Landfill waste material separating method

A method of separating a compact, soil-containing, solid waste material into a coarser material, and a mixture of decompacted soil and a finer material, which method comprises:

• a) removing landfill solid waste material from a landfill, the waste material comprising a compact, soil-containing, mixture of solid waste material composed of small and bulky, heavy and light weight waste material which contains soil adhering to the waste material;
• b) providing a separating surface means comprising a plurality of generally horizontal tiers arranged in a vertical, spaced-apart, stepped arrangement within a frame having a tall end and an opposite, other, short end, the tiers having a transverse mounting rail and a plurality of rod elements having a one and a free other end and secured at the one end to the mounting rail, the rod elements in each tier generally parallel and spaced apart a defined separation distance in a transverse plane to form an open space therebetween;
• c) providing a downwardly angled funneling surface adjacent to the separating surface means at the tall end of the frame, to receive waste material;
• d) dumping the removed landfill solid waste material onto the funneling surface to start decompaction of the waste material and moving the partially decompacted dumped waste material by gravity downwardly on the funneling surface;
• e) vibrating the separating surface means to provide for the vibratory, generally vertical movement of the other, free ends of the rod elements;
• f) feeding the dumped partially decompacted waste material by gravity from the funneling surface onto the separating surface means;
• g) bludgeoning the partially decompacted waste material on the separating surface means with the other vibrating free end of the rod elements at each tier to decompact the compacted soil from the waste material and to permit the soil and finer waste material to fall through the open space and within the frame;
• h) tumbling and turning over of at least some of the light weight waste material at each tier by the vibratory movement surface separating means and by the vertical movement of the other vibratory free end of the rod elements;
• i) moving the waste material by the vibratory movement of the separating surface means downwardly from each tier from the tall end to the short end of the frame;
• j) decompacting further the waste material as it moves downwardly from the tall to the short end of the frame by discharging the waste material by gravity from each tier to the next lower tier;
• k) discharging the solid, decompacted, coarser solid waste material from the short end of the frame;
• and
• l) discharging the finer separated waste material and decompacted soil within the frame.