Pressurized canister recycling apparatus and methods

A pressurized canister recycling apparatus for use in recycling contents of a plurality of pressurized canisters, wherein the apparatus comprises:

• a hopper that holds and releases the canisters;
• a rotator for receiving the canisters;
• an escapement track that transfers the canisters released by said hopper and feeds the canisters to said rotator;
• at least one seal block assembly that defines a space to receive the canisters and which is adapted to isolate the canisters from an outside environment;
• a ram that moves the canisters from said rotator into said seal block assembly;
• a station for opening each of the canisters;
• and
• an evacuation tank which receives the contents of each of the canisters after the canisters have been opened at said station.

A pressurized canister recycling apparatus for use in recycling contents of a plurality of pressurized canisters, comprising:

• a hopper that holds and selectively releases the canisters;
• a rotator for receiving the canisters;
• an escapement track that transfers the canisters released by said hopper and feeds the canisters to said rotator;
• a ram that moves the canisters from said rotator;
• a station for receiving canisters from said rotator, said station including piercing means for opening the canisters;
• an evacuation tank that evacuates the contents of each of the canisters after the canisters have been opened by said piercing means;
• a plurality of seal blocks that are adapted to isolate the canisters from an outside environment, wherein said station and said evacuation tank are disposed between two distinct seal block assemblies comprising said seal blocks;
• a tank tap within said evacuation tank to draw the contents of the canisters from said evacuation tank;
• a compressor to create a vacuum in said evacuation tank via said tank tap;
• a filter disposed between said tank tap and said compressor, said compressor used to separate active ingredients of the canisters from propellant;
• and
• a storage tank to store the propellant.