Combination transfer and compacting apparatus

Claim 1

A COMPACTION AND TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSIBLE REFUSE INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, A FRAMEWORK, CHAMBER MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAMEWORK AND COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BOTTOM WALL AND A PAIR OF UPWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE WALLS, PUSHER PLATE MEANS COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT MEMBER HAVING DIMENSIONS SUBSTANTIALLY THOSE OF THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA DEFINED BY SAID BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS, AND ADAPTED TO FIT LOOSELY WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, DRIVING MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAMEWORK AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID PUSHER PLATE MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BOTTOM WALL AND SIDE WALLS AND ALSO ADAPTED TO DRIVE SAID PUSHER PLATE MEANS THROUGH THE SPATIAL LOCUS WITHIN SAID CHAMBER MEANS AND TO CYCLICALLY WITHDRAW SAID PUSHER PLATE THROUGH SAID SPATIAL LOCUS; A TRANSFER CONTAINER HAVING A SINGLE OPENING FORMED THEREIN, SAID OPENING HAVING DIMENSIONS AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE DIMENSIONS OF THE OVERALL AREA DEFINED BY SAID BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS OF SAID CHAMBER MEANS, HINGED PARTIAL CLOSURE MEANS ADAPTED TO PARTIALLY COVER SAID CONTAINER OPENING, TRANSFER PLATE MEANS COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT MEMBER COMPLEMENTALLY CONFIGURED TO SAID PUSHER PLATE MEANS, SAID PARTIAL CLOSURE MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO COMPLEMENTALLY, IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH SAID TRANSFER PLATE MEANS, FORM A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE CLOSURE FOR SAID END OPENING OF SAID TRANSFER CONTAINER, SAID PUSHER PLATE MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID TRANSFER PLATE MEANS IN COPLANAR LOCKING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, SAID PARTIAL CLOSURE MEANS AND SAID TRANSFER CONTAINER BEING ADAPTED TO RELEASABLY ENGAGE