WO2005072368A2

WO2005072368A2 - Landfill compactor

Info

Publication number: WO2005072368A2
Application number: PCT/US2005/002508
Authority: WO
Inventors: George B. Fink; James F. Leroy
Original assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment North America, Inc.
Priority date: 2004-01-26
Filing date: 2005-01-26
Publication date: 2005-08-11
Also published as: WO2005072368A3

Abstract

A vehicle especially adapted to provide a refuse compacting function as it traverses a landfill. The vehicle includes a tractor unit (10) including an operator control station (20), an engine and a pair of refuse engaging wheels (30, 36). A load bearing vehicle portion (12) or chassis is interconnected with the tractor unit in an articulated manner. The load bearing chassis mounts a load (40, 40’) that is adapted to generate a compaction force on refuse engaging wheels (30, 36) forming part of the chassis. The load (40, 40’) may be formed by adjustable weighted material and/or by a fluid vessel or tank. The vehicle may be equipped with an auxiliary compaction roller (50) that is lowered or raised to engage or disengage the refuse, by a fluid pressure operated mechanism. The width dimension of the roller is selected so that it contacts at least an area defined between the wheels mounted to the rear chassis. The roller (50) may be of the vibratory type and is either pulled by the vehicle or is power driven. A movable dozer blade (56) may be mounted to the tractor unit.

Description

LANDFILL COMPACTOR Technical Field The present invention relates generally to landfill compaction and, in particular, to a vehicle especially adapted to provide a compaction function in a landfill.

Background To maximize the capacity of a landfill, it is important that the trash and refuse be compacted. Specialized vehicles have been developed for providing this function. Typically, these are work machines equipped with steel compaction wheels. Many of these specialty landfill compaction vehicles have in the past been modified front end loaders. An example of this type of compaction vehicle can be seen in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,322,170 and 5,676,493. Typically, a front end loader type vehicle was adapted for use in a landfill by replacing its rubber wheels with special compaction wheels (which are also illustrated in the above-identified patents).

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a new and improved vehicle especially adapted to provide a refuse compaction function as it traverses a landfill. The vehicle comprises a tractor unit and a rear follower unit which is coupled to the tractor unit via an articulating vertical pin. The vehicle axles are equipped with compacting wheels specially adapted to provide a landfill compaction function. Preferably, the compacting wheels include cleats extending from the outer surface for traction on the landfill surface. The vehicle utilizes an articulated steering system, for example, hydraulic cylinders acting on either side of the articulating pin, to control the direction of travel. The follower unit carries a weight load which may include a fluid carrying tank, metal plates or slabs, or other suitable things. The tractor unit may also be configured to carry extra load to increase the compacting force of the front wheels. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the tractor unit comprises a cab part that includes an operator control station. The tractor and the follower unit are considered load applying vehicle parts and may include a plurality of vehicle wheels suitable for compaction. The articulated steering system enables the traction part to pivot with respect to the load-bearing vehicle part about a vertical axis. According to an embodiment of the invention, the vehicle may be outfitted with a compaction roller or roller assembly that has a width corresponding to the width of the vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle may be equipped with a compaction roller assembly having a width that corresponds to the inside spacing of the compaction wheels. The roller assembly may be conveniently mounted at the rear of the follower unit. According to a feature of this embodiment of the invention, the vehicle includes a mechanism for lowering and raising the roller assembly in order to engage and disengage the landfill refuse. In the illustrated embodiment, the mechanism includes pivotally mounted arms that are fluid pressure operated. The invention may include a dozer blade mounted on the front frame of the machine that can be raised and lowered on the vertical plane, using hydraulic cylinders controlled by the operator from the operator's station. The dozer blade provides a dozing function to limit the build up of material in front of th e machine to a desired height, for example, of 24 inches, to facilitate proper and adequate distribution of the materials to foe compacted. According to another feature of the invention, the load carried by the load bearing vehicle part or follower can be changed to adjust the compaction force of the associated compaction wheels. The compaction force of the front tractor wheels is also changed because of load transfer through the coupling between the tractor and the follower unit. In the illustrated embodiment, a follower unit chassis supports a bed for carrying slabs of weighted material. The number of slabs determines the final added weight. According to a further aspect of this feature, when the load is supplied by a fluid filled vessel or tank, the fluid carried by the tank advantageously may be a fluid for treating the landfill surface, and may be sprayed or spread onto the landfill refuse during vehicle operation. As an example, the fluid may be spread onto the landfill refuse to provide a cover during nighttime hours. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the disclosed vehicle may be based on or an adaptation of currently available articulated haulers which are normally used to haul earth, rocks, and other material in various construction environments. A fuller understanding will be obtained and additional features of the invention will become apparent in reading the following detailed description made in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a landfill compacting machine constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the vehicle shown in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the rear follower portion of the vehicle shown in Figure 1 ; and. Figure 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment for the rear follower portion of the vehicle showing an additional drive axle.

Detailed Description Figure 1 illustrates an overall construction of a landfill compacting vehicle constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The vehicle includes a front tractor unit or part 10 and a follower unit or part 12 operatively connected to the tractor 10 by an articulating hitch indicated generally by the reference character 16. The hitch allows the tractor part 10 to pivot with respect to the follower part 12 about a vertical axis for steering the vehicle, and also allows pivoting about a horizontal axis to allow relative roll movement between the units. The hitch 16 may include a pin (not shown) for accomplishing this function. The tractor unit 10 mounts an engine, transmission and at least a portion of a hydraulic system (not shown). An operator cab indicated generally by the reference character 20 forms part of the front tractor unit 10 and contains a seat for the operator, as well as various vehicle controls that are available to the operator. As is conventional, the vehicle is steered using an articulated steering system which those skilled in the art will recognize as a hydro-mechanical system. This system utilizes steering cylinders (not shown) to pivot the front tractor unit 10 with respect to the follower unit 12. A steering wheel (not shown) is operatively connected to a control valve that converts rotation of the steering wheel by the operator into extension and retraction of the steering cylinders thereby turning the tractor 10 in relation to the rear chassis 12. It should be noted that in this type of vehicle, front wheels 30 are considered non- steerable and form part of a rigid axle and do not pivot about a vertical axis in order to change direction of the vehicle. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the front wheels 30 comprise compaction wheels specifically designed to be used in a landfill environment. Compacting load on the front wheels is provided in part by the engine and the weight of the wheels. In addition, there is some load transfer from the rear follower unit through the hitch which adds to the compacting load of the front wheels 30. The wheels 30 are preferably are made of steel or another suitable material and preferably include a plurality of cleats 31 extending from an outer surface of each wheels for traction on the landfill surface. Refuse engaging wheels of this type are available from various sources and an example of this type of wheel can be seen in U.S. Patent No. 5,676,493. The front wheels are mounted on a front axle and driven by the engine (not shown) via a transmission (not shown), under the control of an operator located in the operator cab 20. The follower unit 12, which is interconnected with the front tractor unit 10 through the hitch 16, preferably includes a chassis indicated generally by the reference character 32. The chassis 32 mounts at least one axle indicated generally by the reference character 36. According to a preferred embodiment, the rear axle 36 is a drive axle which rotatably mounts and drives associated wheels 36a. A transmission such as that described in US Patent No. 6,641 ,223 to Kingston, which is incorporate herein by reference for all it discloses, may be used to drive the axle 36 with the tractor mounted engine. The construction of the wheels 36a may be the same or similar to the front wheels 30 and are specifically designed to be used to compact material in a landfill. The wheels 36a preferably include a plurality of cleats 38. The illustrated configuration would be termed a 4x4 configuration since all four wheels 30, 36a are driven by the engine through a transmission, a transfer gearbox and drive shaft arrangement. The rear chassis 32 mounts or carries a load or load material indicated generally by the reference character 40 which provides weight for compaction. This weight may comprise plates or slabs of material, such as metal, carried on a bed forming part of the chassis 32. The slabs can be readily added to or removed from the rear chassis 32 to adjust the desired weight load. Other load items, such as concrete blocks or the like, could be used. As mentioned above, changing the load on the follower unit will also change the load on the front wheels 30. In accordance with another feature of the invention, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 3, the vehicle may be equipped with one or more compaction roller assemblies or drums 50. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the roller 50 has a width dimension that corresponds to the width of the vehicle. Alternately, the roller 50 may have a width dimension that is narrower than the width of the vehicle, but instead corresponds to the spacing of the wheels 36a. With this configuration, the landfill material or refuse under and between the front and rear wheels is compacted during each pass as the vehicle traverses the landfill. The roller 50 is suitably connected to the follower unit 12. The connection may involve an articulating hitch similar to the hitch 16 used to interconnect the front tractor unit with the rear chassis. Alternatively, and as seen in Figures 1 , 2 and 3, the cylindrical roller 50 is attached to a rear frame member 52 by a pair of pivotally mounted arms 54. With this arrangement, the roller 50 is pulled along by the vehicle. A pair of fluid pressure operated or hydraulic cylinders 58 extend between the distal ends 54a of the arms 54 and the follower unit 12 and are used to raise and lower the cylindrical roller 50 as needed. Typically, the roller 50 would be raised to facilitate turning of the vehicle. Once the vehicle is again directed along a linear path, the compaction roller 50 would be lowered. Rollers of this type may be of either the non-vibratory or vibratory type. These types of rollers are available from various sources, including Volvo Construction Equipment North America, Inc. of Asheville, North Carolina. It should be noted here that the present invention contemplates the use of multiple cylindrical rollers (not shown). In particular, the roller assembly may include multiple cylindrical rollers each having a width smaller than the width of the vehicle or the spacing of the wheels but are arranged in a side-by-side configuration so that the total width of the multiple rollers corresponds to the width of the vehicle or the spacing between the wheels. According to another aspect of the invention, the vehicle may include a dozer blade 56 mounted on the front frame of the machine that can be raised and lowered on the vertical plane, using hydraulic cylinders 57 controlled by the operator from the operator's station. The dozer blade 56 provides a dozing function to limit the build up of material in front of the machine to a desired height, for example, of 24 inches, to facilitate proper and adequate distribution of the materials to be compacted. Figure 2 illustrates a vehicle that is substantially similar to the vehicle shown in Figure 1 , except that the load carried by the rear frame 12 is in the form of a liquid tank or vessel 40'. The tank 40' may be filled with a liquid simply to provide the necessary weight. Advantageously, in a preferred embodiment, the tank may be filled with a cover material of the type spread on the landfill to treat the refuse or to provide cover for the landfill during nighttime hours. It should be noted here that the follower 12 may carry a combination of load material 40 and a fluid carrying container 40'. Figure 4 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the follower unit 12' mounts two axles indicated generally by the reference characters 60, 62. The axles 60, 62 rotatably mount associated compaction wheels 60a, 62a, respectively. One axle may be driven, as described above, or alternatively, both axles 60, 62 may be driven by the transmission. This latter configuration is normally termed a 6x6 configuration since there are six driven wheels (including those forming part of the front tractor unit 10). Various methods can be employed to provide the driving force for the wheels forming part of the follower 12. As mentioned, the drive system may be according to U.S. Patent No. 6,641 ,223, as previously mentioned. Other drive systems as known to those skilled in the art may be used. In addition, hydraulic lines may extend across the hitch and connect the tractor mounted hydraulic system with the braking system on the follower unit, the lift cylinders 58, as well as other hydraulic subsystems carried by the follower unit. For example, the cylindrical roller 50 may be hydraulically powered. This invention contemplates a vibratory type cylindrical roller which could be powered by hydraulic pressure, as well as a cylindrical compacting roller (either vibratory or non-vibratory) that is hydraulically rotated to aid in its movement behind the vehicle. In the preferred construction, the hitch 16 is an oscillating hitch that allows 360 degrees of relative rotation between the front tractor unit 10 and the rear follower unit 12. Hitches of this type are well known and are available from various sources. The illustrated vehicle construction utilizing articulated steering and a rotatable hitch 16 make the vehicle especially suitable for landfill compaction. The use of the auxiliary roller 50 on the rear of the vehicle increases its compaction ability as compared to other types of landfill compactors such as those that are based on a front end loader design. In accordance with the invention, compaction vehicles of the type illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 can be based on currently available articulated haulers which are normally used to haul earth and other material in various construction environments. Articulated haulers that can be used as a basic platform for the disclosed compaction vehicles are available from Volvo Construction Equipment North America, Inc. of Asheville, North Carolina. An example of an articulated hauler that can form the platform for the landfill compaction vehicle is shown in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 6,641 ,223. Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can make various modifications to it without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 . An articulated compaction machine, comprising: a tractor part having an axle for mounting wheels and having an operator control station; a load-bearing vehicle part having at least one rear axle for mounting wheels; a plurality of wheels suitable for compaction; the tractor part and the load-bearing vehicle part being interconnected in an articulated manner about a vertical pin; and, the load-bearing vehicle part having means for mounting a load that is adapted to generate a compaction force on the rear axle wheels.

2. The articulated compaction machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive engine is located in the tractor part and drives the axle mounted on the tractor part.

3. The articulated compaction machine as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a compaction drum mounted at an end of the load-bearing vehicle part opposite the tractor part.

4. The articulated compaction machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the compaction drum includes vibration means.

5. The articulated compaction machine as claimed in claim 3, further comprising means for raising and lowering the drum.

6. The articulated compaction machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the roller is extendable to contact at least an area defined between the rear wheels.

7. The articulated compaction machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each wheel includes a plurality of cleats extending from an outer surface thereof.

8. The articulated compaction machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the load-bearing vehicle part carries a vessel for fluids.

9. The articulated compaction machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the load-bearing vehicle part includes a bed for supporting weight increasing loads.

10. The articulated compaction machine as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a dozer blade mounted on a forward end of the tractor part.

1 1 . A vehicle for compacting refuse in a landfill, comprising: a front tractor unit including an operator cab; a rear follower unit including at least one pair of wheels, said rear chassis placing a load on said wheels, such that said wheels apply compaction forces to refuse in said landfill as said vehicle traverses said landfill; and, said tractor unit interconnected with said rear follower unit by a hitch which allows said front tractor unit to pivot with respect to said rear follower unit.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 1 further comprising a compaction roller assembly operatively connected to said rear follower for compacting landfill refuse, said compaction roller having a width dimension that is related to the spacing of said rear wheels.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein said roller assembly has a width dimension that is less than a width dimension of said rear follower unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said roller assembly is attached to said rear follower unit by a pair of pivotally mounted arms which are operative to raise and lower said roller, whereby said roller is caused to engage and disengage the landfill refuse.

15. The vehicle of claim 1 1 wherein said rear follower is adapted to carry a load for loading said rear follower wheels to generate said compaction forces.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein said load is adjustable.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein said load comprises a liquid tank.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 wherein said liquid tank includes means for spreading a liquid in the tank on a landfill to treat the landfill refuse.

19. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein said roller assembly comprises multiple rollers.

20. A landfill compacting vehicle, comprising: a tractor unit supported for movement over a landfill by a pair of non-steerable, refuse engaging wheels; a rear unit including at least one pair of non-steerable, refuse engaging wheels, said rear unit carrying a ballast material for causing said rear chassis wheels to exert a compaction force on said landfill refuse; and, said tractor unit and rear chassis interconnected by a hitch including an articulated steering system for said vehicle.

21 . The vehicle of claim 20 wherein said hitch is an oscillating hitch which also allows said rear unit to rotate 360 with respect to said tractor unit.

22. The vehicle of claim 21 further comprising a compaction roller assembly operatively connected to said rear unit.

23. The vehicle of claim 22 wherein said roller assembly is pulled by said rear unit.

24. The vehicle of claim 23 wherein said roller assembly is power driven.

25. The vehicle of claim 20 further including a dozer blade mountecd to the tractor unit.