U.S. patent number 3,785,281 [Application Number 05/233,807] was granted by the patent office on 1974-01-15 for refuse compressor.
Invention is credited to David R. Ligh.
United States Patent |
3,785,281 |
Ligh |
January 15, 1974 |
REFUSE COMPRESSOR
Abstract
A refuse compressor has a housing provided with inlet means
through which quantities of refuse to be compressed may be admitted
into the interior chamber of the housing. A platen is received in
this chamber for sliding forward movement towards one end wall of
the chamber to thereby compress the refuse, and for return movement
away from the end wall of the chamber. An operating arrangement is
associated with the platen and serves to cause the latter to move
forward at a first speed and under a first pressure, and to cause
the platen to return to its starting position at a higher second
speed but under a lower second pressure. Drain openings are
provided in the region of a door of the housing, through which
liquid expressed from the refuse may leave the housing.
Inventors: |
Ligh; David R. (Madison,
NJ) |
Family
ID: |
22878771 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/233,807 |
Filed: |
March 10, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
884178 |
Dec 11, 1969 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
100/116; 100/50;
100/102; 100/215; 100/218; 100/250; 100/295; 100/269.18 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B30B
9/06 (20130101); B30B 15/20 (20130101); B30B
9/3057 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B30B
9/30 (20060101); B30B 9/02 (20060101); B30B
9/06 (20060101); B30B 15/16 (20060101); B30B
9/00 (20060101); B30B 15/20 (20060101); B30b
009/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;100/52,250,126,110,116,269R,295,53,102,215,218,50 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wilhite; Billy J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Striker; Michael S.
Parent Case Text
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 884,178,
filed Dec. 4, 1969 and now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters
Patent is set forth in the appended claims:
1. A refuse compressor comprising, in combination, a housing
provided with an elongated internally unobstructed chamber having
one end closed by an end wall and an opposite open end
longitudinally spaced from said one end; inlet means communicating
with said chamber for admitting into the latter quantities of
refuse to be compressed; closure means movable from and to a
closure position closing said open end, so as to permit removal of
compressed refuse from said chamber; platen means mounted in said
chamber for sliding forward movement therein from a retracted
position closer to said one end to an advanced position closer to
said other end for compressing the admitted refuse between said
closure means and said platen means during said forward movement,
and for sliding return movement from said advanced position to said
retracted position; operating means including a constant-flow
hydraulic pump for effecting forward movement of said platen means
to said advanced position at a first speed and under a first
pressure, and for effecting return movement of said platen means to
said retracted position at a higher second speed and under a lower
second pressure; and drain means communicating with said chamber in
the region of said closure means for permitting draining of
expressed liquids prior to movement of said closure means from said
closure position, said drain means including a
compression-resisting cover plate on an inwardly directed side of
said closure means and having corrugations and drain apertures for
receiving liquid, including any liquid flowing in said
corrugations, and for conducting such liquid to the exterior of
said chamber.
2. A refuse compressor as defined in claim 1, said operating means
comprising a cylinder, a piston received for reciprocation in said
cylinder and dividing the same into two axially spaced
compartments, said piston having oppositely directed endfaces one
of which is located in one of said compartments and has a first
cross-sectional area and the other of which is located in the other
compartment and has a second substantially larger cross-sectional
area, a piston rod projecting axially from said one endface and out
of said cylinder into connected engagement with said platen means,
and first and second pressure-fluid conduit means each adapted to
be connected with a source of pressure fluid and respectively
communicating with said one and said other compartment.
3. A refuse compressor as defined in claim 2; and further
comprising a source of pressure fluid communicating with said
conduit means for supplying fluid under pressure thereto.
4. A refuse compressor as defined in claim 1, wherein said second
cross-sectional area is equal to at least double said first
cross-sectional area.
5. A refuse compressor as defined in claim 1; and further
comprising screen means covering said drain apertures for
preventing passage of solids therethrough.
6. A refuse compressor as defined in claim 1; and further
comprising perforations in said cover plate so that expressed
liquid may pass through such perforations and flow in the space
between said cover plate and said closure means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to refuse compressors, and
in particular to refuse compressors which are suitable for both
household and commercial use.
The disposal of refuse, particularly in urban areas, is a problem
which is becoming more and more critical. Aside from increasing
population density there is the fact that more and more items are
packaged in every more elaborate packaging material and manner.
Many articles which conventionally were supplied in containers
returnable to the manufacture for reuse, such as milk, carbonated
beverages and the like, are now supplied in so-called "one-way"
containers which are discarded by the purchaser when they are
emptied. Other articles are packaged in cans, in molded or extruded
plastic packages, in cardboard, in metal foil, in packages
utilizing composites of these materials, in bulky foam-plastic
packages, glass bottles and the like. None of these packaging
materials are as readily destroyed or reduced in bulk as the
simpler types of packaging materials which were customary until
even a few years ago, such as bags or paper wrappings.
The result of all this is a refuse mix--both in household use and
in commercial establishments--which requires for storage until its
collection a much greater volume of space than was heretofore
necessary. Added to this is the fact that the disposal of such
refuse presents refuse-collecting services--whether private or
municipal--with ever-increasing disposal problems.
One way to alleviate this problem is to compact the refuse, that is
to compress it whereby to reduce its bulk with simultaneous
elimination of the voids between the constituent components of
refuse. Thus compacted refuse can then be loaded on trucks for
carting, in a more advantageous manner also, because voids are then
also eliminated or substantially reduced in loading the trucks.
However, equipment available for this purpose heretofore has not
been entirely satisfactory for a variety of reasons, including the
fact that it has been very complicated and therefore expensive, and
also quite bulky. For this reason such equipment has not been
practical for many applications, for instance for household use and
for such commercial establishments as do not have available the
necessary space for installation of the equipment and/or were
unable for economic reasons to obtain such equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome
the aforementioned disadvantages.
More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a
refuse compressor which is rather simple in its construction but
reliable in its operation, and comparatively inexpensive because of
its simplicity.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a refuse
compressor which is capable of drastically reducing the bulk of
refuse and express and remove from the compacted refuse such
liquids as may have been originally contained in the refuse
mix.
In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become
apparanet hereafter, one feature of my invention resides in the
provision of a refuse compressor which is provided with a housing
having an elongated internal chamber bounded in part by two
longitudinally spaced opposite walls. Inlet means communicates with
this chamber for admitting into the latter quantities of refuse to
be compressed. Platen means is received in the chamber for sliding
forward movement therein from a retracted position closer to one of
the walls to an advanced position closer to the other of the walls
for compressing the admitted refuse between the other wall and the
platen means during such forward movement, and the platen means is
further capable of sliding return movement from the advanced
position to its retracted position. Finally, I provide operating
means for effecting the forward movement of the platen means to the
advanced position at a first speed and under a first pressure, and
for effecting the return movement of the platen means to its
retracted position with a higher second speed and under a lower
second pressure.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the
invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The
invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its
method of operation, together with additional objects and
advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following
description of specific embodiments when read in connection with
the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view, partly broken away, of
one embodiment of a refuse compressor according to the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating in side-elevation
a feature of the embodiment in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating a further
feature of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section through the liquid collecting
member as used in the embodiment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the strainer,
grease trap and clean-out unit of the apparatus shown in FIG.
1;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail view, on an enlarged scale, of a
cylinder and piston arrangement according to the present invention
for propelling the platen;
FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic lay-out of a hydraulic system for use in a
refuse compressor according to the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a refuse
compactor representing a further embodiment of my invention;
FIG. 9a is a fragmentary detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing
a further embodiment;
FIG. 10 is an end elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 9,
looking toward the right in the latter Figure;
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a platen according to yet a further
embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 12 is a section on line XII--XII of FIG. 11.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Discussing now the invention in detail, and firstly discussing FIG.
1, it will be seen that the novel refuse compressor comprises a
housing 1 which in the illustrated embodiment is mounted on legs or
supports 2 of suitable type. One type is illustrated and is so
clearly shown as not to require detailed discussion. As is evident
from FIG. 1, the axis of the housing 1 is generally horizontal but
the housing 1 shown in FIG. 1 is slightly downwardly inclined
towards the door 4 which constitutes one of its end walls. The
degree of inclination is indicated with reference numeral 3. It is
emphasized, however, that the degree of inclination to the
horizontal, whose purpose will become apparent subsequently, may
differ from that which has been shown in the drawing and that,
furthermore, the housing could also be arranged in upright position
instead of being substantially horizontal.
As pointed out, at the lower end of the housing 1 there is provided
a door 4 which is connected to the housing by sturdy hinges 5 whose
particular construction is not part of the invention. Suitable
reinforcements are provided, for instance at the exterior of the
door 4, so that the latter can withstand the pressures which
develop against it when refuse is being compressed, as will be
discussed subsequently. The reinforcements, also, are not a part of
the invention and are not illustrated.
Reference numeral 6 identifies the open end of the housing 1, and
reference numeral 7 a cylindrical seal of suitable material, such
as rubber or elastomeric material of a synthetic nature, which is
compressed against the end face of the housing 1 when the door 4 is
moved to closed position, to prevent leakage between the end face
of the housing 1 and the door 4. Reference numeral 8 identifies
diagrammatically-illustrated latches of any suitable type; their
construction forms no part of the invention and it need simply be
remembered that on the one hand they must be strong enough to hold
the door 4 in closed position against the internal pressure
developing in the housing 1, and on the other hand they should
advantageously be of the quick-acting type to permit rapid latching
and unlatching of the door 4.
The housing 1 is provided with a cut-out opening 9 and a hopper 10
is mounted on the housing 1 so as to communicate with this cut-out
9. The hopper 10 is advantageously of generally funnel-shaped
configuration and refuse introduced into the hopper 10 is channeled
by it through the cut-out 9 into the interior of the housing 1.
It is emphasized that the cut-out 9 and the associated hopper 10
are axially spaced from the end face 6 by a predetermined distance,
so that a circumferentially complete cylindrical portion 11 of the
wall of the housing 1 remains between the cut-out 9 and the end
face 6, rather than having the cut-out 9 extend all the way or
substantially all the way to the end face 6. The reason for this is
that a full load of refuse introduced into the housing 1 is
compressed--assuming the compression chamber in the housing 1 to be
substantially of twenty-inch diameter--to make a package of between
approximately three and five inches axial length. This package is
completely accommodated in the cylindrical section 11, which means
that when the refuse of any given load is compressed into this
cylindrical section 11, none of it can escape through the cut-out
9.
Located closer to the opposite end wall of the housing 1 there is
provided a circular platen 12 which is supported on a plunger 12a
to guide and maintain its relative vertical position and is
connected with the piston rod 15 of a piston 13, the latter being
associated with a cylinder 14, preferably of the
hydraulically-activated type. The cylinder and piston arrangement
13, 14 is double-acting as will be described later, and when the
platen is moved forwardly to a compacting position, that is towards
the door 4, it compresses the refuse introduced through the cut-out
9 against the closed door 4. The platen 12 is connected with the
piston rod 15 via a swivel joint to enable it to perform
self-aligning movements, meaning that it has limited freedom of
pivoting movement with respect to the piston rod 15 so as to
accommodate itself to the refuse which is being compressed and to
take up any misalignments of component parts.
The section 11 of the housing 1 is provided, inwardly adjacent the
end face 6, with a plurality of apertures--which may be slots or
the like--identified with reference numeral 16 and distributed
circumferentially of the section 11. As shown in FIG. 4, these
apertures 16 are covered at the exterior of the housing 1 with a
strong coarse-mesh screen 18 which is connected in suitable manner
to the housing 1, for instance with screws or the like. Applied
exteriorly over the screen so as to engage the exterior of the
housing 1 and overlie the screen and the apertures 16, is a rubber
or synthetic elastomeric shoe or collecting channel 19 whose
cross-section will be evident from FIG. 5. Of course, the
cross-section may be different from that shown in FIG. 5 and it is
only essential that it be generally trough-shaped. The side edges
of the member 19 sealingly contact the outer surface of the housing
1 at opposite axial sides of the apertures 16 and the screen 18;
the member 19 is advantageously provided in form of a strip whose
opposite ends are secured, as by bolts 20, to a mounting block 21
which is provided on the housing 1 at what is the upper side
thereof in the illustrated embodiment. Because of the
aforementioned inclination 3 of the housing 1 to the horizontal in
direction towards the door 4, any liquid expressed from the refuse
will drain to the apertures 16 and through these into the interior
of the member 19. The coarse screen retains larger-sized particles
which manage to escape through the apertures 16.
To facilitate flowing of expressed liquid towards the apertures 16,
the door 4 is provided on its inner side which in closed condition
faces the interior of the housing 1, with a strainer or drain plate
17 provided with corrugations extending vertically or at least
substantially vertically in the illustrated embodiment. A similar
strainer or drain plate 17a is provided on the platen 12. A
side-elevational view of the strainer plate 17a secured to the
platen 12 is shown in FIG. 2; an end elevational view of the
strainer plate 17a is shown in FIG. 3. It will be understood that
the strainer or drain plates 17 and 17a may be of identical
construction and that expressed liquid can flow in the depressions
of the corrugations of these plates 17, 17a and subsequently along
the bottom of the housing 1 towards the apertures 16. Further, the
strainer plates may also be of other construction; a waffle grid,
or even a heavy screen could be utilized instead of the
corrugations.
From the apertures 16 the expressed liquid moves into the interior
of the member 19 which latter is provided, as shown in FIGS. 1 and
4, at or near its lowest point with a discharge port 22, and from
there through a suitable conduit 22a into a strainer, grease trap
and clean-out unit 23.
For sanitary reasons the apparatus in question should of course be
readily cleanable. It is for this reason that the member 19 is
preferably made of elastomeric material because one end of it can
then be unfastened from the associated bolt 20 and the member bent
to straight or more nearly straight shape, whereupon its interior
can then be flushed with water or the like; also, it can be readily
inspected.
Details of the device 23 are shown in FIG. 6. As pointed out
before, expressed liquid passes from the member 19 through the
outlet port 22 thereof into the conduit 22a and from there into the
device 23. The device 23 comprises a settling box 24 into which the
expressed liquid initially passes. Located in the settling box 24
is a strainer 25 provided with a small-mesh screen which screens
out any solid particles still contained in the liquid. The screen
may be rotated by a crank 26 against a doctor blade 27, to thereby
clean off the accumulation of solid material which will then drop
to the bottom of the settling box 24. The screen or strainer 25 may
be inspected and removed, and solid material withdrawn from the
bottom of the settling box 24, through a clean-out 24a located in
the manner illustrated. The precise configuration, and the manner
in which the clean-out 24a is normally maintained closed, are of no
importance for purposes of the present invention.
Solid matter having been retained by the strainer 25, the clear
remaining liquid will flow out of the interior of the strainer 25
through an opening 28 in the wall 29 which separates the settling
box 24 from the remainder of the device 23. The liquid flows
through the opening 28, thereupon downwardly around and upwardly
beyond a partition 30, and subsequently above a further partition
31, downwardly and out through the outlet 32 which is connected in
suitable manner with a receptacle, a sewer, or any other way of
disposing of the liquid. In passing around the lower end of the
partition 30 the liquid is freed of any grease, because this
portion of the device serves as a grease trap where grease rises to
the top. A clean-out plate 23a closes an aperture provided at the
top of the device 23 so that grease caught in the grease trap may
be readily removed when necessary.
In accordance with my invention it is also desirable that a strong
pressure be applied upon the platen 12 during the compression
stroke thereof, utilizing the maximum hydraulic pressure and pump
volume of the hydraulic unit. On the return stroke, however, very
little pressure is required only such as is necessary to move the
unloaded platen and piston; it is desirable to have a quick return
stroke as opposed to a slow compression stroke. An arrangement for
achieving this is illustrated in FIG. 7. The cylinder or the
cylinder and piston arrangement which moves the platen 14 is here
identified with reference numeral 33. It shall be assumed for
purposes of explanation that the diameter of the cylinder 33, that
is the internal diameter, is 4.5 inches. The piston 34 is received
in the cylinder 33 and a seal 39 is provided to prevent
communication between the spaces in the cylinder 33 located at
opposite axial sides of the piston 34. Such seals are well known.
Reference numeral 36 is a piston rod carried by the piston 34,
reference numeral 37 an end gland and reference numeral 38 an
O-ring, that is another seal preventing the escape of fluid at the
illustrated location. Reference numeral 40 identifies screw threads
provided at the free end of the piston rod 36 and enabling
connection of the platen to it.
Using a constant-flow hydraulic pump, the piston 34 will move at a
constant slow rate towards the end gland 37, hydraulic fluid being
introduced in known manner into the chambers or compartments 35 and
35a through the inlet port 42 and 43. The diameter of the piston
rod 36 shall be assumed for purposes of this explanation to be 3.25
inches. Accordingly, the surface exposed by the piston 34 to the
fluid in chamber 35 will be 15.9 square inches, assuming the
dimensions mentioned above, whereas the surface upon which fluid
acts which is in the chamber 35a and admitted thereto through the
port 43, is 6.28 square inches. The relative speed of the high
pressure slow-motion stroke towards the gland 37 versus the
low-pressure but fast-motion return stroke away from the gland 37
will be proportional to the relative areas exposed to the action of
the constant-flow hydraulic fluid. Taking into account that on the
return stroke the piston is not loaded, the time of the return
stroke will be only 391/2 percent of the time required for the
compression stroke in the illustrated exemplary embodiment. This
saving of time is most desirable as an operational advantage and
permits economical sizing of the pumping equipment.
A further desirable feature is to assure that the pressure in the
hydraulic system be limited so as to safeguard and prevent damage
to the equipment. The shut-off pressure should be controlled to
provide for uniform compacting or compressing of the refuse without
requiring attention or control by the operator. Furthermore, when
the selected pressure is reached, the valve utilized in the
hydraulic equipment should automatically serve to "unload" the
system to prevent overheating of the oil in the reservoir.
I achieve these features with a system which is diagrammatically
illustrated in FIG. 8. The hydraulic cylinder 14 is of
double-acting type and actuates the platen 12 which is slidably
arranged in the housing 6 which has the door 4 provided at its one
end. This is as in the embodiments already discussed.
In order to assure relatively uniform density of compression of the
refuse before the refuse is discharged from the device, the maximum
pressure in the hydraulic system is limited to a preset
pounds-per-square-inch value in accordance with the arrangement
shown in FIG. 8. To achieve this I use a directional control valve
44 provided with a control handle 45 which is movable from a center
or neutral position (illustrated in full lines) to two opposite
positions (illustrated in broken lines) in which it respectively
causes the piston associated with the cylinder 14 to travel in
opposite directions, that is to perform the compression stroke and
the return stroke. The control valve mechanism is spring-loaded
loaded towards the neutral position and can be maintained in either
of the positions selected with the handle 45 by means of detents
46; it will remain in the selected position until the pressure in
the hydraulic system builds up to a preselected value of
pounds-per-square-inch as determined by the setting of a
conventional relief valve 47. When the selected pressure is reached
the latch 48 releases and the spring-loaded valve mechanism moves
to neutral position, terminating the flow of fluid to the cylinder
14.
When the handle 45 is in the central or neutral position, to which
it is restored when the latch 48 releases the detents, the
hydraulic fluid flows directly to the tank 49 at an unloaded
pressure. Therefore, the pump 50 and the electric motor 51 are
under very small running load and the oil in the tank 49 will not
overheat. It will be appreciated that if continuous high pressure
were to be maintained in the system, the latent pressure energy
would be dissipated by heating the oil to an undesirably high
temperature.
This system achieves the aforementioned advantages, and in addition
assures that specific attention on the part of the operator is not
required in order to maintain operation of the hydraulic system or
to shut off the system when the end of the compressing or return
stroke is reached.
Of course, a system utilizing electric pressure switch means and
relays can also be employed for this purpose but would be more
complicated and more expensive than the construction shown in FIG.
8.
The operation of my novel device will be evident from what has been
set forth and from a consideration of the drawing. Refuse is simply
introduced through the hopper 10 into the cut-out 9 and thus into
the housing 1. The hydraulic power unit associated with the
apparatus, not shown but of conventional type, is then turned on
and the platen is caused to move to its advanced compressing
position. The refuse will thereby be compacted into a small pack,
and any liquids expressed will drain into the unit 23, with
particulate matter and grease being retained so that only clear
liquid will leave the unit 23 to enter into a sewer or the like.
Now the door 4 is unlatched and opened, and the compacted refuse
pack of refuse tends to stay together, that is little or none of
the compacted refuse will become separated from the package when it
is handled. If the door cannot be readily opened, the platen may be
slightly retracted to relieve pressure on the door, and the platen
may be moved forwardly beyond its end position of the compression
stroke in order to facilitate expulsion of the package of
compressed refuse from the housing 1 and allowed to fall into a
suitable container.
Subsequently the door is closed, the platen returned to its
retracted or starting position, and new refuse can then be
introduced.
Coming to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 it is
emphasized that this concerns a refuse compactor which is of
particular advantage when the refuse contains very significant
amounts of liquid which are to be removed. This is the case, for
instance, in school and commercial cafeterias and similar
establishments where cups and other containers are frequently
discarded with at least some of their liquid contents, e.g. milk
containers in school cafeterias.
Refuse of this type presents a special problem in that it merely is
necessary to separate the liquids from the solids--i.e., the
containers--but requires no straining, filtering or other
processing of the expressed liquids. The compactor of FIGS. 9 and
10 is intended for this particular use, but not for
applications--as in restaurants, for example--where the expressed
liquid is admixed with semi-solids which must subsequently be
separated from the liquid.
The compactor shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 fulfills the above outlined
requirements. Its compression chamber, in the housing H, is again
identified with reference numeral 1. As shown, the housing H is
inclined downwardly towards the left (FIG. 9) at a small angle
relative to the horizontal. Reference numeral 2 identifies the legs
on which the housing H is supported. Reference numeral 12 is the
platen which corresponds to the one described with reference to
FIG. 1 and which preferably carries a strainer plate (not shown)
similar to the plate 17; of course, the corrugations which are
provided by the separate strainer plate 17 may instead be directly
and integrally provided on the platen 12.
The hydraulic cylinder and piston unit is designate with reference
numeral 14 and is preferably constructed and controlled in the
manner discussed with reference to preceding embodiments. According
to FIG. 9a it may also utilize a swivel joint 15a as shown, so as
to be capable of performing the earlier-mentioned self-aligning
movements.
In place of the door 4 of FIG. 1 the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10
has a transverse end wall 4a which is held in place in a slot of
retaining ring 117. Alternate projecting radial lugs 116 and
outwardly projecting radial lugs 115 engage behind one another
after end wall 4 has been given a simple twist in circumferential
direction to lock the end wall in place. Its inner side, facing the
interior of the compression chamber 1, may be provided with a
strainer plate 17 (see FIG. 1) or analogous means having the ribs
98 thereon (FIG. 9). The end wall has slots 99.
Adjacent the middle of the housing H there is provided an opening
93 which may be closed by a curved door 93' hingedly connected to
the housing H for movement about the axis 93a; a handle 93b is
provided to permit lifting and lowering of the door 93'. It is
through the opening 93 that refuse to be compacted is introduced
into the chamber 1.
A cut-out 92 is provided in the housing H intermediate the door 93
and the end wall 4a. The housing H being of circular cross-section,
this cut-out 92 extends over almost 180.degree. of the bottom
one-half of the housing. A cylindrical door 94 circumscribes the
housing H and therefore also the cut-out; it is guided in the
guides 96 which exteriorly surround the housing H. Thus, the door
94 can be rotated about the exterior of housing H by gripping the
handle 95. Sealing strips 97 prevent the escape of matter from the
interior of the chamber 1. The door 94 itself has a further cut-out
(not shown) which registers with the cut-out 92 in the housing H
when the door is in a predetermined position relative to the
latter; in other positions of the door 94 the cut-outs are out of
registry and therefore the opening is closed.
Reference numeral 91 identifies a drain for expressed liquids. A
chute 99 surrounds the cut-out 92 and is preferably of one piece
with-or fastened to--the end cover 100 so as to be removable with
the latter for ease in assembling and disassembling of the unit.
Wing nuts 90 are secured to ring 117 and hold the cover in
place.
Suitable safety interlocks of well-known type may be provided on
the doors to prevent operation of the cylinder and piston unit when
either of the doors 93' and 94 is open.
Refuse introduced through opening 93 is compacted in the manner
described with reference to the preceding embodiments. Liquids
expressed flow to and through the drain 91. Compacted solids remain
at the left-hand end (see FIG. 9) of the chamber 1 and are
discharged under the influence of gravity by rotating the door 94
until its cut-out is in registry with the cut-out 92.
It will be appreciated that in operation of the compactor disclosed
herein, the plunger and platen move relatively quickly during the
compacting stroke, although not as quickly as they may move during
the return stroke. Nevertheless, their increment during the
compacting stroke is such as to expel liquids from the refuse at a
rapid rate. Assuming, for instance, that the compactor is supplied
with the contents of a standard-size 32-gallon capacity refuse
container, and that this refuse contains 15 percent liquids, then
the quantity of liquid expelled from such a load during the
compacting stroke will be 4.82 gallons. Evidently, unless
sufficiently rapid drainage is available this liquid will tend
under the influence of pressure exerted upon it, to escape wherever
it can find an outlet. Because no tight seal is provided between
the plunger and the housing--as evident from the preceding
Figures--the liquid would ordinarily be able to escape in this
direction, a clearly undesirable contigency.
To avoid this possibility, and to reduce the buildup of pressure in
the compacting chamber, I have provided the apertures 16 shown in
FIG. 4. However, in accordance with a further embodiment I may
eliminate these apertures and replace them--or else supplement
them, if I so desire--with liquid-storage voids as shown in the
embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12. Reference numeral 111 identifies a
platen analogous to those shown in the preceding Figures. It is
provided with ribs 112, a concept which is also shown in the
preceding Figures. However, according to the embodiment of FIGS. 11
and 12 the ribs 112 are so deep and so spaced that they define
between themselves grooves 113 which can serve as temporary storage
voids or spaces of sufficient capacity to hold at least most of the
liquid which is usually expected to be expelled during one
compression stroke, to allow sufficient time for the liquid to
drain off by gravity.
Thus, to accommodate the above-mentioned quantity of liquid, the
ribs 112 could for instance be three inches deep and one-half inch
wide, being provided over the entire width of platen 111. The
spaces between ribs 112 would in this case be 3/4 inches wide, thus
accounting for 60 percent of the surface area of the platen.
Assuming that the latter has a diameter of 20 inches, and given the
above dimensions, it may be ascertained that 314 sq.in. .times. 60
percent .times. 3 inches = 564 cu.in. of void space. Dividing this
by the 231 cu.in. content of liquid per gallon yields a storage
capacity in the spaces 113 --which may be considered recesses,
grooves or generally voids-- of 2.43 gallons. If the door 4 --which
closes off the end of the compacting chamber opposite to the platen
111-- is of similar dimensions and provided with similar ribs 112
and grooves 113, then the combined temporary storage capacity of
the voids or grooves 113 in platen and door is 4.86 gallons, namely
the equivalent of the liquid which would normally be expected to be
expressed from the contents of a 32-gallon capacity refuse
container. This liquid will flow into the grooves 113 during the
compacting stroke of the platen 111, and then gradually drain off
through the outlet which is provided in the usual manner.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or
two or more together, may also find a useful application in other
types of constructions differing from the types described
above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described an embodied
in a refuse compressor, it is not intended to be limited to the
details shown, since various modifications and structural changes
may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the
present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the
gist of the present invention that others can by applying current
knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without
omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly
constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific
aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should
and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of
equivalence of the following claims.
* * * * *