Machine and method for laying film on face of landfill

• US 5,536,116 A
• Filed: 11/14/1994
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: EPI Environmental Technologies (Nevada) Inc.
• Original Assignee: EPI Environmental Products Inc.
• Inventors: Gho, Joseph G., Garcia, Rodrigo A., Lammers, Arville J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael Powell
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAGMAN, FREDERICK LYNDON
• Application Number:
  US08/338,339
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 405/129, 405/128, 405/270, 414/724, 414/911, 47/9 M, 111/102, 111/144, 111/63, 111/64, 111/200
• US Class Current: 405/129.9
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 1/004 Covering of dumping sites
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2323/02 not modified by chemical after treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/18 Manufacture of films or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/013 Fillers, pigments or reinforcing additives
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/26 Carbonates; Bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/098 Metal salts of carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/02 not modified by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/04 with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/30 Landfill technologies aiming to mitigate methane emissions

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a machine which is attached to the compactor to lay film over the face of a landfill. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a machine and the method for laying a polyolefin film over the face of a landfill and distributing available solids such as dirt, clay, gravel or other solid material inside the edges and across the surface of the film to hold the film against the face of the landfill.

Claims

1. A machine for laying strips of film on a face of a landfill comprising:

means for supporting a roll of said film;

means for unrolling the film on the face of the landfill;

means for distributing solids by gravity in a pattern onto the film as it is unrolled in order to hold the film onto the face of the landfill, wherein said means for distributing comprises a hopper and an auger inside said hopper for distributing said solids through openings in said hopper.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said means for distributing includes an additional hopper, and wherein said auger is disposed inside both said hoppers for distributing said solids through openings in said hoppers, and a gravity chute which distributes said solids onto the unrolled film.

3. A machine according to claim 2 wherein said means for distributing further includes a hydraulic motor to rotate said auger.

4. A machine according to claim 2 wherein said means for distributing further includes a hydraulic motor to rotate said auger and an engine to power said motor.

5. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said means for unrolling the film includes a roller support means for supporting a roll of film and a second roller which keeps said film close to the face of said landfill as the film is unrolled.

7. A machine according to claim 1 which further includes a roller attached at both sides of said frame under said roll supports, said roller functioning to keep said film close to the face of said landfill as the film is unrolled.

6. A machine for laying strips of film on a face of a landfill comprising:

a frame including a back and two sides;

two roll supports, one on each side of said frame for supporting a roll of film;

at least one hopper located above said roll of film;

an auger disposed inside said hopper for distributing said solids through openings in said hopper whereby said solids fall by gravity onto the top surface of said film.

8. A machine according to claim 6 further including:

a driven roller adapted to reroll the film from the face of the landfill.