Refuse compactor drive system

Claim 2

In a refuse compactor having a base, a compacting ram, and means carried by the base for driving the ram including a driven sprocket, drive means for driving the driven sprocket comprising: a rigid mounting member; an electric drive motor having an output shaft; securing means securing the drive motor to said mounting member; a driver sprocket rotatably carried by said mounting member for rotation about an axis having a fixed spaced relationship to the axis of said shafT; means for driving said driver sprocket from said motor shaft; means interconnecting said driver sprocket and the driven sprocket for driving the ram as an incident of rotation of the motor shaft; and adjustable means for adjustably securing said mounting member to the compactor base with said driver sprocket laterally aligned with and adjustably spaced from said driven sprocket and providing for adjustment of the tension in said interconnecting means between said driver and driven sprockets without affecting the spaced relationship between said driver sprocket axis and shaft axis and thereby concurrently maintaining accurately the relationship of said means for driving said driver sprocket to each of said shaft and driver sprocket.

Claim 3

The refuse compactor means of claim 1 wherein said means for driving said driver sprocket from said motor shaft comprises a speed reduction means

Claim 4

The refuse compactor means of claim 1 wherein said means for driving said driver sprocket comprises a driver gear on said motor shaft and a larger driven gear coaxially fixed to said driver sprocket and meshing with said driver gear.

Claim 5

The refuse compactor means of claim 1 wherein the compactor base comprises a horizontal wall defining a superjacent space and a subjacent space, said motor securing means disposing said motor in said superjacent space with said output shaft projecting downwardly through said mounting member into said subjacent space, said sprockets and interconnecting means being disposed in said subjacent space.

Claim 6

The refuse compactor means of claim 1 wherein a stub shaft is fixed to said mounting member and rotatably coaxially carries said driver sprocket and a portion of said means for driving said driver sprocket from said motor shaft.

Claim 7

The refuse compactor means of claim 1 wherein said means for driving said driver sprocket from said motor shaft comprises a driver gear on said motor shaft, and a driven gear coaxially fixed to said driver sprocket and drivingly connected to said driver gear.

Claim 8

The refuse compactor means of claim 1 wherein said motor securing means comprises resilient mounting means.

Claim 9

In a refuse compactor having a base, a compacting ram, and means carried by the base for driving the ram including a driven sprocket, drive means for driving the driven sprocket comprising: a rigid mounting member; an electric drive motor having an output shaft; securing means securing the drive motor to said mounting member; a driver sprocket rotatably carried by said mounting member for rotation about an axis having a fixed spaced relationship to the axis of said shaft; means for driving said driver sprocket from saidmotor shaft; a chain interconnecting said driver sprocket and the driven sprocket for driving the ram as an incident of rotation of the motor shaft; a plurality of first threaded connector elements carried by the compactor base; a plurality of slots in said mounting member disposed to align with said threaded connector elements carried by the compactor base; and a plurality of second threaded connector elements engaging said mounting member at said slots and disposed for threaded association with said first threaded connector elements for adjustably fixedly securing said mounting member to the compactor base with said driver sprocket aligned with and adjustably spaced from said driven sprocket and providing for adjustment of tension in said chain between said driver and driven sprockets without affecting the spaced relationship between said driver sprocket axis and shaft axis and thereby concurrently maintaining accurately the relationship of said means for driving said driver sprocket to each of said shaft and driver sprocket.

Claim 10

In a refuse compactor having a base, a compacting ram, and means carried by the base for driving the ram including a driven sprocket, drive means for driving the driven sprocket comprising: a rigid mounting member; an electric drive motor having an output shaft; securing means securing the drive motor to said mounting member; a driver sprocket rotatably carried by said mounting member for rotation about an axis having a fixed spaced relationship to the axis of said shaft; means for driving said driver sprocket from saidmotor shaft; a chain interconnecting said driver sprocket and the driven sprocket for driving the ram as an incident of rotation of the motor shaft; a plurality of first threaded connector elements carried by the compactor base; a plurality of slots in said mounting member disposed to align with said threaded connector elements carried by the compactor base; and a plurality of second threaded connector elements engaging said mounting member at said slots and disposed for threaded association with said first threaded connector elements for adjustably fixedly securing said mounting member to the compactor base with said driver sprocket aligned with and adjustably spaced from said driven sprocket and providing for adjustment of tension in said chain between said driver and driven sprockets without affecting the spaced relationship between said driver sprocket axis and shaft axis and thereby concurrently maintaining accurately the relationship of said means for driving said driver sprocket to each of said shaft and driver sprocket.

Claim 11

The refuse compactor means of claim 8 wherein said first threaded connecting elements comprise screws retained on the compactor base and extending through said slots and said second threaded connecting elements comprise nuts threaded to said screws laterally of said drive motor shaft.

Claim 12

The refuse compacTor means of claim 8 wherein said first threaded connecting elements comprise screws retained on the compactor base and extending through said slots, said second threaded connecting elements comprise nuts threaded to said screws laterally of said drive motor shaft, and means are provided for retaining said screws on the compactor base prior to the threading of said nuts thereto with the shanks of the screws projecting from the base for passage through said mounting member slots.

Claim 13

The refuse compactor of claim 10 wherein the compactor base defines an opening, said mounting member extending transversely across said opening, and said screw retaining means comprising U-clips straddling the edge of said opening and having a leg portion received between the base and mounting member.

Claim 14

The refuse compactor of claim 10 wherein the compactor base defines an opening, said mounting member extending transversely across said opening, and said screw retaining means comprising U-clips straddling the edge of said opening and having a first leg portion received between the base and mounting member and a second leg portion abutting the head of the screw to preclude axial withdrawal of the screws from the compactor base.