GB2298359A

GB2298359A - Apparatus for washing waste bins

Info

Publication number: GB2298359A
Application number: GB9604013A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clifford John Evans
Original assignee: BEARFERN Ltd
Current assignee: BEARFERN Ltd
Priority date: 1995-02-28
Filing date: 1996-02-26
Publication date: 1996-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 2016-02-26
Also published as: GB9503952D0; GB2298359B; GB9604013D0

Abstract

An apparatus for washing waste bins and other containers includes a wash water catch tank 14, at least one jet wash device 24 mounted over the catch tank, at least one filter tank 20, a rinse water tank 25, and a waste water tank 28. There is a container handling device 10 for lifting and partially inverting a container to a position with its mouth over the catch tank and with the jet wash device directed into the container. A control means directs wash water from the filter tank to the wash jet device during washing and rinse water from the rinse water tank during rinsing. Wash water is returned to the filter tank, but some is diverted to the waste tank in each cycle. A particle filter 18 may be provided at the outlet of the catch tank together with a pump 19 for drawing water through said filter and valve for draining the filter into the waste tank. A number of manual drain valves may be provided on the tanks. The filter tank may include means to back flush a filter in the filter tank. The device may be mounted on a vehicle.

Description

APPARATUS FOR WASHING WASTE BINS AND OTHER CONTAINERS.

This invention relates to an apparatus for washing waste bins and other containers. Both mobile and static apparatus is envisaged.

It is important from an environmental point of view to ensure that polluted wash water resulting from the washing of waste binds does not enter rainwater drainage systems, but is routed for proper treatment. It is thus an object of the invention to provide a waste bin washing apparatus in which the waste wash water is properly controlled.

Apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a wash water catch tank, at least one wash jet device mounted over said catch tank, at least one filter tank, a rinse water tank, a waste water tank, a container handling device for lifting and partially inverting a container to a position with its mouth over said catch tank and with the wash jet device directed into the container and control means for directing wash water from the filter tank to said wash jet device during a washing phase, and rinse water from the rinse water tank to the wash jet device during a rinse phase, and for returning wash water from the catch tank to the filter tank whilst diverting some used wash water to the waste water tank.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of one example of the invention; Figure 2 is a rear elevation of a bin-handling device included in the example of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of the bin-handling device.

The washing apparatus described is intended to be used for the washing out of wheeled bins commonly used through Europe for the collection of household and other waste. The apparatus could be mounted on a vehicle, or on a static platform depending on its intended use.

The apparatus includes a bin handling device 10 which includes a lifting frame 11 having at one side a suitably configured comb-device 12 which can engage under the lip of a bin to be washed. The comb device 12 is mounted in curved guides 13 which extend over a wash water catch tank 14. The other side of the frame 11 is coupled at its two ends to vertical runs of two endless belts or chains 15 which are driven by a motor 16. A bin to be washed can be positioned with its lip over the comb device when the frame 11 is lowered. As the frame 11 is lifted by the belts or chains 15, the comb device is moved out over the catch tank and the bin is partially inverted so that any water sprayed into it runs out into the catch tank 14.

The bin handling device can lift either two small bins arranged side-byside or one large bin. The standard type of large bin has a spring loaded lid and a cam rail 30 at each side of the bin handling device is arranged to co-act with trunnions on the lid to move it to its open position as the bin is lifted (see Figure 3).

Furthermore, a spring-loaded buffer device 31 is provided to prevent the bin from falling when it is inverted. The buffer device 31 is connected by cables 32 to springs 33 which provide the spring loading.

There is a wire mesh 17 over the catch tank 14 so that large items of foreign matter washed from the bin are prevented from entering the tank.

A wash jet device 24 is, or laterally spaced wash jet devices 24 are, mounted over the catch tank to direct jets of wash or rinse water into the bin or bins. Each of the wash jet devices includes a high volume flow nozzle with a rotary spreader and a low voltage flow nozzle.

A particle filter 18 is connected to an outlet of the catch tank via a pump 19 for pumping water through this filter to a filter tank 20 which has two zones separated by baffles 21, 22 and a mesh filter 23. The tank 20 holds the majority of the water in the recirculating system and provides some opportunity for settlement as well as filtering.

A pump 29 is provided for supplying water to the high volume flow nozzle of the wash jet device(s) 24 from the filter tank 20 under the control of a valve 27. The pump 29 is run continuously when the system is in use and the valve 27 is a two way valve which switches the water flow either to the nozzle or back to tank 20 at a position where it can back wash filter 23. A separate pump 26 supplies water from a rinse tank 25 to the low volume flow nozzle. The rinse water tank is preferably a lagged tank which includes heating elements for overnight electrical heating. Where the apparatus is vehicle mounted the vehicle's engine cooling system may include a heat exchanger in the tank 25.

The various valves and pumps are controlled from a central control panel which is preferably situated in a safe area remote from the bin handling device. In a vehicle mounted apparatus, a back door of the load compartment of the vehicle in which the various tanks etc are mounted may be used as a safety barrier between the control panel and the handling device, a window being provided to enable the operator to monitor the progress of the operation.

The operator places the bin close to the frame 11 in its lowered position and then operates the bin-handling device. He then starts the pump 22 to circulate wash water. When the bin is washed out, valve 27 is closed and valve 26 opened to allow a short rinse phase in which clean, heated water is sprayed into the bin.

The control apparatus includes manual or automatic controls for a further valve which drains water and trapped particles from the filter 18 to a waste tank 28 periodically to prevent the tank 20 overflowing as a result of rinse water being added in each cycle.

The system further includes a manual waste outlet valve associated with tank 28 and further manual valves for draining each of the other tanks 14, 20 and 25 into the waste tank 38. When these valves are all opened any slurry in the tank 28 will be washed away by the water drained from the other tanks. Such drainage is undertaken only at a suitable site, not during normal use of the system.

Claims

1. Apparatus for washing waste bins comprising a wash water catch tank, at least one wash jet device mounted over said catch tank, at least one filter tank, a rinse water tank, a waste water tank, a container handling device for lifting and partially inverting a container to a position with its mouth over said catch tank and with the wash jet device directed into the container and control means for directing wash water from the filter tank to said wash jet device during a washing phase, and rinse water from the rinse water tank to the wash jet device during a rinse phase, and for returning wash water from the catch tank to the filter tank whilst diverting some used wash water to the waste water tank.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising a particle filter at the outlet of the catch tank and a pump for drawing water from the catch tank through said particle filter and a valve for draining water and collected particles from the particle filter periodically into the waste water tank.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, further comprising manual valves for draining water into the waste tank from the other tanks and a manual drain valve for the waste tank.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the filter tank includes a filter device and means are provided for periodically back washing the filter device.

5. Apparatus for washing waste bins substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.