CA2351934A1

CA2351934A1 - Apparatus and method of environmental spill containment

Info

Publication number: CA2351934A1
Application number: CA 2351934
Authority: CA
Inventors: Anthony Wayne Huizenga; Roger Kelly Haayema
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-29
Filing date: 2001-06-29
Publication date: 2002-12-29

Abstract

An apparatus and method for receiving plastic waste are disclosed. The apparatus includes a support having a plurality of detachably connected walls operable to stand generally upright on a base to define a space bordered by the walls and the base. The walls are operable to support a liner to facilitate receiving waste therein. The method involves supporting a liner underneath a plastic material transfer unit to receive and contain spilled waste plastic material, and permitting the waste to harden while being contained by the liner to allow for transportation of the liner to a disposal site. An apparatus for use in forming a support to support a liner for receiving plastic waste is also disclosed. The apparatus includes an elongated, generally rectangular wall reinforced to prevent flexing and having opposite ends, and pin receptacles at the opposite ends for receiving pins for connecting adjacent walls together to form the support. A method and detachable cleaning apparatus for removing plastic waste from an object are also disclosed.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHODS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SPILL
CONTAINMENT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention This invention relates to apparatus and methods of environmental spill containment, and specifically, to apparatus and methods for receiving plastic waste.

2. Description of Related Art The importance of environmental spill containment has grown considerably during the past few decades as various ecosystems have become increasingly more fragile from the adverse consequences of pollution and toxic substances spilled into the environment. For many years efforts to limit the impact of environmental spills were limited and the disposal of waste, accidental or deliberate, was not closely regulated or supervised. As a result, the health of the environment is at risk and effective ways of containing environmental spills are in need.
Some environmental areas are more susceptible to pollution than others. For example, in frozen tundra areas or in desert Environments, foreign organic matter spilled into the environment will not break down readily, and non-organic waste can have devastating consequences on the plants and animals living in these areas. In aquatic environments, waste deposited into the ocean and/or rivers, from agricultural or industrial run-off, mine tailings, andlor polluted effluence from pulp mills, for exaimple, adversely impact the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems alreadyr made fragile by species depletion.

In particular, in areas of rapid urban development where home andlor industrial construction sites produce a large amount of waste concrete, often substantial amounts of concrete slurry is spillec! when transferred between a ready mix concrete mixing truck and a concrete pump, for example. For example, if an operator encounters a problE:m while delivering pumped concrete slurry at a building site, the operai:or must convey to a pump operator to shut off the pump. A delay in shutting off the pump often results in a back up of pumped slurry and a resultant slung spill at the pump andlor the delivery site. The slurry is only partially retrievable, with a large amount of effort, when it comes into contact with the ground or water system when it runs off down municipal drains. Residual slurry contaminates the soil andlor water system by altering the pH of the soil and/or water, respectively.
In large city areas where development is accelerated, waste concrete slurry can accumulate rapidly at designated truck washout stations at the construction site, and dramatically impact the Focal environment. Ready mix trucks must use a washout system before continuing on to another job site andlor returning to a base, presenting a problem of disposal of unused concrete.
This also presents problems to contractors who must remove the waste to a disposal site. Since contractors often will dE:liver an excess amount of concrete to a site to reduce production lag, invariably there is usually excess concrete which must be disposed of. SincE; this involves returning the concrete to the disposal site after every job., excess time is consumed between jobs which limits productivity.
In addition, watered-down concrete slurry can enter into the environment during washout of materials andlor vessels that come in contact with concrete, such as hoppers or discharge chutes on concrete mixing trucks or pumps, or hoses and sponges used to clean out valves and chutes. In particular, sponges contaminated with waste slurry are often cleaned with a hose, discharging waste slurry and water having unsafe pH levels into the environment. A similar problem occurs when cleaning out a hose used to pump concrete slurry. It is difficult to make sure: that the hose and/or sponge are cleaned in such a way that not only waste slurry is captured to not spill into the environment, but the wastewater must be captured as well. This is particularly true with cleaning a long hose, as the hose nozzle will flop around as the hose is cleaned and coiled for storage for example, discharging waste onto the ground.
What is desired therefore is an apparatus that overcomes these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the above needs by providing an apparatus and method of environmental spill containment. The environmental spill containment apparatus also is functional as a washout apparatus for cleaning objects.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for receiving plastic waste. The apparatus includes a support having a plurality of detachably connected walls operable; to stand generally upright on a base to define a space bordered by the walls; and the base. The walls are operable to support a liner operable to be supported by the support to line the space to facilitate receiving the waste therein. The liner may be sufficiently dimensioned to enclose the space after the waste has been received therein.
The liner may also be sealable and may be operable to permit waste, such as concrete slurry, to set for a period of time sufficient to permit the waste to harden to allow for transportation of the liner containing hardened waste to a disposal site.

The support may be sufficiently dimensioned to define an orthorhombic space having a height less than a length and width thereof, and may have a height approximately 115t" of its width.
The detachable walls may be reinforced to prevent flexing, and may be metallic. Each wall may include pin receptacles positioned at opposite ends thereof to facilitate connection to an adjacent wall.
The support may include a cleaning device and may be operable to support the cleaning device over the liner. At least onE; wall of the plurality of walls may further include a mounting device to mount the cleaning device. The cleaning device may include a holder for holding the object over the space for cleaning. The holder may include a press operable to press liquid out of an absorbent material.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for use in forming a support to support a liner for receiving plastic waste. The apparatus includes an elongated generally rectangular wall reinforced to prevent flexing and having oppositE: ends, and pin receptacles at the opposite ends for receiving pins for connecting adjacent walls together to form the support. The wall may be metallic and may include a mounting device to mount a cleaning device.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for containing plastic waste. The method involves supporting a liner underneath a plastic material transfer unit to receive and contain spilled plastic waste and to permit the plastic waste to harden while being contained in the liner to allow for transportation of the liner containing the hardened plastic waste to a disposal site.

The method may involve supporting a cleaning device over the liner, and may further involve compressing a sponge in the cleaning device to urge waste from the sponge into the liner.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for removing slurry from an object. The method involves supporting the object over a liner operable to contain slurry from the object, and urging the slurry from the object into the liner. The object may be supported by mounting a cleaning apparatus to a support operable to support the liner while receiving slurry.
The method may involve passing water over, into, or through the object to flush slurry from the object into the liner. The object may be a hose or a sponge, for example.
The method may involve positioning a sponge in the cleaning apparatus, and may involve compressing the sponge to remove slurry from the sponge by moving a press on the cleaning apparatus.
The method may also involve positioning a hose iin the cleaning apparatus such that a nozzle of the hose is located over the liner. The method may also involve restricting movement of the hose in the cleaning apparatus while flushing the hose.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a detachable cleaning apparatus for removing plastic waste from an object. The apparatus includes a support operable to be connected to a containment apparatus for receiving plastic waste and a holder connected to the support for holding the object, such as a sponge or a hose for example, over the containment apparatus to facilitate draining of plastic waste from the object into the containment apparatus. The support may include a mounting device to mount the support to the containment apparatus.

The holder may include a press operable to compress a sponge positioned therein to drain slurry from the sponge into thE: containment apparatus. The press may include a moveable sieve and a stationary sieve, the moveable sieve being moveable towards the stationary sieve to compress the sponge.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a liner including a thin membrane formed into a bag having top marginal portions and a body operable to line a generally orthorhombic space having a length and width of approximately five feet and a height about 10-50% of its width. The liner is operable to receive and contain concrete slurry therein. The bag has sufficient depth to permit the top marginal portions to be gathered together to facilitate closure of the bag to completely cover concrete slurry contained therein.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the iinvention, Figure 1 is a side view of an environmental spill containment system according to one embodiment of the; invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a containment apparatus of the containment system shown in f=figure 1, according to one embodiment of the invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a containment apparatus of the containment system shown in Figure 1, according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmented perspective view of the containment apparatus of Figure 3, focussing on a cleaning device of the containment apparatus.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a cleaning device according to another embodiment of the invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cleaning device shown in Figure 5, in an engaged position.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cleaning device shown in Figure 5 in a folded position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to Figure 1 a spill containment system according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at 10. In this embodiment, the system 10 includes a spill containment apparatus 12 positioned under a receiving hopper 24 and a pump outlet 26 of a concrete pump 22, and a discharge chute 18 of a concrete mixing truck 20 containing concrete slurry.
The containment apparatus 12 includes a support 14 and a liner 16 supported by the support to facilitate receiving concrete alurry spilled from any of the discharge chute 18 of the concrete mixing truck 20, the receiving hopper 24 and/or the pump outlet 26 of the concrete pump 22, during transfer of the concrete slurry from one area to another. p~lternatively, the containment apparatus 12 may be employed as a washout device to receive concrete slurry, unused concrete, andlor water washed out of the concrete pump 22 or discharge chute 18, for example, after use. In addition, the containment apparatus 12 may be employed to receive concrete slurry and/or wastewater discharged from cleaning a hose and/or a sponge which has come into contact with concrete.

_$_ Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in this embodiment the support 14 of the containment apparatus 12 comprises four detachably connected walls 30, 32, 34, and 36 operable to stand generally upright on a base 38, such as a roadway for example, to define a space 40 bordered by the walls and the base. The space 40 may generally be orthorhombic, having a height less than a length and width thereof. The support 14 is configured to support the liner 16 in the space 40 to facilitate receiving waste therein.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in this embodiment the walls 30, 32, 34 and 36 are dimensioned such that the space 40 extends beneath the discharge chute 18 of the concrete mixing truck 20, the receiviing hopper 24 and the pump outlet 26 of the concrete pump 22, so that wastE: concrete slurry spilled during transfer of the concrete slurry from one area to another is contained in the space. In other embodiments, the walls 3C1, 32, 34 and 36 may be dimensioned for use with other plastic material transfer units to contain waste plastic material. In other words, the support 14 is sufficiently dimensioned to define the orthorhombic space 40 having a height less than a length and width thereof.
While the base 38 in this embodiment is said to be formed by a roadway or ground surface, it alternatively may be formed by other material such as a sheet of metal, fiberboard, or plywood, for example, connected to the support 14 or lying underneath the support to support thE; liner 16.
The liner 16 is formed from a thin membrane into a bag. In this embodiment, the bag is formed from six-mil polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic sheeting, which is sufficient to contain concrete slurry without IE;aks while the concrete slurry hardens. Generally, the liner 16 is of sufficieint strength to permit plastic, castable waste such as concrete to set for a period of time sufficient to permit it to harden to allow for transportation of the liner containing the hardened material to a disposal site, such as a municipal dump for example. In addition, _g_ the liner 16 is of sufficient strength to reduce the likelihood of tearing when contacted by a shovel which may be used to move unhardened concrete slurry out of the liner. Alternatively, other materials may be used for the liner 16 and they may be waterproof and operable to contain concrete slurry or other plastic waste without leakage and/or tearing.
In this embodiment the liner 16 has top marginal portions 17 and a body 19 operable to line the generally orthorhombic space 40 defined by the support 14, and has sufficient depth 21 to permit the top marginal portions of the liner to be draped over outside surfaces of the walls 30, 32, 34 and 36 and to be gathered together collectively over the space defined by the support, as shown in broken outline at 41, to be sealed by a cable tie or a self clinching bundling strap 43, such as about a three foot long Zap~ strap, rope, or wire for example, to permit transportation of the liner and contained plastic waste to an another location such as a disposal site after the concrete slurry has hardened. In other words, the liner 16 is operable to be supported by the support 14 to line the space 40 to facilitate receiving the waste therein and is sufficiently dimensioned to enclose the space after the waste has been received therein.
Referring to Figure 2, the walls 30, 32, 34, and 36 in this embodiment are made of steel and are each reinforced by spanning members 42 and 44 connecting upper and lower members of each wall 30 to prevent excessive flexing of the walls and of the support 14 ultimately formed. Alternatively the walls 30; 32, 34, and 36 may be formed of any other material having a tensile strength sufficient to resist excessive flexing such that the walls are operable to support a liner 16 to facilitate receiving waste concrete.
The walls 30, 32, 34, and 36 may generally k>e elongated and rectangular such that the support 14 is sufficiently dimensioned to define the orthorhombic space 40 having a height less than a length and width thereof. In this embodiment the walls 30, 32, 34, and 36 are dimensioned equally, each wall having sides approximately five to six feet (150 to 180 cm) long and approximately one foot (thirty cm) high. Since each wall is of the same dimensions, the walls 32, 34, 36, and 38 may be interchangeable to facilitate replacement if one wall is lost or damaged during use, for example.
Each wall 30, 32, 34, and 36 includes respective pin receptacles 46, 48, 50, and 52 positioned at opposite ends thereof to facilitate connection to an adjacent wall. The pin receptacles 46, 48, 50, and 52 are operable to receive removable pins 37 to connect adjoining walls to form the support 14.
Alternatively other connectors may be used to connect adjoining walls, such as hook and loop fasteners, hinges, or bolts, for example, to allow for quick disassembly and storage of the support 14 in a~ small space, such as on the back of fihe concrete mixing truck 20 or concrete pump 22, for example.
To use the environmental spill containment apparatus 12, the disassembled walls 30, 32, 34, and 36 are removed from a storage location, such as on the concrete pump 22 or on the concrete mixing truck 20 for example, and are placed on the ground, which provides the base 38 for the support 14. The walls 30, 32, 34, and 36 are positioned to stand upright on the base 38 and the pin receptacles 46, 48, 50, and 52 of each respective wall 30, 32, 34, and 36 are aligned to connect adjoining walls by insertion of pins 37 into the respective pin receptacles, thus defining the space 40 bordered by the walls and the base of the assembled support 14. The assembled support 14 is then positioned under the concrete pump 22 or other plastic castable material transfer unit operable to transfer material between two areas, such that the space 40 extends beneath the plastic castable material transfer unit to receive and contain spilled plastic waste.
The liner 16 is then positioned into the space 40 of the support 14 by generally centering the body 19 of the liner in the space and draping the top marginal portions 17 of the liner over each wall 30, 32, 34, and 36 of the support. In other words, the support 14 is posiltioned to support the liner 16 underneath the plastic material transfer unit. Now as concrete or other plastic material is being transferred from one area to another, such as from the concrete mixing truck 20 to the concrete pump 22 for example, any spills are safely contained by the liner 16, thus preventing ground andlor water contamination.
After the concrete or other plastic material has been transferred and there is no longer a risk of spillage, the environmental spill containment apparatus 12 may then be used as a wash-out container for i:he concrete pump 22, and/or the discharge chute 18 of the concrete mixing truck 20. Specifically, the containment apparatus 12 may be repositioned to lie underneath open pipes, the pump outlet 26, open valves andlor the receiving hopper 24 of the concrete pump 22 to receive waste washed out of the concrete pump into the liner 16. This results in concrete slurry, unusedl concrete, andlor wastewater being contained by the liner 16.
Before the concrete slurry can harden, the to~> marginal portions 1~ of the liner 16, which were draped over the walls 30, 3.2, 34 and 36 may be brought up over the space 40 and then sealed together with the Zap~ strap to completely cover the concrete slurry contained i':herein. Alternatively, the liner 16 may be left open, exposing the concrete slurry to the air to hasten hardening. Thus, in effect, the liner 16 acts as a form to contain the waste concrete while it sets. The support 14 and liner 16 may be left for a period of time, such as 24 hours for example, sufficient to. permit the waste concrete to harden to allow for transportation of the liner containing the hardened waste to a disposal site. Alternatively, the walls 30, 32, 34, and 36 may be disassembled and the sealed liner 16 containiing the waste can be left to harden. The support 14 may then be brought to another location to be used with another liner for a different job, thus decreasing production lag time.
The support 14 may be placed under the concrete pump 22 while in use for pumping, and may catch spills in the liner 16, supported by the support. If there is only a small amount of waste received in the liner 16, the liner may be moved to another location for another use or rnay be sealed and moved to another location to allow the waste to harden. 'The latter may be particularly useful when the concrete pump 22 has been placed on a road, for example, where leaving the liner 16 in place would block the road and perhaps block access to the construction site while the wasl:e hardens. Alternatively, if a large amount of waste has been received in thE; liner 16, making it difficult to move, another liner may be deployed to receive waste shoveled out of the filled liner, or excess waste may be shoveled back into the receiving hopper 24 of the concrete pump 22 until the liner is moveable to another location. In the latter instance, a new liner may be used to receive the waste washed out of the concrete pump 22, or alternatively, the concrete pump may be brought to another location which does not block road access and the support 14 and a new liner may be deployed to receive washed out waste. In this way, the waste may be left to harden overnight in a location which does not block access to the road.
In addition, after the concrete pump 22 has finished pumping concrete slurry and/or the concrete pump andlor the hopper 18 has been washed out, it may be advantageous to remove excess water from i:he slurry to hasten hardening and/or to allow relocation of the filled liner 16. This may be achieved by letting the slurry sit in the liner 16 for a time sufficient to allow excess water to separate from the concrete slurry. The excess water may then be removed by a siphon for example. However, care must be used in handling the excess water since its pH may be substantially altered by concrete slurry residue or residue from other substances washed out from the pump 22 andlor the hopper 18. Therefore it may be advantageous 1:o first treat the excess water with chemicals to return the pH to an acceptable level before siphoning off the excess water.
Once the waste has hardened in the liner 16, a lifting device, such as a crane or a Bobcat~ for example, may load the liner into a transportation unit for transportation to a disposal site. Straps and/or chains may be placed under the liner 16 before using to facilitate loading of the filled liner, or alternatively a hook may be placed in the concrete slurry beforE: it hardens so that a Bobcat~
may lift the hardened concrete, for example. Alternatively, the hardened waste in the liner 16 may be fragmented into concreae portions by a pickaxe, for example, and the concrete portions may be directly loaded into the transportation unit for safe disposal.
Referring to Figure 3, a support according to .a second embodiment of the invention is shown generally at 51. In this embodiment, the support 51 includes a removable cleaning device 53 supported by the support over the space 40 to facilitate cleaning of a sponge or a hose, for example, which has come into contact with the plastic waste material, such as concrete slurry. In this embodiment, the cleaning device 53 is removably mounted on a wall 30 of the support 51, but may alternatively be mounted to or on top of any of the other walls 32, 34, or 36 of the support.
In this embodiment, the cleaning device 53 is mounted near the spanning member 42 of the wall 30 of the support 51. The wall 30 includes a mounting device 54 to mount the cleaning device 53. In this embodiment, the mounting device includes a pin 54 welded onto the wall 30 which fits into a receptacle on the cleaning device 53 to keep the cleaning device supported over the space 40.
Referring to Figure 4, the cleaning device 53 <according to the embodiment shown in Figure 3 is shown in greater detail. In this embodiment, the cleaning device 53 comprises a support 200 comprising .a mounting leg 60 which acts as the mounting device, a support leg 62, and .a cross member 64, and a v-shaped holder 66 for holding an object, such as a sponge or a hose for example, over the space 40 for cleaning. In this embodiment the holder 66 includes a press having a moveable sieve 68 and a stationary sieve 70. The mounting and support legs 60 and 62, cross member 64, and holder 66 in this embodiment are formed from one inch steel tubing, although in other embodiments they may be formed of PVC pipe or other relatively rigid material of the same or different size, for example. The sieves 68 and 70 of the holder 66 include steel gratings 80 and 82 operable to hold a sponge or a hose for example, but alternatively may be covered by any other coarsely meshed structure, such as wire mesh for example. In this embodiment, the sieves 68 and 70 of the holder 66 are approximately one foot (thirty cm) square on a side. However, it is appreciated that other sizes may be more appropriate depending upon the size of the object to be cleaned by the cleaning device 53.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the mounting leg 6.0 of the cleaning device 53 is operable to receive the pin 54 on the wall 30 of the support 51. Once mounted, the mounting leg 60 abuts against thE: spanning member 42, which provides support against counterclockwise torque, in the direction of the arrow 72 shown in Figure 4, applied during operation of the cleaning device. The support leg 62 is welded to the mounting leg 6~0 and extends up past a top surface 74 of the wall 30 so that the cross member 64 rests on the top surface of the wall. The cross member 64 is weldedl to the support leg 62 and positions the v-shaped holder 66 over the space 40 when mounted to the wall 30. In particular, the stationary sieve 70 of the holder 66 is welded at an angle to the cross member 64 such that the stationary sieve is immovable. The moveable sieve 68 of the holder 66 is hinged to the cross member 64 to allow the moveable sieve to be brought into contact vuith the stationary sieve 70 of the press in the direction of the arrow 72, to connpress an absorbent material, such as a sponge, for example, against the stationary sieve 70 to urge waste from the sponge into the liner 16. In other words, the press is operable to press liquid out of an absorbent material.
A hose having a hose nozzle may also be positioned in the v-shaped holder 66 such that the hose nozzle is located over the liner 16. Alternatively, the hose may be clamped to the holder 66 by moving the moveable sieve 68 in the direction of the arrow 72 towards the stationary sieve 70 to restrict movement of the hose nozzle in the cleaning device 53 while the hose is moved or coiled as water is flushed through the iinterior of the hose.
In alternative embodiments, the cleaning device 53 may include a meshed receptacle of appropriate size to accommodatE; a sponge to be cleaned by pressing downward on the sponge such that slurry trapped in the sponge is urged into the space 40. In addition, the cleaning device 53 may also include another holder, such as a clamp which attaches. to a wall 30, 32, 34, or 36 of the support 51, to which a hose may clamped to facilitate cleaning. Thus the cleaning device 53 may act as a hose holder, for' example.
Referring to Figure 5, a cleaning device according to another embodiment is shown generally at 8fi. In this embodiment, the cleaning device 86 includes a v-shaped holder 88 connected to a support 94 which is operable to rest on top of two walls 32 and 34 of the liner support 14 such that the v-shaped holder is positionable over the space 40 near a corner 96 of the support. In other words, the holder 88 is connected to the support 94 for holding an object over the containment apparatus 12 to facilitate draining of the plastic waste from the object into the containment apparatus.
The support 94 includes a first support member 98 and a second support member 100, the first support member being longer than the second support member, and two connectors 102 and 104 connecting and spacing the first and second support members apart from each other. The support members 98 and 100 and the connectors 102 and 104 in this embodiment are formed from one inch steel tubing, although in other embodiments they may be formed of PVC pipe or other relatively rigid material of the same or different size.
In this embodiment, each support member !98 and 100 includes guide members 106 attached to opposite ends therE:of to limit movement of the support 94 on the walls 32 and 34 during operation of the cleaning device 86.
In addition the second support member 100 includes a pair of positioning pins 108 to further limit movement andlor rotation of the support 94. One positioning pin of the pair of positioning pins 10F3 is located near a location on the second support member 100 joining the connector 102, while the other pin (not shown) is located near a joint of the second support member and the connector 104. In other words, the positioniing pins 108 and the guide members 106 act as a mounting device connected to the support 94 to mount the support to the liner support 14.
In this embodiment the first and second support members 98 and 100 include abutment members 112 and 114 welded to the first and second support members, respectively. The abutment members 112 and 114 abut the v-shaped holder 88 to limit opening thereof, thereby allowing an object to be cleaned, such as a hose for example, to sit near the center of the v formed by the holder.
In this embodiment, the v-shaped holder 88 includes moveable and stationary sieves 90 and 92, respectively, which are hinged together and hinged to the support 94 at first and second hinge plates 110 and 111, respectively. More particularly, in this embodiment the first hinge plate 110 is pivotally attached to the first support member 98 and is welded to one side of the stationary sieve 92, while the second hinge plate 111 is pivotally attached to the second support member 100 and is welded to the other ;side of the stationary sieve so that the stationary sieve may be rotated with reapect to the support 94. The moveable sieve 90 in this embodiment includes .a collar (not shown) which fits over a hinge bar (not shown) welded along a bottom side of the stationary sieve 92 such that the moveable sieve may be moved towards and away from the stationary sieve. In this embodiment the sieves 90 and 92 of the holder 88 include wire mesh for holding a sponge or a hose, for example. As in the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the sieves 90 and 92 of the holder 88 are approximately one foot (thirty cm) square on a side.

Referring to Figures 5, 6, and 7, the v-shapE;d holder 88 is moveable to assume an open position, shown generally at 118 in Figure 5, an engaged position, shown generally at 120 in Figure 6, and a folded position, shown generally at 122 in Figure 7.
Referring back to Figure 5, to maneuver the holder 88 into the open position 118, the stationary sieve 92 is brought into contact with the first and second support members 100 and 102 such that the stationary sieve is supported by the support 94. The moveable sieve 90 is positioned so that it is spaced apart from the stationary sieve 92 and abutted again~;t the abutment members 112 and 114. In the open position 118, the holder 88 is operable to receive an object to be cleaned. For example, a sponge or alternatively a hose nozzle attached to a hose may be placed in the holder F18.
Referring to Figure 6, to maneuver the holder 88 into the engaged position 120, the moveable sieve 90 is moved towards tlhe stationary sieve 92. In this way, a sponge may be compressed by the wire. mesh of both sieves 90 and 92 to urge waste from the sponge into the liner 16. Alternatively, the moveable sieve 90 may be moved to contact a hose placed in the holder 88 to hold the hose while water is poured over and/or through the hose to urge waste into the liner 16. In other words, an object placed in tlhe cleaning device 86 may be cleaned by passing water over, inside, or through the object to remove waste from the object into the liner 16.
Referring to Figure 7, the holder 88 may be maneuvered into the folded position 122 by first moving the press into the engaged position 120, shown in Figure 6. Both the stationary sieve 92 and the moveable sieve 90 are then pivoted at the hinge 110 with respect to the support 94 over the abutment members 112 such that the moveable sieve is brought into contact with the first and second support members 98 and 100 of the support. Once in the folded position 122, the cleaning device 86 may be removed from the support 14 to be compactly stored on the concrete pump 22, for example.
To use the cleaning device 86 in the embodiment shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, a sponge containing concrete slurry or other plastic material is positioned between the moveable and stationary sieves 90 and 92 of the v-shaped holder 88. The moveable sieve 90 is pivoted on the hinge over towards the stationary sieve 92 causing the sponge to be flattened to release any water and/or concrete slurry residue into the liner 16. Alternatively a hose may also be positioned into the holder 66 such that water may be used to clean out the interior of the hose, depositing the washed-out. waste material into the liner 16. Thus in effect, the cleaning device is operable to compress a sponge, while the cleaning device is supported by the support 51, to urge waste from the sponge into the liner 16. Alternatively the cleaning device is operable to support a hose, while the cleaning device is supported by the support 51, to facilitate removal of waste from the hose into the liner 16.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving plastic waste, the apparatus comprising a support having a plurality of detachably connected walls operable to stand generally upright on a base to define a space bordered by said walls and said base, said walls being operable to support a liner to facilitate receiving waste therein.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detachable walls are reinforced to prevent flexing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said detachable walls are metallic.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each wall of said plurality of walls further comprises pin receptacles positioned at opposite ends thereof to facilitate connection to an adjacent wall.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support is sufficiently dimensioned to define an orthorhombic space having a height less than a length and width thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said orthorhombic space has a height approximately 1/5th of its width.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support is operable to support a cleaning device over said space.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein at least one wall of said plurality of walls further comprises a mounting device to mount said cleaning device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a cleaning device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said cleaning device includes a holder for holding an object over said space, for cleaning.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said holder includes a press operable to press liquid out of an absorbent material.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a liner operable to be supported by said support to line said space to facilitate receiving said waste therein, said liner being sufficiently dimensioned to enclose said space after said waste has been received therein.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said liner is sealable.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said liner is operable to permit said waste to set for a period of time sufficient to permit said waste to harden to allow for transportation of said liner containing hardened waste to a disposal site.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said liner is operable to receive concrete slurry.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said liner is operable to permit concrete slurry to set for a period of time sufficient to permit the concrete slurry to harden to allow for transportation of said liner containing the hardened concrete to a disposal site.

17. An apparatus for use in forming a support to support a liner for receiving plastic waste, the apparatus comprising:
an elongated, generally rectangular wall reinforced to prevent flexing and having opposite ends; and pin receptacles at said opposite ends for receiving pins for connecting adjacent walls together to form the support.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said wall is metallic.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said wall further comprises a mounting device to mount a cleaning device.

20. A method for containing plastic waste comprising:
supporting a liner underneath a plastic castable material transfer unit to receive and contain spilled plastic waste; and permitting the plastic waste to harden while being contained in said liner to allow for transportation of said liner containing hardened plastic waste to a disposal site.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising supporting a cleaning device over said liner.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein supporting comprises compressing a sponge in said cleaning device to urge waste from said sponge into said liner.

23. A method for removing slurry from an object, the method comprising:
supporting the object over a liner operable to contain slurry from the object; and urging slurry from the object into the liner.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein supporting comprises mounting a cleaning apparatus to a support operable to support the liner while receiving slurry.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein supporting further comprises positioning a sponge in a cleaning device.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein supporting comprises positioning a hose having a hose nozzle in a cleaning device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein positioning comprises positioning the hose nozzle in the cleaning device such that the hose nozzle is located over the liner.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising restricting movement of said hose nozzle in the cleaning device while flushing the hose.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein urging comprises passing water over, inside, or through the object to flush waste from the object into the liner.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein urging comprises compressing said sponge to remove the slurry from the sponge.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein compressing comprises moving a press on a cleaning device to compress the sponge.

32. A detachable cleaning apparatus for removing plastic waste from an object, the apparatus comprising:
a support operable to be connected to a containment apparatus for receiving plastic waste; and a holder connected to said support for holding the object over the containment apparatus to facilitate draining of plastic waste from the object into the containment apparatus.

33. The cleaning apparatus of claim 32 wherein said holder is operable to support a sponge.

34. The cleaning apparatus of claim 32 wherein said holder is operable to support a hose.

35. The cleaning device of claim 34 wherein said support comprises a mounting device to mount said support to said containment apparatus.

36. The cleaning apparatus of claim 33 wherein said holder comprises a press comprising a moveable sieve and a stationary sieve, said moveable sieve being moveable towards said stationary sieve to compress the sponge.
40. A liner comprising a thin membrane formed into a bag having top marginal portions and a body operable to line a generally orthorhombic space having a length and width of approximately five feet and a height of about 10-50% of its width and operable to receive and contain concrete slurry therein, the bag having sufficient depth to permit said top marginal portions to be gathered together to facilitate closure of the bag to completely cover concrete slurry contained therein.