GB2146706A

GB2146706A - Vacuum chamber arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2146706A
Application number: GB08325296A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Easton
Original assignee: BUCKINGHAM VEHICLES Ltd
Current assignee: BUCKINGHAM VEHICLES Ltd
Priority date: 1983-09-21
Filing date: 1983-09-21
Publication date: 1985-04-24
Also published as: GB8325296D0

Abstract

A vacuum chamber arrangement primarily for gulley emptying apparatus is provided in which a vacuum chamber (2) or a pair of chambers (2, 2') is provided to a sludge receiving tank (10) e.g. as domes on the latter, via openable closures 20. A gulley suction pipe (3) communicates with the chamber (2) and on a vacuum condition being created in the chamber (2) by an air exhauster, sludge/water is drawn up the pipe (3) into the chamber (2) which subsequently discharges into the tank (10) on opening of the closure (20) due to loss of suction in the chamber and/or by an actuator (4). Thus a vacuum condition need only be created in the much smaller chamber (2) for gulley pipe suction and not in the tank (10). Where two chambers (2, 2') are employed they may be operated sequentially. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vacuum chamber arrangements The object of this invention is to provide improved vacuum or suction chamber arrangements primarily for gulley emptying apparatus but capable of other practical application.

Hitherto in gulley emptying apparatus the practice has been to exhaust air from the sludge receiving tank in order that it can serve as a vacuum chamber for creating suction in the suction pipe from the tank, which pipe is inserted in a gulley to withdraw sludge from the latter. This entails creating a vacuum condition in a relatively large tank which vacuum condition is then largely if not entirely destroyed when the suction pipe is withdrawn from the gulley. Such procedure is time and energy consuming and necessitates the sludge tank being of strong construction to withstand the repeated creation of a vacuum condition within it.

A particular object of the invention is to avoid the above disadvantages in a simple and effective manner.

Basically according to the invention a vacuum chamber arrangement is characterised by at least one chamber connected for exhaustion of air therefrom in order to create a vacuum condition within the chamber for receiving sludge or other matter drawn therein by suction, e.g. from a gulley via a suction pipe, the chamber being communicated by an openable closure with a tank or receptacle for receiving sludge or other matter discharging from the chamber when the closure is opened so that only the chamber needs to have a vacuum condition created therein.

The invention is further characterised by the provision of two such vacuum chambers each communicated by a respective openable closure with a common tank or receptacle for receiving sludge or other matter, the arrangement being that while one chamber is closed from the tank or receptacle for receiving sludge or other matter drawn into the chamber by suction, the other chamber can be communicated with the tank or receptacle to discharge sludge or other matter into it.

By "vacuum condition" is meant a sufficient degree of air exhaustion for obtaining satisfactory suction e.g. for gulley emptying purposes.

A practical example of the vacuum chamber arrangement in gulley emptying apparatus is shown in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the line ll-ll of Fig 1 and Figure 3 is a detail view showing a further development.

The main tank assembly 1 which in use is vehicle mounted in the usual manner, provides a central longitudinal sludge receiving tank 10 together with tanks 11, 1 2 at each side for respectively holding clean water and dirty water, the latter being expelled and pumped to the tank 1 2 from the sludge in the central tank 1 0. For this purpose the central sludge tank 10 is provided with a compaction plate 1 3 operated by ram or other suitable mechanism (not shown) to compress sludge received in the tank 10 towards the rear discharge door 14 and to expel water from the sludge which passes behind the compaction plate 1 3 and is pumped at 1 5 to the dirty water tank 1 2.

Clean water from the tank 11 is initially for use in re-sealing and washing down an emptied gulley after which dirty water accumulated in the tank 1 2 can be subsequently used for this purpose.

In accordance with this invention the tank assembly 1 is provided with preferably two vacuum chambers 2, 2' shown in the form of domes on top of the sludge tank 10 and each arranged to communicate with the latter when its respective closure 20, 20' is open. Each closure 20, 20' is shown of conical form so as to seat at 21 in the opening at a lower part of the dome 2, 2' into the sludge tank. The lowermost part 23 of the dome 2, 2' is shown enlarged to accommodate the closure 20, 20' i.e. clear of the path of movement of the compaction plate 1 3.

One or the other of the domes 2, 2' is arranged to be communicated with an air exhauster (not shown) via selector valves 22 so that a vacuum condition is created in it for receiving sludge drawn therein from the gulley suction pipe 3 via a selector valve or valves 33 which are preferably operated in conjunction with the vacuum selector valves 22. Thus the vacuum condition in the dome 2 also causes the closure 20 to firmly seat against the seating 21.

When the gulley has been emptied and the suction pipe 3 withdrawn the loss of suction in the dome 2 allows the closure 20 to open and/or it may be opened by actuating means such as the hydraulic or pneumatic ram indicated at 4 in Fig 1. This allows sludge drawn into the dome 2 to discharge into the sludge tank whilst at the same time the closure 20' of the other dome 2' is closed and the selector valves 22 operated to cause air to be exhausted from it. Such changeover can be effected as the vehicle is moving from one gulley location to the next or each dome 2, 2' can receive sludge from more than one gulley in sequence dependent on the capacity of each dome and the quantity of sludge entailed.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing only the dome 2 or 2' is subject to a vacuum condition therein and since its volume is small compared with that of the sludge receiving tank 10, a required degree of vacuum condition can be quickly created in either dome 2 or 2' so that the apparatus is immediately ready for gulley emptying operation whilst the motive power energy required to drive the exhauster is kept to a minimum. Furthermore the sludge receiving tank 10 is at no time subject to a vacuum condition (or possibly only to a slight extent) so that it can be of a construction sufficient for the purpose of holding sludge and water and not to withstand an operative vacuum condition.

In a simplified arrangement of the invention, e.g. for a sludge receiving tank 10 of smaller capacity a single vacuum chamber or dome 2 may be employed operating in the manner of either of the domes 2, 2' above described, i.e. with discharge of sludge past the open closure 20 while the vehicle is moving between gulley locations with re-creation of a fresh vacuum condition within the dome quickly effected ready for the next gulley.

The single or double arrangement of a vacuum or suction chamber 2, 2' according to this invention may be used for other purposes in drawing by suction granular or similar matter or a liquid or semi-liquid and directing it into a receptacle or similar locality especially where creation of suction in the latter is not feasible.

In a development shown in Fig. 3 the chamber 2 or each chamber 2, 2' is provided with a piston 24 arranged for suitable ram or other operation at 6, and is for compressing sludge in the chamber 2 against the closure 20 so as to extract water from the sludge prior to its passage into the tank 1 0. Water extracted in this way preferably passes directly at 210 to the dirty water tank 12 e.g. via a non-return valve 212 (to avoid creation of a suction condition in the tank 12). Extraction of water in this manner may obivate the need for compaction plate 1 3 in the main or holding tank 10.

The piston 24 may be perforated as at 240 for flow of water through it and its face may be concave to correspond to the convex upperside of the closure 20.

Other means of extracting water from the sludge prior to or during its passage from the chamber 2 to the tank 10 may be employed such as roller or roller and belt means between which the water laden sludge is compressed to express the water from it.

Claims

1. A vacuum chamber arrangement characterised by at least one chamber connected for exhaustion of air therefrom in order to create a vacuum condition within the chamber for receiving sludge or other matter drawn therein by suction, e.g. from a gulley via a suction pipe, the chamber being communicated by an openable closure with a tank or receptacle for receiving sludge or other matter discharging from the chamber when the closure is opened so that only the chamber needs to have a vacuum condition created therein.

2. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to claim 1 wherein two vacuum chambers are provided each communicated by a respective openable closure with the tank or receptacle common thereto for receiving sludge or other matter, the arrangement being that while one chamber is closed from the tank or receptacle for receiving sludge or other matter drawn into said chamber by suction, the other chamber can be communicated with the tank or receptacle to discharge siudge or other matter into it.

3. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the capacity of the or each vacuum chamber is small compared with that of the tank or receptacle.

4. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the openable closure of the or each vacuum chamber is of conical form for cooperation with seating in a lower part of the chamber especially under the action of a vacuum condition therein.

5. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein the or each vacuum chamber is in the form of a dome on top of the tank or receptacle for communication therewith.

6. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein the openable closure of the or each vacuum chamber is arranged to be opened by loss of suction in the chamber and/or by actuating means.

7. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein selector valve means is provided for controlling communication of the or each vacuum chamber with air exhauster means for creating a vacuum condition therein.

8. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to any of claims 2 to 7 wherein the selector valve means is arranged to effect communication of one or the other of a vacuum chambers with the air exhauster means for creating a vacuum condition therein.

9. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to any of the preceding claims wherein a suction inlet to the or each vacuum chamber e.g. from a gulley suction pipe is controlled by selector valve means.

1 0. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to claim 7 or 8 with claim 9 wherein the selector valve means for controlling communication of the or each vacuum chamber with air exhauster means and the selector valve means contrclling the suction inlet to the or each chamber are arranged for operation in conjunction with one another.

11. A vacuum chamber arrangement ac cording to any of the preceding claims wherein the or each vacuum chamber is provided with means for extracting liquid such as water from sludge or other matter received in the chamber prior to, or during, its passage from the chamber into the tank or receptacle.

1 2. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to claim 11 wherein the liquid e.g.

water extraction means consists of a piston operable in the chamber for compressing sludge or other matter received in the chamber against the openable closure.

1 3. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to claims 4 and 1 2 wherein the piston has a concave face for cooperation with the openable closure of conical form in the chamber.

14. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to claim 1 2 or 1 3 wherein the piston is perforated for flow of liquid e.g. water through it from the sludge or other matter as the latter is compressed by the piston.

1 5. A vacuum chamber arrangement according to any of claims 11 to 1 4 wherein an outlet is provided to the chamber for passage of extracted liquid e.g. water from the chamber via non-return valve means.

1 6. A vacuum chamber arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 or to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.