Patent Abstract:
A tarping system that automatically covers and prevents trash from spilling from a trash opening in the rear vertical panel of a CRC. The tarping system automatically draws a tarp from the lower edges of the trash opening up over the opening, effectively closing the opening completely. The lower edges of the tarp are secured around the lower side edges and bottom edge of the trash opening of the CRC and the upper edges are secured to a tarping bar. The tarping bar is spring-biased to automatically swing upward when the CRC is moved away from a trash compactor site, in the process collecting any trash that spills from the trash opening and preventing trash from slipping from the CRC at the bottom of the tarp.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to the field of trash containers. More particularly, the invention relates to tarps for securing the trash-receiving opening in the rear of a trash container. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   A compactor receiver container (CRC) is a trash container that receives compacted trash. The CRC has an opening in the rear vertical container panel and is otherwise enclosed. Large stores, for example, typically have a trash collection site that includes a trash compactor installed in a trash disposal room and a CRC stationed to receive trash directly from the compactor. The CRC, once filled, is towed away by a tow vehicle to a waste disposasl site for emptying and then returned to the trash collection site. 
   A frequent nuisance when moving the CRC away from the trash collection site is that trash falls out of the opening onto the ground. The typical CRC removal procedure thus includes multiple steps: the driver of the tow vehicle first moves the CRC away from the wall, then gets out, picks up trash that has fallen onto the ground, and finally manually secures a tarp over the opening. The tarp is secured by elastic cords, rope, or the like. Having to clean up trash from the ground is an avoidable waste of time. Furthermore, it can take considerable time and effort for a single person to secure the tarp over the opening of an overfilled CRC. A further disadvantage of the current practice is that the cords securing the tarp may fray and/or break, with trash then spilling out onto the ground during transit to the waste disposal site. 
   In an effort to simplify the process of securing the trash opening in the CRC, Brown (U.S. Patent Appl. Pub. 2002/0139493) devised a spring-loaded tarp assembly for covering the trash opening of a CRC, which makes it easier for the operator to secure a tarp over the trash opening. A disadvantage of this tarp assembly is that the tarp must be manually lowered and secured by the operator. Another disadvantage is that the tarp is pulled from the upper edge of the trash opening downward, to be secured at the lower edge of the CRC. This does not eliminate the problem of trash spilling from the trash opening as the tarp is pulled down. Furthermore, due to the force of gravity, trash in an overfilled CRC will tend to work its way out of the CRC at the bottom of the tarp, even when it is properly secured. 
   A further nuisance related to the use of the CRC is that once it is transported away from the trash collection site, there is often nowhere to put trash that spilled out of the CRC. When the CRC is picked up for emptying, it is typically not replaced with another one at that time. Rather, the CRC is brought to the waste disposal site and then returned to the trash collection site. If someone does go out and pick up any spillage, there is no CRC or other large container available for stowing the trash until the CRC is returned. As a result, the spillage is quite often left to blow around the parking lot until the empty CRC is returned. 
   What is needed, therefore, is a tarping system for a CRC that does not require manual intervention by the operator of the trash tow vehicle. What is further needed is such a device that automatically covers the trash opening when the CRC is moved away from a wall. What is yet further needed is such a device that prevents trash from falling from the CRC onto the ground, even when the opening in the CRC is not fully covered. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   For the reasons stated above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tarping system for a CRC that automatically covers the trash opening in the CRC when it is moved away from a wall. It is a further object to provide such a device that prevents trash from falling from the CRC on the ground, even when the trash opening in the CRC is not fully covered. 
   The objects of the invention are achieved by providing a tarping system that automatically swings a tarp over the trash opening of a CRC, from the bottom up, when the CRC is moved away from a wall. The term “CRC” as used hereinafter includes both 40-yard and 100-yard trash containers, the key feature of the CRC being that the trash opening is in the rear of the container and not on the top. The tarping system according to the invention comprises a tarp, tarping bar, and an actuating means. One end of the tarp is secured to the bottom of the trash opening of the CRC and the other end attached to the tarping bar. When in the “open” mode, the tarping bar is held in an open position against or in the vicinity of the lower edge of the opening; in a “closed” mode, the tarping bar is held in a closed position against the rear panel above the upper edge of the trash opening. With the tarping bar in the open position, the tarp is folded or pleated between the tarping bar and the rear panel of the CRC; with the bar in the closed position, the tarp is unfolded and pulled upward to cover the entire trash opening of the CRC. 
   The tarping system according to the invention encompasses at least two embodiments; one that is strictly mechanical in operation and one that is power-assisted. Electromechanical, electromagnetic, hydraulic, or pneumatic devices may provide the power assistance. In the mechanical embodiment, the actuating means for moving the tarping bar between the open and closed positions is a spring-loaded tension assembly comprising a tension spring attached at one end to a cable and at the other end to a pivot end of the tarping bar. The pivot end of the tarping bar is pivotably mounted on a pivot pin that is attached to the rear panel of the CRC, near a side edge of the trash opening. The actuating means in this mechanical embodiment is a tensioner that applies tension to the tension spring, which then forces the tarping bar to swing about the pivot pin through a semicircular arc, from its open position in which the tarping bar is positioned at or near the lower edge of the trash opening to the closed position, in which the tarping bar is positioned at or near the upper edge of the trash opening. 
   The tarp itself is attached to the rear panel of the CRC, around the lower half of the trash opening, and to the tarping bar. The contour of the tarp is such that it has sufficient fabric to allow the tarping bar to swing through a full semicircular arc from the open position to the closed position, to completely cover the trash opening. 
   When the CRC is in position for receiving compacted trash from the trash compactor, the tarping bar is held in the open position, without any tension on the spring, of a safety chain or other retaining means. Before moving the CRC away from the compactor, the safety chain or other retaining means is released. The tensioner is moved to a position that applies tension to the spring, which biases the tarping bar to move upward. The CRC is then moved away from the compactor site by the tow vehicle. As the CRC moves away from the compactor site and the tarping bar is free to move upward, the tension spring pulls the end of the tarping bar about its pivot pin, forcing the tarping bar upward into the closed position and thereby automatically pulling the tarp upward over the trash opening. Once in the closed position, the tarping bar may be secured against the rear panel of the CRC by means of safety chains, elastic shock cords, or other means, to prevent the bar from being jostled open in transit. Additionally, a lock is included that locks the tarping bar in the down or “open” position to prevent the bar from accidentally snapping up. 
   This mechanical embodiment of the tarping system is particularly advantageous for several reasons. The spring force can be very fast-acting, so as to snap the tarping bar up toward the closed position within a very brief span of time. This is desirable, because the faster the trash opening is closed, the less able trash is able to spill. Also, the tarping system requires no power source, other than the force exerted to apply tension to the spring. This is advantageous because the CRC itself does not have a power source. Because the CRC is not always returned to the same trash collection site, and some trash collection sites do not have the means to provide a power, it would require some logistical effort to ensure that a CRC with a power-assisted tarping system is not placed at a trash collection site that has no means of providing power. 
   In a power-assisted tarping system, the power-assists may include hydraulic, pneumatic, and/or electromagnetic means for moving the tarping bar. In such an embodiment, the actuating means includes a control module or power switch, ideally located on the rear panel of the CRC, and a power-assist unit, such as an electric motor with winch, or hydraulic unit with piston and cylinder. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the automatic tarper according to the invention, showing the automatic tarper in its open position. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the automatic tarper of  FIG. 1 , showing the automatic tarper in its closed position. 
       FIG. 3  is an illustration of the automatic tarper of  FIG. 1  as it moves from the open position to the closed position. 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of a tarp of the automatic tarper according to the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of a second embodiment of the automatic tarper according to the invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of a third embodiment of the automatic tarper according to the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a preferred embodiment of an automatic tarper  100  according to the invention for automatically covering a trash opening O in a CRC C.  FIG. 1  shows an open position of the automatic tarper  100  and  FIG. 2  a closed position. The trash opening O is located in the rear vertical panel of the CRC and has a lower edge O L , an upper edge O U , and side edges O S . The automatic tarper  100  comprises an actuating assembly  110 , a tarping bar  160 , and a tarp  180 . The tarp is generally depicted with cross-hatching. In the embodiment shown, the actuating assembly  110  is mounted on each side of the trash opening O, with the two assemblies being the mirror reverse of each other. When the automatic tarper  100  is in the open position, the tarping bar  160  is positioned slightly below the lower edge O L  and along the lower portions of the side edges O S  and is spring-biased to spring upward to the closed position. In the closed position, the tarping bar  160  is positioned above or near the upper edge O U  of the trash opening O. When moving to the closed position, the tarping bar  160  pulls the tarp up over the trash opening O. 
   The actuating assembly  110  comprises a tension spring  132 , but in the embodiment shown, the assembly includes an actuator  111 , a tensioner bar  116 , and a tension assembly  112 , which includes the tension spring  132 . The actuator  100 , in this preferred embodiment, is a simple lever that is fixedly connected to the tensioner bar  116 , which is rotatably mounted on the rear panel of the CRC C with mounting brackets  113 . The tension assembly  112  includes a tension cable  114 , a tension spring  132 , and an adjustment means  120 . One end of the tension cable  114  is fixedly attached to the adjustment means  120  and the other end to the tension spring  132 . The adjustment means  120  is connected to the tensioner bar  116  via a swing bar  122  that is fixedly attached to the tensioner bar  116 . The adjustment means  120  in this embodiment includes a turnbuckle  126  that is connected at one end to the swing bar  122  via a shackle  124  and at the other end to the tension cable  114 . 
     FIG. 1  also illustrates the attachment of the tension spring  132  to the tarping bar  160 . The tarping bar  160  is U-shaped, with side arms  162  and a horizontal bar  161  therebetween. Each side arm  162  is pivotably mounted to a pivot bar  165  that is fixedly mounted on the side edge O S  of the CRC C at a pivot point  166 . A pivot end  164  of the side arm  162  extends beyond the pivot pivot point  166  and has an eye for receiving a fastening means  143  of the tension spring  132 . In the embodiment shown, the fastening means  143  is a hook. When tension is applied to the tension spring  132 , it exerts a downward force on the pivot end  164 , biasing the tarping bar  160  to the closed position. 
   Tension is applied to the tension spring  132  by rotating the lever  111  from a tension release position, shown in  FIG. 1 , downward to a biasing position, shown in  FIG. 2 . This swings the swing bar  122  approximately 180 degrees about the axis of the tensioner bar to its biasing position in which a pull is exerted on the tension cable  114  and on the pivot end  164 , which in turn biases the tarping bar  160  to move to the closed position. 
   Several safety features are incorporated into the automatic tarper  100 . A tension lock  128  is provided, to lock the tension assembly  112  into the open or biased position. In the embodiment shown, the tension lock  128  is a simple bar that prevents the tarping bar  160  from swing outward. A safety chain  190  is attached to the horizontal bar  161 . This chain may be attached to the CRC C to prevent the tarping bar  160  from moving toward the closed position and may also be attached to the upper edge O U , when the CRC is being readied for transit, to secure the tarping bar  160  in the closed position. Eyes for receiving hooks are generally provided along the upper edge O U  of the conventional CRC and a simple, effective means of securing the tarping bar  160  for transit is to hook the safety chain  190  to one of the eyes. 
     FIG. 3  is a side view of the automatic tarper  100 , illustrating the motion of the tarping bar  160 , as the CRC C is pulled away from the trash compactor site. As shown, the tarp  180  is attached to a bottom edge of the CRC C and to the lower half of the side edges of the trash opening O. As the tarping bar  160  swings upward approximately 180 degrees, it pulls the tarp  180  up over the rear panel of the CRC C, thereby closing the trash opening O. Conventional CRCs have a recessed area R on the rear panel, shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In the embodiment shown, the actuating and tensioning components of the automatic tarper  100  are installed in this recess R. 
     FIG. 4  is a front view of the tarp  180 . The tarp  180  includes a main section  182 , two side sections  181 A,  181 B and a sleeve  182 . The side sections  181 A,  181 B are triangular shaped pieces having an extra width at the top edge that corresponds to the length of one of the side arms  162 . The sleeve  182  is constructed to fit over the side arms  162  and the horizontal bar  162 , leaving the pivot ends  164  of the side arms  162  free. The bottom edge of the main section  183  is affixed to the lower edge O L  and the side sections  181 A,  181 B are affixed to the lower halves of the two side edges O S . The top edge of the side sections  181 A,  181 B have an extra width that is dimensioned such that the tarping bar  160  is able to swing through a full semicircular arc. Any suitable means may be used to affix the main section  183  and side sections  181 A,  181 B to the edges of the trash opening O, such as rivets, adhesive means, hook-and-loop fastener strips, hooks and eyes, snap fasteners, clamps, or any combination thereof. 
     FIGS. 1–4  illustrate the various components of the preferred embodiment of the automatic tarper  100 . Ideally, the components are incorporated into a pre-assembled unit that is mounted in the recess R as a single unit, with essentially only the tarping bar  160  extending out beyond the recess. The pre-assembled unit simplifies installation of the tarping bar  160 , as it eliminates the need to measure carefully the specific mounting locations of the various components on the CRC C. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates a second embodiment of the invention that is a winch-operated automatic tarper  200 . The automatic tarper  200  comprises an electrical actuating assembly  210 , the tarping bar  160  and the tarp  180 . The actuating assembly  210  includes a winch  220  with a cable  230 , a motor  240 , a switch or control module  250  and a power cord  260  for connecting to an external energy source. The cable  230  is attached to the pivot end  164  of the side arm  162  of the tarping bar  160 . To raise the tarping bar  160  to the closed position, the switch  250  is actuated and the the motor  240  energized. The winch  220  turns, shortening the length of the cable  230  and thereby forcing the tarping bar  160  to pivot about the pivot point  165 . Ideally, the electric actuating assembly  210  is mounted at the rear of the CRC C and is actuated while the operator has the automatic tarper  200  in view, to ensure that it is not actuated while persons are working in the area. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates a third embodiment of the invention that is a hydraulically driven automatic tarper  300  comprising a hydraulic actuating assembly  310 , the tarping bar  160  and the tarp  180 . The hydraulic actuating assembly  310  includes a piston  320  with an operating end  350 , a cylinder  330 , and quick connectors  340 A,  340 B that connect the cylinder  330  to a hydraulic fluid reservoir. The operating end of the piston  350  attaches to the pivot end  164  of the side arm  162  and, depending on whether the piston  320  is being extended or retracted, forces the tarping bar  160  to the open or the closed position, respectively. The hydraulic piston and cylinder system is well known and is not described with any detail herein. 
   It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention. One skilled in the art may contemplate variations in the construction of the automatic tarper without limiting the intended scope of the invention herein disclosed and as defined by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8