Preventing Overloading
Page 63
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ADANGER connected with all refuse-collection vehicles, especially compressor types, is overloading when the refuse is weighty. Therefore it ought to be considered necessary to construct simple and sufficiently exact load-registering apparatus to guard against this contingency. Such a device exists, but it does not fully meet requirements, so that special significance should be given to further development.
This suggestion was made by Oberbaural Baumann. The speaker told the conference that in small communities in Germany, where a refuse collector could not be fully employed, vehicles with exchangeable bodies, such as have been needed for many years in this country, are used. A refusecollection body could be replaced by a normal or a sprinkler body.
"Artics " Economical Articulated vehicles permitted varied and economical operation, for a tractor could be used in conjunction with a number of special semi-trailers. In recent times, many small communities had founded a 'common organization for refuse collection. One vehicle would serve each district in turn during the week, thus attaining full employment.
The speaker described different makes of refuse collector in his country. Many models were sold abroad. KruppSiidwerke manufactured a vehicle with a tilted spiral screw conveyor in a trough.
The Kuka body, developed by Daimler-Benz and Keller and Knappich, was basically a rotating sheet-steel drum lying under a metal cover. The refuse was caught by shovels attached to the rear of the drum and was propelled to the top, where it fell on spiral sheets which moved it to the front. The mechanism could also be used to expel the load when the rear door was opened.
The rotating-drum type was still being built by Faun Werke. It was based on the principle of' shifting the load by rolling the body. Refuse was loaded through a hopper, which when full, was tipped to discharge into the main body. Rubbish was ejected by a reverse action.
Germany was becoming increasingly interested in compressing refuse collectors and Faun Werke had acquired the licence for the Swiss Ochsner device.
Streicher built a vehicle in which the toad was compressed by two hydraulically operated pistons mounted at the rear, whilst Magirus constructed a model with a hydraulically driven plate which propelled refuse from the rear hopper into the body.
Street cleansing in Germany was becoming a difficult problem, because of increasing motor traffic and the growing number of parked cars. It was hard to substitute mechanical appliances for manual labour on this work, and Mr. Baumann thought it would be impossible ever to mechanize street cleansing completely.
Mr. F. Flintoff, of Southend-on-Sea, said he would like to see a twice-weekly collection of pre-separated waste in a 1-cu.-ft. refuse bin and a 1-cu.ft. kitchen-waste bin. This would save labour, not only in the separation, but also because the small bins could be placed by the housewife in a position accessible to the refuse men.
Mr. Wilson referred to a comment thaz electric vehicles were unsuitable for cities with steep hills and mentioned their regular use on many severe gradients in Sheffield.
Replying, Mr. Baumann said that in Germany they were aiming at making collections twice-weekly or even more frequently. In parts of the centre of Frankfurt there may be a daily collection.
He agreed that electrics could work effectively on slopes, but in view of the exceptionally steep ascents in some of the German towns, he thought that they would not be so satisfactory as in Britain.