Method and apparatus for collecting recyclable materials

Abstract

The invention provides a refuse and recyclable materials collection system which includes a self-dumping bin, a hauling unit with a tailgate and an opening top, side or both, a compacting ram that empties the hopper into the body, compacts and ejects the collected materials. The collection vehicle is placed into a loading position, which can be on either side of the vehicle. For collection of two different types of recyclable materials the collection vehicle can be equipped with two receiving doors, hoppers, rams, compacting chambers and tailgates. The self-dumping bin receives power by connecting hydraulic lines from the collection vehicle. The self-dumping bin is then raised to the dumping position by a lifting mechanism. The receiving door opens to form a chute for receiving the materials from the self-dumping bin. A baffle on each of the receiving doors forms a trap to prevent spillage. The bin has a tapered “lip” that funnels the material into the hopper of the hauling unit. The bin is moved into a tipping position allowing the materials to empty from the bin into the hopper of the collection vehicle. As the hopper is filled the ram manually or automatically cycles to empty the hopper and compact the material. The loaded vehicle is then transported to either a landfill for refuse or a material recycling facility for recycling. The collection vehicle can be a trailer, which is towed by a truck or a body mounted on a truck chassis.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.