GB2242411A

GB2242411A - Portable waste compactor

Info

Publication number: GB2242411A
Application number: GB9006982A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis Alan Marshall
Original assignee: MARSHALL COOKE Ltd
Current assignee: MARSHALL COOKE Ltd
Priority date: 1990-03-28
Filing date: 1990-03-28
Publication date: 1991-10-02
Also published as: GB9006982D0

Abstract

A portable waste compactor generally in the form of a refuse skip, and which can be emptied by a skip-carrying vehicle or a rear end loading vehicle. comprises a body (10) having a top loading aperture (14) at the rear leading to a delivery chute (15) which in use delivers refuse to a charge box (18) in front of a telescopic linear compacting ram (24) driving a compacting head (20) which sweeps refuse into the main volume (32) of the container. A cover (48) is provided for emptying the compactor, and is centrally-hinged. Lifting lugs (not shown) are provided for lifting by e.g. a skip-carrying lorry, and pockets (55) allow for fork lift truck handling. <IMAGE>

Description

Portable waste Cor.pactcr This invention relates to a portable waste compactor.

Known portable waste compactors commonly comprise a refuse container incorporating a power-operated compacting device for sweeping rubbish out of a charge box into which refuse is loaded into the main volume of the container where it is compacted.

Disadvantages of the known portable compactors are various, but include inefficiency in compaction, poor utilisation of space within the container due to inclusion of the compacting device, the necessity for complex safety devices and unsatisfactor emptying procedures.

A portable compactor has been proposed which can be emptied either b means of a skip carrying vehicle which transports the container to a refuse site or or. the site of use b means of a rear end loading (REL) vehicle, but this proposal has various disadvantages and has not found favour in practice.

According to the invention, there is provided a portable waste compactor carrying a container body having exterior attachment fittings enabling it to be lifted for emptying either by a skip carrying vehicle or an REL, said container body having a top loading aperture leading to a delivery chute for delivering refuse into a charge box in front of a compacting member which is ram driven with a linear reciprocating action, the compacting member on its forward stroke acting to discharge refuse from the charge box into the main volume of the container and compact it therein, whilst the delivery chute includes means for preventing the return of compacted refuse into the refuse loading path leading to the charge box.

For maximum economy of space within the container bod, the compacting member is preferably driven by a telescopic ram. In this way it is made possible for the compacting unit to occupy substantially no more volume than a compaction unit which employs a compacting member driven by a ram in a curved path, which is disadvantageous due to loss of the compacting power generated by the ram.

A preferred form of container body is in the general shape of an REL refuse skip, with the compacting unit incorporated at the rear end. At the front end, the container has a snout similar to that of a conventional REL refuse skip.

However, because compaction of refuse takes place within the container body, this body must be closed at the top.

Thus, forwardly of the top loading aperture for a part of the length of the container a fixed roof is provided, whilst between the forward end of the fixed roof and the snout is provided a cover openable to enable the container to be emptied by tipping.

A preferred cover is a hinged two pert cover pivotally mounted at its rear-end, together with a handle enabling the cover to be opened with a dual folding and rearward pivotting action, eventually to rest in folded condition against the fixed roof, where it can be retained in position by a suitable latch. The cover is preferably spring loaded into its closed position, and a spring loading means may be employed which operates with oppositely directed actions on opposite sides of a top dead centre position of the opened cover.

The straight-line action ram is preferably hydraulic, and powered from an air or electric motor. In the latter case, a simple control panel on the rear of the container body has only two wire connections, one to the motor and one to a safety switch for shuttling down operation in the case of an emergency. This safety switch preferably takes the form of a pivotally mounted bar accommodated in a small recess in the rear container wall just below the top loading aperture, analogous to the safety switch bar commonly provided on compactors.

The control box preferably includes an adjustable timing switch for setting the period of compaction, and reversal of the ram between forward and backward strokes is preferably by means of reciprocating valve sensitive to hydraulic pressure in the ram cylinder.

Below the recessed safety bar on the container rear well, an access door te the motor and ram is preferably provided.

However, the door may be made relatively close fitting, se that effectively the container is liquid tight up to tl.

level of the snout. Drainage bungs may be provided at the bottoms of the side walls to enable residual liquid to be drainer after the container has been e7r,ptied, and prior te steam cleaning for example.

The above-described arrangement of the compactor generally minimises the use of exterior doors and covers and avoids projecting body parts, both generally undesirable with a container body which is to be handled by a skip carrier or REL. Within the preferred requirement for handling by a skip carrier or REL, the compactor may be manufactured in a range of sizes.

Further features of a portable waste compactor in accordance with the invention will now be described wot reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure shows the compactor in side elevational view.

Referring te the drawing, a welded container body 1O is generally in the form of the shape of a skip with a front end snout 12 and incorporates a compactor unit and associated parts at its rear end. A sloping top loading aperture 14 opens into a chute 15 which includes sloping bottom and top walls, 16 and 15 respectively, which extend fully between the container side walls.

The chute 15 leads to a charge box 18 located in front of the path of movement of a compacting member 20 reciprocable with a linear path of movement between the charge bo floor lg and guides 22. The compacting member 20 is derivable by a telescopic hydraulic ram 24 mounted at the rear by mounting means 25. The ram is powered from an electric motor 26. A reciprocating valve (not show sensitive te hydraulic pressure causes the compacting member 20 to reciprocate forwards and backwards for the duration of a time period which can be set by means of a timer on c control panel access on the outside of the container rear wall.

Reference 28 denotes a scraper pivotted at 3G to the lower end of the bottom wall 16 of the chute 1 and resting against the compacting member 20 to ensure that all refuse enters the charge box 18.

In use, the compacting member 20 sweeps refuse from the charge box 18 and compacts it into the main volume 32 ofthe container. Top wall 17 of the chute ensures that compacted refuse cannot re-enter the loading path and charge box. Reference 36 denotes z header bar fixes a-- the lower end of the top wall of the chute 15 and which.

defines the toW cf the aperture 3t through which refuse is discharged from the charge box 18 into the main volume 32.

Reference 38 denotes an access door to the motor 28 and ram 24, whilst reference 40 denotes a recessed, pivotally mounted, full-width safety bar which acts via a cam m2 on a safety switch 44 connected by an electric lead to the control panel, whereby the compactor can be shut down in an emergency. The only other wire connecting te the control panel leads to the electric motor.

The container has a roof 46 in front of the loading aperture 14 and an openable cover between the roof and the snout 12. This cover is a two-part centre-hing-ed cover 48 pivottally mounted at its rear end 50, and by means of a handle can be opened with a dual folding and rearward hinging action. It is preferably spring loader in opposite senses on opposite sides of a top dead centre position, and additionally can be latched in its open condition flat folded against the roof 46.

rre cover 48 is opened to enable the container 1G te be emptied. For this purpose it is provided with lifting lugs (not shown) -at the sides, analogous to the lugs provided for the purpose on a conventional skip, whereby the container can be lifted and tipped b the lifting gear either on a skip carrying lorry or on an REL vehicle.

The motor and ram access door 38 can be made relatively close fitting, so that the container is substantially liquid tight up to the level of the snout 12. Drainace bungs 52 enable the emptied container te be drained, for example prior te steam cleaning.

The illustrated portable waste compactor is especially although not exclusively useful in connection with offshore industry, having pads 54 for the fitting of eyes enabling lifting on or off ship by a crane or the like and pockets 56 enabling dockside handlina with a forklift truck or the like.

Various modifications of the above-described and illustrated arrangement are possible within the scope of the invention hereinbefore defined.

Claims

1. A portable waste compactor comprising a container body having exterior attachment fittings enabling it to be lifted for emptying either by a skip carrying vehicle or an REL, said container body having a top loading aperture leading to a delivery chute for delivering refuse into a charge box in front of a compacting member which is ram driven with a linear reciprocating action, the compacting member on its forward stroke acting to discharge refuse from the charge box into the main volume of the container and compact it therein, whilst the delivery chute includes means for preventing the return of compacted refuse into the refuse loading path leading to the charge box.

2. A portable waste compactor according to claim 1, wherein the compacting member is driven by a telescopic ram.

3. A portable waste compactor according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the container body is in the general shape of an REL refuse skip, -with the compacting unit incorporated at the rear end.

4. A portable waste compactor according to claim 3, wherein, at the front end, the container has a snout similar to that of a conventional REL refuse skip.

5. A portable waste compactor according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein, forwardly of the top loading aperture for a part of the length of the container a fixed roof is provided, whilst between the forward end of the fixed roof and the snout is provided a cover openable to enable the container to be emptied by tipping.

6. A portable waste compactor according to claim 5, wherein the cover is a two part cover pivotally mounted at its rear end, together with a handle enabling the cover to be opened with a dual folding and rearward pivotting action, eventually to rest in folded condition against the fixed roof, where it can be retained in position by a suitable latch.

7. A portable waste compactor according to claim 6, wherein the cover is spring loaded into its closed position.

8. A portable waste compactor according to claim 7, wherein a spring loading means is employed which operates with oppositely directed actions on opposite sides of a top dead centre position of the opened cover.

9. A portable waste compactor according to claim 2 or any claim appendant thereto, wherein the ram is hydraulic, powered from an air or electric motor.

10. A portable waste compactor according to claim 9, wherein a control panel on the rear of the container body has only two wire connections, one to the motor and one to a safety switch for shutting down operation in the case of an emergency.

11. A portable waste compactor according to claim 10, wherein the safety switch takes the form of a pivotally mounted bar accommodated in a small recess in the rear container wail just below the top loading aperture.

12. A portable waste compactor according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the control box includes an adjustable timing switch for setting the period of compaction, and reversal of the ram between forward and backward strokes is preferably by means of a reciprocating vale sensitive to hydraulic pressure in the ram cylinder.

13. A portable waste compactor according to claim 11 or claim 12 when appendant to claim 11, wherein, below the recessed safety bar on the container rear wall, an access door to the motor and ram is provided.

14. A portable waste compactor according to claim 13, wherein the door may be made relatively close fitting, so that effectively the container is liquid tight up to the level of the snout.

15. A portable waste compactor according to any of claims 1 to 14, wherein drainage bungs are provided at the bottoms of the side walls to enable residual liquid to be drained after the container has been emptied, and prior to steam cleaning for example.

16. A portable waste compactor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.