GB2338917A

GB2338917A - Compacting device

Info

Publication number: GB2338917A
Application number: GB9814376A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Peter Beck; Peter Wilson; Derek Laking
Original assignee: LANGTONS
Current assignee: LANGTONS
Priority date: 1998-07-02
Filing date: 1998-07-02
Publication date: 2000-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 2018-07-02
Also published as: GB9814376D0; GB2338917B

Description

2338917 COMPACTING DEVICE This invention relates to a compacting device

and particularly, although not exclusively, to a compacting device which can be operated by a fork lift truck.

Modern society produces a considerable amount of waste material. Much of this is extremely bulky, and occupies a relatively large volume as compared with the actual volume of material itself. For example, domestic and industrial waste can comprise high-volume material such as empty cardboard boxes, empty tin cans, and also randomly-oriented paper waste.

More particularly in industry, bulky waste material can be produced as a by-product of machining processes, for example swarf produced as a result of turning, milling etc.

Waste such as has been described is often consigned to a rigid container such as an open-topped skip. When the skip is full of waste material, the skip must be transported to a dump or waste-fill site, where the waste material is then tipped from the container. The container can then be re-used to store further waste material, followed by further transportation of the container and dumping of the waste material.

A considerable expense is involved in hiring containers such as skips, and paying for them to be transported away and emptied. It is therefore desirable for the container to be completely full of waste material before it is transported, in order to keep disposal costs to a minimum.

Where the waste material occupies a large volume as compared with the actual content of the.material itself, for example paper articles, cardboard boxes, empty tin cans and certain kinds of machining waste as have been described, a skip can be full to the point of overflowing, whilst not actually containing a great volume content or weight of the waste material itself.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a compacting device which can be used for example to compact waste material so that the volume the material occupies can be reduced.

According to the present invention there is provided a compacting device comprising a compacting lower portion, and an upper portion which is adapted to be engaged by a lifting truck which can support the compacting device and lower the compacting device onto material to be compacted by the compacting lower portion thereof.

In this way a container, for example a skip, containing waste products such as have been described can be more efficiently filled with otherwise bulky waste material.

A preferred embodiment of compacting device according to the invention, can be operated for example by a fork lift truck to compact waste material, as described, contained within a skip. In this way more material than previously can be contained within the skip, thus enabling it to be transported away and the waste material dumped less frequently, thus leading to savings in waste disposal operations.

The compacting lower portion may include metal weights to increase the weight thereof, and/or concrete for the same purpose.

Preferably the compacting lower portion has a substantially flat compacting lower surface and/or a sloping upper surface, the latter allowing material being compacted to fall from the compacting lower portion when the compacting device is raised from the waste material being compacted.

In an advantageous embodiment the upper portion of the compacting device is adapted to be engaged by the tines of a fork lift truck. Preferably the upper portion is provided with lifting members adapted to be engaged by respective ones of the tines of a fork lift truck, with these lifting members preferably comprising elongate tubular members arranged to receive within them the respective tines, and interconnected by at least one cross-member.

In order to secure the compacting device to a lifting truck when in use, preferably the upper portion thereof has fastening means for securing it to a lifting truck, the fastening means preferably comprising chains coupled to the lifting members.

In a preferred embodiment the upper and lower portions of the compacting device are interconnected by an intermediate portion of the compacting device, which may be an elongate portion adjustable in length thereby to vary the distance between the upper and lower portions of the compacting device. The upper end of the intermediate portion may be received between two cross-members interconnecting the tubular members.

The adjustable elongate portion may be telescopic in action, having first and second elongate members telescoped one within the other, with there being a fastening means to fix adjustably the relative positions of the first and second elongate members, and therefore the relative positions of the upper and lower portions of the compacting device.

The aforesaid fastening means may comprise a row of holes along one of the first and second elongate members, and a pin to secure the first and second elongate members relative to one another, through selected ones of those holes.

For a better understanding-of the present invention and to show how it may be put into effect reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a compacting device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the compacting device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the compacting device of Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the compacting device of Figures 1 to 3.

The compacting device of Figure 1 comprises a lower compacting portion or part 1 to compact waste material, an upper portion or part 2 adapted to be engaged by a fork lift truck, and an intermediate portion or part 3 interconnecting the lower and upper parts 1 and 2.

The compacting lower part 1 comprises basically a shallow rectangular box having a flat compacting lower surface 4, long upright sides 6, and shorter upright sides 5. The bottom and sides of the box are provided from sheet steel and are welded together to provide a strong rigid construction.

The upper surface of the box is provided by approximately triangular sloping sheet-steel plates 7 extending from the top edges of the box sides 5 and 6 and contacting at their centre inner surfaces an upright 13 (to be described later). Corners 8 are formed between adjacent plates 7. there is thus formed an extremely strong sheet steel closed box having an upper sloping surface from which waste material can fall when the compacting device is in use.

The aforementioned closed box can contain weights in the form of heavy metal plates in order to increase the compacting effect of the device, although preferably the box may be filled with concrete in order to be less costly.

The upper portion 2 of the compacting device comprises two parallel and horizontal open-ended rectangular-section tubular steel members or tubes 9 which are spaced-apart so that the tines of a fork lift truck can penetrate the tubes 9 from the left-hand side of Figure 1, and can pass entirely through the tubes 9 to protrude from the right-hand ends thereof. The section of each tube 9 is wider than it is deep, to better accommodate the substantially flat tines of a fork lift truck.

A strong welded structure is provided by two square-section cross-members-10 which interconnect and support the tubes 9 on either side of a vertically extending square-section support 12 (to be described later) which telescopes inside the upright 13 and which is also secured by the cross-members 10.

A strong welded structure is provided by the upper end of the support 12 being welded to the cross-members 10, and with the cross-members 10 being welded to the tubes 9 as mentioned.

The lower and upper portions 1 and 2 of the compacting device are interconnected by an intermediate portion thereof comprising the support 12 and the upright 13. The support 12 forms an extremely strong welded assembly together with the tubes 9 and cross members 10 as already mentioned, whilst the upright 13 itself passes through the cover plates 7 of the closed box, and is welded securely to a bottom plate of the box providing the lower compacting surface 4.

The support 12 telescopes within the upright 13 which is square-sectioned and hollow, and a fastening pin 14 is provided which passes through aligned holes in the two opposite sides of the upright 13 near its upper end, whilst fixing the vertical position of the telescoping support 12 by also passing through a.

selected pair of similarly oppositely-arranged holes in opposite sides of the upright 12.

The upright 12 comprises a row of such holes 15 to enable the length of the intermediate part 3 to be varied, with only two sets of holes 15 being visible in Figures 2 and 4.

In operation of the compacting device, it is initially set upon the ground in an upright position.

A fork lift truck approaches the device from the left hand side of Figure 1 and the two tines of the fork of the lifting truck are driven through the tubes 9 as far as possible.

The front ends of the tines project from the right-hand end of the tubes 9 as they are shown in Figure 1, whilst the left-hand ends of the tubes 9 abut against the lifting frame of the fork lift truck and are secured there by chains 11 (shown only in Figure 1) being manually passed around uprights of the lifting frame.

The tines of the fork lift truck are then raised, a nd the fork lift truck then driven to one edge of a container (e.g. a skip) containing waste material to be compacted. At that point the weight of the compacting device as a whole, and in particular the weight contained in the compacting lower portion 1, is allowed to pull downwardly on the tines of t1he fork lift truck, which are then lowered so that the lower compacting part 1 enters the top of the container and its weight compacts the material beneath the compacting surface 4.

After this one compacting operation, the tines of the fork lift truck are raised, lifting the lower compacting part 1 out of he container. Waste material falls-away from the sloping surfaces 7 at the top of the lower compacting portion 1 so as to fall back into the container.

If the one compacting stroke is insufficient, the fork lift truck can either remain in position and the tines lowered to provi6e a second compacting operation at the same location, or can be manoeuvred so that a second compacting stroke can take place at another location on the waste material in the container.

When the waste material in the previously-full container has been compacted to the maximum possible degree, the space left in the container by the compacting operation can be filled again, and further compacting can take place until the container is full of fully-compacted material to such an extent that no further material, and no further compacting, can be accommodated. At that point the container (e.g. skip) is in a condition suitable to be transported away and the compacted waste material dumped.

The adjustability of the telescoping intermediate part 3 of the compacting device enables the device to be used with containers of different depths and, if necessary, can be adjusted during compaction of a single container to make allowance for the height of the waste material varying as compaction steps take place.

The illustrated and described embodiment is particularly adapted for use with a fork lift truck, as has been described. The invention is not restricted to this however, and alterations could be made to the upper part 2 of the compacting device in order for the device to be operated by a lifting truck of some other type.

Also, it is to be noted that the described and illustrated device could be ada]ted.by the provision of a lifting lug, eye or hook or the like at a central upper location, say at the upper end of the support 12.

In this way the compacting device could be operated not only by a lifting truck, but also by say an overhead crane having a hook which could engage with such-a lifting lug, eye or hook.

It is important that the construction of the compacting device be extremely strong and durable, owing to the extremely heavy type of work the device is designed to execute. Welded steel plate and tubing has proved to be adequate for this purpose, whilst the use of strengthening gusset plates at welded joints can reinforce the device.

It is envisaged that the compacting device can be produced in different sizes and weights for different applications, with an example of the possible range of weights envisaged being 1500kgs, 2000kgs and 2500kgs.

Although the compaction of waste material has been concentrated-upon herein, it will of course be appreciated that the compacting device could be employed to compact other types of material also.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A compacting device comprising a compacting lower portion, and an upper portion which is adapted to be engaged by a lifting truck which can support the compacting device and lower the compacting device onto material to be compacted by the compacting lower portion thereof.

2. A compacting device according to claim 1, wherein the compacting lower portion includes metal weights to increase the weight thereof.

3. A compacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compacting lower portion includes concrete to increase the weight thereof.

4. A compacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compacting lower portion has a substantially flat compacting lower surface.

5. A compacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compacting lower portion has a sloping upper surface allowing material being compacted to fall from the upper surface of the compacting lower portion when the compacting device is raised.

6. A compacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper portion thereof is adapted to be engaged by the tines of a fork lift truck.

7. A compacting device according to claim 6, wherein the upper portion thereof is provided with lifting members adapted to be engaged by respective ones of the tines of a fork lift truck.

8. A compacting device according to claim 7, wherein the lifting members comprise tubular members arranged to receive within them the respective tines of a fork lift truck.

9. A compacting device according to claim 8, wherein the tubular members are elongate members interconnected by at least one cross-member.

10. A compacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper portion thereof has fastening means for securing it to a lifting truck.

11. A compacting device according to claim 10, when appended to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the fastening means comprise chains coupled to the lifting members.

12. A compacting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper and lower portions thereof are interconnected by an intermediate portion of the compacting device.

13. A compacting device according to claim 12, wherein the intermediate portion is an elongate portion.

14. A compacting device according to claim 13, wherein the elongate portion is adjustable.in length, thereby to vary the distance between the upper and lower portions.

15. A compacting device according to claim 14, wherein the adjustable elongate portion is telescopic in action.

16. A compacting device according to claim 15, wherein the intermediate portion has first and second elongate members telescoped one within the other, and a fastening means to fix adjustably the relative positions of the first and second elongate members, and therefore of the upper and lower portions.

17. A compacting device according to claim 16, wherein the fastening means comprises a row of holes along one of the first and second elongate members, and a pin to pass through both the first and second elongate members, through a selected one of said holes.

18. A compacting device according to any one of claims 12 to 17, when claim 12 is appended either directly or indirectly to claim 9, wherein an upper end of the intermediate portion is secured between two cross-members interconnecting the tubular members.

19. A compacting device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

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