Method and apparatus for separating lightweight materials from fabric pieces

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and corresponding apparatus for separating lightweight materials from fabric pieces. The method comprises the steps of (a) introducing fabric pieces into a tumbling means having perforations for lightweight materials in the fabric pieces to be removed therethrough and coupled to a first source of negative pressure; (b) tumbling the fabric pieces in the tumbling means and simultaneously applying negative pressure from the first source of negative pressure to the tumbling means for removing lightweight particles detached from the tumbling fabric pieces from the tumbling means; (c) transporting the fabric pieces from the tumbling means to a top of a vertical separation chamber; and (d) applying forced air to the fabric pieces as the fabric pieces drop from the top to bottom of the vertical separation chamber by gravity for separating the lightweight materials from the fabric pieces, and simultaneously applying negative pressure from a second source of negative pressure to the vertical separation chamber to remove the lightweight materials separated from the fabric pieces from the vertical separation chamber; repeating this step until the fabric pieces are substantially cleared of any lightweight materials. The apparatus comprises a tumbling means and a vertical separation chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.