottle conveyor below the inclined conveyor, and a bottle collection tray below a discharge end of the bottle conveyor; and

a water channel below a discharge opening of the wind duct opposite the wind channel, the water channel comprising a drain pipe extended from a bottom thereof, an inclined submerged article conveyor above the drain pipe, a submerged article collection container below a discharge end of the submerged article conveyor, a top recess at a side wall of the water channel, an inclined sprinkler including a plurality of injection nozzles for obliquely spraying water toward a surface of the water channel and the recess, and a collection vessel below and adjacent the recess for storing water and floated articles.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the conveyor screen assembly further comprises an internal sprinkler assembly for upwardly spraying water toward the conveyor screen assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the conveyor screen assembly further comprises a shaft outside one end of the conveyor screen assembly, the shaft including a plurality of equally spaced apart, arcuate, and axial revolving vanes on its outer surface and the shaft is spaced apart from the one end of the conveyor screen assembly by a distance.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the wind shroud further comprises a reverse conveyor under the second blowing means and above the trash conveyor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the reverse conveyor comprises a plurality of rows of needles on an endless transfer belt thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the needle is formed of nylon.