Mechanically actuated side loading arrangement for a vehicle body
First Claim
1. a further roller mounted on the upper side of said mounting frame intermediate the length thereof and being in rolling engagement with said support member so as to minimize friction between said mounting frame and said support member upon movement thereof.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A loading arrangement for a vehicle body, which loading arrangement is operated by the driver of the vehicle to pick up containers of material, without human assistance, elevate the containers to the top of the vehicle body, discharge the material into the vehicle body and return the container to the desired location a spaced distance outward from the vehicle, retract the container pick-up mechanism to enable the vehicle to be readily roadable. The container pick-up mechanism may be provided on either or both sides of the vehicle and the operator of the vehicle may operate either or both mechanisms from his driving position in the vehicle. The vehicle is provided with a plunger arrangement to discharge the material from the body of the vehicle.
43 Citations
23 Claims
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1. a further roller mounted on the upper side of said mounting frame intermediate the length thereof and being in rolling engagement with said support member so as to minimize friction between said mounting frame and said support member upon movement thereof.
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2. said conveyor means being adapted to move the container to a position near the lower end of said convEyor means to another position prior to the placement of the container in a selected position, f. said power means being adapted to move said mast means, said container engaging means and the container outwardly after said container engaging means and the container have been lowered to place the container in a selected position,
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3. upright mast means mounted on said free end of said support member means, said upper and lower ends of said elevator means being provided on said upright mast means,
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4. An operator controlled mechanism for attachment to the side of a vehicle, as defined in claim 1 wherein said power means includes:
- a. a hydraulic cylinder which is connected to said support member and to said mounting frame to move said support member longitudinally relative thereto; and
b. valve means to selectively control the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from said hydraulic cylinder.
- a. a hydraulic cylinder which is connected to said support member and to said mounting frame to move said support member longitudinally relative thereto; and
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5. motor means connecting said power-actuated conveyor means to said vehicle power supply means to move said power-actuated conveyor means, when carrying said container, to selected positions.
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6. An operator controlled mechanism for attachment to a side of a vehicle, as defined in claim 5 including:
- a. an abutment mounted on the rear side of each said mast member near the top thereof to form a bumper; and
b. a complementary abutment plate on each said conveyor chain to complementally engage said abutments that form said bumpers to form stops for said conveyor chains.
- a. an abutment mounted on the rear side of each said mast member near the top thereof to form a bumper; and
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7. An operator controlled mechanism for attachment to a side of a vehicle, as defined in claim 5, wherein said container engaging members are detachably connected to said transverse member to enable the interchanging of said container engaging members to selectively pick up containers with different complementary members.
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8. An operator controlled mechanism for attachment to a side of a vehicle, as defined in claim 5;
- wherein said container engaging members each includes;
a pair of horizontal, vertically spaced apart members spaced outward from each end of said transverse member to receive hooks thereon; and
wherein said complementary members on said container comprises;
a pair of vertically spaced apart hooks on each side thereof to engage said vertically spaced apart horizontal members on each end of said transverse member.
- wherein said container engaging members each includes;
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9. An operator controlled mechanism for attachment to a side of a vehicle, as defined in claim 4 including:
- a pump;
conduits connecting said pump to said hydraulic cylinder for supplying hydraulic fluid thereto;
solenoid valves for controlling the supply of said hydraulic fluid from said pump through said conduits to said hydraulic cylinder;
electrical circuits, including a source of electricity, connected to the solenoids of said solenoid valves;
a first normally open switch within one said electrical circuit to close the circuit to energize a first solenoid to actuate a valve to control the flow of hydraulic fluid through said conduit into one end of said cylinder and to control the discharge of said hydraulic fluid into a conduit from the opposite end of said cylinder, when in one position;
a second normally open switch connecting another of said circuits to the second solenoid of said solenoid valves;
a normally open switch within said second circuit to direct electricity to said second solenoid to energize said solenoid to actuate said valve to direct hydraulic fluid through one of said conduits into the other end of said hydraulic cylinder and to direct hydraulic fluid outward, through another of said conduits, from the opposite end of said cylinder; and
an operating lever to selectively close only one of said switches at a time, and means to maintain said operating lever out of engagement with said switches when the lever is not manually operated.
- a pump;
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10. An operator controlled mechanism for attachment to a side of a vehicle, as defined in claim 9 including:
- a second pair of circuits, including a source of electricity;
another solenoid valve having a pair of solenoids thereon, one solenoid thereof being in each of said second pair of circuits, third and fourth normally open switches, one in each of said second pair of circuits;
a hydraulic motor connected to said conveyor means; and
conduits connecting said hydraulic motor to said another solenoid valve, whereby upon closing one of said third and fourth switches to energize one of said solenoids in said another solenoid valve said another solenoid valve will be moved to direct hydraulic fluid, under pressure, into one of said motor conduits to said hydraulic motor, and whereby hydraulic fluid will be directed out of another of said motor conduits so as to rotate the motor in one direction and upon closing the other of said third and fourth switches, the other of said pair of solenoids will be energized to move said another solenoid valve to another position to direct hydraulic fluid, under pressure, to said another of said motor conduiTs with the hydraulic fluid exhausting through said one motor conduit to rotate the hydraulic motor in the opposite direction, so as to selectively move said conveyor means in the desired direction, said lever being adapted to be moved to a position to depress one or the other of said third and fourth normally open switches to enable the hydraulic motor to be rotated in the selected direction.
- a second pair of circuits, including a source of electricity;
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11. In combination with a vehicle having power supply means and a hollow body having an elevated access opening, apparatus for emptying the contents of a container into said hollow body of the vehicle through said elevated access opening, comprising:
- a. elevator means to raise and lower said container, said elevator means including a guide track defined by flange means having a curved upper end adjacent said elevated access opening and a lower end adjacent a surface supporting the container, b. means connecting said elevator means to said power supply means to move said flange means over said surface between a first position closely adjacent said vehicle and a second position spaced outwardly from said vehicle and closely adjacent said container, and c. container engaging means on said elevator means to mechanically engage said container when said flange means is moved to said second position by said power supply means.
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12. A combination as stated in claim 11;
- wherein a. said elevator means is mounted on a side of said vehicle; and
b. wherein at least said lower end of said flange means moves laterally outwardly from said side of said vehicle.
- wherein a. said elevator means is mounted on a side of said vehicle; and
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13. In combination with a vehicle having power supply means and a hollow body having an elevated access opening, apparatus for emptying the contents of a container into said hollow body of the vehicle through said elevated access opening, comprising:
- a. elevator means to raise and lower said container, said elevator means having an upper end adjacent said elevated access opening and a lower end adjacent a surface supporting the container, b. means connecting said elevator means to said power supply means to move at least said lower end of said elevator means over said surface between a first position closely adjacent said vehicle and a second position spaced outwardly from said vehicle and closely adjacent said container, and c. container engaging means connected to said elevator means to mechanically engage said container when said elevator means is moved to said second position by said power supply means, said elevator means comprising;
- a. elevator means to raise and lower said container, said elevator means having an upper end adjacent said elevated access opening and a lower end adjacent a surface supporting the container, b. means connecting said elevator means to said power supply means to move at least said lower end of said elevator means over said surface between a first position closely adjacent said vehicle and a second position spaced outwardly from said vehicle and closely adjacent said container, and c. container engaging means connected to said elevator means to mechanically engage said container when said elevator means is moved to said second position by said power supply means, said elevator means comprising;
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14. A combination as stated in claim 13 including means for releasably connecting said container engaging means to said conveyor means.
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15. A mechanically-actuated loading arrangement, comprising:
- a. a vehicle adapted to travel over a surface upon which a container of material is stationed, said vehicle having a body portion provided with an elevated opening and including power supply means;
b. a container stationed on said surface adjacent the path-of-travel of said vehicle, said container including means for releasably coupling said container to a container pick-up means; and
c. container loader means connected to said vehicle for moving outwardly over said surface from said vehicle to said container, engaging said container, lifting said container to said opening, emptying said container and lowering said container to said surface, said container loader means including;
- a. a vehicle adapted to travel over a surface upon which a container of material is stationed, said vehicle having a body portion provided with an elevated opening and including power supply means;
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16. A mechanically-actuated loading arrangement as stated in claim 15 wherein said flange means includes:
- spaced-apart inner and outer flanges forming a channel for said roller means, at least one of said flanges being interrupted adjacent said upper end of said mast means, whereby said roller means may be swung out of the plane of said channel when said container pick-up means and said container are swung toward said opening to empty said container.
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17. A mechanically-actuated loading arrangement as stated in claim 15 wherein said mast means and said container pick-up means include:
- a pair of spaced-apart mast members each having a pair of inner and outer flanges forming a channel for said roller means; and
mounting bar means positioned between said spaced-apart mast members, said roller means including at least one roller connected to each end of said mounting bar means.
- a pair of spaced-apart mast members each having a pair of inner and outer flanges forming a channel for said roller means; and
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18. A mechanically-actuated loading arrangement as stated in claim 15 wherein said means connecting said mast means to said power supply means comprises hydraulic cylinder means.
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19. A mechanically-actuated loading arrangement as stated in claim 15 including container lock means and means for bringing said container lock means, said container coupling means and said container engaging means into locked relationship with each other, whereby said container may be inverted without becoming disconnected from said container engaging means.
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20. A mechanically-actuated loading arrangement as stated in claim 15 wherein one of said container coupling means and said container engaging means includes roller means and the other of said container coupling means and said container engaging means includes hook means.
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21. A mechanically-actuated loading arrangement as stated in claim 15 wherein said container coupling means includes hook means and wherein said container engaging means includes roller means engageable in said hook means.
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22. In combination with a vehicle having power supply means and a hollow body having an elevated access opening, apparatus for emptying the contents of a container into said hollow body of the vehicle through said elevated access opening, comprising:
- a. elevator means on said vehicle to raise and lower said container, said elevator means including means defining an upstanding guide track having an upper end adjacent said elevated access opening and a lower end adjacent a surface supporting the container and container holding means movable along said guIde track, b. means connecting said elevator means to said power supply means to move at least said lower end of said guide track over said surface between a first position closely adjacent said vehicle and a second position spaced outwardly from said vehicle and closely adjacent said container, and c. container engaging means on said container holding means to mechanically engage said container when said lower end of said guide track is moved to said second position by said power supply means.
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23. A method of mechanically loading material into a vehicle having an elevated opening and upright mast means movably mounted on said vehicle and having an upper end positioned adjacent said opening and a lower end adjacent a surface over which said vehicle travels, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a container of material on said surface adjacent the path-of-travel of said vehicle, said container including coupling means for connecting said container to said lower end of said upright mast means;
positioning said vehicle adjacent said container with said lower end of said upright mast means in alignment with said coupling means on said container;
moving said lower end of said upright mast means over said surface and into engagement with said coupling means, whereby said container is connected to said lower end of said upright mast means;
moving said container along said upright mast means from said lower end to said upper end thereof; and
tipping said container toward said opening.
- positioning a container of material on said surface adjacent the path-of-travel of said vehicle, said container including coupling means for connecting said container to said lower end of said upright mast means;
Specification