Apparatus for compressing refuse

Claim 1

Apparatus for uniformly compressing refuse comprising, in combination, an elongated casing, having a forward opening; a refuse hopper opening downwardly into said casing for permitting refuse to descend therein; fluid-pressure-operated press-member means reciprocatingly supported in said casing for movement beneath said hopper and including a forward, enlarged pressure portion for driving refuse toward said forward opening of the casing while a rear portion behind said forward portion underlies said hopper and prevents additional refuse from entering said casing; and pressure-responsive discharge nozzle means connected to the forward end of said casing and communIcating therewith for receiving compacted refuse therein until a predetermined pressure is developed therein whereby compacted refuse is pushed out of said discharge-nozzle means during a forward stroke of said press-member means, said discharge-nozzle means comprising a plurality of forwardly converging, generally planar walls forming a generally converging rectangular crosssectioned forward opening for refuse after it has been compacted to a predetermined degree, one of said walls being hinged on a transverse pivot axis rearwardly of the exit for the compacted refuse, said one wall being pivotal between adjacent side walls and substantially engageable adjacent an underlying wall for substantially closing said forward opening and retaining refuse in said discharge-nozzle means until the refuse is compacted to a certain degree; and automatically operated pressure-responsive biasing means engaging said one wall and urging it toward said underlying wall whereby as refuse is compacted to the predetermined degree, application of pressure on refuse by said press member means will overcome said pressure-responsive biasing means and urge the compacted refuse out of the forward opening of said discharge-nozzle means, said pressure-responsive retaining means comprising a piston-and-cylinder fluid-motor assembly pivotally connected to said one wall and a fixed portion normally urging the one wall toward a closed position, and pressure relief valve means operatively connected to said fluid motor assembly for permitting the one wall to pivot away from the underlying wall and substantially open the forward end of the discharge nozzle means after the one wall is subjected to a predetermined internal pressure from within the discharge nozzle means while refuse is compacted.

Claim 4

The apparatus for uniformly compressing refuse comprising, in combination, an elongated casing, having a forward opening; a refuse hopper opening downwardly into said casing for permitting refuse to descend therein; fluid-pressure-operated press-member means reciprocatingly supported in said casing for movement beneath said hopper and including a forward, enlarged pressure portion for driving refuse toward said forward opening of the casing while a rear portion behind said forward portion underlies said hopper and prevents additional refuse from entering said casing; and pressure-responsive discharge nozzle means connected to the forward end of said casing and communicating therewith for receiving compacted refuse therein until a predetermined pressure is developed therein whereby compacted refuse is pushed out of said discharge-nozzle means during a forward stroke of said press-member means, said discharge-nozzle means comprising a plurality of forwardly converging, generally planar walls forming a generally converging rectangular cross-sectioned forward opening for refuse after it has been compacted to a predetermined degree, one of said walls being hinged on a transverse pivot axis rearwardly of the exit for the compacted refuse, said one wall being pivotal between adjacent side walls and substantially engageable adjacent an underlying wall for substantially closing said forward opening and retaining refuse in said discharge-nozzle means until the refuse is compacted to a certain degree; and automatically operated pressure-responsive biasing means engaging said one wall and urging it toward said underlying wall whereby as refuse is compacted to the predetermined degree, application of pressure on refuse by said press member means will overcome said pressure-responsive biasing means and urge the compacted refuse out of the forward opening of said discharge-nozzle means, said discharge nozzle means including abutment means rearwardly of said forward opening closed by said one wall and over which refuse is forced by said press-Member means, said abutment means retaining compressed refuse in said means and preventing back-flow of the compressed refuse as the press-member means moves away from said discharge-nozzle means.

Claim 5

The apparatus for uniformly compressing refuse comprising, in combination, an elongated casing, having a forward opening; a refuse hopper opening downwardly into said casing for permitting refuse to descend therein; fluid-pressure-operated press-member means reciprocatingly supported in said casing for movement beneath said hopper and including a forward, enlarged pressure portion for driving refuse toward said forward opening of the casing while a rear portion behind said forward portion underlies said hopper and prevents additional refuse from entering said casing; and pressure-responsive discharge nozzle means connected to the forward end of said casing and communicating therewith for receiving compacted refuse therein until a predetermined pressure is developed therein whereby compacted refuse is pushed out of said discharge-nozzle means during a forward stroke of said press-member means, said discharge-nozzle means comprising a plurality of forwardly converging, generally planar walls forming a generally converging rectangular cross-sectioned forward opening for refuse after it has been compacted to a predetermined degree, one of said walls being hinged on a transverse pivot axis rearwardly of the exit for the compacted refuse, said one wall being pivotal between adjacent side walls and substantially engageable adjacent an underlying wall for substantially closing said forward opening and retaining refuse in said discharge-nozzle means until the refuse is compacted to a certain degree; and automatically operated pressure-responsive biasing means engaging said one wall and urging it toward said underlying wall whereby as refuse is compacted to the predetermined degree, application of pressure on refuse by said press member means will overcome said pressure-responsive biasing means and urge the compacted refuse out of the forward opening of said discharge-nozzle means, said discharge nozzle means including abutment means rearwardly of said forward opening closed by said one wall and over which refuse is forced by said press-Member means, said abutment means retaining compressed refuse in said means and preventing back-flow of the compressed refuse as the press-member means moves away from said discharge-nozzle means.

Claim 7

The apparatus for uniformly compressing refuse comprising, in combination, an elongated casing, having a forward opening; a refuse hopper opening downwardly into said casing for permitting refuse to descend therein; fluid-pressure-operated press-member means reciprocatingly supported in said casing for movement beneath said hopper and including a forward, enlarged pressure-portion for driving refuse toward said forward opening of the casing while a rear portion behind said forward portion underlies said hopper and prevents additional refuse from entering said casing; and pressure-responsive discharge nozzle means connected to the forward end of said casing and communicating therewith for receiving compacted refuse therein until a predetermined pressure is developed therein whereby compacted refuse is pushed out of said discharge-nozzle means during a forward stroke of said press-member means, said discharge-nozzle means comprising a plurality of forwardly converging, generally planar walls forming a generally converging rectangular cross-sectioned forward opening for refuse after it has been compacted to a predetermined degree, one of said walls being hinged on a transverse pivot axis rearwardly of the exit for the compacted refuse, said one wall being pivotal between adjacent side walls and substantially engagable adjacent an underlying wall for substantially closing said forward opening and retaining refuse in said discharge-nozzle means until the refuse is compacted to a certain degree; and automatically operated pressure-responsive biasing means engaging said one wall and urging it toward said underlying wall whereby as refuse is compacted to the predetermined degree, application of pressure on refuse by said press member means will overcome said pressure-responsive biasing means and urge the compacted refuse out of the forward opening of said discharge nozzle means, said one wall including a plurality of V-cross sectioned, forwardly-diverging inserts depending partially into said discharge-nozzle means from the inner surface of said one wall for augmenting the compression effect on the refuse.

Claim 8

The apparatus for uniformly compressing refuse comprising, in combination, an elongated casing, having a forward opening; a refuse hopper opening downwardly into said casing for permitting refuse to descend therein; fluid-pressure-operated press-member means reciprocatingly supported in said casing for movement beneath said hopper and including a forward, enlarged pressure-portion for driving refuse toward said forward opening of the casing while a rear portion behind said forward portion underlies said hopper and prevents additional refuse from entering said casing; and pressure-responsive discharge nozzle means connected to the forward end of said casing and communicating therewith for receiving compacted refuse therein until a predetermined pressure is developed therein whereby compacted refuse is pushed out of said discharge-nozzle means during a forward stroke of said press-member means, said discharge-nozzle means comprising a plurality of forwardly converging, generally planar walls forming a generally converging rectangular cross-sectioned forward opening for refuse after it has been compacted to a predetermined degree, one of said walls being hinged on a transverse pivot axis rearwardly of the exit for the compacted refuse, said one wall being pivotal between adjacent side walls and substantially engagable adjacent an underlying wall for substantially closing said forward opening and retaining refuse in said discharge-nozzle means until the refuse is compacted to a certain degree; and automatically operated pressure-responsive biasing means engaging said one wall and urging it toward said underlying wall whereby as refuse is compacted to the predetermined degree, application of pressure on refuse by said press member means will overcome said pressure-responsive biasing means and urge the compacted refuse out of the forward opening of said discharge nozzle means, said one wall including a plurality of V-cross sectioned, forwardly-diverging inserts depending partially into said discharge-nozzle means from the inner surface of said one wall for augmenting the compression effect on the refuse.

Claim 10

The apparatus for uniformly compressing refuse comprising, in combination, an elongated casing, having a forward opening; a refuse hopper opening downwardly into said casing for permitting refuse to descend therein; fluid-pressure-operated press-member means reciprocatingly supported in said casing for movement beneath said hopper and including a forward, enlarged pressure-portion for driving refuse toward said forward opening of the casing while a rear portion behind said forward portion underlies said hopper and prevents additional refuse from entering said casing; and pressure-responsive discharge nozzle means connected to the forward end of said casing and communicating therewith for receiving compacted refuse therein until a predetermined pressure is developed therein whereby compacted refuse is pushed out of said discharge-nozzle means during a forward stroke of said press-member means, said discharge-nozzle means comprising a plurality of forwardly converging, generally planar walls forming a generally converging rectangular cross-sectioned forward opening for refuse after it has been compacted to a predetermined degree, one of said walls being hinged on a transverse pivot axis rearwardly of the exit for the compacted refuse, said one wall being pivotal between adjacent side walls and substantially engagable adjacent an underlying wall for substantially closing said forward opening and retaining refuse in said discharge-nozzle means until the refuse is compacted to a certain degree; and automatically operated pressure-responsive biasing means engaging said one wall and urging it toward said underlying wall whereby as refuse is compacted to the predetermined degree, application of pressure on refuse by said press member means will overcome said pressure-responsive biasing means and urge the compacted refuse out of the forward opening of said discharge nozzle means, said discharge-nozzle means is replacably connected to said casing for permitting interchangeability of said nozzle-means for compacting different types of refuse being compacted.

Claim 11

The apparatus for uniformly compressing refuse comprising, in combination, an elongated casing, having a forward opening; a refuse hopper opening downwardly into said casing for permitting refuse to descend therein; fluid-pressure-operated press-member means reciprocatingly supported in said casing for movement beneath said hopper and including a forward, enlarged pressure-portion for driving refuse toward said forward opening of the casing while a rear portion behind said forward portion underlies said hopper and prevents additional refuse from entering said casing; and pressure-responsive discharge nozzle means connected to the forward end of said casing and communicating therewith for receiving compacted refuse therein until a predetermined pressure is developed therein whereby compacted refuse is pushed out of said discharge-nozzle means during a forward stroke of said press-member means, said discharge-nozzle means comprising a plurality of forwardly converging, generally planar walls forming a generally converging rectangular cross-sectioned forward opening for refuse after it has been compacted to a predetermined degree, one of said walls being hinged on a transverse pivot axis rearwardly of the exit for the compacted refuse, said one wall being pivotal between adjacent side walls and substantially engagable adjacent an underlying wall for substantially closing said forward opening and retaining refuse in said discharge-nozzle means until the refuse is compacted to a certain degree; and automatically operated pressure-responsive biasing means engaging said one wall and urging it toward said underlying wall whereby as refuse is compacted to the predetermined degree, application of pressure on refuse by said press member means will overcome said pressure-responsive biasing means and urge the compacted refuse out of the forward opening of said discharge nozzle means, said discharge-nozzle means is replacably connected to said casing for permitting interchangeability of said nozzle-means for compacting different types of refuse being compacted.