Apparatus for recovering rubber from rubber tires

An apparatus for removing the bead from a tire, comprising:

• means for supporting a tire;
• means for moving the supporting means, with the tire thereon, to a first operative position;
• means for cutting through the sidewall of the tire, including means for moving said cutting means into a position where it makes an initial cut through at least one sidewall of the tire when said supporting means is in said first operative position;
• and
• means independent of said cutting means but responsive to said cutter moving means for permitting movement of the tire and the cutting means relative to each other after the initial cut in the sidewall has been made, so that any further cutting of the sidewall occurs closer to the bead than does the initial cut.

An apparatus for separating fiber or other relatively lightweight particles from rubber or other relatively heavy particles, comprising:

• an enclosure which includes a first opening therein for input of fiber particles and rubber particles;
• first means for separating the fiber particles and the rubber particles, located beneath the first opening;
• second means for separating the fiber particles and the rubber particles, located beneath said first separating means;
• first exit means defined in said enclosure beneath said second separating means;
• means defining a first funnel-like region between the first and second separating means;
• means defining a second funnel-like region between said second separating means and said first exit means;
• a second exit means defined in said enclosure;
• means defining a channel for movement of air within said enclosure, said air channel means extending from a point above the first separating means to said second exit means;
• means providing air communication between the vicinity of said first separating means and said air channel means;
• means providing for air communication between the vicinity of said second separating means and said air channel means;
• and
• means drawing air up from said first exit means through, in sequence, said second funnel-like means, said second separating means, said first funnel-like means, said first separating means, and through said air channel means to said second exit means, wherein, in operation, the heavier rubber particles which are fed into the apparatus through said first opening drop down through the first and second separating means and out the first exit means, while the lighter fiber particles are carried with the flow of air through said air channel means out said second exit means.

A system for producing rubber granules from tires, comprising:

• means for removing the bead from a tire, which comprises, means for supporting the tire, means for moving the supporting means, with the tire thereof, to a first operative position, means for cutting through the sidewall of the tire, the cutting means including means for moving said cutting means into a position where it makes an initial cut through at least one sidewall of the tire when said supporting means is in said first operative position, and means independent of said cutting means but responsive to said cutter moving means for permitting movement of the tire and the cutting means relative to each other after the initial cut has been made, so that further cutting of the sidewall of the tire occurs closer to the bead than the initial cut;
• an apparatus for granulating rubber which comprises, means for feeding the debeaded tires into the rubber granulating apparatus, cutting chamber means which includes at least three stationary cutting blade stations located around the circumference of the cutting chamber means, wherein a first stationary cutting station is located substantially at the bottom center of the cutting chamber means, and wherein the second and third stationary cutting blade stations are located in the upper portion of the circumference of the cutting chamber means, on opposite sides thereof, each of said stationary cutting blade stations including at least one stationary cutting blade, the cutting chamber means further including at least one set of rotary cutting blades, mounted so as to rotate within the cutting chamber means, the rotary cutting blades passing the stationary cutting blades in a cutting relationship thereto, said cutting chamber means further including screen means which extend between said first cutting blade station and the second and third cutting blade stations, respectively, said screen means permitting granules of desired size to fall therethrough, and means for rotating the rotary cutting blades within the cutting chamber means;
• and
• an apparatus for separating the fiber particles from the rubber particles generated by the granulating apparatus, the separating apparatus comprising, an enclosure which includes a first opening for input of the fiber particles and the rubber particles, first means for separating the fiber particles and the rubber particles, located beneath the first opening, second means for separating the fiber particles and the rubber particles, located beneath said first separating means, first exit means defined in said enclosure beneath said second separating means, means defining a first funnel-like region between said first and second separating means, means defining a second funnel-like region between said second separating means and said first exit means, a second exit means defined in said enclosure, means defining a channel for movement of air within said enclosure, said air channel means exending from a point above the first separating means to said second exit means, and means drawing up air from said first exit means through, in sequence, said second funnel-like means, said second separating means, said first funnel-like means, said first separating means, and said air channel means, wherein, in operation, the heavier rubber particles which are fed into the apparatus through said first opening drop down through the first and second separating means and out the first exit means, while the lighter fiber particles are carried with the flow of air through the air channel means out said second exit means.