Disposable diaper reclaiming apparatus

A method whereby fluffy, fibrous desired material such as the filler of disposable diapers is separated from undesired material with the use of a screen having a horizontal stretch and having apertures through which only said desired material can pass, said method being characterized by:

• A. moving said stretch of the screen substantially horizontally in a forward direction,
• B. producing at a first zone of said stretch of the screen an air pressure difference vertically across the screen that induces a downwardly flowing airstream therethrough;
• C. feeding mixed desired and undesired material towards said first zone from above said stretch to enable desired material to be driven through the screen by said downwardly flowing air stream;
• D. directing an upward flow of air through the screen at a second zone in said stretch that is spaced in said forward direction from said first zone, to thus lift material off of said screen that has been carried out of said first zone thereon;
• and
• E. propelling the lifted material rearwardly above the screen towards said first zone.

Apparats for separating fluffy desired material comprising short, supple fibres from undesired material, for recovery of the desired material, said apparatus being of the type comprising an endless conveyor screen through which said desired material can pass but which blocks passage of said undesired material, said screen having a straight stretch and being driven for movement of said stretch in a forward direction, means defining a collecting chamber at one side of said stretch having an inlet opening through said stretch, means for delivering mixed desired and undesired material to a zone at the other side of said stretch, and means for forcing air through said stretch, from said zone into said collecting chamber, to cause desired material to pass through the screen into the collecting chamber while the screen retards passage of the undesired material, said apparatus being characterized by:

• A. said stretch of the screen being substantially horizontal;
• B. a rotor above said stretch of the screen, spaced in said forward direction from the rear end of said stretch, said rotor
• (1) having a substantially horizontal axis extending substantially transversely to said direction and
• (2) having vanes which are carried substantially flatwise by rotation of the rotor about said axis, through an orbit that has a bottom portion wherein the vanes move rearwardly close to said stretch of the screen;
• and
• C. means for discharging a stream of air upwardly through said stretch of the screen from an outlet located substantially beneath said rotor.

Apparatus whereby fluffy desired material comprising short, supple, fibres is separated from undesired material, for recovery of the desired material, said apparatus being characterized by:

• A. a conveyor screen through which said desired material can pass but which blocks passage of said undesired material, said screen
• (1) having a substantially horizontal stretch and
• (2) being driven for movement of said stretch in a forward direction;
• B. means defining a collecting chamber downwardly adjacent to said stretch and having an inlet that opens upwardly through said stretch;
• C. means for maintaining a pressure difference across said stretch of the screen whereby air is caused to flow downwardly therethrough into said inlet;
• D. means for delivering mixed desired and undesired material to a zone above said stretch that is over said inlet, so that desired material can be forced into the collecting chamber by air flowing into said inlet;
• E. recirculation means whereby material that is resting on said stretch forward of said zone is lifted off of the screen and is propelled back towards said zone, said recirculation means comprising
• (1) air discharge means
• (a) communicated with a source of air at higher pressure than is maintained in said collecting chamber and
• (b) defining an upwardly opening air outlet that is downwardly adjacent to said stretch and in forwardly spaced relation to said inlet, from which outlet a stream of air flows upwardly through said stretch of the screen, and
• (2) a rotor having a substantially horizontal axis that is above said stretch of the screen and having vanes, said rotor being rotatable about its axis to carry said vanes substantially flatwise through an orbit that has a front portion substantially over said air outlet and a bottom portion wherein the vanes move rearwardly close to said stretch of the screen.