Equipment for the collection and removal of urban and similar solid waste

Abstract

 The equipment for the collection and removal of urban solid waste comprises at least one container held in a housing at least partially sunk below a surface for pedestrian use and, combined with said container (1), means of access (7) for tipping waste into it, means of withdrawing (27) the container from the housing (5), and means of discharge (29), using a rotary movement about an approximately horizontal axis, into a vehicle (V) for compaction and/or removal of the waste.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to equipment for the collection and removal of urban solid waste comprising a container held in a housing at least partially sunk below a surface for pedestrian use and, combined with said container, means of access for tipping waste into it.

[0002] Equipment of this type is described in the Italian patent application 9566 A/89 in the name of the same proprietor.

[0003] To improve the operation of the equipment and to reduce substantially the costs of disposal, the invention proposes the use of means of withdrawing the container from the housing and discharging it using a rotary movement of the container about an approximately horizontal axis, so that the contents of the container are tipped into a vehicle for compaction and/or removal of the waste.

[0004] In this way each container may be emptied into a single vehicle which may be provided with means of compaction and may collect the product accumulated in one or more separately located containers. The means of compaction may be used to reduce the volume of the waste, but may also be omitted in certain cases, for example in differentiated collection.

[0005] In a first embodiment of the invention, the actuating means which enable the container to be withdrawn and to be discharged by the rotary movement about the horizontal axis are disposed in the housing which holds the container. They may comprise a first actuating means or a set of first actuating means which raise the container, withdrawing it at least partially from the housing, and a second actuating means, or a second set of actuating means which cause the container to rotate and then discharge the material accumulated in it.

[0006] Further possible characteristics of the equipment in this first embodiment are indicated in the attached claims.

[0007] In a second embodiment of the invention, the container is secured to an axle which is fixed with respect to the housing, and is made to rotate about the axle for discharge. In this case, the rotation may be caused by means of actuators, particularly of the cylinder and piston type, carried by the vehicle for collection, compaction and removal of the waste.

[0008] To facilitate the discharge of the contents, each container may be provided - in both embodiments - with a flared profile.

[0009] Further characteristics of the invention are indicated in the attached claims.

[0010] The invention will be more clearly understood by examination of the description and the attached drawing, which shows a practical, non-restrictive embodiment of the invention. In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view in the direction III-III indicated in Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4 through 7 show successive phases of the discharge of the container in the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

[0011] In a first embodiment, and with reference to Fig. 1 initially, a container indicated in a general way by 1, for the collection of the waste, is held in a housing S disposed at least partially below the level of a surface for pedestrian use P, for example the roadway. The container 1 is closed by a cover 3 with a collection box 5 which has an aperture 7 closed by a movable lid 9 and communicates with the container 1 which is open at the top. A normally closed base 11 is disposed between the container 1 and the aperture 7 and, as a result of the weight of the material discharged through the aperture 7, or by a manual mechanical or other control means, may be opened as indicated by 11X to enable the material to be discharged directly into the container 1. In this way the aperture 7 is isolated from the container 1, thus preventing the escape of fumes or similar.

[0012] The container 1 has an inclined wall 13 to facilitate the discharge of the material accumulated therein into a vehicle comprising means of compaction, as will be described subsequently in greater detail. On the inclined wall 13, the container 1 is made integral with a pair of parallel oscillating arms 15, only one of which is visible in Fig. 1. The arms 15 are pivotably connected by an axle or hinge 17 to brackets 19 which are rigidly connected to the upper portions 21A of two telescopically extendable columns 21, only one of which is visible in the figure. The lower portions 21B of the telescopically extendable columns 21 are integral with the base of the housing S, or more precisely with a structure 23 anchored to the base of said housing. The columns 21 may be extended by means of a pair of cylinder and piston actuators 27, which can extend each column 21 until it assumes the position 21X shown in Fig. 1. In this configuration the hinge 17 is in the position 17X indicated by broken lines. A further pair of cylinder and piston actuators 29, each disposed between the corresponding column 21 and the inclined wall 13 of the container, cause a rotary movement of the container 1 about the axle 17 until it assumes the position 1X shown in broken lines in the upper part of Fig. 1. In this position the container 1 tips its contents into a vehicle, indicated in a general way by V, fitted with means of compaction. In the illustrated example, the cover 3 is removed, for example by swinging it about a hinge point 31 integral with the surface for pedestrian use P, to bring the container 1 into the position 1X illustrated in broken lines. However, it is possible to have the cover 3 secured to the container 1 and raised into the position 1X where it is made to slide to uncover part of the upper aperture of the container 1, thus enabling it to be discharged into the compactor.

[0013] The actuating means 27 and 29 may be driven directly by the oil of the on-board equipment of the vehicle V. For this purpose there may be provided a power unit, indicated schematically by 41, in which there is a fast-connection socket for the pressurized oil line from the vehicle V and from which corresponding pressurized oil lines depart towards the actuators 27 and 29. In this way the actuators may be driven even in low temperature conditions, since the oil used is the warm oil from the vehicle V.

[0014] In place of a double system of actuators 27, 29, a single cylinder and piston actuator may be used, with the cylinder secured to a fixed structure within the housing S, for example a structure 23, and the rod hinged in the position in which the rod of the piston 29 is hinged in the example shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the single actuator first raises the container 1 and secondly, when the extension of the columns 21 is complete, swings the container 1 about the hinge 17.

[0015] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 through 7, a container 101 is provided, again located in a housing S formed below the level of the surface for pedestrian use P. In this case, the container 101 is integral with oscillating arms 103 hinged at 105 to hinge means 107 integral with the ground. In this case also, the container 101 is closed by a cover 109 fitted with a kind of upper box 110 with a lid 111 and a movable base 113, equivalent to the box 5 provided with the lid 9 and base 11 in the example of Fig. 1. In this case, the cover 109 is secured slidably to the container 101 and a pair of cylinder and piston systems 113 is used for sliding the cover 109 open and closed. As shown in the drawing, in this case the assembly formed by the housing S and the container 101 does not include the actuating means for the raising and discharging of the container. These means are carried directly by the vehicle V fitted with means of compaction. In order to withdraw the container 101 from the housing S and to discharge it into the compactor in the vehicle V, the vehicle V has telescopically extendable arms 120 which engage with the container 101 by means of lugs 121 provided on both sides of the container. To permit the passage of the telescopic arms 120, the cover 109 may have suitable slots 123 (Fig. 3) which if necessary may be covered to prevent water penetration.

[0016] The telescopic arms 120 are hydraulically powered by the hydraulic power unit of the vehicle V so that they cause the container 101 to rotate about the hinge 105, 107, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5. To prevent the vehicle V from overturning in cases in which the container 101 is particularly heavy, jacking mechanisms, indicated in a general way by 130, fitted to the vehicle V, may be provided and may extend the supporting base of the vehicle.

[0017] As seen in particular in Fig. 5, in this embodiment the cover 109 follows the container 101 in its rotary movement in the direction of the arrow F which takes it outside the housing S. However, the cover 109 may also be made as shown in Fig. 1.

[0018] To make it possible to discharge the waste accumulated in the container 101, when the container has reached the position in Fig. 5 the cover 109 may be moved by the actuators 113 to the position shown in Fig. 6. A limited sliding travel of the cover 109 is sufficient to allow the waste to be discharged from the container 101. The presence of a cover 109 which moves together with the container 101 prevents any waste from escaping before the position in Fig. 5 is reached.

[0019] Fig. 7 shows the final phase in which the container is returned to its original position within the housing S. In the examples illustrated in the attached drawing, the vehicle V has rear loading means. Obviously, however, the same operating principle may be applied with vehicles in which the waste is loaded at the side. This substantially facilitates the maneuvers for approaching the container. Furthermore, there is no reason why the loading may not take place from the top.

[0020] It is to be understood that the drawing shows only an example provided solely as a practical demonstration of the invention; it is possible to vary the forms and dispositions of this invention without thereby departing from the scope of the guiding principle of the invention. For example, in the illustrative embodiment shown in Figs. 2 through 5, the telescopic arms 120 may be replaced by a single central arm or other means which engages with the container 101 at a suitable point, for example on the side closest to the vehicle, or on the opposite side.

Claims

1. Equipment for the collection and removal of urban solid waste, comprising a container held in a housing at least partially sunk below a surface for pedestrian use and, combined with said container, means of access for tipping waste into it, and also comprising means of withdrawing the container from the housing and means of discharge, using a rotary movement about an approximately horizontal axis, into a vehicle for compaction and/or removal of the waste.

2. The equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein actuating means which raise the container and cause it to rotate for discharge are located in said housing.

3. The equipment as claimed in claim 2, wherein said actuating means comprise a first actuating means which raises the container, withdrawing it at least partially from the housing, and a second actuating means which cause the container to rotate about a hinge, said hinge being raised with said container during the raising of the container.

4. The equipment as claimed in claim 3, wherein the container is secured to an oscillating arm hinged to a bracket rigidly connected to a telescopic system, the extension of the telescopic system causing the container to be raised.

5. The equipment as claimed in one or more of claims 2 through 4, wherein said actuating means are powered from a vehicle into which the contents of the container are to be discharged.

6. The equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is hinged about an axle which is fixed with respect to the housing and is made to rotate about it for discharge.

7. The equipment as claimed in claim 6, comprising a vehicle for the compaction and removal of the waste discharged from said container, this vehicle being fitted with an actuating means which engages with the container to cause it to rotate about the said fixed axle.

8. The equipment as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the container has a flared profile to facilitate the discharge of the material collected in it.

9. The equipment as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said container is fitted with a cover which is secured to a fixed point and which is removed to permit the discharge of the contents.

10. The equipment as claimed in one or more of claims 1 through 8, wherein said container is fitted with a cover which follows the container in the movement of raising and rotation and which is opened at a predetermined moment to permit the discharge of the material contained in the container.

11. The equipment as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the means of access to the container comprise a hopper with a lid to cover the access aperture and optionally a base which separates said aperture from the interior of the container, the base being openable by manual control means or automatically to allow the waste to fall into the interior of the container.

12. The equipment as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle has rear loading means.

13. The equipment as claimed in one or more of claims 1 through 11, wherein the vehicle has side or top loading means.

Drawing