EP0721421B1

EP0721421B1 - Refuse truck

Info

Publication number: EP0721421B1
Application number: EP94928215A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David J. Browning
Original assignee: MACDONALD JOHNSTON ENGINEERING Co PTY Ltd; MacDonald Johnston Engineering Co Pty Ltd
Current assignee: MACDONALD JOHNSTON ENGINEERING Co PTY Ltd
Priority date: 1993-09-28
Filing date: 1994-09-27
Publication date: 2000-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 2014-09-27
Also published as: EP0721421A1; EP0721421A4; ATE194126T1; DE69425062T2; NZ273879A; DE69425062D1; ES2147795T3; WO1995009119A1; DK0721421T3

Abstract

There is disclosed a refuse handling apparatus in a refuse collection vehicle particularly adapted for recyclable refuse including at least two separate compartments for receiving a different type of refuse such as selected recyclable materials, each compartment being fitted with a compactor device adapted to a system filling the compartments in which the compactor device (12, 13) includes a pair of reciprocating paddles (12, 13) mounted for arcuate movement about a drive shaft, the paddles including sensing means for sensing the compaction of refuse material in the compartments. A different compaction force is applied to each compartment. At least one of the compartments including rake device (14, 15) mounted for reciprocal movement in the compartment to apply force to the refuse in a single direction away from the loading area. The refuse collection vehicle includes adjacent the discharge end of the container an overload area (17) into which excess refuse material can be selectively transferred from either of the compartments (for example, via pivoting flaps (18, 19)).

Description

The present invention relates to a refuse collection vehicle.

Waste collection systems have been disclosed in Australian Patent Specifications Nos. 15277/92 and 22410/92, the first relating to a refuse container of the wheely bin type having a plurality of discrete compartments and the latter to a collection vehicle for handling such multi-compartment bins in which the compartment of the vehicle extends across the vehicle at different levels for even weight distribution.

A divisional Petty Patent No. 647724 relates to a collection vehicle for recyclable elements held in two or more compartments in a bin. The petty patent specification discloses two or more chutes which are aligned with the bin compartments, each chute communicating with one of a plurality of storage zones in the vehicle. The storage zones are located on different horizontal planes one above the other.

Australian Patent Specification No. 74229/91 discloses a multi-compartment bin having separate access openings.

European Patent Specification No. 0356833 discloses a refuse collection vehicle with several vertical shafts having an adjustable guide baffle for the incoming refuse.

German Patent Specification No. 3510700 discloses a vehicle having separate chambers for different kinds of refuse.

German Patent Specification No. 3537546 discloses a refuse collection vehicle with a container divided by horizontal partitions.

German Patent Specification No. 3703557 discloses a collection vehicle with collecting shafts for refuse controlled by a movable flap diverting flow of refuse to different shafts.

US Patent No. 5176488 discloses a rear loading refuse vehicle which collects, compacts and separates recyclable materials.

Other patents of which we are aware are US Patent Nos. 5123801, 5078567 and 5035564, WO 90/11952 and US Patent No. 5035563.

One of the problems perceived with the collection and separation of different types of refuse in the refuse collection vehicle is the differing volumes of refuse and the possibility of inadequate utilization of refuse vehicle storage volume in the collection of such refuse. Furthermore different types of refuse usually require differing levels of compaction in the loading compartment of the refuse vehicle. For example, it is advantageous if glass is not broken and therefore relatively low compaction forces are desirable for glass bottles and similar recyclable materials.

It is difficult to maintain low levels of compaction where the vehicle body is made longer to achieve greater volumes, it has been found difficult to achieve adequate compaction in long body volumes and similar problems occur in achieving removal or discharge of the compacted material from the divided container.

Single paddle compaction systems are well known having been disclosed in our Australian Patent Application No. 60230/90 and German Patent Specification No. 1196122. Furthermore, double paddle systems are known to the applicant, for example as disclosed by the Geesink refuse collection machinery.

Other examples of paddle type compactor systems are disclosed in British Patent No. 651156 and Australian Patent No. 552878. All of these patents relate to means of controlling and actuating a single reciprocating paddle for compacting refine into a refuse vehicle compartment.

EP-A-0 314 238 discloses a refuse vehicle having compartments with packing blades which are connected to a common drive shaft. WO-A-92 01613 discloses a compacting device in which a variable torque can be provided to a paddle.

According to the present invention, there is provided a refuse collection vehicle having first and second separate refuse storage compartments, each of said compartments having a compactor device including a paddle, each paddle being connected to a common drive shaft, the paddle associated with one of the refuse storage compartments having different dimensions to the paddle associated with the other refuse storage compartment so that the paddles exert different compaction forces on refuse by virtue of their different dimensions.

Said common drive shaft may be driven by a pair of hydraulic cylinders.

Each of said paddles may be adapted to pivot through an arc that extends over an angle of approximately 180°.

One of said refuse storage compartments may be partly or wholly above the other one of said refuse storage compartments, the paddle associated with the upper refuse storage compartment being shorter than the paddle associated with the lower refuse storage compartment.

There may be control means ranged to control the operation of the paddle, the control means having one mode of operation wherein the paddles continuously pivot back and forth through an arc and another mode of operation wherein the paddles pivot through an arc for a given number of cycles when a specific signal is given.

The vehicle may include sensor means associated with the compactor device and control means for controlling the compactor device responsive to the sensor means whereby to provide different degrees of compaction of refuse in said storage compartments.

At least one of the refuse storage compartments may include a first and second region, there being provided a door, the door being ranged such that when the one compartment is empty the door is in an initial position and separates the first region from the second region, the door being adapted to move from its initial position to allow entry of refuse into said second region when the first region fills.

There may be provided an overflow region, each of the refuse storage compartments being provided with a door which may be opened to allow entry of refuse into said overflow region, any one of said doors being selectively openable to allow refuse from the refuse storage compartment associated with that door to enter the overflow region.

At least one refuse storage compartment in addition to the compactor device may include a rake adapted to move refuse in a direction away from the refuse entry part of the refuse storage compartment. Said rake may be mounted for reciprocating movement. Said rake may include refuse engaging means with a rake blade, said refuse engaging means being mounted in such a way as to push refuse along said at least one refuse storage compartment when travelling in one direction but to pivot or flex out of pushing engagement with the refuse when travelling in the opposite direction.

The vehicle may include chute means having a mouth divider adapted to interengage with a divider of a refuse bin to direct refuse from different parts of the storage bin into separate refuse compartments in the vehicle.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a double compartmented refuse vehicle made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an intake head for engaging a refuse bin;

Figure 3 is a side view showing an unloading process of a refuse bin;

Figure 4 is a sectional side view of a paddle compactor taken on line V-V; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the paddle compactor shown in Figure 4.

With reference to Figure 1 the refuse collection vehicle incorporates a multi-compartmented container 10 as viewed from the side having a dividing floor 11 with the left hand end of the compartment being fed from separate chutes and compacted by an upper and

lower paddle

12 and 13.

Refuse is collected through the intake mouth which will be described in greater detail later.

The upper compartment at least is preferably provided with a rake means 14 which is adapted to reciprocate along the length of the upper compartment to draw refuse from the compaction end to the rear end of the vehicle. The rake means includes tines 15 pivotally mounted on support means which are moved by a power cylinder 16 to and fro along the length of the container. The tines 15 may be simple spring tines to apply a larger force when travelling to the rear end of the vehicle as compared to the force applied when travelling towards the compaction end of the vehicle brought about by the configuration of the tines 15.

It has been found that the rake means 14 is particularly suitable for pushing the loose recyclable material such as glass bottles etc., which is best not subjected to high compaction forces. Thus the rake 14 achieves movement of the material along the length of the compartment to fully utilise the volume therein.

The rear end of the vehicle includes a pair of doors which may be sliding doors or swing doors on the upper and lower compartments which are selectively openable to provide an overflow of material into the unloading volume at the rear of the vehicle in the event of one of the compartments overfilling prior to the other compartment. The doors are selectively openable such that either of the compartments can overfill into the rear compartment 17. The

doors

18 and 19 are mounted on pivots however alternative means such as sliding doors 20 may be provided to control movement of the refuse material out of the compartments. The

doors

18 and 19 may be automatically controlled to open when one or the other compartments first fills, so that additional refuse can be filled into the rear part of the compartment until both compartments are filled or virtually filled.

With reference to Figure 2 there is a shown an intake mouth 8 which is pivotally mounted on shaft 9 and controlled by power cylinder 21 to move in an arcuate manner during an unloading operation to meet the open mouth of a refuse bin prior to it being tipped vertically during an unloading operation. This will minimize spillage of the contents of the bin prior to it being tipped over into the intake mouth.

The intake mouth includes a cushion edge 22 which is adapted to interengage with the edge of the refuse bin together with its central divider. The central divider may be directed in a north-south or east-west direction as desired.

The upper and

lower paddles

12,13 best shown in Figures 4 and 5 are commonly mounted on a vertical shaft 30 driven by a hydraulic motor or the like 31. The upper paddle is of shorter dimension and therefore applies less forces during compaction of the upper compartment which may contain fragile material such as glass bottles. The lower compartment destined to collect crushable and compressible general household and putrescible refuse has a larger dimension paddle 13 adapted to apply a greater compaction force to the refuse material and therefore achieve greater compression of the refuse material which is usually putrescible household refuse in the lower compartment.

The upper and

lower paddles

12,13 are removably bolted to the drive shaft 30. This allows for the use of paddles of selected dimensions for specific purposes depending upon the nature of material to be handled by the collection vehicle. Thus if the predominant material to be carried is recyclable, small dimension low compaction pressure paddles would be used and large dimension paddles for high pressure compaction systems would be used.

The paddles are preferably driven by a hydraulic motor 31 which lends itself to electronic control means (not shown). The control means may include pressure sensors associated with the paddle drive operating so that the paddle movement through its angular arc of approximately 180° senses any impact upon material in the chamber whereby the panel drive is controlled to move the paddles upon demand as the collection vehicle is loaded with material.

The dividing floor 11 extends horizontally in a horizontal plane along the compartment of the vehicle. To avoid difficulty in unloading, the compacted refuse that has accumulated in the lower chamber the floor 11 is adapted to be pivotal at the loading end to allow the floor to move upwardly at the unloading end and thereby release pressure on the load for easy tipping at a tip site. This is a particularly useful feature when the chamber is very long as is conventional in modern refuse vehicles. The floor will tilt approximately 6° to allow the floor to lift approximately 30 centimetres at the discharge end. The floor may be manually or hydraulically lifted to achieve this result.

Claims

A refuse collection vehicle having first and second separate refuse storage compartments, each of said compartments having a compactor device including a paddle (12, 13), each paddle being connected to a common drive shaft (30), the paddle (12) associated with one of the refuse storage compartments having different dimensions to the paddle (13) associated with the other refuse storage compartment so that the paddles exert different compaction forces on refuse by virtue of their different dimensions.
A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said common drive shaft (30) is driven by a pair of hydraulic cylinders.
A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said paddles (12, 13) is adapted to pivot through an arc that extends over an angle of approximately 180°.
A refuse collection vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein one of said refuse storage compartments is partly or wholly above the other one of said refuse storage compartments, the paddle (12) associated with the upper refuse storage compartment being shorter than the paddle (13) associated with the lower refuse storage compartment.
A refuse collection vehicle according to any preceding claim with control means arranged to control the operation of the paddles (12,13), the control means having one mode of operation wherein the paddles (12,13) continuously pivot back and forth through an arc and another mode of operation wherein the paddles (12,13) pivot through an arc for a given number of cycles when a specific signal is given.
A refuse collection vehicle according to any preceding claim, including sensor means associated with the compactor device and control means for controlling the compactor device responsive to the sensor means whereby to provide different degrees of compaction of refuse in said storage compartments.
A refuse collection vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the refuse storage compartments includes a first and second region, there being provided a door, the door being arranged such that when one compartment is empty the door is in an initial position and separates the first region from the second region, the door being adapted to move from its initial position to allow entry of refuse into said second region when the first region fills.
A refuse collection vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein there is provided an overflow region, each of the refuse storage compartments being provided with a door (18, 19, 20) which may be opened to allow entry of refuse into said overflow region, any one of said doors being selectively openable to allow refuse from the refuse storage compartment associated with that door to enter the overflow region.
A refuse collection vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one refuse storage compartment in addition to the compactor device includes a rake (14) adapted to move refuse in a direction away from the refuse entry part of the refuse storage compartment.
A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said rake is mounted for reciprocating movement.
A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said rake (14) includes refuse engaging means (15) with a rake blade, said refuse engaging means being mounted in such a way as to push refuse along said at least one refuse storage compartment when travelling in one direction but to pivot or flex out of pushing engagement with the refuse when travelling in the opposite direction.
A refuse collection vehicle according to any preceding claim, including chute means having a mouth divider adapted to interengage with a divider of a refuse bin to direct refuse from different parts of the storage bin into separate refuse compartments in the vehicle.