LATCHING ARRANGEMENT FOR TAILGATES

• US 3,757,969 A
• Filed: 06/30/1969
• Issued: 09/11/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harold E. Smith
• Original Assignee: Harold E. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Harold E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert I.
• Application Number:
  US04/837,481
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 214/83.3,503,504 296/52,56 105/308,309,310,378 49/280,236,245,255
• US Class Current: 414/517
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/00 Vehicles particularly adapted for collecting refuse vehicles in general B60; driving vehicle equipment or auxiliaries B60K; discharging contents by tilting entire vehicles B65G; wheeled apparatus for emptying sewers or cesspools E03F7/10

Abstract

A self-locking, -releasing, and -sealing latching arrangement is provided for a tailgate of a refuse truck. The tailgate is pivotally supported by the body of the truck in a manner to enable transverse movement of the pivot axis. The latching arrangement further includes latching pins and slotted latching plates which, when in cooperating relationship, hold the door closed firmly and tightly. The tailgate is opened and closed by a pair of fluid-operated cylinders which are positioned to first move the tailgate in a direction parallel to the slots of the latching plates in order to move the latching pins out of the slots, and then to effect pivotal movement of the tailgate relative to the body opening.

Claims

1. A refuse truck comprising a body for receiving a load of refuse and having a front opening through which refuse can be supplied, means for compacting the refuse in the body, said body having a rear opening through which the refuse can be removed, a tailgate for said refuse vehicle, means for pivotally supporting said tailgate at an upper edge thereof from said body, above the rear opening, said pivotally-supporting means enabling the pivot axis to move sideways in a path at an angle to the rear opening, latching pins associated with one of said body and said tailgate, latching plate means forming latching edges associated with the other of said tailgate and said body and having substantially straight portions positioned at angles to the rear opening of said body, said latching edges being positioned to be engaged by said projections when the tailgate is closed, to urge the tailgate toward the body, and power means for moving said tailgate in a manner to first move the pivot axis sideways in the path at an angle to the rear opening , when the tailgate is closed, and then pivot the tailgate toward an open position when said latching pins are clear of said latching edges.

2. A refuse vehicle according to claim 1 characterized by a resilient sealing strip affixed to one of said body and said tailgate to seal around the rear opening of said body when said tailgate is closed.

3. A refuse vehicle according to claim 1 characterized by said power-operated means comprising fluid-operated cylinders on each side of said body, said cylinders being pivotally affixed to portions of said body and pivotally affixed to portions of said tailgate above the center of gravity of said tailgate.

4. A refuse vehicle according to claim 1 characterized by said power-operated means comprising fluid-operated cylinders connected between said body and said tailgate and positioned to exert a component of force on said tailgate generally parallel to said latching edges and to the direction in which the pivot axis is moved.

5. A refuse vehicle according to claim 1 characterized by said means for pivotally supporting said tailgate comprising a pair of pivot pins affixed to one of said body and said tailgate, and pivot plates affixed to the other of said tailgate and said body and forming slots receiving said pivot pins, said slots being positioned generally parallel to said latching edges.