Methods and compact apparatus for covering landfill

• US 6,558,080 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EPI Environmental Technologies (Nevada) Inc.
• Original Assignee: EPI Environmental Technologies (Nevada) Inc.
• Inventors: Kozak, Randall Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Shackelford, Heather
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, KATHERINE W
• Application Number:
  US09/840,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 111/1, 111/3, 111/10, 111/85, 111/63, 111/67, 47/56, 47/9, 405/37, 405/38, 405/174, 405/176, 405/179, 405/258.1, 405/270, 405/129.9, 172/324, 172/325, 172/326, 172/327, 172/328, 172/458, 172/502, 172/668, 172/701
• US Class Current: 405/129.9
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 13/0287 Devices for laying-out or removing ground coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 1/004 Covering of dumping sites
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/96 with arrangements for alternate or simultaneous use of different digging elements E02F3/7604, E02F3/769, E02F3/78 take precedence; quick-acting devices to connect tools to arms or booms E02F3/3609, for arms to tractors or the like E02F3/627
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/30 Landfill technologies aiming to mitigate methane emissions

Abstract

An apparatus and method for covering landfill includes a deployer suspended below the bucket of a loader. A roll of film is disposed on the deployer and uncoiled to deploy a film covering on the landfill surface as the loader driven across the surface. Periodically, the bucket, containing a ballast material, is manipulated, allowing ballast material to be disposed on the film to hold the deployed film in place. In a preferred embodiment, the deployer includes a mandrel mounted between two flanges for supporting a roll of film. The deployer is preferably attached to the bucket by chains or wire rope in such a manner so as to allow full operation of bucket while the deployer is attached. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a sprayer to apply a fluid.

Claims

1. An apparatus mounted on a vehicle to deploy a covering on a landfill, the apparatus comprising:

a spool adapted to support the covering;

a container carrying and dispensing ballast, said container being coupled to the vehicle;

connection members extending between said container and said spool, said connection members being releasably mounted on said container allowing said spool to hang downwardly with gravity beneath said container and adapted for suspending the covering below said container to deploy the covering over the landfill;

said spool being releasably attached to said container by said connection members for replenishing said spool with covering; and

wherein said spool includes a mandrel extending between opposed flanges, said connection members having one end attached to said flanges.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said opposed flanges include a first flange coupled to one end of said mandrel and a second flange detachably connected to another end of said mandrel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said second flange is connected to said mandrel by a J-slot and pin.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flanges include a flat side.

5. An apparatus mounted on a vehicle to deploy a covering on a landfill, the apparatus comprising:

a spool adapted to support the covering;

a bucket disposed on the vehicle, said bucket being used to hold and dispense ballast;

connection members extending between said bucket and said spool, said connection members being pivotally mounted on said bucket allowing said spool to hang downwardly with gravity beneath said bucket and adapted for suspending the covering below said bucket to deploy the covering over the landfill;

said spool being releasably attached to said bucket by said connection members for replenishing said spool with covering; and

further including a sprayer disposed between said spool and the vehicle to apply a chemical solution.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 where said chemical solution includes a pesticide.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said chemical solution is a deodorizer.

8. An apparatus mounted on a vehicle to deploy a covering on a landfill, the apparatus comprising:

a spool adapted to support the covering;

a container for holding ballast, said container being coupled to the vehicle;

connection members extending between said container and said spool, said connection members being pivotally mounted on said container allowing said spool to hang downwardly with gravity beneath said container and adapted for suspending the covering below the lift to deploy the covering over the landfill; and

said spool being releasably attached to said container by said connection members for replenishing said spool with covering, wherein an axis of rotation of said container is above an axis of rotation of the spool.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein a plane formed through the axes is vertical.

10. An apparatus for covering a landfill comprising:

a vehicle having a lift wish a container disposed thereon;

a spool suspended below said container;

connection members extending between said container and said spool, said connection members being pivotally mounted on said container allowing said spool to hang downwardly with gravity beneath said container;

a roll of film disposed on said spool; and

ballast disposed in said container, said lift tilting said container to drop ballast onto said film.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said spool includes a mandrel disposed between flanged ends, said connection members having one end attached to said flanges.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said spool includes a mandrel disposed between said flanged ends having sector cuts.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 further including bearing members disposed between said mandrel and said roll.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said bearing members are roller or ball bearings.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a sprayer to apply a chemical solution.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said chemical solution includes a pesticide.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said chemical solution includes a deodorant.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the vehicle is a dump truck.

19. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the vehicle is a front end wheel loader.

20. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said spool is suspended below the lift of the vehicle.

21. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the length of each of said connection members is adjustable.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said container defines a container axis and said spool defines a spool axis, said container axis and said stool axis being related by a skew angle.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the lengths of said connection members are adjusted to manipulate said skew angle to facilitate the deployment of the covering.

24. A method for covering a landfill surface comprising:

hanging a roll of film from a bucket on a mover;

rotatably disposing the roll of film on a spool below the bucket;

moving the mover over the landfill surface;

rotating the roll on the spool to unroll a panel of film from the roll;

deploying the film onto the landfill surface; and

operating the bucket to deposit ballast on top of the deployed film from the bucket.

25. The method of claim 24 further including overlapping adjacent panels of film on the landfill surface.

26. The method of claim 25 further including cutting the film to form the adjacent panels, the cutting being performed by an automated cutting device.

27. The method of claim 24 further including spraying a chemical solution on the landfill prior to deploying the film to the surface.

28. The method of claim 24 further including pouring the ballast from the bucket onto the film.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the roll is wider than the mover.

30. The method of claim 24 further including intermittently depositing ballast onto the film.

31. The method of claim 24 further including varying the volume of ballast deposited onto the film.

32. The method of claim 24 wherein the roll of film is deposed at an angle to an axis of the bucket.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising adjusting the angle of the roll of film to facilitate the deployment of the covering to the landfill.

34. A method for covering a surface of a landfill comprising:

depositing ballast material in a bucket device of a loader;

hanging a film deployer from the bucket device;

backing the loader over the surface;

deploying the film from a spool mounted below the bucket; and

tilting the bucket device to deposit ballast material on top of the film from the bucket.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein adjacent panels of the film are deployed atop the surface of the landfill.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein adjacent panels of the film overlap.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the film deployer is disposed at an angle to an axis of the bucket device of the loader.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising adjusting the angle of the film deployer to facilitate the overlapping of the panels of film.

39. The method of claim 34 further including spraying a chemical pesticide on the landfill surface prior to deploying said film.

40. An apparatus for mounting on a vehicle to deploy a covering on a landfill, comprising:

a spool adapted to support the covering;

a ballast container capable of being coupled to the vehicle; and

connection members extending between said container and said spool, said connection members being pivotally mounted on the said container allowing said spool to hang downwardly with gravity beneath the said container and adapted for suspending the covering below said container to deploy the covering over the landfill, wherein said spool includes a mandrel extending between opposed flanges.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said opposed flanges include a first flange coupled to one end of said mandrel and a second flange detachably connected to another end of said mandrel.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said second flange is connected to said mandrel by a J-slot and pin.

43. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said flanges include a flat side.

44. An apparatus for mounting on a vehicle to deploy a covering on a landfill, comprising:

a spool adapted to support the covering;

a ballast container capable of being coupled to the vehicle; and

connection members extending between said container and said spool, said connection members being pivotally mounted on the said container allowing said spool to hang downwardly with gravity beneath the said container and adapted for suspending the covering below said container to deploy the covering over the landfill, further including a sprayer disposed between said spool and the vehicle to apply a chemical solution.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 where said chemical solution includes a pesticide.

46. An apparatus for mounting on a lift of a vehicle to deploy a covering on a landfill, comprising:

a spool adapted to support the covering;

connection members releasably attached to said spool and adapted far suspending the covering below the lift to deploy the covering over the landfill;

a sprayer to apply a chemical solution is disposed between said spool and the vehicle;

said chemical solution includes a pesticide; and

said chemical solution being a deodorizer.

47. An apparatus for covering a landfill comprising:

a vehicle having a lift with a container disposed thereon;

a spool suspended below said container;

connection members extending between said container and said spool, said connection members being pivotally mounted on said container allowing said spool to hang downwardly with gravity beneath said container;

a roll of film disposed on said spool; and

ballast disposed in said container, said lift capable of tilting said container to drop ballast onto said film.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said spool includes a mandrel disposed between flanged ends.

49. The apparatus of claim 48 further including bearing members disposed between said mandrel and said roll.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said bearing members are roller or ball bearings.

51. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein said spool includes a mandrel disposed between said flanged ends having sector cuts adapted to face the landfill.

52. The apparatus of claim 47 further comprising a sprayer to apply a chemical solution to the landfill.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said chemical solution includes a pesticide.

54. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein the vehicle is a dump truck.

55. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein the vehicle is a front end wheel loader.

56. An apparatus for covering a landfill comprising:

a vehicle having a container disposed thereon which may raised, lowered and tilted;

a spool suspended below said container;

a roll of film disposed on said spool;

ballast disposed in said container,

said spool including a mandrel disposed between flanged ends; and

said flanged ends including sector cuts adapted to face the landfill.

57. An apparatus for covering a landfill comprising:

a vehicle having a container disposed thereon which may raised, lowered and tilted;

a spool suspended below said container,

a roll of film disposed on said spool;

ballast disposed in said container;

a sprayer to apply a chemical solution to the landfill; and

said chemical solution including a deodorant.

58. A method for covering a landfill surface comprising:

hanging a roll of film from a bucket on a mover;

rotatably disposing the roll of film on a spool below the bucket;

moving the mover over the landfill surface;

rotating the roll on the spool to unroll a panel of film from the roll;

deploying the film onto the landfill surface; and

selectively tilting the bucket to deposit ballast on top of the deployed film from the bucket.

59. The method of claim 58 further including overlapping adjacent panels of film on the landfill surface.

60. The method of claim 58 further including pouring the ballast from the bucket onto the film.

61. The method of claim 58 wherein the roll is wider than the mover.

62. The method of claim 58 further including intermittently depositing ballast onto the film.

63. The method of claim 58 further including varying the volume of ballast deposited onto the film.

64. A method for covering a landfill surface comprising:

rotatably disposing a roll of film on a spoof below a bucket on a mover;

moving the mover over the landfill surface;

rotating the roll on the spool to unroll a panel of film from the roll;

deploying the film onto the landfill surface;

selectively depositing ballast on top of the deployed film from the bucket; and

spraying a chemical solution on the landfill prior to deploying the film to the surface.

65. A method for covering a surface of a landfill comprising:

depositing ballast material in a bucket device of a loader;

hanging a film deployer from the bucket device;

backing the loader over the surface;

deploying the film from a spool mounted below the bucket; and

tilting the bucket device to deposit ballast material on top of the film from the bucket, wherein adjacent panels of the film overlap.

66. A method for covering a surface of a landfill comprising:

depositing ballast material in a bucket device of a loader;

mounting a film deployer to the bucket device;

backing the loader over the surface;

deploying the film from a spool mounted below the bucket;

depositing ballast material on top of the film from the bucket; and

spraying a chemical pesticide on the landfill surface prior to deploying said film.