Carpet reclaimer
OwnerJames A. E. Hagguist, Robert M. Humeinventors
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Abstract
A means for reclaiming standard carpet by disintegrating and separating carpet into its base component materials, through a process and apparatus that, through a series of mechanical, hydraulic, fluid, heat and pressure devices, separates and segregates carpet into its principal components, i.e., secondary backing, binder, pile and primary backing.
Claims38
A method for disintegrating, separating and segregating the base component materials of carpet, which comprises:
- providing a carpet constructed of several components including a carpet pile, a primary backing, a secondary backing, a pile matrix, a carpet matrix, and a latex/filler binder system that bonds the pile and the backings and matrix to one another;
- (a) loosening and debonding the latex/filler binder system from the secondary backing;
- followed by
- (b) separating and removing the secondary backing from the carpet matrix;
- followed by
- (c) loosening, separating and removing the latex/filler binder system from the primary backing and pile matrix;
- followed by
- (d) removing the carpet pile from the primary backing;
- and
- (e) as each base component material is removed from the carpet matrix, transporting that material in a segregated stream to a container for that material.
A process for separating a carpet into its base component materials, comprising the steps of:
- providing a carpet constructed of several components including a carpet pile, a primary backing, a secondary backing, and a binder that bonds the pile and the backings to one another;
- loosening and debonding the binder, at least from the secondary backing;
- separating and removing the secondary backing from a remainder of the carpet, said remainder including at least the carpet pile and the primary backing;
- and
- removing the carpet pile from the primary backing.
An apparatus for disintegrating, separating and segregating a carpet comprised of several base component materials including a pile, a primary backing, a secondary backing, and a binder that bonds the pile and backings to one another, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a debonding means for receiving a carpet and for loosening and debonding a binder of the carpet from the secondary backing of the carpet;
- (b) a separating means for separating and removing the secondary backing from a carpet matrix including a primary backing of the carpet and a pile of the carpet;
- (c) a binder removal means for loosening, separating and removing the binder from the carpet matrix;
- and
- (d) a pile removal means for removing the carpet pile from the primary backing of the carpet matrix.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.