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US 5,282,713 AGranted
Apparatus for removing recyclable materials from bags
OwnerLars Landeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for removing recyclable materials from bags. The apparatus includes a conveyor having tines which engage and assist the conveyor in transporting the bags of materials to a discharge bin. A cutting element cooperates with the conveyor to open the bags allowing the materials to be emptied from the bags at one end of the conveyor into the bin where the materials are subsequently discharged onto compost piles. The bags are then removed from the tines and transferred into a mechanism where they are bundled for disposal or recycling.
Claims20
An apparatus for removing recyclable materials from bags comprising:
- a primary conveyor including a frame, said primary conveyor having first and second ends and including a primary belt being operable for rotation in a direction about said first and second ends, said primary belt including a plurality of retaining tines extending therefrom and being positioned at spaced apart intervals thereon, said retaining tines receiving said bags thereon and carrying said bags along said primary conveyor as said primary belt rotates;
- means for rotating said primary belt about said first and second ends;
- a cutting element mounted to said frame and being positioned relative to said primary belt so as to cuttingly engage said bags during rotation of said primary belt thereby longitudinally opening said bags;
- and
- a receiving bin positioned adjacent to said second end, said receiving bin receiving said materials being emptied from said bags as said bags are carried about said second end, said receiving bin including a discharge opening and means for forcibly discharging said materials from said receiving bin through said discharge opening, said discharge means including a discharge conveyor having a discharge belt, said discharge belt forming a movable floor in said receiving bin and being positioned within said receiving bin at a location to receive said materials from said primary conveyor, said discharge belt being rotatable about first and second ends in a direction causing said materials to be forcibly discharged through said discharge opening.
2 more elements
An apparatus for removing recyclable materials from bags comprising:
- a primary conveyor including a frame, said primary conveyor having first and second ends and including a primary belt having a support surface for supporting said bags, said primary belt being operable for rotation in a direction about said first and second ends, a plurality of retaining tines extending from said support surface of said primary belt and being positioned at spaced apart intervals thereon to receive said bags thereon and carry said bags along said conveyor as said primary belt is rotated;
- a cutting member mounted to said frame and being positioned relative to said primary belt so as to cuttingly engage said bags being carried on said support surface during rotation of said primary belt thereby longitudinally opening said bags;
- a receiving bin positioned adjacent to said second end of said primary conveyor, said receiving bin receiving said materials being emptied from said bags as said bags are carried about said second end, said receiving bin including a discharge opening and means for forcibly discharging said materials from said receiving bin through said discharge opening;
- and
- means for removing said bags from said retaining tines after said materials have been emptied therefrom, said removing means including a blower mounted to said apparatus and positioned to provide a blowing force onto said bags after said materials have been emptied therefrom, said blowing force at least partially assisting in removing said bags from said retaining tines.
2 more elements
Apparatus for opening plastic bags containing compostable materials and for removing said materials therefrom, said apparatus comprising:
- a first conveyor including a first belt being rotatable about first and second ends, said belt generally defining a support surface for carrying said bags from said first end to said second end;
- a plurality of retaining tines extending from said support surface of said belt to retainingly receive said bags thereon, said retaining tines being positioned at spaced apart intervals along a length of said belt and rotating therewith;
- a cutting element being adjustably positioned with respect to said belt to cuttingly engage said bags as said belt is rotated and thereby open said bags, said cutting element substantially longitudinally opening said bags;
- lateral opening means mounted to said first conveyor for substantially laterally opening said bags after said bags have been longitudinally opened;
- a housing defining a receiving chamber adjacent said second end of said conveyor, said receiving chamber receiving materials being emptied from said bags as said bags are rotated about said second end with said belt, said housing having a portion defining a discharge opening and including means for forcibly discharging said materials through said discharge opening;
- and
- means for removing said bags from said retaining tines, said removing means including a secondary conveyor having a pair of rotatable second belts, said second belts rotating in opposite directions of one another and each having an end cooperating with an end of the other belt to define a pinch point, the rotational directions of said second belts and said pinch point cooperating to engage and exert a pulling force on said bags thereby causing said bags to be removed from said retaining tines.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.