GB2307895A

GB2307895A - Rubbish Collection System

Info

Publication number: GB2307895A
Application number: GB9625390A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Derek Edward Sumpter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-12-07
Filing date: 1996-12-06
Publication date: 1997-06-11
Also published as: GB9625390D0; GB9525027D0

Abstract

A refuse collection vehicle is provided with a readily removable container and with a detachable compactor so that the container can be removed and replaced by an empty one, when full. The container is then sent for disposal at a remote site. Preferably the container has an horizontally split rear door, hinged at the top and bottom with the upper door covering two thirds of the opening. The container may have a hook bar for use with a hook lift vehicle.

Description

TITLE: TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND MEANS DESCRIPTION The invention relates to a transportation system and means. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention concerns a method and means for transporting refuse, e.g. household or commercial garbage.

It is known to provide commercial motor vehicles specially adapted to collect garbage, and such vehicles often have garbage containers fitted with compactors to compress the garbage to improve the load handling capacity of the vehicle. When such a vehicle is full, it is then necessary to drive the vehicle either to a garbage disposal site, e.g. a land-fill site or an incinerator at which the garbage is off-loaded. Alternatively the garbage can be off-loaded at an intermediate collection site if the ultimate disposal site is too far distant from the collection point. In practice the operation can take the garbage collection vehicles out of operation, i.e. so as to prevent garbage collection, for unacceptably long periods of their work cycle, and/or require additional garbage handling at the intermediate collection site.

It is an object of the invention to mitigate this problem.

According to the invention there is provided a refuse collection vehicle having a refuse collection container and a compactor for compacting refuse in the container, comprising means rendering the container readily detachable and removable from the compactor and from the vehicle when full to allow replacement by an empty container. The full container may be lifted from the vehicle by a gantry crane, which may also be used to position a replacement empty container on the vehicle. The containers are preferably formed with fittings to enable them to be lifted by a 'socalled' hooklift mechanism onto a trailer, e.g. a semitrailer for transport to an ultimate waste disposal site, e.g. a land-fill site or incinerator. Preferably the container is closable at its rear by a horizontally split door, the respective parts of which close upwardly and downwardly.Preferably the upper door part covers substantially two thirds of the rear opening of the container. Preferably the respective parts of the split door are hinged on the container at its top and at its base.

From another aspect, the invention is a system of refuse disposal comprising providing a refuse disposal vehicle having a refuse compactor and a container for receiving compacted refuse, arranging the container to be detachable from the vehicle and from the compactor, providing means for removing a full container from the vehicle and for positioning an empty replacement container on the vehicle, and providing a trailer for receiving one or more full containers and on which the refuse can be transported to an ultimate destination.

It will be understood that the collection site at which full refuse containers are removed from the vehicle and replaced by empty containers and in which the full containers are collected into groups and loaded into a trailer for removal will be situated as close as conveniently possible to the refuse collection point, to ensure that the garbage collection vehicle is employed in useful collection work for the maximum period.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing which is a flow diagram showing how a refuse vehicle according to the invention is constructed and how it is proposed that the refuse vehicle is loaded and unloaded.

It will be appreciated that if desired the gantry crane may be used to transfer full containers directly from a refuse collection vehicle to a semi-trailer and empty containers from a semi-trailer to a refuse collection vehicle.

Claims

1. A refuse collection vehicle having a refuse collection container and a compactor for compacting refuse in the container, comprising releasably coupling means rendering the container readily detachable and removable from the compactor and from the vehicle when full to allow replacement by an empty container.

2. A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the container is provided with fittings to enable the container to be lifted.

3. A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the container is adapted to be received on a trailer for transport to an ultimate waste disposal site.

4. A refuse collection vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container has an opening closable by a horizontally split door, the respective parts of which close upwardly and downwardly.

5. A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the upper door part covers substantially two thirds of the opening in the container.

6. A refuse collection vehicle according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the respective parts of the split door are hinged on the container at its top and at its base.

7. A refuse collection vehicle according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the opening is at the rear of the container.

8. A refuse collection vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

9. A container for a refuse vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.