Paper separation and singulation apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A paper separation apparatus for separating bundles of paper sheets or paper shreds, comprisinga receiving hopper for depositing regulated batches of the bundles onto an infeed conveyor, a batch fluffer positioned adjacent to a terminal end of the infeed conveyor, comprising a vessel and a pair of adjacent impellers having blades adapted for rotation at selected speeds, wherein rotation of the impellers subjects the bundles to bidirectional forces which overcome frictional and binding forces within the bundles and separates the paper sheets or paper shreds into deaggregated paper sheets or paper shreds.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mechanical system that separates bundles of paper and presents the separated paper on a conveyor in a single layer fashion, for further processing. The paper is accumulated in a hopper and fed into the mechanical separating mechanism in a batch mode. When sufficient volume has been admitted to the container, the inflow port is closed and the mechanical separating impeller are activated to rotate in the same direction, imparting bidirectional forces on compacted bundles of sheets or shreds, causing them to deaggregate. Upon completion of the separation cycle, the separated sheets are expelled through an outlet port and conveyed to a drop chute for further singulation, from which the singulated sheets may be deposited onto one or more conveyor belts for sorting.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A paper separation apparatus for separating bundles of paper sheets or paper shreds, comprising
a receiving hopper for depositing regulated batches of the bundles onto an infeed conveyor, a batch fluffer positioned adjacent to a terminal end of the infeed conveyor, comprising a vessel and a pair of adjacent impellers having blades adapted for rotation at selected speeds, wherein rotation of the impellers subjects the bundles to bidirectional forces which overcome frictional and binding forces within the bundles and separates the paper sheets or paper shreds into deaggregated paper sheets or paper shreds.
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11. A method of separating bundles of paper sheets or paper shreds, comprising the steps of
a. depositing regulated batches of the bundles into a receiving hopper, b. conveying the batches to a fluffing apparatus comprising a vessel and a pair of adjacent impellers having blades adapted for rotation at selected speeds, and c. rotating the impellers to subject the bundles to bidirectional forces which overcome frictional and binding forces within the bundles to deaggregate the paper sheets or paper shreds.
Specification