Patent ID: 7416142

Claim:
An assembly for densification of recyclable containers, comprising: an intake port that receives a recyclable container for processing; a conveyor operatively connected to the intake port and configured to transport a recyclable container received at the intake port; a plurality of densification devices, each device being configured to receive a recyclable container transported by the conveyor and to densify a recyclable container into a densified material; at least one computer-readable medium on which is stored information descriptive of at least one recyclable container; a size detection device configured to examine a recyclable container transported by the conveyor and to determine whether the recyclable container exceeds a predetermined size; a scanning device operatively coupled to the size detection device and configured to determine at least one characteristic of the recyclable container, the scanning device including a bar code reader and a belt, the bar code reader being configured to detect bar code information printed on the recyclable container, the bar code reader being operable to detect the bar code information within a scan area, the belt being arranged to rotate the recyclable container at a rotation speed so that the bar code is presented to the bar code reader within the scan area, the rotation speed being defined at least in part by whether the size detection device determines whether the recyclable container exceeds the predetermined size; and at least one processor operatively coupled to the scanning device which, upon the detection of the at least one characteristic by the scanning device, compares the at least one characteristic to the information stored on the at least one computer-readable medium, and upon a successful comparison, selects which of the plurality of densification devices to which the recyclable container should be conveyed.