Protective sleeve for refuse handling apparatus

Claim 2

Refuse-compaction and transportation apparatus comprising a housing, said housing defining a portion of the side walls of a compaction chamber, compaction means mounted in said housing, portable transportation apparatus removably mounted in said housing, said portable transportation apparatus comprising at least a base plate and a front plate secured to said base plate, said front plate defining a portion of the side walls of the compaction chamber, a sleeve positioned on said base plate and within said compaction chamber, said sleeve comprising a rigid reinforcement member at the upper end thereof and a plurality of panels mounted on and extending downwardly from said reinforcement member, at least one of said panels being capable of flexing, at least at the lower region thereof, in a manner substantially independent of adjacent panels, said compaction means being adapted to compact refuse in said sleeve and against the side walls of said compaction chamber upon flexure of one or more of said panels.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including bag means fitted outside and under said sleeve.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front plate has means to restrict said sleeve from movement.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said sleeve movement restriction means is a flange secured to said front plate.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sleeve comprises a plurality of plastic panels.

Claim 7

Refuse-handling and transportation apparatus comprising a housing, said housing defining a portion of the walls of a compression chamber, sleeve means positioned in said compression chamber and comprising a substantially continuous reinforcing rim at the top thereof and a plurality of panels mounted on and extending downwardly from said reinforcing rim, at least one of said panels being capable of flexing, at least at the bottom portion thereof, in a manner substantially independent of adjacent panels, compaction means mounted in said housing, said compaction means being adapted to reciprocate into said sleeve means to compact refuse placed therein, means to restrict said sleeve means from vertical movement as the compacted refuse expands against the walls of said compression chamber, a dolly apparatus adapted to be positioned in said housing and defining a portion of the walls of said compression chamber, said dolly apparatus comprising at least a base plate holding said sleeve means, said base plate serving to define the base of said compression chamber and said sleeve means, and means to engage said sleeve when said dolly apparatus is removed from said housing.

Claim 8

Refuse-handling and transportation apparatus comprising a housing, said housing defining a portion of the walls of a compression chamber, sleeve means positioned in said compression chamber and comprising a substantially continuous reinforcing rim at the top thereof and a plurality of panels mounted on and extending downwardly from said reinforcing rim, at least one of said panels being capable of flexing, at least at the bottom portion thereof, in a manner substantially independent of adjacent panels, compaction means mounted in said housing, said compaction means being adapted to reciprocate into said sleeve means to compact refuse placed therein, means to restrict said sleeve means from vertical movement as the compacted refuse expands against the walls of said compression chamber, a dolly apparatus adapted to be positioned in said housing and defining a portion of the walls of said compression chamber, said dolly apparatus comprising at least a base plate holding said sleeve means, said base plate serving to define the base of said compression chamber and said sleeve means, and means to engage said sleeve when said dolly apparatus is removed from said housing.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sleeve means is constructed of semi-rigid plastic material.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, and further comprising handle means adapted to be removably connected to said dolly apparatus and comprising a substantially U-shaped frame, a lower brace secured to the legs of said U-shaped frame, an upper brace connecting the legs of said U-shaped frame at a position closer to the web of said U-shaped frame than said lower brace and sleeve restricting means comprising latches secured to said upper brace and adapted to engage said sleeve.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said sleeve means comprises two end panels and two side panels.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein two of said panels have trapezodial shaped side flanges adapted to engage each adjacent panel.

Claim 13

Refuse handling Apparatus comprising a compaction chamber defined by a plurality of side walls and a bottom, a flexible bag disposed in said chamber, a removable sleeve having a substantially continuous and rigid reinforcing member and a plurality of flexible panels mounted on and extending downwardly from said reinforcing member, at least one of said panels being capable of flexing, at least at the lower region thereof, substantially independent of adjacent panels, said sleeve being fitted within said bag and adapted to expand under pressure against the side walls of the compaction chamber, and a vertically reciprocating ram cooperating with said sleeve to compact refuse within said sleeve and said bag.

Claim 14

Refuse handling Apparatus comprising a compaction chamber defined by a plurality of side walls and a bottom, a flexible bag disposed in said chamber, a removable sleeve having a substantially continuous and rigid reinforcing member and a plurality of flexible panels mounted on and extending downwardly from said reinforcing member, at least one of said panels being capable of flexing, at least at the lower region thereof, substantially independent of adjacent panels, said sleeve being fitted within said bag and adapted to expand under pressure against the side walls of the compaction chamber, and a vertically reciprocating ram cooperating with said sleeve to compact refuse within said sleeve and said bag.

Claim 15

Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said substantially rigid reinforcing member is made of steel and said flexible panels are made of sheet metal.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said sleeve comprises two end panels and two side panels.

Claim 17

Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said side panels have a flange along each side edge thereof which overlaps the side edge of the adjacent end panel thereby defining a continuous form when said panels are in repose.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the flanges are trapezodial in shape.

Claim 19

For use in a vertical refuse-compaction machine of the type employing a vertically reciprocating ram in a compaction chamber to compress refuse housed therein, a protective sleeve for protecting fragile containers, said sleeve comprising: a substantially continuous mounting rim at the upper portion thereof; and a plurality of independent panels mounted on and extending from said mounting rim to define the lower portion of said sleeve; said mounting rim and said panels being associated so that when the reciprocating ram compresses refuse in the compaction chamber, said panels expand into contact with the side walls of the compaction chamber, and so that when the fragile container is filled with compacted refuse, said panels can expand to enable said sleeve to be removed from the fragile container, said panels being capable of flexing, at least at the bottom portions thereof, in a manner independent of adjacent panels.

Claim 20

For use in a vertical refuse-compaction machine of the type employing a vertically reciprocating ram in a compaction chamber to compress refuse housed therein, a protective sleeve for protecting fragile containers, said sleeve comprising: a substantially continuous mounting rim at the upper portion thereof; and a plurality of independent panels mounted on and extending from said mounting rim to define the lower portion of said sleeve; said mounting rim and said panels being associated so that when the reciprocating ram compresses refuse in the compaction chamber, said panels expand into contact with the side walls of the compaction chamber, and so that when the fragile container is filled with compacted refuse, said panels can expand to enable said sleeve to be removed from the fragile container, said panels being capable of flexing, at least at the bottom portions thereof, in a manner independent of adjacent panels.

Claim 21

The sleeve of claim 16, wherein at least two of said panels are provided with flanges for overlapping adjacent panels, to thereby define a continuous form when said panels are in repose.

Claim 22

A vertical refuse-compaction and transportation apparatus comprising: a housing defining the rear and side walls of a compaction chamber; a compaction ram mounted for vertical movement in said housing and adapted to compact refuse in said compaction chamber; a dolly removably mounted in association with said housing and defining the bottom and rear wall of said compaction chamber; and a sleeve in said compaction chamber for protecting fragile containers against rupture during compaction of refuse in said compaction chamber, said sleeve comprising an upper reinforcing rim at the top thereof and a plurality of panels flexibly mounted thereto and extending downwardly therefrom, at least the lower regions of said panels flexing against the front, rear and side walls of the compaction chamber, substantially independent of adjacent panels, during the compaction of refuse in said compaction chamber, and flexing against an associated fragile container after the compaction of refuse and the removal of said dolly, to facilitate the removal of the sleeve from the container once filled with compacted refuse.

Claim 23

A vertical refuse-compaction and transportation apparatus comprising: a housing defining the rear and side walls of a compaction chamber; a compaction ram mounted for vertical movement in said housing and adapted to compact refuse in said compaction chamber; a dolly removably mounted in association with said housing and defining the bottom and rear wall of said compaction chamber; and a sleeve in said compaction chamber for protecting fragile containers against rupture during compaction of refuse in said compaction chamber, said sleeve comprising an upper reinforcing rim at the top thereof and a plurality of panels flexibly mounted thereto and extending downwardly therefrom, at least the lower regions of said panels flexing against the front, rear and side walls of the compaction chamber, substantially independent of adjacent panels, during the compaction of refuse in said compaction chamber, and flexing against an associated fragile container after the compaction of refuse and the removal of said dolly, to facilitate the removal of the sleeve from the container once filled with compacted refuse.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least two of said panels are provided with flanges for overlapping adjacent panels, to thereby define a continuous form when said panels are in repose.

Claim 25

A vertical refuse compactor adapted for use with fragile refuse-receiving containers comprising: a frame having two side walls and a rear wall; a compaction chamber defined, in part, by the lower regions of said side and rear walls; a ram mounted on said frame and adapted to move downwardly in said compaction chamber to compact refuse which has been placed therein; a dolly removably mounted to said frame and defining the bottom and rear wall of said compaction chamber; a sleeve removably carried by said dolly for insertion into said fragile container, said sleeve comprising a substantially continuous mounting rim at the upper portion thereof, and a plurality of panels flexibly mounted on and extending downwardly from said mounting rim, for flexing against said fragile container and the front, rear and side walls of said compaction chamber during the compaction of refuse therein, and for expanding against said fragile container after removal of the dolly from said frame to facilitate the removal of said sleeve from said fragile container once filled with compacted refuse, at least one of said panels being capable of flexing, at least at the lower region thereof, in a manner independent of adjacent panels.

Claim 26

A vertical refuse compactor adapted for use with fragile refuse-receiving containers comprising: a frame having two side walls and a rear wall; a compaction chamber defined, in part, by the lower regions of said side and rear walls; a ram mounted on said frame and adapted to move downwardly in said compaction chamber to compact refuse which has been placed therein; a dolly removably mounted to said frame and defining the bottom and rear wall of said compaction chamber; a sleeve removably carried by said dolly for insertion into said fragile container, said sleeve comprising a substantially continuous mounting rim at the upper portion thereof, and a plurality of panels flexibly mounted on and extending downwardly from said mounting rim, for flexing against said fragile container and the front, rear and side walls of said compaction chamber during the compaction of refuse therein, and for expanding against said fragile container after removal of the dolly from said frame to facilitate the removal of said sleeve from said fragile container once filled with compacted refuse, at least one of said panels being capable of flexing, at least at the lower region thereof, in a manner independent of adjacent panels.

Claim 27

The compactor of claim 20, wherein at least two of said panels are provided with flanges for overlapping adjacent panels, to thereby define a continuous form when said panels are in repose.

Claim 28

Refuse-compaction and transportation apparatus comprising a housing, said housing defining a portion of the side walls of a compaction chamber, compaction means mounted in said housing, portable transportation apparatus removably mounted in said housing, said portable transportation apparatus comprising at least a base plate and a front plate secured to said base plate, said front plate defining a portion of the side walls of the compaction chamber, a sleeve positioned on said base plate and within said compaction chamber, said sleeve comprising a rigid reinforcement member at the upper end thereof and a plurality of panels mounted on and extending downwardly from said reinforcement member, said compaction means being adapted to compact refuse in said sleeve and against the side walls of said compaction chamber, wherein said front plate has means in the form of a flange secured thereto for restricting said sleeve from movement.

Claim 29

Refuse-compaction and transportation apparatus comprising a housing, said housing defining a portion of the side walls of a compaction chamber, compaction means mounted in said housing, portable transportation apparatus removably mounted in said housing, said portable transportation apparatus comprising at least a base plate and a front plate secured to said base plate, said front plate defining a portion of the side walls of the compaction chamber, a sleeve positioned on said base plate and within said compaction chamber, said sleeve comprising a rigid reinforcement member at the upper end thereof and a plurality of panels mounted on and extending downwardly from said reinforcement member, said compaction means being adapted to compact refuse in said sleeve and against the side walls of said compaction chamber, wherein said front plate has means in the form of a flange secured thereto for restricting said sleeve from movement.

Claim 30

Refuse-handling and transportation apparatus comprising a housing, said housing defining a portion of the walls of a compression chamber, sleeve means positioned in said compression chamber and comprising a substantially continuous reinforcing rim at the top thereof and a plurality of panels mounted on and extending downwardly from said reinforcing rim, compaction means mounted in said housing, said compaction means being adapted to reciprocate into said sleeve means to compact refuse placed therein, means to restrict said sleeve means from vertical movement as the compacted refuse expands against the walls of said compression chamber, a dolly apparatus adapted to be positioned in said housing and defining a portion of the walls of said compression chamber, said dolly apparatus comprising at least a base plate holding said sleeve means, said base plate serving to define the base of said compression chamber and said sleeve means, and means to engage said sleeve when said dolly apparatus is removed from said housing, wherein said sleeve means comprises two ends panels and two side panels, and wherein two of said panels have trapezodial shaped side flanges adapted to engage each adjacent panel.

Claim 31

Refuse-handling and transportation apparatus comprising a housing, said housing defining a portion of the walls of a compression chamber, sleeve means positioned in said compression chamber and comprising a substantially continuous reinforcing rim at the top thereof and a plurality of panels mounted on and extending downwardly from said reinforcing rim, compaction means mounted in said housing, said compaction means being adapted to reciprocate into said sleeve means to compact refuse placed therein, means to restrict said sleeve means from vertical movement as the compacted refuse expands against the walls of said compression chamber, a dolly apparatus adapted to be positioned in said housing and defining a portion of the walls of said compression chamber, said dolly apparatus comprising at least a base plate holding said sleeve means, said base plate serving to define the base of said compression chamber and said sleeve means, and means to engage said sleeve when said dolly apparatus is removed from said housing, wherein said sleeve means comprises two ends panels and two side panels, and wherein two of said panels have trapezodial shaped side flanges adapted to engage each adjacent panel.