CA2166675C - Drum tilting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An improvement in a drum tilting apparatus is disclosed. Specifically, a drum tilting apparatus with an auger/wiper system is provided. The auger/wiper system includes a separate auger track and carriage with an auger blade and motor to effect scouring of an inverted drum. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus is provided with a control system to efficiently empty a drum and minimize the risk of exposure to hazardous materials to an operator.

Description

2~~~ ~'~
Z-DRUM TILTING APPARATUS
This invention relates to an improved drum tilting apparatus and system for efficient emptying of drums. More specifically, the invention provides a drum tilting apparatus and system which includes a cleaning auger to effect scouring of the inside surfaces of a drum when tilted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In general, in the field of waste disposal and in other disciplines, there is a need for a simple and efficient apparatus for tilting drums for the purpose of emptying the drums, particularly when the materials are hazardous.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a drum tilting apparatus which is easy to load with waste-containing drums and easy to unload when the drums have been emptied. In all cases, it is desirable that drums are emptied with minimal risk to the operators through exposure to hazardous materials. Thus, an apparatus is required which is capable of loading and unloading a drum into a machine which can also empty and clean the drum quickly and effectively. For example, if the contents of the drum are extremely viscous or semi-solid, removal of this material from the drum may require active removal of the material as gravity alone may not enable for timely removal of the material. Accordingly, there has been a need for a drum tilting machine which uses a device such as an auger/wiper to remove the contents from the drum. Furthermore, there has been need for a machine which includes devices such as a vibrator or solvent sprayer to effect further cleaning of a drum.
A variety of tilting or dumping apparatuses have been proposed in the past.
Examples of such apparatuses are described in Canadian Patents Nos. 455,982, which issued to N.B. Greene et al on April 19, 1949 and 940,079, which issued to S.W. Rooke et al on January 15, 1974, and in United States Patents Nos.
2,662,653, which issued to P. Bianchi et al on December 15, 1953; 2,735,561, which issued to W.L. Van Doren on February 21, 1956; 3,261,486, which issued to L.D. Oliver on July 19, 1966; 4,213,727, which issued to C.H. Lighthipe, Jr. on July 21, 1980;

21~~~7 4,219,298, which issued to M.G. Stragier et al on August 26, 1980; 4,313,707, which issued to J.W. Bingman et al on February 2, 1982; 4,427,333, which issued to F.D. Ebeling on January 24, 1984 and 4,538,951, which issued to K.L. Yeazel on September 3, 1985. The devices disclosed by the patents vary in terms of complexity and efficiency, but, in general, are not suitable for tilting drums in the manner described above. Alternatively, the devices are somewhat complicated and consequently expensive to produce.
Applicant's patent, Canadian Patent 1,324,335 discloses an efficient drum tilting machine but does disclose auxiliary drum cleaning mechanisms.

2166~'~

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an effective drum tilting apparatus and system, which is easy to load and unload, and which provides auxiliary drum cleaning mechanisms to ensure complete drum cleaning with minimal risk to operators of exposure to hazardous materials. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a drum tilting system which links a number of drum tilting apparatuses.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for tilting a drum between a substantially upright position and a substantially inverted position, comprising:
an arcuate track means;
a drum carriage movably mounted on said arcuate track means for carrying a drum between the upright and inverted positions;
catch means on the drum carriage for releasably holding a drum on said drum carriage;
arm means pivotally connected to the drum carriage and a fixed point, the arm means for movement of the drum carriage along the arcuate track means;
an actuation means pivotally connected to the arm means and a second fixed point for rotating the arm means; and, auger/wiper system adjacent the track means to effect scouring of the interior of the tilted drum.

216~~~~

Furthermore, the invention provides a drum tilting system comprising:
at least two dumping machines as above, wherein each dumping machine is operatively located adjacent a dumping pit; and wherein each dumping machine includes:
feed/removal conveyor system for transporting a drum into the drum carriage and for transporting a drum from the drum carriage;
exit rollers for transporting a drum from the drum tilting system;
selector means for directing a drum to a respective dumping machine;
primary feed rollers for movement of a drum into the drum tilting system.

21~~C7a BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a prior art drum tilting machine;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the prior art apparatus of Fig. 1 showing a drum in a tilted position;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the carriage portion of the prior art apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2 as seen from the side opposite that shown in Fig.
2;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inlet end of the carriage and catch/locking mechanism used in the prior art apparatus of Figs. 1 to 3;
Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the catch mechanism used in the prior art apparatus of Figs. 1 to 4.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the drum tilting apparatus of the invention showing an auger/wiper system;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the auger system showing details of the auger carriage;
Figure 7a is side view of an auger blade in accordance with the invention showing an optional solvent injection system;
Figure 7b is a plan view of an auger blade in accordance with the invention;
Figure 8 is an perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the drum carriage;
Figure 9 is an end perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the drum carriage showing a drum engaged within the drum carriage;
Figure 10 is a perspective drawing of a typical logic control panel;
Figure l0a is a schematic diagram of a vibrator which may used in accordance with the invention;
Figure 11 is a plan view of a waste dumping system in accordance with the 21~~~7a _g_ DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the basic apparatus of the present invention includes a skeletal, rectangular frame generally indicated at 1 which is defined by a base 2, corner posts 3 and longitudinally extending top bars 4. A
pair of elongated C-beams form the sides 6 of the base 2. The sides 6 of the base are interconnected at one end by an angle iron crossbar 7, and by metal strips 9, which extend beneath the sides 6. A pair of shafts 10 and 11 are also extended between the sides 6 and are retained therein by disc-shaped end plates 12. The corner posts 3 are formed from lengths of angle iron; which are welded to the top bars 4.
The posts 3 are maintained in the vertical position by diagonal braces 14, which extend outwardly and downwardly from the ends of the top bars 4. Feet 15 connect the bottom ends of the braces 14 to the sides 6 of the frame, and a reinforcing plate 17 (one shown) is provided at the bottom of each brace.
A pair of elongated, arcuate tracks 19 of generally C-shaped cross section are provided in the frame 1 for guiding a carriage generally indicated at 20 between a vertical loading position (Figs. 1 and 3) at one end of the frame 1, and an emptying or tilted position (Figs. 1 and 2). The carriage 20 is pivotally mounted on the ends 21 of a pair of generally triangular arms 22, which in turn are pivotally mounted in the frame 1. One bottom corner 23 of each arm 22 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 10 between the sides 6 of the base 2 for rotation around the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The arms 22 are also interconnected by a shaft 25 extending between bearings 26 in second corners 27 of the arms, and by a reinforcing crossbar 28 defined by a large cylinder extending between plates 30 (one shown - Figures 2 and 3) on the inner surfaces of the arms 22 near the centre thereof.
The arms 22 are caused to rotate by a pair of large hydraulic cylinders 31, 21~~~7 one end of each of which is pivotally connected to the shaft 11. The hoses 32 for the cylinders 31 extend through a protective sleeve 33 (Fig. 2) in a slot 34 in the sides 6 of the base 2 to a source (not shown) of hydraulic fluid under pressure. The piston rods 35 of the cylinders 31 extend outwardly to the stem of T-shaped sleeves 36 on the ends of the shaft 25 for pivotally connecting the piston rods to the shaft.
A pair of helical springs 37 extend between the sides 6 of the base and the corners 23 of the arms 22 for biasing the latter to the rest of drum loading or receiving positions shown in solid lines in Fig. 1.
The carriage 20 includes a rectangular base plate 38 with an opening 39 in the centre thereof (Figure 4), and rectangular flanges 40 extending upwardly from the side edges thereof. An angular rear wall 42 and planar side walls 43 extend upwardly from the plate 38. Reinforcing plates 44 (Fig. 3) are provided on the outer surfaces of the side walls 43 where the disc-shaped ends 21 of the arms 22 are pivotally connected to the carriage by stub axles 45 extending outwardly from the plates 44. The rear wall 42 has a central longitudinally extending recess therein, with ribs 46 extending outwardly to define a semi-cylindrical area for receiving a drum 47. An arcuate plate 48 extends outwardly from the bottom of the rear wall 42 and from the side walls 43 near the bottom edges thereof for limiting movement of the drum 47 into the carriage 20. The bottom rim 49 (Fig. 1) of the drum 47 slides under the plate 48, so that when the drum is tilted the plate 48 prevents release of the drum by the carriage as described in greater detail hereinafter. An arm 50 extends upwardly and outwardly from each top corner of the rear and side walls 42 and 43, respectively. A sleeve 51 on the rear surface of the arm 50 rotatably supports a rod 52, which extends inwardly from a roller 53. Rollers are mounted in the tracks 19 near closed ends 54 thereof.
Rubber, shock absorbing feet 55 extend downwardly from the base plate 38 21G~~7~

of the carriage 20. Rollers 56 for receiving a drum 47 from a conveyor 58 (Fig. 1) are mounted in bearings 60 in the sides 43 of the carriage 20 beneath the level of the plate 48. A slide defined by a vertical plate 62 and reinforcing gussets 63 is provided at the front centre inlet end of the plate 38.
The drum 47 is retained in the carriage 20 by a catch mechanism generally indicated at 65. As best shown in Fig. 5, the catch mechanism 65 includes an arcuate rod 66, which extends between the outer ends of a pair of generally chevron-shaped arms 68. The outer ends of the arms 68 are rotatably connected to the base plate 38 by clevises 71, nuts 72 and a bolt 73. The rod 66 is reinforced by end plates 75. The rod 66 is caused to rotate from the rest or release position (Fig. 4 and solid lines in Fig. 5) to the latch position (Figs. 1, 3 and phantom outline in Fig.
5) by triangular levers 76 and hydraulic cylinders 77. The bottom corner 79 of each lever 76 is pivotally connected to one flange 40 by the rear or innermost roller 56.
Clevises 80 pivotally connect the ends of a rod 82 to the inner end 83 of the arm 68 and an adjacent corner 84 of the lever 76. The rod 82 extends through an opening 86 in the rear wall 42 of the carriage 20. The inner end 83 of the arm 68 is guided by a strip 87 connected to the side wall 43 and to the ledge 48 (Fig. 4). The upper inner end 89 of the lever 76 is connected to the outer end of a piston rod 90 by a clevis 91. The piston rod 90 extends out of the cylinder 77. A clevis 93 on the top end of the cylinder 77 pivotally connects the cylinders 77 to a triangular plate 94 on the top rear of the carriage 20. The hydraulic lines 95, 96 also pass through the sleeve 33 and the slot 34 to the source of hydraulic fluid under pressure.
In operation, the conveyor 58 carrying drums 47 is actuated to move a drum into the carriage 20. The drum 47 slides across the plate 62 and the rollers 56 until one surface thereof engages the plate 48. The conveyor 58 is stopped, and the catch mechanism 65 is actuated. By extending the piston rods 90 from the retracted 21~~~'~~
-1~-positions shown in solid lines in Fig. 5 to the extended positions shown in phantom outline in Fig. 5, the levers 76 are caused to rotate around an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rear or innermost roller 56 which moves the rods 82 on the arms 68 inwardly. Thus, the arcuate rod 66 is pulled against the drum 47 above the beaded bottom edge thereof.
The cylinders 31 are then actuated to extend the piston rods 35. Extension of the rods 35 causes the carriage 20 and the drum 47 to rise from the rest or loading position (Fig. 3 and on the left in Fig. 1). The carriage 20 and the drum 47 tilt as the carriage moves along the tracks 19. The carriage 20 can be stopped at any location, with the drum 47 in the horizontal, partly tilted or fully tilted positions (see Fig. 2 and the right-hand side of Fig. 1).
The springs 37 extending between the arms 22 and the base 2 of the frame 1 bias the arms 22 to the loading position, so that there is no jerking as the arms pass over dead centre position during rotation between the loading and emptying positions.
Figures 6-11 show additional and alternate embodiments of the basic drum tilting apparatus described above. Figure 6 shows a further embodiment of the invention with an auger/wiper system 100 integral with the main drum tilting apparatus 102. In this embodiment of the invention, additional framing and track members are configured to the main drum tilting apparatus 102 to provide support for the auger/wiper system 100. The auger/wiper system 100 is used to effect aggressive cleaning of an inverted drum particularly if it contains a viscous fluid.
Specifically, track 104 is configured adjacent the drum tilting apparatus 102 through plates 103 such that the track 104 is parallel to the central axis of an inverted drum (Figure 7), thereby allowing entry of an auger blade 106 and auger shaft 108 within 21~~~7~

the drum 47 to scour the inside surfaces of the drum 47. As can be seen from Figure 7, the auger/wiper system 100 includes an auger motor 110 on auger carriage 112.
Actuation of the auger motor 110 causes the auger shaft 108 and auger blade 106 to rotate to effect scouring of the inside surfaces of a drum 47. The auger carriage 112 is shown having a frame 114 with wheels 116 for movement along track 104 between a lower, at rest position where the auger blade 106 is outside an inverted drum 47 and an upper position where the auger blade 106 is positioned for scouring a drum 47. The lower portion of the track 104 is provided with a dropped section 120 which enables an upward deflection of the auger blade 106 and auger shaft when the auger carriage 114 is at rest (as seen in Figure 6) thereby moving the auger blade 106 away from a drum 47 as the drum 47 is being emptied.
Movement of the auger carriage 112 is effected by hydraulic cylinders 118 fixed between frame 104 and the auger carriage 112. Activation of the hydraulic cylinders 118 enables movement of the auger carriage 112 along track 104.
Figures 7A and 7B show a typical and preferred form of an auger blade 106.
Preferably, the auger blade 106 is provided with a main body 122 having top and side 126 surfaces angled to facilitate rotation of the auger blade 106 within a cylindrical body. As can be seen from Figures 7A and 7B, the auger blade 106 is preferably provided with a rubber edge along the top 122 and side 126 surfaces in order to provide a resilient scraping edge for cleaning the inside of a drum.
The top 122 and side 126 surfaces are also preferably angled away from the medial plane 130 of the blade so that, dependent on the direction of rotation of the auger blade, aggressive or non-aggressive movement of the blade 106 with respect to the inside drum surface is possible. Accordingly, rotation in one direction, for example counter-clockwise, the auger blade is non-aggressive, meaning the auger blade trails the medial plane of the auger blade while rotating. Alternatively, rotation in the 216~~7~

opposite direction, for example clockwise, the auger blade is aggressive, meaning the auger blade precedes the medial plane 130 of the auger blade 106 while rotating.
Non-aggressive rotation of the auger blade 106 facilitates entry of a tight-fitting auger blade 106 within a drum whereas aggressive rotation of the auger blade provides effective scouring of the inside of a drum.
In construction, the auger blade is preferably modular with detachable rubber blades to facilitate exchange of blades after wear. Preferably the rubber blades 124, 126 are bolted to the main body 122 with bolts 132.
Automation of the drum tilting sequence enables effective and efficient drum emptying with minimal operator input or risk of exposure to hazardous materials.
Thus, the drum tilting apparatus 102 is preferably provided with control mechanisms which automate the drum tilting process and includes control circuitry responsive to the actual location of a drum within the apparatus.
With reference to Figures 8 and 9, an alternate embodiment of the drum carriage 20 is shown. This embodiment of the drum carriage has actively driven rollers 140 to facilitate loading and unloading of the drum carriage 20 with each roller having a sprocket 142 with chain 144. Conveyor motor 146 (Figure 6) provides power to the feed conveyor system. The drum carriage 20 is also provided with upper 148 and lower carriage 150 limit switches used in the automation of the loading or unloading sequence (described below). The upper limit switch 148 is positioned adjacent upper drum stop 152 and detects the presence of a drum within the drum carriage 20. The lower limit switch 150 is located adjacent one of the locking actuation cylinders 77 and detects the locking of a drum 47 within the drum carriage 20. Furthermore, with respect to the automation of the drum tilting operation, further limit switches are provided to detect specific positioning of the 216~6'~

drum carriage 20 and auger carriage 112 in order to automate the process.
Specifically, a lower track limit switch 154 is provided which detects the presence of the drum carriage 20 in its loading position and a) stops return movement of carriage and b) initiates unlocking of barrel 47.
An upper track limit switch 156, located adjacent the track 19, detects the presence of the drum carriage 20 at its end-of stroke. The upper track limit switch 156 a) activates the auger system 100 and b) stops the main lifting sequence.
The auger entry limit switch 158, located adjacent the auger track 104, detects entry of the auger blade 106 into an inverted drum. The auger entry limit switch 158 a) initiates the auger motor 110 to reverse direction and b) enables operator control of the auger stroke.
The auger off limit switch 160, located on the lower region of the auger track 104, detects the presence of the auger carriage 112 in the resting position.
The auger-off limit switch 160 a) stops the auger motor 110 and b) stops auger carriage 112 movement.
Operation of the drum tilting apparatus is preferably controlled with minimal operator input once a drum enters the drum tilting apparatus through the sequential activation of the various subsystems. In accordance with the drum tilting apparatus described above, the following control process may be implemented to facilitate drum emptying. Figure 10 shows a typical control panel which may be used in accordance with the invention. Specifically, Figure 10 shows a control panel with a main conveyor lever 202, feed conveyor lever 204, end-of stroke button 206, main start button 208, retract button 210 and main stop button 212. This is not intended to be limiting and it is understood that various modifications to the control of the system may be implemented without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The drum carriage 20 may also be provided with a vibrator 350 as shown schematically in Figure l0a to effect loosening of material from within the drum.
Preferably, the vibrator 350 is hydraulically driven through hydraulic lines 352 and configured to the drum carriage 20 to contact the outer surface of the drum 47.
Control of the vibrator may be automatic or manual by operator input. Other types of vibrators may include air or electric vibrators.
The auger/wiper system 100 may also be provided with a solvent sprayer system 400 to effect solvent cleaning of an inverted drum. In this embodiment, the auger shaft 108 and auger blade 106 may be provided with a solvent delivery system 400 for spraying a solvent within the drum 47 while scouring is conducted with the auger system 100. Nozzles 402 may be optionally provided on the auger blade for distribution of the solvent along with the appropriate pumping system on the auger carriage 112. Nozzles 402a may also be provided on the auger carriage 114 (Figure 7) to inject solvent into an inverted drum.
A drum 47 is placed on the feed roller system 58 and an operator moves the feed conveyor lever 202 on the control panel 200 forward to activate the feed roller system. The feed roller system 58 moves the drum into the drum carriage 20.
The drum 47 enters the drum carriage 20 and is received against the upper 152 and lower 153 drum stops and simultaneously depresses the upper carriage limit switch 148.
The closure of the upper carriage limit switch 148 deactivates the feed roller system 58 and activates the drum carriage locking cylinder 77 to move the catch arm 66 up to lock the drum 47 between the lower drum stop 153 and the catch arm 66.
During the locking step, that is upward movement of the catch arm, and downward 215~~7~

movement of the locking cylinder, the lower carriage limit switch 150 is depressed which signals the completion of the locking sequence and initiates the drum lifting sequence. The drum 47 and drum carriage 20 are lifted along the track 19 until the drum carriage 20 hits the upper track limit switch 136. Closure of the upper track limit switch 156 stops drum carriage movement and initiates movement of the auger system 100. Initially, the auger motor 110 turns non-aggressively in order to facilitate entry of the auger blade 106 into the drum 47. The auger carriage moves up the auger track 104 a distance sufficient for the auger blade to enter the drum 47 at which point the auger carriage 112 hits an auger track limit switch 158.
Closure of the auger track limit switch 158 causes the auger motor 110 to reverse direction, that is in an aggressive direction within the drum 47. At this point, the operator depresses the end-of-stroke button 206 on the control panel 200 to continue the auger blade movement within the drum. The auger carriage 112 will continue to move up the auger track 104 until the cylinders reach the end-of-stroke.
The speed with which the auger carriage 114 moves up the auger track may also be controlled by an optional speed control mechanism such as a bleed valve.
For example, where a particularly viscous or solid material is within a drum, the auger movement speed should be slowed to ensure proper removal of the drum contents.
When the auger blade 106 reaches the bottom of the drum 47, the auger blade 106 continues to turn at that position. When the operator is satisfied that the drum has been fully scoured, the operator depresses the retract button 210 on the control panel 200 which causes the auger carriage 114 to move down the auger track 104.
Alternatively, the controller may be configured with a timer which maintains the auger blade 106 at the end-of stroke position for a fixed period of time, for example 10-15 seconds.
The auger blade 106 continues to turn in the aggressive direction. The auger ~1~~~7~

carriage 114 continues to move down the auger track 104 until the lower auger track limit switch 160 is depressed. Closure of the lower auger track limit switch causes the auger carriage 114 to stop, the auger motor 110 to stop and the drum carriage 20 to move down the lifting track 19. The drum carriage 20 moves down the lifting track 19 until the lower track limit switch 154 is depressed whereupon the drum carriage 120 stops. Closure of the lower track limit switch 154 also causes the catch arm 66 to open thereby releasing the drum 47. The operator may then move the feed conveyor lever 202 in a reverse direction in order that the drum is actively withdrawn from the drum carriage 20. Removal of the drum from the drum carriage opens the upper carriage limit switch 148 ready for the next drum. The drum is removed from the drum tilting apparatus 102 for re-use or disposal. At any point during operation, the operator may stop the system by pressing stop button 212.
Figure 11 is a plan view of a drum emptying installation 300 which may be established with any number of the drum tilting apparatuses 102 of the present invention. A drum tilting machine 102 is positioned over an appropriate reservoir 302. The drum tilting machine is provided with a feed/removal roller system 58 for delivering and removing a drum 47 to/from the drum carriage 20 and an exit roller system 304 for removal of empty drums from the system 300. In the system 300 displayed in Figure 11, three separate drum tilting machines 102 are shown, each having a feed/removal 58 and distinct or shared exit roller system 304. Each feed/removal roller system 58 is linked by a link roller system 306 for transferring a drum 47 from a primary feed roller system 308 to the appropriate feed/removal roller system 58. In order to provide the transfer to the appropriate drum tilting machine a selector system 310 is provided to direct an incoming drum 47 to its appropriate destination. A control booth 312 and control panel 200 is centrally located to operate the drum tilting system 300 whereby an operator can select a drum tilting machine 102 on the basis of, for example, the contents of a particular 21~5~'~
-1g-drum or the size of a particular drum. Preferably, and particularly if the drum contents are hazardous, the control booth provides environmental protection to the operator.

Claims (21)

1. An apparatus for tilting and emptying a drum, comprising:
an arcuate track means;
a drum carnage movably mounted on said arcuate track means for carrying said drum between an upright position at a first end of said arcuate track means, and a substantially inverted position at a second end of said arcuate track means;
catch means on the drum carriage for releasably holding said drum on said drum carriage;
arm means pivotally connected to the drum carriage and a fixed point, the arm means for movement of the drum carriage along the arcuate track means;
arm actuation means pivotally connected to the arm means and a second fixed point for rotating the arm means; and auger/wiper system means adjacent to said second end of said arcuate track means, for scouring of the interior of the tilted drum.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the auger/wiper system means includes:
an auger track adjacent to said second end of said arcuate track means;
an auger carriage slidably mounted on the auger track;
an auger motor on the auger carriage;
an auger shaft and an auger blade operatively connected to the auger motor, the auger shaft and auger blade adapted for entry into a drum to scour the interior of the drum; and auger carriage actuation means for displacement of the auger carriage along the auger track means.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the drum carriage includes at least one drum stop for receiving the outer surface of a drum and a catch arm for releasably holding a drum against the at least one drum stop, the catch arm pivotal between an engaged and disengaged position.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3 further comprising a feed conveyor for loading a drum within the drum carriage and wherein the catch arm pivots to allow passage of the drum over the catch arm.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising a catch arm locking cylinder on the drum carriage for pivotal movement of the catch arm between the engaged and disengaged position.

6. The apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the drum carriage further includes an upper carriage limit switch for detecting the presence of a drum against the at least one drum stop and for activating the catch arm locking cylinder for locking the drum within the drum carriage.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the drum carriage further includes a lower drum carriage limit switch for detecting locking of the drum within the drum carriage and for activating the arm actuation means.

8. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the arm actuation means comprises hydraulic cylinders.

9. The apparatus as in claim 8 further comprising an upper track limit switch on the arcuate track means for stopping drum carriage motion and for initiating movement of the auger/wiper system means.

10. The apparatus as in claim 9 where the feed conveyor system is actively driven.

11. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the auger track is substantially parallel to the central axis of the drum when the drum is in the inverted position.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein the auger track includes means for deflecting the auger/wiper system means away from the drum tilting apparatus.

13. The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein the auger/wiper system means includes an auger track limit switch for detecting entry of the auger blade within an inverted drum.

14. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the auger blade has a metal body with interchangeable rubber blades.

15. The apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the auger blade has top and side surfaces angled away from the medial plane of the auger blade to effect either aggressive or non-aggressive scouring of the inside surface of the drum.

16. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the auger carriage actuation means is hydraulic.

17. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the auger/wiper system means includes means for controlling movement of the auger carriage along the auger track while the auger blade is turning in the aggressive direction.

18. The apparatus as in claim 17 wherein the auger/wiper system means includes means for controlling retraction of the auger system from an inverted drum.

19. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the drum carriage includes vibrator means for vibrating an inverted drum.

20. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the auger/wiper system means includes sprayer means for spraying a solvent on the inside of an inverted drum.

21. A drum tilting and emptying system comprising:
a. at least two apparatus for tilting and emptying a drum as in claim 1, wherein each apparatus for tilting and emptying a drum is operatively located adjacent a dumping pit; and wherein each apparatus for tilting and emptying a drum further includes:
i. feed/removal rollers for transporting a drum into the drum carriage and for transporting a drum from the drum carriage; and ii. exit rollers for transporting a drum from the apparatus for tilting and emptying a drum;
b. selector means for directing a drum to a respective apparatus for tilting and emptying a drum; and c. primary feed rollers for movement of a drum into the drum tilting and emptying system.