US 6,367,377 B1Granted

Level sensitive waste compactor

AssigneeCompact Waste Systems, Inc.

InventorsJames Ernest Gawley, Charlotte Mary-Anne May, Glenn Emile Rochon

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Abstract

A refuse compactor has a housing for containing a garbage receptacle, and a compression unit for compacting the refuse in the compaction unit from time to time. The compactor has a sensor for sensing the approach of persons wishing to deposit garbage. This sensor causes the opening of an inlet door. It has a second sensor, for gauging the level of refuse in the receptacle. When a sufficient bulk is collected, then the compression unit operates to compact the refuse. The compression unit is subject to three limiting conditions, the first being a “receptacle full” limit, the second being a load limit, and the third being a stroke limit. The compaction unit used is a scissors mechanism having one side of the scissors mechanism held in one plane.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An apparatus for compacting refuse, comprising:

a compression member moveable to compress refuse collected in a receptacle;
a drive connected to move said compression member;
a sensor for gauging the level of refuse in the receptacle;
a structure to which said drive is mounted, said structure including a housing enclosing said drive, said compression member and said sensor, said housing defining an enclosure having a space for accommodating the receptacle;
said drive and said compression member being operable in response to a signal from said sensor;
said drive including a scissors mechanism having a pair of input legs extending from a common fulcrum, said input legs having input feet mounted to said structure, and a pair of output legs having output feet mounted to said compression member;
one of said input feet being mounted to pivot about a first axis whose location is fixed relative to said structure;
and
said compression member being constrained to move in a direction parallel to the bisector of the angle defined between said input legs.

6 more elements

An apparatus for compacting refuse, comprising:

a compression member for compressing refuse collected in a receptacle;
a drive connected to move said compression member;
a sensor for gauging the level of refuse in the receptacle;
a structure to which said drive is mounted, said structure including a housing enclosing said drive, said compression member and said sensor, said housing defining an enclosure having a space for accommodating the receptacle and having a door by which refuse can be deposited in the receptacle;
said drive and said compression member being operable to compact refuse in the receptacle;
said drive including a scissors mechanism having a pair of input feet mounted to said structure and a pair of output feet mounted to said compression member;
one of said input feet being constrained to pivot about a first axis whose location is fixed relative to said structure;
the other of said input feet being constrained to follow a first linear path lying on a radius from said first axis;
one of said output feet being constrained to pivot about a second axis, whose location is fixed relative to said compression member;
the other of said output feet being constrained to follow a second linear path lying on a radius from said second axis;
said first and second axes being parallel and lying in a common plane;
said first and second paths being parallel;
the others of said input and output feet both lying to the same side of said plane;
and
said paths being perpendicular to said plane.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.