US3721060A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Refuse compacting device
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-06-03
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Granted: 1973-03-20
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Expires: 1990-06-03
Abstract
Abstract A refuse compactor easily positioned under existing refuse chutes and allowing the refuse collecting, compacting and packaging steps to be performed along a single vertical axis. The compactor incorporates at least one horizontally disposed movable door functioning as a compacting ram, with an open position for refuse collecting and a closed position for compacting. In one embodiment, the movable door is supported by two vertically disposed reciprocating plates slidable along the inside walls of a surrounding extension chute. The plates are driven by hydraulic pistons. When refuse is dropped into the chute, it passes through the extension chute, the open movable door and into collection means placed at the base of the extension chute. When compaction is desired, the movable door is closed and the hydraulic pistons draw the vertical plate and door assembly down to compact the refuse collected. Thus the collecting, compacting and packaging steps all occur along a single vertical axis. In other embodiments, the collection and compaction occur within the extension chute by incorporating movable doors or a movable platform at the base of the extension chute to substantially close the chute and collect the refuse. When compaction is desired, similar horizontally disposed vertically reciprocating movable doors are used to effectuate the compaction. When the desired amount of refuse has been compacted, the movable doors at the base of the extension chute open and allow the compacted refuse to drop into collection means at the base of the extension chute or the platform is drawn downward supporting the compacted refuse. In a further embodiment, movable doors at the base of the extension chute serve as the press head while the collection means placed at the base of the extension chute are vertically reciprocated to effectuate the desired compaction. The compactor also incorporates reciprocating flexible fins or permanently mounted sawtooth blades in the extension chute or mounted in the existing refuse chute to destroy any refuse bridge and substantially reduce any refuse buildup or jamming.
Inventors
- 👤 M Quinto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 22:15
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65F; B65F1/00; B65F1/0093; B09; B09B; B09B3/00; B09B3/30; B09B3/32; B30; B30B; B30B9/00; B30B9/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A compactor comprising: A. a delivery chute for delivering material to be compacted; B. a compacting cylinder having its axis aligned with the axis of said delivery chute and adapted for receiving material passing through said delivery chute sand having the material compacted therein; C. a press head aligned with said delivery chute and said compacting cylinder and mounted for relative reciprocating motion with respect to and completely within said delivery chute along the axis thereof, and having at least a portion thereof movable in a direction transverse to said axis forming a press position for compacting and an open position for allowing material to enter said compacting cylinder from said delivery chute; and D. at least one slidable plate a. mounted entirely within said delivery chute, b. conforming to and slidable along a portion of the walls thereof, and c. said press head being mounted to said slidable plate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
150 words
A compactor comprising: A. a delivery chute for delivering material to be compacted; B. a compacting cylinder having its axis aligned with the axis of said delivery chute and adapted for receiving material passing through said delivery chute sand having the material compacted therein; C. a press head aligned with said delivery chute and said compacting cylinder and mounted for relative reciprocating motion with respect to and completely within said delivery chute along the axis thereof, and having at least a portion thereof movable in a direction transverse to said axis forming a press position for compacting and an open position for allowing material to enter said compacting cylinder from said delivery chute; and D. at least one slidable plate a. mounted entirely within said delivery chute, b. conforming to and slidable along a portion of the walls thereof, and c. said press head being mounted to said slidable plate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A compactor as defined in claim 1 and E. at least one hydraulic cylinder mounted to said delivery chute and to said slidable plate for reciprocation thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A compactor as defined in claim 1, wherein said movable portion of said press head comprises: E. at least one pivotable plate mounted to the end of said slidable plaTe.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A compactor as defined in claim 3, and; G. means biasing said pivotable plate to said press position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A compactor as defined in claim 4, and; H. cam means for pivoting said pivotable plate against said biasing means to said open position when said slidable plate is at the end of its reciprocating motion away from said compacting cylinder.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
A compactor as defined in claim 3, wherein said compacting cylinder comprises a box supporting and receiving portion and a lip portion adapted to extend over the sides of a box in juxtaposed spaced relationship from the facing end of said delivery chute.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
91 words
A compactor as defined in claim 3, further comprising F. a plurality of compacting cylinders comprising means for supporting and receiving a plurality of boxes side by side, G. means for moving the boxes laterally after a box has been filled, H. a wiper extending from the end of said delivery channel along a side thereof; and, I. means biasing said wiper into alignment with the sides of said boxes whereby uncompacted material is wiped from a filled box into an empty box for compacting when said boxes are moved laterally.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A compactor as defined in claim 6, wherein said pivotable plate reciprocates within said delivery chute.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A compactor as defined in claim 1, wherein said delivery chute and said compacting cylinder are a unitary cylinder within said press head reciprocates, and further comprises E. means for opening and closing the end of said unitary cylinder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
A compactor as defined in claim 9, and; F. means for reciprocating said press head through short strokes several times when said end is closed and for reciprocating said press head through a larger stroke when said end is open to expel the compacted contents of said unitary cylinder.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A compactor as defined in claim 9, wherein said means for opening and closing said end comprises at least one pivotable plate mounted to the end of said unitary cylinder.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A compactor as defined in claim 9, wherein said movable portion of said press head comprises at least one pivotable plate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
A compactor as defined in claim 9, wherein said means for opening and closing said end comprises a plate mounted transverse to and for reciprocation along the axis of said unitary cylinder.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A compactor as defined in claim 13, and; F. packaging means open at one end and closed at the other engaged with the exterior of said unitary cylinder during compaction with the closed end portion thereof between said end of said unitary cylinder and said transverse plate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
A compactor as defined in claim 14, wherein said packaging means is a flexible bag.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
A compactor as defined in claim 15, and; G. means for moving said press head and said transverse plate together to cause compacted material to be extruded from said unitary cylinder into said flexible bag; and, H. means for thereafter sealing the open end of said bag.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
A compactor as defined in claim 1, and; E. clearing means attached to and reciprocating with said press head and extending into said delivery channel for driving material toward said compacting cylinder.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
73 words
A compactor comprising: A. a delivery chute for delivering material to be compacted; B. a press head pivotably mounted to one end of said delivery chute; and C. a compacting cylinder juxtaposed to the end of said delivery chute incorporating said press head, with the axis of said compacting cylinder aligned with the axis of said delivery chute, and D. means for reciprocately moving said compacting cylinder with respect to said delivery chute.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
73 words
A compactor comprising: A. a delivery chute for delivering material to be compacted; B. a press head pivotably mounted to one end of said delivery chute; and C. a compacting cylinder juxtaposed to the end of said delivery chute incorporating said press head, with the axis of said compacting cylinder aligned with the axis of said delivery chute, and D. means for reciprocately moving said compacting cylinder with respect to said delivery chute.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
A compactor as defined in claim 18, wherein said compacting cylinder comprises a box supporting and receiving portion and a lip portion adapted to extend over the sides of a box at the press head facing end thereof.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
A compactor as defined in claim 18, wherein said press head comprises a paIr of rotatable pivotable doors.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
41 words
In a compactor comprising a vertical, co-axially aligned delivery channel, compacting cylinder, and reciprocating press head; choke-up preventing apparatus comprising: A. an elongated reciprocating member within said delivery channel; and B. blade means mounted at spaced intervals along said reciprocating member.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
In a compactor comprising a vertical, co-axially aligned delivery channel, compacting cylinder, and reciprocating press head; choke-up preventing apparatus comprising: A. an elongated reciprocating member within said delivery channel; and B. blade means mounted at spaced intervals along said reciprocating member.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said blade means are resiliently mounted for closure as said reciprocating member advances into said delivery channel through material to be compacted.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said reciprocating member is mounted on and reciprocates with said press head.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
107 words
A compactor comprising: A. a delivery chute for delivering material to be compacted; B. a compacting cylinder having its axis aligned with the axis of said delivery chute; and C. at least two press heads a. aligned with said delivery chute and said compacting cylinder, b. mounted for independent relative reciprocating motion with respect to and in said delivery chute along the axis thereof, and c. each of said press heads having at least a portion thereof movable in a direction transversed to said axis forming a press position for compacting and an open position for allowing material to enter said compacting cylinder from said delivery chute.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
107 words
A compactor comprising: A. a delivery chute for delivering material to be compacted; B. a compacting cylinder having its axis aligned with the axis of said delivery chute; and C. at least two press heads a. aligned with said delivery chute and said compacting cylinder, b. mounted for independent relative reciprocating motion with respect to and in said delivery chute along the axis thereof, and c. each of said press heads having at least a portion thereof movable in a direction transversed to said axis forming a press position for compacting and an open position for allowing material to enter said compacting cylinder from said delivery chute.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
59 words
A compactor as defined in claim 24, further comprising a spring-loaded extension means mounted at the base of said chute, and capable of wiping excess refuse from a filled container under the compactor to a following empty container during a container-changing process while still able to be flexed out of the way when the excess refuse cannot be wiped.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for compacting refuse comprising the steps of: A. dropping refuse into an existing chute; B. directing the refuse to fall substantially vertically through a refuse chute extension into a refuse container within a compacting chamber; C. initiating a compaction cycle when the collected refuse in the refuse container has reached a predetermined level; D. compacting the collected refuse within the refuse container within the compacting chamber by moving the refuse within the refuse container and compacting chamber along the axis of compaction against the chute extension, the closed end of the chute extension acting as a press head.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for compacting refuse comprising the steps of: A. dropping refuse into an existing chute; B. directing the refuse to fall substantially vertically through a refuse chute extension into a refuse container within a compacting chamber; C. initiating a compaction cycle when the collected refuse in the refuse container has reached a predetermined level; D. compacting the collected refuse within the refuse container within the compacting chamber by moving the refuse within the refuse container and compacting chamber along the axis of compaction against the chute extension, the closed end of the chute extension acting as a press head.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of compacting refuse comprising the steps of: A. dropping refuse into an existing chute; B. directing the refuse to fall substantially vertically into a refuse chute extension which is surrounded by a supply of and essentially sealed by the closed end of flexible tubing supported by a movable platform; C. initiating a compacting cycle when the collected refuse at the base of the chute extension has reached a predetermined level; D. compacting the collected refuse along the axis of collection within the chute extension; E. causing the compacted refuse to exit from the end of the chute extension while drawing from the supply of flexible tubing an enveloping bag; F. simultaneously cutting and sealing the flexible tubing so as to form a sealed package of collected refuse supported on the movable platform and a new sealed base for the chute extension; G. removing the compacted refuse package from the movable platform.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of compacting refuse comprising the steps of: A. dropping refuse into an existing chute; B. directing the refuse to fall substantially vertically into a refuse chute extension which is surrounded by a supply of and essentially sealed by the closed end of flexible tubing supported by a movable platform; C. initiating a compacting cycle when the collected refuse at the base of the chute extension has reached a predetermined level; D. compacting the collected refuse along the axis of collection within the chute extension; E. causing the compacted refuse to exit from the end of the chute extension while drawing from the supply of flexible tubing an enveloping bag; F. simultaneously cutting and sealing the flexible tubing so as to form a sealed package of collected refuse supported on the movable platform and a new sealed base for the chute extension; G. removing the compacted refuse package from the movable platform.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
47 words
A compactor as defined in claim 15, and; G. means for moving said press head and said transverse plate together to cause compacted material to be extruded from said unitary cylinder into said flexible bag; and H. means for thereafter cutting the open end of said bag.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
48 words
A compactor as defined in claim 24, further comprising: D. at least two slidable plates a. mounted within said delivery chute, b. conforming to and slidable along a portion of the walls thereof, and c. each of said slidable plates having one of said press heads mounted thereto.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-03-19 | 1976-09-18 | 1977-03-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-19 | 1980-09-18 | 1981-03-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-19 | 1984-09-18 | 1985-03-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |