Waste Handling method and apparatus for transferring waste from collection vehicles to transfer trailers

• US 5,765,986 A
• Filed: 10/27/1995
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altamont Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Altamont Incorporated
• Inventors: Hulls, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keenan, James W.
• Application Number:
  US08/549,338
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 414/303, 414/373, 414/398, 414/400, 414/585, 414/786, 100/229 A, 198/483.1
• US Class Current: 414/809
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 9/00 Transferring of refuse between vehicles or containers with intermediate storage or pressing presses for baling per se B30B9/30

Abstract

A transfer station for handling of wastes and recyclables uses a compactor to place compacted blocks of waste or recyclables into a specified shuttle container. The shuttle container is moved along a conveyor to a storage area or an unloading device where the compacted materials are put onto a trailer or other transportation means. Containers can be recalled from the storage area to receive additional compacted blocks of specified material as the additional compacted blocks arrive at the transfer station. When a full load is formed, the shuttle containers can be moved to the unloading device as trailers become available. The system allows the operations of receiving, compacting and shipping of waste and recyclable materials to occur independently.

Claims

1. A waste handling method comprising the steps of:

(a) compacting waste from a waste collection vehicle into at least one bale segment;

(b) loading the waste in the form of said at least one bale segment into a shuttle container;

(c) moving the shuttle container to a storage location;

(d) moving a shuttle container containing said at least one bale segment so that it is operatively positioned with respect to an unloading device; and

(e) unloading said at least one bale segment contained in said shuttle container by means of the unloading device into a transfer trailer, wherein the shuttle containers are moved to a storage location on a conveyor, and wherein the step of moving the shuttle containers is done by means of the conveyor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of bale segments is at least two so as to form a bale.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the steps of transporting the transfer trailer to a disposal site and unloading the transfer trailer at the disposal site with said bale being maintained in its compacted form.

4. The method of claim 3 further including the step of moving a plurality of the bales so that they are in contacting relation with each other with a minimum of space therebetween.

5. The method of claim 4 further including the step of covering the bales with a layer of earth so as to promote sanitation.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein more than one shuttle container is sequentially positioned so that the transfer trailer is loaded with compacted bale segments until a predetermined weight is reached to form the bale.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of moving the loaded transfer trailer out of operative position with the unloading device.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the step of moving another transfer trailer into operative position with respect to the unloading device.

9. The method of claim 2 including applying sufficient force to compact the bale segments such that the resultant bales maintain their form without the necessity of any binding means.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of unloading at the disposal site includes moving the bale out of the trailer onto a ramp and thence down the ramp onto the landfill site.

11. The method of claim 1 including the preliminary step of sorting waste into discrete types prior to compacting so that the resultant bale segments are made up of a single discrete type of waste.

12. The method of claim 11 including the step of selecting the same type of waste prior to loading each container so that each container holds a single type of waste.

13. The method of claim 12 including the step of selecting a shuttle container having a desired type of waste therein prior to moving it to the operative position with respect to the unloading device so that the transfer trailer contains a desired type of waste for recycling.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the discrete type of waste is a plastic material.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the discrete type of waste is glass.

16. The method of claim 1 further including repeating steps 1(a) through 1(c), so as to create a plurality of filled containers in said storage location.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading a bale segment of waste into a second shuttle container and thereafter recalling the first shuttle container from the storage location and loading an additional bale segment into the first container.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a first type of material is placed in the first shuttle container and a second type of material is placed in the second shuttle container.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first shuttle container is loaded in the loading steps such that it contains a full transfer trailer load.

20. A waste handling method comprising the steps of:

(a) compacting waste from a waste collection vehicle into at least one bale segment;

(b) loading the waste in the form of said at least one bale segment into a shuttle container;

(c) moving the shuttle container to a storage location;

(d) moving a shuttle container containing said at least one bale segment so that it is operatively positioned with respect to an unloading device; and

(e) unloading said at least one bale segment contained in said shuttle container by means of the unloading device into a transfer trailer, wherein the step of moving includes operatively positioning one end of the shuttle container with respect to the unloading device and moving said at least one bale segment out of the other end of the shuttle container and into a transfer trailer which is operatively positioned with respect to the opposite end of the shuttle container.

21. An apparatus for waste handling comprising:

(a) a compactor for compacting waste into bale segments;

(b) a plurality of shuttle containers for storing bale segments the shuttle containers comprising generally box-shaped structures having openings in opposite ends thereof, said compactor including means for loading said bale segments into said shuttle containers;

(c) an unloading device adapted to move said bale segments from said shuttle containers; and

(d) storage means for temporarily storing said shuttle containers and for moving said shuttle containers to be sequentially, operatively positioned with respect to said unloading means whereby bale segments may be unloaded therefrom, wherein said storage means comprises bulkheads that selectively, sealingly contact said openings so as to secure the bale segments therein for storage and permit removal for transport to a landfill site.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said shuttle containers comprise generally box-shaped structures having openings in opposite ends thereof.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said storage means further comprises a conveyor adapted to move said shuttle containers from and to said compactor and said unloading means, said openings on said containers being in sliding relation to said bulkheads so as to prevent egress of waste therebetween.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 further including control means for selecting a predetermined container for subsequent movement to said unloading device.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the storage means restricts the movement of the storage containers along a fixed path.

26. A method of recycling waste comprising the steps of:

(a) compacting a first type of recyclable into at least one bale segment;

(b) loading said at least one bale segment into a first shuttle container;

(c) moving the first shuttle container to a storage location;

(d) compacting a second type of recyclable into a second at least one bale segment;

(e) loading said second at least one bale segment into a second shuttle container;

(f) moving the first shuttle container containing said at least one bale segment so that it is operatively positioned with respect to an unloading device; and

(g) unloading said at least one bale segment contained in said shuttle container by means of the unloading device into a transfer trailer, wherein said moving steps are such that the shuttle containers are moved by a conveyor along a fixed path.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the types of recyclables is a plastic material.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the types of recyclables is contained in a first type of bag and the other type of recyclable is contained in a second type of bag.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first type of bag has a first code and the second type of bag has a second code.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the types of recyclables is a first type of plastic material and wherein the other type of recyclable is a second type of plastic material.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the types of recyclables is a metal material.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the types of recyclables is a paper material.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising, before said unloading step, the step of recalling the first shuttle container from a storage location to load at least another bale segment into the first shuttle container.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said recalling step is repeated until the first shuttle contains a full transfer trailer load.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the types of recyclables is glass.

36. A waste handling method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing shuttle containers restricted to move along a fixed path;

(b) compacting waste into at least one bale segment;

(c) loading the waste in the form of said at least one bale segment into one of the shuttle containers;

(d) moving the one of the shuttle containers to a storage location along the path;

(e) moving the one of the mobile shuttle containers containing said at least one bale segment so that it is operatively positioned with respect to an unloading device; and

(f) unloading said at least one bale segment contained in the one of the shuttle containers by means of the unloading device into a transfer trailer, wherein the shuttle containers are moved to a storage location on a conveyor that defines the fixed path, and wherein the step of moving the shuttle containers is done by means of the conveyor.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the fixed path of the conveyor is defined by a set of rails.