Waste materials recycling method and apparatus

• US 6,136,590 A
• Filed: 07/09/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert A. Kruse
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Kruse
• Inventors: Kruse, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beisner, William H.
• Application Number:
  US09/112,391
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 435/290.1-290.4, 435/262, 435/262.5, 71/8-10, 71/14, 71/64.13, 209/930, 241/DIG. 38, 241/31, 241/24.12-25, 241/30, 241/101.2, 241/301, 100/35, 100/903, 264/109, 428/2
• US Class Current: 435/262
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 9/06 specially adapted for refuse
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 17/989 Flow sheets for biological or biochemical treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 9/02 Apparatus for the manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 9/04 Biological compost
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/20 Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/40 Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse
• 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: Y02W 30/62 Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/93 Municipal solid waste sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 241/38 Solid waste disposal

Abstract

A waste material separating method and apparatus a number of sequential processes the separate paper, plastic, glass, wood, and metals from waste materials. Bulk materials are manually removed from conveyors. Screening machines separate fine from course materials. Fine organic materials are transported to a composting area or to a digester to generate gas used fuel to produce thermal energy. A shredder cuts the course materials which mixed and pressed into pellets.

Claims

1. A method of separating waste materials including soil, fine particulates, organic materials, paper, cardboard, wood, plastics, and glass comprising:

depositing the waste materials in a material receiving area,

moving the waste materials from the material receiving area to a first location,

removing cardboard and plastic from the waste materials in a first location and placing the cardboard and plastics in separated locations,

moving the remaining waste materials in the first location to a second location,

separating soil, fine particulates, and organic materials from the waste materials in the second location,

moving the separated soil, fine particulates, and organic materials from the second location to location for further processing,

depositing bulk materials from the second location on a conveyor operable to move the bulk materials in an elongated path,

removing paper, wood, and plastic from the conveyor and placing paper, wood and plastics in separated locations,

moving the remaining bulk materials to a blast proof enclosure,

shredding the remaining bulk materials within the blast proof enclosure to reduce the size of the remaining bulk materials,

moving the shredded bulk materials out of the enclosure,

adding water to the shredded bulk materials,

compressing the shredded bulk materials into pellets, and

moving the pellets to a collection location.

2. The method of claim 1 including:

removing hazardous objects and materials from the waste materials after the waste materials have been deposited in the material receiving area.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the cardboard and plastics are manually removed from the first location.

4. The method of claim 1 including:

baling the cardboard and plastics that were removed from the waste materials in the first location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the soil, fine particulates, and organic materials are separated from the waste materials in the second location with a rotating cylindrical screen drum.

6. The method of claim 1 including:

composting the separated soil, fine particulates and organic materials.

7. The method of claim 6 including:

mixing the separated soil, fine particulates and organic materials and adding water thereto prior to composting thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 including:

mixing the separated soil, fine particulates and organic material, anaerobic digesting the mixed soil, fine particulates and organic material, and curing the digested soil, fine particulates and organic materials to produce useable compost.

9. The method of claim 8 including:

screening the cured soil, fine particulates and organic materials to remove glass and large objects from the materials.

10. The method of claim 1 including:

removing non-ferrous and ferrous metals from the soil, fine particulates, and organic materials as they move from the second location for further processing.

11. The method of claim 1 including:

removing non-ferrous and ferrous metals from the bulk materials prior to shredding of the bulk materials.

12. A method of separating waste materials including soil, fine particulates, organic materials, paper, cardboard, wood, plastics, and glass comprising:

depositing the waste materials in a material receiving area,

moving the waste materials from the material receiving area to a first location,

removing cardboard and plastic from the waste materials in the first location and placing the cardboard and plastics in separated locations,

moving the remaining waste materials in the first location to a second location,

separating soil, fine particulates, and organic materials from the waste materials in the second location,

moving the separated soil, fine particulates, and organic materials from the second location to location for further processing,

depositing bulk materials from the second location on a conveyor operable to move the bulk materials in an elongated path,

removing paper, wood, and plastic from the conveyor and placing paper, wood and plastics in separated locations,

shredding the remaining bulk materials received from the conveyor to reduce the size of the remaining bulk materials,

adding water to the shredded bulk materials, compressing the shredded bulk materials into pellets, and

moving the pellets to a collection location.

13. A method of separating waste materials including fine materials and bulk materials, said bulk materials including cardboard and plastic comprising:

depositing the waste materials in a materials receiving area,

transporting the waste materials from the materials receiving area to a first location,

removing cardboard and plastic from the bulk materials in the first location and placing the cardboard and plastic in separated locations,

moving the remaining waste materials in the first location to a second location,

separating fine materials from the remaining bulk materials in the second location,

transporting the separated fine materials from the second location to location for further processing,

transporting remaining bulk materials from the second location to a blast proof enclosure,

shredding all remaining bulk materials within the blast proof enclosure to reduce the size of the remaining bulk materials,

moving the shredded bulk materials out of the enclosure,

adding water to the shredded bulk materials,

compressing the shredded bulk materials into pellets, and

moving the pellets to a collection location.

14. The method of claim 13 including:

removing hazardous objects and materials from the waste materials after the waste materials have been deposited in the material receiving area.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the bulk materials are manually removed from the first location.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the fine materials are separated from the waste materials in the second location with a rotating cylindrical screen drum.

17. The method of claim 13 including:

composting the separated fine materials.

18. The method of claim 17 including:

mixing the separated fine materials and adding water thereto prior to composting thereof.

19. The method of claim 13 including:

mixing the separated fine materials, anaerobic digesting the mixed fine materials, and curing the digested fine materials to produce useable compost.

20. The method of claim 19 including:

screening the cured fine materials to remove glass and large objects from the materials.

21. The method of claim 13 including:

removing non-ferrous and ferrous metals from the fine materials as they are transported from the second location for further processing.

22. The method of claim 13 including:

removing non-ferrous and ferrous metals from the bulk materials prior to shredding of the bulk materials.

23. A method of separating waste materials including fine materials and bulk materials comprising:

depositing the waste materials in a material receiving area,

transporting the waste materials from the material receiving area to a first location,

separating bulk materials from fine materials,

transporting the separated fine materials to a location for further processing,

transporting the bulk materials to a location for shredding the bulk materials,

shredding the bulk materials to reduce the size of the bulk materials,

adding water to the shredded bulk materials,

compressing the shredded bulk materials into pellets, and

moving the pellets to a collection location.

24. An apparatus for separating fine and bulk waste materials comprising:

first means for receiving fine and bulk waste materials and transporting the materials to a first location, second means for moving the materials in the first location along a first elongated path to allow bulk waste materials to be separated from the waste materials moving along the first elongated path, screen means receiving the waste materials from the second means and separating the fine waste materials from the waste materials, means for mixing the fine waste materials separated by the screen means prior to processing of the fine waste materials, third means for receiving waste materials from the screen means and moving the waste material in second elongated path to allow additional bulk waste materials to be separated from the waste materials moving in the second elongated path, shredded means for receiving waste materials from the third means and reducing the particle size of the waste materials, an enclosure surrounding the shredder means to isolate the environment around the shredder means from explosions and fires, means for adding water to the shredded waste materials, and means for receiving shredded waste materials from the shredder means and for compressing the shredded waste materials and water added thereto into pellets, and fourth means for transporting the pellets to a pellet receiving location.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein:

the screen means is a trommel screen having a cylindrical screen drum, and means for rotating the drum.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 including:

a magnetic separator for removing ferrous metal from the waste material and an eddy current separator for removing non-ferrous metal from the waste material.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 including:

means for collecting dust and airborne particles generated by the shredder means prior to compressing the shredded waste materials into pellets.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 including:

a digester for receiving mixed fine waste materials and anaerobic digesting the fine waste materials which produce methane gas, curing means for accommodating the digested solid materials from the digester, and screening means for the cured digested solid materials to remove large objects from the materials.

29. An apparatus for separating fine and bulk waste materials comprising:

first means for receiving fine and bulk waste materials and transporting the materials to a first location, second means for moving the materials in the first location along a first elongated path to allow bulk waste materials to be separated from the waste materials moving along the first elongated path, screen means receiving the waste material from the second means and separating the fine waste materials from the waste material, means for mixing the fine waste materials separated by the screen means prior to processing of the fine waste materials, third means for receiving waste materials from the screen means and moving the waste materials in second elongated path to allow bulk waste materials to be separated from the waste materials moving in the second elongated path, shredder means for receiving waste materials from the third means and reducing the particle size of the waste materials, means for adding water to the shredded waste materials, and means for receiving shredded waste materials from the shredder means and for compressing the shredder waste materials and water added thereto into pellets, and fourth means for transporting the pellets to a pellet receiving location.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 including:

means for collecting dust and airborne particles generated by the shredder means prior to adding water to the shredded waste materials and compressing the shredded waste materials into pellets.