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US 6,238,516 B1Granted
System and method for cleaning, processing, and recycling materials
OwnerDana L. Watson, Russell Harris Poy +2inventors
InventorsDana L. Watson, Russell Harris Poy, Christopher Mark Kulakowski, Daniel Brian Mulligan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Washing machines are uiized to recycle plastic and cellulose from disposed diapers. The disposed diapers are loaded into a washing machine and, while being agitated, are washed in water, alkali and soap. During washing, the cellulose becomes separated from the plastic. The cellulose is drained out of the washing machine with the water, leaving the plastic in the washing machine. A pump transfers the cellulose and water to another washing machine for furter cleaning. In addition, other products, such as milk cartons and drink boxes, newspaper, and office waste paper, can be processed.
Claims37
A method for recycling materials from disposed products, said disposed products comprising cellulose materials and noncellulose materials, said noncellulose materials comprising plastic material comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a first washing machine and a second washing machine, the first washing machine being a continuous batch washing machine;
- b) loading said disposed products, water, and alkali into said first washing machine, said water and alkali forming a first wash liquor;
- c) washing said disposed products in said first washing machine by agitating said load of disposed products in said first wash liquor so as to separate said cellulose material from said noncellulose material;
- d) draining said cellulose material and water out of said first washing machine, while retaining said noncellulose material in said first washing machine;
- e) continuing to wash said noncellulose material with water in said first washing machine until said noncellulose material is clean, wherein said noncellulose material is removed from said first washing machine;
- f) transferring said cellulose material to said second washing machine and loading said cellulose material into said second washing machine;
- g) washing said cellulose material with a second wash liquor that comprises water and alkali in said second washing machine until said cellulose material is cleaned, wherein said cellulose material is removed from said second washing machine.
4 more elements
A method of processing materials from substantially unpulped disposed products, said products having several layers of said materials comprising paper and nonpaper bonded together, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a washing machine having a first module and a first basket having openings therein which is rotatable in the first module, said openings being in a periphery of said first basket and having a second module located adjacent to the first module, the second module having a second basket therein, the second basket having openings in a periphery thereof and being rotatable in the second module;
- b) introducing water and an alkali into said first basket;
- c) loading said substantially unpulped disposed products into said first basket;
- having a second basket therein, the second basket having openings in a periphery thereof and being rotatable in the second module;
- b) introducing water and an alkali into said first basket;
- c) loading said substantially unpulped disposed products into said first basket;
- d) rotating said first basket into which said substantially unpulped disposed products have been loaded inside of said first module so as to move said first basket periphery through said water and so as to agitate said substantially unpulped disposed products, thus causing separation of said paper material from said nonpaper material and pulping of said paper material;
- e) transferring the pulped paper material and the nonpaper material in said first basket into the second basket;
- f) rotating the second basket so as to further agitate the pulped paper material and the nonpader material;
- g) removing said pulped paper material from the second basket through said second basket openings while retaining said nonpaper material therein.
7 more elements
A method of recycling materials from cellulose and non-cellulose materials, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing first and second washing machines;
- b) cleaning said cellulose and non-cellulose materials in said first washing machine using water, alkali and a surfactant;
- c) removing said cellulose material from said first washing machine;
- d) cleaning said cellulose material in said second washing machine using water, alkali and a surfactant;
- e) continuing to clean said non-cellulose material in said first washing machine, after said cellulose material has been removed therefrom, using an abrasive material;
- f) injecting ozone into said first and second washing machines during said cleaning steps to increase agitation.
3 more elements
A method of processing disposed products for recycling, the disposed products comprising cellulose materials and noncellulose materials, said noncellulose materials comprising waste material, comprising the step of:
- a) providing a washing machine, said washing machine comprising a first chamber with a first basket located inside of the first chamber and a second chamber with a second basket located inside of the second chamber, the second chamber being located adjacent to the first chamber;
- b) loading the disposed products and water into the first basket;
- c) adjusting the pH of the disposed products and water mixture in the first basket by adding an alkali;
- d) rotating the first basket so as to agitate the disposed products located therein, thus causing the separation of the waste material from the cellulose materials and the noncellulose materials;
- e) removing the waste material and water from the first basket through perforations in the first basket;
- f) transferring the cellulose materials and the noncelluose materials from the first basket to the second basket;
- g) providing water in the second basket;
- h) rotating the second basket inside of the second chamber so as to agitate the cellulose materials and the noncellulose materials inside of the second basket;
- thus causing separation of cellulose materials from the noncellulose materials and causing the cellulose materials to pulp;
- i) removing the pulped cellulose materials and water from the second basket through perforations in the second basket.
7 more elements
A method of processing disposed products for recycling, the disposed products comprising cellulose materials and noncellulose materials, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a washing machine having a plurality of perforated baskets, each of the baskets being rotatable inside of a respective chamber, the baskets being connected in-line with each other so as to form a tunnel;
- b) loading the disposed products and water into a first one of the baskets;
- c) adjusting the pH of the disposed products and water mixture in the first basket by adding an alkali;
- d) rotating the first basket inside of the respective first basket chamber so as to agitate the disposed products located therein;
- e) transferring the disposed products from the first basket to an adjacent second one of the baskets;
- f) providing additional water and alkali in the second basket;
- g) rotating the second basket inside of the respective second basket chamber so as to agitate the disposed products therein;
- h) continuing to transfer the disposed products to a next adjacent one of the baskets and rotating the adjacent basket inside of the respective basket chamber so as to agitate the disposed products therein, thus causing separation of the cellulose materials from the noncellulose materials and causing the cellulose materials to pulp;
- i) after the cellulose materials have been pulped, removing the pulped cellulose materials from the respective baskets through perforations in the baskets.
6 more elements
A method of processing materials from disposed products containing cellulose material and noncellulose material, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a washing machine having a perforated basket located therein, said basket having ribs located therein, said basket being inside of a chamber;
- b) loading said disposed products and water into said basket, said water forming a wash liquor in a bottom of said basket and said chamber;
- c) adjusting a pH of the wash liquor by adding an alkali to the wash liquor;
- d) rotating said basket inside of said chamber so as to move a portion of said basket and the products therein through the water and so as to lift said products with the ribs and then allowing the products to drop from the ribs directly down to the wash liquor, thus causing said cellulose material to separate from said noncellulose material;
- e) draining said cellulose material from said basket through said perforations and then from the chamber while retaining said noncellulose material in said basket;
- f) the step of rotating said basket further comprises the step of rotating said basket first in one direction and then rotating said basket in the reverse direction from said one direction.
3 more elements
In a method of processing materials from disposed products having several layers of said materials comprising paper and nonpaper bonded together, through the use of a continuous batch washing machine including a series of modules, with each module having an open ended perforated basket rotatable therein, with the baskets ananged in end to end relation and having means by which a batch in each may be transferred into a subsequent basket through their ends in response to a predetermined sequence of rotation thereof, the steps of:
- a) introducing water and an alkali into the first and subsequent modules of a process zone of the machine to form a bath of wash liquor in the baskets thereof;
- b) loading successive batches of the disposed products into a first basket of said process zone;
- c) rotating said first basket and successive baskets of said process zone so as to wet and clean the batch in the wash liquor thereof and agitate the batch to cause the paper and nonpaper layers to separate and pulp said paper;
- d) draining wash liquor from the module or modules of the process zone and replacing it with a bath of wash liquor from the basket next-closest to an outlet, thus causing the wash liquor in the modules to flow in counter-flow relation to the batch;
- e) rotating each such basket in the process zone in said predetermined sequence to transfer the separated layers therein into a subsequent basket of the process zone and to transfer the separated layers in the last basket of the process zone into a basket of a subsequent separation zone of the machine;
- f) introducing water into the module of the basket of the separation zone of the machine to form a bath of rinse liquor in the basket;
- g) rotating the basket of the separation zone to cause the separated layers to be rinsed in the water thereof, and
- h) separately removing non-paper layers and pulped paper from the basket of the separation zone.
5 more elements
A method of processing materials from disposed products, the disposed products comprising cellulose material and noncellulose material, comprising the steps of:
- a) loading the disposed products into a perforated basket of a washing machine, the basket being located in a chamber;
- b) providing a wash liquor in a bottom portion of the basket and the chamber;
- c) washing the disposed products in the wash liquor by rotating the basket inside of the chamber in an oscillating manner and through the wash liquor so as to agitate the disposed products and causing the cellulose material to separate from the noncellulose material;
- d) removing the cellulose material from the basket through the basket perforations while retaining at least a portion of the noncellulose material in the basket;
- e) unloading the retained portion of the noncellulose material from the washing machine.
2 more elements
A method of processing materials from disposed products, the disposed products comprising cellulose material and noncellulose material, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a plurality of perforated baskets in a washing machine, the baskets being connecting in-line with each other so as to form a tunnel, the baskets being in respective chambers;
- b) loading the disposed products into a first one of the baskets of the washing machine;
- c) providing a bath in a bottom portion of each of the baskets;
- d) washing the disposed products in the respective baths by rotating the baskets inside of the respective chambers and through the respective baths so as to agitate the disposed products and/or the cellulose and noncellulose materials located therein and causing the cellulose material to separate from the noncellulose material;
- e) periodically transferring the disposed products and/or the cellulose and noncellulose materials from a one basket to a next adjacent basket;
- f) removing the cellulose material from the respective baskets through the perforations in the baskets, while retaining at least a portion of the noncellulose material in the baskets;
- g) unloading the retained noncellulose material from a last one of the baskets.
4 more elements
A method of processing materials from disposed products, the disposed products comprising cellulose material and noncellulose material, the cellulose material is in an unpulped form, the noncellulose material comprises plastic that forms a covering on the unpulped cellulose material, comprising the steps of:
- a) loading the disposed products into a perforated basket of a washing machine, the basket being located in a chamber;
- b) providing a wash liquor in a bottom portion of the basket and the chamber;
- c) washing the disposed products in the wash liquor by rotating the basket inside of the chamber and through the wash liquor so as to agitate the disposed products, and penetating the plastc so as to wet the cellulose material during the washing of the disposed products, and causing the cellulose-material to separate from the noncelluose material;
- d) pulping the cellulose material by rotating the basket so as to agitate the disposed products in the wash liquor before the cellulose material is removed from the basket, the disposed products being lifted out of the wash liquor and then dropped back into the wash liquor;
- e) removing the cellulose material from the basket through the basket perforations while retaining at least a portion of the noncellulose material in the basket;
- f) unloading the retained portion of the noncellulose material from the washing machine.
3 more elements
A method of processing materials from disposed products, the disposed products comprising cellulose material and noncellulose material, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a plurality of perforated baskets in the washing machine, the baskets being located in respective chambers, the baskets being connecting in-line with each other so as form a tunnel;
- b) loading the disposed products into a first one of the baskets of the washing machine;
- c) providing a bath in a bottom portion of each of the baskets and the respective chambers;
- d) periodically transferring the disposed products and/or the cellulose and noncellulose materials from one of the baskets to a next adjacent basket, and transferring the bath of the next adjacent basket to the one basket;
- e) washing the disposed products in the wash liquor by rotating the baskets in an oscillating manner inside of the respective chambers through the respective baths so as to agitate the disposed products causing the cellulose material to separate from the noncellulose material;
- f) removing the cellulose material from the respective baskets through perforations in the baskets, while retaining at least a portion of the noncellulose material in the baskets;
- g) unloading the retained noncellulose material from the washing machine.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.