Apparatus and method for sorting flat material from waste material

An apparatus for sorting flat material such as paper or plastic film from a stream of waste material, comprising:

• a conveyor, comprising:
• a circulatable air permeable conveyor member of which a portion constitutes an air permeable sorting track, extending and inclined from a lower end to an upper end;
• means for maintaining a vacuum underneath the sorting track and effective for causing suction through the air permeable sorting track;
• a supply track arranged for dropping supplied material to be sorted to a drop zone of the sorting track, the drop zone being located between the upper and lower ends of the sorting track;
• and
• a drive for driving the circulation of the conveyor member for transporting in a sense of transport from the lower end to the upper end;
• wherein the sorting track is oriented at an angle of inclination to a horizontal plane of at least 50° and wherein permeability of the sorting track and the means for maintaining a vacuum underneath the sorting track are arranged for and are effective for causing a first portion of the material to be sorted to be entrained with the conveyor member from the drop zone in a first direction of travel inclined upwardly towards the upper end of the sorting track and causing a second portion of the material to be sorted to descend from the drop zone towards the lower end of the sorting track, said first portion of the material including said flat material, said second portion of the material including material which is less susceptible to being held by said suction through the air permeable sorting track;
• and
• further comprising a sweeper between the drop zone and the upper end effective for sweeping, in a direction against the first direction of travel, flat material entrapping non-flat material off the entrapped non-flat material.

A method for sorting flat material such as paper sheets or plastic film from a stream of waste material, comprising:

• feeding the stream of waste material to a drop zone of an air permeable sorting track which is a portion of a circulatable air permeable conveyor member, said sorting track extending and being inclined from a lower end to an upper end;
• driving circulation of the conveyor member such that the sorting track moves from the lower end to the upper end;
• generating and maintaining a vacuum underneath an inclined segment of the conveyor member effective for causing suction through the air permeable sorting track;
• entraining a first portion of the material to be sorted with the conveyor member from the drop zone of the sorting track in a first direction of travel inclined upwardly towards the upper end of the sorting track and allowing a second portion of the material to be sorted to descend from the drop zone towards the lower end of the sorting track, said first portion of the material including said flat material, said second portion of the material including material which is less susceptible to being held by said suction through the air permeable sorting track, the drop zone being located between the upper and lower ends of the sorting track;
• the method further comprising sweeping, in a direction against the first direction of travel, flat material entrapping non-flat material off the entrapped non-flat material in a sweeping area between the drop zone and the upper end.