Variable stroke feeder for moving refuse and like compactable material

Claim 2

The combination with a bin having bottom, side and end walls for retaining a supply of compactible material, said bin having a discharge opening in one end wall thereof leading into a passageway having a bottom, sides and top walls with the bottom of the discharge opening and of the passageway being flush with the bottom of the bin, a pusher at the bottom of the bin movable from a retracted position adjacent the other end wall of the bin toward and through said discharge opening into selectively predetermined first or second positions within said passageway, power means for effecting movement of said pusher and means operatively connected to said power means for controlling the movement of said pusher to either of the first or second positions, said latter means including means responsive to the pusher encountering a predetermined resistance to movement prior to its having advanced to the first position for effecting movement of the pusher to the second position.

Claim 3

The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said bottom of the passageway is located inside an incinerating furnace.

Claim 4

The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said power means comprises at least one hydraulic ram having a cylinder fixed relative to said pusher and a movable plunger attached to said pusher.

Claim 5

The combination with a bin having a bottom, side and end walls for retaining a supply of compactible material, said bin having a dischargE opening in one end wall thereof leading into a passageway having a bottom and sides with the bottom of the discharge opening and of the passageway being flush with the bottom of the bin, a pusher at the bottom of the bin sequentially movable from a retracted position adjacent the other end wall of the bin toward and through said discharge opening into selectively predetermined first or second positions within said passageway, power means for effecting movement of the pusher, first means operatively connected to the power means for controlling said power means and thus sequential movement of said pusher between said retracted position and said first or second positions, the normal sequence of operation of the pusher being between said retracted position and said first position, and second means operatively connected to the power means and responsive to said pusher encountering a predetermined resistance to movement prior to its having advanced to said first position for interrupting said normal sequence and causing said power means to move said pusher beyond said first position and toward said second position.

Claim 6

The combination with a bin having a bottom, side and end walls for retaining a supply of compactible material, said bin having a dischargE opening in one end wall thereof leading into a passageway having a bottom and sides with the bottom of the discharge opening and of the passageway being flush with the bottom of the bin, a pusher at the bottom of the bin sequentially movable from a retracted position adjacent the other end wall of the bin toward and through said discharge opening into selectively predetermined first or second positions within said passageway, power means for effecting movement of the pusher, first means operatively connected to the power means for controlling said power means and thus sequential movement of said pusher between said retracted position and said first or second positions, the normal sequence of operation of the pusher being between said retracted position and said first position, and second means operatively connected to the power means and responsive to said pusher encountering a predetermined resistance to movement prior to its having advanced to said first position for interrupting said normal sequence and causing said power means to move said pusher beyond said first position and toward said second position.

Claim 7

The combination with a bin having bottom, side and end walls for retaining a supply of compactible material, said bin having a discharge opening in one end wall thereof leading into a passageway having a bottom and sidewalls with the bottom of the discharge opening and of the passageway being flush with the bottom of the bin, a pusher at the bottom of the bin sequentially movable from a retracted position adjacent the other end wall of the bin toward and through the discharge opening into selectively predetermined first or second positions within said passageway, power means for effecting movement of said pusher, first means operatively connected to the power means for controlling said power means and movement of said pusher between said retracted position and said first or second positions, the normal sequence of operation of the pusher being between said retracted position and said first position such that the lowermost mass of material at the bottom of the bin is pushed through the discharge opening and into the passageway, each sequence of operation of the pusher exerting a compacting effect against similarly pushed material to form a plug of material in the passageway which is normally moved along the passageway by such pushing, and second means operatively connected to said power means and responsive to said plug of material encountering a predetermined resistance to further movement along said passageway for interrupting said normal sequence and causing said pusher to move beyond said first position and toward said second position, said second position being in advance of said first position thereby resulting in said plug of material being advanced therealong the passageway a greater distance than it would have been in the normal sequence of operation of said pusher.

Claim 8

The combination with a bin having bottom, side and end walls for retaining a supply of compactible material, said bin having a discharge opening in one end wall thereof leading into a passageway having a bottom and sidewalls with the bottom of the discharge opening and of the passageway being flush with the bottom of the bin, a pusher at the bottom of the bin sequentially movable from a retracted position adjacent the other end wall of the bin toward and through the discharge opening into selectively predetermined first or second positions within said passageway, power means for effecting movement of said pusher, first means operatively connected to the power means for controlling said power means and movement of said pusher between said retracted position and said first or second positions, the normal sequence of operation of the pusher being between said retracted position and said first position such that the lowermost mass of material at the bottom of the bin is pushed through the discharge opening and into the passageway, each sequence of operation of the pusher exerting a compacting effect against similarly pushed material to form a plug of material in the passageway which is normally moved along the passageway by such pushing, and second means operatively connected to said power means and responsive to said plug of material encountering a predetermined resistance to further movement along said passageway for interrupting said normal sequence and causing said pusher to move beyond said first position and toward said second position, said second position being in advance of said first position thereby resulting in said plug of material being advanced therealong the passageway a greater distance than it would have been in the normal sequence of operation of said pusher.

Claim 9

The combination as defined in claim 5 wherein said bottom of the passageway is located inside an incinerating furnace.

Claim 10

The combination as defined in claim 5 wherein said power means comprises a pair of hydraulic rams, each ram having a cylinder fixed relative to said pusher and a movable plunger attached to the pusher.