Patent ID: 8517177

Claim:
A system for recovering materials from soil, comprising: a first separator comprising a first separation element, the first separator configured to separate recoverable material bearing soil into a first portion comprising large recoverable materials that did not pass through the first separation element and a second portion of recoverable material bearing soil that did pass through the first separation element, the second portion comprising soil and recoverable materials smaller than the large recoverable materials; a first conveyance positioned to receive the second portion from the first separator, wherein first conveyance is configured to move the second portion of recoverable material bearing soil to another separator; a second separator having a second separation element having apertures, the second separator configured to receive the second portion of recoverable material bearing soil from the first conveyance and, using a screen structure, separate the second portion of recoverable material bearing soil into a third portion comprising mid-size recoverable materials and a fourth portion that passes through the screen structure comprising soil and recoverable materials; a second conveyance configured to receive and move the fourth portion; a third conveyance configured to receive and move the third portion; a third separator comprising a magnetic device, the third separator configured to receive the fourth portion and separate the fourth portion into a first group and a second group using a magnetic field created by the magnetic device, wherein the first group contains ferrous material that was influenced by the magnetic field; a fourth separator comprising a magnetic separation system, the fourth separator configured to receive and process the third portion using the magnetic separation system to separate the third portion into at least two groups, a mid-size non-ferrous group and a mid-size ferrous metal group, the mid-size ferrous group containing more ferrous recoverable materials than the mid-size non-ferrous group; a fifth separator comprising an air classifier/scrubber system having air flow components and at least one material scrubber component, the fifth separator configured to receive the mid-size non-ferrous group and expose the mid-size nonferrous group to an air flow and the scrubber the at least one scrubber component and separate the mid-size non-ferrous group into a lighter weight mid-size first group and a heavier mid-size second group; a sixth separator configured to receive the mid-size second group and separate non-ferrous metal material from the mid-size second group; an air pollution control system comprising a plurality of intake hoods positioned to intake airborne particulate matter generated by the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth separator; ducting connected to each of the plurality of hoods, and at least one filter configured to filter particulate matter from passing air.