Environmentally safe method and apparatus for storage of discarded tire rubber

Abstract

Flat strips cut from discarded tires are stacked and stored as bulk rubber on pallets for easy handling, transport by fork lift trucks and storage in outside compacted storage space without accumulating water where mosquitos can breed. Typically flat rectangular longitudinal tread strips are folded and stacked in a plurality of abutting stacks about five feet high for rubber-to-rubber engagement in configurations extending substantially to opposite edges of a pallet platform, thus storing about a ton of bulk rubber per pallet. The pallets then may be transported and stored in compact stacks at outside locations without accumulating water and breeding mosquitos.

1 . The environmentally safe method of storing and handling batches of rubber pieces salvaged from discarded tire carcasses in a bulk storage configuration obtained at low cost for compact storage of residual bulk rubber at bulk storage sites from which bulk rubber may be reclaimed in due course for preparation of rubber products, comprising in combination the steps of: cutting reclaimed tire carcasses into sets of substantially flat storable sections, preparing pallets with loading platform areas of specified length and width dimensions for retaining a plurality of stacks of said substantially flat sections in a storage configuration, and stacking a plurality of the storable sections into said stacks in compact rubber-to-rubber interfacing configurations with frictional resistance against movement of the sections lateral to the pallet platform area thereby to facilitate transportation on said pallets for storing and recalling the pallets from designated storage areas of confined space.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of covering substantially all of the pallet loading platform area with said sections.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of cutting flat rectangular tread strips from the carcasses of a length greater than the length or width dimension of the platform areas and folding the flat tread strips into abutted stacked configurations having a length footprint substantially that of one of the platform dimensions.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step of abutting said stacked configurations side-by-side to substantially cover the loading platform areas.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step of interlocking the tread strips in a rubber-to-rubber self-supporting configuration for stable transport of loaded pallets.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  comprising the more detailed step of disposing two adjacent folded strips of the stacked configuration for frictional contact between the two strips that tends to retard lateral movement of the strips.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  comprising the more detailed step of contacting one of the two adjacent folded strips in mutual rubber-to-rubber contact over half its length.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  comprising the more detailed step of contacting adjacent folded strips in rubber-to-rubber contact over substantially their entire length.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of piling said flat sections into stacks that avoid accumulation of water.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of cutting annular sidewall sections from said carcasses, stacking pluralities of said annular sidewall sections in a plurality of piles upon said pallet platform, and retaining the piles in place upon transportation of loaded pallets resisting lateral movement by strapping the piles to the pallet.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of transporting loaded pallets to store at a storage site in a compact configuration with pallets side-by-side and stacked upon one another.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of cutting the flat storable sections from the carcass tread of a length greater than one pallet dimension to be placed lengthwise along that pallet dimension and folding over said sections to interlock adjacent sections in the stacks by frictional rubber-to-rubber contact between the tread and two adjacent sections.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of: 
 removing opposing sidewalls from reclaimed tire carcasses to produce a treaded annular portion of the carcasses,  
 cutting the annular portion to form flat treaded strips of a length and width that may be stacked rubber-to-rubber upon the one of the pallet's dimensions without accumulating water,  
 configuring said pallets for transport by a fork lift truck, and  
 stacking said flat treaded strips on said pallets in an interlocked self-supporting rubber-to-rubber configuration without supporting bolts or hardware by stacking a multiplicity of said treaded strips in a configuration that is adapted to resist lateral movement of the flat treaded strips during transport of the pallet by a fork lift truck.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising the step of handling and transporting loaded pallets containing the stacked storable sections with a fork lift truck.  
     
     
         15 . The method defined in  claim 14  further comprising the step of compactly storing pallets loaded with said flat treaded strips at a selected outdoor storage site.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the more detailed steps of: 
 configuring the flat treaded strips longitudinal in shape to have a length compatible with folding and stacking the treaded strips aligned upon one of said length or width dimensions of said pallets in a folded U-shaped configuration with one respective folded strip end trip alternately interlocked between the two ends of an adjacent strip to substantially fill the inner end of the U-shaped configuration, and stacking the interlocked flat treaded strips upon the pallets with the closed end of a plurality of the U-shaped configurations alternating near opposite edges of the pallets.  
 
     
     
         17 . The environmentally safe method of converting discarded tire carcasses into reclaimable recycled bulk rubber in a configuration that precludes the accumulation of water when stored in an outside site, comprising in combination the steps of cutting flat treaded strips of common widths from said carcasses in a longitudinal configuration, stacking the flat treaded strips into a stable self-supporting rubber-to-rubber interfacing interlocked configuration precluding accumulation of water and resisting lateral movement of the strips upon a pallet loading platform adapted for transport by a fork lift truck, and transporting pallets carrying the interlocked treaded strips with fork lift trucks.  
     
     
         18 . Environmentally safe, low assembly cost apparatus for storing and handling discarded tire carcasses in a configuration for storing outside without the accumulation of water, comprising in combination: 
 a pallet comprising a loading platform of specified width and length dimensions, and having a configuration for transport by a fork lift truck, and    a plurality of reclaimed treaded tire carcass strips cut from an annular portion of the discarded tire carcasses after removing opposing sidewalls, wherein the annular portion is configured to form flat treaded strips with a length and width for stacking in an interlocked rubber-to-rubber interfacing pattern longitudinally upon said platform along one of the specified dimensions in configuration precluding accumulation of water.    
     
     
         19 . The apparatus defined in  claim 18  further comprising a configuration of said plurality of flat treaded strips stacked on said pallet in an interlocked self-supporting configuration that retains a multiplicity of treaded strips in a rubber-to-rubber facing configuration precluding bolts, and cages for frictionally resisting lateral movement on said platform thereby tending to stably remain in place when lifted and transported upon said pallet by a fork lift truck.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus defined in  claim 18  further comprising an accumulation of a multiplicity of the loaded pallets at a storage site in a compactly stored configuration of pallets loaded with said flat treaded strips at an outdoor said storage site.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus defined in  claim 18  further comprising a configuration of a plurality of the flat treaded strips having a length compatible with folding and stacking the treaded strips aligned upon a length or width dimension of said pallet loading platform in a U-shaped configuration with two respective strip ends of one treaded strip alternately interlocked between the ends of adjacent stacked treaded strips stacked upon the pallet substantially filling the closed end of U-shaped configurations with the closed ends alternating at opposite ends of the stacked strips.  
     
     
         22 . The environmentally safe low cost configuration of reclaimed rubber from a plurality of discarded tire carcasses into reclaimable recycled bulk rubber comprising in combination: 
 a plurality of flat treaded strips cut from annular strips of the carcasses after removing sidewalls, which flat treaded strips are stacked upon pallet loading platforms as a stable self-supporting body in an interlocked rubber-to-rubber configuration precluding bolts, and cages, which self-supporting body precludes accumulation of water and stably ride upon loading platforms of pallets when lifted and transported by fork lift trucks.    
     
     
         23 . A collection of a multiplicity of the loaded pallet platforms defined in  claim 22  into a compact stacked storage arrangement at a selected storage site.  
     
     
         24 . The method of bulk storage in outdoor sites of discarded tire rubber without accumulation of water comprising the steps of: 
 cutting rubber portions of reclaimed tire carcasses in the format into flat treaded strips, and    stacking the flat strips on pallets in a plurality of abutting rubber-to-rubber contact stacks of the treaded strips interlocked in a frictional format for withstanding lateral movement when travelling upon a loading platform of a pallet transported by a fork lift truck for bulk storage in outdoor locations.