Patent ID: RE45290

Claim:
A system for producing a stream of clean, sterilized, and sized glass particles from post consumer and like waste streams, comprising: a pulverizing system, for breaking the glass into relatively small fragments, while not breaking other less-frangible materials in the waste stream; a magnet for removing ferrous metals from the waste stream; a trommel separator, for separating the glass fragments by size; an air classification system for removing paper and other light materials from at least one of the glass streams exiting the trommel separator; an ozone sterilization system, in which the glass particles are exposed to ozone to kill bacteria; a fluidized bed dryer, for drying residual moisture from the particles with a stream of hot air at a temperature sufficiently low as to avoid burning or oxidation of non-glass particles; a first screening system, for performing size-based separation of the glass particles; a gyratory screening device for causing fine fibers of paper and plastic mixed with the glass particles to agglomerate; and a vibratory conveyor comprising a first pan for receiving a layer of glass particles from the gyratory screening device, the pan being driven in a vibratory manner causing agglomerated fine paper and plastic fibers to rise to the surface of the layer of glass in the pan, and a screen section having a screen of mesh sized such that the glass particles fall through the screen, while the agglomerated paper and plastic fibers remain on the screen for subsequent removal.