WO2024108252A1

WO2024108252A1 - Refuse transfer apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2024108252A1
Application number: PCT/AU2023/051182
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Marciano
Original assignee: Robert Marciano
Priority date: 2022-11-25
Filing date: 2023-11-21
Publication date: 2024-05-30

Abstract

There is proposed a method and apparatus of depositing a waste material into a skip bin or waste receptacle. The refuse transfer apparatus, comprising, a support portion reversibly couplable to, or engageable with at least two lifting lugs of a skip bin or waste receptacle, an upright portion, a haulage portion, and a waste container being connected or connectable to the haulage portion. The haulage portion being manoeuvrable for positioning the waste container over an open top of the skip bin or waste receptacle for depositing of the waste material held within the waste container into the skip bin or waste receptacle.

Description

REFUSE TRANSFER APPARATUS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a refuse transfer apparatus being attachable to the lifting lugs of a skip bin or waste receptacle. In one form, the refuse transfer apparatus includes a tiltable transfer waste container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Temporary rubbish receptacles, such as skip bins and small dumpsters are frequently used in residential and commercial settings for the disposal of rubbish, building material surplus or garden waste. They are particularly useful when undertaking home renovation, building and landscaping, since they can be positioned in a driveway or yard, and used to dispose of a wide range of building and garden waste.

Often however the user is required to transfer the rubbish between a wheelbarrow and the skip bin. This may require the user to physically shovel or lift the rubbish up over the side of the skip bin, or may require them to hire a larger skip with an end that folds down to form a ramp. At times it has been observed that two people will actually lift a heavy (100kg) wheel barrow and tip it into the skip, since it is easier and quicker than having to shovel the dirt or debris over the side. This poses a significant health and safety risk to the workers.

This can be physically demanding work and can result in injury to the user because they may not be accustomed to such physical labour. Furthermore, even where the end of the skip bin can act as a ramp, the user can only partially fill the skip before the ramp side must be lifted up to form the end wall of the skip. The rubbish thereafter must be transferred by hand over the side of the skip bin.

There are currently available bin lifting devices for emptying wheeled rubbish bins into larger skip bins. The wheeled rubbish bin is positioned on a support platform or held in place by a lifting device that engages under the lip of the bin. The bin lifting devices is then operated to lift and invert the bin over the side of the skip to empty the contents of the bin thereinto. These types of devices however are only configured to deliver the refuse to one point within the skip. Accordingly, the refuse material tends to pile up at one location in the skip therefore often requiring the user to access the interior of the skip to spread the material out, which may pose a safety risk.

One device disclosed in the published prior art is found in Australian Patent No. 2010200047 entitled Apparatus for Inverting an Object, to Wrightway Eco Products Pty Ltd. The patent teaches an apparatus for inverting an object including a support, a first guide and a second guide, wherein movement of the support relative to the first and second guide results in the tilting of the support for emptying of a waste container.

However, the existing lifting devices are quite large with multiple moving parts and are typically designed for use in a factory commercial setting. These devices are not necessarily suitable for use on skip bins located outside a residential or commercial premise.

It should be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application. The terms dumpster or skip bin are used interchangeably throughout the specification and refer to a larger waste receptacle that can be loaded onto a flatbed truck for transport.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lifting apparatus for temporary attachment to a dumpster or skip bin. Further objects of the present invention are to overcome at least some of the aforementioned problems, or at least provide the public with a useful alternative. The foregoing objects should not necessarily be considered as cumulative and various aspects of the invention may fulfil one or more of the above objects.

The invention could be broadly understood to comprise a refuse transfer apparatus reversibly couplable to an edge of a skip bin or dumpster, wherein at least part of the apparatus is reversibly attachable or engageable with lifting lugs of the skip bin or dumpster. In one aspect of the invention, but not necessarily the broadest or only aspect, there is proposed a refuse transfer apparatus, comprising: a support portion reversibly couplable to, or engageable with at least two lifting lugs of a skip bin or waste receptacle; an upright portion attached to the support portion; a haulage portion movably attached to the upright portion; a waste container being connected or connectable to the haulage portion, the waste container adapted to hold a volume of a waste material; and wherein the haulage portion being manoeuvrable for positioning the waste container over an open top of the skip bin or waste receptacle for depositing of the waste material held within the waste container into the skip bin or waste receptacle.

The haulage portion being movable between a lowered position wherein the waste container is positioned on or adjacent a ground surface, and a raised position wherein the waste container is lifted such that it is positioned adjacent the open top of the skip bin or waste receptacle.

Preferably the waste container is in the form of a tiltable waste container connected to a tilt mechanism of the haulage portion, wherein the haulage portion further includes a movable gantry.

The tiltable waste container may be movable longitudinally along the movable gantry, to deposit the waste material at different locations within the skip bin or waste receptacle.

The tilt mechanism may comprise a bogie or truck that is adapted to slidably engage the movable gantry. The tilt mechanism may further include two arms that adjoin or are couplable to the tiltable waste container.

In one form, the movement of the haulage portion and operation of the tilt mechanism are undertaken using an electric motor that preferably includes an independent power source, for lifting, moving and tilting the waste container.

In one form, the upright portion which is attached to the support portion, comprises a framework including at least two parallel and spaced apart upright tracks, cross members and a base. The haulage portion is preferably configured to engage the upright tracks such that the waste container can be lifted to the raised position wherein it can be tilted to deliver the waste material into the open top of the skip bin or waste receptacle.

The base may be configured to support the motor/battery and may include adjustable feet to compensate for an uneven ground surface.

The tiltable waste container may comprise a base portion that is connected to the two arms of the tilt mechanism and upwardly extending sides which define the cavity for retaining the waste material in use. In one form, the upwardly extending sides may be collapsible to fold down flat thereby assisting in transport of the apparatus.

The waste container may include a wear resistant liner or replaceable liner adapted to protect the tiltable waste container, and which may be changed when it becomes damages.

In another aspect of the invention, there is proposed a refuse transfer apparatus, comprising: a support portion reversibly couplable to, or engageable with at least one lifting lug of a skip bin; an upright portion extending upwardly or downwardly from the support portion; a haulage portion movably attached to the upright portion; a lifting sling engaging the haulage portion and attachable to a waste container; and wherein the haulage portion being manoeuvrable for positioning the waste container over or adjacent an open top of the skip bin for depositing of a material held within the waste container into the skip bin.

In one form, the support portion may include a generally horizontally extending portion that is reversibly couplable to at least two lifting lugs of the skip bin.

The skilled addressee will appreciate that the lifting lugs are heavy duty lifting lugs used to move the skip bin between the rear of a transport vehicle, such as a flatbed truck, and a ground surface. The heavy duty lifting lugs are weight rated and have a high lifting capacity, which therefore provide a secure anchoring point for the refuse transfer apparatus.

The refuse transfer apparatus may include a brace or braces extending between the support portion and the upright portion. The refuse transfer apparatus may further include clamps, temporary fixing members, hook members and/or clips to hold the refuse transfer apparatus in place relative to the side of the skip bin during use. These may engage over a side/s of the skip bin or engage specialised members fixedly attached to the skip bin.

The refuse transfer apparatus may include a locking member to securely locate the apparatus in place and inhibit unauthorised removable or tampering.

Preferably, the refuse transfer apparatus includes a motor for operating the transfer portion, tilt mechanism and/or lifting sling. The motor may be connected to a drive including various pulleys and other components.

A remove controller, being wired or wireless, may be used to control the operation of the motor and drive.

The apparatus may include various safety device, including but not limited to an electrical circuit safety switch, a maximum load override to prevent overloading of the waste container, proximity sensors to inhibit crush injuries during operation of the apparatus and manual cut-off switches.

The refuse transfer apparatus may include an independent power source or be electrically connectable to mains power. The independent power source may be a rechargeable battery, such as but not limited to, a nickel cadmium (NiCd) battery, a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery, a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery or a lithium-ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) battery. The refuse transfer apparatus may also incorporate solar panels or be configured to draw power from a solar power unit. Alternately, the independent power source may be a non-rechargeable battery, such as but not limited to, a lead-acid battery.

The lifting sling may comprise lengths of cable or chain that are adjusted using the motor or other drive mechanism.

In one form, the lifting sling may include four sections of cable each tetherable to a respective connector on the waste container. The connectors may be positioned circumferentially around an upper edge of the waste container. The connector/s may comprise heavy duty eyelets, and the ends of the four sections of cable may each include a hook or latch member for engaging the respective connector.

The lifting sling may further include an intermediate frame to assist in the inverting or tilting of the waste container to thereby assist in depositing the material into the skip bin.

In one form, the haulage portion may be an arm that is movable attached to an upper end of the upright portion.

The upright portion may be adjustable and in one form may be telescopic such that it is vertically extendable. The support portion and haulage portion may also be telescopic.

The lifting sling may be engageable with an end of the arm, and the end of the arm may include pulley wheel/s or slider/s.

In another form the upright portion includes a track for slidably holding the haulage portion, in the form of a bogie, to which the lifting sling is attached or engages.

The upright portion may be positioned adjacent one side of the skip bin, or may extend across the open top of the skip bin and engage lifting lugs on both sides thereof.

The waste container may be a wheelbarrow, or a wheelbarrow insert configured to be positioned within the tub of a wheelbarrow.

The wheelbarrow insert may be rigid or semi-rigid and be configured to fit within a standard wheelbarrow tub or a range of tub sizes. The wheelbarrow insert may include attachment points at three or four points around an upper edge, for engagement with the sling. In this way the user can deposit material, such as rubble or soil into the wheelbarrow insert positioned within the wheelbarrow. The user can then transport the material to the skip bin utilising the wheelbarrow, after which the sling can be attached to the wheelbarrow insert and the haulage portion operated to transfer the material into the skip bin. The user can then reposition the insert into the tub of the wheelbarrow and then repeat the process. In another aspect of the invention there is proposed a method of depositing material into a skip bin, including the steps of: providing a refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with any one of the above aspects; attaching the refuse transfer apparatus to a side or sides of the skip bin, wherein at least a part of the refuse transfer apparatus engages with at least one of the lifting lugs of the skip bin; operating the refuse transfer apparatus to lift the waste container having a waste material therein; positioning the waste container over or adjacent the open top of the skip bin, such as to assist with the depositing of the waste material held within the waste container into the skip bin; and lowering the waste container to a position on or adjacent a ground surface on which the skip bin is located.

The above method including the further step of removing the refuse transfer apparatus from the skip bin to enable transportation of the skip bin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an implementation of the invention and, together with the description and claims, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention including a refuse transfer apparatus attached to a skip bin;

Figure 2 is a side view of a second embodiment of the refuse transfer apparatus;

Figure 3 is a side view of a third embodiment of the refuse transfer apparatus;

Figure 4 is a side view of a fourth embodiment of the refuse transfer apparatus;

Figure 5 is an end view of a fifth embodiment of the refuse transfer apparatus;

Figure 6 is an end view of a sixth embodiment of the refuse transfer apparatus; Figure 7a is a side view of a skip bin including a hoist receiving member attached thereto;

Figure 7b is the side view of the skip bin of Figure 7a, with a seventh embodiment of the refuse transfer apparatus attached thereto;

Figure 7c is the side view of Figure 7b, illustrating the attachment of the waste container to the sling;

Figure 7d is the side view of Figure 7c, illustrating the pivoting of the arm wherein the waste container is positioned over the top of the skip bin;

Figure 7e is the side view of Figure 7d, illustrating the operation of the sling to tilt the waste container for emptying thereof;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention including a tiltable waste container connected to a movable gantry;

Figure 9 is an end view of the skip bin and apparatus of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the skip bin and apparatus of Figure 8, illustrating the laches disengaged from the lifting lugs;

Figure 11a is a side view of the skip bin and apparatus of Figure 10, illustrating the movement of the latch;

Figure 11b is a schematic view of one of the lifting lugs of Figure 11a;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the skip bin and apparatus of Figure 8, illustrating the raising of the movable gantry and tilting of the waste container;

Figure 13 is a side view of the skip bin and apparatus of Figure 12; and

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the skip bin and apparatus of Figure 12, illustrating the movement of the tiltable waste container longitudinally along the movable gantry.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED AND EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENTS

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration. Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, there is illustrated a refuse transfer apparatus 10 reversibly couplable to a skip bin 12, demonstrating by way of examples, arrangements in which the principles of the present invention may be employed.

As illustrated in Figure 1 , the refuse transfer apparatus 10, in one embodiment includes a support portion 14 reversibly couplable to, or engageable with lifting lugs 16 of the skip bin 12. The refuse transfer apparatus 10 further includes an upright portion 18 extending upwardly from the support portion 14, and a movable haulage portion 20 attached to the upright portion 18. In the present embodiment, the haulage portion 20 is an arm 22 that is pivotably attached to the upright portion 18.

A lifting sling 24 engages the arm 22 and can be attached to a waste container 26. As the skilled addressee will appreciated, the lifting sling 24 and arm 22 may include various pulleys or adjustment components (not shown) to enable manipulation of the waste container 26 for emptying thereof. As illustrated in Figure 1 , the waste container 26 in the present embodiment is an insert 28 that is shaped to fit into the tub 30 of a wheelbarrow 32. The reader should appreciate that the insert 28 may be configured to fit a standard wheelbarrow tub size or a range of tub sizes.

The refuse transfer apparatus 10 further includes a brace 34 which extends between the support portion 14 and the upright portion 18. The reader will appreciate that the brace may be of various configurations or the support portion and upright portion may be unitary in construction having integral bracing parts.

As illustrated in Figure 1 , the refuse transfer apparatus 10 can be used to position the insert 28 holding the material 36 above the skip bin 12. The refuse transfer apparatus 10 can then be operated to deposit of the material 36 into the skip bin 12, as shown in Figure 7e.

The refuse transfer apparatus 10 in one embodiment is attachable to one side 38 of the skip bin 12, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 and 7a to 7e.

The reader will appreciate that the refuse transfer apparatus 10 may further include hook members 40, 42 for temporarily fixing the refuse transfer apparatus 10 to the side 38. Latches 44 are also used to hold the refuse transfer apparatus 10 to the lugs 16. It should be appreciated that the hook members 40, 42 and latches 44 may be adjustable to accommodate skip bins 12 of different configurations.

A motor 48 may be used to operate the haulage portion 20. The motor 48 may be connected to a power source (not shown) such as a battery or mains power supply. The reader should also appreciate that the refuse transfer apparatus 10 may be operated using a remove controller (not shown) to ensure the user is at a distance from the apparatus 10 when the load is being lifted and moved into the skip bin 12.

Figure 1 illustrates a lifting sling 24 comprising four lengths of cable or chain 50, that are each tetherable to a respective connector/heavy duty eyelet 52 on the insert 28.

The reader will appreciate that the refuse transfer apparatus 10 further includes a tilt mechanism for tilting the insert 28 once it is positioned above the skip bin 12. The tilt mechanism may comprise any type of adjustment setup to permit tilting or inverting of the waste container/insert attached thereto.

As the skilled addresses will appreciate, the refuse transfer apparatus 10 can be of various configurations without departing from the scope of the patent. The attachment of the apparatus 10 to the lifting lugs 16 provides a heavy duty fixing point for the refuse transfer apparatus 10 on the skip bin 12, by utilising existing load rated parts of the skip bin. This therefore overcomes the difficulty of securely fastening the apparatus 10 to the side/s of the skip bin 12 during use.

Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of the refuse transfer apparatus 10, wherein the upright portion 18, engages a hoist receiving member 54, which is fixedly attached to the side 38 of the skip bin 12. The reader will appreciate that the hoist receiving member 54 may be welded to the side 38 and is configured to inhibit tilting of the upright member 18 during use.

In still another embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 3, the brace member 34 may be reversibly attached directly to one of the lifting lugs 16.

Figure 4 illustrates the refuse transfer apparatus 10 attached to a skip bin 12 having two pairs 56a, 56b of lifting lugs 16, wherein the support portion 14 is configured to be supported across the two pairs 56a, 56b of lifting lugs 16, and held in place by pivotable latches 44, as indicated by the dotted lines. As further illustrated in Figure 4, the support portion 14, upright portion 18 and haulage portion 22 are all telescopic, and include a series of holes 66 and locking pins 68 to fix the length of the portions 14, 18, 22. This can be done to accommodate skips of different sizes. The reader will however appreciate that only one or two of the portions 14, 18, 22 may be adjustable, or they may all be of fixed lengths.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate two different alternate embodiments of the refuse transfer apparatus 10 which includes a track 58 for slidably holding a bogie 60. The lifting sling 24 is attached to, or engages, the bogie 60.

As further illustrated in Figure 5 the refuse transfer apparatus 10 extends across the skip bin 12 and engage lifting lugs 16 affixed to sides 38a, 38b thereof. The upright portion 18 may include multiple generally vertical members, such as 18a and 18b, illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, and the support portion 14 may include multiple generally horizontal members, such as 14a, 14b, as illustrated in Figure 6.

Figures 7a to 7e illustrate use of the refuse transfer apparatus 10, wherein a skip bin 12 is positioned on site, such as in the driveway of a house. The refuse transfer apparatus 10 is then attached to the side 38 of the skip bin 12.

As illustrated in Figure 7b the lifting sling 24 of the present embodiment includes an intermediate frame 62 to assist in the inventing or tilting of the waste container 26, as will be discussed with respect to Figure 7e.

The lifting sling 24 is then attached to the waste container 26 which is raised to a position adjacent the open top of the skip bin 12, as shown in Figure 7c. The arm 22 is then pivoted relative to the upright portion 18 to position the waste container 26 over the open top of the skip bin 12, as illustrated in Figure 7d.

The lifting sling 24 is then manipulated to tilt the waste container 26, such that the material 36 held therein flows out and is deposited into the skip bin 12.

The arm 22 can then be returned to a position where the waste container 26 can be lowered onto the ground or into a wheelbarrow 32 positioned adjacent the skip bin 12. Figure 8 to 14 illustrate a preferred embodiment, which comprises a tiltable waste container 26 connected by way of a tilt mechanism 72 to a haulage portion 20 which includes a movable gantry 74.

In the present embodiment, the support portion 14 is reversibly couplable to, or engageable with lifting lugs 16 of the skip bin 12, as previously discussed. However, the upright portion 18 depends/extends downwardly from the support portion 14 and is configured to rest on or adjacent the ground surface. The upright portion 18 of the present embodiment includes a framework 76 including two parallel and spaced apart upright tracks 78, cross members 80 and a base 82.

The haulage portion 20 is configured to engage the upright tracks 78 such that the waste container 26 can be lifted to a position wherein it can be tilted to thereby deliver the waste material 36 into the open top of the skip bin or waste receptacle 12.

As illustrated in Figure 12, the base is configured to support the motor 48, as well as a battery, which are contained within housing 84, being moulded to the base 82.

Turning to Figures 10 to 11 b, the support portion 14 is couplable to the lifting lugs 16 by way of latches 44. As the skilled addressee will appreciate, lifting lugs 16 include a shaft 86 extending outwardly from the side 38 of the skip bin 12 and a disk shaped head 88, as shown in Figure 11 b, which are used for attachment to a hoisting device of a transport vehicle that is used to move the skip bin 12 between sites.

As best illustrated in Figure 11 a, the latches 44 of the present embodiment include a body 90 fixedly connected to the support portion 14 at an end thereof. The body 90 is pivotably connected to an arm 92 at pivot point 94. Both the body 90 and arm 92 include respective recesses 96 adapted to engage around the shaft 86 of the lifting lug 44.

The arm 92 includes an aperture 98 that is configured to coaxially align aperture 100 in the body 90, when the latch 44 is in the closed position. A locking pin (not shown) may then be passed through the coaxially aligned apertures 98, 100, to secure the latch 44 to the lifting lug 16. In use the latch 44 is opened, as illustrated in Figure 10 and the support portion 14 is lowered onto the lifting latches 44 in the direction of the arrow illustrated in Figure 11a, the arm 92 is then pivoted around pivot point 94, in the direction of the curved arrow of Figure 11a, and secured in place around the lifting lug 16.

Waste material 36 is then deposited in the waste container 26 and the apparatus 10 is operated to raise the movable gantry 74 upwardly along the two parallel and spaced apart upright tracks 78 into an upper position, as illustrated in Figure 12. After which the tilt mechanism 72 is used to tip the contents 36 of the waste container 26 into the skip bin 12, as illustrated in Figure 13.

The tilt mechanism 72 comprises a bogie or truck 102 that is adapted to slidably engage the movable gantry 74, and two arms 104, 106 that adjoin, or are attached to, the tiltable waste container 26. The specific configuration of the tilt mechanism 72 will not be discussed in detail, however the reader should appreciate that any type of tilting type mechanism may be used and may include, but not limited to, piston rods, rockers, drive shafts, gears and other tilt devices.

As illustrated in Figure 14, the configuration of the present invention permits the tiltable waste container 26 to be movable longitudinally along the gantry 74, in the direction of the arrow. This ensures that the waste material 36 can be deposited at different locations within the skip bin or waste receptacle 12, so that it is not heaped at just one location within the skip, which is a limitation of the prior art.

Accordingly, the waste container 26 can be lifted, tilted and move backwards and forward along the side 38 of the skip 12, using the electric motor 48 and corresponding drive elements (not shown) to deposit the refuse throughout the interior of the skip 12.

The configuration of the apparatus 10 which is fixable to the lifting lugs 16, ensure safe and secure lifting of the waste container 26. The securing of the apparatus 10 to the lifting lugs 16 also means that the apparatus 10 can be relatively narrow which is advantageous when used in confined spaces.

The skilled addressee will now appreciate the advantages of the illustrated invention over the prior art. In one form, the present invention provides an apparatus that can be reversibly attached to a skip bin, by utilising the load rates lifting lugs of the skip bin. The use of these lugs means that the apparatus can be temporarily and securely attached to the skip bin while a user is transferring material, such as rubbish, soil or other waste into the skip bin. The apparatus can then be removed for transport of the skip bin, by a transport vehicle from the site at which the material is loaded into the skip bin to a dump or material processing plant, to thereby prevent damage to the apparatus in transit.

Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the exemplified embodiments of the invention, however it must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate the invention and it is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the invention can include various modifications, which fall within the scope of the invention.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1 . A refuse transfer apparatus, comprising: a support portion reversibly couplable to, or engageable with at least two lifting lugs of a skip bin or waste receptacle; an upright portion attached to the support portion; a haulage portion movably attached to the upright portion; a waste container being connected or connectable to the haulage portion, the waste container adapted to hold a volume of a waste material; and wherein the haulage portion being manoeuvrable for positioning the waste container adjacent or over an open top of the skip bin or waste receptacle for depositing of the waste material held within the waste container into the skip bin or waste receptacle.

2. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the haulage portion being movable between a lowered position where the waste container is positioned on or adjacent a ground surface, and a raised position where the waste container is lifted such that it is positioned adjacent or over the open top of the skip bin or waste receptacle.

3. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the waste container is in the form of a tiltable waste container connected to a tilt mechanism of the haulage portion.

4. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the haulage portion includes a movable gantry.

5. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the tiltable waste container is movable longitudinally along the movable gantry, adapted to deposit the waste material at different locations within the skip bin or waste receptacle.

6. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the tilt mechanism comprises a bogie or truck that is adapted to slidably engage the movable gantry.

7. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the tilt mechanism includes two arms that adjoin or are couplable to the tiltable waste container.

8. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the movement of the haulage portion and operation of the tilt mechanism are undertaken using a motor that includes an independent power source or is electrically connectable to mains power, for lifting, moving and tilting the waste container.

9. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the upright portion comprises a framework including at least two parallel and spaced apart upright tracks, cross members and a base.

10. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein the haulage portion is adapted to engage the upright tracks such that the waste container can be lifted to the raised position wherein it can be tilted to deliver the waste material into the open top of the skip bin or waste receptacle.

11 . The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the refuse transfer apparatus includes clamps, temporary fixing members, hook members or clips to hold the refuse transfer apparatus in place relative to the side of the skip bin during use.

12. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes a safety device, selected from a group including, an electrical circuit safety switch, a maximum load override to prevent overloading of the waste container, a proximity sensor to inhibit crush injuries during operation of the apparatus and a manual cut-off switch or switches.

13. The refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the independent power source is a rechargeable battery, selected from a group including, a nickel cadmium (NiCd) battery, a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery, a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery and a lithium-ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) battery.

14. A method of depositing a waste material into a skip bin, including the steps of: providing a refuse transfer apparatus in accordance with claims 1 to 13; attaching the refuse transfer apparatus to a side or sides of the skip bin, wherein at least a part of the refuse transfer apparatus engages with at least one of the lifting lugs of the skip bin; operating the refuse transfer apparatus to lift the waste container having a waste material therein; positioning the waste container over or adjacent the open top of the skip bin, such as to assist with the depositing of the waste material held within the waste container into the skip bin; and lowering the waste container to a position on or adjacent a ground surface on which the skip bin is located.