Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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FULL EJECT MANUAL/AUTOMATED SIDE LOADER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to refuse
vehicles, particularly to dedicated side-loading, rear
discharging refuse vehicle bodies capable of both manual
and automated loading. More particularly, the invention
relates to such vehicle bodies incorporating new
compacting and ejecting mechanisms. The ejector provides
full ejection of the packed contents of the body without
the need for tipping the truck body as refuse is
discharged. A charging hopper is provided having a floor
and sidewalls lowered to facilitate manual loading in
addition to optional automated loading using a mounted
container handling mechanism. A low profile
reciprocating packer panel moves refuse from the lowered
or "dropped area" of the receiving hopper into a vehicle
body storage enclosure through a bottom opening accessed
from the hopper dropped area. A vertically pivoting
packer-ejector assist panel is provided to clear the
dropped area during ejection and optionally assist
packing if desired.
II. Related Art
Refuse hauling trucks commonly include a heavy-duty
chassis and a hollow truck body mounted on the chassis
dedicated to receiving, compacting, discharging refuse
materials. This combination generally includes all the
associated hydraulic, pneumatic and/or electrical
operating mechanisms associated with heavy-duty packing
and ejection equipment. In side loading system, the
truck cab is located in front of the receiving hopper
which charges a rear storage enclosure. Refuse to be
hauled is loaded into the receiving hopper as by dumping
containers either manually or using a mechanized
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container handling device mounted on the charging hopper
or truck chassis. A packing device including a
reciprocating or rotating ram, usually hydraulically
operated, compacts the material moving it rearward into
the storage compartment. Loading of the charging hopper
is accomplished through side openings. The bottom or
floor of the charging hopper typically is located at a
height equal to or above that of the storage enclosure.
It is known to provide a front or side loading
refuse vehicle with a packing and ejecting mechanism that
packs refuse from a charging hopper into an associated
hollow storage enclosure and later fully ejects the
refuse from the storage enclosure. An example of such a
refuse truck body system is shown in U.S. Patent
5,857,822. It is also known to provide a side loading
refuse vehicle having a recessed or dropped receiving
hopper floor and chassis relative to a storage body floor
to enable material receiving opening to start
correspondingly closer to the ground to facilitate the
manual loading of the receiving hopper. An example of
this type truck body is illustrated and described in U.S.
Patent 5,931,628.
It is also known to provide a mechanized lifting and
emptying apparatus situated on one side of the receiving
hopper such that a container of interest may be engaged
on that side and emptying through the material receiving
opening into the receiving hopper. Such an apparatus
typically includes a holding or grasping device generally
connected to an arm or extensible boom which is
connected, in turn, to a base mounted on the vehicle.
The arm or boom and grasping device are operated in
concert to engage the container of interest, lift and
dump the container into the receiving hopper in the
vehicle. Such systems are typically operated using one
or more hydraulic devices to extend or retract the boom,
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pivot the arm and open and close the grabbing device.
Examples of such booms are shown in U.S. Patents
5,657,654, 5,769,592 and 5,931,628 (mentioned above).
While the prior devices of the related art have met
with a certain amount of success, there remains a
definite need for a mechanically simplified, lower
maintenance full eject side loading refuse collection
truck body that offers both manual and automated loading
in which the packer is constructed in a manner which
cannot interfere with the loading of refuse and which
includes a full-eject ejection mechanism which allows
full emptying of the storage chamber of the truck body
without the need for tipping.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By means of the present invention, there is provided
a side loading refuse collection vehicle body for
loading, compacting, transporting and ejecting refuse
materials. The truck body includes a hollow refuse
storage enclosure for containing collected and compacted
refuse that has a rear refuse discharge opening including
a tailgate against which the refuse is packed and a
forward bottom refuse receiving opening is provided which
connects with a charging hopper disposed forward of the
storage enclosure for receiving refuse from refuse
containers which are tipped manually or using automated
equipment. A mechanized container handling device may be
optionally mounted on the charging hopper and used to
lift and tip containers as depicted in the detailed
embodiment. The floor portion of the truck body
including the charging hopper and the area beneath the
storage enclosure refuse receiving opening is lowered, as
is the side access, so that manual loading is
facilitated.
Deposited refuse is pushed back and up into the
storage compartment by a low profile reciprocating
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packing ram mechanism. The reciprocating packing ram
mechanism itself also includes a follower so that it is
not possible to deposit refuse behind the packer even if
the ram is in the full forward position.
The packing and ejection mechanisms include a
packer-ejector assist panel or blade which pivots in a
vertical plane to sweep refuse materials deposited in and
pushed to the rear of the charging hopper in the dropped
area by the packer panel from the charging hopper into
the storage enclosure. This device is attached to the
ejector panel and is designed to be operated in
conjunction with the full-eject ejection mechanism to
clear the dropped area, but, as indicated, may also be
operated to assist in the packing operation. In a
preferred embodiment, the packer-ejector assist panel is
mounted on spaced in-line shafts journaled in fixed
mounts carried by the full-eject ejector panel structure
and which flank and are driven by a double-ended
hydraulic motor which rotates the shafts to pivot the
blade through an arc subtending an angle of about 270 .
The packer-ejector assist panel extends laterally across
the width of the charging hopper to provide a full sweep.
The system also includes a full-eject ejector
mechanism that operates in the storage enclosure and
which includes a transverse, generally vertical ejection
panel operable along a path whose direction is parallel
to the length of the refuse storage enclosure to provide
complete ejection of the contents without the need for
tipping the storage body during the ejection operation.
The ejection mechanism is advantageously operated by a
single telescoping linear device, preferably a
telescoping double-acting hydraulic cylinder connected
behind the panel for reciprocally operating the panel
fore and aft during an ejection cycle.
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When it is not in use, the vertically pivoting
packer-ejector assist blade is pivoted up to a generally
vertical posture and so it is completely out of the way
of refuse being deposited and packed by the reciprocating
mechanism. In an alternative embodiment, the packer-
ejector assist panel is mounted in a manner that enables
it to be lifted out of the way to facilitate the
processing of certain large refuse materials,
particularly recyclables, such as cartons fabricated of
corrugated material.
The container manipulating and emptying system which
can be mounted on the charging hopper preferably includes
an offset, short radius lift and dump arm mechanism
having a narrow profile with a grabber offset mounted
from a laterally extendable boom device which gives the
system the desired lateral range in accessing containers
of interest. The offset and arm construction further
reduce the tipping radius and tipping height to
facilitate addressing the low profile hopper opening of a
manual/automated side loading refuse vehicle and the
system, when not in use (stowed), presents a narrow
profile which does not extend or protrude laterally
beyond the width of the rest of the vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings wherein like numerals depict like
parts throughout the same:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a side
loading refuse collection vehicle with internal parts
exposed incorporating one preferred embodiment of the
present invention depicted at the beginning (or end) of a
packing cycle with the rotating packer-ejector assist
panel and the packer panel in fully retracted positions;
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the
packer panel in the advanced or packing position;
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Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2
showing the system at the beginning of an ejection cycle
with the tailgate raised and the packer mechanism removed
for clarity;
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the
system at full eject in an initial load pushout stroke in
an ejection sequence;
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the
ejector fully retracted and the packer-ejector assist
panel fully rotated to sweep clean the dropped area;
Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the
system in a second full-eject power stroke position of
the ejection cycle with the packer-ejector assist panel
fully rotated to eject material from the dropped area;
Figure 7 is a front elevational view from the
charging hopper of a refuse storage enclosure as in
Figures 1-6 showing the mounting of the packer-ejector
assist panel and linear ejector blade operator;
Figure 8 is a rear view of the refuse vehicle of
Figure 1 showing the profile of the container lift and
dump mechanism in a retracted position;
Figure 9 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1
featuring an alternative embodiment includes a modified
packing and ejection system with an alternate packer-
ejector assist panel assembly;
Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 3 including
the packer-ejector assist panel assembly embodiment of
Figure 9;
Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 with the
packer-ejector assist panel assembly shown with the
packer-ejector assist panel in a raised position prior to
an initial ejection stroke;
Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 4 with the
system depicted at full eject in an initial load pushout
stroke of an ejection sequence;
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Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 5 with the
ejector fully retracted and the packer-ejector assist
panel lowered and partially rotated to begin a dropped
area sweep operation of an ejection sequence;
Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the
alternative embodiment in a second full-eject stroke
position with the packer-ejector assist panel fully
rotated to scoop and remove material from the dropped
area; and
Figure 15 is a view showing the ejection system in
the retracted position after the ejection stroke of
Figure 14 with the tailgate closed;
Figure 16 is an enlarged fragmentary side
elevational view of a truck body exposing internal parts
and showing the ejector fully retracted and the packer-
ejector assist panel rotated to its lowest position
relative to the charging hopper floor;
Figure 17 is a front elevational view with some
internal parts exposed taken from the charging hopper of
the refuse storage enclosure in Figures 9-16 showing the
mounting of the packer-ejector assist panel and linear
ejector blade operator with the packer-ejector assist
panel in the position shown in Figure 16; and
Figure 18 is a view similar to Figure 17 with the
packer-ejector assist panel in the retracted and fully
raised position as in Figure 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention incorporates full ejection
without truck body tipping, together with optional
manual/automatic side loading and rear discharge in a
refuse collection truck body. A unique packing system is
provided which includes a low profile packer panel which
operates in a low profile charging or material receiving
hopper which also features a lowered or dropped floor to
facilitate optional manual loading. An associated hollow
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storage chamber enclosure is located behind the charging
hopper which, in combination with the low profile,
dropped floor charging hopper creates a dropped area
beneath the forward portion of the storage enclosure so
that material deposited in the charging hopper can be fed
by the packing system into the storage enclosure through
a bottom forward charging opening and thereafter be
pushed and packed against a heavy rear tailgate discharge
door.
A packer-ejector assist panel is provided to assist
in clearing material from the dropped portion of the
charging hopper located beneath the storage chamber or
dropped area. The packer-ejector assist panel is in the
form of a vertically pivoting blade which moves with a
generally vertical ejector blade which travels the entire
length of the storage enclosure during the ejection
operation.
The embodiments illustrated and described in the
specification are intended by way of example only and are
not intended to limit the scope of the inventive concepts
in any way. The features of the invention may be
manifested in a variety of forms within the confines of
the scope of the contemplated invention.
Given the above, Figures 1 and 2 depict a side
loading refuse truck illustrating successive stages of
refuse collecting or loading and Figures 3-6 depict such
a vehicle in several stages of an ejection cycle. The
refuse truck, generally at 20, includes a large hollow
refuse storage enclosure 22 having a floor 23 that is
flat or planer. The storage enclosure 22 is connected to
or integral with a receiving or charging hopper 24, both
of which are mounted on a heavy duty truck chassis 26
which also carries a conventional cab 28 and is mounted
on wheels 30 in a conventional manner. The storage
enclosure 22 is provided with a full size rear discharge
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opening closed by a heavy tailgate 32 which pivots
vertically from a pair of top hinges, one of which is
shown at 34. The tailgate is typically opened by a pair
of hydraulic cylinders, one of which is shown at 36. The
tailgate 32 is in the shape of a heavy duty pressure
vessel member and refuse compacted into the storage
enclosure 22 is pushed up against the tailgate when
compacted so that it must withstand full compaction
pressure. The refuse storage enclosure further includes
a forward bottom refuse receiving opening 38 which
extends across the full width of the storage enclosure
and a full width, generally vertical, ejector panel 40
which has a protruding nose as at 42 which is adapted to
receive the cylinder end of a large telescoping, double-
acting hydraulic cylinder 44 which operates the packer
panel 40 fore and aft along in the enclosure 22.
Attached to the rear portion of the ejector panel 40
is a pivotally mounted packer-ejector assist panel 46
which, together with the details of the mounting of the
telescoping cylinder 44, are depicted in the front
storage enclosure elevational view of Figure 7, as will
be discussed.
The charging hopper also includes a packer ram or
packer panel 50 operated by a pair of double-acting
hydraulic cylinders, one of which is shown at 52, and
which includes a follower system depicted at 54 to
prevent material from being deposited behind the packer
50. An optional automated loader arm or container
emptying system is shown generally at 56 mounted on the
forward portion of the charging hopper which includes an
offset grabber system at 58 and includes an extensible
boom (not shown) to give the system an extended lateral
reach. Container emptying system 56 features the grabber
assembly 58 mounted from the free ends of spaced parallel
arm members 60, the fixed ends being connected to the
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opposite output ends of a double-ended hydraulic rotary
actuator 62 which directly carries the arm assembly and
reversibly rotates the assembly in a vertical plane at
actuator 62 in the illustrated embodiment. One possible
embodiment of such a system is illustrated and described
in greater detail in published United States application
US 2002/0159870 Al, entitled "AUTOMATED LOADER ARM",
assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
The chassis 26 is built in a lowered configuration
to accommodate the lowered charging hopper and dropped
area 64 beneath the opening 38 in the storage enclosure
22 as evidenced by chassis structural member 66. Note
that the side rim 68 in the charging hopper 24 is at or
below the level of the floor of the storage enclosure 22
to enable easy manual loading over the grabber device 58
when it is retracted. As can be seen in the rear
elevational view of the vehicle in Figure 8, the
container emptying system 56 has a narrow profile such
that when it is in the retracted position, it does not
protrude beyond the edge of the vehicle as designated by
reference line 80 in Figure 8. A grabbed container is
shown at 82, however, the grabber, when retracted, is
within line 80.
Figure 7 shows more detail with respect to the
packer-ejector assist panel 46 including a hydraulic
rotary motor 90 having-dual output shafts 92 and 94,
respectively, connected to spaced aligned panel carrying
shafts 96 and 98 as by connections 100 and 102. Shafts
96 and 98 are respectfully journaled in bearing mounts
104 and 106. The ejector panel 40 is further supported
by one or more pairs of spaced wear shoes as at 108 and
110 which ride in corresponding rails at 112 and 114 as
the packer panel reciprocates along the length of storage
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enclosure 22. The telescoping cylinder 44 is further
pivot mounted including a top pivot mount 116 and lower
pivot mounts 118 and 120 as further shown in the detail
of Figure 7.
Beginning with the view of Figure 1, the operating
sequence of the system will be described. Figure 1 shows
the side loading refuse vehicle of the invention with
both the packer ram 50 and the packer-ejector assist
blade 46 in their fully retracted or stowed positions
with the tailgate 32 closed and the ejector panel 40 in
the fully retracted position ready to receive material
into the charging hopper 24, either by using the
container handling system 56 or manually. In Figure 2,
material has been added to the charging hopper 24 and the
packing ram 50 is shown in the fully forward packing
position as used to urge refuse out of the charging
hopper 24 into the dropped area 64 from which it is
forced up into the storage enclosure 22. This continues
until the storage enclosure chamber 22 is entirely full
with refuse being packed up against the tailgate 32 at
which time it is necessary to eject the garbage from the
storage area, normally at a landfill.
Steps in the ejection cycle are shown in Figures 3-
6. In Figure 3, the system is shown with both the
packing ram and the packer-ejector assist panel 46 in the
fully retracted positions as is the ejector panel 40, the
tailgate 32 having been unlatched and raised in
preparation for ejection. In Figure 4, the ejector panel
40 is shown in the complete rearward or full eject
position having pushed all the materials within the
confines of the storage enclosure 22 out of that chamber.
This completely ejects the material collected by the
vehicle except for a minor amount of material remaining
in the dropped area 64. Figure 5 depicts the ejection
panel 40 after it has been fully retracted following the
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initial full ejection stroke and the packer-ejector
assist panel has been fully rotated describing an arc
shown at 65 to push the material remaining in the dropped
area 64 ahead of it as it is rotated to provide
substantial closure of the storage enclosure charging
opening 38. Finally, as shown in Figure 6, the second
full-eject stroke is performed with the packer-ejector
assist panel remaining in the fully rotated position so
that material scooped from the dropped area is also
ejected. It should be noted that the step of pivoting the
packer-ejector panel can be carried out during the
packing operation between strokes of the packer ram, if
desired, to assist in the packing operation.
Figures 9-18 depict an alternative embodiment of the
collection system of Figures 1-8 which features an
alternate embodiment of a packing and ejection mechanism
assembly for a side loading, dropped bottom refuse body.
The alternate embodiment features a packer-ejector assist
panel mechanism that enables the panel to be raised to
better clear and improve the handling of certain types of
packed material, particularly recyclable materials such
as corrugated carton or cardboard materials which may
have a potential or tendency to jam in low clearance
systems. Thus, Figure 9 is a view similar to that shown
in Figure 1 but featuring a modified packing and ejection
system including an alternate packer-ejector assist panel
mechanism, generally at 150. The refuse storage
enclosure 22 includes a forward bottom refuse receiving
opening indicated by 138 which extends across the full
width of the charging hopper and storage enclosure and a
full width, generally vertical ejector panel 140 which
has a protruding nose as at 142 and which is adapted to
receive the cylinder end 148 of a large multi-segment
telescoping, double-acting hydraulic cylinder 144 which
operates the packer panel reciprocally fore and aft along
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the enclosure 22. The cylinder 144 has a rod or piston
end 146 mounted in fixed relation to the front of the
refuse storage enclosure 22 and barrel or cylinder end
148 fixed to the nose portion 142 of the ejector system
140.
A packer-ejector assist panel assembly mechanism is
shown generally at 150 and includes a vertically rotating
panel member 152 designed to be pivoted in the manner of
the panel 46 of the previous embodiment utilizing a
hydraulic rotary motor 154 connected to dual output
shafts, one of which is shown at 156 which rotate the
panel 152 through about 270 of rotation as seen in
Figures 14 and 15. The panel member 152 is carried by a
plurality of shaped support members as at 158 which, in
turn, are pivotally mounted as at 160 from ejector panel
structural support members as at 162. The packer-ejector
assist panel 152 can be raised and lowered using a
cylinder as at 164 pivotally attached between anchor
members 163 (Figures 16-18) as at 166 and at 168 (Figures
17 and 18) so as to provide a lever arm at the outward
portion of said pivoting support members 158, such that
retraction and extension of the cylinder rod 169 of
cylinder 164 readily pivots the support members 158
upward thereby raising or lowering the packer-ejector
assist panel assembly as shown in Figures 11, 12 and 16.
This enables the entire packer-ejector assist assembly
to be moved away from the opening 138 when desired. The
supports 158 and the packer-ejector assist panel assembly
rest on an extension ledge 170, which is part of the
structural base of the ejector mechanism that includes
base members as at 172 when it is in the fully lowered
position.
Other components of the side loading refuse vehicle
are generally similar and may be substantially identical
to those described with regard to the earlier embodiment
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and it is believed that description need not be repeated.
The operating sequence of the system of the alternate
embodiment differs from that previously described.
Figure 9 shows the side loading refuse vehicle with the
packer ram 50 and the packer-ejector assist panel blade
152 in their fully retracted or stowed positions with the
tailgate 32 closed and the ejector panel 140 in its fully
retracted position ready to receive material into the
charging hopper 24 which can be accomplished either by
using the container handling system 56 or manually.
Thus, the packing operation is very similar to that shown
in the earlier embodiment with the packer-ejector assist
panel 152 being optionally used to assist in the packing
function.
Steps in the ejection cycle utilizing the alternate
embodiment packer-ejector assist panel assembly are
depicted in Figures 10-15. In Figure 10, the system is
shown with the packing ram and the ejector carrying the
packer-ejector assist panel 152 in the fully retracted or
stowed positions with the packer-ejector assist panel
itself in the fully lowered and rotated to the retracted
or stowed position. The tailgate 32 has been unlatched
and raised in preparation for the ejection operation, as
is well known. In Figure 11, the packer-ejector assist
panel assembly is shown in the raised position so it will
be out of the way during an initial ejection stroke in
the sequence which is directed to ejecting material
contained in the main storage enclosure volume 22.
Figure 12 depicts the ejector panel assembly 140 in its
fully rearward or full eject position having pushed all
the materials within the confines of the storage
enclosure 22 out of the open tailgate. Note that the
cylinder 144 is in its fully extended disposition. This
initial stroke removes all the material within the
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confines of the storage enclosure 22. A minor amount of
material remains in the dropped area 64.
Figures 13-15 depict the second ejection sequence
which is directed to removing the material which remains
in the dropped area 64. Thus, in Figure 13, the ejector
system has been returned with fully forward or retracted
position and the packer-ejector assist panel assembly has
been lowered by extending the cylinder rod 169 of
cylinder 164 and the packer-ejector assist panel 152
partially rotated so that it protrudes into the dropped
area 64 substantially perpendicular to the sloped floor
67 of the dropped area 64 which is parallel to chassis
structural member 66. In Figure 14, the second full-
eject stroke has been performed with the packer-ejector
assist panel having been pivoted to its fully rotated
position as the ejector system is moved rearward through
the storage compartment 22. It should be noted that in
this manner, the remainder of the material scooped by the
packer panel 152 from the dropped area 64 is also
ejected.
This invention has been described herein in
considerable detail in order to comply with the patent
statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the
information needed to apply the novel principles and to
construct and use such specialized components as are
required. However, it is to be understood that the
invention can be carried out by specifically different
equipment and devices, and that various modifications,
both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can be
accomplished without departing from the scope of the
invention itself.
