Abstract: A digesting system for disposal and separation of the component materials, including potentially toxic materials, from used fluorescent tubes, which breaks up fluorescent tubes with a rotating fracture blade while passing a critical amount of stripping air through the fracture zone and countercurrently through a countercurrent flow zone with the fractured glass. The small dust and powder particulates separated from the glass by the countercurrent air stream are then separated from the air stream by a sequence including an initial cyclone or the like from which particulate material collected may be removed during continued operation and by subsequent fine filter means and a final activated carbon filter to remove metallic vapors.

Abstract: A device for crushing glass bottles and other glass containers. This comprises a rectangular housing having an intake slot at the top which directs the intake containers down an inclined plane to an abutment in the interior of the housing which defines a chute for directing the intake containers into the path of a rotating battering ram in the exhaust section of the housing where they are smashed. A frustoconical member focusses the smashed products into a collection pail for periodic removal. Flying glass is minimized by the presence of freely swinging rubber flaps across the intake path, and the angular relationships between the intake and exhaust sections of the housing.

Abstract: A disposal system for the grinding, sorting, and sanitization of medical waste with sanitizing liquid includes a hollow housing. The hollow housing includes a grinding device to grind the medical waste, a receiving device to receive and sort the ground medical waste into lighter and heavier fragments and sanitize the same. The receiving device is pivotally mounted in the housing so as to be rotated outwards therefrom. The housing includes a returning device and a discharging device for respectively returning and discharging the sanitizing liquid. The housing includes an electrical control device to activate the grinding device, the receiving device, the returning device and the discharging device.

Abstract: A medical waste disposal system is provided for disposing of biologically contaminated waste material situated inside a rigid, form-stable container. The disposal system includes a processing unit for shredding the waste material into a shredded mass and for transporting the shredded mass into a disintegrator. The disintegrator mixes the shredded mass with a liquid disinfectant solution to disinfect the shredded mass and disintegrates the shredded mass into an unrecognizable particulate waste material.

Abstract: Infectious medical waste is rendered non-infectious by an apparatus that includes a hopper into which the infectious waste is charged, a pair of grinders or other destruction devices that reduce the waste materials to small particles, a first heating station where harmful life forms are destroyed and a cooling station where the ground and heated materials are cooled to a level safe for handling by conventional trash removal personnel. Sharps containers are cut apart by an externally mounted sharps container cutter that cuts the containers apart before they reach the grinders.

Abstract: A syringe disposal apparatus has a portable collection unit (1) and a processing unit (2'). The collection unit (1) has an in-feed mechanism (11) to allow syringes to be introduced into the collection unit (1); and an interlock mechanism (12) suitable for removably securing the collection unit (1) to the processing unit (2') and emptying the syringes from the collection unit (1) into the processing unit (2').

Abstract: A digesting system for disposal and separation of the component materials, including potentially toxic materials, from used fluorescent tubes, wherein the fluorescent tubes are fractured with a rotating fracture blade while passing stripping air through the fracture zone and the fractured glass is then passed countercurrently through a countercurrent flow zone with a rapid flow of stripping air. As the fractured glass particulates descend or fall through the countercurrent flow stripping gas zone, they impact upon a plurality of baffles or impact surfaces that jar the particulates separating additional small powder particulates from the surface of the glass particles.

Abstract: An apparatus for disposing of medical industrial waste by crushing comprises an opening for use in putting the industrial waste therethrough, a door for use in opening and closing the opening, a waste conveyor unit, a crushing unit for crushing the medical industrial waste conveyed by the conveyor unit, a discharging unit for discharging the waste crushed by the crushing unit, a container for storing the crushed waste discharged from the conveyor unit, and a sterilizing unit. The crushing unit includes fixed blades and rotary blades and the crushed material discharged from the crushing unit is stored in the container as the rotary blades rotates.

Abstract: A compact apparatus for processing disposable containers at their collecting site uses a single pair of counter-rotating crushing rollers mounted one above the other. The containers are dropped against the upper surface of an indented feeding roller parallel and adjacent to the lower crushing roller. The cans are caught by a the peripheral indentations of the feeding rollers and horizontally kicked between the merging surfaces of the crushing rollers. An indented take-up roller on the opposite side of the lowest crushing roller catches the crushed containers and propels them obliquely upwards into a collecting bin.

Abstract: An apparatus for grinding hypodermic syringes or needles, IV needles and other medical waste into relatively fine particles. The apparatus includes a housing having a case therein defining an inlet and an outlet. A plurality of rotors are disposed in the case, and each of the rotors has a plurality of radially outwardly extending teeth therein which interact with teeth on the other rotors to grind the syringes or needles. A discharge valve is provided for controlling the flow of particles discharged from the case. The teeth on the rotors are longitudinally and circumferentially spaced. Generally, the teeth on at least one of the rotors extend between the teeth on another of the rotors. Also, the teeth on at least a pair of the rotors have angled sides which are angled in opposite directions such that the angled sides of the teeth on one rotor generally face, and are aligned with, the corresponding angled sides of the teeth on the other rotor.

Abstract: A densification apparatus for use in recycling plastic containers utilizes a hopper with a movable lid to feed collected plastic containers to a continuous chain conveyor having a plurality of wedge-shape teeth which perforate the containers and urge them between a set of compression plates and rollers such that the plastics are compressed beyond their ability to resume their original shape. The vertical conveyor and hopper-closing lid prevent ballistic rejection of containers and enable iterative processing of plastic in a movable or stationary curbside apparatus.

Abstract: A machine for the treatment of infectious medical waste which eliminates sharps and the need for special waste handling and hauling.The waste enters hopper (13) and is chopped in chamber (15). A high phenol coefficient liquid is stored in container (28) and pumped into the cutting chamer (15). The chopped treated waste travels down chute (18) and is compacted in container (20). Additionally, all functions are interlocked with sensors (FIGS. 4A-C) to insure no waste passes through the machine without being treated.

Abstract: A portable desk top "medical waste" fragmentation device and disposal system, complying with governmental requirements of maximum residual fragment size and sanitization. The fragmentation device includes a chamber having a rotating blade for fragmenting medical waste such as needles, syringes, vials and extracted teeth. For maximum effectiveness in reducing the medical waste into the requisite fragment size, the blade, with minimal clearance, passes between a U-shaped stationary member. During operation, the U-shaped member serves to momentarily hold the items to be fragmented in a stationary position as the blade fragments it in a shearing-type action. To ensure complete minimum size fragmentation, an agitating member continually throws the fragments into the path of the rotating blade. After the fragmentation is completed to the requisite size, the fragmentation chamber is opened into a disposal chute.

Abstract: A used hypodermic syringe disposal apparatus is disclosed which is capable of disposing of used syringes so as to render re-use impossible and prevent possible infection resulting from the used syringes during the disposal operation. A pair of collapsing gears are arranged at a position which permits the gears to be meshed together in such a manner to prevent direct contacting between teeth of the gears. A voltage is applied to the gear while insulation is provided between both gears. When the used syringe is thrown into the apparatus, a hypodermic needle attached to the syringe is burnt immediately upon the needle contacting both gears so as to make them short-circuit. Also, a narrow gap is defined between the corresponding teeth of the synchronously rotating collapsing gears so that a syringe barrel may be effectively crushed in the gap while being transferred between the gears.

Abstract: A fluorescent tube carrier for transporting and/or assisting in the disposal of flourescent tubes has four capsules, one for each tube. The capsules are held in a generally square cross-sectional configuration by spacers and have removable covers at either end. The covers have an interior surface that is cushioned to protect new flourescent tubes located within the capsules from shock. There are a series of tiny openings along the side of each capsule, the openings being large enough to receive a pin. When spent tubes are contained within the capsules, a pin can be inserted into the tiny openings to break the tubes. In a second disposal step, there is a rod, which is stored on the carrier, that can be inserted into each capsule to force the broken glass towards an area of the carrier where it can be disposed of. Spent fluorescent tubes have a potential of exploding at any time and therefore pose a danger during disposal. The carrier eliminates this danger during the first stage of disposal.

Abstract: Size reduction system for processing plastic articles is disclosed. The system includes granulating means operable to comminute articles delivered to it, an article feed means which serves to move articles in a generally vertical path from a loading point to the granulating means while simultaneously crushing each of the articles into a compacted form. The feed means includes projections which operate to pull the articles into the article feed means while concurrently puncturing those articles. The invention provides a simple and efficient means for processing articles into reduced size for reclaiming. The invention further provides a system which utilizes minimum operating space by virtue of the vertical orientation and integration of the feed system relative to the granulator and the functioning of the feed system to compact articles preliminary to entry into the granulator, thereby allowing for a granulator of reduced size.

Abstract: A machine is capable of cutting into small pieces the thin wall material of a plurality of disposable containers such as plastic bottles or metal cans fed in a first direction one at a time to a cutting section. The cutting section includes a pair of parallel shafts mounted for rotation in opposite directions about the center axes thereof. Each of the shafts rigidly supports a plurality of overlapping cutting wheels for rotation therewith. Each cutting wheel has a plurality of identical cutting teeth thereon having an apex at the maximum diameter and a root at a root diameter of the cutting wheel. Each cutting tooth has a leading surface and a trailing surface which meet at the apex to form a straight edge at the maximum diameter which is parallel with the center axis of the shaft.

Abstract: A crusher for battery electrodes having a wall, a plurality of crusher heads opposite the wall, a belt carried by the crusher heads for moving battery cathodes through the crusher, and an opening defined between the first floor and the second floor through walls discharged from crushed battery cathodes.

Abstract: A syringe disposal apparatus has a portable collection unit and a process unit. The collection unit has an in-feed mechanism to allow syringes to be introduced into the collection unit; and an interlock mechanism suitable for removably securing the collection unit to the processing unit and emptying the syringes from the collection unit into the processing unit. The processing unit contains an interlock mechanism suitable to activating the collection unit interlock mechanism; a grinder suitable for grinding the syringes into particles of metal and plastic; and a crucible assembly suitable for heating these particles above the melting point of plastic, and then cooling to produce a solid puck of plastic in which the metal particles are suspended and encapsulated.

Abstract: A rotary grinder is described including a hopper for receiving waste through a door, which door when closed, provides a fluid tight seal. A movable waste receptacle is provided beneath the grinder and is locked in place and weighed during the operation of the grinder. An iris diaphragm valve mates with the outlet from the grinder and, when in its open orientation, drops a sleeve into the waster receptacle thereby creating a sealed enclosure for the decontaminated waste material. Cutting blades employed by the grinder are identical and are provided with bearing shoulders which determine the amount of blade exposed when the blades are mounted on rotating arms of the grinder.

Abstract: A system for the treatment of infectious waste including apparatus for receiving, shredding, disinfecting, and separating waste material. A manually operated entry device provides input for quantities of solid waste into a feeding channel wherein a feeding ram moves the waste onto a series of shredding disintegrators which achieve material size reduction. Following shredding, the waste is gravitationally transferred into disinfecting fluid contained within an enclosed decontamination and separation device. Solid waste is continuously separated from the disinfecting fluid. The decontaminated solid waste is then deposited into a storage device.

Abstract: A system for recovering, selecting and recycling empty containers returned after use which includes two specific sequences. In the first sequence, a container (4) passes a door (2) to remove material of a different type, while the accepted product activates a microswitch (9) for counting and activating a warming device to blow in hot air onto the same material which is thus softened; the container is then pushed between a motor driven heated pressing roll (18) with tension supplied by sliding contacts (22) to carry out a compact and permanent pressing by using pressing-welding points and another inertia roller (19). Knives (24) cooperate with the two rollers to ensure the separation. In the second sequence or selection phase, recovered bodies (29), are applied from hopper (30) and fall onto a feeding system with vibrating canals, to maintain the containers individually; photocells (34) check that no superpositions occur.

Abstract: A machine for densifying plastic containers, such as recyclable FET bottles, includes a feeder and a shredder. The feeder includes a paddle wheel with radial vanes for feeding the containers into the inlet of the shredder and blocking their return. A scraper is provided adjacent the outlet of the feeder for dislodging any material wedged in the pocket formed between adjacent vanes and preventing its return into the inlet of the feeder. The shredder includes intermeshing rotary shredder elements and stationary shredder elements, the cutting surfaces of which slope with respect to each other to provide a scissoring action. In a preferred form, each rotary shredder element includes a sharpened outer tip which projects in the direction of rotation for starting a tear in the container undergoing reduction. Each stationary shredder element also includes a sharpened outer tip which projects opposite the direction of rotation for retaining larger pieces of material in the shredder for further shredding.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for recovering glass from old glass by continuously feeding the old glass onto an open, continuously running conveyor system by segregating nonglass impurities and by mechanically crushing old glass in a breaking apparatus. To facilitate visual inspection and concentrating the size range of the shards, a sorting of the old glass into two fractions of different piece sizes is performed in a separating apparatus prior to the manual sorting and before crushing. Exclusively the old glass of the at least one coarser fraction ("coarse glass") is fed, after the segregation of at least a portion of the nonglass impurities, to the breaking apparatus. Then the old glass of this fraction, crushed to the desired shard size, is freed of remaining impurities and finally fed to a place of storage for good glass.

Abstract: The plastic syringe destruction device employs a cylinder and piston compaction unit together with heat to thermally smash plastic syringes into a compacted mass or slug. During compaction, the syringes are heated to temperatures between 100.degree. C. and 200.degree. C. to bring about melting of the syringes as well as sterilization. A removable transparent cover is also provided to permit only individual depositing of syringes into the cylinder when the main cover is in an opened position. A water injector nozzle is also provided as an option to permit compaction in a dry or wet state.

Abstract: To recycle fluorescent and television tubes, the latter are introduced into a container which can be sealed in a gas-tight manner and crushed under water. In this process, the ascending gases released are drawn off under suction and fed in a compressed state to the reuse process, acid which dissolves or strips off the pollutants being added to the broken glass, which is coated with pollutants, the dissolved and stripped-off pollutants are flushed out of the broken glass, the metallic constituents are removed therefrom and then the broken glass is passed to the further utilization process. A precipitating agent is added to the liquid phase and the liquid phase is then filtered, the yttrium-containing filter cake being delivered to lanthanide manufacturers for further processing. The filtrate is fed back to the container in which the tubes are crushed.

Abstract: A method for separating mercurial waste from scrapped gas discharge lamp bulbs and other mercury-containing lamps. Expanded, broken lamps are crushed and conveyed to a vibrating screen. The crushed material is shaken on a sieve-cloth having a mesh width of 0.2-1.0 mm, preferably 0.25 mm, for at least 1-3 minutes. The major part of the crushed material remains on the screen and is removed therefrom as mercury-free waste (Hg-content<10 ppm), whereas substantially all the mercury present is found in the finer fraction which passes through the screen.

Abstract: A can crusher comprising a vertical hopper to receive empty cans laid horizontally in a vertical stack one above the other, with the bottton can in the stack being positioned in end-to-end registration with a plunger head which reciprocates horizontally between a withdrawn position out of contact with the bottom can and an extended position to crush and compress the bottom can. When the plunger is withdrawn, the crushed can drops through a discharge opening just large enough for the compressed can to drop through but small enough to prevent an uncrushed can from falling through. The crushed can drops into a container placed below the discharge opening, and the next can in the vertical stack falls in place in registration with the plunger for crushing. The plunger head is moved between its withdrawn and extended positions by a drive rod pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of a lever which in turn is pivotally connected at one end to a pivot pin mounted in front of the vertical hopper.

Abstract: In a can crusher, cans lying in a semicylindrical compaction chamber are crushed between a movable ram and a stationary anvil plate. The ram is driven by a ram rod extending from the ram, a ram rod crank arm pivoted to the ram rod and rotated by a power driven crankshaft. Crushed cans are ejected from between the ram and anvil plate after being crushed, and uncrushed cans are fed to a lengthwise position in the compaction chamber each time the ram moves back from the anvil plate. The uncrushed cans are fed, end to end, into the compaction chamber from a feed tube located above the chamber. The feed tube has a skewer receiving opening provided in it, and a skewer retaining sleeve extends out from the feed tube in surrounding relationship to the opening. The skewer crank arm is fixedly mounted on the crankshaft in fixed angular relationship with respect to the ram rod crank arm.

Abstract: An apparatus for breaking a bottle having opposite ends and a portion intermediate the ends, the apparatus comprising a pair of V-shaped walls having respective apexes extending transversely relative to each other for supporting the bottle only adjacent the ends of the bottle so that the intermediate portion of the bottle is unsupported, and a bottle breaking member movable toward the walls and the bottle so that the member strikes the unsupported portion of the bottle and breaks the bottle.

Abstract: A rotary grinder is described including a hopper for receiving waste through a door, which door when closed, provides a fluid tight seal. A movable waste receptacle is provided beneath the grinder and is locked in place and weighed during the operation of the grinder. An iris diaphragm valve mates with the outlet from the grinder and, when in its open orientation, drops a sleeve into the waste receptacle thereby creating a sealed enclosure for the decontaminated waste material. Cutting blades employed by the grinder are identical and are provided with bearing shoulders which determine the amount of blade exposed when the blades are mounted on rotating arms of the grinder.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing pulverized glass which is free from non-glass particles, in which a glass supply is transferred to an impactor to pulverize the glass and also is subjected to magnetic means to remove metal and vacuum means to remove dust, paper, plastic and the like. The pulverized glass is sorted as to size and passed once again past a magnet means prior to depositing the sized pulverized glass in a collection bin.

Abstract: An arrangement for the manual breaking of ampoules comprising a base part (1) so arranged as to maintain in position one end of an ampoule, and projecting upwards from the base part a side support part (2) so arranged as to provide lateral support for the ampoule (16). The supporting part exhibits two finger support surfaces for the fingers of a user. These finger support surfaces extend to either side of the other end (18) of the ampoule, so that this projects partly into a space (6) between the finger support surfaces. Before the moment of breaking, the other end of the ampoule thus projects slightly beyond the connecting line between the aforementioned finger support surfaces. At the moment of breaking, the broken-off end is introduced into the aforementioned space by the fingers of the user being squeezed together with the side supporting part and the head of the ampoule in between.

Abstract: A bottle breaking apparatus comprising a bottle breaking member including a plate, and a punch extending outwardly from the plate, a V-shaped wall for supporting a bottle opposite the punch, and a pneumatic assembly for moving the plate toward the bottle so that the punch shatters the bottle and the plate further breaks the bottle.

Abstract: For breaking up fluorescent lamp tubes and other frangible articles, a plunger is reciprocated vertically by a manually operated crankshaft on a stand. An elongated tubular guide extends out from the stand and may be raised to an inclined position to feed the lamp tube by gravity beneath the plunger. This guide has top and bottom openings which register respectively with the bottom of a guide sleeve for the vertically reciprocable plunger and the top of an inverted funnel-shaped housing for guiding the broken fragments into a bag suspended from this housing.

Abstract: An apparatus for crushing small containers, such as vials, containing a scintillation liquid. The apparatus includes a closed housing having a feed opening in the upper end which communicates with a hopper. The lower end of the hopper registers with a pair of cooperating crusher rolls, and the vials fed into the hopper flow downwardly through the rolls which crush or rupture the vials to permit the liquid to be expelled. After crushing, the vials and the liquid pass through a chute and are discharged into an end of a closed vibratory conveyor unit that includes at least one vibrating screen. The liquid passes through the screen and is collected in a container while the crushed vials are conveyed along the screen and are discharged into a collection drum. The apparatus includes a loading basket that is pivoted to a carriage which is slidable on tracks mounted on the outer surface of the housing beneath the inlet opening.

Abstract: A machine is capable of cutting into pieces disposable containers such as plastic bottles and metal cans. A first cutting section includes a pair of parallel shafts mounted for rotation in opposite directions. Each of the shafts supports a plurality of cutting wheels keyed for rotation therewith. The cutting wheels of one shaft overlap the cutting wheels on the other shaft as each cutting wheel is axially separated from axially adjacent cutting wheels thereon by one of the cutting wheels on the other shaft. A comber is aligned with each cutting wheel to provide a gap between the cutting teeth and the end of the comber. The disposable containers are cut into first pieces between the cutting wheels of one shaft and the cutting wheels of the other shaft. The first pieces from the first cutting section pass to a second cutting section to be cut into smaller, second pieces. The invention also includes the method of cutting the disposable containers in pieces.

Abstract: Apparatus for crushing cans or the like comprises a conveyor formed from a plurality of endless chains cooperating with a fixed inclined crushing plate converging toward the discharge end of the conveyor. The crushing plate includes an actuator strip-like member hinged to the plate which when depressed engages an electrical switch to operate a drive mechanism for the conveyor. A can deposited into the apparatus depresses the actuator which operates the electrical switch to start the drive mechanism. The can is gripped by the chain conveyor and pulled downward between the conveyor and crushing plate flattening the can. When the flattened can exits the crushing apparatus the actuator is released stopping the drive mechanism. A support housing for the apparatus is provided with an opening for receiving cans which is spaced a distance from the crushing plate and conveyor to reduce the risk of injury.

Abstract: A machine is capable of cutting into pieces a plurality of diposable containers such as plastic bottles and metal cans. The machine includes a loading section, a cutting section and a collecting section. The cutting section includes a pair of parallel shafts mounted for rotation in opposite directions. Each of the shafts supports a plurality of cutting wheels keyed for rotation therewith. The cutting wheels of one shaft overlap the cutting wheels on the other shaft as each cutting wheel is axially separated from axially adjacent cutting wheels thereon by one of the cutting wheels on the other shaft. A plurality of combers in aligned with each cutting wheel to provide a gap between the cutting teeth and the end of the comber. The disposable containers are cut between the cutting wheels of one shaft and the cutting wheels of the other shaft with the pieces passing through the gap between the end of the comber and the cutting wheel teeth.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reclaiming reusable resin materials from bottles and other scrap articles each comprising a first low density resin component (e.g., polyethylene) bonded to a second high density resin component (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate); the scrap articles are granulated to form a primary particulate scrap that is air classified to remove paper and film from labels, then flotation separated into a lightweight first resin (PE) material that is dried and air classified for re-use, and a secondary particulate scrap. The secondary scrap is vigorously washed in a hot aqueous medium to disrupt bonds in chips containing both resins, then thoroughly rinsed and again flotation separated into a heavy second resin material that is dried and air cleaned for re-use; there is also a residual low density scrap from the second flotation stage that is returned to the first flotation stage.

Abstract: An improved container feeding device is for a container cutting machine of the type which can cut any one of numerous sizes of plastic bottles and metal cans. The cutting machine has a cutting section including a plurality of cutting wheels mounted for rotation in opposite directions on a pair of parallel cutting shafts. The improvement includes a pair of parallel feeding shafts each of which are above one of the cutting shafts for rotation in the same direction thereof. Each feeding shaft includes three radially extending, evenly spaced paddles fixedly mounted thereon. The feeding shafts rotate at the same speed and are rotationally aligned to cause each paddle on one feeding shaft to generally lie within a common plane with a corresponding paddle on the other feeding shaft as they pass closely by one another. Each of the paddles has a plurality of gripping teeth on the extended end thereof.

Abstract: A machine is capable of cutting into pieces disposable containers such as plastic bottles and metal cans. A first cutting section includes a pair of parallel shafts mounted for rotation in opposite directions. Each of the shafts supports a plurality of cutting wheels keyed for rotation therewith. The cutting wheels of one shaft overlap the cutting wheels on the other shaft as each cutting wheel is axially separated from axially adjacent cutting wheels thereon by one of the cutting wheels on the other shaft. A comber is aligned with each cutting wheel to provide a gap between the cutting teeth and the end of the comber. The disposable containers are cut into first pieces between the cutting wheels of one shaft and the cutting wheels of the other shaft. The first pieces from the first cutting section pass to a second cutting section to be cut into smaller, second pieces.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for conveniently and safely disposing of burnt out fluorescent light tubes. A disposal container is provided by a closely fitting, bendable tube which is permanently closed at one end and is provided with a removable closure cap at the other end. The fluorescent light tube to be disposed of is placed within the container and while confined in the container is broken and reduced to a relatively fine rubble having a small volume. Since the disposal container completely confines the tube when it is broken, the hazard of flying glass and powdered coating material is eliminated.

Abstract: An ampul opening device is disclosed which enables one to open a glass ampul in a safe and secure manner while minimizing fragmentation of the ampul during opening. The device features a one-piece body structure comprising an ampul holding member having a cylindrical configuration closed or partially closed at one end and having the opposite end open. Integrally attached to the open end is an arm being in line with the vertical axis of the holding member. The arm is of such length as to extend slightly beyond the removable end of the ampul. The upper region of the arm possesses sufficient flexibility to enable the operator to exert a force by means of one's thumb or thumbs to cause the neck of the ampul to fracture cleanly along a narrowly defined transverse fracture path.

Abstract: The device comprises a cylindrical crusher housing mounted on a carriage above a removable wastebucket, which communicates with a funnel-shaped discharge formed in the lower end of the housing. The top of the housing is sealed by a cover which has a lamp inlet opening and an exhaust opening. The shaft of an electric motor extends into the housing and has secured thereto a plurality of flails or crusher elements which rotate at high speeds adjacent the inlet opening to strike and crush lamps entering the housing. The exhaust opening is connected by a duct to a filter cartridge which is removably mounted on the exterior of the crusher housing above an exhaust fan. The cartridge contains a porous filter bag, which is removably attached to the exhaust duct, and an activated charcoal filter element, which is positioned in the cartridge beneath the bag and in communication with the fan inlet.

Abstract: An ampoule cutter has a pair of shells into which the tip of an ampoule may be inserted. When inserted, the neck of the ampoule is received within the V-notch of a blade carried within the cutter. The ampoule may be rotated to score the neck of the ampoule and then snapped off.

Abstract: A system for disposing of large amounts of infectious hospital waste includes a generally sealed enclosure containing an apparatus for delivery, disintegration, and decontamination of waste materials. A dual conveyor arrangement provides a positive delivery of large waste containers to be disposed to a disintegrator while preventing material from being thrown from the disintegrator. The disintegrator comprises two, large, counter-rotating hammermills capable of effectively disintegrating articles of substantial size. The system enclosure is maintained at a negative pressure and adapted to prevent escape of airborne contamination from the system. A variety of protective features is also incorporated into the system to clear the disintegrator in cases of overload, to avoid power surges upon system start-up, and to effect an orderly shutdown of the system.

Abstract: A system is provided having a generally sealed cabinet and separator. A blower is provided in the sealed cabinet to provide a negative pressure within the cabinet. A waste entrance is provided in the cabinet which provides a sealed, rotatable input for the introduction of hospital waste to the system. In the system, the input rotates upon operation of a switch to direct solid waste to a disintegrator, such as a hammermill, wiht a flow of disinfectant fluid. Upon disintegration, the waste particles and disinfectant fluid are carried to the separator which is sealed with the cabinet. The solid waste is separated from the decontaminant fluid which is then directed to a public sewer.

Abstract: A lamp crushing machine comprises a casing which may be divided into upper, central and lower zones. Lamps which are to be disposed of are loaded into the upper zone. In the central zone there is a horizontally mounted drum with a number of radial vanes and possibly also circumferential vanes. When this drum is rotated the lamps are progressively broken by the shearing action of the vanes as they pass close by the edges of walls which project inwardly from the casing. Unbreakable parts such as lamp and caps are carried around the drum in pockets arranged between the vanes. The debris falls into a hopper in the lower zone which can be removed and emptied periodically. Throughout operation of the machine the lamps are doused by water issuing from a nozzle to quench any igniting sodium. Dangerous vapors pass out through special vents and other contaminents are filtered out of the water draining from the machine.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for safely disposing of fluorescent lamp tubes. The apparatus utilizes rapidly rotating chains to pulverize the tubes. The pulverizing mechanism is confined within an open-top container and suspended from a lid that covers the top of the container. The pulverized debris collects within the container. A plastic bag may line the interior of the container to facilitate disposal of the pulverized debris. A safety electrical switch is associated with the lid in a manner to prevent rotation of the chains if the lid is not properly seated upon the top of the container.