Method and apparatus for the sorting out of plastic foils from a mixture of refuse

• US 4,438,851 A
• Filed: 10/19/1981
• Issued: 03/27/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter Voelskow
• Original Assignee: Peter Voelskow
• Inventors: Voelskow, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WACYRA, EDWARD MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US06/312,538
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 209/606, 209/615, 209/616, 209/688, 209/930, 209/632, 198/692, 198/693, 493/373
• US Class Current: 209/616
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/06 specially adapted for refuse
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/061 the refuse being industrial
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/003 Separation of articles by differences in their geometrical form or by difference in their physical properties, e.g. elasticity, compressibility, hardness
• CPC Class Codes: D21B 1/028 by dry methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/62 Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/93 Municipal solid waste sorting

Abstract

Method and apparatus for the sorting out of plastic foil from a mixture of refuse previously divested of heavy materials such as stone, glass and iron. The mixture is conducted in a thin layer, using moderate feeding power, past pointed spines on a reel, by a broom or brush, so that components with high tensile strength remain hanging on the spines, while components with low tensile strength, such as paper, or components not impaled, such as leather, cardboard, wood and thick-walled plastic, are further conveyed by the broom or brush. One or more brush rollers, preferably armed with strips or brushes transverse to the direction of conveying, sweep the mixture of refuse across one or more spiked rollers studded with spines. Combing-off rollers may be used, rotating at higher velocity and in opposite direction to the spiked rollers, to loosen impaled foils from the spines.

Claims

1. Method for sorting out plastic foil from a mixture of refuse which previously has been divested of at least its components of heavy materials, such as stone, glass and iron, in which the mixture of refuse is conducted past spines of a spiked roller with a direction of movement corresponding so that foil or textile wastes are seized and more rigid components, such as paper, are not seized, characterized in that the mixture of refuse is conveyed in a thin layer using moderate feeding power in opposite direction of movement past said pointed spines by means of a broom or brush so that only components with higher tensile strength remain hanging on the spines while components with lower tensile strength, such as paper, or components which are not seized, such as leather, cardboard, wood boards and thick-walled plastic refuse, are further conveyed by the broom or brush.

2. Apparatus for the practice of the method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one brush roller is used for conveying the mixture of refuse across at least one said spiked roller.

3. Apparatus for the practice of the method according to claim 1, characterized in that said broom or brush comprises a conveyor armed transverse to the direction of conveying with strips of brushes or lamellar sweeping brushes serves to convey the mixture of refuse across at least one said spiked roller.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein combing-off rollers are disposed adjacent said at least one said spiked roller, rotating with higher velocity than and opposing the at least one said spiked roller.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one spiked roller penetrate a transverse-running aperture of a downwardly sloped chute substantially only with their spines.