Method and device for compacting resilient waste materials for storage and disposal

A method and device is disclosed for compacting resilient waste materials for storage and disposal. The device provides for a storage container having at least one group of retaining members secured to the interior surface of the sides. Each group of retaining members is generally coplanar with the bottom of the container and each group defines the top of one of a plurality of storage zones located within the interior of the container. One or more domed caps are provided which are dimensioned to slidingly fit within the container and to cover the top of each storage zone. Finally, there is structure located on the edge of each domed cap for engaging the retaining members when a domed cap is placed on the top of the waste materials and compacted below a group of retaining members defining the top of a storage zone. There is also disclosed a method for compacting resilient waste materials for storage and disposal using the device of the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to economical waste storage and disposal 
devices and methods for employing the same. 
As larger quantities of waste are produced each year by individual and 
corporate or commercial users of goods, it has become more difficult to 
find locations such as landfills for disposing of such wastes. 
Environmental and economic concerns of every description come to the 
forefront when old landfills become full or new sites are proposed. 
Various methods to reduce the volume of wastes have been contemplated and 
even implemented. For example, federally funded, locally funded, and for 
profit recycling projects have sprung up all over the United States with 
varying degrees of success. Solid wastes are separated from combustible 
wastes and recycled or put into use in some other form such as when tires 
are shredded and used in paving and athletic field applications. 
Combustible wastes may be disposed of by incineration, provided Federal 
guidelines are adhered to such as the Clean Air Act and the like. 
In spite of all of these efforts, certain wastes simply do not lend 
themselves to recycling, reuse or combustion. Radioactive contaminated 
wastes, for example, must be stored for long periods of time in remote 
dump sites or landfills until the radiation levels have diminished to 
acceptable handling and disposal levels. 
Available landfills for commonplace garbage from municipalities are quickly 
becoming full. To solve this problem, landfillable wastes are being 
shipped across state lines; in some instances even to sites many states 
away which will still receive the wastes. However, many communities 
currently are vigorously lobbying against having any further development 
of waste sites in their areas. 
Similarly, radioactive waste sites are becoming full. Communities which 
once allowed these sites to operate are now resisting any further 
development in a far more aggressive manner. This problem is further 
amplified by the fact that an ever increasing amount of radioactive waste 
is being produced while existing sites for storing such wastes are full 
and no new sites are being made available for the disposal or storage of 
these wastes. Accordingly, the need arises whereby current users of the 
radioactive waste sites must strive to maximize the volume of such 
radioactive waste per unit volume. This principle also applies to common 
household waste, medical wastes and any wastes which may be compactable. 
Numerous methods disclosed in the prior art have attempted to address the 
problem of waste compaction of general wastes and even low level 
radioactive wastes. 
The teachings of the art clearly are concerned with compaction, but contain 
numerous disadvantages from the standpoint of ease of use, economy of 
implementation, economy of use, product, and viability in actual 
operation. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
When compacting material, it is desirable to leave material indefinitely in 
the container as the case with low level radioactive wastes. This has 
generally been accomplished by placing material in 55 gallon drums and 
burying or storing them. 
The cost of such disposal is generally based on volume and weight making it 
advantageous to achieve as high a final compacted density as possible. 
Unfortunately, a problem often arises when loading waste materials into 
disposal containers and compacting the materials. As soon as the 
compacting force is removed from the material, the material springs back, 
thus, decreasing the final compacted density. Several devices have 
attempted to solve this problem in order to achieve high final compacted 
density. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,874 to Manning discloses a container used for 
compacting materials which has a device used to keep the compacted 
material from springing out of the container when the compacting force is 
removed. The device includes a louvre attached to the container, enabling 
cross beams to be snapped into place with a wedge shape on the cross beam 
ends. Although the strength of the design can retain higher spring back 
pressures, the device is cumbersome as it requires very specialized 
placement of the cross beams and louvres and it also requires a means for 
deformation of the container in order to engage the cross beams below the 
louvres. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,469 to Cochet, et al, discloses a process and an 
apparatus for storing contaminated waste material by compacting. Waste 
material is placed in a drum and is compressed by forcing a precover into 
the drum. The precover includes edges which are made deformable in order 
to prevent the rising of the precover, by its edges locking on the walls 
of the drum. The specification notes that an adequate locking can be 
obtained by the mere friction of the edges of the precover on the lateral 
wall of the drum. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,784 to Whiteside discloses a compacting plate locking 
device used for packaging expansible material. The device includes 
compacting plates adapted to fit within a barrel or similar container. A 
plurality of resilient locking tabs are secured to the upper surface of 
the compacting plates by means of an angle bracket such that the tabs 
extend beyond both the peripheral surface of the compacting plate and the 
outermost edge of the angle bracket. The arrangement of the locking tabs 
and angle brackets provides for engagement of the tabs within the inside 
of the container. As the compacting plate is inserted into the container, 
the locking tabs are deformed and become wedged between the outer surface 
of the angle brackets and the inside surface of the container. The 
specification notes that the resulting effected wedging of locking tabs 
forms an effective frictional stop between the compacting plate and the 
inside surface of the container. 
The inventions in Cochet and Whiteside both depend upon an essentially 
frictional force to counter spring back effect in the compacted waste 
materials. One skilled in the art would appreciate the limitations of 
resisting spring back from compacted materials with frictional forces. 
Depending on the coefficient of friction of the surfaces in contact, the 
resisting force available to counter spring back may vary greatly. When 
the inner surface of a container is contaminated with oil or grease, the 
frictional force available to resist compacted material spring back may be 
unsatisfactorily low. 
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a method and device for 
compacting resilient waste materials for storage and disposal that does 
not depend on an arbitrary frictional force to resist considerable spring 
back from compacted waste materials. Furthermore, there is a need in the 
art for a method and device for compacting waste materials that does not 
require deformation of the waste container. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a method and device for compacting 
resilient waste materials for storage and disposal that satisfies the need 
for economical waste storage and disposal devices and methods that 
maximize final compacted density. The present invention overcomes the 
drawbacks noted in the prior art by providing a method and device that use 
a mechanical rather than a frictional locking action to resist spring back 
from compacted waste. Furthermore, the present invention meets the needs 
in the art without the requirement of external means for engaging the 
locking mechanism. 
It is an object of the device of the invention to maximize the final 
density of compacted waste. The device comprises a storage container 
having a bottom, elongated sides, and an open top. There are groups of 
retaining members secured to the interior surface of the sides of the 
container. Each group of retaining members is positioned so that at the 
point of contact with the storage container, the retaining members are 
generally coplanar with the bottom of the container. Storage zones, 
horizontal stroage zones in the instance of a vertically filled container, 
are created in the storage containers by including the retaining members 
in the containers at various intervals thus creating storage zones which 
are stacked (vertically) within the containers. The top or end of each 
storage zone is generally defined by a group of retaining members. Domed 
caps are also provided which are dimensioned to slidingly fit within the 
storage container and define the top of each storage zone. Means are 
located on the outer edge of the domed caps for engaging the retaining 
members. 
The retaining members may be provided in any number of a series of designs 
including individual retaining members. Individual retaining members may 
be attachably mounted to the storage device by securing the mounting plate 
portion of the retaining member to the inside portion of the elongated 
sides of the container in a series generally coplanar to the bottom of the 
storage device. The retaining member has a downwardly mounted tab which is 
provided at an angle of 90.degree. or less from the perpendicular plane of 
the mounting plate toward the bottom of the barrel. The inside angle 
created by the mounting plate and the downwardly mounted tab provides a 
positive mechanical lock when it engages the complementary upward and 
outward lip of a domed cap. 
The retaining clips may also be provided as part of a ringed formation. The 
ringed formation consists of a generally circular (in the case of a 
circular barrel or drum) member defined by an outside and inside portion 
of the ring wherein the outside portion conforms to the inside geometry of 
the storage device to provide a snug fit in said device. The inside 
portion of the ring may have retaining clips secured thereto in order to 
provide the mechanical lock with the upward and outward lip of the domed 
cap. 
The ring is securely attached to the inside of the storage device by any 
suitable means including welding, bonding by gluing, or any other means 
suitable in accordance with the material of the barrel and the ring. When 
attached, the ring should be positioned such that it is coplanar to the 
bottom of the storage device and capable of defining one of many storage 
zones. 
In another embodiment, the ring may be attachably secured within one of 
coves of the storage device when a barrel or any such familiar device is 
used, the cove being defined hereinbelow. The downwardly extending 
retaining clips project into the storage device from the ring from which 
they are secured out of the cove at an angle and distance so as to provide 
a positive, opposite mechanical force to lock the domed lid in place. 
In line with the individual retaining members discussed above, retaining 
members having springably mounted downward facing tabs are also 
contemplated. These retaining members would also be securely mounted 
within the storage device by attaching the mounting plate to the interior 
side walls of the storage device in an configuration generally coplanar to 
the bottom of the device. A series of horizontal zones would thus be 
defined. These springable tabs might also be part of a ring forming 
retaining mechanism. 
The feature of providing a springable tab might be advantageous in the 
instance where denser, less easily compactable wastes are provided. As 
compaction forces might be greater with less easily compactable materials, 
the spring mechanism included in the retaining clips would aid in 
lessening of any possible shearing of the retaining members from the 
storage device during compaction. 
In another embodiment, the retaining members either individually or in a 
ringed form may be attached to the storage container prior to the 
container being formed. For example, prior to the formation of a 
container, especially when the container is rolled into its final 
configuration from flat stock, the retaining means may be attachably 
secured to the flat stock. 
The storage container defined herein is preferably cylindrical and can be a 
drum such as a conventional 55 gallon drum commonly used to store and ship 
goods including liquids, solids etc. These drums are generally noted to 
have interior horizontal coves. The retaining members may be positioned 
adjacent to these coves or in the coves themselves when presented in 
preferred embodiments as disclosed herein. Preferably, the retaining 
members are downwardly angled tabs. The retaining members may also be 
mounted on a rigid wire form that conforms to the inner configuration of 
the storage container and is secured to the interior of the container. 
Means are located on the edge of domed caps for engaging the retaining 
members. These means are preferably presented in an upwardly and outwardly 
angled lip. The domed cap is constructed of a resilient material such as 
steel or a deformable resilient plastic such as polyvinyl chloride 
styrene, polystyrene, ABS plastic or the like so that lateral expansion 
can occur when the convex dome is depressed. The domed cap may contain 
vents, the purpose among many contemplated to relieve pressure on the 
domed device. 
In another embodiment, there is provided a sleeve or similar type of device 
which would attachably mount to a conventional compacting ram. The sleeve 
defined having two opposite ends. The first end conforming to the geometry 
of the ram so the sleeve can be secured to the ram. The second end, 
opposite to the first, would be molded to substantially conform to the 
domed cap thus providing an even distribution of downward force exerted by 
the ram to ensure a positive, even compaction of waste material in the 
storage container. Furthermore, the second end would assist in preventing 
the domed cap from deforming under uneven compaction pressures. 
The invention also comprises a method for compacting resilient waste 
material for storage and disposal. The method comprises the steps of: 
securing at least one group of retaining members to the interior surface of 
the sides of a storage container, positioning each group of retaining 
members generally coplanar with the bottom of the container thereby 
forming storage zones; 
filling the lowest unfilled storage zone of the container with waste 
materials, the top of each storage zone being defined by a group of 
retaining members; 
compacting the waste materials; 
placing a domed cap on the top of the compacted materials; 
compressing the domed cap until it is below the group of retaining members 
defining the top of the filled zone; 
releasing the pressure on the domed cap whereby the cap engages on the 
retaining members at the top of the filled storage zone; and 
repeating the steps of the process until an entire storage container is 
filled with compacted waste materials. 
The method and device of the invention have many advantages over the prior 
art. Most significantly, the mechanical locking action of the retaining 
members and domed cap provides a substantial resisting force to counter 
spring back from material subject to high pressure compacting. The 
simplicity and versatility of design lends itself to inexpensive methods 
of manufacturing the components. For instance, the domed caps can be made 
of relatively inexpensive materials or recyclable materials. Also, the 
waste compacting system is a self-contained system that requires no 
additional external apparatus; therefore, no substantial change to 
existing compacting operations is necessary. The retaining members are a 
very inexpensive means by which to create a positive locking mechanical 
device as inexpensive materials can be used to manufacture the retaining 
members and installation is relatively simple.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
With specific reference to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a drum 
10. This drum is configured to resemble the construction of a typical 
commercially available 55 gallon storage drum of the type used to store 
and transport liquids, solids and the like. It has a cylindrical side 12, 
a bottom 14 and top 16. 
The interior 18 of the drum 10 is divided into a series of horizontal 
zones, numbered in FIG. 1 from the bottom 14 of the interior 18 to the top 
16 of the drum 10 by the numerals 20, 22 and 24 respectively. This 
arrangement provides a series of vertically stacked spaces. The top of 
each zone is generally defined by several retaining members 26 which are 
attached to the sides 12 of the interior 18 of the drum in a pattern of 
equally spaced apart circumferential rings located just above the 
horizontal coves 28 which extend around the circumference of the drum. 
The detail of a typical retaining member 26 is shown in FIG. 2. It consists 
of a vertical mounting plate 30 which is preferably constructed of a metal 
such as steel or any material which may be attachably fastened to the 
interior surface of the drum and is securably attached by suitable means 
depending on the material of the barrel such as welding, bonding or the 
like to the interior of the sides 12. Fitted to the mounting plate 30 is a 
downwardly mounted tab 32 terminating in an open or engaging end 34. The 
tabs 32 may be in the form of small plates or pins. 
The detail of another embodiment of a retaining member 26 is shown in FIG. 
9. It consists of a vertical mounting plate 30 which is attached to the 
interior of the sides 12 as described above. Fitted to the mounting plate 
30 is a hinged knuckle 80 that is attached to a downward facing tab 32. A 
spring 81, such as a torsion spring (shown), flat spring, brush spring, or 
the like, is engagingly disposed between the tab 32 and the side 12, 
thereby providing for a springable tab. The springable tabs of FIG. 9 may 
also be mounted on a ring forming mechanism as described hereinabove. 
Springable tabs may also be implemented in further embodiment without a 
separate spring as it is possible to design a tab 32 that springs back 
without the need for a hinge and spring. 
For each horizontal zone, there is provided a domed cap designated 
generally by the numeral 36. It has a concave top 38 and a corresponding 
convex bottom 40. The domed caps are constructed of a material, such as 
steel or other resilient material selected from commonly employed durable 
plastics as mentioned above that produces a horizontal deflection of the 
cap when the convex dome is depressed. Fitted about the circumference of 
the domed cap is lip 42 which as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is angled 
upwardly and outwardly. As is clear from FIG. 2, the inside 44 of the lip 
42 is sized to receive tabs 32. The domed caps 36 are dimensioned so lip 
42 slidably engages the tabs 32 of the retaining members 26 thus allowing 
the domed caps to be positioned within the top portion of the horizontal 
zones 20, 22 and 24. Optionally, the domed caps 36 may contain vent holes 
46. 
In another embodiment of the device, the retaining members 26 are secured 
to a wire form 50 as depicted in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The wire form 50 is 
configured to be complementary to the dimensions of the interior 18 of 
drum 10. The wire form 50 is then secured to the inner surface of the 
sides 12. The wire form 50 may be secured to the sides 12 by means such as 
welding or in another embodiment, the wire form 50 is secured in the 
horizontal cove 28 of drum 10 as shown in FIG. 6. 
The method of the invention can also be described by reference to the 
Figures. Waste material is loaded into a drum and compacted by means of a 
ram 60, shown in FIG. 7. In a preferred embodiment, the ram has a head 61 
with a configuration complementary to the top 38 of the domed cap 36. The 
waste material is compacted to a point at which the material's maximum 
compactability is lower than the lowest group of retaining members 26. 
With reference to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the initial load of waste 
materials would have to be compacted below the retaining members 26 
immediately above horizontal storage zone 20. 
Ram pressure is then released and a domed cap 36 is placed on top of the 
compacted material. The ram 60 is repositioned over the domed cap 36 and 
downward ram pressure is reapplied. The waste materials and the domed cap 
36 move downwardly into the drum 10 until the domed cap 36 is below the 
retaining members 26 immediately above horizontal zone 20. Due to the 
convexity of the domed cap 36, the downward deformation of the domed cap 
36 deflects the outwardly angled lip 42 snugly against the vertical side 
12, preventing material spring back at the perimeter and tending to return 
the outwardly angled lip 42 to the complementary angle of retaining 
members 26 when ram pressure is released and upwards pressure from 
compacted waste material attempts to uncompress or spring back. 
When the ram pressure is released, the lip 42 of the domed cap 36 
necessarily engages the retaining members 26 immediately above horizontal 
zone 20 as the domed cap 36 was compressed below the retaining members 26 
and the angle between lip 42 and the retaining members 26 are 
complementary. The domed cap 36 is positively locked at a depth above 
horizontal zone 20. 
Subsequent horizontal zones 22 and 24 are filled with compacted waste 
material in the same sequence of steps described above. The domed cap 36 
which formed the top of the preceding filled horizontal zone 20 forms a 
new "false bottom" for horizontal zone 22. By capping the waste in each 
horizontal zone with a domed cap, the effect of material spring back from 
each preceding zone upon subsequent eliminated. 
The spring back effect of the waste materials presents a special problem 
when filing the uppermost horizontal zone 24 in the drum 10. When filling 
and compacting the uppermost horizontal zone 24, the resilient waste 
materials will necessarily spring back up and over the top 16 of the drum 
10. This problem can be solved through the use of a tubular, detachable 
sleeve 70 as shown in FIG. 8. The sleeve 70 is dimensioned to snugly fit 
within the top 16 of the drum 10. The sleeve 70 may also have angle 
brackets 71 on the exterior of the sleeve 70 that prevent the sleeve 70 
from moving too far downward into the interior 18 of the drum 10 when the 
sleeve 70 is installed in the top 16 of the drum 10. The sleeve 70 will 
retain the waste materials that spring back over the top 16 of the drum 10 
when the ram 60 is removed prior to placing a domed cap 36 on the top of 
the waste materials. The sleeve 70 can be installed by compacting 
personnel at the stage where the uppermost horizontal zone is filled with 
waste materials and compacted. The sleeve 70 allows for maximum final 
compacted density and uniformity of loading. 
Under certain high pressure compacting situations, it may be desirable to 
include an exterior clamp band 75; as shown in FIG. 8, to reinforce the 
side 12 of the drum 10. The clamp band 75 would ensure the original drum 
shape and counteract any deformation of the final compacted drum. The 
bottom 14 of the drum 10 may also tend to deform under high pressure 
compacting. Deformation can be eliminated by means of a simple disk (not 
shown) being placed under the bottom 14 of the drum 10 during compacting. 
Preferably, the outside diameter of the disk would be slightly less than 
the inside diameter of the bottom 14 of the drum 10 and of a height equal 
to the distance between the bottom 14 of the drum 10 and the compactor 
floor. 
Although the method of the invention has been described with reference to a 
vertical drum that is loaded from the top, horizontal loading and 
compaction are also contemplated. 
The method of the invention requires no external forces, such as a means to 
deform the waste container to engage the lip 42 of the domed cap 36 and 
the retaining members 26. The design characteristics of the domed cap 36 
allow enough horizontal elastic deformation on the downward ram stroke to 
bypass the retaining members 26 positioned above each horizontal zone 
without the domed cap 36 permanently deforming. 
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail 
with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, other embodiments 
are possible. For example, the storage container may be formed in a shape 
other than cylindrical. Accordingly, the wire form used in one embodiment 
of the invention would be formed in the alternative shape of the 
container. The engaging means of the domed cap and the retaining members 
may also be configured in an alternative arrangement that affords the same 
positive mechanical locking action, such as tabs engaging in a slot in the 
domed cap. The domed cap could also be manufactured with a generally flat 
profile in the center, ringed by an angled lip. This configuration would 
be sufficient for applications where less pressure is applied to the 
compacted waste material. Other modifications and variations may occur to 
those skilled in the art; therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended 
claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred 
embodiments contained herein.