Patent ID: 7584856
Filing Date: 2009-09-08
Classification: B03B,B07B,B65B,Y02W

Abstract:
1. A separation system for separating recyclable materials from Municipal Solid Waste, comprising: a first separation screen configured to receive Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) including recyclable MSW items and other heavier MSW materials, the recyclable MSW items used for making new products that use the same materials as the recyclable items and including non-shredded paper, non-shredded cardboard, non-shredded plastic containers, and non-shredded metal containers, the first separation screen further configured to remove a first group of smaller items from the MSW and carry remaining MSW over a top end; an air separator including an air chamber elongated in an upward diagonal direction and including a first opening at a first end and a second opening at a second opposite end, the remaining MSW dropped into the air chamber through the first opening after the first group of smaller items are removed by the first separation screen, a first conveyor located at least partially within the air chamber and having a conveying direction oriented substantially parallel with the upward diagonal direction of the air chamber, a fan configured to blow the non-shredded paper, non-shredded cardboard, non-shredded plastic containers, and non-shredded metal containers dropped into the first opening in the air chamber in an upward diagonal direction through the air chamber so that the non-shredded paper, non-shredded cardboard, non-shredded plastic containers, and non-shredded metal containers land onto different locations on the first conveyor as the first conveyor conveys the non-shredded paper, non-shredded cardboard, non-shredded plastic containers, and non-shredded metal containers out through the second opening at the opposite end of the air chamber while most of the other heavier MSW drops down from the first end of the air chamber, through a third opening in the air chamber, and onto a second conveyor; and a second separation screen configured to receive the non-shredded paper, non-shredded cardboard, non-shredded plastic containers, and non-shredded metal containers separated from most of the other MSW and conveyed out of the second opening in the air chamber by the first conveyor, the second separation screen including a frame; multiple shafts mounted on the frame; and discs mounted on the shafts that form openings between the discs on adjacent shafts, the discs and openings between the discs sized to cause the non-shredded plastic containers and non-shredded metal containers to drop off of a back end of the second separation screen and cause other non-shredded plastic containers and non-shredded metal containers to fall between the discs in the second separation screen while carrying the non-shredded paper and non-shredded cardboard over a top end of the second separation screen so that the non-shredded paper and non-shredded cardboard are substantially separated from the non-shredded plastic containers and non-shredded metal containers.