WO1996017227A1

WO1996017227A1 - Method and apparatus for weighing garbage

Info

Publication number: WO1996017227A1
Application number: PCT/AU1995/000790
Authority: WO
Inventors: Arthur Kellenbach
Original assignee: Arthur Kellenbach
Priority date: 1994-11-28
Filing date: 1995-11-28
Publication date: 1996-06-06
Also published as: AUPM969794A0

Abstract

In the weighing of garbage collected from bins (15) by means of lifting apparatus (14) attached to a collecting vehicle (10), the garbage is emptied into a receptacle (16) associated with the truck where it is weighed before being emptied for compaction in the storage region (13) of the vehicle.

Description

PCI7AU95/00790

- 1 -

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING GARBAGE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the weighing of garbage in conjunction with garbage collection by vehicle.

PRIOR ART

In the collection of garbage by the semi-automated lifting and emptying of bins by an appropriate mechanism carried by the collection vehicle, attempts have been made to weigh the contents of the bin during its lifting and return. An example of such an approach is to be found in United States patent 4,645,018.

THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide an arrangement which enables weighing to be carried out with more time available for a satisfactory reading to be achieved, and in a dynamic environment which enables an accurate reading to be obtained within the time available.

The invention also provides a system which is inherently well adapted for handling split loads, for example in garbage collection systems where a bin is compartmented for separation of recyclable material and general garbage, and where separate weighing of the recyclable and non-recyclable material is required.

In accordance with the present invention the collection vehicle is provided with a weighing receptacle into which the garbage is tipped, which receptacle is then emptied into the main container or compactor of the vehicle. This enables weighing to be carried out while the vehicle replaces an emptied bin and picks up the next, and while the vehicle moves between bin locations.

In one practical embodiment of the invention, in a method of garbage weighing during vehicle collection from garbage bins, a bin is emptied into a weighing receptacle associated with a transport vehicle, the weight of the garbage in the receptacle determined, and the receptacle emptied into the transport vehicle.

The weighing receptacle may be incorporated into the structure of the vehicle, or may be mounted on the vehicle. The receptacle may be emptied into the vehicle main container or compactor by tilting, or by a lifting and emptying mechanism such as a hydraulic mechanism. Any other arrangement for emptying the receptacle may be employed, such as the use of opening side or bottom walls.

Any appropriate weighing technique may be employed, including the use of load cells or strain gauges in the means by which the receptacle is mounted.

Preferably the bin lifting apparatus and the weighing equipment are interlocked so that the next lift or at least the emptying of the next bin must await a correct weight reading, the valid identification of the preceding bin, and the emptying of the weighing receptacle. This can be achieved electrically in response to the indication of a captured weight reading and identification, or in response to the completion of the emptying cycle of the weighing receptacle. The invention will find useful application not only in the case of conventional bins, but also in the case of bins having separate compartments for recyclable and non-recyclable materials. In the latter case the bin may be emptied into two weighing receptacles by the use of a divided hopper matching the dimensions of the divided bin opening. Separate weighing devices may be provided for respective weighing receptacles so that the recyclable and non-recyclable material will be weighed separately. Alternatively, a single weighing receptacle may be used which weighs the respective materials sequentially.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevation of a garbage collection truck incorporating the invention; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the truck of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a weighing bin arrangement;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end elevation of the weighing bin of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the system controls; and Fig. 6 is a somewhat schematic end elevation of an embodiment of the invention adapted for the separate weighing of garbage from the two compartments of a split compartment bin.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.

The illustrated garbage collection truck 10 includes a cabin 11, weighing and compaction section 12 and a container section 13. Mounted on the truck adjacent the section 12 is a hydraulic bin lifting and emptying mechanism 14.

As is known, the mechanism 14 functions to engage and lift garbage bins 15, in this case moving the bin through an arc between its initial position resting on the ground beside the truck, to an inverted emptying position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2.

In prior art trucks, the garbage from the bin is dropped into a compacting mechanism (not shown) in the section 12 of the truck, from where the compacted garbage is moved into the storage section 13. In the illustrated truck there is interposed a weighing scale 16 which receives the garbage from the bin 15 and empties, after weighing, into the truck proper, in this case directly into the compactor.

A suitable scale is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, and consists of a container 17 pivotally mounted between support rails 18. The rails 18 are each mounted by means of elastomer elements 19 on a transducer bar 20 which is in turn supported from a section of the truck structure 21 by means of similar elastomer elements 22. The weighing bar arrangement consisting of the bars 20 (which carry strain gauges 35 not shown in Figs. 3 and 4) and the elastomer elements 19 and 22, may be constructed according to the teachings of

Australian patents 590520, 630349 and 661746 to which reference is directed.

Mounted for rotation with the container 17 is a pinion 23, and mounted on the truck frame is a rack 24 operated by means of a hydraulic ram 25, controlled by ram actuation circuitry 36 (Fig. 5). The rack 24 is arranged so that when it is in its retracted position shown in Fig. 4 it is disengaged from the pinion 23 so that the container and the weighing system is free of restriction. Similarly the rack is 5 also free of engagement with the pinion when it is in its fully extended position.

The container 17 may be mounted so that it is in a position of stable equilibrium in both its upright

ID position illustrated and when inverted for emptying, or alternatively may be provided with a lock (not shown) which retains it in its inverted position until released. Thus operation of the ram 25 to move the rack 24 to its extended position will invert the

15 container, which will remain inverted until the rack 24 is retracted by the ram 25.

Associated with the lifting mechanism, for example mounted adjacent the bin 15, is an identifying device

20 26 (Fig. 5) the nature of which will depend on the type of identification system used. It may, for example, be an electronic tag-interrogating device or a bar code reader. The identification and recording apparatus associated with the device 26 is preferably

25 integrated with the weighing and control circuitry 37 to control the operation of the system, for example in the following way.

Upon acquisition of a bin 15, the bin is identified by 30 means of the device 26, and the bin identity recorded. The bin is then lifted and emptied into the container 17, so that the transducers 35 will provide a weight-indicating signal to the processing circuitry 37.

35

Once a valid bin identification and weight reading has been captured, the container is rotated to its inverted position by actuation of the ram actuation circuitry 36. The transducers 35 will now provide a signal which should be representative of the empty receptacle, stored from the previous weighing or from calibration. Providing the weight of the inverted container is within a predetermined zero tracking range, the weight of the garbage emptied from the container is recorded against the identity of the bin the system is reset for the next weighing operation and the receptacle 17 returned to its load receiving attitude by means of the actuation circuitry 36.

If the container weight does not return to a weight within the predetermined range after emptying, indicating inadequate emptying of the container, or if a valid bin identification has not been obtained, the operator is alerted and the next weighing operation prevented, for example by preventing lifting actuation of the mechanism 14 through the interlock circuitry 38.

Upon such an operator alert, the operator's actions will depend on the policy of the collecting authority. In the case of a missing identification, he may, for example, enter the street address of the relevant bin by means of a keyboard, or simply choose to proceed without identification. In the case of a lack of zero tracking, the operator may, for example, actuate a mechanical scraper, or choose to re-set the scale and proceed.

As mentioned above, a scraper or other device may be provided to assist in the substantially complete emptying of garbage from the weighing container.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the garbage bin 15 is divided by a vertical partition 27 into a pair of compartments 28 and 29, in this case of unequal size. The smaller compartment 28 may contain recyclable material, while the larger compartment contains general garbage. Of course, both compartments may be of the same size, and in general the configuration of the bin will be determined by the requirements of the garbage collecting authority or enterprise.

In order separately to weigh these two components of the garbage, two containers 30 and 31 are provided, mounted on separate weighing systems 32 and 33. A partitioned gate 34 is mounted above the containers 32 and 33 to align with the partition 27 in order to ensure that the garbage is separately emptied into the correct containers.

Such a split system is operated otherwise in the same way as the single compartment system described above.

In the street collection of domestic garbage, which is the typical though not exclusive application of the invention, the truck will be driven along the street, stopping at intervals to allow the loading of garbage from bins placed along the street. By determining the weight of garbage collected from a given bin after the bin has been emptied, the truck operator does not need to wait at one collection site until the weight is determined, and in this way the collection operation will be quicker. Furthermore, weight readings will be obtained without slowing down pick up and emptying of the bin, and with greater reliability in view of the more stable weighing environment provided by the weighing receptacle on the truck, and the extended time available for the weighing, compared with the dynamic environment of the hydraulic lifting mechanism. While the invention has been described in connection with two specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that other forms of realization of the invention are possible, and the scope of the invention is to be determined by reference to the claims.

Claims

Claims .

1. A garbage collection vehicle including means for the lifting and emptying of garbage bins and a garbage storage region for the cumulative storage of garbage from such bins, the vehicle further being provided with a garbage receiving region receiving the garbage emptied from a bin, means for determining the weight of garbage in said receiving region and means for emptying the receiving region for storage in said storage region.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said receiving region includes a receptacle positioned to receive garbage emptied from a bin and means for emptying said receptacle.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein said means for determining weight includes means for weighing said receptacle together with its contents.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3 wherein said means for determining weight includes means for determining the weight of said receptacle after its receipt of the contents of a bin, and means for determining the weight of the receptacle after the emptying of the receptacle.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4 further including means responsive to the recordal of a valid weight to allow a subsequent bin weighing operation.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5 wherein said means for determining weight further includes means preventing a further weighing operation should the indicated weight of the receptacle after its emptying not fall within a predetermined range.

7. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein said receptacle is mounted on transducer means providing an indication of weight, and is movable between a garbage receiving position and an emptying position by means which is disengaged from the receptacle when the receptacle is in either of said positions.

8. A method of determining the weight of the contents of a garbage bin in the collection of garbage by means of a vehicle provided with bin lifting and emptying means, including the steps of emptying the contents of a bin into a receptacle on said vehicle, determining the weight of the receptacle and contents, emptying the receptacle into a container of said vehicle and determining the weight of the receptacle after emptying.