Patent ID: 6701832
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: B30B

Abstract:
An apparatus for receiving a variety of different types of consumer trash in high traffic public areas and compacting the received trash together into a compacted mass, comprising:a housing, said housing including a top and a side wall connected to said top, said housing having an upper portion, a lower portion disposed beneath said upper portion, and an intermediate portion disposed between said upper portion and said lower portion; a trash opening defined through said top; a frame disposed within said housing; a trash by-pass chute disposed within said housing and having an entrance aligned generally with said trash opening, said by-pass chute having an exit disposed to empty into said lower portion of said housing; a compacting mechanism carried by said frame and including a platen, said compacting mechanism being configured for moving said platen through a compaction stroke to apply compacting pressure to trash contents located in said lower portion of said housing during at least a portion of said compaction stroke; and wherein said platen extends sufficiently across said lower portion of said housing to cover substantially all of the trash that can be contained therein during at least a portion of said compaction stroke.