US 4,655,404 A · Fluorescent lamp crusher

Abstract

The device comprises a cylindrical crusher housing mounted on a carriage above a removable wastebucket, which communicates with a funnel-shaped discharge formed in the lower end of the housing. The top of the housing is sealed by a cover which has a lamp inlet opening and an exhaust opening. The shaft of an electric motor extends into the housing and has secured thereto a plurality of flails or crusher elements which rotate at high speeds adjacent the inlet opening to strike and crush lamps entering the housing. The exhaust opening is connected by a duct to a filter cartridge which is removably mounted on the exterior of the crusher housing above an exhaust fan. The cartridge contains a porous filter bag, which is removably attached to the exhaust duct, and an activated charcoal filter element, which is positioned in the cartridge beneath the bag and in communication with the fan inlet. The exhaust fan operates simultaneously with the crusher motor to develop a vacuum which draws exhaust air from within the housing successively through the filter bag and the charcoal filter element. The filter element is specially treated to remove mercury vapor from the exhaust air that passes through the element.

Claims11

Dependent claims

In a fluorescent lamp crusher of the type including a housing having an inlet for admitting fluorescent lamps into the housing, and an outlet for allowing crushed lamp particles to drop into a waste collector beneath the housing, and a plurality of crusher members mounted to rotate in said housing adjacent said inlet to strike and crush the lamps entering the housing through said inlet, apparatus for preventing broken glass particles and gas from being blown back out of said inlet during operation of said crusher, the improvement comprising

a filter cartridge,
means for releasably connecting said cartridge to an exhaust opening formed in said housing to open on the interior thereof adjacent said inlet in said housing,
vacuum means connected to said cartridge and said exhaust opening, and operable to draw exhaust air from within said housing successively through said exhaust opening and said filter cartridge, and
means in said cartridge for removing toxic gas from the exhaust air passing through the cartridge.

1 more element

In a fluorescent lamp crusher having a housing enclosing a crusher for crushing lamps, and an exhaust fan for drawing exhaust air from said housing through an exhaust duct which communicates with the interior of said housing, a filter cartridge removably mounted between the outlet of said exhaust duct and the inlet to said fan, and the improvement comprising

a gas impervious casing having an inlet in one end threof and an outlet in its opposite end,
a porous filter bag positioned in said casing and having an open end secured to said one end of said casing around the inlet thereof,
means on said casing for releasably securing said inlet end thereof to the outlet of said exhaust duct, with said duct communicating with the interior of said filter bag, and with said outlet end of said casing releasably positioned over the inlet to said fan, and
an activated charcoal filter element secured in said casing adjacent said opposite end thereof to overlie the outlet in said casing,
said filter element including means for removing mercury vapors from the exhaust air drawn through said cartridge,
said means for securing said inlet on said casing to said exhaust duct outlet and comprising a resilient washer secured between said bag and said one end of said casing and having a central opening smaller than, and registering with the centers of, said casing inlet and the opened end of said bag and adapted to surround the outlet end of said duct.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fluorescent lamp crusher

Life of this patent

Fluorescent lamp crusher

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11