Label accumulator and caustic separator

摘要

An apparatus is presented for separating loose paper pieces from a bath of caustic soda, such as is ejected from a bottle washing machine including a housing having a reservoir in its upper portion, the reservoir having finely perforated bottom walls sloping toward the center where there is an elongated opening. An elongated helical screw conveyor is provided in the housing spaced below and parallel to the elongated opening with a perforated conveyor sleeve closely surrounding the conveyor on the bottom and sides leaving an open top which communicates with the paper coming down from the upper reservoir. Two cylindrical perforated drums are mounted in the housing on axes parallel to the screw conveyor and on opposite sides of the center of the housing. These drums may be rotated from time to time as set forth. A paper-chopping apparatus is provided at the end of the conveyor which discharges paper outside of the housing. Caustic soda is collected in the bottom of the housing and may be pumped back to the bottle washing machine.