# US 8,465,618 B2 · Recovery of high value rubber from tires > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,465,618 B2 - Document ID: US8465618B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/288,498 - Filed: 2008-10-21 - Published: 2011-02-03 - Granted: 2013-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-22 - Assignees: Rubber Recovery Solutions, LLC - Applicants: Edward McMahon; Uwe Zitzow - Inventors: Edward McMahon; Uwe Zitzow - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465618B2 ## CPC - B26D 3/28: Splitting layers from work; Mutually separating layers by cutting (B26D3/30 takes precedence; Recovery of plastics or other constituents of waste material containing plastics B29B17/00) - B26D 3/005: {for cutting used tyres} - B29B 17/02: Separating plastics from other materials - B29B 17/0412: {to large particles, e.g. beads, granules, flakes, slices} - B26D 7/01: Means for holding or positioning work - B29B 2017/0428: {Jets of high pressure fluid} - B29B 2017/044: {Knives} - B29K 2021/00: Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material - B29K 2705/12: Iron - B29L 2030/00: Pneumatic or solid tyres or parts thereof {(conveyor belts B29L2031/7092; drive belts B29L2031/7094; fourdrinier belts B29L2031/733)} - Y02W 30/52: Mechanical processing of waste for the recovery of materials, e.g. crushing, shredding, separation or disassembly - Y02W 30/62: Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling - Y10T 83/04: Processes - Y10T 152/10783: Reinforcing plies made up from wound narrow ribbons - Y10T 156/1052: with cutting, punching, tearing or severing - Y10T 156/1059: Splitting sheet lamina in plane intermediate of faces - Y10T 156/108: Flash, trim or excess removal - Y10T 156/11: Methods of delaminating, per se; i.e. , separating at bonding face - Y10T 156/12: Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with cutting, punching, piercing, severing or tearing - Y10T 156/1967: Cutting delaminating means - B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04) - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A process for recovering rubber from a tire, the tire including a rubber tread block, steel belting, and an inner liner that serves to hold the air pressure in the tire. The bead and sidewall may be removed from the tire leaving a loop of tread material. Next, the loop is placed on a rubber-separating machine to hold the loop in place. One or more cutting blades are lowered into position at the tread portion of the tire. Once the blades are in place, the tread loop is placed in motion around the rollers. As the blades contact the steel belts, the cutting blades separate the tread rubber from the reinforced rubber at the interface between the tread rubber and the steel belts. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of recovering rubber from a manufactured tire, the tire comprising one or more steel belts and a tread portion above the steel belts, the method comprising the steps of: (a) supporting directly the tread portion of the tire, the support being located directly beneath the tread portion; (b) providing a cutting blade, the cutting blade being located directly above the supported tread portion of the tire; (c) positioning the cutting blade so that the cutting edge of the cutting blade extends axially across the tread portion; (d) guiding the cutting blade through the tread portion until the cutting blade reaches the interface between the tread portion and the steel belts; and (e) moving said tire relative to the cutting blade so that the cutting blade separates the tread portion of the tire from the steel belts at the interface between the tread portion and the steel belts. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the cutting blade is at least as wide as the tread portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 where the tread portion is removed in a single strip. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the cutting blade is actuated by pneumatic means. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the cutting blade is heated. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method in claim 1 where the cutting blade is a chisel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 where the chisel has a beveled edge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of orienting the cutting blade so that the beveled edge is parallel to the interface between the rubber and the steel belts. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of removing the sidewalls of the tire prior to positioning the cutting blade. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of cutting the tire across its width after the sidewalls have been removed to form a flat strip.