Device for transporting household refuse

Abstract: Method and device for transporting household refuse from a certain residential area, at which the residents can bring the refuse into one single receiving device (1) accessible to a garbage truck (14), so that it can be immediately emptied therein by connecting a discharge opening of the device (1) to the garbage truck (14). The receiving device comprises an elongated substantially vertical housing (1) sunk into the ground, which at one transverse end (5) provided with a supply and discharge opening closable by a cover (6, 18) and at the opposed transverse end (3) with a substantially closed wall (4), and a piston (7) adapted to the cross-section of the housing (1) and being reciprocable inside the housing (1) between the cover (6, 18) and the closed wall (4).

Description: The invention relates to a device as described in the preamble of claim 1. Such a device is known by GB-A-1 155 701 This known device is provided with wheels for moving it over the ground and it can be lifted and tilted by means provided on a garbage truck such that the axis of the device can be brought in an almost horizontal position. The truck is also provided with means for moving the piston in the device for bringing the garbage into the garbage truck. By this the contents of the device is limited and in view of the way in which the device is emptied it will be difficult to provide the device with a cover. This, of course, has serious disadvantages such as in respect of smell. The object of the invention is to remove these disadvantages and to provide a device with a relatively large content which nevertheless can be easely emptied into a garbage truck and to that end the features are applied as indicated in the characterizing portion of the main claim. It can he remarked that from US-A-3 677 422 a garbage contaimer in the shape of a curved pipe is known which is partial buried underground. One end of the pipe is at street level and the other end can be positsioned in a garbage truck when removing the garbage out of the pipe. In view of the curved shape of the pipe the contents of it cannot be used completely and the "piston" has to be moved by cables extending in both directions from it. So when emptying the pipe both ends of it have to be opened and after having drawn the piston to the one end of the pipe by means of one cable it has to be moved back by means of the other one. Caused by the ball-shape of the piston the possibility exists that solid refuse is clamped between it and the wall of the pipe. When the piston has to be moved the cables by which this is done will engage the wall of the pipe and one of the cables will have to be moved sidewards through the garbage in the pipe when this has to be emptied. This will give rise to wear of the cables and of the wall of the pipe. When bringing garbage into the pipe this can easely stay behind in the entrance portion of it and will not move further into the pipe. In case of the device according to the invention this disadvantage will not occur at all and the garbage can be brought into the device in a simple way through the cover closing the upper end of the device. A supplying possibility in an axially extending wall of the housing could naturally also be provided for. Such an opening can then be close above the ground. The cover and a possible further supply opening will be provided with a lock and/or another protection for preventing children or pets from coming into the housing. Several means can be applied for reciprocating the piston, such as for example cables engaging the piston at some positions near its edge and are guided over motor-driven cable rollers. However, in particular it can be provided for, that the piston is actuated by means of a hydraulic cylinder, which is situated near the closed transverse wall of the housing and the hydraulic lines of which can be coupled to hydraulic lines present at the garbage truck. Then there will be no need for leading lines for electrical energy to the receiving space. At the same time it will then be impossible to displace the piston and thus bringing garbage from the receiving space into the open without the garbage truck being present. Possibly, the hydraulic cylinder can then be partly countersunk into the closed transverse wall, but it is not absolutely neccesary. As it happens, hydraulic cylinders with small constructive length and relatively long stroke are commercially available. The garbage truck will have to be provided with two quick connect couplings for connecting the lines going to the hydraulic cylinder in the housing. According to the invention, the axis of the housing will enclose an angle from about 10 to 30° with the vertical. Due to this, garbage coming out of the discharge opening will already have a certain speed in horizontal direction for getting into the garbage truck more easily. In order to improve the movement of the garbage to the garbage truck still further, a part of the axial wall of the housing near the cover can be provided with a bent plate projecting above the cover, at the top part of the housing. In most cases, the cross-section of the housing will have such dimensions, that it will not be practical that the cover must be lifted in its entirety when one wants to bring garbage into it. Then, it can be provided for, that in the cover a hatch is made, the size of which is adapted to the size of the garbage to be brought into the housing. It can also be provided for, that the cover is mounted in a substantially vertical plane and is connected to a part of a bend, which connects to the radial upper end of the housing. Particularly a part of the bend together with the cover will have been pivotably mounted to the further part of the bend, which has been fixedly connected to the housing. This last part of the bend will take care of the guiding of the garbage with bringing it into the garbage truck. Further, it can be provided for, that brushes directed inwardly from the wall of the bend have been mounted in the part of the bend connected with the cover, at a distance behind the cover. These brushes again limit the size of the opening through which garbage can be brought into the housing. Owing to the fact that the brushes are connected to the part of the bend that can be pivoted away, they do not form a hindrance when the garbage has to be brought from the housing into the garbage truck. In order to realize the separated collecting of garbage in an easy way, it can be provided for, that several housings have been mounted adjacent each other for receiving different types of garbage. Possibly, the garbage truck can also be divided into a number of adjacent compartments, so that the housings placed next to each other can be emptied at the same time. This will naturally be dependent on the dimensions of the housings. In particular with arranging several housings adjacent each other the housings can have a rectangular cross-section, but naturally a circular cross-section is also possible so that then for example one can employ a round steel pipe. By GB-A-1 155 701 a garbage container is known with a bottom which is provided with wheels and which can be displaced in the housing to remove garbage from it. To that end, however, the container first has to be lifted from the ground by the garbage truck and then power means attached to said truck has to be connected to said bottom to press this inwardly. Obviously, this construction can only be applied in case of relatively small containers. By US-A-3 677 422 a garbage container is known which is buried below the ground but has a curved shape so that both opposite ends are at or near ground level. Because of this the container will need much space and removal of the garbage from it will require special means such as a piston which is moved by means of cables. One of said cables will be buried into the garbage thrown into the container and will take along garbage with it during emptying the container. By EP-A-0 127 956 a garbage container is known which has to be emptied by evacuation of air from the container. Obviously, the container will have to be of heavy construction and valves and a suction pump will have to be present to make the emptying possible. The invention is further explained by means of two embodiments, illustrated in the drawing, in which: fig. 1 diagrammatically shows a vertical section across a first embodiment of a device according to the invention, with a garbage truck placed at it; and fig. 2 shows a part of fig. 1 but of a somewhat modified embodiment of the device. Fig. 1 shows in section an elongated housing 1, which is partly sunk into the ground 2. The housing 1 encloses an angle α of about 15° with the vertical. The lower end 3 of the housing 1 is provided with a substantially closed wall 4 and the upper end 5 of the housing 1 is provided with a cover 6. Within the housing 1 between the ends 3 and 5 a piston 7 is present, which can be displaced up and down by means of the hydraulic cylinder 8. The hydraulic cylinder 8 is supported by the wall 4, which thereto naturally need not be completely closed. There is also the possibility to support the wall 4, or the hydraulic cylinder 8 by means of a pole 9 mounted in the ground. The part of the housing 1 projecting above the ground can be provided with a concrete casing 10, so that damage of the wall of the housing 1 can be prevented. In the cover 6 there can be an opening 11, which can be closed by means of a hatch 12, which hatch be opened to bring a garbage bag 13 into the housing 1. When the garbage should be removed from the housing 1, a garbage truck 14 is driven up to the housing 1, the cover 6 is opened and hydraulic lines 15, which extend upwards from the hydraulic cylinder 8 in a way not further represented, are connected to hydraulic lines not further represented by means of quick connect couplings mounted to the garbage truck 14. The hydraulic connections, extending from the hydraulic cylinder, can be received in a closable space in the casing 10. At the highest end of the housing a bent plate 17 projecting upwards can be mounted for guiding the garbage on pushing it into the garbage truck 14. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2 the cover 18 lies substantially in a vertical plane and is connected to a part 19 of a bend 20, which at the other side connects to the upper end 5 of the housing 1. The part 19 of the bend 20 is pivotably connected to the further part of the bend and in fig. 2 the parts 18 and 19 have been pivoted to that position in which the garbage can be discharged from the housing 1 and brought into the garbage truck 14. In fig. 2 the piston 7 is in its highest position. Possibly, provisions can be made for carrying garbage that would stay behind on the piston away therefrom and bringing it into the garbage truck 14. Depending on the size of the cover 18, alternatively again a hatch 12 can be made therein and brushes 21 protruding inwards from the wall can be mounted in the part 19 of the bend 20, for limiting the opening through which garbage is brought into the housing 1. It will be obvious, that only some embodiments of a device according to the invention have been illustrated and that many modifications can be made without falling beyond the scope of the claims.

Claims: Device for receiving garbage which device is formed by an elongated housing (1) which is provided at one transverse end (5) with a supply and discharge opening and at the opposed transverse end (3) with a substantially closed wall in the shape of a piston adapted to the cross-section of the housing (1) and being reciprocable inside the housing between both ends (3,5) for removing garbage out of the housing and into a garbage truck (14), characterized in that the housing (1) is for the greater part fitted sunk into the ground (2) such that the axis of the housing extends substantially in vertical direction and that the upper end (5) of the housing, which is provided with a cover (6,18), is at a level above the ground (2) adapted to the infeed of the garbage truck (14), said piston (7) being movable by means which can be actuated by said garbage truck (14). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the piston (7) is actuated by means of a hydraulic cylinder (8), which is situated near the closed transverse wall (4) of the housing (1) and the hydraulic lines (15) of which can be coupled to hydraulic lines present at the garbage truck (14). Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the axis of the housing (1) will enclose an angle from about 10 to 30° with the vertical. Device according to one of the claims 1-3, characterized in that near the cover (6) a part of the axial wall of the housing (1) is provided with a bent plate (17) projecting above the cover (6). Device according to one of the claims 1 - 4, characterized in that in the cover (6, 18) a hatch (12) has been made, the size of which is adapted to the size of the garbage to be brought into the housing (1). Device according to one of the claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the cover (18) is mounted in a substantially vertical plane and is connected to a part (19) of a bend (20), which connects to the radial upper end (5) of the housing (1). Device according to claim 6, characterized in that a part (19) of the bend (20) together with the cover (18) has been pivotably mounted to the further part of the bend (20) which has been fixedly connected to the housing (1). Device according to claim 7, characterized in that brushes (21) directed inwardly from the wall of the bend (20) have been mounted in the part (19) of the bend connected with the cover (18), at a distance behind the cover. Device according to one of the claims 1 - 8, characterized in that several housings (1) have been mounted adjacent each other for receiving different types of garbage.

Inventors: VAN DEN HERIK PIETER ADRIAAN, VAN DEN HERIK, PIETER ADRIAAN
Applicants: HERIK PIETER ADRIAAN V D, VAN DEN HERIK, PIETER ADRIAAN
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B65F5
IPC codes: B65F1, B65F3