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US 6,202,948 B1Granted
Apparatus for handling mercury containing lamps
AssigneeMAG Patent, Inc.
InventorLaurence C. Kelly
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for economically handling mercury containing lamps in an efficient manner while protecting the environment against release of mercury vapors into the atmosphere. The apparatus of the present invention includes a mobile vehicle which is transportable to a facility or site where the mercury containing lamps to be destroyed are located, a mechanism mounted within an enclosure on the mobile vehicle for receiving and destroying the mercury containing lamps therewithin, and an apparatus for sensing mercury vapor levels within the enclosure of the vehicle.
Claims52
A mobile apparatus wherein spent mercury containing lamps are recycled to create non-toxic recyclable materials, comprising:
- a mobile vehicle transportable to a facility where mercury containing lamps to be recycled are located;
- a mechanism mounted within an enclosure on the mobile vehicle for receiving the spent mercury containing lamps, said mechanism including a closed chamber wherein a plurality of the spent mercury containing lamps are initially loaded and ultimately transmuted into non-toxic glass and metals particulates, with said mechanism further including an apparatus for withdrawing mercury vapors created when the spent mercury containing lamps are transmuted into glass and metal particulates, from the closed chamber and directing the mercury vapors through a filter apparatus having an inlet connected to said closed compartment and an outlet, said filter apparatus creating a non-toxic recyclable material from the mercury vapors drawn into the inlet from the said closed chamber with clean air being exhausted from said outlet of said filter apparatus;
- and
- an apparatus for monitoring and measuring mercury vapor levels within the enclosure.
1 more element
An apparatus for creating non-toxic recyclable materials from mercury containing lamps, comprising:
- a vehicle transportable to a site whereat lamps containing mercury are located;
- a vacuum operated mechanism carried within an enclosure defined on said vehicle, said mechanism including a closed housing wherein a plurality of said mercury containing lamps are loaded and subsequently crushed thereby effecting the release of mercury vapors and creating non-toxic glass and metal particulates, and with an outlet of said closed housing being connected to a filter apparatus through which said mercury vapors are drawn under the influence of vacuum to create a non-toxic recyclable material from the mercury vapors;
- and
- an apparatus for monitoring and measuring levels of mercury within said enclosure.
1 more element
An apparatus for creating non-toxic recyclable materials from mercury containing lamps, comprising:
- a mobile vehicle transportable to a facility where mercury containing lamps are located;
- a housing mounted within an enclosure defined by said vehicle, said housing including a door for allowing a plurality of the mercury containing lamps to be loaded into a first chamber defined by said housing, said housing further including a mechanism for crushing the mercury containing lamps within said first chamber thereby creating non-toxic glass and metal particulates and effecting the release of hazardous vapors from said lamps;
- and
- a mechanism for extracting substantially all hazardous vapors from said closed housing as said lamps are crushed, said mechanism including a filter apparatus which creates non-toxic recyclable by product material from the hazardous vapors extracted from the closed housing and which result from the mercury containing lamps being crushed within the housing.
1 more element
An apparatus for creating non-toxic recyclable materials from mercury containing lamps, comprising:
- a mobile vehicle transportable to a facility where mercury containing lamps are located;
- a closed housing mounted within an enclosure defined by said vehicle, said housing including a door for allowing a plurality of the mercury containing lamps to be loaded into a first chamber defined by said housing, said housing further including a mechanism for crushing the mercury containing lamps within said first chamber thereby creating non-toxic glass and metal particulates and effecting the release of mercury vapors from said lamps;
- a mechanism for extracting substantially all hazardous mercury vapors from said closed housing as said lamps are crushed, said mechanism including a filter apparatus which creates non-toxic recyclable by product material from the hazardous mercury vapors extracted from the closed housing;
- and
- a mechanism for monitoring and measuring the level of mercury vapors in said enclosure.
2 more elements
An apparatus for creating non-toxic recyclable materials from mercury containing lamps, comprising:
- a mobile vehicle transportable to a facility where mercury containing lamps are located;
- a closed housing mounted within an enclosure defined by said vehicle, said housing including a door for allowing a plurality of the mercury containing lamps to be loaded into a first chamber defined by said housing, said housing further including a mechanism for crushing the mercury containing lamps within said first chamber thereby creating non-toxic glass and metal particulates and effecting the release of mercury vapors from said lamps;
- a mechanism for extracting substantially all hazardous mercury vapors from said closed housing as said lamps are crushed, said mechanism including a filter apparatus which creates non-toxic recyclable by product material from the hazardous mercury vapors extracted from the closed housing, with said filter apparatus having a dual filter apparatus including a primary mercury filter and a secondary mercury filter;
- and
- a mechanism, operably disposed between said primary mercury filter and said secondary mercury filter, for monitoring and measuring the level of mercury vapors in said enclosure.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.