Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to improvements in
refuse compactors and more particularly to such compactors
as are used in passenger-carrying aircrafts or the like
flying vehicles where a relatively large amount of refuse
accumulates during flights, rendering space-saving refuse
compaction essential.
Description of the prior art
U.S. Patent no. 4,700,623 of October 20, 1987
lS discloses a refuse compactor including a compaction ram
mounted in a cabinet in which a disposable refuse container
may be inserted. The ram is used to occasionnally compact
refuse that is loaded by the aircraft personnel into the
refuse container. To facilitate removal of the container
after compaction, one of the side walls of the cabinet is
made laterally movable to allow release of the frictional
force developed between the refuse container and the cabinet
walls during compaction. The operating device which is
responsible for driving the ram as well as for moving away
the one side wall of the compaction chamber after compaction
has been completed to give some slack to the container and
thus make its removal easier, is exclusively hydraulic and
involves a highly complex control valve system which is not -q
only costly but also requires frequent and appropriate
inspection and maintenance to ensure a reliable operation.
U.S. Patent 4,719,852 of January 19, 1988
discloses another refuse compactor in the form of a cabinet
defining two aligned and communicating chambers, a front
chamber used as a compaction chamber and intended to receive
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a disposable refuse container, and a rear chamber serving to
store the container filled with compacted refuse when the
same is moved from the compaction chamber. A door, hinged
to a sidewall of the cabinet between the two chambers, is
capable of moving from an active position, in which it
separates the two chambers, to a retracted position in which
it is swung against a sidewall of the storage chamber by a
filled refuse container as the latter is pushed into the
storage chamber. When in the storage chamber, the stored
filled container serves by its front panel as a support wall
for the rear panel of a new container to be filled in the
compaction chamber.
This refuse compactor is also efficient but has a
disadvantage. Indeed, once the filled container is in the
storage chamber and when, as aforesaid, its front panel
serves as a support wall and is subjected to the pressure
applied by the rear panel of a second container under
compaction in the front chamber, the side panels of the
stored first container are forceably applied against the
adjacent walls of the storage chamber. As a result, it is
very hard to remove the two containers when both are
compactly filled. ~i-
Seemingly to avoid the above drawbacks, an
alternative embodiment is suggested wherein the storage
chamber has a chute, beneath it, into which the filled
container in the rear chamber may be dropped for storage.
In this manner, the aforesaid hinged door may be
repositioned across the two chambers to serve as a support
wall for the rear panel of a new container. This solution ~~
is only partial as it does not release the pressure of the
compacted refuse against the circumscribing panels of the
container. Also, it implies the provision of a compactor of
a much larger size thereby taking up more valuable aircraft
space.
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SUMMARY OF T~E INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a
refuse compactor of the above general type, comprising a
compaction chamber having a moveable wall panel that extends
parallel to a side wall of the compaction chamber and can be
moved away from this side wall through a very simple
mechanism which is operated either directly by a hand lever
or indirectly through the service door of the compactor
cabinet, when this service door is closed for refuse
compaction into a container. In both cases, the very
purpose of this lateral motion of the movable wall panel
relative to the adjacent side wall is essentially to relieve
the pressure of the refuse container inside the compaction
chamber after completion of the compaction, and ~hus make
this container easily discardable into the storage chamber
and/or out of the compactor.
As aforesaid, the operation of the moveable wall
is entirely mechanical and manual and therefore very simple
and reliable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a
refuse compactor of the above mentioned type, having both a
compaction and a storage chambers comprising an internal
door that can be positioned be-tween the compaction and
storage chambers and is capable of resisting the lateral
pressure of the rear wall of a container in which refuse is
being compacted. The door may consist of a rigid panel that
can be detachably fixed to the rear wall of the refuse
container before the same is inserted into the compaction
chamber and bears against the frame of the compactor when
the refuse in the container is being subject to compaction.
The door may also be of the foldable garage type so as to be
easily moved up into a remote chamber above the storage
chamber, in retracted position, and be slid out of the
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remote chamber into active pressure-resisting position
between the compaction and the storage chambers, thanks to
appropriate guide means.
Such a compaction pressure-resisting door is much
simpler in construction and more reliable in operation than
the like door of the prior art apparatus mentioned above.
Yet another object of the invention is in the
provision of a new type of locking mechanism for the service
door of the compactor as well as a new compacting mechanism
located above the compaction chamber. This compacting
mechanism is of the pantograph type operated by an electric
motor assembly completely independent of the power lifting
assembly of the pressure-resisting door vertically movable
between the compaction and storage chambers.
- 15 More particularly, the invention as broadly
claimed hereinafter proposes a refuse compactor comprising:
- a cabinet defining a refuse-compactor chamber
and having a front wall and two opposite side walls, and a
service door to give access to the compactor chamber through
its front wall;
- a compaction mechanism mounted in the cabinet
above the compaction chamber to compact refuse in a
container removeably insertable into the compaction chamber
through the service door;
- a pressure-resisting wall panel moveably mounted
inside the compaction chamber, this wall panel being
adjacent and parallel to one of the side walls of the
compaction chamber;
( - cam means mounted inside the compaction chamber,
these cam means being capable of laterally moving the wall
panel toward and away from the one side wall; and
- actuation means mechanically connected to the
cam means to operate the same in order to reversibly move
the wall panel between a first position where the wall panel
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is rigidly held at a distance from the one side wall of the
compaction chamber and a second position where said wall
panel extends close to said one side wall.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the
invention:
- the compactor further comprises hinge means
connecting the wall panel to the one side wall, the hinge
means having axes perpendicular to the front wall and being
so designed as to allow the wall panel to move away from the
lo one side wall when the wall panel is shifted upwardly, and
move back toward said one side wall when the wal panel is
shifted downwardly,
- the cam means include at least one radially
extneding cam mounted onto a rotatable shaft fixed under the
wall panel; and
- the actuation means include a hand-operated
lever perpendicularly projecting from the shaft to rotate
the same, the lever being located in the cabinet close to
the fornt wall thereof and being movable in a plane parallel
to the front wall between an horizontal position where it
extends flat over the bottom wall and a vertical position
where it extends flat over the one side wall,
- whereby when the lever is in one of the
horizontal or vertical positions, each cam on the shaft is
engaged under the wall panel and keep it pushed up away from
the one side wall and, when the lever is in the other of the
positions, each cam is disengaged from under the wall panel
which is then free to move down about its hinging means
toward the one side wall. :.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the
invention:
- the service door is pivotably mounted onto the
front wall about a set of hinges;
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- the cam means includes opposite wedges fixed on
the one side wall and the wall panel respectively in such a
manner as to allow bodily motion of the wall panel toward
and away from the one side wall when the wall panel is
shifted perpendicularly to the front wall; and
- the actuation means includes means connecting
the service door and the wall panel together in such a
manner that the wall panel is mechanically shifted
perpendicularly to the front wall as soon as the service
door actuated.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the cabinet has a rigid frame structure and also
comprises a storage chamber rearwardly of the compaction
chamber, both of the compaction and storage chambers being
alignied and in full communication with each other through
a large opening, and wherein the compactor
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further comprises an internal panel detachably fixable to
the refuse container prior to inserting the same into the
compaction chamber, said internal panel being capable to
resist compaction pressure and sized to extend across the
large opening and bear against said cabinet frame structure
to temporarily provide a pressure-resisting rear wall into
the compaction chamber when a refuse container is inserted
therein.
Other features and advantages of the invention are
revealed in the non-restrictive description that follows of
some preferred embodiments of the invention given with
reference to the appended drawings. ~.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refuse
compactor made according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a side elevation view partly torn away
of a refuse compactor having a garage-type, sliding door,
showing the door in active position;
Figure 3 is an enlarged illustration of the upper
part of the sliding door shown in Figure 2;
Figure 4 which appears on the same sheet of
drawings as Figure 2, is a view similar to that in Figure 2
but with the door in retracted position;
Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view
through the sidewall of the compaction chamber of a
compactor provided with a first type of movable wall with
the service door open;
Figure 6 which appears on the same sheet of
drawings as Figure 3, is a cross-sectional view along line
VI-VI o Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a view similar to that of Figure 5 but
with the service door closed;
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Figure 8 which appears on the same sheet of
drawings as Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along line
VIII-VIII of Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a side view of a locking mechanism for
the service door in unlocked position;
Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9, showing
the locking mechanism in locked position;
Figure 11 which appears on the same sheet of
drawings as Figure 9, is a cross-sectional view along line
XI-XI of Figure 9;
Figure 12 is a side view of a refuse compacting
mechanism taken along line XII-XII of Figure 13;
Figure 13 is a top plan view of the mechanism
shown in Figure 12;
Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along
line XIV-XIV of Figure 12; :~
Figure 15 is a perspective view partly torn away
of the bottom and central framing structure of a compactor
making use of a removable internal panel to separate the :
20 compaction compartment from the storage compartment; :~
Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 15, showing :~
the internal panel in bearing position against the framing
structure;
Figure 17 is a view similar to Figure 16, showing
a refuse container in dolted lines;
Figure 18 is another perspective view similar to -~
Figure 16 but from another angle;
Figure 19 is a side elevational view partly torn
away of a compactor including an internal panel as shown in
Figures 15 to 18;
Figure 20 is a perspective view of another type of
movable wall panel;
Figure 21 is a front elevational view of the side
wall of a compactor provided with the movable wall panel of
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Figure 20 shown in operation position; and
Figure 22 is a view similar to Figure 21, showing
the movable wall panel in inoperative position.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
.,
The refuse compactor shown in Figures 1 to 4
comprises a cabinet 1 mounted on wheels 3 and formed of a
framework 5 covered with platings 7, 9, respectively on the
inside and on the outside. A service door 11 gives access
to the inside for the insertion and withdrawal of refuse
containers (not shown). A chute 13, pivoted on the service
door 11, serves to introduce refuse into a container within
the cabinet. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the latter is
divided into a front compaction chamber 15, a rear storage
chamber 17, a first remote chamber 19 above the storage
chambers 17 and a second remote chamber 21 above the
compaction chamber 15. The chambers 15, 17, are aligned and
are able to communicate with one another. They may however
be separated by a vertically displaceable door 23 built to
be capable of resisting pressure applied by the back panel
of a container in the compaction chamber 15 when refuse is
compacted into it.
The door 23 is guided, in its vertical
displacement, between the chambers 15, 17, by means of a
pair of inwardly turned vertical channels 25 located on
opposite inner lateral faces of the cabinet 1. It is made
up of a series of elongated horizontal slats 27 connected
together by hinges 29, on their storage chamber side,
somewhat like a foldable garage door. In order to provide
smooth displacement of the door in the guide channels, the
end edges of the slats are lined with TEFLO ~ strips 31. The
door is displaceable between the active position of Figures
2 and 3 where it closes communication between the chambers
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15, 17, and a retracted position, (partially shown in Fig.
4), wherein it lies completely in the remote chamber 19 and
the communication between the chambers 15, 17, is
established thus allowing discarding of a filled refuse
container from the compaction chamber 15 into the storage
chamber 17.
Displacement of the door 23 is obtained by means
of an inclined rotary screw 33 connected to the top one of
the slats 27, at its center, through a lifting strap 35
having one end 37 threaded on the screw and the other end 39
pivoted at 40 to a link 41 which is, in turn, pivoted at 42
to a lug 43 upstanding from the center of the top slat 27,
as aforesaid. The foldable door 23 enters into the remote
chamber 19 through openings 45 in one of the two flanges of
the guide channels 25. As will be gathered, rotation of the
screw 33 causes movement of the strap 39 along it and
consequently movement of the door 23, through the link 41
connection; the door moving between the active and retracted
positions aforesaid.
The screw 33 is rotated by a power assembly
mounted on a support bracket 47 fixed to the framework 5.
The power assembly comprises an electric motor 49 driving
the screw 33 through a speed reducing gear set 51 mounted on
the output shaft of the motor 49 and the upper end of the
screw 33. The lower end of the screw 33 is mounted on a
bearing 53 fixed to framework members 55.
Instead of using a sliding door 23 of the garage
type as disclosed hereinabove to close the opening between
the compaction chamber lS and the storage chamber 17, use
can be made of a small internal panel 251 as is shown in
figs. 15 to 19, provided on its front wall with an
horizontally extending hooking member 253 sized to fit on
the top edge of the front wall 257 of the refuse container C
(see figs. 17 and 19). The panel 251 which is made of steel
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or any other material capable to resist compaction pressure
and is square in shape, is sized to extend across the
opening between the chambers 15, 17 and to bear against the
cabinet frame structure to temporarily provide a pressure-
resisting rear wall into the compaction chamber 15 when therefuse container C is inserted therein. More particularly,
the panel 251 is preferably sized to have its lower edge
bearing against a small vertical step 259 projecting at the
rear of the bottom wall 69 of the compaction chamber 15.
The panel 251 is also sized to have its upper edge bearing
against a transversal cross-bar 263 forming an integral part
of the frame structure of the cabinet. If desired, the
panel may also be of such a width that its lateral edges
also bear against the vertical studs 265 of the frame
structure, to which the transversal cross-bar 263 is fixed.
In use, the internal panel 251 may be hung by
means of its holding member 253 onto the front wall 257 of
the container C prior to insering the same into the
compaction chamber 15. When the container C is completely
inserted into the compaction chamber as it is shown in figs.
17 and 19, the panel 251 comes into contact with the cross-
bar 263,the studs 265 and the step 259. In such a position,
the panel 251 becomes with a rigid support and holds the
front wall of the container C when the refuse therein is
subjected to compaction.
When the container C has been compacted, it may be
removed out of the compaction chamber through the service
door 11 and the internal panel 251 may be removed therefrom
and hooked onto another empty container. Of course, all of
these steps are manual and must therefore be carried out by
the hostesses and/or stewards aboard the aircraft in which
the compactor is mounted.
If desired, the compacted container C may be
stored into the storage chamber 17. To do so, it may be
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reinserted into the cabinet after removal of the internal
panel, and pushed through the opening in to the storage
cabinet 17. To make this pushing easier, small ramps 267
may be provided along the step 259. Of course,
corresponding recesses 255 must be provided at the bottom
edge of the internal panel 251 to give room to these ramps
267, as clearly shown in fig. 16.
It must also be appreciated that the spacing
between the stud 265 and the spacing between the step 259
and the cross 260 be sufficient to let the compacted
container C free to move from the compaction chamber 15 into
the storage number 17 when the internal panel 251 is removed
therefrom.
Reference will now be made to Figures S to 8,
which show a compactor of the type disclosed hereinabove,
provided with a first hand of lateral movable wall.
As is clearly shown in these Figures, the service
door 11 is connected to the front wall 57 of the cabinet 1
by a series of hinges 59 and is able to give access, when
opened, to the compaction chamber 15 for the insertion or
removal of refuse containers (not shown1-
Located parallel to one sidewall 61 of the cabinet1 is an inner wall panel 63 capable of resisting the
pressure created by a side panel of a container into which
refuse is compacted.
The sidewall 61 may be constituted, as shown, of
an outer plate 65 integrally joined, by the cabinet
framework 5, to an inner plate 67. The outer plate 65 is,
-, in turn, fixed to the bottom plate 69 of the cabinet.
The inner wall panel 63 is made up of an inward
vertical web 71 and a horizontal flange 73 fixed to the web
near its lower end. Angle members 75, secured to the bottom
plate 69, limit the inward movement of the wall panel 63.
Cam means consisting of pairs of cooperating wedge
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blocks 77, 79, cooperate to move the wall panel 63 in a
direction perpendicular to the sidewall 61 when it is
shifted in a direction parallel to the sidewall by the
service door 11 through actuation means to be described
hereinafter. The cooperating wedge blocks 77, 79, of each
pair are secured, respectively, to the sidewall inner plate
67 and to the free edge of the flange 73 of the wall panel
63.
The actuation means mentioned above includes means
connecting the service door 11 to the wall panel 63. These
connection means comprise a horizontal shift arm 81, in the
form of a threaded bolt, pivoted at 83, at one end, to the
adjacent end edge structure of the service door ll and
connected also to the adjacent edge structure of the wall
panel 63 in a manner such as to allow shifting of the wall
panel toward the storage chamber 17, that is in a direction
parallel to the sidewall 61 when the door 11 is being closed
and in reverse motion when it is being opened. Because of
the cooperating pairs of wedges 77, 79, the wall panel 63 is
thus able to move back and forth of the sidewall 61 when the
service door 11 is operated.
For this purpose, the shift arm or threaded bolt
81 is made to slide through an aperture 85 of a control
plate 87 secured to and beneath the flange 73 of the wall
panel 63. It is further provided with a pair of stop
members in the form of nuts 89, 91, threaded on the bolt 81
on either side of the control plate 87. The distance
between these two nuts can therefore be adjusted. Shifting
of~the wall panel 63 rightward in figs 5 and 7 is limited by
a stop block 93 fixed to the inner plate 67 of the sidewall
61. Finally, a return spring structure 95, mounted on a
flange of the channel 25 guiding the pressure-resisting door
23, is provided for biassing the wall panel 63 rightward.
With the above arrangement in mind, cIosing of the
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service door 11 causes the stop nut 89 to butt against the
control plate 87 and to shift the wall panel 63 leftward and
against the return spring of the structure 9S.
Simultaneously, the wall panel 63 moves slightly away from
the sidewall 61 through the pairs of wedges 77, 79 and into
position to resist the pressure applied when refuse is
compacted into a container in the compaction chamber. Once
the container is filled, the door 11 is opened which causes
the wall panel 63 to be drawn rightward by the stop nut 91
and by the return spring 95. This movement of the wall
panel 63 loosens the pressure between it and the refuse
container which may then easily be shifted into the storage
chamber 17 or removed from the compactor.
An arrangement as described above is also provided
of course at the upper ends of the sidewall 61, of the wall
panel 63 and of the service door 11 to ensure its
parallelism during its displacement.
Figs. 20 to 22 show a variant of the embodiment
that has just been disclosed. More particularly, these
figures show a compactor of the type disclosed hereinabove,
provided with another kind of lateral, movable wall.
Once again, located parallel to one side wall 61
of the cabinet 1 is an inner wall panel 271 capable of
resisting the pressure of the side panel of the container
into which refuse is compacted.
As disclosed hereinabove, the side wall 61 may be
constituted of an outer plate 65 integrally joined, via the
cabinet frame wall 5, to an inner plate 67.
The upper edge of the inner wall panel 271 is
connected to the side wall 61 by hinge means consisting of a
plate 273 having one edge 275 hinged to an angle member 277
rigidly fixed to the frame 5, and its other edge 279 hinged
onto the front top edge of the panel 271.
The lower end of the wall panel 271 is hingedly
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mounted onto the wall 61 by a pair of pivotable links 281
connected to blocks 283 fixed to the frame 5. All of these
hinged means have axes that extend perpendicular to the
front wall of the cabinet and thus extend horizontally in
directions parallel to the side wall 61 and bottom wall 69.
The hinging plate 273 as well as the links 281 are
so designed as to allow the wall panel 271 to move away from
the side wall 61 when the wall panel 271 is shifted upwardly
(see fig. 21), and to move back toward the side wall 61 when
the wall panel 271 is shifted downwardly (see fig. 22).
Cam means including a plurality of cams or fingers
285 mounted onto a rotatable shaft 287, are used to shift
the wall panel 271 upwardly whenever desired. To do so, the
shaft 281 extends longitudinally under the wall panel 271
and is rotatably fixed to the bottom wall 69 of the cabinet
by a plurality of pillow blocks 289.
Actuating means are provided to rotate the shaft
289 to push the cams 285 under the wall panel 271 in order
to shift it up whenever desired. These actuation means
include a hand-operated lever 291 projecting perpendicularly
from the shaft 187 to rotate the same. The lever 291 is
located in the cabinet close to the front wall thereof in
such a manner as to be movable in a plane parallel to this
front wall between a horizontal position (see figs. 20 and
21) where it extends flat over the bottom wall 69 of the
compaction chamber, and a vertical position where it extends
flat over the side wall 61.
When the lever 291 is in the horizontal position
shown in fig. 21, each cam 285 on the shaft 287 is engaged
under the wall panel 271 and keeps it up and away from the
side wall 61. Alternatively, when the lever 291 is moved up
as is shown with the arrow in fig. 22, it moves out of the
path of introduction of a container into the compaction
compartment and simultaneously causes each cam 285 to
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disengage from under the wall panel 271 which is then free
to move down by gravity about its hinging means and thus go
back toward the side wall 61. This movement of the wall
panel 271 has the same effet as the movement of the wall
panel 63, namely to loosen the pressure between it and the
refuse container C which then may be easily removed from the
compaction chamber 15 through the service door, or push out
of this compaction chamber 15 into the storage chamber 17.
Figures 9, 10 and 11 show a locking mechanism
within the service door 11 for securing it to the cabinet
when in closed position. The service door has a central
framework of which only the riser members 97, 99, the top
member 101 and the bottom member 103 are shown; the left
riser member 99 receiving the hinges 59 which allow the door
to pivot about the vertical axis 105. The front and back
cover plates of the door have also been left out for more
clearly showing the locking mechanism.
The latter comprises lock bolts 107, 109, 111 and
125 slidable through the bores of guiding sleeves 113, 115,
117 and 127 respectively fixed to the top member 101, the
bottom member 103 and the riser member 97. Astiffening
outward plate 123 may also be provided. An additional lock
bolt 125 is provided below the bolt 111, with its own guide ~ -
sleeve 127 and stiffening plate 129. As shown, the lock
bolts are made to be displaced perpendicularly of the top
and bottom members and of the riser member, respectively. i-
They are to be slid simultaneously and between a retracted
position within the service door (Fig. 8) and a locking
position where they extend partially outwardly (Fig. 10) and
into appropriate receiving keepers (not shown) of the
cabinet framework. The locking and unlocking operations are
achieved by a handle 131, mounted on the door for -
oscillation about an axis 133 perpendicular to it, and by a
linkage assembly connecting the handle 131 and teh lock pins
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1332~7S
107, 109, 111, 127, and constructed for moving them in
unison selectively to the locking and releasing positions.
The locking handle 131 is a right-angular bell-
crank lever having a pair of actuating arms 135, 137.
The linkage assembly comprises a first movement-
transmitting right-angular bell-crank lever 139 having a
pair of transmitting arms 143, 145. It is, like the handle
131, mounted on the service door 11 for oscillation about an
axis 141 perpendicular to it. a first rod 147, adjustable
as to length by a central conventional nut-and-bolt
arrangement, is pivoted at its ends respectively to the
movement-transmitting arm 145 (Figure 9), in knuckle joint
manner, and at 146 to the actuating arm 135 of the handle
131. A second rod 149, also adjustable as to length, is
pivoted at 151 to the other movement-transmissing arm 143 of
the first lever 139 and at 153 to a flattened inward end of
the upper lock bolt 107. Likewise, a flattened inward end
of the lock bolt 111 (see Fig. 9) is pivoted to both the
first rod 147 and the movement-transmitting arm 145 through
a common pin 155 (see also Fig. 11). Since the boit 111
must move at right angle to the riser member 97, and the
first bell-crank lever 139 moves angularly, it is obvious
that the bell-crank legs 157, 159, of the jGint of Figure
10, must be provided with slightly elongated through slots
160 to accommodate the movement of the common pin 155.
Finally, a third rod 161 is pivoted, at 163, to the
actuating arm 137 of the handle 131 and also pivoted, at
165, to a flattened inner end of the bottom lock bolt 109.
Where the optional lock bolt 125 is used, a second bell-
crank lever 167, pivoted at 168 to the door 11, having
movement-transmitting arms 169, 171, and identical to the
first lever 139, must be used. Its arm 169 is connected, in
knuckle-joint manner as in Figure 9, to the third rod 161
and its arm 171 is pivoted at 173 to a fourth length-
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adjustable rod 175 of which the other end is pivoted, at
177, to a flattened inner end of the lock bolt 125. Here
again, an elongated slot 179 must be foreseen through the
two spaced legs of the movement-transmitting arm 167, as in
the joint of Figure 9 and for the same reason.
Regarding the previously mentioned chute 13, shown
in Figure 1 and also in dotted lines in Figure 9 above the
door locking mechanism of the service door 11, it is built
in the door 11 for movement through not shown hinges,
allowing it to pivot-about a horizontal axis 249. Its
locking mechanism is ~uite similar to that just described
above with regard to the door 11. It has a bell-crank
handle 251 pivoted at 253 at its apex. One actuating arm
255 drives a locking pin linearly through a first rod, such
as rod 147, so that the locking pin extends along the
horizontal axis 257. As to the other actuating arm 259, it
drives a second locking pin, again through a rod such as rod
147, so that the locking pin moves along the horizontal axis
261. The locking pins pass through the riser members 263,
265, respectively, of the chute framework to be lodged into
keepers (not shown) of the framework of the service door 11.
As shown in Figure 9 and 11, when the handle 131
is moved clockwise, its actuating arm 135 pushes on the
first rod 147 which tilts slightly downwardly while moving
the lock bolt 111 outward through the common pivot pin 155.
The pin 155 also rotates the first lever 139 slightly
counterclockwise causing the second rod 149 to move, through
the pivot 153, the upper lock rod outward. At the same
time, the other handle actuating arm 137 shifts the third
rod 161 angularly but also downwardly causing, through the
pivot pin 165, the lower lock bolt 109 to move outwardly.
Simultaneously, the pivot pin 165 rocks the second lever 167
counterclockwise, forcing the fourth rod 175 rightward
through the pivot 173 and moving the lock pin 125 out of the
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door.
Referring now to Figures 12, 13 and 14, the
compactor includes, in its second chamber 21, a compacting
mechanism 181 which comprises a vertically movable
S compaction ram 183, at its lower end; a stationary drive
assembly 185, at its upper end, and two expansible and
contractible pantographs 187, 189, in between; connecting
the ram and the drive assembly to allow vertical movement of
the said ram in and out of the chamber 21 to compact refuse
in a container held in the compaction chamber 15.
The drive mechanism comprises a horizontal rotary
screw 191 journaled, at its ends, in suitable bearings (not
shown) on two opposed structural members 193, 195, of the
mechanism framework. The screw is drawn into rotation by an
electric motor 197 through a chain and sprocket drive 199.
It is formed of two coaxial inverted thread sections 201,
203. Two non-rotatable driving heads 205, 207, having
threaded bores, are mounted respectively on the thread
sections 201, 203, so that they may move relative to one
another when the screw rotates. The upper ends of the upper
links 209, 211, of each pantagraph 187, 189, are formed with
bored legs 213, 215, turned toward the driving heads 205,
~ 207, and through which freely extend axles (frontward axles
-` 217 only being shown in Figure 14) of which the inner ends
are secured respectively to the heads 205, 207; upper
rollers 221, 223, being mounted for free rotation on their
outer ends. The rollers are received and guided into pieces
225, 227, fixed to the aforesaid structural members 193,
195~ In a!similar manner, the lower ends of the lower links
229, 231, of each pantograph 187, 189, are formed with
inwardly turned bored legs (only legs 233 being shown in
Figure 14) through which freely extend axles (axles 237 only
being shown in Figure 14) fixed to the links at one end and
rotatably receiving rollers 241, 243; the latter riding in
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,
:: . ::
2~
, ~ _ ., .. , , , .. , . ' . ,. ~ ., ' : : '
-- ` 133267S
channel guides 245, 247, secured to the ram 183.
Thus, as the screw 191 is rotated by the motor
197, the driving heads 205, 207, are forced to move toward
one another causing either extension or contraction of the
pantographs 187, 189, depending on the sense of rotation of
the screw and, consequently, rising or falling of the
compaction head 183.
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