Method and apparatus for recycling carpet

• US 20120037734A1
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell'Orco, Sergio, Frank Levy
• Original Assignee: Dell'Orco, Sergio, Frank Levy
• Inventors: Levy, Frank, Dell'Orco, Sergio
• Granted Patent: US 8,360,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 241/24.29
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/0084 specially adapted for disintegrating garbage, waste or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/28 with spiked cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 23/02 Feeding devices for grain mills B02C11/04; for roller mills B02C4/286; transport devices in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 23/08 Separating or sorting of material, associated with crushing or disintegrating B02C23/18 takes precedence ; beater mills combined with sifting devices B02C13/13, B02C13/14; for tumbling mills B02C17/1835
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 2009/067 the refuse being carpets
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 17/02 Separating plastics from other materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 17/04 Disintegrating plastics, e.g. by millingB29B9/02, B29B11/02, B29B13/10, B29B17/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2017/0203 Separating plastics from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2017/0217 Mechanical separating techniques; devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2017/022 Grippers, hooks, piercing needles, fingers, e.g. mounted on robots
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2017/0476 Cutting or tearing members, e.g. spiked or toothed cylinders or intermeshing rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7322 Carpets
• CPC Class Codes: D01G 11/04 Opening rags to obtain fibres for re-use mechanical treatment of rags for paper-making D21B
• 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: Y02W 30/66 Disintegrating fibre-containing textile articles to obtain fibres for re-use

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for separating carpet fibers from a backing material to which said fibers are secured. The apparatus includes a belt for driving a carpet strip having one or more backings and one or more fibers secured on a face of said backing into the operative part of the device. There are a pair of rollers that are adapted to receive the carpet strip from said belt, and pass the carpet strip to a dish plate. The dish plate has an edge extending upwardly from the dish plate. The face of the carpet having the fibers contacts the edge after the carpet passes through the rollers. The edge of the blade holds the carpet presenting it to the main drum. The main drum rotates downwards and has a plurality of pins that shred the carpet backing and tear apart and free the face carpet fibers from the backing fibers. The face fibers pass to a receptacle for recycling. The torn backing fibers, being usually longer and lighter than the face fibers, remain within the pins of the drum and are transported towards the back end of the machine and fall in a different receptacle for recycling.

Claims

1. An apparatus for separating carpet fibers from a backing material to which said fibers are secured comprising:

a) a feed belt for driving a carpet strip having one or more backings and one or more fibers secured on a face of said backings,

b) a pair of nip rollers, said nip rollers adapted to receive said carpet strip from said belt, and

c) a dish plate, said dish plate having an edge, said face of said carpet having said fibers contacting said edge after said carpet passes through said nip rollers, said edge holding said carpet while pins of a main drum tear apart the carpet backing structure and separating said fibers from said backing, said fibers separated from said backing passing to a receptacle for recycling, and

d) a main drum, said main drum having a plurality of pins for receiving said backing as said strip passes over said edge of said dish plate, said backing being torn apart by said pins, said pins causing said torn backing fibers to be carried by said main drum towards a back end of the apparatus,

e) a receptacle for receiving said shredded backing fibers at said back end of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there is a first guide portion for directing shredded carpet pile fibers into a receptacle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein there is a second guide for directing said backing into contact with said pins on said main drum.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said first portion of said guide and said second portion of said guide is in the form of an inverted V, said V having an apex and a first leg and a second leg.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the position of said first leg of said guide is adjustable relative to the distance away from an outer surface of said main drum.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said backing shredded fiber is transported by said pins on said main drum to said second guide where said backing shredded fiber is removed by said guide.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a negative pressure drum for receiving shredded backing material after it has been removed by said guide.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said negative pressure drum transports shredded backing material to a receptacle for recycling said backing material.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said negative pressure drum transports said shredded backing material to a belt for transporting said backing material to a receptacle for recycling said backing material.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said guide has a second leg, said second leg causes said shredded fibers to pass to a receptacle.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said receptacle has at least one sidewall and wherein an opening formed by said sidewall is adjustable.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said dish plate has at least one surface that has a curve that corresponds to the curve of one of said nip rollers.

5. The apparatus according to clam 4 wherein said first leg has a curve corresponding to the curve of the circumference formed by said pins on said main drum.

14. A method of separating carpet fibers from a backing material to which said fibers are secured comprising,

placing a carpet strip containing said fibers and said backing on a feed belt where said backing is face up on said belt, and said fibers are closer to the surface of said belt than said backing,

passing said carpet strip through a pair of nip rollers which force said carpet strip along a face of a dish plate, passing the fibers of said carpet strip over an edge on said dish plate which holds the carpet while the pins of the main drum tear off the carpet and free the carpet pile fiber from the carpet backing fiber;

transporting said separated carpet pile fibers to a first receptacle, positioning said backing on one or more pins extending from a surface of a main drum, transporting said backing on said main drum to a guide, removing said backing on said main drum by said second blade, transporting said shredded backing to a second receptacle.

15. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step providing as first movable guide portion said movable guide portion directing separated carpet fibers into said first receptacle.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising the step providing a second movable guide portion said second movable guide portion directing said backing into contact with said pins on said main drum.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the step adjusting the position of said first guide portion with respect to said main drum based on the desired quantity of said fibers to be removed from said backing.

18. The method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of directing said shredded backing to the surface of a negative pressure drum, said negative pressure holding shredded backing on said drum as said drum rotates.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein said shredded backing is transported by said negative pressure drum to a belt.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising the step of transporting said shredded backing along said belt to said second receptacle.

21. An apparatus for separating carpet fibers from a backing material to which said fibers are secured comprising:

a) a feed belt for driving a carpet strip having one or more backings and one or more fibers secured on a face of said backings,

b) a pressing roller for retaining said carpet strip on said belt

c) a pair of feed rollers, said feed rollers adapted to receive said carpet strip from said belt, and

d) a dish feed, said dish feed having a dish plate, said dish plate terminating in an upper edge at an upper surface thereof, said face of said carpet having said fibers contacting said edge after said carpet passes through said feed rollers, said edge holding said carpet while the pins of the main drum tear apart the carpet backing structure separating said fibers from said backing, said fibers separated from said backing passing to a receptacle for recycling, and

e) a main drum, said main drum having a plurality of pins for receiving said backing as said strip passes over said edge of said dish plate, said backing being torn apart by said pins, said pins causing said torn backing fibers to be carried by said drum towards a back end of the machine,

f) a second guide, said second guide removing said shredded backing fibers from said pins on said main drum, and

g) a receptacle for receiving said shredded backing fibers.

22. A method of separating carpet fibers from a backing material to which said fibers are secured comprising,

placing a carpet strip containing said fibers and said backing on a belt where said backing is face up on said belt, and said fibers are closer to the surface of said belt than said backing,

passing said carpet between said belt and a pressing roller to retain said carpet strip in position on said belt;

passing said carpet strip, said dish plate having an edge on an upper surface through a pair of feed rollers which force said carpet strip along a face of a dish plate,

passing the fibers of said carpet strip over said edge of said dish plate, holding said carpet while the pins of a main drum tear apart and shred the carpet backing structure of said carpet strip

separating said pile carpet fibers from said carpet backing fibers,

transporting said separated pile carpet fibers to a first receptacle,

transporting said carpet backing fibers on one or more pins extending from a surface of the main drum to a separating guide, directing said shredded backing to the surface of a negative pressure drum said negative pressure holding shredded backing fibers on said drum as said drum rotates.

transporting said shredded backing fibers to a second receptacle.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein said second receptacle is a delivery belt.