US-12623848-B2 - System, apparatus, and method for mobile refuse sorting station

Abstract

A device for sorting waste includes: a first conveyance module including a first conveyor belt movably mounted thereon, the first conveyance module include a hopper disposed at a first end of the first conveyor belt, the hopper being configured to receive waste; a second conveyance module including a second conveyor belt movably mounted thereon, the second conveyance module being coupled to the first conveyance module such that a first end of the second conveyor belt is positioned adjacent to a second end of the first conveyor belt; a first drain pan disposed underneath the first end of the first conveyor belt and aligned with the hopper; and a second drain pan disposed underneath the second end of the first conveyor belt and the first end of the second conveyor belt.

Inventors

• Derek Ruckman

Assignees

• L&R, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20231026

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A device for sorting waste material, the device comprising: a first conveyance module including a first conveyor belt movably mounted thereon, the first conveyor belt having a first end and an opposing second end, the first conveyance module include a hopper disposed at the first end of the first conveyor belt, the hopper being configured to receive the waste material; a second conveyance module including a second conveyor belt movably mounted thereon, the second conveyor belt having a first end and an opposing second end, the second conveyance module being coupled to the first conveyance module such that the first end of the second conveyor belt is positioned adjacent to the second end of the first conveyor belt; a first drain pan disposed underneath the first end of the first conveyor belt and aligned with the hopper; a second drain pan disposed underneath the second end of the first conveyor belt and the first end of the second conveyor belt; and a waste leveling member disposed within the hopper of the first conveyance module, the waste leveling member having an arc shape with an apex of the arc facing toward the second end of the first conveyor belt.
2. 2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first conveyor belt is positioned at an angle such that liquid from the waste material on the first conveyor belt flows toward the first end of the first conveyor belt and into the first drain pan, and wherein the second conveyor belt is positioned at an angle such that liquid from the waste material on the second conveyor belt flows toward the first end of the second conveyor belt and into the second drain pan.
3. 3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the first conveyor belt includes a pattern of raised ridges formed on a surface of the first conveyor belt, the pattern of raised ridges of the first conveyor belt directing the liquid on the first conveyor belt toward the first end of the first conveyor belt, and aiding in preventing the liquid on the first conveyor belt from spilling over at least a portion of side edges of the first conveyor belt.
4. 4 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the second conveyor belt includes a pattern of raised ridges formed on a surface of the second conveyor belt, the pattern of raised ridges of the second conveyor belt directing the liquid on the second conveyor belt toward the first end of the second conveyor belt, and aiding in preventing the liquid on the second conveyor belt from spilling over at least a portion of side edges of the second conveyor belt.
5. 5 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the angle of the first conveyor belt and the angle of the second conveyor belt are both adjustable.
6. 6 . The device of claim 2 , further comprising: a first set of legs coupled to the first conveyance module adjacent to the first end of the first conveyor belt; a second set of legs coupled to the first conveyance module adjacent to the second end of the first conveyor belt, and to the second conveyance module adjacent to the first end of the second conveyor belt; and a third set of legs coupled to the second conveyance module adjacent to the second end of the second conveyor belt, wherein a height of each respective set of legs is adjustable to adjust the angle of the first conveyor belt and the angle of the second conveyor belt.
7. 7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein: the height of the first set of legs is adjustable to adjust a height of the first end of the first conveyor belt relative to the second end of the first conveyor belt; the height of the second set of legs is adjustable to adjust a height of the second end of the first conveyor belt relative to the first end of the first conveyor belt, and to adjust a height of the first end of the second conveyor belt relative to the second end of the second conveyor belt; and the height of the third set of legs is adjustable to adjust a height of the second end of the second conveyor belt relative to the first end of the second conveyor belt.
8. 8 . The device of claim 6 , wherein each respective set of legs includes a pair of vertical support members extending downward from a respective end of one of the conveyor belts, a caster coupled to each of the pair of vertical support members, and a jack coupled to each of the pair of vertical support members, the jacks of each respective set of legs being operable to raise or lower the respective end of the conveyor belt from which the pair of vertical support members extend.
9. 9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first drain pan is slidably coupled to the first conveyance module or to a set of legs coupled to the first conveyance module.
10. 10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first drain pan is coupled to the first conveyance module or to a set of legs coupled to the first conveyance module, and includes a liquid reservoir and a grate mounted thereon configured to catch solid and semi-solid waste material that falls off the first end of the first conveyor belt.
11. 11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the grate is movable between a stowed position and an extended position, the grate in the stowed position being substantially underneath a front edge of the first conveyor belt and aligned with the hopper, the grate in the extended position extending away from the front edge of the first conveyor belt such that the grate is not aligned with the hopper.
12. 12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the second drain pan is coupled to the first conveyance module, the second conveyance module, a set of legs that is coupled to the first conveyance module, a set of legs that is coupled to the second conveyance module, or any combination thereof.
13. 13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the second drain pan includes a liquid reservoir and a grate mounted thereon configured to catch solid and semi-solid waste material that falls off the second end of the first conveyor belt, the first end of the second conveyor belt, or both.
14. 14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the grate is movable between a stowed position and an extended position, the grate in the stowed position being aligned with the second drain pan and substantially underneath the first conveyor belt, the second conveyor belt, or both, the grate in the extended position extending out from underneath the first conveyor belt, the second conveyor belt, or both.
15. 15 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a brush coupled to the second end of the first conveyor belt, the brush including a first set of bristles extending toward and contacting a bottom surface of the first conveyor belt, and a second set of bristles extending toward and contacting a top surface of the second conveyor belt.
16. 16 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the hopper includes: a front wall disposed adjacent to a front edge of the first end of the first conveyor belt; a first side wall disposed adjacent to a first side edge of the first end of the first conveyor belt; an opposing second side wall disposed adjacent to a second side edge of the first end of the first conveyor belt; and a back wall spaced apart from the front wall and extending between the first side wall and the second side wall, a bottom edge of the back wall being positioned above and spaced apart from a top surface of the first conveyor belt.
17. 17 . The device of claim 16 , further comprising a brush coupled to the bottom edge of the back wall of the hopper, the brush including a set of bristles extending toward and contacting the top surface of the first end of the first conveyor belt, such that waste material on the first conveyor belt within the hopper passes through the set of bristles toward the second end of the first conveyor belt.
18. 18 . The device of claim 16 , wherein a bottom edge of the waste leveling member is positioned closer to the top surface of the first conveyor belt than the bottom edge of the back wall of the hopper.
19. 19 . The device of claim 18 , wherein a position of the waste leveling member within the hopper is set to achieve a desired burden depth of the waste material outside the hopper.
20. 20 . A device for sorting waste material, the device comprising: a first conveyance module including a first conveyor belt movably mounted thereon, the first conveyor belt having a first end and an opposing second end, the first conveyance module include a hopper disposed at the first end of the first conveyor belt, the hopper being configured to receive the waste material, wherein the hopper includes: a front wall disposed adjacent to a front edge of the first end of the first conveyor belt; a first side wall disposed adjacent to a first side edge of the first end of the first conveyor belt; an opposing second side wall disposed adjacent to a second side edge of the first end of the first conveyor belt; and a back wall spaced apart from the front wall and extending between the first side wall and the second side wall, a bottom edge of the back wall being positioned above and spaced apart from a top surface of the first conveyor belt, a second conveyance module including a second conveyor belt movably mounted thereon, the second conveyor belt having a first end and an opposing second end, the second conveyance module being coupled to the first conveyance module such that the first end of the second conveyor belt is positioned adjacent to the second end of the first conveyor belt; a first drain pan disposed underneath the first end of the first conveyor belt and aligned with the hopper; a second drain pan disposed underneath the second end of the first conveyor belt and the first end of the second conveyor belt; and a waste leveling member disposed within the hopper, a bottom edge of the waste leveling member being positioned closer to the top surface of the first conveyor belt than the bottom edge of the back wall of the hopper, the waste leveling member having an arc shape with an apex of the arc facing toward the second end of the first conveyor belt.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/419,771, filed on Oct. 27, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure relates generally to on-site solid waste and recyclable materials management. More particularly, the present disclosure related to a material sorting machine that includes one or more conveyor belts that can be positioned at a variety of different angles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A problem exists in the in the recycling-reclamation industry in that it is difficult to remove non-biodegradable, non-acceptable, and other identifiable contamination from composting and recyclable materials prior to sending the composted material offsite for final processing and use. When unable to remove the contaminates and recyclables from compostable material, the entire load becomes unusable and must be sent to a landfill. Besides the lost use of the materials, there is environmental and financial waste associated with the cost of landfilling recyclable materials and compost. This problem is uniquely manifested at large events such as outdoor concerts and sporting events in stadiums and arenas. Receptacle separation and hand sorting proved to be inefficient and inconsistent as a solution to this problem. Sorting facilities (known as Material Recovery Facilities or “MRFs”) are conventionally handled off-site at large, dedicated facilities frequently owned by companies or entities that often also own landfills. As a result, there is often an economic incentive to landfill the materials without sorting, let alone optimally sorting, the recyclables out of the materials properly destined for landfills. As result of landfilling being a more lucrative endeavor, there is an ongoing and inherent conflict-of-interest against a high-quality recycling process. Many of the MRFs are located off-site where compacted material arrives in the least optimal condition for sorting equipment. Compaction rates of material in collection vehicles can drastically impact the amount of residuals generated (“residuals” are materials that are rejected as non-recyclable at MRFs). The goal of these large MRFs is to maximize throughput, not careful recycling; thus, processed materials have significant percentages of residuals. Often, residual percentages are not regulated or a permitted condition of operating for these facilities. The present disclosure is related to systems and methods for facilitating the receiving, separating, and preparing of recyclable materials for end-user markets, and/or for sorting recyclable material into the appropriate sorted commodities (paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, glass, etc.). All these and other objects of the present disclosure will be understood through the detailed description below. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a device for sorting waste material. The device includes a first conveyance module, a second conveyance module, a first drain pan, and a second drain pan. The first conveyance module includes a first conveyor belt movably mounted thereon, which has a first end and an opposing second end. The first conveyance module includes a hopper disposed at the first end of the first conveyor belt, which is configured to receive the waste material. The second conveyance module includes a second conveyor belt movably mounted thereon, which has a first end and an opposing second end. The second conveyance module is coupled to the first conveyance module such that the first end of the second conveyor belt is positioned adjacent to the second end of the first conveyor belt. The first drain pan is disposed underneath the first end of the first conveyor belt and aligned with the hopper. The second drain pan is disposed underneath the second end of the first conveyor belt and the first end of the second conveyor belt. Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be described with greater specificity and clarity with reference to the following drawings, in which: FIG. 1A is a first perspective view of a device for sorting waste material, according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B is a second perspective view of the device of FIG. 1A, according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is a side view of the device of FIGS. 1A and 1B arranged in a first position, according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 2B is a side view of the device of FIGS. 1A and 1B arranged in a second position, according to aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 2C is a side view of the device of FIGS. 1A and 1B arranged in a third position, according to aspects of t