Pivoting passive overhead bag opener

An apparatus for opening garbage bags to discharge refuse contained therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor comprising an apron feeder having an endless apron of overlapping pans forming a conveying surface, wherein a multiplicity of upstanding teeth are mounted to the pans, the conveyor having an infeed end and an outfeed end;
• a motor mounted in driving relation to the conveyor to cause the surface of the conveyor to move in a first direction;
• a deck pivotally supported above the conveying surface to allow pivoting of the deck away from the conveying surface and in the first direction;
• and
• a multiplicity of depending teeth fixedly mounted to the deck and extending downwardly and interdigitating with the upstanding teeth mounted on the conveying surface.

An apparatus for opening garbage bags to discharge refuse contained therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a conveyor having an endless conveying surface moving between two bearings, the bearings defining an upper path and a lower path along which the conveying surface moves, the conveying surface having a multiplicity of upstanding teeth having bases which are mounted to the conveyor, wherein bags to be opened are received on the conveying surface as it moves along the upper path;
• an opposing structure which rends bags of trash as the upper conveying surface moves through the opposing structure;
• a motor mounted in driving relation to the conveyor to cause the surface of the conveying surface to move in a first direction from the upper path to the lower path;
• a plate positioned beneath the conveyor and spaced below the teeth as they move along the lower path, the plate having a flange which extends upwardly towards the bases of the teeth, the flange having portions defining teeth cleaning slots through which the teeth mounted on the conveying surface move, so that plastic trash bags are removed from the teeth;
• and
• a second conveyor positioned beneath the plate and having an endless belt which moves in close proximity to the plate so that plastic bags removed from the teeth are received between the plate and the endless belt, the belt moving beneath the plate causing the plastic bags to roll between the moving belt on the plate.