Patent Abstract:
An improved spindle and tarpaulin combination to be used in devices to deploy and take up a tarpaulin. The device is comprised of a reinforced spindle and a tarpaulin adapted to be attached to the spindle, such that the tarpaulin may be wound and unwound upon the spindle, with the tarpaulin adapted for use with a spindle having a length substantially less than the width of the tarpaulin.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The invention relates generally to the field of solid waste management and is directed to a combination device useful as a component in devices used for deploying and taking up a reusable cover for the open face of a landfill. More specifically, the invention is directed to an improved tarpaulin and spindle combination designed to be light weight, easily movable by typical landfill heavy equipment, and suitable for providing alternate daily cover in an inexpensive manner. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Pursuant to federal regulation, all sanitary landfills are required to have their working faces covered at the end of each day or when not being worked in order to control disease, fires, odors, blowing litter, and scavenging. The traditional daily cover used is soil, at a minimum required depth of six inches. However, the use of that amount of cover soil on a daily basis is expensive and takes up an unacceptable amount of valuable landfill air space, thereby reducing the capacity of a landfill and shortening its useful life. Given the high cost of siting, permitting, and constructing of landfills, the use of alternative daily cover instead of soil can be far more cost effective, saving time and operational costs including the cost of importing soil, equipment wear and tear, labor, and valuable airspace. 
     The prior art discloses various devices for deploying alternate daily cover. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,281 (Lammers). This device employs a superstructure to support a roll of thin film, which is unrolled over the open face of a landfill. The device is moved about by heavy equipment of the kind typically used at a landfill. However, this device suffers from the disadvantage of its reliance on the thin film material. Because of the light-weight nature of the thin film, ballast must be distributed over the surface of the thin film as it is deployed in order to hold it onto the face of the landfill, necessitating the Lammers device to employ hoppers. This feature adds significantly to the complexity and weight of the device. Moreover, the heavy equipment used to position the device is also used to provide power to the hoppers and must be modified somewhat to accommodate attachment to the device, resulting in downtime between use of the equipment with the device and for other purposes. Because of the reliance of the device on the use of light weight thin film, it cannot accommodate heavier, but far less expensive, alternative daily covers, such as reusable tarpaulins. Also, the increased weight of the device due to the need to employ hoppers makes the device impractical for use with landfills having unusually soft or wet content. These limitations of the Lammers device are overcome by the present invention. 
     Reusable tarpaulins are an effective, low-cost alternative daily cover, but can be difficult to deploy and take up because of their bulk and weight. The deployment process is labor intensive and dangerous if done by hand. Simply dragging a tarpaulin with a machine can be destructive to the tarpaulin. The prior art discloses devices for deploying and taking up tarpaulins, thereby permitting their safe, quick, and cost-effective use as alternative daily cover. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,014 (Slutz). Like the device disclosed in Lammers, the Slutz device consists of a framework for carrying a tarpaulin, to be moved by heavy equipment. It both deploys and takes up the tarpaulin using hydraulics. However, this device employs a complicated means for attaching and detaching the spindle about which is wrapped the tarpaulin, as well as means for raising and lowering an attached spindle with respect to the framework. As such, it represents a fairly complicated, expensive solution to the problem of deploying reusable, cost effective alternative daily cover. 
     The devices represented by the prior art fail to effectively deploy and take up cost effective alternative daily cover in a simplified, inexpensive, easy to use manner. The invention disclosed is an improvement over the prior art in that it allows for the use of inexpensive, reusable tarpaulins, it employs a simplified, inexpensive spindle and tarpaulin component to carry and deploy the alternative daily cover that can be used at small landfills with a minimum of labor, it employs weight-saving design features so that it can be used with smaller, less expensive machinery, and it is less likely to cause deploying devices to sink into and become mired in the waste materials which constitute a landfill than the heavier devices disclosed by the prior art. 
     It is an objective of this invention to provide a new and improved spindle and tarpaulin combination to be used with a device for deploying and taking up reusable alternative daily cover for use at landfills. Other objectives of this invention will be readily apparent from the description that follows. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the invention is directed to a component of a device used to deploy and take up a tarpaulin, to be used primarily in the field of waste management and specifically to assist in the use of a tarpaulin as a reusable, inexpensive alternative daily cover for landfills. The device comprises a spindle and a tarpaulin, wherein the tarpaulin is contained on and secured to the spindle. The device is intended to be used with a deployment device, which typically is lifted and positioned by the use of heavy equipment typically used at landfills, such as bulldozers, compactors, and excavators. The device employs weight-reducing design features which permit it to be used with smaller positioning equipment. 
     This aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features: the spindle may be hollow for reduced weight and may have both interior and exterior reinforcing components for increased strength, and the tarpaulin may include a narrow tongue which serves as a connection point to the spindle, thereby allowing use of a tarpaulin having a width greater than the length of the spindle. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention are described below. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a cut-away view of the spindle; showing the outer surface of the spindle casing and the reinforcement disks and spindle axle located in the interior of the spindle. 
     FIG. 2 is an end view of the spindle, showing the spindle support bars and a means for attaching the tarpaulin to the spindle. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a cut away side view of one embodiment of the spindle  3 . The spindle  3  is used to take up and deploy the tarpaulin  6 . The spindle  3  is comprised of a spindle casing  115 , a first spindle axle  120 , and a second spindle axle  124 . In one embodiment the spindle  3  also employs reinforcement disks  128 , 130 , 132 . The spindle casing  115  is a cylindrical hollow metal tube having a constant inside diameter. The first spindle axle  120  is a solid metal rod having a round cross-section and a constant diameter. Its overall length is less than one half the length of the spindle casing  115 . The second spindle axle  124  is a solid metal rod having a round cross-section and a constant diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the first spindle axle  120  and having a length less than one half the length of the spindle casing  115 . The outside end  122  of the first spindle axle  120  or the outside end  126  of the second spindle axle  124  may include a slot  182  or other means for assisting with rotating the spindle  3 . Each of the reinforcement disks  128 , 130 , 132  is substantially circular and of equal dimension with each other reinforcement disk  128 , 130 , 132 , with each reinforcement disk  128 , 130 , 132  having a diameter just slightly less than the inside diameter of the spindle casing  115  and each reinforcement disk  128 , 130 , 132  having a center circular aperture with an inside diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the first spindle axle  120 . 
     The inside end  121  of the first spindle axle  120  is inserted into the center circular aperture  129  of the first reinforcement disk  128  and fixedly attached thereto. Two or more supplemental reinforcement disks  132  are disposed along the shaft  123  of the first spindle axle  120  and are fixedly attached to the shaft  123  of the first spindle axle  120 , so that the shaft  123  of the first spindle axle  120  passes through the center circular aperture  133  of each such supplemental reinforcement disk  132 . The first spindle axle  120  is placed into the interior space  119  of the spindle casing  115  so that only the outside end  122  of the first spindle axle  120  is positioned exterior to the first end  116  of the spindle casing  115  and each of the reinforcement disks  128 , 132  fixedly attached to the first spindle axle  120  are positioned within the interior space  119  of the spindle casing  115 . The foregoing arrangement is repeated with the second spindle axle  124 , the second reinforcement disk  130 , and a like number of supplemental reinforcement disks  132 , with the second spindle axle  124  placed into the interior space  119  of the spindle casing  115  so that only the outside end  126  of the second spindle axle  124  is positioned exterior to the second end  117  of the spindle casing  115  and each of the reinforcement disks  130 , 132  fixedly attached to the second spindle axle  124  are positioned within the interior space  119  of the spindle casing  115 . All supplemental reinforcement disks  132  are fixedly attached to the inside surface  118 A of the spindle casing  115 . 
     One embodiment of the spindle  3  includes a first circular guide plate  134  and a second circular guide plate  136 . The first circular guide plate  134  is substantially circular and has a diameter greater than the inside diameter of the spindle casing  115 . It has a center circular aperture with an inside diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the first spindle axle  120 . The second circular guide plate  136  is substantially the same size and shape as the first circular guide plate. The first circular guide plate  134  is fixedly attached to the shaft  123  of the first spindle axle  120  between the first end of the spindle casing  115  and the outside end  122  of the first spindle axle  120 , such that the shaft  123  of the first spindle axle  120  passes through the center circular aperture of the first circular guide plate  134 . The second circular guide plate  136  is fixedly attached to the shaft  127  of the second spindle axle  124  in substantially the same manner. The circular guide plates  134 , 136  close off the inner space of the spindle casing  115  and serve to keep the tarpaulin  6  neatly on the spindle  3 . They also keep landfill content out of the interior space of the spindle casing  115 . The circular guide plates  134 , 136  are not designed to support the weight of the spindle  3 , however. 
     Fixedly attached to the outer surface  118  of the spindle casing  115  are a first spindle support bar  138 , a second spindle support bar  142 , and a third spindle support bar  145 , adapted to provide strength and rigidity to the spindle casing  115 . These are shown in FIG.  2 . Each of the spindle support bars  138 , 142 , 145  is constructed of angle iron and is of substantially equal length to each other spindle support bar  138 , 142 , 145  and to the spindle casing  115 . In addition, there may be disposed on the first side  139  of the first spindle support bar  138  first perforations  141 . The first spindle support bar  138  is oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle casing  115 , the second spindle support bar  142  is oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle casing  115 , and the third spindle support bar  145  is oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle casing  115 , with the first spindle support bar  138 , the second spindle support bar  142 , and the third spindle support bar  145  being disposed substantially evenly about the outer surface  118  of the spindle casing  115 . 
     The use of the first and second spindle axles  120 , 124 , the reinforcement disks  128 , 130 , 132 , and the three spindle support bars  138 , 142 , 145  greatly strengthens the spindle casing  115  and allows it to hold a greater quantity of tarpaulin  6  without undue flexing or distortion, while at the same time minimizing the overall weight of the spindle  3 . 
     In one embodiment, the tarpaulin  6  has a protrusion from one edge  150  of the tarpaulin  6  forming a tongue  151 . The tongue  151  is narrower in width than the length of the spindle  3 . In this embodiment the tarpaulin  6  is attached to the tarpaulin attachment component  4  at the tongue  151 . The use of the tongue  151  allows the full width of the tarpaulin  6  to exceed the length of the spindle  3 . In this configuration, the tarpaulin  6  is placed next to the spindle  3  and its tongue  151  is attached to the spindle  3 . Before the tarpaulin  6  is taken up onto the spindle  3 , the excess width of the tarpaulin  6  is folded towards the center of the tarpaulin  6 , such that the width of the tarpaulin  6  as folded does not exceed the length of the spindle  3 . Then the spindle  3  is rotated and the tarpaulin  6  is wound onto the spindle  3 . In this way a much wider tarpaulin  6  may be used while minimizing the overall length and weight of the spindle  3 , making deployment of the tarpaulin  6  more efficient. To deploy the tarpaulin  6  in this embodiment, the spindle  3  is rotated in an opposite direction to unwind the tarpaulin  6  therefrom, and then the excess width of the tarpaulin  6  is unfolded such that it lies flat on the ground. 
     FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of a means for attaching the tarpaulin  6  to the spindle  3 . It comprises a tarpaulin attachment plate  148  constructed of metal, having substantially the same size and shape as the first side  139  of the first spindle support bar  138  and having second perforations  149  regularly disposed along its length corresponding to the first perforations  141  disposed along the length of the first side  139  of the first spindle support bar  138 . The tarpaulin attachment plate  148  is positioned alongside the first side  139  of the first spindle support bar  138  such that the second perforations  149  are aligned with the first perforations  141 . The tarpaulin  6  is secured to the spindle  3  by being placed between the tarpaulin attachment plate  148  and the first side  139  of the first spindle support bar  138 , and then having a plurality of fasteners  153  passed through the second perforations  149 , through the tarpaulin  6 , and through the first perforations  141 , thereby securing the tarpaulin  6  tightly between the tarpaulin attachment plate  148  and the first side  139  of the first spindle support bar  138 . In one embodiment of the claimed invention, the tongue  151  of the tarpaulin  6  is secured between the first side  139  of the first spindle support bar  138  and the tarpaulin attachment plate  148 . The tarpaulin  6  is thus securely attached for normal use, but may be easily detached for repair or replacement. 
     Modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments of the invention without departing from the subject or spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8