Refuse collecting apparatus

Abstract

 Refuse collecting apparatus comprising a housing from which extends a movable suction pipe (14), and within the housing an engine (22) driving a fan (24) for sucking refuse through the suction pipe into a chamber from which the refuse falls into a collecting space (30) from which the refuse falls into a collecting space (30) from which refuse is ejected into a waste compartment (32) by a compactor unit (26), which is preferably powered by said engine. The whole apparatus (10) can be carried, when in use, by a flatbed lorry (12).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to refuse collecting apparatus.

[0002] There already exist waste collecting machines of several types. One known type is a special purpose lorry incorporating underneath vacuum and brush equipment for cleaning kerb/gulley regions of roads. A second known type is a smaller purpose built vehicle for cleaning areas such as pedestrianised precincts. A third type is a pedestrian controlled vacuum and brush cleaning machine used for town pavements or the like. Basically, all of these machines collect refuse within the width of the path of movement of the machine. Refuse to the side, for example trapped on road verges, in hedgerows, on roadway fences and the like cannot be collected by the known machines, and it is necessary to resort to manual collection with spiked tools and refuse bags.

[0003] It is an object of this invention to provide a more versatile refuse collecting apparatus than the known special purpose machines.

[0004] According to the invention, there is provided refuse collecting apparatus comprising a housing from which extends a movable suction pipe, and within the housing a power unit and a fan driven by the power unit for sucking refuse through the pipe into an expansion chamber from which refuse falls into a collecting space whilst the air stream is drawn through a filter to exhaust, and a compactor unit within the housing for ejecting refuse from the collecting space into a waste compartment.

[0005] It is intended, more especially, that the apparatus should not be carried by a full time support vehicle, but be capable, as by means of a mounting/demounting system of folding legs and rollers, of loading on to any convenient flatback general purpose truck or the like.

[0006] The suction pipe preferably comprises a rigid pipe pivotally mounted to the roof of the housing for rotation through 360 degrees about a vertical axis, and a flexible hose connected at the outer end of the rigid pipe, which is long enough to support the hose clear of the housing and base vehicle. Suction control is preferably provided on the hose nozzle, which in use is moved and manipulated by the operator to collect refuse within a radius of, for example, five metres around the suction pipe pivot. The nozzle aperture may also readily be adjusted in simple manner to suit the size and form of the waste, by the operator. Having collected refuse within one area, the base vehicle can then be moved on for about 10 metres to enable the next area to be cleaned.

[0007] Dependent on the size of the flatback base vehicle, an add-on extension housing can enable the capacity of the waste compartment to be increased.

[0008] The power unit is preferably a petrol or diesel engine. In addition to driving the fan, this engine is preferably used to generate hydraulic power for operation of the compactor unit.

[0009] Within the housing, the overall space has a lower region divided into four areas, namely a front area on one side for the motor and fan, a front area on the other side for the compactor unit, a rear area on the first side for the filter and a rear area on said other side for the waste compartment. Rear end doors are provided for access to the filter and for emptying the waste compartment. The vacuum inlet for the suction pipe is preferably at the top front centre, the expansion chamber being generally above the compactor unit. A top exit for air leaving the expansion chamber is restricted to increase the speed of air flow again, and leads sidewise to the filter, from the exit side of which a connecting pipe leads to the fan, the exit of which leads to a top exhaust.

[0010] The compactor unit is generally conventional employing a pair of hydraulically powered rams to eject the refuse rearwardly from the floor of the collecting space beneath the expansion chamber into the waste compartment and compact the refuse in said compartment. An optionally usable extension ram may be provided to eject rubbish into an extended waste compartment at the rear, if such an extension is fitted. Additionally this third ram may be used to eject waste from the primary compartment itself when emptying. A refuse baling device may also be incorporated.

[0011] Apparatus in accordance with the invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1

shows a flatbed vehicle equipped with the apparatus;

Figure 2

shows the addition of a clip-on waste compartment extension;

Figure 3

shows the apparatus in plan view; and

Figures 4

and 5 are vertical cross-sections on the lines X-X and Y-Y of Figure 3.

[0012] Figure 1 shows the apparatus in the form of a housing 10 mounted on a flatbed vehicle 12. The apparatus has a suction pipe comprising an inner rigid length 14 mounted to turn through 360 degrees about a vertical pivot mounting 15 on the top of the apparatus and a flexible outer hose 16 terminating with a nozzle 18. Suction control is provided at this nozzle.

[0013] In Figure 2, a clip-on extension in the form of an additional waste compartment 20 is fitted to the back of the apparatus.

[0014] Referring now to Figures 3 to 5, the apparatus comprises a petrol or diesel engine 22 driving a fan 24 and also providing hydraulic power via an hydraulic pump for a compactor unit 26.

[0015] Refuse drawn in via the suction pipe enters an expansion chamber 28, from which refuse falls to the floor at a collecting space 30 immediately to the rear of the compactor unit 26 and in front of a waste compartment 32. Air from the expansion chamber 28 is sucked through a restricted opening 34 and thence sideways through the waste compartment 32 into a filter unit 36, from which a pipe 38 communicates with the inlet side of the fan 24, the exit side of which has a top exhaust 40. Access and emptying rear doors 42, 44 are provided for the filter unit 24 and waste compartment 32, respectively.

[0016] Various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Refuse collecting apparatus characterised by a housing (10) from which extends a movable suction pipe (14, 16), and within the housing a power unit (22) and a fan (24) driven by the power unit for sucking refuse through the pipe into an expansion chamber (28) where refuse falls into a collecting space (30) whilst the air stream is drawn through a filter (36) to exhaust, and a compactor unit (26) within the housing for ejecting refuse from the collecting space into a waste compartment (32).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised by a mounting/demounting system on its underside, by which it can be loaded on or unloaded from a vehicle platform.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the suction pipe comprises a rigid pipe (14) pivotally mounted to the roof of the housing for rotation through 360 degrees about a vertical axis, and a flexible hose (16) connected at the outer end of the rigid pipe, which is long enough to support the hose clear of the housing and base vehicle.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterised in that a suction control is provided on a nozzle (18) on the end of the hose, and in that the nozzle aperture is adjustable in size.

5. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the power unit (22) comprises a petrol or diesel engine which serves not only to drive the fan (24) but also to provide power for the compactor unit (26).

6. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that, within the housing (10), the overall space has a lower region divided into four areas, namely a front area on one side for the power unit (22) and fan (24), a front area on the other side for the compactor unit (26), a rear area on the first side for the filter (36) and a rear area on said other side for the waste compartment (32).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that rear end doors (42) are provided for access to the filter (36) and for emptying the waste compartment (32).

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterised in that the vacuum inlet for the suction pipe (14, 16) is generally at the top front centre, the expansion chamber being generally above the compactor unit, and in that a top exit (34) for air leaving the expansion chamber (28) is restricted to increase the speed of air flow again, and leads sidewise to the filter (36), from the exit side of which a connecting pipe (38) leads to the fan (24), the exit of which leads to a top exhaust (40).

9. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the compactor unit (22) has a pair of hydraulically powered rams to eject the refuse rearwardly from the floor of the collecting space (30) beneath the expansion chamber (28) into the waste compartment (32) and compact the refuse in said compartment.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, having an optionally usable extension ram to eject rubbish into an extended waste compartment (20) at the rear, if such an extension is fitted.

Drawing