REFUSE CONTAINER LOADING AND TRANSPORT ASSEMBLY

• US 3,844,434 A
• Filed: 08/20/1973
• Issued: 10/29/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clyde A. Blakeley, Joe M. Morgan
• Original Assignee: Clyde A. Blakeley, Joe M. Morgan
• Inventors: Blakeley, Clyde A., Morgan, Joe M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oresky, Lawrence J.
• Application Number:
  US05/390,084
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 214/75R,302,303,313,315,730,700,71P,731,89,653,16.4A
• US Class Current: 414/409
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2003/0276 capable of moving towards or away from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/08 Platform elevators or hoists with guides or runways for raising or tipping receptacles pivotable guides or runways B65F3/041

Abstract

For one-man operation of side-loading elevating and emptying and return of refuse containers and transport of the contents thereof, a laterally extensible container engaging and loading mechanism is manipulated by an operator to engage and lift a container adapted for such manipulation.

Claims

1. Said wheeled support frame comprising a rigid base frame, a mechanical power source on said base frame, a steering assembly comprising steering wheels operatively attached to thE frame and traction wheels operatively connected to said power source;

a refuse receptacle supported on said wheeled support frame and open at its top, at a top opening for said receptacle, a top lid movable over said top opening into opening and closing relationship therewith;

means for closing and opening said lid over said top opening attached to said lid, and

2. Said elevator assembly comprising a track assembly and a frame moving means, a. Said track assembly comprising a pair of parallel rigid vertically extending tracks, both of said tracks firmly attached to the base frame and longitudinally spaced apart along the said frame, one near each end of said top opening of said receptacle, each track also extending upwards along one side of said receptacle and over a portion of the top thereof;

b. the frame moving means comprising a power source supported on said base frame and operatively connected to said container engaging assembly;

3. said container engaging assembly comprising a bodily laterally extensible frame assembly and a container engaging means and a positioning control assembly therefor, said container engaging means supported on said laterally extensible frame assembly, which extensible frame assembly is movably supported and is operatively connected to said frame moving means and is extensible bodily horizontally from one position located at the side of said apparatus and lateral of the outline of said wheeled support frame and the wheels thereon to a second position further lateral thereof at the bottom of said track assembly whereby to engage a container located laterally of the lateral outline of said apparatus and supported on the ground;

a. said extensible frame assembly comprising a rigid interior frame and an exterior rigid frame with a container engaging means and a frame control and positioning assembly therefor operatively connected thereto;

i. the interior frame comprising horizontally extending rigid horizontally spaced apart front and rear members spaced apart along the length of said wheeled support frame and firmly joined together and forming a rigid flat frame, said interior frame also including movable means operatively connected to said track assembly, said frame moving means comprising remote control means in said cab and power means and power transmission means connected thereto for moving said interior frame along support means connected to said interior frame;

ii. the exterior frame comprising a horizontally extending exterior frame member and horizontally spaced apart vertically extending exterior members also spaced apart along length of said wheeled support frame and firmly joined together to form a rigid outer frame bodily located lateral of said interior frame and lateral to said wheeled support frame and the wheels thereon;

b. said container engaging means comprising rigid container arm support means supported on said exterior frame and extending from said exterior frame, and movable yet firm positioning means on said exterior frame connected to said container arm support means to position said rigid container arm support means on said exterior frame;

4. Said frame control and positioning means comprising means for supporting said outer frame on said inner frame and for moving said outer frame toward and away from said inner frame and for pivoting said outer frame about horizontal axes relative to said inner frame, and wherein said frame control and positioning means comprises, in operative combination, a plurality of extensible double-acting piston units, each such piston unit comprising a piston cylinder and an extensible shaft therein, each such piston unit having a pivotal connection means at each end thereof;

a. One pair of said piston units extending from a first pair of co-axial pivotal connections at the front and rear upper portions of the inner frame to a second pair of co-axial pivotal connections at the front upper and rear upper portion of said outer frame;

b. A second pair of piston units each vertically spaced away from and below said first piston units and extending from a third pair of co-axial points of pivotal attachment on said inner frame to a fourth pair of co-axial pivotal connections on the outer frame near the lower portion of said outer frame, said third pivotal connections and said first pivotal connections being vertically spaced apart from each other in one direction and said fourth pivoTal connections and said second pivotal connections being vertically spaced apart from each other in the same one direction, and c. A third piston unit extending from a fifth pivotal connection on the lower portion of said inner frame to a sixth pivotal connection on the upper portion of said outer frame, said fifth pivotal connection on said outer frame and said sixth pivotal connection being vertically spaced apart, and d. Said sixth pivotal connection being co-axial with said second pivotal connections, said movable support means comprising a plurality of wheels on each side of said frame, each said wheel located in operative engagement with one of said track means, each said track means having one ledge extending centrally and one ledge extending laterally of each such wheel.

5. Apparatus for remotely controlled handling, lifting, emptying and returning a container comprising a container handling and transport assembly, said container handling and transport assembly comprising a wheeled support frame, an elevator assembly supported on the wheeled support frame, and a container engaging assembly movably supported by said elevator assembly frame,

6. Apparatus as in claim 5 comprising also, in operative connection, a. A driver'"'"''"'"'s seat, controls for said steering assembly and power source adjacent said driver'"'"''"'"'s seat, b. First control means operatively connected to all of said double-acting pistons to concurrently expand or contract all of said first pair of piston units, said second pair of said piston units and said third piston units, c. And second control means operatively connected to said frame moving means and, for concurrent operation thereof, to said means for closing said lid over said top opening, d. And separate control means for said first piston units, separate control means for said second piston units and separate control means for said third piston unit, and e. Means for surveillance of said top opening and lid located adjacent said first and second control means, said first control means and said second control means and said separate control means and said means for surveillance being located in a zone adjacent said driver'"'"''"'"'s seat.