Solid material comminution or disintegration – Processes – With solidifying – consolidating or shaping
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-29
2001-10-30
Resenbaum, Mark (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Processes
With solidifying, consolidating or shaping
C241S023000, C241S024130, C241S024170, C241S065000, C241S101400, C241SDIG014
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308903
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to used tires recycling and more specifically to method and apparatus for separation of the steel in used tires from the rubber and other non-steel materials for enhanced utilization of the recycled materials.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
When tires are so worn that they are no longer useful on vehicles, they retain all of their steel content and much of their rubber. It is very costly to dispose of them. They are persistent in the environment, and present a serious fire hazard. Vehicle tires are composed primarily of rubber mixed with carbon black. They have belts at the tread composed of fine steel wires and some cords and belts of polyester plastic, rayon, or other non-metallic fibers. At the rim portion, heavy steel wire or rod is embedded in the rubber. The steel and rubber could be put to good use if an economical method could be found to separate them from one another. Methods have been proposed for grinding or cutting the tires into small pieces and then using magnets to pull out the steel. However the tire is very tough. It resists cutting and grinding. Some methods involve freezing to a very low temperature and then grinding the brittle mass before separation by flotation or magnet. These methods have not enjoyed much commercial success.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly, an object of the invention to provide apparatus and method for separation of steel from the other components of used tires that is cost effective and useful. The method of the invention comprises rotating the tire about its center while moving heated blades radially and centripetally to cut and/or melt the tire rubber and non metal materials into at least two arcuate portions. At the same time, the steel is differentially heated so that it will soften or melt any rubber or plastic in contact with it, to release the rubber and permit the rubber to be flung out centrifugally, free of constraints from the steel. This leaves the steel rotating and free of rubber. This steel is then pushed off of the rotating apparatus by an axially moving stripper apparatus. Alternative methods for differentially heating the steel include inductive heating and resistive heating by application of electric current to the steel. The apparatus may include automatic dynamic balancing means well known in the rotary apparatus art. The heated blades may move centripetally by either pivotal or translatory motion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5115983 (1992-05-01), Rutherford
patent: 5272937 (1993-12-01), Brosowske
patent: 5482215 (1996-01-01), Veres
patent: 5683038 (1997-11-01), Shinal
patent: 5715731 (1998-02-01), Koch
patent: 5794861 (1998-08-01), Rutherford
patent: 5894997 (1999-04-01), Chen
patent: 5904305 (1999-05-01), Kaczmarek
patent: 5924637 (1999-07-01), Niederholtmeyer
Blum Alvin S.
Mucciacciaro Domenic
Blum Alvin S.
Mucciacciaro Domenic
Resenbaum Mark
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