Method and apparatus for recovering down from stuffing products

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for recovering down from down-filled products, the method and apparatus comprising: a cutting step adapted to cut the stuffing product into shreds; followed by mechanically agitating the shredded material inside at least one first separation chamber (3, 4) in order to separate at least a portion of the down from the shredded material; a step of aspirating the down, the aspirating being carried out in the first separation chamber (3, 4) and also upstream and / or downstream of the first separation chamber (3, 4); and collecting the aspirated down in at least one container (71-73).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and corresponding apparatus for recovering down from down-filled products, in particular from down-filled products filled with goose down or duck down, such as garments, quilts, pillows and the like.

[0002] Currently, automated systems are known for recovering down from down-filled stuffing products in order to reuse the various components and in particular to reuse the down in new stuffing products.

[0003] However, no effective solution has been found to the problem of extracting down while maintaining high quality, in particular while maintaining a low proportion of fabric or similar foreign matter, for example below 0.5% by weight.

[0004] Furthermore, the problem of extracting high quality down from heterogeneous stuffing products, i.e. from products made with different fabrics and / or yarns for each stuffing product, has not been solved. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The aim of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for recovering down from down-filled stuffed products for subsequent reuse, which method and apparatus are able to improve upon the prior art in one or more of the above mentioned aspects.

[0006] Within this goal, it is an object of the present invention to improve the separation of down from the debris of the original stuffing product during the recovery process.

[0007] Another objective is to recover down having a degree of purity that is substantially independent of the materials that make up the original stuffing product, and in particular the electrostatic behavior of the fabrics and / or yarns (e.g. wool, cotton, polyester) of such stuffing products that are typically used in down-filled articles of clothing.

[0008] Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to separate and collect down having different degrees of purity during the process.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to improve the degree of purity of the extracted down during the recovery process, if this degree is unsatisfactory.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention seeks to overcome the shortcomings of the background art in a manner that provides an alternative to all existing solutions.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a recovery method and corresponding apparatus which is reliable, easy to implement and low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] This goal, as well as these and other objects which will become more apparent hereinafter, is achieved by the following method: A method for recovering down from down-filled stuffed products, such as garments, comforters, pillows and similar articles, comprising the steps of feeding at least one down-filled stuffed product at an inlet to a conveying line, said method comprising: a cutting step adapted to chop at least one of the stuffing products to obtain chopped material, in which the down is mixed with debris of other components of the original stuffing product, such as fabric, sewing threads, zip fasteners, buttons and the like, and the chopped material is subsequently advanced along the conveying line; mechanically agitating the shredded material inside at least one first separation chamber along the conveying line, the mechanical agitating being adapted to separate at least a portion of the down from the shredded material; a step of aspirating the separated down, the step of aspirating being carried out in the first separation chamber and upstream and / or downstream of the first separation chamber; and collecting the aspirated down in at least one down collection receptacle.

[0013] The method according to the invention may optionally comprise one or more of the features recited in the dependent claims.

[0014] The aims and objects of the invention are likewise achieved by an apparatus for recovering down from down-filled stuffed products, such as garments, quilts, pillows or similar articles, said apparatus comprising an inlet for supplying down-filled stuffed products, a conveying line and at least one outlet for collecting the down recovered from the down supplied at the inlet, said apparatus comprising: at least one cutting station adapted to receive the stuffing products from the inlet, cut them, and discharge shredded material onto the conveying line as a result of the cutting; and at least one first separation chamber downstream of the at least one cutting station, the at least one mechanical agitator for the chopped material, the at least one mechanical agitator being adapted to separate at least a portion of the down from the chopped material; The apparatus further comprises: CHARACTERIZED IN THAT AN APPARATUS IS PROVIDED WITH SUPPLY MEANS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO SUPPLY PORTS ARRANGE ALONG THE CONVEYING LINE FOR SUPPLYING THE DOWN THAT HAS BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE SHREDDED MATERIAL AND FOR CONVEYING IT TOWARDS AT LEAST ONE COLLECTING VACUUM, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE SUPPLY PORTS ARE IN PARTICULARLY ARRANGEMENT IN THE FIRST SEPARATING CHAMBER AND UPSTREAM AND / OR DOWNSTREAM OF THE FIRST SEPARATING CHAMBER.

[0015] The device according to the invention may optionally comprise one or more of the features recited in the dependent claims.

[0016] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated by way of non-limiting examples in the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus according to the invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view from above of the apparatus of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 includes a partial cross-sectional view of a first separation chamber of the apparatus of FIG. 1 having a downstream conveyor with an incline. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the first chamber of the previous figure, showing the down and debris flows. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the second separation chamber of the apparatus of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second chamber of the previous figure, showing the down and debris flows. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the third separation chamber of the apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the down and debris flows. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] With reference to the figures, an apparatus according to the present invention, generally designated by the reference number 1, is particularly intended for recovering down, in particular goose down or duck down, from down-filled stuffed products 10, such as, for example, garments, quilts, pillows and the like.

[0019] Such an original stuffed product 10, shown in the figures generally in the form of a jacket, is essentially a fabric bag filled with down, particularly goose down or duck down, and has seams and optional sewing or fancy items such as zip fasteners, buttons, belts, trims, cords, or the like.

[0020] The device 1 comprises a conveying line 12 having an inlet 11 for feeding these stuffing products 10 and at least one outlet for collecting the down recovered according to the invention from the stuffing products 10 fed into the inlet 11. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three such collection outlets, represented by the mouths of down collecting containers 71, 72 and 73, respectively.

[0021] The stuffing products 10 may advantageously be introduced into the inlet 11 as they are, i.e. without first removing accessories such as zip fasteners and / or buttons. Indeed, in a preferred embodiment, the invention is capable of processing stuffing products even when these types of accessories are relatively heavy.

[0022] The conveying line 12 may consist of a conveyor belt (motor-driven and preferably enclosed inside a cover to prevent scattering of the down and to ensure safety) between which are placed the processing stations 2, 3, 4, 5 of the device 1, which will be better described below.

[0023] Optionally, one or more conveyor belts may be provided, inclined in the forward direction of the line 12, to raise the conveyed material to a certain height and drop it into a processing station immediately downstream, thus contributing to the separation of the material's components.

[0024] The processing stations along the conveying line 12 include at least one cutting station 2. The cutting station 2 receives the stuffed products 10 from an inlet 11, shreds them, and discharges the shredded material onto the conveying line 12, in particular onto a conveyor belt immediately downstream of the cutting station 2 that connects the cutting station 2 to subsequent processing stations.

[0025] The cutting station 2 preferably comprises a pre-cutting station 21 followed by a rotary cutting station 24 .

[0026] The preliminary cutting station 21 is preferably of the guillotine type and is adapted to receive at its inlet 22 the stuffed products 10 (fed to the inlet 11 of the device 1) and to reduce them to elongated slivers by means of at least one guillotine blade, i.e. by means of a substantially vertical movement. The material thus sliced ​​can be transported along the conveying line 12 between the outlet 23 of the preliminary cutting station 21 and the inlet 25 of the rotary cutting station 24 in order to enable it to be further chopped and to deliver a larger amount of down elements for the subsequent steps to the outlet 26 of the cutting station 2.

[0027] In this specification, the material exiting the exit section 26 of cutting station 2 is referred to as "shredded material" and may include separated down, clusters of down attached to other remains (typically pieces of yarn or fabric), and pieces of other materials and accessories (fabric, zip fasteners, buttons, etc.) that may be mixed with the down.

[0028] The processing stations along the conveying line 12 include one or more separation chambers 3 and / or 4 downstream of the cutting station 2. Each of the separation chambers is equipped with at least one mechanical agitator adapted to mechanically separate at least a portion of the down from the incoming shredded material. Each of the mechanical agitators advantageously consists of at least one motor-driven beating roller having a horizontal axis of rotation, i.e. substantially parallel to the floor surface on which the device 1 sits.

[0029] According to one aspect of the invention, the device 1 also comprises suction means 6, which are connected to a number of suction ports, arranged in at least one separation chamber and upstream and / or downstream along the conveying line 12, in order to suck from above the down separated from the shredded material in several different zones of the line 12 and in determined processing stations, and to allow such down to be conveyed towards at least one down collecting container 71, 72, 73, for example a bin or a bag. Thus, the suction of the separated down is performed both in the first separation chamber and at other positions or processing stations along the conveying line.

[0030] The suction means 6 may comprise one or more pneumatic suction machines 61, 62, 63, for example an air compressor or fan machine, a suction or vacuum pump, or a suction fan. Each of the suction machines 61, 62, 63 may have an intake port connected to a suction port via the means for selective conveying 8, and an exhaust port connected to the mouth of the down collection container 71, 72 or 73.

[0031] The means 8 for selective conveying are substantially composed of various tubular suction ducts, conveniently connected to respective collection vessels 71-73 for conveying down from various ports.

[0032] Suction from above is advantageous over introducing an upward airflow because using only suction from above reduces the risk of carrying debris and also contaminant-heavy down towards the conveying means 8 and collection vessels 71-73.

[0033] The suction machines 61-63 are arranged inside the respective cabinets, which also house the down collection containers 71-73. Alternatively, the suction machines may be arranged along the conduits of the conveying means 8 or at suction ports in the processing stations.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the first separation chamber 3, located downstream of the cutting station 2, may comprise a staged cleaner 30. The staged cleaner 30 has an inlet section 31 for receiving the shredded material originating from the cutting station 2 and an outlet section 32 for discharging the shredded material, partially stripped of down, onto the conveying line 12 via a combination of mechanical agitation and air suction by the suction means 6.

[0035] The outlet section 32 is preferably provided in the form of a tube, enabling the space between the staged cleaner 30 and the conveyor belt downstream of the staged cleaner 30 to remain closed.

[0036] The stage cleaner 30 may be comprised of a number of beating rollers 33a, 33b, 33c with a substantially horizontal rotation axis, the beating rollers 33a, 33b, 33c being arranged with an axis substantially perpendicular to the forward direction of the shredded material along the conveying line 12 and at an increased height from the floor surface, respectively, to raise the shredded material and to progressively separate the shredded material from the suctioned down. The rotation speed of the beating rollers 33a, 33b, 33c may be comprised between 350 rpm and 400 rpm.

[0037] Each of the beating rollers 33a, 33b, 33c includes a number of vanes 35a, 35b, 35c that protrude from the sidewall of the respective roller and are adapted to separate and advance the components of the shredded material with the aid of an optionally concave grill 34a-34b that is located at least below the axis of rotation of the first roller 33a-33b of the staged cleaner 30 at a radial distance slightly greater than the radial extent of the vanes 35a-35b. The grill 34a-34b may be adapted to allow the waste shredded material to pass through in order to reduce the possibility of the shredded material becoming clogged at the outlet 32.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, the vanes 35a, 35b, 35c are spaced apart side by side along various equally spaced straight generatrix of the respective beating rollers 33a, 33b, 33c.

[0039] In alternative embodiments not shown, the vanes may be staggered along the sidewall of each beater roller, or may be arranged side by side along a helical line.

[0040] The staged cleaner 30 is closed in an upper area by a first suction hood 37 connected to the suction means 6. In particular, the first hood 37 is connected to a suction machine 61 through a port 82 arranged on the first hood 37 and a first tubular suction conduit 83 of the optional conveying means 8. The first suction machine 61, such as a pump, may be provided such that an intake port is connected to the first conduit 83 and an exhaust port is connected to the first collection container 71.

[0041] The first suction conduit 83 may optionally be provided with a first branch 81 enabling the intake port of the first suction machine 61 to be connected to another suction port 80 along the conveying line 12 and preferably upstream of the first separation chamber 3.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, the rotary cutting station 24 is also closed in its upper region by a respective suction hood 27 which is connected to the suction means 6, for example via a port 80 belonging to the above-mentioned first branch 81, advantageously for sucking in the part of the down released by the rotary cutting and the preceding preliminary cutting.

[0043] This suction of the down at the rotary cutting station 24, in addition to recovering the down from the shredded material, may also serve to reduce the total amount of shredded material advancing along the conveying line 12, thereby preventing the shredded material from clogging the line 12.

[0044] In an alternative embodiment, not shown in detail, the suction hood of the cutting station 2 can be located at the outlet 26 of the rotary cutting station 24, closing the outlet 26 in an upper region.

[0045] Optionally, in the pre-cutting station 21 too, suction may be applied from above.

[0046] Some of the down aspirated at the cutting station 2 and the staged cleaner 30 may be contaminated with debris, especially by bits of yarn or fabric. For this reason, the down collected in the first container 71 after aspirating may have a lower quality than the target grade and may therefore be handled differently. For example, such down may be reintroduced into the apparatus 1.

[0047] The shredded material at the outlet 32 ​​of the first separation chamber 3 still contains fibrous or non-fibrous remains 14 (fragments of fabric, zip fasteners, buttons, etc.) to which the down clusters are still attached.

[0048] Advantageously, along the conveying line 12, downstream of the first separating chamber 3 or instead of the first separating chamber 3, there may be a second separating chamber 4. The second separating chamber 4 is adapted to receive, via the conveying line 12, at its inlet 41, this shredded material partially cleared of down via the suction carried out in the upstream station.

[0049] The second separation chamber 4 is preferably equipped with a (second) mechanical agitator of the shredded material, advantageously with a single motor-driven beating roller 43, of the kind having a horizontal axis of rotation and preferably with spikes 44. The spikes 44 are advantageously arranged side by side along a helical line centered on the axis of rotation of the beating roller 43 and may also facilitate the axial advancement of the remaining debris 14 from an inlet section 41 of the second chamber 4 facing one end of the spiked roller 43 to an outlet section 42 facing the opposite end of the spiked roller 43.

[0050] The spiked roller 43 further comprises longitudinal blades 46, each of which projects substantially radially from the axis of rotation and extends substantially along the entire length of the roller 43. The longitudinal blades 46, which are angularly equidistant from one another, may be four in number (and thus spaced apart by 90 degrees), as in the illustrated example, and which define separating walls between groups of spikes 44, with a height equal to or slightly less than the height of the spikes 44.

[0051] The spiked roller 43 is essentially a mechanical agitator, preferably rotating much slower than the rotation of the beating rollers 33a-33c of the first separation chamber 3. The spiked roller 43 has, for example, a rotation speed that may be configured to be about an order of magnitude smaller than the rotation speed of the beating rollers 33a-33c, for example between 30 rpm and 50 rpm.

[0052] The spiked roller 43 advantageously interacts with a lower refining surface 45 (eg, a concave grate through which the waste passes) to separate the down 13 .

[0053] The spiked roller 43 is further covered on top by a second hood 47 coupled to at least one respective upper suction port. The second hood 47 is in turn connected to the suction means 6 and the conveying means 8. In particular, the second hood 47, which closes the second chamber 4 from above, may have several suction ports 84a-84c in its upper region. As a result, the second hood 47 can be associated with several suction machines 62-63 as an option, in case the single suction means 62 has insufficient power to create a partial vacuum in the second separation chamber 4.

[0054] In particular, in a preferred embodiment, the upper portion of the second hood 47 is coupled to two end ports 84a-84b and one central port 84c located therebetween. The two end ports 84a-84b are connected to the second suction machine 62 through respective tubular conduits 85a and 85b, which converge into a single tube towards the intake port of the second suction machine 62 and pass the thus sucked down towards the second collection container 72. The central port 84c is instead connected to the third suction machine 63 through an additional tubular conduit 85c and transports the thus sucked down towards the third collection container 73.

[0055] The second hood 47 may be shaped like a truncated pyramid with a substantially rectangular base and defines a large (e.g., 1300-1700 liters) enclosed free space between the ports 84a-84c and the volume occupied by the spiked roller 43. In said enclosed free space, down that is continuously separated from the shredded material is discharged by the spikes 44 and fed into the second hood 47 through the continuous rotation of the longitudinal blade 46.

[0056] The enclosed free space defined between the walls of the second hood 47 is so large that it is difficult to retain components with a high specific gravity, thus facilitating the suction of only light elements, i.e., down 13 with a low degree of contamination.

[0057] By keeping the ports of the hood 47 far enough away from the rollers having the spikes 44 (e.g., a distance comprised between 110 cm and 150 cm between ports 84a-84c and their nearest spikes 44), the possibility of sucking in down contaminated with heavy elements is reduced.

[0058] Considering that the remaining shredded material at the outlet 42 of the second separation chamber 4 may have down attached to debris of other materials, similar to the remaining shredded material at the outlet 32 ​​of the first separation chamber 3, the device 1 may advantageously comprise a third separation chamber 5, inside which the shredded material originating from an upstream separation chamber (for example the second chamber 4) is allowed to fall by gravity against an obstacle, while the suction from above in the third chamber 5 is still active in order to collect the down released inside the third separation chamber 5.

[0059] In particular, the third separating chamber 5 may be connected to the second separating chamber 4 by a conveyor 54 having inclined cleats to transport the remaining shredded material from the outlet portion 42 of the second separating chamber 4 to a higher level within the third separating chamber 5.

[0060] The third separation chamber 5 is preferably provided with an internal obstacle surface 55, so that during the fall the remaining shredded material received at the inlet 51 of the third chamber 5 strikes against such obstacle surface 55, thereby releasing further down. The obstacle surfaces 55 are essentially chutes, optionally with steps, i.e. they are substantially inclined downwards, in particular towards the bottom outlet 52 for the outflow of the shredded material remains 14 falling by gravity. These "heavy" remains can be collected in bags 58 for disposal.

[0061] The third separation chamber 5 may also optionally be provided with a third mechanical agitator 53, for example a motor-driven cylindrical rotor with a horizontal axis of rotation positioned close to the inlet section 51 of the third chamber, to capture the shredded material falling from the inlet section 51, particularly from the end of the conveyor 54, and improve separation from the debris 14 of the down 13.

[0062] Above the inlet section 51 of the third separation chamber 5, there may optionally be arranged a protective screen 59 adapted to prevent direct upward suction of down from the shredded material still on the conveyor 54.

[0063] The third separation chamber 5 is closed in the upper region by a third suction hood 57, the port 87 of which is connected by a tubular conduit 86 to a third suction machine 63 for collecting the released down 13 in a third collection container 73. A tubular conduit 85c connected to the hood 47 of the second separation chamber 4 may be branched off from the tubular conduit 86.

[0064] The method according to the invention is evident from the description of the device 1.

[0065] Essentially, the method involves feeding stuffing products 10, preferably located at the inlet 11 of the conveying line 12, with the line of stitching oriented such that the line of stitching is not parallel to the direction of the guillotine cutting at station 2. In this way, the cutting of the sewing thread can be improved.

[0066] As can be seen, in the cutting step, which preferably consists of a preliminary cut followed by a rotary cut, the stuffed product 10 is reduced to a shredded material in which the down 13 is mixed with debris 14 of fabric, sewing threads, zip fasteners, buttons, and the like, and other components.

[0067] Advantageously, suction is applied from above to the rotary cutting station 24 to collect a first portion of the down released by cutting. This down can be collected in a first container 71 designated to accommodate the most contaminated down recoverable from the line 12.

[0068] Thereafter, one or more steps of separating the shredded material are carried out in each of the separation chambers 3-4 along the conveying line 12. This separating step is carried out by a combination of mechanical agitation of the shredded material and suction applied above.

[0069] Mechanical agitation is essentially performed by beater rollers 33a-33c, 43 rotating continuously around a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and, optionally, by impact as the material falls at the end of the line into the separation chamber 5, while suction is obtained by respective hoods 37, 47, 57 closing each of the separation chambers 3, 4, 5 from above.

[0070] The hoods 27, 37, 47, 57 are connected through their respective ports and tubular conduits to collection vessels 71-73. Thus, during the advancement of the shredded material along the conveying line 12, the down which is gradually separated from this material, through the cutting and beating operations and the movement operations by the suction of the down 13 towards the various different ports arranged along the line 12, is sorted by means of the suction means 6 and the conveying means 8 towards one or more collection vessels 71-73.

[0071] Surprisingly, it has been found that in the separation chambers further downstream in the conveying line 12, a higher degree of purity of down is extracted than that extracted in the more upstream stations, and for this reason it has also been found to be advantageous to convey the down aspirated from a separation chamber, such as chambers 4 and 5, to a separation container from a separation chamber located further downstream along the line.

[0072] In such instances, to further reduce contamination of the down, the down extracted by a more upstream station (e.g. by the first chamber 3 and / or by the rotary cutting station 24) may optionally be transferred to a conveying line 12, for example to a conveying line 12 upstream of the last separation chamber 4 or 5.

[0073] The down collected in the containers 71, 72, and / or 73 may undergo subsequent sorting and washing steps, which are conventional in themselves, and such down may be reused by being used again in new stuffing products (e.g., articles of clothing).

[0074] In practice, it has been found that the invention fully accomplishes its intended aims and objectives.

[0075] The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

[0076] In practice, the materials employed may be any according to the requirements and technical circumstances, provided that they are suitable for the particular application, and the incidental dimensions and shapes may also be any according to the requirements and technical circumstances.

[0077] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. 102021000029264, from which this application claims priority, are incorporated herein by reference.

[0078] Where reference signs are provided after technical features described in a claim, these reference signs are provided solely for the purpose of improving the comprehension of the claim, and therefore such reference signs shall not have any effect of limiting the interpretation of each element identified by illustration with such reference signs.

Claims

1. A method for recovering down from a filled product (10) filled with down, such as clothes, quilts, pillows, and articles similar thereto, the method comprising the step of supplying at least one filled product (10) filled with down at an inlet portion (11) to a conveying line (12), wherein the method comprises: A cutting step adapted to cut at least one of the filled products (10) to obtain shredded material, wherein in the shredded material, the down (13) is mixed with debris (14) of other components of the original filled product (10), such as fabric, sewing thread, zipper, buttons, and the like, and the shredded material is subsequently advanced along the conveying line (12); A step of mechanically agitating the shredded material inside at least one first separation chamber (3, 4) along the conveying line (12), the mechanically agitating step being adapted to separate at least a part of the down from the shredded material; A step of sucking the separated down, the sucking step being carried out in the first separation chamber (3, 4) and upstream and / or downstream of the first separation chamber (3, 4); And a step of collecting the sucked down in at least one down collection container (71 - 73).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a secondary step of mechanically agitating the shredded material inside at least one second separation chamber (4, 5) to separate the down from the shredded material arriving from the first separation chamber (3, 4), and the sucking step is also applied to the second separation chamber (4, 5).

3. The shredded material is dropped by gravity into the second separation chamber (4) or into a third separation chamber (5) downstream of the second separation chamber (4) along the conveying line (12), and during the drop, the shredded material collides with an obstacle surface (55) provided inside the second separation chamber or the third separation chamber to release additional downs (13), and the sucking step is also applied, optionally, to the third separation chamber (5), the method according to claim 2.

4. The sucking step of the downs is applied at a cutting station (2) arranged upstream of the first separation chamber (3) also during the cutting step, the method according to claim 2.

5. The step of collecting the downs provides for conveying the downs sucked upstream of the first separation chamber (3) and at least the downs sucked within the first separation chamber and / or the second separation chamber into different collection containers (71 - 73), the method according to claim 4.

6. The method further includes the step of transferring the content of at least one of the first collection containers (71) to a point upstream of the conveying line (12) upstream of the first separation chamber (3, 4) or upstream of the second separation chamber (4, 5), the method according to claim 2.

7. The cutting step includes a first, guillotine-style shredding step followed by a second, rotary cutting step, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The mechanically agitating step is carried out in the first separation chamber and / or the second separation chamber using at least one beating roller (33a, 33b, 33c, 43) having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, the method according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

9. An apparatus (1) for recovering down from a stuffed product such as a piece of clothing, a comforter, a pillow, or an article similar thereto, wherein the apparatus (1) comprises an inlet portion (11) for supplying a stuffed product (10) stuffed with down, a conveying line (12), and at least one outlet portion (71, 72, 73) for collecting the down recovered from the stuffed product (10) supplied at the inlet portion (11). In the apparatus (1), along the conveying line (12), at least one cutting station (2) adapted to receive the stuffed product (10) from the inlet portion (11), cut them, and discharge the shredded material as a result of the cutting onto the conveying line (12); at least one first separation chamber (3, 4) provided with at least one mechanical stirrer (33a, 33b, 33c, 43) for the shredded material downstream of at least one of the cutting stations (2), wherein at least one of the mechanical stirrers (33a, 33b, 33c, 43) is adapted to separate at least a part of the down (13) from the shredded material, the apparatus (1) further comprises, suction means (6) connected to suction ports (80, 82, 84a - 84c, 87) arranged along the conveying line (12) for sucking the down (13) separated from the shredded material and conveying it towards at least one collection container (71 - 73), wherein the suction ports (80, 82, 84a - 84c, 87) are arranged in the first separation chamber (3, 4) and upstream and / or downstream of the first separation chamber (3, 4) along the conveying line (12).

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one second separation chamber (4, 5), adapted to receive, via the conveying line (12), the shredded material arriving from the first separation chamber (3, 4), is provided downstream of the first separation chamber (3, 4) along the conveying line, and the second separation chamber (4, 5) is connected to at least one of the suction ports (84a - 84c, 87) in order to suck additional down (13) from the shredded material arriving from the first separation chamber (3, 4) by means of the suction means (6).

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the second separation chamber (4) comprises a second mechanical stirrer (43) for the shredded material.

12. The device further comprises a third separation chamber (5) downstream of the second separation chamber (4), and inside the third separation chamber (5), the shredded material arriving from the second separation chamber (4) is dropped by gravity against an obstacle surface (55) inside the third separation chamber (5), and during the dropping, the shredded material collides against the obstacle surface (55) to release additional down (13), and the third separation chamber (5) is connected to the suction means (6) and comprises an outlet (52) for the outflow of the residue (14) of the shredded material dropped by gravity. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 11.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that the obstacle surface (55) is substantially inclined towards the outlet, and the third separation chamber (5) further comprises at least one third mechanical stirrer (53).

14. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one of the cutting stations (2) is connected to the suction means (6) to suck the down (13) separated as a result of the cutting.

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that at least one of the cutting stations comprises a preliminary cutting station (21), preferably of the guillotine type, and a rotary cutting station (24) downstream of the preliminary cutting station (21), and the suction means (6) are connected to the rotary cutting station.

16. The device comprises means (8) for the selective conveyance of the down (13) sucked by the sucking means (6), and the means (8) for the conveyance are configured to separately convey the down sucked upstream and downstream of a predetermined point of the conveyance line into respective collection containers (71-73). The device according to claim 10, characterized in that.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the mechanical stirrer comprises beating rollers (33a-33c, 43) having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation.

18. The first separation chamber (3) comprises a step cleaner (30), and the step cleaner (30) has its upper region closed by respective hoods (37) coupled to respective ports (82) each connected to the sucking means (6). The device according to claim 10, characterized in that.

19. The first separation chamber (3, 4) or the second separation chamber (4) comprises a spiked roller (43), the spiked roller (43) having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and being covered at the top by respective hoods (47) coupled to respective ports (84a-84c) each connected to the sucking means (6), the hoods (47) defining a closed free space between each of the at least one port (84a-84c) and the volume occupied by the spiked roller (43), in which the down separated from the shredded material is discharged using the rotation of the spiked roller, and the spiked roller preferably comprises longitudinal blades, the spikes being placed between the longitudinal blades. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that.

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