Material or article handling – Process – Of loading or unloading load-transporting type vehicle and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-17
2001-05-29
Werner, Frank E. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Process
Of loading or unloading load-transporting type vehicle and...
C414S400000, C414S296000, C100S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238176
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Application
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for loading bags of containers for recycling into a trailer, and more particularly to such an apparatus which is automatic.
2. Description of the Related Art
At collection points where soft drink cans and plastic bottles or the like are returned for recycling, which is often a grocery store or the like, aluminum cans are manually placed in plastic bags. Also plastic containers are manually placed in plastic bags. These bags are then closed. The bags are then manually loaded into a semi-trailer so that the trailer with recyclable containers therein can be taken to a recycle center for separation into bins of like materials. Typically, the cans are kept segregated from the bottles. Plastic bags full of cans go in one trailer and bags of plastic bottles go in another trailer. Because these bags of containers are manually loaded into trailers, this system is very labor-intensive. Consequently there is a need for a cheaper and easier way to load bags of recyclable materials into trailers.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically loading bags of recyclable containers into a trailer of a type having a floor, sidewalls, a front wall and a rear opening. The containers of plastic bags are put onto a conveyor which delivers them to a loader-type structure which is like a compactor but which in this case is not being used as a compactor. The loader structure is merely utilized to push the bags of containers into the trailer automatically.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for loading bags full of recyclable materials into a trailer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic apparatus for loading bags of recyclable containers into a trailer or the like.
A further object of the present invention is to use a conveyor and a loading structure controlled by a pair of photo cells and a computer to automatically load bags of recyclable materials into a trailer or the like.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3059789 (1962-10-01), Bowles
patent: 4123970 (1978-11-01), Quante
patent: 4256434 (1981-03-01), Stodt et al.
patent: 4923356 (1990-05-01), Foster
patent: 5765986 (1998-06-01), Hulls
patent: 5890426 (1999-04-01), Grumkowski
patent: 2820276 (1979-11-01), None
Henderson & Sturm LLP
Midamerica Recycling Company
Werner Frank E.
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