Apparatus for automated refuse compacting and disposal

Claim 2

Apparatus for refuse compacting and disposal which comprises a hopper for collecting the refuse to be compacted and disposed, means for supporting a disposable carton alongside said hopper so that the refuse is passable into said carton through an open side thereof, a compacting ram positioned alongside said hopper having a trajectory which passes through said hopper and into said carton and having a face with dimensions which nearly conform to the cross-sectional dimensions of said carton supported alongside said hopper, a backplate to support said carton during compaction of the refuse therein, means for removal of said carton when filled with compacted refuse and means for positioning an empty carton alongside said hopper in replacement of the removed carton.

Claim 3

The apparatus for refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 1 which further comprises variable backplate support meaNs in alignment with the trajectory of said ram whereby disposable cartons of variable depth may be used according to the position of said backplate.

Claim 4

The apparatus for refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for positioning an empty carton alongside said hopper comprises a vertically extending carton guide containing a plurality of cartons in vertical arrangement which are gravity fed into position upon removal of the filled carton.

Claim 5

The apparatus for refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 3 which further comprises means for sealing the carton upon removal from the hopper.

Claim 6

The apparatus for refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 4 wherein the means for removal of said carton when filled with compacted refuse comprises a conveyor system which transports the filled carton to a storage area.

Claim 7

The apparatus for refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 5 wherein the means for sealing the carton comprises means for closing the flaps associated with the open side of said carton and means for sealing said flaps.

Claim 8

The apparatus for refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 6 wherein the means for closing flaps associated with and closing the open side of said carton comprises a plurality of flap-folding guides which engage the folded over upper and lower flaps of said open side of said carton as the carton passes on the conveyor and turns them to cover said carton opening.

Claim 9

The apparatus for refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 7 which further comprises a vertically extending refuse chute in communication with said hopper and through which refuse is passable to said hopper.

Claim 10

Apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal which comprises a hopper for collecting the refuse to be compacted and disposed, means for supporting a disposable carton alongside said hopper so that the refuse is passable into said carton through an open side thereof, a compacting ram positioned alongside said hopper having a trajectory which passes through said hopper and into said carton and having a face with dimensions which nearly conform to the cross-sectional dimensions of said carton supported alongside said hopper, a backplate to support said carton during compaction of the refuse therein, a sensing device associated with said hopper which causes said ram to advance on its trajectory through said hopper and into said carton compacting a predetermined amount of refuse collected in said hopper, a switch means associated with said ram which reverses the direction of travel of said ram when the back pressure of the refuse compaction reaches a preset level, a counting device for counting a number of hopper loads of refuse compacted into said carton and means activated by said counting device for removing said carton when a predetermined number of hopper loads have been compacted into said carton.

Claim 11

Apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal which comprises a hopper for collecting the refuse to be compacted and disposed, means for supporting a disposable carton alongside said hopper so that the refuse is passable into said carton through an open side thereof, a compacting ram positioned alongside said hopper having a trajectory which passes through said hopper and into said carton and having a face with dimensions which nearly conform to the cross-sectional dimensions of said carton supported alongside said hopper, a backplate to support said carton during compaction of the refuse therein, a sensing device associated with said hopper which causes said ram to advance on its trajectory through said hopper and into said carton compacting a predetermined amount of refuse collected in said hopper, a switch means associated with said ram which reverses the direction of travel of said ram when the back pressure of the refuse compaction reaches a preset level, a counting device for counting a number of hopper loads of refuse compacted into said carton and means activated by said counting device for removing said carton when a predetermined number of hopper loads have been compacted into said carton.

Claim 12

The apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 9 which further comprises means for positioning an empty carton alongside said hopper in replacement of the removed carton.

Claim 13

The apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 10 which further comprises variable backplate support means in alignment with the trajectory of said ram whereby disposable cartons of variable depth may be used according to the position of said backplate.

Claim 14

The apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 10 wherein the means for positioning an empty carton alongside said hopper comprises a vertically extending carton guide containing a plurality of cartons in vertical arrangement which are gravity fed into position upon removal of the filled carton.

Claim 15

The apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 12 which further comprises means for sealing the carton upon removal from the hopper.

Claim 16

The apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined iN claim 13 wherein the means for removal of said carton comprises a conveyor system which transports the filled carton to a storage area.

Claim 17

The apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 14 wherein the means for sealing the carton comprises means for closing the flaps associated with the open side of said carton and means for sealing said flaps.

Claim 18

The apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 15 wherein the means for closing flaps associated with and covering the open side of said carton comprises a plurality of flap-folding guides which engage the folded over upper and lower flaps of said open side of said carton as the carton passes on the conveyor and turns them to cover said carton opening.

Claim 19

The apparatus for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 16 which further comprises a vertically extending refuse chute in communication with said hopper and through which refuse is passable to said hopper.

Claim 24

The method for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 19 wherein the step of starting the compaction cycle comprises the steps of sensing when a predetermined amount of refuse has been collected in the hopper and sending a signal which initiates the compaction cycle.

Claim 25

The method for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 20 wherein the step of ending the compaction cycle comprises the steps of sensing the back pressure of the compacted refuse and reversing the direction of travel of the ram when a predetermined pressure has been reached.

Claim 26

The method for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 21 which further comprises the step of containing the refuse within the carton during the removal step.

Claim 27

The method for automatic refuse compacting and disposal as defined in claim 22 which comprises the further step of sealing the filled carton during the removal operation.