REFUSE HANDLING SYSTEM

• US 3,677,422 A
• Filed: 03/26/1971
• Issued: 07/18/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eric C. Sweeney, Frederick W. Brunkhardt, Peter G. Meyers
• Original Assignee: Eric C. Sweeney, Frederick W. Brunkhardt, Peter G. Meyers
• Inventors: Sweeney, Eric C., Brunkhardt, Frederick W., Meyers, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheridan, Robert G.
• Application Number:
  US05/128,310
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 214/17D,41R,41A,85.1 15/14.3R 232/1R
• US Class Current: 414/293
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0436 provided with mechanical cleaning tools, e.g. scrapers, with or without additional fluid jets B08B9/045, B08B9/047 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/1447 located underground
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/00 Vehicles particularly adapted for collecting refuse vehicles in general B60; driving vehicle equipment or auxiliaries B60K; discharging contents by tilting entire vehicles B65G; wheeled apparatus for emptying sewers or cesspools E03F7/10

Abstract

A refuse handling system is presented for temporary storage of solid refuse matter in underground depositories. A large, curved pipe, with openings at both ends, serves as the underground depository, and the openings at both ends are covered by removable plates, one or more of which also has a deposit box for deposit of refuse. Refuse is removed from the depository by a piston device carried on a collection vehicle.

Claims

1. A material handling system comprising:

temporary storage means, said storage means including a conduit having first and second ends;

cover means for the oppositely disposed ends of said storage means conduit, at least one of said cover means including a normally closed access door for use in the depositing of material in said storage means;

flexible cable means, said cable means being normally installed in said storage means and having a pair of oppositely disposed ends releasably located within the storage means conduit adjacent to the oppositely disposed ends thereof;

piston means, at least a portion of said piston means having a cross-sectional shape commensurate with the cross-sectional shape of said storage means conduit;

means for connecting one end of said cable means to a first end of said piston means;

force transmitting means, said force transmitting means being connectable to the other end of said cable means whereby said piston means may be pulled through said storage means conduit; and

replacement cable means connectable to the other end of said piston means whereby said replacement cable means will be positioned in said storage means conduit as said piston means is pulled therethrough while propelling material stored in said storage means conduit ahead of said piston means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

transfer duct means, said transfer duct means being connectable to an end of said conduit means and having said force transmitting means passing therethrough whereby material expelled from said storage means conduit ahead of said piston means will be transmitted through said transfer duct means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said storage means conduit has a circular cross-sectional area and a constant diameter along its length.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of said piston means has a spherical shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of said piston means has a spherical shape and a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said storage means conduit.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said force transmitting means comprises:

a winch mounted on a collection vehicle, the second end of said transfer duct discharging into said collection vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said one of said cover means comprises:

an apertured cover plate which cooperates with the end of said storage means conduit to provide a seal between said plate and storage means conduit end; and

a deposit box mounted on said cover plate above said aperture, said deposit box being provided with said access door.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

hinge means for attaching said cover plate to the end of said storage means conduit whereby said plate and deposit box may be rotated out of alignment with said conduit when it is desired to transfer material out of said storage means.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said storage means conduit has a circular cross-sectional area and a constant diameter along its length.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of said piston means has a spherical shape and a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said storage means conduit.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

means for moving said cover means out of registration with the ends of said storage means conduit.