GB2221439A - A garbage conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A garbage conveying apparatus for high buildings uses no electric power, and comprises a pair of sprocket wheels (11, 12), one of which (11) is connected to a centrifugal brake assembly (5) via a gear assembly (4). Drive is transmitted from one sprocket to another a pair of chains (3). At least one garbage container (2) is attached to the chains, and when the weight of the garbage in the container (2) exceeds a predetermined level, the container (2) descends towards the ground, passes around the sprocket (11) and empties its garbage into a container (D). The speed of descent is limited by the brake assembly (5). <IMAGE>

Description

A GARBAGE CONVEYING APPARATUS The present invention relates to a garbage conveying apparatus which may for example be used in high buildings, and which does not use electric power.

This type of machine enables the garbage on each floor of a building to be collected and so maintains a clean environment.

Generally, garbage produced by residents of a high building is picked up periodically by a garbageman.

Alternatively, it is carried by each resident to a given site on the ground floor for further disposal. The former method of handling the garbage may cost each resident a considerable amount of money, and the latter method of handling the garbage puts the residents to great inconvenience. Both methods are therefore unsuitable.

In view of the problems of the conventional methods in garbage handling in a high building, the inventor has developed a garbage conveying machine for high buildings which does not use any electric power.

A conveying machine according to the present invention comprises a sprocket assembly having a driving sprocket and a driven sprocket, at least one garbage container, a chain assembly for transmitting drive between the two sprockets and a centrifugal brake assembly connected to the driving sprocket via a gear assembly.

Normally the conveying machine is installed in a chute provided in a building and each floor of the building is furnished with a garbage-dumping window to enable residents on each floor to dump garbage into a garbageconveying bucket. After the garbage-conveying bucket has been loaded with a given quantity of garbage, the bucket will descend automatically as a result of gravitational force. The descending speed of the bucket loaded with garbage can be limited by means of the centrifugal brake assembly. The garbage in the bucket is preferably dumped into a movable garbage box in the basement of the building for further disposal.

According to the present invention, there is provided a garbage conveying apparatus for use in a shaft of a building or other structure, the apparatus having at least one endless member movable in a path including a downward run and passing around a rotating member, and at least one garbage container connected to the endless member or members so that the weight of the garbage container or containers causes its descent in said downward run, the rotating member being connected to a speed limiting assembly to limit the speed of travel of the garbage container.

The garbage-conveying apparatus according to the present invention operates by using the weight of the garbage in the conveying bucket to cause the assembly to move downwards without using any electric power, and therefore saves energy.

There may be a gear train in a gear box coupled to a centrifugal brake speed-limiting assembly, enabling the garbage-conveying bucket loaded with garbage to move downwards at a constant speed without accelerating due to gravity.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 illustrates the operation of a garbageconveying apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the driving sprocket and chain assemblies used in the embodiment of Fig. 1; FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1; FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the gear box and the centrifugal brake assembly used in the embodiment of Fig. 1; and FIG. 5 is a view from below of the centrifugal brake assembly shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 1, a garbage conveying apparatus for use in high buildings which does not use electric power is installed in a sealed chute A which runs from the top floor to the basement. A garbagedumping window B is provided at each floor of the building to enable communication with the chute A.

Each of the windows B has a flap C for closing the window B. At the bottom of the chute A, there is a movable garbage box D for collecting garbage so as to facilitate its further disposal.

The garbage-conveying machine has a sprocket assembly (1) with a driving sprocket (11), a driven sprocket (12), and two bearing frames (61) and (62).

A chain assembly (3) transmits the drive from the driving sprocket (11) to the driven sprocket (12).

The driven sprocket (12) and the driving sprocket (11) are mounted at the top and bottom of the chute A respectively on two bearing frames (61) and (62). The vertical position of the spindle of the driven sprocket (12) may be adjusted by means of a position-adjuster (13) and this enables alteration of the tension of the chain assembly (3). The chain assembly (3) is guided to move along a guide-groove (31).

A number of garbage-conveying buckets (2) are mounted on the chain assembly (3) with a given space between them. Both sides of the garbage-conveying bucket (2) are attached to the chain assembly (3) by means of nuts (21). Thus, when the chain assembly (3) is moving, the buckets (2) also move in a cyclic manner and convey garbage. The gear box (4), shown in Fig.

4, is installed beside the bearing frame (61) of the driving sprocket (11). The gear box (4) comprises a gear train mounted on a body portion (41). One end of the spindle (421) of the first gear (42) extends out of the body portion (41), and is connected to the driving sprocket (11). The spindle of the last gear (43) extends into the center portion of the casing (51) of the centrifugal brake assembly (5), and is connected to the brake assembly (5). The centrifugal brake assembly (5) is integrally moulded as shown in Fig.

5, and is installed beside the gear box 4 as shown in Fig. 1. The centrifugal brake assembly comprises a casing (51), in which a rotary arm (52) is mounted.

The rotary arm (52) is fixedly connected to a spindle (431) at a position outside the casing (51) as shown in Fig. 4. A movable arm (55) has four substantially radially extending branches and is mounted to the rotary arm (52) by means of four symmetrically disposed pins (53), each of which engages a screw (54). Each branch of the movable arm (55) is fixedly attached to a centrifugal block (56) inside the round casing (51).

The outer surface of each centrifugal block (56) is curved to conform with the curved inner surface of the casing (51). This curved outer surface of the block (56) is provided with a lining strip (57). The inner ends of each of the branches of the movable arm (55) are provided with a round spring groove (551) for receiving a spring (552) which enables the centrifugal blocks (56) to be held towards the center of the centrifugal brake assembly, and ensures that the lining strips (57) are separated from the inner surface of the round casing (51) at a required distance.

Normally, most of the open-ends of the garbage conveying buckets (2) face upwards in the sealed chute A and lie adjacent the garbage-dumping windows B as shown in Fig. 1. Whenever the garbage in a conveying.

bucket (2) reaches a predetermined weight, the driving sprocket (11) and chain assembly (3) will be driven, as a result of the force of gravity on the bucket (2) and the bucket (2) will move downwards. When the driving sprocket is rotating, the gear assembly in the gear box (4) will also be driven. The first gear (42) is directly engaged with the driving sprocket and thus rotates at the speed of the driving sprocket (11).

However, due to the transmission gear ratio of the gear assembly the spindle (431) of the last gear (43) can rotate at a higher angular speed than the spindle of the first gear 42. However, provided the rotating speed of the spindle (432) is below a predetermined limit, the lining strips 57 on the four centrifugal blocks (56) will not come into contact with the inner surface of the base (51) because the spring (552) can provide a large enough inward force on the blocks 56; therefore no brake effect is produced. However in the event of heavy garbage causing the spindle of the driving sprocket (11) to rotate at a speed which is above the predetermined limit, the controlling force of the spring (552) will not be large enough to prevent the blocks 56 from moving outwards.

As a result the centrifugal blocks (56) will move outwards and the lining strips (57) will make contact with the inner surface of the base (51). This produces a braking effect and slows down the rotating speed of the gear assembly. Thus the rotating speed of the driving sprocket (11) may be maintained! within a given range making it possible to maintain the descending speed of the garbage-conveying bucket (2) within a given range.

The advantages of the present invention are as follows: 1. It can be operated without using electric power, and therefore it can save energy.

2. Since no personnel are required to collect garbage periodically, it can save a considerable amount of cleaning service charges.

3. Its operation is not affected by the weight of garbage, as it conveys the garbage to the ground in a safe manner.

4. The mechanical conveying operation can have no noise.

To summarise, the invention provides a garbageconveying apparatus for high buildings without using electric power, comprising: a driving-and-driven sprocket assembly which includes a driven sprocket installed in the top portion of a chute in a building and a driving sprocket installed in the lower end of said chute, e.g. the basement of said building; and said driven sprocket and said driving sprocket each being supported with a bearing frame; and the bearing frame of said driven sprocket being provided with a position adjusting means for vertically adjusting the position of the spindle of said driven sprocket so as to adjust the tension of a chain; a chain assembly being mounted around and between said driving sprocket and said driven sprocket, and being guided to move in the guide groove provided on the wall of said chute; garbage conveying buckets, of which the number is determined by the actual requirement of users; and both sides of said garbage conveying bucket being provided with nuts so as to have said conveying buckets to be mounted on said chain assembly, and a given distance being set between said conveying buckets; and said conveying buckets being moved upon said chain assembly moving; a gear box being installed beside said bearing frame of said driving sprocket, and in the body portion of said gear box, a gear train being installed; and one end of the spindle of the first gear of said gear train extending out of said body portion, and being mounted with said driving sprocket; and the spindle of the last gear of said gear train extending into the center portion of a base of a centrifugal brake assembly beside said body portion, and being connected together with said brake assembly; a centrifugal brake assembly being integrally molded beside said gear box, and including a round base being mounted with said spindle of said last gear of said gear train, and also including a rotary arm being fixedly connected with said spindle; and the symmetrical part of said rotary arm being mounted with four pins with screws to pivotally connect with four movable arms; and the other end of each said movable arm being fixedly attached with a centrifugal block within said base; and the outer surface of said centrifugal block being formed into a curve along the inner wall surface of said base, and being attached with a lining strip; and the inner end of each said movable arm being furnished with a round spring groove for mounting a spring to hold said movable arm towards the center of said centrifugal brake assembly so as to have said lining strips spaced at a given distance from the inner wall surface of said base.

Claims (10)

1. A garbage conveying apparatus for use in a shaft of a building or other structure, the apparatus having at least one endless member movable in a path including a downward run and passing around a rotating member and at least one garbage container connected to the endless member or members so that the weight of the garbage container or containers causes its descent in said downward run, the rotating member being connected to a speed limiting assembly to limit the speed of travel of the garbage container.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further having two said rotating members, the two members being positioned in different horizontal planes, the endless member being passed around and engaged with both rotating members thereby constraining the two members to rotate together.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the or each rotating member comprises a sprocket wheel mounted on a rotating shaft and the or each endless member is a chain.

4. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims having a plurality of said garbage containers spaced apart along the endless member or members.

5. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the speed limiting assembly is connected to one said rotating member via a gear assembly.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the speed limiting assembly comprises a shaft for transmission of rotational drive from the gear assembly, at least one brake block connected to the shaft by a spring, and a cylindrical casing which is coaxial with the transmission shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft above a predetermined angular speed causes the brake block to move into contact with the inner wall of the casing.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the transmission ratio of the gear assembly is such that the transmission shaft has a higher angular speed than the rotating member when the garbage container is moving.

8. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one said rotating member is adjustably mounted to enable adjustment of tension in the endless member.

9. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims having two said rotating members in the same vertical plane.

10. An apparatus substantially as described herein and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.