Process of making artificial rocks out of expended plastic bottles and metal cans

Abstract

A method for converting expended plastic and metal containers into artificial rocks by removing the label from a plastic or metal container, removing the top, stuffing the container with compacted, smaller, expended plastic, beverage bottles, or cleaned, crushed, expended food cans, shaping the filled plastic container by means of a heat gun, or the filled metal container by crimping the ends, burning holes into the filled, shaped plastic container with a soldering iron or drilling holes in the filled shaped metal container with an electric drill. A first layer of wet stucco is troweled onto the shaped container, lightly pressed into the holes, and allowed to dry, whereupon a second layer of stucco is applied over the base layer and allowed to dry, after which a layer of colored cement is applied over the second layer and brushed and rolled while still wet to create different surface textures like those of real rocks and allowed to dry to form the final rock product that looks just like a real rock.

Claims

1. A method of converting an expended plastic or metal container into an artificial rock by: (a) Removing the label from the container, (b) cutting off the top of the container, (c) filling the container with non-organic waste materials, (d) using a heat source to shape the container, if plastic, into a rock type shape, (e) putting a plurality of holes into the surface of the container, (f) covering the container with a layer of wet stucco, (g) lightly pressing the wet stucco so that some of the stucco goes into the holes, (h) allowing the stucco to dry, (i) applying a second layer of stucco over the first layer and allowing said second stucco layer to dry, (j) applying a layer of colored cement over said second layer and allowing said colored cement layer to dry.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 where the non-organic waste materials are selected from the group consisting of compacted plastic bottles, cut up plastic bottles, or crushed, expended metal food cans.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 where the heat source is a heat gun.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 where the plurality of holes is put into the surface of the filled, rock type shaped plastic container by use of a soldering iron.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 where the holes are punched in the filled metal container by use of a drill.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 where the wet layer of colored cement is brushed by use of a paintbrush to create different surface, rock type textures.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 where the wet layer of colored cement is rolled by use of a paint roller to create different surface, rock type textures.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a plastic bottle with the label being removed.

(2) FIG. 2 shows the top portion of the bottle being cut off.

(3) FIG. 3 shows the remaining portion of the bottle being filled with crushed, small, plastic bottles.

(4) FIG. 4 shows heat being applied by means of a heat gun to the filled, plastic bottle.

(5) FIG. 5 shows holes being put into the surface of the shaped, filled plastic bottle by means of a soldering iron.

(6) FIG. 6 shows the filled, shaped, plastic bottle with holes in it being covered with stucco by means of a trowel.

(7) FIG. 7 shows the wet stucco layer being brushed with a paintbrush and stippled with a small paint roller.

(8) FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing in a general way the steps of the new process of making artificial rocks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a label 14 being removed from a two liter plastic soda bottle 10. In this embodiment a two liter bottle is shown, but plastic bottles of various shapes and sizes, including, but not limited to, three liter plastic soda bottles, half gallon and gallon plastic beverage bottles can also be used. Cylindrical, expended, metal food and beverage cans, (not shown), can also be used.

(10) FIG. 2 shows the top portion 12 of the bottle 10 of FIG. 1 being removed with a tin snips 16. This embodiment shows a tin snips, but other cutting implements, such as a utility knife or a sharp scissors can also be used.

(11) FIG. 3 shows the bottom portion of the bottle 10 of FIG. 2 being filled with crushed plastic bottles 18. Cleaned, crushed expended food and beverage cans, (not shown), can also be used as the filling.

(12) FIG. 4 shows the filled bottle 10 being shaped into a rock-like shape by means of a heat gun 20 applying heat to various portions of the filled bottle 10. If a metal container is used, (not shown in the figures), the shaping is done by crimping the ends together and applying pressure by hand.

(13) FIG. 5 shows holes 24 being put into the filled rock-like shaped bottle 10 of FIG. 4 by means of a soldering iron 22. In this embodiment, a plastic bottle is shown as the basis for the artificial rock. However, if a metal can is used as the basis, the holes can be put in using an electric drill. This was not shown in these preferred embodiment figures, but is another embodiment of the invention.

(14) FIG. 6 shows the hole-infused, rock-like shaped bottle 10 of FIG. 5 being coated with wet stucco 28 using a trowel 26.

(15) FIG. 7 shows the wet stucco coating 28 on the hole-infused, rock-like shaped, filled bottle of FIG. 6 being brushed with a paintbrush 32 and rolled with a paint roller 28 to a rough and rock-like surface texture.

(16) FIG. 8 shows the steps of the method of making the artificial rocks.

(17) Step 1. To prepare a bottle for processing remove the label and cut the top portion of the bottle off.

(18) Step 2. Fill the remaining portion of the bottle of Step 1 with compacted, small, plastic bottles, or cleaned, crushed, expended food cans.

(19) Step 3. Apply heat with a heat gun to multiple spots on the filled bottle of Step 2 to shape it into a rock-like shape.

(20) Step 4. Put a plurality of holes into the shaped bottle of step 3 by means of a soldering iron.

(21) Step 5. Trowel a layer of wet stucco onto the filled, shaped, hole-infused bottle of Step 4.

(22) Step 6. Allow the stucco to dry.

(23) Step 7. Apply a second layer of wet stucco over the dried stucco layer of Steps 5 and 6 and allow it to dry.

(24) Step 8. Apply a layer of colored cement over the second, dried stucco layer and brush it and roll it to create a rough surface texture.

(25) Step 9. Allow the layer of colored cement to dry.

(26) It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments discussed above. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.