US3631795A - Pressure plate with controlled allowable tilt - Google Patents

Abstract

The pressure plate with controlled allowable tilt is used to compact waste material, in order to reduce it in volume within the confines of a container. The pressure plate pivots on a ball, the neck of which is attached to the rod of the pressure cylinder, and with further control provided by the tilt plates attached to the edges of the pressure plate, the angle of tilt will put no undue stresses on the cylinder rod pressure plate or the container inside which it travels.

Description

United States Patent Inventor John H. Maxwell Montreal, Quebec, Canada Appl. No. 52,187

Filed July 6, 1970 Patented Jan. 4, I972 Assignee J. H. Maxwell Mfg. Inc. Pierre, Quebec, Canada PRESSURE PLATE WITH CONTROLLED ALLOWABLE TILT 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 100/240, 100/295 Int. Cl B30b 15/06 Field of Search 100/240, 245, 295

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,415,766 2/1947 Shapiro 100/295 X 1,562,390 11/1925 Trust et al 100/245 Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhite AttorneyMason, Fenwick & Lawrence PATENTED JAR M972 INVENTOR JOHN H.MAxwELL BY WQSmAJwJwQQw Q ATTORNEY3 PRESSURE PLATE WITH CONTROLLED ALLOWABLE TILT This invention relates to a steel or iron plate which is used as a pressure plate, and is driven, vertically down, on the horizontal plain, inside the walls of a steel or iron box. A piston rod, attached to the center of the top side of the pressure plate, is the driving force. The purpose of the pressure plate is to compact whatever waste material is deposited in the box.

Referring to this invention, it is common practice in this type of box, that the pressure plate be held rigidly on the horizontal plain, during its passage vertically down, the inside walls of the box. Thus waste material deposited in the box must be carefully placed, so that the pressure plate will not be required to meet a vertically placed piece of waste material, which material (such as a can or bottle etc.) because of its strength in compression, would cause the pressure plate to tilt, and thereby cause structural damage to the pressure plate or the guides, used to hold the pressure plate in a rigid position on the horizontal plain. Thus this type of pressure plate requires that there be great care taken by the person who deposits the waste material in the box. Should the waste material being deposited in the box be garbage, there is a natural aversion on the part of the person who deposits such waste, to open the door of the box and level the waste material surface to accommodate the pressure plate.

1 have found that these disadvantages, as recounted above, may be overcome by mounting a spherical ball, with neck, the neck being attached to the piston rod and the spherical ball being enclosed in channel sections, which are attached in the form of a cross, on the top side of the pressure plate. Vertically mounted plates attached to the pressure plate at all the extreme edges on top and bottom provide the tilt control of the pressure plate. Thus, the pressure plate when in its downward movement, meets an obstruction (can or bottle etc.) will then tilt on the spherical ball, without damage to either the piston rod or itself, and when the tilt reaches the full extent of the angle of degree allowed, the top and bottom edges of the vertically mounted tilt plates, on the extreme edges of the pressure plate, will come in contact with the inside faces of the vertical plates forming the box itself. It will then be a simple matter for the operator to reverse the power, driving the piston rod, and by so doing to reverse the pressure plate. On repeating this action of forward down and reverse up on the piston rod, the pressure plate will overturn the piece of waste material, thereby leveling the surface of same. Thus, the operator will not be required to handle the waste material, and the pressure plate may continue to finish the compacting of it.

In the drawing which illustrates the embodiment of this invention:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the first part of this embodiment;

and

FIG. 2 is a section of the line ll--[l of FIG. 1 of the first part of this embodiment.

The plate 5 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is of iron or steel, and has channel sections 2 of iron or steel welded to it. There is a hole cut in the center of the bottom side of the plate 5 in H0. 2, in order to insert the ball and neck 1 and another hole is cut in the channel section 2 to receive the neck of the ball 1. The hole in the center of the bottom side of the plate 5 is closed off by the welding of a plate 6 over it. The tilt plates 7 are welded in position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the plate 5 on all of its four sides, and the vertical height of the tilt plates 7 is in relation to the square area of the plate 5. The plate 5 is then attached to the piston rod 4 by the neck of the ball I and has a pin 3, which is a drive fit through the neck of the ball 1 and the piston rod 4. Thus when this attachment by the pin 3 is made, then the plate 5 can be driven down or pulled up the inside faces of the sides of the box 8, by the piston rod 4. On meeting obstructions to its horizontal level, in either of the up or down driven directions, it can tilt to a controlled position, by reason of the tilt plates 7, without damage to the plate 5 or the piston rod 4.

I claim: 1. Means for compressing material comprising a four-sided box, a four-sided pressure plate attached to a piston rod for reciprocation on the interior of said box for compressing material within the box, said pressure plate including tilt plates connected to the edges of said pressure plate and extending above and below the pressure plate in planes generally perpendicular to the plane of said pressure plate a spaced distance away from the walls of the box and spherical ball means connecting said pressure plate to said piston rod to permit tilting of said pressure plate during reciprocation of said pressure plate on the interior of said box with the amount of tilting permitted being controlled by the width of said tilt plates.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said pressure plate is of square configuration.

3. The invention of claim 1 additionally including brace members extending diagonally across the side of said plate from which said piston rod extends.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said brace members comprise channel members welded to the upper surface of said plate with one of said channel members including an aperture through which said piston rod extends for connection to said spherical ball means.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said channel members comprise an elongated channel member extending from opposite comers of said plate and first and second shorter channel members extending from opposite comers of said plate up to a position adjacent said elongated channel member.

Claims (5)

1. Means for compressing material comprising a four-sided box, a four-sided pressure plate attached to a piston rod for reciprocation on the interior of said box for compressing material within the box, said pressure plate including tilt plates connected to the edges of said pressure plate and extending above and below the pressure plate in planes generally perpendicular to the plane of said pressure plate a spaced distance away from the walls of the box and spherical ball means connecting said pressure plate to said piston rod to permit tilting of said pressure plate during reciprocation of said pressure plate on the interior of said box with the amount of tilting permitted being controlled by the width of said tilt plates.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said pressure plate is of square configuration.

3. The invention of claim 1 additionally including brace members extending diagonally across the side of said plate from which said piston rod extends.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said brace members comprise channel members welded to the upper surface of said plate with one of said channel members including an aperture through which said piston rod extends for connection to said spherical ball means.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said channel members comprise an elongated channel member extending from opposite corners of said plate and first and second shorter channel members extending from opposite corners of said plate up to a position adjacent said elongated channel member.

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