US4018675A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Waste sorting machine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-05-19
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Granted: 1977-04-19
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Expires: 1995-05-19
Abstract
Abstract A hexagonal-in-section trommel is rotatably mounted on a frame with the axis of rotation inclined downwardly from a waste material input end to a discharge end. The walls of the trommel include panels formed of screens having various predetermined mesh sizes, some relatively large, others relatively small. Inwardly projecting rods mounted on the interior walls of the trommel are spaced apart in such a way that larger pieces (such as old corrugated paper board, or cardboard, long strips of paper and plastic sheets) are engaged by the rods and are lifted up the side walls of the trommel, thereby allowing smaller pieces of waste material not lifted by the rods to pass downwardly through the screen mesh for removal by a subjacent conveyor. Concurrently, as the larger pieces approach the top of the trommel, they are disengaged from the rods by gravity; and as the larger pieces fall toward the bottom of the trommel, they concurrently move toward the discharge end owing to the trommel's inclination. As the corrugated board, long strips of paper and plastic sheets fall toward the bottom of the trommel, the heavier, more compact, corrugated board with rigid sharp corners tends to force any underlying light flexible plastic sheets or paper strips downwardly against the screen and poke them through the wider meshes for removal by the subjacent conveyor. Any pieces of light plastic or paper which might still be intermingled with the corrugated board at the discharge end of the trommel are removed by an air blast. Thus, both small, undersized particles and large, yet light, pieces of paper and plastic are efficiently separated from the desired panels and flattened cartons of old corrugated board.
Inventors
- 👤 Ben G. Petrucci
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 01:07
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07B; B07B4/00; B07B4/02; B07B4/06; B03; B03B; B03B9/00; B03B9/06; B07B1/00; B07B1/18; B07B1/22; B07B1/24; Y; Y02; Y02W; Y02W30/00; Y02W30/50; Y02W30/52
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
314 words
A waste sorting machine comprising: a. a frame: b. an elongated, polygonal in cross-section trommel extending from an input end to an output end, the walls of said trommel being formed of screen having a predetermined mesh size incapable of supporting waste material smaller than said mesh size, 1. each side of said polygonal in cross-section trommel including a plurality of panels covered by said screen and extending consecutively between said input end and said output end, said predetermined mesh size on at least some of said panels varying in dependence upon the distance from said input end and the side of said trommel on which said panel is located, 2. at least some of said panels adjacent said input end carrying screen of relatively large mesh size and the remaining panels adjacent said input end carrying screen of relatively small mesh size, 3. at least some of said panels adjacent said output end carrying screen of relatively large mesh size and the remaining panels adjacent said output end carrying screen of relatively small mesh size; c. means for mounting said trommel on said frame for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said trommel, said axis being inclined downwardly from said input end toward said output end in order gravitally to advance waste material entering said input end as said trommel is rotated, and to discharge through said output end material larger than said mesh size; d. means for rotating said trommel; e. a plurality of rods mounted on said trommel, said rods projecting into the interior of said trommel and being capable of engaging said material larger than said mesh size in the floor portion of said trommel and elevating the same as said trommel is rotated, said rods being incapable of supporting said material larger than mesh size when said rods approach an inverted position adjacent the ceiling portion of said trommel,
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
314 words
A waste sorting machine comprising: a. a frame: b. an elongated, polygonal in cross-section trommel extending from an input end to an output end, the walls of said trommel being formed of screen having a predetermined mesh size incapable of supporting waste material smaller than said mesh size, 1. each side of said polygonal in cross-section trommel including a plurality of panels covered by said screen and extending consecutively between said input end and said output end, said predetermined mesh size on at least some of said panels varying in dependence upon the distance from said input end and the side of said trommel on which said panel is located, 2. at least some of said panels adjacent said input end carrying screen of relatively large mesh size and the remaining panels adjacent said input end carrying screen of relatively small mesh size, 3. at least some of said panels adjacent said output end carrying screen of relatively large mesh size and the remaining panels adjacent said output end carrying screen of relatively small mesh size; c. means for mounting said trommel on said frame for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said trommel, said axis being inclined downwardly from said input end toward said output end in order gravitally to advance waste material entering said input end as said trommel is rotated, and to discharge through said output end material larger than said mesh size; d. means for rotating said trommel; e. a plurality of rods mounted on said trommel, said rods projecting into the interior of said trommel and being capable of engaging said material larger than said mesh size in the floor portion of said trommel and elevating the same as said trommel is rotated, said rods being incapable of supporting said material larger than mesh size when said rods approach an inverted position adjacent the ceiling portion of said trommel,
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
173 words
said material larger than said mesh size including rectangular panels of relatively heavy and rigid corrugated board plus sheets of pliable light gauge material, and wherein said relatively large size mesh provides a plurality of openings through which a substantial portion of the corners of said rectangular panels can protrude as said material larger than said mesh size falls away from said rods when said rods approach said inverted position, said corners of said relatively rigid corrugated board panels being capable of engaging and poking subjacent ones of said pliable sheets downwardly through respective ones of said openings to a location outside said trommel while said relatiely ridgid corrugated board panels remain inside said trommel; f. conveyor means located adjacent said output end for carrying away said material larger than said mesh size advancing through said trommel and discharging through said output end; and, g. means below said trommel for removing said material smaller than said mesh size passing downwardly through said screen in the vicinity of said floor portion of said trommel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
173 words
said material larger than said mesh size including rectangular panels of relatively heavy and rigid corrugated board plus sheets of pliable light gauge material, and wherein said relatively large size mesh provides a plurality of openings through which a substantial portion of the corners of said rectangular panels can protrude as said material larger than said mesh size falls away from said rods when said rods approach said inverted position, said corners of said relatively rigid corrugated board panels being capable of engaging and poking subjacent ones of said pliable sheets downwardly through respective ones of said openings to a location outside said trommel while said relatiely ridgid corrugated board panels remain inside said trommel; f. conveyor means located adjacent said output end for carrying away said material larger than said mesh size advancing through said trommel and discharging through said output end; and, g. means below said trommel for removing said material smaller than said mesh size passing downwardly through said screen in the vicinity of said floor portion of said trommel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
A waste sorting machine as in claim 1 in which the dimensions of said relatively large mesh size are on the order of 18 inches - 20 inches by 18 inches - 24 inches and the dimensions of said relatively small mesh size are on the order of 12 inches - 14 inches by 12 inches - 16 inches.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
79 words
A waste sorting machine as in claim 1 in which said trommel is hexagonal in cross-section, in which the dimensions of each of said panels are on the order of 5 feet 4 inches by 7 feet; in which there are 24 of said panels; in which the overall length of said trommel is on the order of 28 feet; and in which the outside cross-sectional dimension of said trommel is on the order of 11 feet 9 inches.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A waste sorting machine as in claim 1 in which said trommel rotating means includes an electric motor connected to said trommel; and means connected to said motor for varying the speed of said trommel between 1.50 and 12.00 revolutions per minute.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
A waste sorting machine as in claim 1 including a blower mounted on said frame adjacent said output end, said blower being oriented to blow air in an upstream direction, the air blast being effective to blow any remaining ones of said sheets of light gauge material adjacent said output end toward said input end, the air blast being ineffective to deter the downstream movement of said panels of relatively heavy corrugated board.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-04-18 | 1980-10-18 | 1981-04-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-04-18 | 1984-10-18 | 1985-04-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-04-18 | 1988-10-18 | 1989-04-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |