GB2278311A

GB2278311A - Compactor

Info

Publication number: GB2278311A
Application number: GB9310779A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Anthony Shaw Abram; William Menzies Brodie; Michael John Abram; Norman John Abram
Original assignee: John W Hannay and Co Ltd
Current assignee: John W Hannay and Co Ltd
Priority date: 1993-05-25
Filing date: 1993-05-25
Publication date: 1994-11-30
Also published as: WO1994027810A1; AU6726294A; GB9310779D0

Abstract

A compactor comprises a height or length variable container having an aperture 5 to receive a receptacle to collect waste, the container having a ram 10 for varying the height or length of the container. Waste is collected in the receptacle and the filled receptacle can be exposed by reducing the height or length of the container by actuating the ram 10. The container may be formed from several telescoping sections 4a - 4c. A can crusher (21, Fig. 3) may be associated with the compactor. <IMAGE>

Description

COMPACTOR This invention relates to a compactor for the compression of wastes and materials.

The disadvantage of some compactors for waste is that the containers thereof are tall and often have a bag contained therein. When the bag is full it then has to be lifted out of the container which may be difficult and cumbersome due to the height of the container and the weight of the bag. Thus if the height of the container is reduced it is easier to remove the bag.

In addition, at the present time when waste disposal costs, storage space availability and recycling are important issues, it is necessary to find more economic and less time consuming methods of disposing of waste material including household, industrial and commercial rubbish. Wastes and some materials are bulky and consist mainly of air; therefore, compactors have been produced in order to compress the wastes and materials into bales or bags. This allows greater amounts of wastes and materials to be stored before being removed thus cutting down on removal, handling and transport costs. Compacting the wastes or materials into bales or bags also has the added advantage that any material can be more efficiently handled and processed.

Entry for depositing the waste in prior art compactors is generally through an open topped receptacle or via a side entry system. A ram of some sort presses down from the top to compress the rubbish into a bale or bag. This bale or bag is removed through the base of the receptacle or via a door either on the side or front of the compactor.

Compactors designed for use with a bag generally contain a bag or bin liner which is fitted round a metal, hollow, elongate tube of rectangular or circular cross section.

The tube acts as a guard against damage to the bag by the shearing action caused by compression of the ram.

Sometimes the bag is further held in place by an outer shield. Once the waste material has been compressed the inner shield is removed and the bag is pulled up over the compressed waste, tied up and then lifted out of the compactor. Alternatively the inner shield is removed leaving the bag ready to be tied up and without the need to pull the bag up over the compacted waste.

The problems with the prior art compactors are that they are very bulky and tall especially when the ram is in the up position. Those compactors designed for use with a bag tend to be cumbersome in operation with bag placement and removal being difficult and time consuming. Further the bags do not remain intact unless an inner shield is present.

The aim of this invention is to provide a compactor which obviates or mitigates these disadvantages.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a height or length variable container having an aperture, the container being able to receive a receptacle to collect waste, the container having a means for varying the height or length of the container, the arrangement being that waste is collected in the receptacle and the filled receptacle can be exposed by reducing the height or length of the container.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a compactor comprising a height or length variable container having an aperture, the aperture having a closure means which may be locked in the closed position, the container being able to receive a receptacle to collect waste, a means for varying the height and length of the container, the arrangement being that waste is collected in the receptacle, the height or length being reduced to compact waste collected in the receptacle then increased to provide space for further waste to be collected.

Preferably the arrangement further provides for the filled receptacle to be exposed by reducing the height or length of the container when the closure means is removed.

Preferably there is provided a lid as a closure means for the aperture.

The container may also be provided with a means of compacting waste.

Preferably, for example, the closure means may be locked in the closed position to close the container so that when the height or length is reduced the waste in the receptacle is compacted, said receptacle being formed of a flexible, sliding or reducing material which permits the container to be reduced in height or length.

Preferably the container comprises a plurality of telescopic sections.

Advantageously, at least one of the sections has an internal wall having a tapered configuration to facilitate removal of the receptacle from the container.

Alternatively the container has a folded configuration to facilitate height or length adjustment of the container.

In another embodiment the container may be provided with a sliding or reducing configuration to facilitate height or length adjustment.

A crusher device may be provided for crushing small recyclable items, said crusher device being attached to the container so as to operate when the container reduces in height or length.

Preferably a can crusher is provided comprising a receptacle for receiving cans and a means for crushing the cans operable by movement of the container.

A bottle crusher for plastics bottles may be further provided comprising a receptacle for receiving bottles and a means for crushing the bottles.

Further a tray may be provided for mounting on an upper portion of the compactor.

This invention is described below with reference to drawings which illustrate one specific embodiment in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a compactor according to one embodiment of the invention Figure 2 is a perspective view of the compactor of figure 1 with the lid in a locked condition Figure 3 is a side view of the compactor of figure 2 but with an added crusher device Figure 4 is a plan view of the compactor of figure 2 in a compressed state Figure 5 is a perspective view of the compactor of figure 2 in a compressed state Figure 6 is a perspective view of the compactor of figure 4 when removing the bag.

A compactor 1 as shown in the Figures comprises a substantially cylindrical container 2 for receiving a receptacle 3 to collect waste, for example a bag. The container may be made of any suitable material e.g. metal alloy, plastic.

The container is formed of a plurality of telescopic sections (4a, 4b, 4c), three being shown in Figure 2. The uppermost section telescopes externally over the middle section and the upper middle section telescopes over the lower section. The inside of the lowermost section 4c has an inwardly tapered configuration (as shown in phantom in Figures 1 and 2) the purpose of which will be described below. The uppermost section 4a of the container is provided with a flared outer lip 5 and means for captively holding a receptacle such as a bag onto the lip 5.

A lid 7 is hingedly provided on an upper surface of the container. The lid 7 is of similar shape and size as the upper portion 4a of the container 2 and has a rim 7a which contacts the flared lip 5 of the uppermost section of the container and a central portion 7b which extends slightly into the container when the lid is closed thereby sealing the container when the lid is in a closed, working condition.

Means are provided for locking the lid in the working condition. The locking means are in the form of a plurality of latches 6 provided around the flared lip 5 of the upper portion 4a of the container which are selectively engageable with a corresponding plurality of projections (not shown) provided in a rotatable member mounted in the lid. A lever 8 is connected to the rotatable member to facilitate manual engagement of the projections in the latches when the lid is in the working condition as shown in Figure 2. The end of the lever remote from the rotatable member passes through an longitudinal slot 9 in the side of the lid.

At least one hydraulic actuator 10 is located around the outer periphery of the container. The or each actuator 10 is connected at one end by a joining section to the uppermost section 4a of the container and at the other end to a base 11. The lowermost section 4c of the container is fixedly mounted on the base 11. An electric motor (not shown) is provided within the base 11 and is connected to the or each actuator 10 by any suitable circuitry. In this embodiment only one actuator is provided.

In order to ensure safety of the compactor when in use, casings (not shown) are provided which surround the container and each actuator.

In use of the above compactor an empty bag is placed inside the container 2 and the open end of the bag is secured over the flared out lip 5 of the upper most section 4a of the compactor. When the bag has been filled with rubbish, the lid 7 is hingedly closed and locked by rotation of the lever 8 thereby bringing the projections into engagement with latches 6. On switching on the motor, power is imparted to the hydraulic actuator, and the sections of the container are then compressed one inside the other, the bag being moved down in the container in unison with the sections. Rubbish within the bag is compressed by the force of the locked lid of the uppermost 4a section travelling towards the base 11 of the compactor.When the container 2 is in the fully compressed condition shown in Figure 5, reverse power is imparted to the actuator and the uppermost section 4a of the container is raised by the actuator to the starting position to provide a fresh space above the compacted waste for receipt of more waste. Thus more rubbish can be put in the bag and compressed, as above, until the bag is full of compressed rubbish. To empty the container, the compactor should be in the starting position shown in Figure 2, the lid is unlocked and opened, the edge of the bag is disengaged from the lip of the compactor allowing the bag to be tied up. The lid is left open, the motor is activated allowing the sections to compress thus exposing the full bag containing the compacted waste as shown in Figure 6.

The bag can then be lifted out with ease, the tapered sides of the lower most section 4c (as shown in Figure 4) assisting in this respect.

Where compacting is not a requirement the lid need not be lockable but may be either open or removed so that when the upper sections telescope to reduce the height or length the filled bag will be exposed and more easily lifted out of the container due to the reduced height.

It should be understood that although the sections of the container described above are telescopic it is envisaged that the container may alternatively have a concertina, sliding or reducing configuration. This configuration allows the height or length of the container to be decreased in order to compress waste held within the container. In a further embodiment the arrangement is reversed so that the lower section rises up to compact the waste material.

Furthermore the hydraulic actuators may be inside the walls or inside the container rather than being located on the outer periphery of the container.

In a further embodiment the hydraulic actuators may be replaced by one or more springs to enable the compactor to be manually operable. In this embodiment the container is held in the starting position by the springs and the upper most section is lowered towards the base against the pressure of the springs. In further alternatives the hydraulic actuator may be replaced by a rack and pinion arrangement, a pulley system, a screw drive arrangement, a pneumatic air bag, a hand crank, or other power drive all being able to increase or decrease the height or length of the container.

In the present embodiment the container is attached to the compactor but it may be separable, the container only being attached to the actuator when compaction is required.

Referring now to Figure 3, a can crusher is provided in the form of substantially cylindrical receptacle 20 attached by fixing means to the base 11 of the compactor.

The receptacle supports a hollow cylindrical body 21 of slightly smaller diameter than the receptacle 20. The cylindrical body 21 is provided with an axial slot 22 which extends for at least part of the length of the body.

A compression disc 23 of slightly smaller diameter than the cylindrical body is mounted on one end of a limb 24 which in use of the can crusher passes through the slot, the other end of the limb being attached to the uppermost 4a section of the container.

In use of the can crusher, as previously described above, the cylindrical body 21 is filled with cans, upon actuation of the motor, the disc 23 is placed over the opening of the body and the limb 24 is engaged in the axial slot 22. The disc 23 mounted on the limb extends down the axial slot crushing the cans as it descends with the compactor. The can crusher can work dependently or independently of the compactor.

In an alternative embodiment the crusher may be integral with the main ram. (i.e. actuator) Further provided is a tray which in use is attached to an upper portion of the compactor, the tray providing support for newspapers and string to allow them to be tied up easily into a bundle.

In another embodiment a plastics bottle crusher can be attached to the compactor.

In another application a compactor as described above could be mounted on a trolley device for use in public places, such as airports, hospitals and large offices wherein rubbish is put in the bag within the compactor.

The compactor can then be plugged into a power point or alternatively the compactor may have its own power source.

The contents of the bag are then compressed, thus enabling more rubbish to be collected before having to return to unload. This reduces the time taken going back and forth to discard the full bag and replace it with an empty one.

Therefore the number of bags which need to be used is also reduced thus saving costs.

The advantages offered by this invention are that the bag can be placed in the container without the need for an inner guard to protect the bag and due to the telescopic configuration of the container, the absence of an integral ram, and the fact that the bag moves with the telescopic sections there is no shearing action (which usually occurs as the ram goes down inside the compactor). A further advantage of this invention is that it provides a container which itself compresses the waste thus reducing the all over height of the compacter.

The telescopic configuration of the compactor further allows the full bag to be exposed thus allowing for easy removal without having to lift the bag a great height.

The tapered sides of the lower most section may allow the bag to slide out more easily when it is being removed from the container.

The sections themselves can be easily moulded, fabricated or metal spun and when the compactor is in its fully compressed state it is easy to box and transport.

It will be understood by those in the art that other variants may be applied and other starting materials utilised without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1 A height or length variable container having an aperture, the container being able to receive a receptacle to collect waste, the container having a means for varying the height or length of the container, the arrangement being that waste is collected in the receptacle and the filled receptacle can be exposed by reducing the height or length of the container.

2 A container according to Claim 1 wherein the aperture has a closure means.

3 A container according to Claim 2 or 3 wherein the closure means is in the form of a lid.

4 A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the filled receptacle is exposed by reducing the height or length of the container when the closure means is removed.

5 A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the container is provided with means for compacting waste.

6 A container according to any one of Claims 2, 3 or 5 wherein the closure means is locked in the closed position to close the container so that when the height or length is reduced the waste in the receptacle is compacted, and the receptacle is formed of a flexible, compactable material which permits the container to be reduced in height or length.

7 A compactor comprising a height or length variable container having an aperture, the aperture having a closure means which may be locked in the closed position, the container being able to receive a receptacle to collect waste, means for varying the height and length of the container, the arrangement being that waste is collected in the receptacle, the height or length being reduced to compact waste collected in the receptacle then increased to provide space for further waste to be collected.

8 A container according to Claim 1 wherein the container comprises a plurality of telescopic sections.

9 A container according to Claim 8 wherein at least one of the sections has an internal wall having a tapered configuration to facilitate removal of the receptacle from the container.

10 A container according to Claim 8 wherein the container has a folded configuration to facilitate height or length adjustment of the container.

11 A container according to any of the preceding claims wherein a crusher device is provided for crushing small recyclable items.

12 A crusher device according to Claim 12 wherein the crusher device is attached to the container so as to operate when the container reduces in height or length.

13 A crusher device according to Claims 12 and 13 wherein the crusher is provided with a receptacle for receiving cans and a means for crushing the cans operable by movement of the container.

14 A crusher device according to Claims 12 and 13 wherein the crusher is provided with a receptacle for receiving bottles and a means for crushing the bottles.

15 A container according to Claim 1 wherein a tray is provided for mounting on the upper portion.