CHUTE INTERMEDIATE STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONVEYING REFUSE THEREOF

CHUTE INTERMEDIATE STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONVEYING REFUSE THEREOF A material management system, to be incorporated within a substantially vertical chute system in a multi-storey building, including a substantially vertical chute for the conveyance of material from a hopper to a bottom storage container or room, at least one intermediate storage unit within said substantially vertical chute, said intermediate storage unit having a releasing means, a determination means to determine the amount of material within said at least one intermediate storage unit, said determination means coupled to a pre-set characteristic value, wherein the determination means is in communication with said releasing means to discharge refuse stored within the intermediate storage unit, above a pre-determined characteristic value for the refuse, as determined by the determination means, to the bottom storage container or room. An intermediate storage unit, adapted to be used in any one of the preceding claims including a releasing means, a determination means to determine the amount of material within said at least one intermediate storage unit, said determination means coupled to a pre-set characteristic value, wherein the determination means is in communication with said releasing means to discharge material stored within the intermediate storage unit, above a pre-determined characteristic value for the material, as determined by the determination means, to a subsequent intermediate storage unit. A method of discharging refuse within a refuse chute system in a multi-storey building whereby the refuse is released in tandem. A method of preventing an overload of an intermediate storage unit including the steps of determining an overload situation in a first intermediate storage unit in comparison with a pre-set characteristic value, establishing a second intermediate storage unit for an overload situation in comparison with a pre-set characteristic value, discharging material from a first intermediate storage unit to a second intermediate storage unit when said second intermediate storage unit is not in an overload condition. FIGURE 2A