AU671640B2 - An overhead loader - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 CnL PT PTE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT vvl. l ull.J rrTJL..J.tJ I Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service:

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FIREBELT PTY LIMITED Idwall Charles Richards TREVOR DREDGE ASSOCIATES Patent Trade Mark Attorneys 13th Floor, 379 Queen Street BRISBANE, QLD, 4000 (GPO Box 1339, BRISBANE, 4001) "An Overhead Loader" s: Australian Patent Application No. PL3773 filed 27 July, 1992; and Australian Patent Application No. PL5467 filed 22 October, 1992.

full description of this invention, including the best method ae: Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Applications No The following statement is a of performing it known to n

ABSTRACT

2 THIS INVENTION relates to an overhead loader suitable for loading and discharging particulate material such as garbage or the like.

Conventional overhead loaders comprise a cab, a storage tank behind the cab, the cab and storage tank being supported on a wheel assembly, a pair of arms which straddle the cab to raise a garbage bin over the cab and invert the bin over an opening in the tank. A hydraulically driven packer plate reciprocates in the tank to compact the garbage.

Present overhead loaders suffer from a number of disadvantages resulting from the particular constructions used.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate at least to some degree the disadvantages associated with the prior art overhead loaders. I In one aspect therefore, the present invention resides in an overhead loader comprising a wheel assembly, a cab and a storage tank supported by the wheel I assembly, the storage tank being behind the cab and having a forward end, a 15 rearward discharge end and an opening adjacent its forward end, a pair of arms straddling the cab to raise a garbage bin over the cab and invert the bin above the opening in the storage tank and first and second garbage mover means within the tank, each garbage mover means being adapted to move a separate section of garbage within the tank toward the rearward discharge end of the tank.

Preferably, the first garbage mover means comprises a compaction assembly which is typically a hydraulically driven packer plate downstream of the opening and which reciprocates in the tank. to compact garbage within the tank, and the second garbage mover means comprises a discharge conveyor in the tank downstream of the packer plate and being adapted to discharge garbage from the i0 4 1 i

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tank through a rear door.

In another embodiment, the first and second garbage mover means comprises side-by-side garbage pushing or garbage conveying means adapted to move in concert or otherwise to move garbage rearwardly within the tank.

In another aspect, the invention resides in a collection and transport system for recyclables comprising a collection vehicle and a bin, the vehicle having a chassis, a wheel assembly supporting the chassis, a tank on the chassis for holding the recyclables, a cab in front of the tank and an arm assembly bridging over the cab and being adapted to releasably engage and lift the bin over the cab and empty the 10 contents of the bin into the tank, the tank being elongate and having a longitudinally extending tank divider defining separate elongate tank sections, the bin having a divider defining separate bin sections, the arm assembly, bin divider and tank divider being so dimensioned and arranged such that as a bin is emptied, recyclables from the bin sections are emptied into the respective tank sections so as to remain separate.

In a further aspect, the invention resides in a collection vehicle for transporting separate recyclables simultaneously, the vehicle having a chassis, a wheel assembly supporting the chassis, a tank on the chassis for holding the recyclables. a cab in front of the tank and an arm assembly bridging over the cab and being adapted to releasably engage and lift a bin over the cab and empty the contents of the bin into the tank, the tank being elongated and having a longitudinally extending tank divider defining separate longitudinally extending tank sections in which recyclables can be maintained separate during transportation.

In still another aspect, the invention resides in a bin suitable for use with a ~i '1 I it 4 collection vehicle of the type having a chassis, a wheel assembly supporting the chassis, a tank on the chassis for holding recyclables, a cab in front of the tank and an arm assembly bridging over the cab and being adapted to releasably engage and lift the bin over the cab and empty the contents of the bin into the tank, the tank being elongate and having a longitudinally extending tank divider defining separate longitudinal tank sections, the bin having a bin divider defining separate bin sections, the arm assembly, bin divider and tank divider being so dimensioned and arranged so that as the bin is emptied, recyclables from the bin sections are emptied into the tank sections so as to remain separate.

10 The tank can include a single divider or multiple dividers dividing the tank S into two or more tank sections. Typicaliy, two or three tank sections are provided.

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The divider can be fixed or can be moveable either in transverse or longitudinal directions. The divider can be made as a single sheet of material or from multiple panels.

Typically, the tank includes one or more compaction assemblies. In one embodiment, the divider comprises a retractable divider and the compaction assembly comprises a blade and a blade drive means adapted to move the divider and the blade rearwardly to compact or discharge material in the tank section through a rear discharge opening. The blade typically extends and retracts in concert with the retractable divider. The retractable divider is typically a plurality of nestable panels which are driven into nesting relationship by the blade as it moves rearwardly within the tank. To this end, during discharge of material through the rear discharge opening, the nested panels protrude from the tank when the tank sections are being discharged. In another embodiment, each tank section is equipped -1 'C~ip~sL I I r** rrr a rr r o r rt i

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ri rrr rr r r r i 1 j with its own compaction assembly. Typically, each compaction assembly comprises a retractable blade and a drive means so that the blade can reciprocate within the tank section to compact and discharge material through the rear discharge opening.

The packer plte typically travels from an upstream position below the opening to a downstream position where it overlaps an upstream end of the conveyor so that when the tank is being discharged, the packer plate can be moved to the downstream position.

The tank can be divided into tank sections. Typically two side-by-side tank sections are employed. A first tank section is typically employed for garbage while 10 a second tank section is used for carrying co-mingled recyclables. The first tank section typically employs a packer plate and a conveyor downstreanl of the packer plate while the second tank section typically employs a full length conveyor.

The conveyor or conveyors can be any form of suitable conveyor. Typically ar -ndless belt conveyor or a walking floor conveyor is employed. The tank section is preferably arcuate in shape and to this end, the conveyor is typically arcuate, at least in part to ;iatch the shape of the tank section.

In order that the present invention can be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein:- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2 and 3 are respective side and plan sectional views of a further embodiment; Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views illustrating a further embodiment; ;i 1$ 1 Figure 8 is a cut-away pictorial view illustrating a compaction assembly retractable divider arrangement suitable for use with the present invention; Figures 9 and 10 are sectional plan views illustrating operation of the arrangement of Figure 8; Figures 11 and 12 are cut-away side and plan views illustrating an overhead loader according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 is a pictorial view illustrating part of a tank suitable for use in an overhead loader according to the present invention; Figure 14 is a view from above of a partially assembled walking floor conveyor suitable for use in an overhead loader according to the present invention; Figure 15 is a detailed cut-away view illustrating operation of a walking floor conveyor suitable for use in an overhead loader according to the present invention; and Figures 16 and 17 are side and cut-away plan views of a second embodiment of an overhead loader according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figure 1, there is illustrated a collection and transport system 10 for, in this case, recyclables including paper shown at 11, aluminium cans shown at 12 and bottles shown at 13. The system *o comprises a collection vehicle in the form of an overhead loader 14 and a bin the vehicle having a chassis 16, a wheel assembly 17 supporting the chassis, a tank 18 on the chassis for holding the recyclables, a cab 19 in front of the tank and an arm assembly 20 bridging over the cab and being adapted to releasably engage and i lift the bin 15 over the cab and empty the contents of the bin 15 into the tank. The i i colecion an trnspot sste 10for in hiscas, rcycable inludng ape i 7 transversely spaced tank dividers defining three separate longitudinal tank sections, as can be seen, the bin, ilncludes two dividers 21 and 22 defining separate bin sections 23, 24 and 25. The arm assembly 20, bin dividers 21 and 22 and the two tank dividers being so dimensioned and arranged such that the geometry enables the arm assembly to elevate the bin over an opening in the top of the tank 18 so that the respective dividers are aligned and the contents of the bin sections 23, 24 and 25 are deposited into separate tank sections in the tank 18.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, there is illustrated a further embodiment similar to that of Figure 1, but in this case, there is illustrated a collection vehicle 26 where r 10 the tank 27, in this case, includes a single fixed divider 28 so that the vehicle 26 is adapted to be used with a bin having a single partition, this is unlike the bin of Figure 1 where two partitions were employed but the basic construction is the same.

In this case, the partition 28 defines two tank sections 29 and 30, each of which has its own compactor assembly 31 and 32 respectively. Although not shown in Figure 1, three compaction assemblies configured as shown in Figures 2 and 3 would be used in the Figure 1 embodiment. Each compactor assembly 31 and 32 includes a blade 33 and a hydraulic cylinder assembly 34 so that the blade 33 can be retracted to a position forward of an opening 35 of the tank section. Recyclables deposited into the tank section fall on the discharge side 36 of the blades 33 and can be compacted by reciprocation of the blades 33. As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, discharge of material from the tank sections is by way of fully extending the hydraulic cylinder assemblies 34, while the main rear door 37 and the internal rear i doors 38 and 39 are open.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a further embodiment is illustrated and as can 4 S4. 4, 99 9 99 9r 99,9 9 *o 9 4 9.

lo 9 be seen in Figure 4, there is illustrated a collecticli vehicle 40 to similar to the collection vehicles in the previous figures except in this ces, a retractable divider 41 is employed comprising three divider panels 42, 43 and ki which are shown in Figure 5 in their retracted position. The compactor assembly comprises a compactor blade 45 which is coup-ed to the panel 42 and as the compactor blade moves rearwardly towards the rear door 46, the panel 42 travels with the compactor blade.

Initially, panel 42 is in lost motion relative to the adjacent panel 43. The panels then engage as the compactor blade moves until the panels 42, 43 and 44 nest and protrude through the doors 46, 47 and 48, in order to discharge material from the two tank sections 49 and 50.

Referring to Figure 8, the compactor blade 45 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder assembly 51 and the panels 42, 43 and 44 travel in channels 52 and 53.

As can be seen, the panel 42 and the blade 45 are inclined to the vertical at their line of intersection. Referring to Figures 9 and 10, there is illustrated in section the 15 panels 42, 43 and 44 wherein Figure 9, they are shown fully retracted. Each panel is hollow, the panels 42 and 43 including respective enlargements at 54 and 55 so that as the compactor blade 45 moves in the direction of the arrows 56, lost motion is experienced between the panels until the enlargements 54 and 55 engage with the immediately adjacent panel and then the panels move in concert. Eventually, the 20 panels reach-the position illustrated in Figure 10 where they are nested and protrude from the tank.

Referring to Figurs 11 and 12, there is illustrated ant overhead loader including a wheel assembly 61, a cab 62, a storage tank 63 behind the cab which are supported by the wheel assembly 61, a pair of arms 64 straddle the cab 62 in j; i 1 r ii t i r r( j r if i

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4 949 order to raise a garbage bin 65 and invert the bin over an opening 66 in the storage tank 63. A hydraulically driven packer plate 67 located downstream of the opening 66 reciprocates in the tank section from an upstream position shown generally at 68 to a downstream position which is illustrated in Figures 11 and 12. The packer plate reciprocates in the tank section to compact garbage within the tank section. A discharge conveyor 68 which in this case is a walking floor conveyor can be activated when the door 69 is open to discharge garbage 70 from the overhead loader 60. As can be seen, the packer plate 67 in its downstream position overlaps an upstream end 71 of the conveyor 68 to ensure that all garbage within the tank 10 section is disposed above the conveyor 68 for discharge purposes.

Referring now to Figure 13, a typical tank 63 is illustrated and as can be seen, the tank has a section which can be described as a medially bulged square shape which results in arcuate corner regions at 72 and 73. The walking floor in this case incl-des a plurality of plates 74 arranged so the walking floor is arcuate in shape to match the shape of the tank.

Referring to Figure 15, there is illustrated the form of the walking floor which comprises a base 76 having a plurality of rails 77 on which are mounted selflubricating plastics bearing members 78. The plates 74 are in the form of contiguous inverted channel members so that the plates 74 can reciprocate back and forth on the bearings 78 on the rails 77 in sealed relation.

Operation of a typical walking floor is illustrated in Figure 15 and where appropriate, like numerals have been used to illustrate like features. As can be seen, pairs of cylinder assemblies 79 and 80 are disposed at opposite ends of piston rods 81, each of which are connected to respective drive arms 82, 83 and 84. The drive i« 944449 94 9 9.

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at a at 0'~aa a a 4* 0 C tawa 4' C05* a Sa a S C St arms 82, 83 and 84 are arcuate and have offset mounting bars 85 which are coupled to groups of the plates 74. The resultant action upon controlled operation of the cylinder assemblies is that the plates 74 are all driven in unison in the discharge direction but are selectively retracted in the upstream direction so that the load '.'eing discharged is not retracted. Usually every third plate 74 is retracted initially followed by every alternate remaining plate and then the final plates are retracted before all plates are driven on the downstream stroke. Thus, the plates normally reciprocate over a range of about 62 inches as the cylinder assemblies 79 and 80 operate in predetermined sequence.

Referring now to Figures 16 and 17, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the present invention and wheze appropriate, like numerals have been used to illustrate like features. The difference in this case is that the tank section 73 is divided into two tank sections 86 and 87, the tank section 86 including a hydraulically driven compactor plate 88 which overlaps the upstream end of a walking floor conveyor 89 while the other tank section 87 includes a full length walking floor conveyor 90. As can be seen, the tank sections 86 and 87 are separated by a divider 91 with the tank section 86 being geared up to 1, )ld garbage while the tank section 036 contains co-mingled recyclables. It will be appreciated in the illustrated embodiment of Figures 16 and 17 that under normal domestic 20 circumstances, larger proportions of garbage will be collected than the co-mingled recyclables and although in the illustrated embodiment the garba,,ge bin 92 has two evenly slZed tank sections 93 and 94, one would normally expect the co-mingled recyclables to be of less volume than the garbage 93. Thus, a compactor plate may or may not be. necessary in the tank section 86. The tank sections 86 and 87 may .4 4 llJ 'a p .1; <4 .4 .1.

j I 11 be arranged so they are the same.

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Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention, many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended ciaims.

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Claims (10)

1. An overhead loader comprising a wheel assembly, a cab and a storage tank supported by the wheel assembly, the storage tank being behind the cab and having a forward end, a rearward discharge end and an opening adjacent its forward end, a pair of arms straddling the cab to raise a garbage bin over the cab and invert the bin above the opening in the storage tank and first and second garbage mover means within the tank, each garbage mover means being adapted i to move a separate section of garbage within the tank toward the rearward discharge end of the tank.

2. An overhead loader according to claim 1 wherein the first garbage mover means comprise a hydraulically driven packer plate downstream of the opening and which reciprocates in the tank to compact garbage within the tank, and the second garbage mover means comprises a discharge conveyor in the tank downstream of the packer plate and being adapted to discharge garbage from the tank through a rear door.

3. An overhead loader according to claim 1 wherein the first and second garbage mover means comprises respective garbage pushing or garbage conveying means located side-by-side within the tank and being adapted to move in concert to move garbage rearwardly within the tank. 4 4. An overhead loader according to claim 2 wherein the packer plate travels from an upstream position below the opening to a downstream position where it overlaps an upstream end'of the conveyor so that when garbage in the tank is being discharged through the rear discharge end, the packer plate can be moved i to the downstream position to move garbage onto the conveyor. i i-- 13 An overhead loader according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the tank is divided into longitudinally extending tank sections communicating with the opening to hold garbage separate within the respective tank sections.

6. An overhead loader according to claim 5 wherein a first tank section is employed for garbage while a second tank section is used for carrying co-mingled recyclables, the first tank section employing a packer plate and a conveyor downstream of the packer plate while the second tank section employs a conveyor without an accompanying packer plate.

7. An overhead loader according to any oneof the preceding claims wherein .i the or each conveyor comprises an ei-ndess belt conveyor or a walking floor i J conveyor.

8. An overhead loader according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the tank section has side walls that are arcuate in profile and the conveyor is arcuate to match the shape of the tank section.

9. An overhead loader according to any one of the preceding cl.,ms in combirnation with a bin forming a collection and transport system for wastes, the tank having two longitudinally extending tank dividers defining three separate longitudinal tank sections, the bin including two dividers defining three separate bin sections, the arms, bin dividers and tank dividers being so dimensioned and arranged so that when the bin is inverted above the opening the respective dividers in the bin and the tank are aligned and content of the bin sections are deposited into the respective tank sections. i The combination according to claim 9 wherein the bin sections include A one section holding bottles, the section holding bottles being of substantially less A4'r a !y W' ^su h s 14 capacity than the other bin sections.

11. An overhead loader substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

12. An overhead loader substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 1 to 15 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 8th day of July, 1996. FIREBELT PTY LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys I NTELLPRO ft SW ft ft ft S

55.. S. Sft ft ft.. SW {~r~-il c ABSTRACT A collection and transport system 10 for, in this case, recyclables including paper shown at 11, aluminium cans shown at 12 and bottles shown at 13. The system comprises a collection vehicle in the form of an overhead loader 14 and a bin 15, the vehicle having a chassis 16, a wheel assembly 17 supporting the chassis, a tank 18 on the chassis for holding the recyclables, a cab 19 in front of the tank and an arm assembly 20 bridging over the cab and being adapted to releasably engage and lift the bin 15 over the cab and empty the contents of the bin 15 into the tank. The tank 18 is elongate and includes, in this case, two longitudinally extending transversely spaced tank dividers defining three separate longitudinal tank sections, as can be seen, the bin includes two dividers 21 and 22 defining separate bin sections 23, 24 and 25. The arm assembly 20, bin dividers 21 and 22 and the two tank dividers being so dimensioned and arranged such that the geometry enables the arm assembly to elevate the bin over an opening in the top of the tank 18 so that the respective dividers are aligned and the contents of the bin sections 23, 24 and are deposited into separate tank sections in the tank 18. I I 1 I '1 I 's :(q f p '(I i', r