Truck body and apparatus for automated collection of recyclable materials

• US 5,071,307 A
• Filed: 12/24/1990
• Issued: 12/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William S. Carson
• Original Assignee: William S. Carson
• Inventors: Carson, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KATZ, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/633,281
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 414/303, 414/406, 414/408, 414/409, 414/411, 414/419, 414/420, 414/421, 414/546, 414/549, 414/555, 220/908, 220/909
• US Class Current: 414/408
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/006 Rigid receptacles stored in an enclosure or forming part of it
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 1/08 with rigid inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2003/023 Gripper arms for embracing the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2003/0269 capable of moving along the side of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/001 for segregated refuse collecting, e.g. vehicles with several compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/048 Linkages B65F3/041 takes precedence

Abstract

A truck body for mounting on a truck or trailer mounts apparatus for engaging, picking up, and selectively dumping a compartmented curbside container having separated recyclable materials. The truck body is divided into a plurality of bins. A carriage is movably mounted on a longitudinal track, the track supported by a pair of movable telescoping arms, the carriage powered to move along the track. Extensible arms are attached to the carriage and includes hydraulic actuators for extending and retracting the arms. A pair of clamping arms is disposed at a distal end of the extensible arms, and include a hydraulic actuator for clamping the clamping arms on a container. Thereafter, the container is picked up, inverted over the bins, and the container contents dumped selectively as the inverted container is moved over the bins. The container is returned to curbside after dumping.

Claims

1. A truck body, for mounting to a truck or trailer, in combination with apparatus for picking up a curbside container, said container having a plurality of lidded compartments containing separated materials therein, and selectively collecting such material:

a) a pickup arm assembly having means for engaging said curbside container;

b) a plurality of bins formed in said truck body, each for receiving one of said separated materials;

c) track means, including a track, attached to said truck body by a pair of pivoted arms;

d) carriage means attached to said track, including means for moving said carriage along said track, and for supporting said pickup arm assembly;

e) said track means includes means for moving said track from a ground level position to a position over said bins, and for inverting said container over a sequence of said bins; and

f) lid control means for maintaining said lidded compartments closed during moving and inverting of said container, and for selectively opening each of said lidded compartments for dumping of respective separated materials into respective truck body bins.

2. The truck body and apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said carriage means for supporting said pickup arm assembly includes means for extending and retracting said pickup arm assembly with respect to said carriage means.

3. The truck body and apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which :

said pickup arm assembly supporting means includes a scissor arms assembly having a proximal end attached to said carriage means, and a distal end attached to said pickup arm assembly;

first actuator means operatively connected to said scissor arms assembly for moving said pickup arm assembly inward and outward with respect to said carriage;

said pickup arm assembly includes second actuator means for operating said container engaging means; and

said lid control means includes a plurality of third actuator means mounted on said container engaging means for holding said lidded compartments closed during engagement of said containers, and thereafter selectively opening said lidded compartments during dumping of separated materials.

4. The truck body and apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said container engaging means includes a pair of opposed clamping arms mounted to said assembly and adapted to move toward and away from each other, said clamping arms movable to clamp said container therebetween preparatory to lifting of said container.

5. The truck body and apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which said carriage moving means includes:

fourth actuator means disposed adjacent said track; and

said carriage moving means includes a carriage drive assembly operatively connected to said fourth actuator means.

6. A truck body in combination with apparatus for picking up a curbside container, said container having a plurality of lidded compartments containing separated materials therein, and selectively collecting such material, said body to be mounted on a truck or trailer, comprising:

a) a plurality of open bins mounted on said truck body, each bin for collecting one of such materials from such curbside container;

b) a track mounted parallel to a longitudinal side of said truck body, and supported by a pair of arms pivoted to a front and rear end of said truck body;

c) a carriage movably mounted on said track and adapted to move adjacent each of said truck body bins;

d) a first hydraulic actuator attached to said track for moving said carriage adjacent each of said truck body bins;

e) a scissor arm assembly having a proximal end thereof attached to said carriage, a second hydraulic actuator attached to said scissor arm assembly and operatively connected thereto for extending and retracting said scissor arm assembly;

f) a container pickup arm assembly pivotally attached to a distal end of said scissor arm assembly;

g) said pickup arm assembly having a pair of opposed clamping arms adapted to move from an open position to a closed position for engaging said container, said clamping arms including a plurality of lid actuators for maintaining said lidded compartment closed preparatory to, and after, picking up of said container, and for selectively opening said lidded compartments, and a plurality of third hydraulic actuators coupled to said clamping arms for opening and closing thereof;

wherein

h) said container pickup arm assembly engages said container, and said scissor arm assembly, said carriage, and said track thereafter lift and invert said container over each successive ones of said truck body bins, and said lid actuators selectively release materials from said lidded container compartments into respective ones of said truck body bins.

7. A truck body, for mounting to a truck or trailer, in combination with a curbside container for stationing at a trash pickup point, said container having a plurality of lidded compartments for selectively receiving separated materials;

a) a pickup arm assembly having means for engaging said curbside container preparatory to lifting of said container;

b) a plurality of bins, formed in said truck body, corresponding to at least the number of said lidded compartments;

c) a horizontally disposed track, parallel to a side of said truck body, and pivotally attached at each end to a pair of telescoping arms, said arms pivotally attached to a front and back end of said truck body, and means for extending and retracting, and raising and lowering, said telescoping arms, and moving said track from a position near ground level to a position over said truck body, said track having carriage means movingly mounted thereto including means for moving said pickup assembly along said truck body; and

d) said pickup arm assembly including scissor arms attached between said container engaging means and said carriage means, first actuator means for moving said scissor arms with respect to said truck body, second actuator means for moving said container engaging means, and third actuator means mounted to said container engaging means for selectively closing and opening said lidded compartments.