Compacting apparatus

Claim 2

Compacting apparatus comprising; structural support means for supporting a compacting mechanism, compacting chamber means for receiving materials to be compacted movably mounted on said support means for movement between a loading position and a compacting position, compacting means movably mounted in said compacting chamber means for compacting materials in said chamber means, power means mounted on said support means for moving said compacting means, and separable coupling means between said power means and said compacting means, said coupling means being engaged when said chamber means is in said compacting position and being disengaged when said chamber means is in said loading position.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said chamber means is detachable from said support means.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein said chamber means is movable in a substantially horizontal direction between said loading and compacting positions, said chamber means having a bottom wall, and closure means movably positioned on said bottom wall for movement between an open position and a closed position.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3 wherein said compacting means moves in a compacting direction and a reverse direction, and cooperating operating means on said compacting means and closure means for moving said closure means between said open and closed positions responsive to movement of said compacting means.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4 and further including chemical dispensing means operative in response to movement of said compacting means in said reverse direction.

Claim 7

The device of claim 4 and further including receptacle means for receiving compacted material from said chamber means through said closure means, and chemical dispensing means positioned for dispensing a chemical into said receptacle means, said dispensing means being operated by opening movement of said closure means.

Claim 8

The device of claim 6 wherein said closure means comprises a trapdoor pivotally mounted on said chamber means for downward swingiNg movement to said open position and upward swinging movement to said closed position, said dispensing means having an actuator positioned for contact by said trapdoor upon downward swinging movement thereof.

Claim 9

The device of claim 3 wherein said compacting means moves in a compacting direction and a reverse direction, and latch means for holding said closure means in said closed position, cooperating operating means on said compacting means for releasing said latching means during initial movement of said compacting means in said reverse direction, and cooperating closing means on said compacting means and closure means for moving said closure means to said closed position during final movement of said compacting means in said reverse direction.

Claim 10

The device of claim 8 wherein said closure means comprises a trapdoor pivotally mounted on said chamber means for downward swinging movement to said open position and for upward swinging movement to said closed position.

Claim 11

The device of claim 1 wherein said chamber means comprises a substantially rectangular drawer having an open top and being mounted for substantially horizontal sliding movement on said support means, said compacting means comprising a pair of platens movably mounted in said drawer for movement in a substantially horizontal direction toward and away from one another, and drive means mounted on said drawer for moving said platens, said separable coupling means being positioned between said drive means and power means.

Claim 12

The device of claim 10 wherein said drive means comprises screw means rotatably mounted on said drawer and having reversely threaded opposite portions, each of said platens being threadedly connected with one of said opposite portions for movement along said screw means during rotation thereof, said screw means being rotatable in a first direction for moving said platens toward one another in a compacting direction and in an opposite direction for moving said platens away from one another in a reverse direction.

Claim 13

The device of claim 10 wherein said drawer includes a bottom defined by movable closure means movably positioned on said drawer for movement between an open position and a closed position.

Claim 14

The device of claim 12 and including cooperating operating means on said closure means and at least one of said platens for moving said closure means between said open and closed positions.

Claim 15

The device of claim 13 and further including chemical dispensing means operative by movement of said closure means to said open position.

Claim 16

The device of claim 13 wherein said closure means comprises a trapdoor pivotally mounted on said drawer for downward swinging movement to said open position and upward swinging movement to said closed position.

Claim 17

The device of claim 15 wherein said trapdoor includes a front end portion and a rear end portion and is pivotally mounted on said drawer intermediate said end portions, latch means for holding said trapdoor in said closed position, said operating means on said one platen being operative to release said latching means during initial movement of said platens in said reverse direction, said one platen including a bottom edge engageable with said rear end portion of said trapdoor for swinging said trapdoor upward to said closed position during terminal movement of said platens in said reverse direction.

Claim 18

The device of claim 15 and further including receptacle means positioned beneath said drawer for receiving compacted material from said drawer through said trapdoor, and chemical dispensing means positioned for dispensing a chemical into said receptacle means, said dispensing means having an actuator positioned for contact by said trapdoor upon downward swinging movement thereof.

Claim 19

The device of claim 17 wherein said receptacle means is removable from beneath said drawer and includes a downwardly swingable front panel.

Claim 20

The device of claim 18 and further including releasable clamping means for holding said front panel In a substantially vertical closed position.

Claim 21

The device of claim 19 wherein said clamping means is substantially U-shaped and said receptacle means includes upstanding opposed sidewalls and a back wall, said clamping means extending along said front wall and sidewalls and including reversely bent end portions resiliently engaging said rear wall.

Claim 22

The device of claim 20 and further including a collapsible bag positioned in said receptacle means, said bag having an upper edge overhanging said walls and clamped thereto by said clamping means.

Claim 23

The device of claim 1 wherein said compacting chamber comprises a substantially rectangular drawer having an open top and being movable in a substantially horizontal direction between said compacting and loading positions, and top closure means pivotally connected to said support means for closing a substantial portion of said open top of said drawer in said compacting position thereof.

Claim 24

The device of claim 22 wherein said top closure means is releasable from said support means.

Claim 25

Compacting apparatus including a compacting chamber, compacting means movably mounted in said compacting chamber for compacting materials therein, drive means for moving said compacting means, power means for operating said drive means, separable mechanical coupling means having parts selectively lockable together for transmitting torque therebetween and between said drive means and power means, access means movable between an open position for placing said chamber in a loading condition and a closed position for placing said chamber in a compacting condition, said access means being operative to automatically separate said coupling means in said open position thereof and to connect said coupling means in said closed position thereof.

Claim 26

Compacting apparatus including a compacting chamber, compacting means movably mounted in said compacting chamber for compacting materials therein, drive means for moving said compacting means, power means for operating said drive means, separable mechanical coupling means having parts selectively lockable together for transmitting torque therebetween and between said drive means and power means, access means movable between an open position for placing said chamber in a loading condition and a closed position for placing said chamber in a compacting condition, said access means being operative to automatically separate said coupling means in said open position thereof and to connect said coupling means in said closed position thereof.

Claim 27

Compacting apparatus including a compacting chamber, compacting means movably mounted in said compacting chamber for compacting materials therein, drive means for moving said compacting means, power means for operating said drive means, separable coupling means between said drive means and power means, access means movable between an open position for placing said chamber in a loading condition and a closed position for placing said chamber in a compacting condition, said access means being operative to automatically separate said coupling means in said open position thereof and to connect said coupling means in said closed position thereof, and said access means comprising a substantially rectangular drawer having an open top and said chamber being in said drawer.

Claim 28

Compacting apparatus including a compacting chamber, compacting means movably mounted in said compacting chamber for compacting materials therein, drive means for moving said compacting means, power means for operating said drive means, separable coupling means between said drive means and power means, access means movable between an open position for placing said chamber in a loading condition and a closed position for placing said chamber in a compacting condition, said access means being operative to automatically separate said coupling means in said open position thereof and to connect said coupling means in said closed position thereof, and said access means comprising a substantially rectangular drawer having an open top and said chamber being in said drawer.

Claim 29

Compacting apparatus including a compacting chamber having an open bottom normally closed by movable closure means mounted for movement between an open position and a closed position, compacting means movably mounted in said chamber for compacting materials therein, said compacting means being movable in a compacting direction to a compacting position and in a reverse direction to a loading position for said compacting chamber, a receptacle positioned beneath said chamber for receiving compacted materials through said open bottom when said closure means moves to said open position, operating means for moving said closure means to said open position subsequent to movement of said compacting means to said compacting position and for moving said closure means to said closed position in said loading position of said compacting means, chemical dispensing means for dispensing a chemical into said receptacle, said dispensing means having an actuator positioned for actuation by said closure means upon movement thereof to said open position.

Claim 30

Compacting apparatus including a compacting chamber having an open bottom normally closed by movable closure means mounted for movement between an open position and a closed position, compacting means movably mounted in said chamber for compacting materials therein, said compacting means being movable in a compacting direction to a compacting position and in a reverse direction to a loading position for said compacting chamber, a receptacle positioned beneath said chamber for receiving compacted materials through said open bottom when said closure means moves to said open position, operating means for moving said closure means to said open position subsequent to movement of said compacting means to said compacting position and for moving said closure means to said closed position in said loading position of said compacting means, chemical dispensing means for dispensing a chemical into said receptacle, said dispensing means having an actuator positioned for actuation by said closure means upon movement thereof to said open position.

Claim 31

The device of claim 26 wherein said closure means comprises a trapdoor pivotally mounted in said chamber for downward swinging movement to said open position and for upward swinging movement to said closed position.

Claim 32

Compacting apparatus including a compacting chamber having an open bottom normally closed by a pivotally mounted trapdoor swingable downwardly to an open position And upwardly to a closed position, said trap-door including a front end portion and a rear end portion and being pivotal about an axis located intermediate said front and rear end portions, compacting means movably mounted in said chamber for compacting materials therein, said compacting means being movable in a compacting direction to a compacting position and in a reverse direction to a loading position for said compacting chamber, latching means for normally holding said trapdoor in said closed position, operating means on said compacting means for releasing said latching means during initial movement of said compacting means in said reverse direction from said compacting position, said compacting means being engageable with said rear end portion of said trapdoor for swinging said front end portion thereof upwardly to said closed position during terminal movement of said compacting means in said reverse direction to said loading position.

Claim 33

Compacting apparatus including a compacting chamber having an open bottom normally closed by a pivotally mounted trapdoor swingable downwardly to an open position And upwardly to a closed position, said trap-door including a front end portion and a rear end portion and being pivotal about an axis located intermediate said front and rear end portions, compacting means movably mounted in said chamber for compacting materials therein, said compacting means being movable in a compacting direction to a compacting position and in a reverse direction to a loading position for said compacting chamber, latching means for normally holding said trapdoor in said closed position, operating means on said compacting means for releasing said latching means during initial movement of said compacting means in said reverse direction from said compacting position, said compacting means being engageable with said rear end portion of said trapdoor for swinging said front end portion thereof upwardly to said closed position during terminal movement of said compacting means in said reverse direction to said loading position.

Claim 34

In a compacting apparatus, a substantially rectangular drawer having an open top and a normally closed bottom defined by closure means movably mounted on said drawer for movement between an open position and a closed position, compacting means movably mounted in said drawer for movement in a compacting direction to a compacting position and in a reverse direction to a loading position releasable latch means for holding said closure in said closed position, and operating means on said compacting means for releasing said latch means subsequent to movement of said compacting means to said compacting position and for moving said closure to said closed position during terminal movement of said compacting means to said loading position in said reverse direction.

Claim 35

In a compacting apparatus, a substantially rectangular drawer having an open top and a normally closed bottom defined by closure means movably mounted on said drawer for movement between an open position and a closed position, compacting means movably mounted in said drawer for movement in a compacting direction to a compacting position and in a reverse direction to a loading position releasable latch means for holding said closure in said closed position, and operating means on said compacting means for releasing said latch means subsequent to movement of said compacting means to said compacting position and for moving said closure to said closed position during terminal movement of said compacting means to said loading position in said reverse direction.

Claim 36

The device of claim 29 wherein said closure means comprises a trapdoor pivotally connected with said drawer for downward swinging movement to said open position and for upward swinging movement to said closed position.

Claim 37

The device of claim 29 and including drive means mounted on said drawer for moving said compacting means.

Claim 38

The device of claim 31 wherein said compacting means comprises a pair of platens and said drive means comprises elongated screw means rotatably mounted on said drawer, said screw means having opposite threads on opposite portions thereof, and each of said platens being threaded onto one of said opposite portions for movement therealong during rotation of said screw means.

Claim 39

The device of claim 32 wherein said closure means comprises a trapdoor pivotally connected with said drawer for downward swinging movement to said open position and for upward swinging movement to said closed position.