High lift surface maintenance machine
First Claim
1. A surface maintenance machine comprising a vehicle having a frame, means on the frame defining a downwardly opening sweeping enclosure that has a debris outlet, a debris hopper having a debris inlet and a debris outlet remote from the debris inlet, powered arm means mounted on the frame for supporting the hopper in a street level position so that the debris inlet is adjacent the enclosure outlet and mounting the hopper for pivotal movement relative thereto, means for selectively pivoting the hopper relative the arms means between a dumping position relative the arm means for discharging debris through the hopper discharge outlet, and a non-dumping position, and controlling the pivotal positions of the hopper relative the arm means, a door, means for mounting the door on the hopper for movement under gravity from a position closing the hopper outlet when the hopper is in its non-dumping position to a position permitting debris discharge through the hopper outlet when the hopper is in its dumping position, a lug on the door, operable latch means mounted on the hopper for movement between a latching position latchingly engaging the lug to retain the door closed and a lug release position, and means connected to the control means for operating the latch means to its release position as the control means pivots the hopper to its dumping position, the hopper having a parimetric flange portion defining the hopper outlet, and door holder means for retaining the door in its open position in substantial spaced relationship to said hopper portion after the control means has operated the latch means to its release position and until the control means has operated the hopper back to adjacent its non-dumping position, and thence release the door to allow it to close.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surface maintenance machine that includes a powered vehicle having a rotary tool in a tool enclosure to direct debris from the surface through an enclosure outlet, a debris hopper having a debris inlet locatable adjacent the enclosure outlet, and a discharge opening remote from the hopper inlet, a hingedly mounted door for closing the discharge opening, lift arms mounted on the vehicle for mounting the hopper for pivotable movement relative thereto, supporting the hopper in a debris collecting position, and selectively elevating the hopper from a street level position to a high dump position, control arms and piston cylinder combinations to control the pivoting of the hopper as it is moved between its street level and high dump positions, the piston cylinder combinations being operated from a retracted condition to an extended condition for pivoting the hopper to a dumping position in either the street level position or the high dump position, latches mounted on the hopper that are operated through the hopper pivoting to a dumping position to release their latching engagement with the door, and a door holder assembly which upon the door swinging open as the hopper is moved to a dumping position is resiliently operated to maintain a sufficient minimum spacing of the door from the discharge opening and that upon the piston cylinder combinations being substantially fully retracted is operated to release the door and permit the door swinging under gravity to a closed position with sufficient force to insure the door is latched in a closed position, the door holder assembly being operated to permit the door swinging closed by a cam surface on the adjacent control arm.
17 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A surface maintenance machine comprising a vehicle having a frame, means on the frame defining a downwardly opening sweeping enclosure that has a debris outlet, a debris hopper having a debris inlet and a debris outlet remote from the debris inlet, powered arm means mounted on the frame for supporting the hopper in a street level position so that the debris inlet is adjacent the enclosure outlet and mounting the hopper for pivotal movement relative thereto, means for selectively pivoting the hopper relative the arms means between a dumping position relative the arm means for discharging debris through the hopper discharge outlet, and a non-dumping position, and controlling the pivotal positions of the hopper relative the arm means, a door, means for mounting the door on the hopper for movement under gravity from a position closing the hopper outlet when the hopper is in its non-dumping position to a position permitting debris discharge through the hopper outlet when the hopper is in its dumping position, a lug on the door, operable latch means mounted on the hopper for movement between a latching position latchingly engaging the lug to retain the door closed and a lug release position, and means connected to the control means for operating the latch means to its release position as the control means pivots the hopper to its dumping position, the hopper having a parimetric flange portion defining the hopper outlet, and door holder means for retaining the door in its open position in substantial spaced relationship to said hopper portion after the control means has operated the latch means to its release position and until the control means has operated the hopper back to adjacent its non-dumping position, and thence release the door to allow it to close.
- 3. A surface maintenance maching comprising a vehicle having a frame, means on the frame defining a downwardly opening sweeping enclosure that has a debris outlet, a debris hopper having a debris inlet, a debris outlet remote from the debris inlet and transversely opposite pivots, power operated arm means for moving the hopper between a street level position and an elevated position, said arm means having first end portions pivotally mounting the hopper pivots for movement therewith and pivotal movement relative thereto, means for selectively pivoting the hopper relative the arm means between a hopper dumping position and a hopper non-dumping position and controlling the pivotal position of the hopper relative the arm means, a door, means for mounting the door on the hopper for movement under gravity from a position closing the hopper outlet when the hopper is in its non-dumping position to a position permitting debris discharge through the hopper outlet when the hopper is in its dumping position, a lug on the door, operable latch means mounted on the hopper for movement between a latching position latchingly engaging the lug to retain the door closed and a lug release position, and means connected to the control means for operating the latch means to its release position as the control means pivots the hopper to its dumping position, the control means including a link arm, means for pivotally connecting the link arm to the arm means, a control arm having one end portion pivotally connected to the link arm remote from the means for pivotally connecting the link arm to the arm means, and an opposite end portion pivotally mounted on the frame, and means connected between the link arm and the hopper for selectively pivoting the hopper between a dumping position and a non-dumping position.
- 10. A surface maintenance machine comprising a debris hopper having a debris inlet and a debris outlet, a vehicle having a frame, means mounted on the frame for moving the hopper between a debris collecting position and a debris dumping position, and means on the frame for directing debris into the hopper inlet when the hopper is in its debris collecting position, a door for closing the hopper outlet, said door and hopper outlet each having a lower edge, means mounting the door on the hopper for movement under gravity as the hopper is moved to its dumping position between an outlet closed position and an open position so that the door edge is spaced at least a preselected distance from the hopper edge, and door holder means automatically operated to a door holding position to hold the door with said edges spaced at least said preselected distance after the hopper has been moved sufficiently toward its dumping position so that said edges are spaced at least said distance, and after the hopper has been moved from its dumping position, to a release position allowing the door to move to a closed position.
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19. A surface maintenance machine comprising a vehicle having a frame, means on the frame defining a downwardly opening sweeping enclosure that has a debris outlet, a debris hopper having a debris inlet and a debris outlet remote from the debris inlet, powered arm means mounted on the frame for supporting the hopper in a street level position so that the debris inlet is adjacent the enclosure outlet, the hopper having transversely opposite pivots pivotally mounted by the arm means, means for selectively pivoting the hopper relative the arms means between a dumping position relative the arm means for discharging debris through the hopper discharge outlet, and a non-dumping position, and controlling the pivotal positions of the hopper relative to the arm means, a door, means for mounting the door on the hopper for movement under gravity from a position closing the hopper outlet when the hopper is in its non-dumping position to a position permitting debris discharge through the hopper outlet when the hopper is in its dumping position, a lug on the door, operable latch means mounted on the hopper for movement between a latching position latchingly engaging the lug to retain the door closed and a lug release position, the control means including a link arm, means for pivotally connecting the link arm to the arm means, a crank arm connected to one of the hopper pivots, a piston cylinder combination pivotally connected to the crank arm remote from the one hopper pivot and pivotally connected to the link arm remote from the means pivotally connecting the link arm to the arm means, a control arm having a front end portion and a rear end portion, means for pivotally connecting the contol arm rear portion to the frame, and means for pivotally connecting the control arm front end portion to the link arm remote from the means for pivotally connecting the link arm to the arm means, and means connected to the control means for operating the latch means to its release position as the control means pivots the hopper to its dumping position, the means for operating the latch means being connected to the link arm.
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20. A surface maintenance machine comprising a vehicle having a frame, means on the frame defining a downwardly opening sweeping enclosure that has a debris outlet, a debris hopper having a debris inlet, a debris outlet remote from the debris inlet and transversely opposite pivots, power operated arm means mounted on the frame for supporting the hopper in a street level position so that the hopper inlet is adjacent the enclosure outlet, said arm means having end portions mounting the hopper pivots for movement therewith and pivotal movement relative thereto, a crank arm joined to one of the hopper pivots to pivot therewith, means connected to the crank arm for controlling the pivotal position of the crank arm relative the arm means and selectively moving the hopper crank arm to pivot the hopper relative the arm means between a debris collecting position that the debris inlet is adjacent the enclosure outlet when the hopper is at the street level position and a dumping position relative the arm means for discharging debris though the hopper discharge outlet, a door, means for mounting the door on the hopper for movement under gravity from a position closing hopper outlet to a position permitting debris discharge through the hopper outlet when the hopper is moved towards its dumping position, a lug mounted on the door, movable latch means movable between a lug latching position and a lug release position and means connected between the latch means and the means for selectively moving the crank arm for moving the latch from its lug latching position to its release position as the hopper is moved to a dumping position.
Specification