Movable or stationary container with means for compacting the contents

Abstract

 The movable or stationary container with means for compacting the contents is provided with a compression device having mechanical means like a roller (1) which is cyclically advancing and returning, or a movable thrust plate. Said device is provided in the upper part of the walls of the container and provide for a compacting of the product from above to the floor of the container.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a movable or stationary container with means for compacting the contents.

[0002] In particular, the invention provides mechanical means like rollers or pistons which, through a downward thrust acting from above, produce a stratified compression of a product put into the container.

[0003] The container may be movable as for example a truck or lorry carrying a container, or stationary as a tank or basin. In the case that the compression will not be effected on the whole upper surface of the container but only on a part of it, said container may have a feed device on its bottom which is used to advance the product to the side of the container opposed to that where the compression is effected.

[0004] The invention may be used in the field of compacting products having a low specific volume weight, e.g. hay in movable or stationary containers, if there is the need to compact said products for increasing its density in order to allow a more economic transport. The most essential characteristic of the invention is that in the upper part of the container technical means are provided for compressing the product in a downward directed sense, e.g. a roller which in a cyclic manner is moving forward and backward on the upper surface of the container or only on a limited section of it. In the latter case, on the bottom of the container a device is mounted that provides for an advance movement of the product to the side of the container opposed to the compacting region, as soon as a predetermined compression of the product has been attained.

[0005] It is known, that, due to the high fuel costs, the cost for transporting products becomes more and more very important, particularly in the case of low density products having such a light weight that it is not always possible to completely fill the volume of a container up to its carrying capacity; it is therefore desirable to increase as much as possible the relative density of the procuct by compacting it.

[0006] In the prior art compacting systems with a sliding plate are known which are laterally positioned within the perimeter of the sidewalls and operating by means of hydraulic pistons for compacting the contents, e.g. garbage. In these known systems the product is loaded with great pressure into the container whereby the mechanic compacting system which is very powerful and thence very bulky allows to fill up the container. It is clear that in the case of very large containers having a great capacity it will be difficult to compress the product up to the most distant position, notwithstanding the high power of the system. Further, these systems have the drawback of serious loss of useful volume because of the space required for the compacting device. Other known systems are provided with real presses having pistons with lateral pushing plates, the product being cyclically loaded and compressed. Also in this case the pistons allow the complete filling and hence must be powerful and of large dimensions. In both cases it is not possible to continuously load the product.

[0007] It is an object of the invention to provide a container in which the above mentioned problems are no longer present. In particular, the volumetric capacity should be utilized as much as possible, and the products should be continuously filled in as in the case in which a roller is used moving forward and backward.

[0008] These and further objects are achieved by the fact that in the upper zone of the lateral walls of the container mechanical means are provided, e.g. rollers or thrust boards allowing the stratified compression of the product such that at the end a vertical pile or stratum is created, wherein in the case that the compression is effected only in a part of the upper surface, said mechanical means are combined with a movable floor effecting the forward feed of the product.

[0009] Further details will become apparent from the following description of an example of the invention illustrated in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a compacting container and

Figure 2 is a lateral view of the truck and container shown in figure 1.

[0010] In the embodiment shown in the figures, the compacting container according of the invention is a tank loaded on a truck. The container is provided with a movable roller 1 mounted in the upper part of the lateral walls. Said roller 1 is dragged by two chains 3 driven by a motor 4. The forward and backward movement of the roller 1 is guided in two slide rails 2.

[0011] During the charging phase into a part of the container and from above, the roller 1 will effect compacting of the product. Preferably, the product is continuously loaded into part of the container during all compacting phases of the product; when the predetermined compression has been reached, both slide rails 2 which are fixed only on their ends will bend upward such that two proximity sensors will be activated which are positioned under the slide rails 2. As a result, the movable floor 5 will be propelled which is made up of movable bars such that the product is transported by the predetermined length in the direction opposite to the zone where the compression is effected. In this way the roller 1 is released and the flexion of the slide rails 2 decreases such that the two proximity sensors provided under said slide rails 2 will stop the motion of the movable floor 5 and a new compacting cycle will beginn. In the electronic control circuit timers are provided to optimize the operation of the device.

[0012] In order to put into motion the roller 1 and/or the movable floor 5, a hydraulic driving mechanism is provided using oil under pressure; the advancing cycle of the movable floor 5 and therefore of the product and also the end of the charging process may be controlled by a manometric sensor not illustrated in the figures which is integrated in the hydraulic circuit.

[0013] In figure 2 it is shown that by the compacting effect of the roller 1 a pile or stratum 6 of compressed product is created. Figure 2 illustrates also that the cycles of compression and advancement of the movable floor 5 create a series of piles 6.

[0014] The piles of compressed products may have various dimensions up to a single stratum if the floor 5 is continuously moved forward. As soon as the piles arrive at the front wall of the container, a sensor will emit an end loading signal. Alternatively a sensor located on the end wall may indicate that during the advancement of the movable floor 5 the product pile does not disjoin from the front wall which means that the container is full. Further a timer may be used for the signal coming from the sensors underneath the slide rails 2 for optimizing the operation of the movable parts of the container; if after a predetermined time of advancement of the movable floor 5 the pressure to the roller 1 will not decrease, the loading process is finished.

Claims

1. Movable or stationary container with means for compacting the contents, characterized in that said container is provided with a compression device having mechanical means as a roller (1) or the like which is cyclically advancing and returning, or as a movable thrust plate, said compression device being provided in the upper part of the walls of the container and providing for a compacting of the product from above to the floor of the container.

2. Container according to claim 1, wherein said compression device acts only on a limited part of the length of the lateral walls of the container.

3. Container according to claim 1, wherein said compression device acts on the whole upper surface along the side walls of the container.

4. Container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said container is provided with a movable floor (5) having bars or chains to provide for a feed of the compressed product in the direction opposite to the compression zone.

5. Container according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein said container is stationary and comprises e.g. at least one metallic or non-metallic tank.

6. Container according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein said container is movable and positioned on a transport means as e.g. a truck.

7. Container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the feeding phase is effected from above.

8. Container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the roller (1) is supported and guided by slide rails (2).

9. Container according to claim 8, wherein said slide rails (2) are combined with sensors detecting flexions of said rails (2) and activating the movable floor (5) such that the product is advanced by a predetermined length to the side opposed to the compacting zone.

10. Container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein timers are provided to optimize the operation of the movable parts of the container.

11. Container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the movement of the movable roller (1) and/or of the movable floor (5) is effected by an hydraulic actuator using compressed oil, and wherein the feed cycle of the movable floor (5) and consequently of the product and also the loading end are controlled by a manometric sensor connected to the hydraulic circuit.

12. Container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein during all compacting phases the product is continuously fed from above.

Drawing