System for feeding toxic waste drums into a treatment chamber
AssigneeRetech, Inc.
InventorMax P. Schlienger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drum is introduced into an interlock chamber and the interlock chamber is sealed. A door leading to a transition chamber is opened and the drum is moved into the transition chamber. The transition chamber is contained within a spool valve which includes a pair of drum grips. The drum grips are actuated to grasp the drum. The drum grips are rotatably coupled to an inner element of the spool valve. The inner element is rotated with respect to a housing and a drum manipulator grasps an end of the drum. The drum is displaced from the transition chamber toward a treatment chamber. The drum is cut into a desired shape and/or number of pieces with the drum and the material contained therein being deposited into the treatment chamber.
Claims30
An apparatus for feeding drums into a treatment chamber, comprising:
- a transition chamber;
- means for introducing a drum into the transition chamber;
- an interlock chamber having a door separating the interlock chamber and the transition chamber for isolating the transition chamber from an outside environment;
- means for coupling the transition chamber to the treatment chamber;
- and
- means for displacing the drum from the transition chamber and into the treatment chamber.
An apparatus for feeding drums into a treatment chamber comprising
- a transition chamber;
- means for isolating the transition chamber from an outside environment;
- and
- a spool valve for coupling the transition chamber to the treatment chamber, the spool valve having an inner element disposed within a housing, the inner element being rotatable with respect to the housing and the transition chamber being disposed within the spool valve, the housing comprising first, second, third, and fourth outlets oriented approximately 90 degrees from each other, the inner element comprises first and second ports disposed approximately 180 degrees from each other and at least two seals disposed approximately 180 degrees from each other.
A method for feeding drums into a treatment chamber, comprising the steps of:
- introducing a drum through a hole in a transition chamber, the drum being filled with a material, the transition chamber being disposed within a spool valve having a rotatable inner element with first and second ports disposed approximately 180 degrees from each other;
- isolating the transition chamber from an outside environment;
- rotating the inner element so that the first and second ports are aligned with an opening in the treatment chamber and a seal is aligned with the hole in the transition chamber to couple the transition chamber to the treatment chamber after the isolating step;
- and
- displacing the drum from the transition chamber.
A method of feeding drums into a treatment chamber, comprising the steps of:
- opening an interlock chamber door leading to an interlock chamber;
- moving a drum into the interlock chamber through the interlock chamber door;
- closing the interlock chamber door;
- opening a door between the interlock chamber and a transition chamber;
- moving the drum from the interlock chamber and into the transition chamber;
- closing the door;
- displacing the drum from the transition chamber and disposing of the drum in a treatment container;
- removing a volume of gas contained in the interlock chamber after the moving step;
- and
- introducing another drum into the interlock chamber after the removing step and during the displacing and disposing step.
A method of disposing of hazardous waste, comprising the steps of:
- packaging hazardous waste in a drum;
- introducing the drum into a transition chamber;
- isolating the transition chamber from an outside environment;
- coupling the transition chamber to a treatment chamber after the isolating step;
- displacing the drum from the transition chamber and into an environment of the treatment chamber;
- cutting the drum into small sections in the environment of the treatment chamber;
- during the cutting step, holding a portion of the drum with a gripping means, the gripping means being adapted to rotate the drum;
- subjecting the hazardous waste to a waste disposing plasma for breaking-down said hazardous waste into harmless substances;
- and
- withdrawing the harmless substances from the treatment chamber.
An apparatus for feeding drums into a treatment chamber comprising:
- a transition chamber;
- means for isolating the transition chamber from an outside environment;
- means for coupling the transition chamber to the treatment chamber;
- a drum manipulator having first and second jaws for grasping the drums, each jaw having a recess configured to engage a raised lip on one end of each drum
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.