Paper making and fiber liberation – Processes of chemical liberation – recovery or purification... – Waste paper or textile waste
Reexamination Certificate
1995-02-21
2001-05-29
Lamb, Brenda A. (Department: 1734)
Paper making and fiber liberation
Processes of chemical liberation, recovery or purification...
Waste paper or textile waste
C162S057000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238516
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to systems and methods for cleaning, processing, and/or recycling materials from disposed or disposable products such as diapers, newspapers, office paper, milk cartons, drink or juice boxes, and glass and rubber products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Disposable diapers are primarily made up of plastic and cellulose. The plastic provides a moisture-proof lining on the outside of the diaper and the cellulose provides the bulky absorbent media on the inside. The diaper essentially provides a bag that is worn by a human being. The cellulose holds and retains all moisture, while the plastic ensures that there is no leakage through the bag. Some disposable diapers are marketed under names such as “ultra thin” or the like. These diapers use less cellulose and include a super absorbent molecule (SAM), which absorbs as much as one thousand times its own mass in water.
Disposable diapers have become immensely popular. Disposable diapers of course are used just once and thrown away after they have been soiled with waste material. The ultimate disposal of the diapers typically involves transporting them to the local landfill. Environmentalists decry this disposal of diapers as being wasteful both in the manufacture and disposal of the diapers. The manufacture of disposable diapers requires forest products to obtain the necessary cellulose, while the disposal of the diapers utilizes valuable landfill space. Many communities around the country are seeing the exhaustion of their landfill space in conjunction with the political difficulty of finding new landfill space. Thus, there is a real need to reclaim the materials in disposable diapers.
The same can also be said of newspapers, which are read and then thrown away. Recycling of newsprint from newspapers has been going on for some time. There is also a need to recycle the paper found in disposed products such as office waste. Such products include writing paper, typing paper, copier paper, and paper from printers (such as used in conjunction with computers). A typical first step in recycling materials such as newsprint is cleaning to remove any contaminants. In the case of newsprint, the paper is cleaned to remove ink. Prior art methods of recycling newsprint involves soaking the newsprint in vats. The newsprint is then transferred to other, successively cleaner vats. Unforttmately, the ink follows the newsprint from vat to vat, making it difficult to satisfactorily clean the newsprint. Other materials, such as rubber and glass, are cleaned in the first steps of recycling.
There is also a need to recycle the materials from laminated paper goods such as milk cartons and drink or juice boxes. These goods utilize sheets of materials that include multiple layers of plastic and paper. The paper is typically interposed between layers of plastic, in essence providing some measure of waterproofing to the paper. In addition, the paper can be of a high wet strength, wherein the paper is difficult to separate from the plastic layers and also difficult to pulp. In the prior art, there is Ponzielli, U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,717, which uses a hydrapulper-like apparatus to process such goods. Ponzielli acts like a blender to shred the goods during processing. Such shredding diminishes the commercial value of the recycled materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for recycling materials, such as plastic and cellulose, from disposed products such as disposable diapers.
It is a further object to recycle products containing plastic and cellulose by separating the plastic and other noncellulose materials from the cellulose and cleaning the materials.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for cleaning soiled wood pulp goods such as cellulose and newsprint from newspapers and inked or soiled paper (such as office paper).
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for cleaning rubber goods, such as used tires, for recycling.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for cleaning glass objects for recycling.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing materials from laminated paper goods such as milk cartons and drink boxes.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for composting organic waste such as food and yard waste.
The method of the present invention recycles cellulose material and noncellulose material such as plastic from disposed products. First and second washing machines, which are suitable for washing textile goods, are provided for washing the disposed products. The disposed products, water, alkali and a surfactant are loaded into the first washing machine. The disposed products are then agitated in the first washing machine so as to separate the cellulose material from the noncellulose material. The cellulose material and water are drained out of the first washing machine while retaining the noncellulose material inside of the first washing machine. The noncellulose material is washed in the first washing machine until the noncellulose material is clean. The cellulose material is transferred to the second washing machine and washed therein with water, alkali and soap until the cellulose material is clean.
The system of the present invention recycles cellulose material and noncellulose from disposed products. The system includes a first washing machine, a second washing machine and transfer means. The first washing machine is for washing goods and includes a first chamber and a first basket. The first chamber is adapted to contain water and has a drain for draining the contents of the first chamber. The first basket is contained in the first chamber and is adapted to contain the products. The first basket has openings so as to pass a mixture of the cellulose material and water therethrough and so as to retain the noncellulose inside of the first basket. The first basket is movable so as to agitate the products inside thereof. The second washing machine is also for washing goods and includes a second chamber and a second basket. The second basket is contained in the second chamber. The second chamber is adapted to contain water and has a drain for draining the contents of the second chamber. The second basket has openings with smaller openings than the openings of the first basket so as to pass water therethrough while retaining the cellulose material therein. The second basket is movable so as to agitate the contents thereof The second washing machine has input means for receiving said cellulose material into said second washing machine. The transfer means is for transferring the mixture of cellulose material and water from the first washing machine to the second washing machine input means. The transfer means has an input that is connected to the first chamber drain and has an output that discharges to the second chamber input means.
In one aspect, the system of the present invention provides that the first basket is lined with a first mesh, which first mesh provides the appropriate sized first basket perforations so as to pass a mixture of said cellulose material and water therethrough while retaining said plastic inside of said first basket. The second basket is lined with a second mesh, which second mesh provides the appropriate sized second basket perforations so as to pass water therethrough while retaining said cellulose material inside of said second basket.
With the present invention, the primary materials making up disposable diapers and other cellulose type products are recovered and cleaned for subsequent use. Disposable diapers are made up of cellulose and a plastic barrier for holding moisture and waste material inside of the diaper. Soiled disposed diapers are first washed in a first washing machine so as to separate the plastic and cellulose from each other. The cellulose drains out of the first washing machine with the water and waste material. The plastic stays in the f
Kulakowski Christopher Mark
Mulligan Daniel Brian
Poy Russell Harris
Watson Dana L.
Lamb Brenda A.
Mantooth Geoffrey A.
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