GB2255754A

GB2255754A - Large, liftable and wheeled waste container movable by tractor vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2255754A
Application number: GB9110361A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Allan Hewitt
Original assignee: Cleanaway Ltd
Current assignee: Veolia ES Cleanaway UK Ltd
Priority date: 1991-05-14
Filing date: 1991-05-14
Publication date: 1992-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-14
Also published as: GB2255754B; GB9110361D0

Abstract

A large capacity waste container e.g. of the "skip" type is provided with rear wheels (26) and a forward coupler whereby it may be readily coupled to and manoeuvred by, a conventional tractor unit vehicle (40). The container has projections (34, 36) whereby it may be lifted by, and its contents discharged into, a conventional transport vehicle such as a rear end loader (50). <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Waste container This invention relates to a waste container of the large capacity rigid type which is subject to mechanical handling.

Known such containers of the "skip" type are usually made of steel and have capacities typically within the twelve to fourteen cubic yard range or more, such containers not being easily movable either when empty or full. Such a container even when empty can weigh over 1 tonne. Such containers are not usually provided with wheels and can only be moved by employing a specialised mechanical handling vehicle to lift the containers clear of the ground.

Such a specialised vehicle may be used to transport full containers to a remote site for discharge and subsequent return by the vehicle to a site where the containers are left stationary for refilling with waste. Alternatively such a mechanical handling vehicle may have an on board compactor facility whereby a full container may be lifted clear of the ground to discharge its contents into the vehicle with such contents subsequently being compacted in situ. Thus such a vehicle may receive several loads of waste from successive different containers, at one or more sites, before finally being discharged at a remote site.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new or improved construction of waste container which can readily be mechanically handled by different types of vehicle.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a waste container adapted to receive waste material therein comprising means thereon adapted to be engaged by a waste material transport vehicle for lifting the container upwards relative to the vehicle for discharge of waste material from the container into the vehicle; ground engaging wheels on said container; and means on the container adapted to be engaged by a tractor unit vehicle whereby the container may be coupled to said tractor unit and moved thereby on said container wheels.

Said means engagable by a tractor unit vehicle conveniently comprises a generally horizontally disposed coupling member securable to a co-operating coupling part of a said tractor unit whereas said means engagable by a transport vehicle conveniently comprises a plurality of projections on the exterior of the waste container. The container preferably comprises a body portion and a discharge portion, said discharge portion extending away from one end of said body portion and having a discharge aperture therein, said wheels being provided on said body portion at that end thereof remote from said one end from which the discharge portion extends. The said coupling means engagable by the tractor unit vehicle is preferably provided underneath said discharge portion.Said projections which provide the means engagable by a transport vehicle are conveniently arranged with a first pair of said projections at that end of the discharge portion of the container remote from the body portion and a second pair of said projections on the body portion intermediate its ends, the projections in each said pair thereof extending outwardly in opposed coaxial relationship with one another from opposite sides of the container.

Said discharge portion of the container conveniently has the said discharge aperture formed in an inclined upper surface thereof, the discharge portion having a lower surface extending upwardly from the base of the body portion of the container to a forward end of said inclined upper surface remote from the body portion. Said lower surface of the discharge portion is preferably convex inwardly towards the interior of the body and discharge portions, said means engagable by a vehicle tractor unit being provided on a generally horizontally disposed coupling member adjacent the extremity of said lower surface of the discharge portion at said forward end.

Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description given herein solely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side diagrammatic view of a waste container constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side diagrammatic view of the container of Figure 1 coupled to a tractor unit vehicle whereby the container may be moved on its wheels by the tractor unit; and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side view of the container of Figure 1 lifted and tilted by a rear end loading transport vehicle for discharge of the container contents into said vehicle.

The waste container 10 illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1 of the drawings is conveniently made of steel with an overall internal waste capacity of the order of 12-14 cubic yards. The container comprises a generally cubic body portion having opposed planar side walls 12, a closed planar top 14 and a closed planar rear wall 16 within which there is conveniently provided a rectangular loading aperture 18 (see Figure 2) extending from side to side across the rear wall 16 adjacent its upper edge. The other end of the body portion extends into an integral discharge portion having an inclined upper surface 20, extending forwardly and downwardly from the top 14 of the body portion, and a lower surface 22 extending forwardly and upwardly from the base of the body portion to the forward extremity of the inclined upper surface 20 of the discharge portion.

Such lower surface is convex inwardly of the body and discharge portions as can be clearly seen from Figure 1. The inclined upper surface 20 of the discharge portion has a rectangular discharge aperture therein (shown covered by a removable flap 24 in Figure 2) extending from side to side of said upper surface 20.

That end of the body portion remote from the discharge portion (i.e.

the rear end of the body portion) is provided with a pair of freely rotatable ground engaging wheels 26 which may be on a common axle or on coaxially arranged stub axles at either side of the body portion. A box section support member 28 secured to the base of the body portion extends transversely from side to side thereof whereby the container may be disposed in the generally horizontal position shown in Figure 1 on the ground and, in such a position, the wheels 26 may be locked by manually slidable wedges 30 movable upwardly and downwardly of the body portion to engage and wedge the wheels.

The said lower surface 22 of the discharge portion is provided, adjacent its forward end, with a generally horizontally disposed coupling member 32 providing a downwardly facing surface and latch engagable by a conventional "fifth wheel" coupling mechanism of a tractor unit vehicle 40. Thus a conventional tractor unit may be reversed rearwardly towards the forward end of the container until the coupler on the tractor unit engages underneath the cooperating coupling member 32 on the container which, as full engagement is attained, will lift the forward end of the container slightly off the ground so as to pivot the container about its rear wheel axles. Thus, when coupled to the tractor unit 40, the container may be easily manoeuvred by the tractor unit as the container will run on its own wheels 26.

There are also provided two pairs of projections on the container comprising a first pair of coaxial cylindrical pegs 34 extending outwardly from opposite sides of the forward end of the discharge portion. A second pair of coaxial cylindrical pegs 36 extend outwardly from opposite sides of the body portion at a position intermediate its ends and generally at the same height from the ground as the first pair of pegs 34. These pegs 34 are engagable by a transport vehicle 50 as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings whereby, to connect the container 10 to the vehicle, the vehicle is reversed towards the container until the forward pegs 34 on the container engage within specialist connecting hooks at the rear of the vehicle. A set of chains 52 is then connected to the other pair of pegs 36 and lifting arm 54 on the vehicle are actuated to pivot the container upwardly about its forward end to discharge its contents through said discharge aperture into the transport vehicle 50. This type of transport vehicle, i.e. a rear end loader, is known per se.

Thus the invention provides a waste container particularly adapted for manoeuvrability on the ground by a tractor unit vehicle as well as being readily lifted and tilted for discharge purposes. Thus a user of a waste container of this type has the ability to place and move a container, full or empty, without specialist equipment, i.e. once the container has been delivered to the site it can then be manoeuvred by an absolutely conventional tractor unit vehicle of the type which is normally used as the tractor unit of an articulated vehicle. A waste container constructed in accordance with the invention finds particular application at ferry terminals where full or empty containers arriving at a dockside can be readily manoeuvred on or off a ferry boat, and around the dock area, by the same type of tractor unit vehicle as is used to load and unload articulated vehicle trailer units. Such an advantage is in contrast with the arrangements necessary with prior art containers whereby a specialist mechanical handling vehicle would have to be provided to move such containers around even when empty.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A waste container adapted to receive waste material therein comprising means thereon adapted to be engaged by a waste material transport vehicle for lifting the container upwards relative to the vehicle for discharge of waste material from the container into the vehicle; ground engaging wheels on said container; and means on the container adapted to be engaged by a tractor unit vehicle whereby the container may be coupled to said tractor unit and moved thereby on said container wheels.

2. Awaste container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means engagable by a tractor unit vehicle comprises a generally horizontally disposed coupling member securable to a co-operating coupling part of a said tractor unit.

3. A waste container as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2 wherein said means engagable by a transport vehicle comprises a plurality of projections on the exterior of the container.

4. A waste container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a body portion and a discharge portion, said discharge portion extending away from one end of said body portion and having a discharge aperture therein, said wheels being provided on said body portion at that end thereof remote from said one end from which the discharge portion extends.

5. A waste container as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means engagable by a vehicle tractor unit is provided underneath said discharge portion.

6. A waste container as claimed in either one of claims 4 or 5 when appendant to claim 3 wherein a first pair of said projections are provided at that end of the discharge portion remote from the body portion of the container, a second pair of said projections are provided on the body portion interuteiate its ends. and the projections in each said pair thereof extend outwardly in opposed coaxial relationship with one another from opposite sides of the container.

7. Awaste container as claimed in claim 4 wherein said discharge portion has said discharge aperture formed in an inclined upper surface thereof.

8. A waste container as claimed in claim 7 wherein said discharge portion has a lower surface extending upwardly from the base of the body portion to a forward end of said inclined upper surface remote from the body portion.

9. A waste container as claimed in claim 8 wherein said lower surface of the discharge portion is convex inwardly towards the interior of the body and discharge portions, and said means engagable by a vehicle tractor unit is provided on a generally horizontally disposed coupling member adjacent the extremity of said lower surface at said forward end thereof.

10. A waste container constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.