GB2118149A - Handling refuse containers - Google Patents

Abstract

In a method of transferring elongate box-like containers from the hold of a cargo vessel to a road vehicle, the containers are lifted out of the hold in a first orientation and then rotated about a predetermined generally transverse axis into a second orientation before being deposited in the vehicle.

Description

SPECIFICATION Handling refuse containers Household refuse is frequently transported to landfill sites by river barge. Each barge may hold, on average, 90 tons of crude refuse which is loaded either directly by dustcart, by mechanical grabs, or by conveyor. At the landfill site the barges are unloaded by grab crane, the refuse being discharged into open top tipper trucks for distribution around the landfill site. A drawback of this system is that large amounts of refuse are inevitably spilled during unloading and while being transported across the site.

To eliminate this environmental problem, it has been proposed firstly to rebuild one of the riverside loading stations serving the site whereby the refuse can be loaded and compacted into discrete enclosed containers, the containers then being lowered into the hold of a barge by container handling cranes. At the landfill site the containers can then be lifted out of the barge by cranes and lowered directly onto the cross site vehicle. A second proposal, to operate concurrently with the first proposal, involves the 'construction of a totally enclosed dockway at the landfill site in order that the spillage incurred when unloading barges from the remaining non containerised loading stations serving the site can be contained within the dockway and progressively cleared.

It would be an advantage if refuse at the non containerised loading stations could be loaded into discrete containers, even though such stations do not include container handling cranes.

This would avoid the need to construct a totally enclosed dockway at the landfill site. However, present container handling practice is to store two layers of containers in the barge hold. To maintain the same payload per barge at the non containerised stations, it would therefore be necessary to lift out the first layer of containers in order to load the bottom layer. This would involve not only the installation of the necessary cranes but also the provision of additional space for accommodating the empty containers. It would also add significantly to the loading time of each barge.

The containers have the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and are stacked in the barge hold on their sides rather than on their ends so that when lifted out at the unloading station they can be lowered directly on to the back of a site lorry.

Bearing in mind that each container weighs in the region of 20 tons, a container standing on its end would be dangerously unstable on the back of a lorry.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of transferring an elongate box-like container from the hold of a cargo vessel to a road vehicle, the method comprising lifting the container out of the hold in a first orientation, rotating the container about a predetermined generally transverse axis into a second orientation, and depositing the reorientated container in the said vehicle. The container is preferably lowered on to a support surface before being rotated into its second orientation.

In its first orientation the longitudinal axis of the container is preferably generally vertical. It is then rotated through substantially 900 so that it is generally horizontal when the container is in its second orientation. The rotation and deposition of the container into the vehicle may take place simultaneously or sequentially.

Refuse containers can thus be stood on their ends in the hold of a barge so that a single layer of containers will fill the hold. It then becomes feasible to load such barges at non-containerised pulverising and crude refuse loading stations. As containers are loaded in situ the provision of expensive container handling cranes and additional storage space at these stations is unnecessary. Barge payloads and loading times are unchanged. In addition, the required environmental standards are satisfied as refuse is discharged from barges in totally enclosed containers, thereby eliminating the additional cost of an enclosed dock facility.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a cargo vessel having a hold for storing cargo, and an array of discrete containers disposed in the hold, each container having the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and being oriented with one of its end faces uppermost.

In one embodiment of the invention, the means for lifting and then rotating the container into its second orientation includes a travelling hoist mechanism movable along a predetermined path, and means for arresting or braking movement of the bottom portion of the container during at least a portion of the said movement along the predetermined path.

The accompanying drawings illustrate in diagrammatic form two examples of the invention. In these drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of an unloading station at a refuse dumping site, Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the unloading station, Fig. 3 illustrates one method of re-orienting a container after it has been unloaded, and, Fig. 4 illustrates an alternative method of reorienting a container after it has been unloaded.

Referring to these figures, Figs. 1 and 2 compare a river or canal barge 10 having its cargo hold filled with a single layer of 6 metre high discrete containers 11, and a similar barge 30 loaded with three layers of conventional I.S.O.

containers 31. Each container 11 has the shape oí a rectangular parallelepiped and is arranged with one of its end faces 12 uppermost. In contrast, the I.S.O. containers 31 are stacked on their sides.

The containers 11 are unloaded from the barge 10 at an unloading station 13. The unloading station is located at the end of a jetty which extends out from the shore 14 into a deep water channel 1 5. A travelling gantry 1 6 is movable along horizontal raiis 1 7 secured to the jetty, and the gantry includes a hoist mechanism 18 for hoisting the containers 11 out of the barge 10.

Once the containers have been lifted out of the barge by the hoist mechanism 18, the gantry 1 6 travels back to the shore 14, and the container 11 nis then re-orientated so that its longitudinal axis is horizontal before the container is mounted on the back of an open top tipper truck 19.

One method of re-orientating the container is shown in Fig. 3. The tipper truck includes a rear platform 20 for supporting a container 11 , the platform being pivotable between an upright vertical position and a horizontal position.

Movement of the platform 20 is controlled by an extendable ram 22.

In use, the gantry 16 brings a container 11 to a position where the truck 1 9 can be manoeuvred so that its platform 20, when in its vertical upright position, can be disposed adjacent one side of the container as shown in Fig. 3. The container is then coupled to the platform, and the ram 22 retracted until the platform 20 is horizontal. The container 11 is thus supported in a stable position on the back of the truck and can be transported across the dumping site. It will be appreciated that, in this particular example, the container 11 would require a loading port or door in the end face 23, and an unloading port or door in the opposing end face 24.

One alternative method of re-orientating the container is shown in Fig. 4. The container 11 is first lowered by the hoist mechanism 1 8 on to a support surface 26. The container is then anchored at point 25. Gantry 1 6 now traverses from left to right whilst hoist 1 8 lowers the container so that it pivots about point 25 until it lies on the surface 26 with its longitudinal axis horizontal. In this stable position the container may be loaded onto a tipper truck by conventional means.

Claims (Filed on 1 itch April 1983) 1. A method of transferring an elongate boxlike container from the hold of a cargo vessel to a road vehicle, the method comprising lifting the container out of the hold in a first orientation, rotating the container about a predetermined generally transverse axis into a second orientation, and depositing the reorientated container in the said vehicle.

2. A method according to Claim 1 in which the container is lowered onto a support surface before being rotated into its second orientation.

3. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the longitudinal axis of the container is generally vertical when the container is in its first orientation, and in which the container is rotated through substantially 900 so that the said axis is generally horizontal when the container is in its second orientation.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the rotation and the deposition of the container occur simultaneously.

5. A method according to any one of the Claims 1 to 3 in which the rotation and the deposition of the container occur sequentially.

6. A cargo vessel having a hold for storing cargo, an array of discrete containers disposed in the hold, each container having the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and being oriented with one of its end faces uppermost.

7. A method of transferring an elongate boxlike container from the hold of a cargo vessel to a road vehicle, the method being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. along horizontal raiis 1 7 secured to the jetty, and the gantry includes a hoist mechanism 18 for hoisting the containers 11 out of the barge 10. Once the containers have been lifted out of the barge by the hoist mechanism 18, the gantry 1 6 travels back to the shore 14, and the container 11 nis then re-orientated so that its longitudinal axis is horizontal before the container is mounted on the back of an open top tipper truck 19. One method of re-orientating the container is shown in Fig. 3. The tipper truck includes a rear platform 20 for supporting a container 11 , the platform being pivotable between an upright vertical position and a horizontal position. Movement of the platform 20 is controlled by an extendable ram 22. In use, the gantry 16 brings a container 11 to a position where the truck 1 9 can be manoeuvred so that its platform 20, when in its vertical upright position, can be disposed adjacent one side of the container as shown in Fig. 3. The container is then coupled to the platform, and the ram 22 retracted until the platform 20 is horizontal. The container 11 is thus supported in a stable position on the back of the truck and can be transported across the dumping site. It will be appreciated that, in this particular example, the container 11 would require a loading port or door in the end face 23, and an unloading port or door in the opposing end face 24. One alternative method of re-orientating the container is shown in Fig. 4. The container 11 is first lowered by the hoist mechanism 1 8 on to a support surface 26. The container is then anchored at point 25. Gantry 1 6 now traverses from left to right whilst hoist 1 8 lowers the container so that it pivots about point 25 until it lies on the surface 26 with its longitudinal axis horizontal. In this stable position the container may be loaded onto a tipper truck by conventional means. Claims (Filed on 1 itch April 1983)

1. A method of transferring an elongate boxlike container from the hold of a cargo vessel to a road vehicle, the method comprising lifting the container out of the hold in a first orientation, rotating the container about a predetermined generally transverse axis into a second orientation, and depositing the reorientated container in the said vehicle.

2. A method according to Claim 1 in which the container is lowered onto a support surface before being rotated into its second orientation.

3. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the longitudinal axis of the container is generally vertical when the container is in its first orientation, and in which the container is rotated through substantially 900 so that the said axis is generally horizontal when the container is in its second orientation.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the rotation and the deposition of the container occur simultaneously.

5. A method according to any one of the Claims 1 to 3 in which the rotation and the deposition of the container occur sequentially.

6. A cargo vessel having a hold for storing cargo, an array of discrete containers disposed in the hold, each container having the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and being oriented with one of its end faces uppermost.

7. A method of transferring an elongate boxlike container from the hold of a cargo vessel to a road vehicle, the method being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.