Loading patent…
OwnerKenneth E. Grube, Vincent E. Harrington +1inventors
InventorsKenneth E. Grube, Vincent E. Harrington, James V. Harrington
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus for the removal of mold core material from metal castings and for fragmentation of municipal waste material, e.g., paper products, involves heating and hydrating the materials within a pressure vessel. Chemicals active on the material to be processed or the hydration water are added during hydration to soften the material to be removed or fragmented. Excess liquid in the vessel is drained and pressurized steam is added for a selected period of time. A suitable temperature and pressure are achieved such that the moisture or liquid carried by the processed material will rapidly turn to steam or vapor when the pressure in the vessel is rapidly reduced by quickly opening an unloading means at the bottom of the pressure vessel. The sudden release of the pressure in the vessel causes the moisture to change to steam and a certain portion of the liquid in the material to flash to vapor in accordance with thermodynamic laws. The resulting rapid expansion within the processed material fragments it.
A method of fragmenting municipal waste materials part of which will absorb moisture and are frangible, and includes at least paper material as one ingredient, and part of which are non-frangible material selected from the group consisting of metals and plastics but which are associated with the frangible material, comprising the steps of:
A method according to claim 9, wherein said water saturable solid waste material includes at least one of the group of starches, hemicelluloses, celluloses, and fatty material;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.