System and method for recovery of salvageable ferrous and non-ferrous metal components from incinerated waste materials, and a selective crusher therefor

A method for recovering salvageable ferrous and non-ferrous materials from incinerated waste materials including carbonaceous incineration byproducts such as ash and associated ferrous and non-ferrous metal components, comprising:

• a. feeding incinerated waste materials to a selective first crushing means;
• b. comminuting selectively carbonaceous incineration byproducts to a desired size in said first crushing means without substantially comminuting associated ferrous and non-ferrous metal components by passing said waste material between a rotating roll having at least one protrusion on exterior surfaces thereof facilitating passage of said waste material and a backing plate urged toward said roll at a select pressure sufficient to comminute carbonaceous incineration byproducts in the waste material to a desired size and insufficient so as to permit the backing plate to retract and allow passage of associated ferrous and non-ferrous metal components in the waste material;
• c. at least partially separating based on size the comminuted carbonaceous byproducts from associated comminuted waste material including ferrous and non-ferrous metal components;
• and
• d. magnetically separating ferrous metal components from the comminuted waste material.

A selective crusher for selectively comminuting a friable material without substantially comminuting a malleable material associated with the friable material, comprising:

• a. at least one roll rotatably mounted and having a generally cylindrical exterior surface;
• b. a backing plate movably positioned in spaced relation to each roll and providing passage therebetween of friable material desired to be comminuted along with associated malleable material desired not to be comminuted, said backing plate forming a throat with said roll shaped such that the backing plate exerts concentrated pressure on waste material on passage thereof through the throat between the backing plate and the roll;
• c. at least one protrusion on the exterior surface of each roll such as to enable passage of the friable material and associated malleable material between the roller and backing plate;
• and
• d. a bias means for urging each backing plate into spaced relation with the exterior surface of a roll at a select pressure sufficient to comminute friable material to a desired size between the roll and backing plate and insufficient so as to permit the backing plate to retract when malleable material enters between the roll and backing plate to allow passage substantially uncomminuted malleable material associated with friable material between the roll and backing plate, and for returning such backing plate rapidly to said spaced relation with the roll after the malleable material has passed between the roll and backing plate.