MILTON, Peter, George (Woodside Cottage, 97 Hartfield RoadForest Row, East Sussex RH18 5LY, GB)
δ
CLAIMS
1. A process for tracking a bale of waste material, which process comprises:
(i) providing a radio frequency identification tag in a holder that is able to withstand environmental conditions in a baling machine and in a recycling plant;
(ii) introducing the tag and the holder into the waste material;
(iii) baling the waste material into the bale in the baling machine;
(iv) tracking the tag as the bale is transported from the baling machine to the recycling plant;
(v) introducing the waste material from the bale into the recycling plant;
(vi) separating in the recycling plant the waste material to be recovered from unwanted objects;
(vii) removing the tag and the holder from the recycling plant whilst the recycling plant is operating; and
(viii) returning the tag and the holder to a return station for re-use.
2. A process according to claim 1 in which the holder has a body portion, a lid, and pressure-resisting abutment members inside the housing for helping to prevent the pressure from the baling machine crushing the holder and damaging the tag.
3. A process according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the tag and the holder are dropped into the waste material during compression of the waste material into the bale.
4. A process according to claim 3 in which the compression is effected with a ram device.
5. A process according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tag is tracked by tag readers reading the tag at different locations, and in which the tag readers transmit data as radio frequency data to a control centre.
6. A process according to any one of the preceding claims in which the bale has strapping which is cut as the bale enters the recycling plant.
7. A process according to any one of the preceding claims in which the recycling plant contains water into which the waste material passes.
8. A process according to claim 7 in which the holder floats, and in which the holder is removed from the water in the recycling plant.
9. A process according to claim 8 in which the holder is removed from the water in the recycling plant using a crane arm.
10. A process according to claim 8 or claim 9 in which the holder is a moulded holder.
11. A process according to claim 10 in which the holder is pear-shaped in plan.
12. A process according to claim 10 in which the holder is circular in plan.
13. A process according to any one of claims 8 - 12 in which the holder includes a metallic component for enabling the removal of the holder by magnet means.
14. A process according to claim 7 in which the holder is attached to a ribbon.
15. A holder according to claim 14 in the ribbon is picked out of the recycling plant with unwanted objects which attach to the ribbon.
16. A process according to claim 7 in which the holder is made of a material which sinks, and in which the holder is collected from a bottom part of the recycling plant together with heavy non-wanted objects which have also sunk to the bottom.
17. A process according to claim 16 in which the material from which the holder is made is a non-metallic material.
18. A process according to any one of the preceding claims in which the return station logs current status of the tag, and then re-allocates the tag for further use with another bale of waste material.
19. A process according to any one of the preceding claims in which the return station is the premises of a waste baling company.
20. Recycled waste material when produced by the process of the present invention. |
A PROCESS FOR TRACKING A BALE OF WASTE MATERIAL
This invention relates to a process for tracking a bale of waste material.
Balable waste material such for example as paper, cardboard, plastics film or fabrics is recycled for re-use. Often there is insufficient information on bales of waste material, for example the type of waste material in a bale, the weight of a bale, where the waste material was collected and baled, where the waste material is to be recycled, and where the waste material is at any particular time.
It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problems.
Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a process for tracking a bale of waste material, which process comprises:
(i) providing a radio frequency identification tag in a holder that is able to withstand environmental conditions in a baling machine and in a recycling plant;
(ii) introducing the tag and the holder into the waste material;
(iii) baling the waste material into the bale in the baling machine;
(iv) tracking the tag as the bale is transported from the baling machine to the recycling plant;
(v) introducing the waste material from the bale into the recycling plant;
(vi) separating in the recycling plant the waste material to be recovered from unwanted objects;
(vii) removing the tag and the holder from the recycling plant whilst the recycling plant is operating; and
(viii) returning the tag and the holder to a return station for re-use.
The process of the present invention enables bales of waste material to be tracked, for example for environmental reasons and/or commercial efficiency reasons. The process of the present invention enables the progress of waste material to be tracked from the original source of the waste material to a recycling plant such for example as a paper mill, board mill or other recycling mill. The waste material is able to be measured and tracked in order to meet environmental and carbon footprint legislation. With the process of the present invention, the tag is retrieved from the recycling plant whilst the recycling plant is operating, and thus there is no need to interrupt the operation of the recycling plant for retrieval of the tag. The retrieved tag is then available for re-use.
The process may be one in which the holder has a body portion, a lid, and pressure-resisting abutment members inside the holder for helping to prevent the pressure from the baling machine crushing the holder and damaging the tag.
The tag and the holder may be dropped into the waste material during compression of the waste materia! into the bale. Other means of introducing the tag and the holder to the waste material may be employed.
Preferably, the compression of the waste material into the bale is effected with a ram device. The ram device may be a hydraulically-operated ram device.
The process of the present invention may be one in which the tag is tracked by tag readers reading the tag at different locations, and in which the tag readers transmit data as radio frequency data to a control centre. The control centre may thus read and assimilate the transmitted data to provide detailed information on the bale of waste material. The waste material may be any suitable and appropriate waste material including paper, cardboard, fabric materials, and sheet plastics materials. The control centre may be provided with information so that it will know the type of recycling plant that is to receive the waste material. This is advantageous because recycling plants vary, and the control centre is able to ensure that a tag is employed which is suitable for use in a particular type of recycling plant, and which is able to be retrieved from the recycling plant whilst the recycling plant is still in operation.
The bale may have strapping which is cut as the bale enters the recycling plant.
The recycling plant may contain a pulping machine. The recycling plant, for example the pulping machine, may contain water into which the waste material passes
The process may be one in which the holder floats, and in which the holder is removed from the water in the recycling plant. The holder may be removed from the water in the recycling plant using a crane arm.
The holder may be a moulded holder. The holder may be made of aerated rubber, a plastics material, or a mixture of floatable materials. The plastics material may be, for example, polystyrene.
The holder may be of any suitable shape, appropriate to the type of recycling plant to receive the holder. Thus, for example, the holder may be pear-shaped in plan, or it may be circular in plan.
The holder may be provided with a metallic component for enabling the removal of the holder by magnet means. The metallic component may be a sheet of metal or a metallic component of other form. Any suitable and appropriate magnet means may be employed.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the holder may be attached to a ribbon. Such a holder with a ribbon may be preferred for use in some types of recycling plants, for example those having recycling machines. The ribbon is able to be picked out of the recycling plant with unwanted objects which attach to the ribbon.
In a further alternative embodiment of the invention, the holder is made of a material which sinks, and the holder is then collected from a bottom part of the recycling plant together with heavy unwanted objects which have also
sunk to the bottom: Where the holder is made of a material which sinks, then the holder may be made of a non-metallic material. Generally any suitable and appropriate material can be employed for the holder.
The return station may log current status of the tag, and then reallocate the tag for further use with another bale of waste material. The return station may be the premises of a waste baling company, or other premises as may be desired.
The present invention also extends to recycled waste material when provided by the process of the present invention.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are top sectional, side sectional and top plan views respectively of a first holder and tag used in the present invention;
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are top sectional, side sectional and top plan views respectively, of a second holder and tag for use in the process of the present invention;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a third holder and tag for use in the process of the present invention; and
Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 are top sectional, top plan, side sectional and side plan views of a fourth holder and tag for use in the process of the present invention.
Referring to Figures 1 , 2 and 3 there is shown a radio frequency identification tag 2 in a pear-shaped holder 4. The holder 4 is made of a material that floats. The holder 4 is a moulded holder 4. The holder 4 has a
metallic component in the form of a metal sheet 6 provided at one end as shown.
Because the holder 4 floats, the holder 4 can be removed from a recycling plant as a floating object, for example using a suction device. When the waste material is paper or cardboard, then the holder 4 can be removed from a pulping machine forming part of the recycling plant. If desired, the metal sheet 6 can be employed to remove the holder 4 using magnetic means such for example as a magnet on the end of a crane arm.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show the tag 2 in a holder 8 which is circular in plan as shown. A metal sheet 10 is provided on top of the holder 8 as shown in Figure 5. The holder 8 may be constructed from the same materials as the holder 4, and it may be removed from the recycling plant, for example the recycling plant, in the same manner as the holder 4.
Figure 7 shows a holder 12 having the tag 2. The holder 12 is attached to a ribbon 14. In a pulping machine, the ribbon 14 gets tangled with other unwanted objects at the top of a votex formed in the recycling plant. The vortex is formed as water in the recycling plant is caused to rotate at high speed. In the eye of the vortex, the ribbon 14 is substantially stationary. The ribbon 14 is thus able to be removed as the unwanted objects are removed.
Figures 8, 11 show a holder 16 which is circular in plan and which contains a radio frequency identification tag 18. The holder 16 is made of a material that sinks. The holder 16 is thus able to be collected from a bottom part of the recycling plant, for example from the bottom of the pulping machine, together with heavy non-wanted objects which have sunk also to
the bottom. The holder 16 may be made of a non-metallic material. Alternatively the holder 16 may be made of a metallic material.
The holders shown in the drawings are such that they are able to withstand pressure from a baling machine during production of the bale. The holder and its tag are introduced into the waste material, and the waste material is baled in the baling machine. In the process of the invention, the tag and therefore the bale are able to be tracked as the bale is transported from the baling machine to the recycling plant for waste material recycling. The tracking enables the recycling process to be commercially efficient, environmentally efficient, and appropriately controlled in order to meet environmental and carbon footprint legislation.
It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, any suitable appropriate type of radio frequency identification tag may be employed. The holder for the tag may be of shapes other than those shown.