GB2211166A - Tipping bins into a refuse collection vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A refuse collection vehicle has a single hoist at the rear of a body of the vehicle. The hoist includes a bin-carrier suspended by links (38) from a dust cover (36) above the loading opening of the body. Rams (37) raise and lower the dust cover and hence the carrier, which is tipped by the engagement of upper and lower carrier rollers with tracks (33) and (34) respectively. The carrier has a row of protrusions (Fig 2, not shown), for engaging a bin, and a retainer for co-operating with the bin and the protrusions, and also two latches, releasable by gravity, for latching the retainer in the retaining position. <IMAGE>

Description

Title:"Collection vehicle and method of tipping a bin" Description of Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a collection vehicle having a body for receiving a load of material to be collected and a hoist for raising a bin from the ground and tipping contents of the bin into the body, wherein the hoist includes a carrier for the bin, a track defining a path along which the carrier can move relative to the body between lowered and raised positions and a motor for moving the carrier along the track.

The hoist is preferably so arranged that operation of the motor causes raising, tipping and lowering of the bin. Operation of the motor may also cause retention of the bin on the carrier by releasable retaining means.

The carrier is preferably suspended from a support which is movable relative to the body and the motor preferably acts between the support and the body. The support may define an upper boundary of a loading opening and may be formed and arranged partly to close the loading opening when the carrier is in the lowered position.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a collection vehicle comprising a body with a loading opening and a hoist for raising a bin and for tipping the bin to discharge the contents of the bin into the body through the loading opening, the hoist comprising a carrier with a row of formations for engaging a bin inside an external lip on a wall of the bin, a retainer for movement towards and away from said row of formations between a retaining position in which the retainer holds the bin on the carrier and a releasing position in which the retainer permits removal of the bin from the carrier and comprising a latch for latching the retainer in the retaining position, wherein the latch is settable by gravity in latching and releasing positions during movement of the carrier.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of raising and tipping a bin wherein a carrier is engaged with the bin in a manner to support the bin, the carrier is raised along a predetermined path, movement of an element of the carrier along said path is interrupted by engagement of the element with an abutment and movement of further parts of the carrier and of the bin are continued so that the carrier and the bin are forced to tip relative to the abutment.

An example of a vehicle embodying the first and second aspects of the invention and which is used in a method according to the third aspect of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIGURE I shows diagrammatically a side elevation of the vehicle, together with a part of a bin; FIGURE 2 shows a rear elevation of the vehicle; FIGURE 3 shows on a larger scale a hoist of the vehicle, together with adjacent parts of the vehicle, a carrier of the hoist being in a lowered posit ion; FIGURE 4 shows the parts of Figure 3 with the carrier in a raised position; FIGURE 5 shows diagrammatically the carrier of the vehicle separated from other components of the vehicle and as viewed in side elevation;; FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of retaining means of the hoist and certain parts of the carrier, when the carrier is in the lowered position; FIGURE 7 shows the parts of Figure 6 when the carrier is in the raised position; and FIGURE 8 shows certain parts of the hoist, as viewed from the rear of the vehicle, and on an enlarged scale, relative to Figure 2.

The vehicle illustrated in Figure I comprises a chassis 10 mounted on steerable front wheels 11 and driven rear wheels 12. On the chassis, there is mounted a cab 13 for operators of the vehicle and a hollow body 14 for containing a load. At the rear end of the vehicle, there is defined a rearwardly-facing loading opening which extends across almost the entire width of the body. The body incorporates a pivoted tailgate 15 which extends forwardly from the loading opening and which contains a hopper and a packing mechanism for moving refuse into a forward part of the body 14.

The tailgate and packing mechanism may be of known construction and will not be further described.

There is mounted on the tailgate 15 a hoist 16 for raising a bin 17 and tipping the bin to discharge the contents thereof to the body 14 through the loading opening. In Figure 1, a forward part of the bin is broken away and there is illustrated, by way of example, a bin which is of square or other rectangular shape, as viewed in plan, and which has an external lip 18 at the upper end of each wall of the bin. The lip is connected with the adjacent wall by a horizontal flange so that there is defined between the wall, the flange and the lip a downwardly facing channel in which a carrier of the hoist 16 can engage the bin to support the bin above the ground.

The hoist 16 comprises a carrier 19 for the bin 17. In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the carrier is shown in a lowered position such that the bin 17 can be moved into a suitable position relative to the carrier to be picked up from the ground by the carrier. The carrier can be moved to the raised position illustrated in Figure 4. Movement of the carrier to the raised position causes a bin which is supported on the carrier to be lifted from the ground to a level in which the bin lies completely above a lower boundary 20 of the loading opening and to be tipped through an angle in the region of 1500 so that contents of the bin can fall downwardly through the loading opening into the vehicle body 14.

The carrier 19 comprises a generally rectangular frame which includes an upper rail 21 and a lower rail 22 spaced from but parallel to the upper rail.

When the carrier is in the lowered position, the lower rail lies below and slightly forwards of the upper rail. When the carrier is in the raised position, the lower rail lies at a level higher than and is spaced somewhat rearwardly from the upper rail 21. There is provided on the upper rail 21 a row of upwardly projecting teeth 23 of suitable dimensions to be received within the downwardly facing channel at the top of a wall of the bin 17. The teeth are separated from each other by gaps in which there can be received gussets extending between the bin wall and the lip 18. On the lower rail 22, there are provided two buffers 24 against which the wall of a bin rests when the bin is supported on the carrier.As shown in Figure 2, the teeth 23 may be arranged in two groups with a somewhat larger space between the groups and a respective one of the buffers lying directly below each group. This arrangement is convenient for supporting two smaller bins or one larger bin on the carrier.

The rails 21 and 22 of the carrier are connected together between their ends and also connected by respective end members 25 and 26 which are vertical, when the carrier is in the lowered position. The end members project somewhat above the upper rail 21 and carry adjacent to their upper ends respective outwardly projecting guide elements, one of which is identified by the reference number 27. Adjacent to their lower ends, the end members carry further outwardly projecting guide elements, one of which is identified by the reference number 28. The guide elements are preferably formed as rollers arranged for rotation relative to the end members 25 and 26 about horizontal axes 29 and 30. The guide elements run in respective tracks 31 and 32 adjacent to the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the vehicle. The tracks guide the carrier for movement upwardly and downwardly along a predetermined path and also control the attitude of the carrier to cause tipping of the carrier as it approoches the raised position and to maintain the carrier in a vertical attitude when approaching its lowered position.

The upper roller 27 is spaced somewhat further from a longitudinal centreline of the vehicle than is the lower roller 28. The track 31 has corresponding outer and inner portions along which the rollers 27 and 28 run.

In a lower part of the track, these portions are co-extensive and are defined between common, flat and mutually opposed track surfaces. In an upper part of the track, the inner and outer portions are mutually divergent. As shown in Figure 3, the outer portion 33, along which the upper roller 27 runs, curves forwardly at a level somewhat above the lower boundary 20 of the loading opening to a position spaced forwardly of that boundary. The inner track portion 34 diverges rearwardly from the outer track portion just below the level of the curved part of the outer track portion and curves rearwardly and then forwardly to a position which is at a higher level than but is to the rear of the end of the inner track portion 33. The upper ends of the track portions are defined by respective abutments which prevent the corresponding rollers emerging from the upper ends of the track portions.The right-hand track 32 is constructed and arranged in a manner corresponding to that of the lefthand track 31 and guides upper and lower rollers on the left-hand end of the carrier in a corresponding way.

The tracks 31 and 32 are fixed with respect to the body 14 of the vehicle, for example by means of brackets 35 which are bolted to the tailgate 15.

A support 36 for the carrier 19 is provided above the loading opening of the body 14. The support is movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the body by means of hydraulic rams 37, disposed one adjacent to each side the vehicle body. The support is pivotally connected with the tailgate 15 of the body at a position adjacent to a forward margin of the support and at a level which is approximately that of a top of the body. The rams 37 act between the body and the support at a position part-way between the forward and rearward margins of the support. The support 36 is formed as a cover, partly to close the loading opening, when the support is in the lowered position illustrated in Figure 3.The support defines an upper boundary of the loading opening and the vertical dimension of the loading opening is increased when the support is pivoted to the raised position illustrated in Figure 4, by extension of the rams 37.

The carrier 19 is suspended from the support 36 by a pair of pivoted links 38, one adjacent to each lateral margin of the support. The links are preferably rigid elements and of cranked form. The pivotal connection between each link and the carrier is at a position near to the lower rail 22 of the carrier and slightly to the rear of that rail, when the carrier is in the lowered position.

The configuration of the hoist 16 is such that, when the support 36 is moved from the lowered position of Figure 3 to the raised position of Figure 4, the carrier 19 is drawn upwardly from its lowered position to its raised position and the axis 39 defined by the pivotal connection between the links 38 and the support 36 moves initially upwardly and rearwardly so that the chord to the arc along which that pivot axis moves extends upwardly and rearwardly from the lowered position to the raised position. Accordingly, the pull exerted by the links on the carrier is directed upwardly. High bending loads and high torsional loads are not imposed on components of the hoist.

Furthermore, movement of the support 36 and carrier 19 from their raised positions to their lowered positions will readily be effected by gravity. Flow of hydraulic fluid from the rams 37 is restricted to control downward movement of the carrier but it is not necessary to supply hydraulic fluid to the rams under pressure, to cause retraction of the rams.

The hoist further comprises retaining means for retaining a bin on the carrier 19 during tipping of the bin and carrier. The retaining means comprises a retainer 40 which is mounted on the carrier for pivoting relative thereto about an axis 41 which, when the carrier is in the lowered position, lies below the level of and forwardly of the teeth 23. The retainer includes a flange 42 which can move relative to the teeth 23 between the releasing position illustrated in Figure 6, in which the flange is spaced forwardly from the teeth, and the retaining position illustrated in Figure 7, in which the flange overlies the teeth 23 and is spaced therefrom by a distance equal to or only a little greater than the thickness of the flange of the bin 17.

Acccordingly, a bin supported on the teeth 23 cannot slide off the carrier, even when tipped as shown in Figure 4.

The retainer 40 extends across substantially the entire width of the vehicle, between the tracks 31 and 32. Adjacent to each of these tracks, there is provided a respective spring 43 and respective rocker 44. The rocker is pivotally mounted on the adjacent end member 25 or 26 and is connected with the retainer by a pin and slot connection lying between the pivot axes of the retainer and rocker. The spring is connected between the lower rail 22 and the adjacent rocker 44 to urge the retainer towards the retaining position.

For moving the retainer to the releasing position, there is provided on each of the rockers 44 a respective cam follower 45, which is in the form of a roller A respective cam 46 is provided for co-operation with each of the corn followers 45, the cams 46 being supported by the brackets 35 in respective positions spaced somewhat forwardly from the tracks 31 and 32. Each of the cams 46 is rectilinear and vertical over a major part of its length and has adjacent to its upper end an inclined ramp 47. As the carrier 19 is raised from its lowered position, the cam follower 45 runs along the rectilinear portion of the corresponding cam 46 so that the retainer 40 is held in its releasing position.As the upper roller 27 of the carrier approaches the curved part of the corresponding track portion 33, the cam follower 45 moves on to the ramp 47 and allows the spring 43 to move the retainer 40 to its retaining position. When the carrier is lowered from its raised position, the cam follower 45 comes into contact with the ramp 47 after the carrier has resumed its vertical attitude. A part of the weight of the carrier 19 and a bin thereon is then transmitted by the cam follower to the cam 46 and the reaction to this force pivots the rocker 44 relative to the carrier in ci direction to move the retainer to its releasing position, against the action of the spring 43. This stores in the spring energy which can subsequently be expended in returning the retainer to its retaining position.It will be noted that the retainer is moved by the action of gravity on the carrier and no motor is provided specifically for moving the retainer.

Adjacent to each of the tracks 31 and 32, there is provided a respective latch 48 for latching the retainer in its retaining position during tipping of the carrier 19. The latch is freely pivoted on the upper rail 21 and can swing under the action of gravity from the position illustrated in Figure 6, in which the latch is just clear of the retainer 40, to the position illustrated in Figure 7, in which the latch bears against a limb of the retainer adjacent to the rocker 44 and holds the retainer in the retaining position. The latch swings automatically between these positions during tipping of the carrier.

Some bins are provided with pivoted lids, having laterally projecting lugs for co-operation with means on a collection vehicle for automatically opening the lids, during tipping of the bins. For co-operation with such lugs, there is provided at the underside of the support 36 a pair of laterally spaced ramps 49, each of'which is pivotally connected adjacent to its forward end with the support. Stops (not shown) are provided on the tailgate 15 to limit downward movement of the ramps 49 so that these do not protrude significantly into the loading opening, when the support 36 is in its lowered position. When the support is moved to its raised position, the ramps 49 are carried upwardly by suspension elements 50 connecting the ramps with the support at respective positions spaced from the pivotal connection between the ramps and the supports.The suspension elements 50 may be flexible straps. It will be noted that the ramps 49 are moved automatically relative to the carrier 19 and to a bin thereon, when the support 36 is raised.

When there are to be discharged into the body 10 the contents of a bin having a pivoted lid provided with lateral projections for co-operation with the ramps 49, that bin is wheeled up to the rear of the vehicle whilst the carrier 19 is in the lowered position. There may be provided on the carrier rearwardly projecting guide plates, between which the bin can be positioned to ensure that the centre of the bin is at least near to a longitudinal centreline of the vehicle. A port of one wall of the bin which is below the level of the lip 18 is pushed against the teeth 23. It will be noted that the space above the teeth is clear to accommodate the lip of the bin. Hydraulic fluid is then supplied under pressure to the rams 37 to raise the support 36.

The carrier 19 is drawn upwardly by the links 38 so that the teeth 23 enter the downwardly facing channel of the bin to support the bin on the carrier.

The carrier continues to move upwardly, carrying with it the bin. A first part of the upward movement of the bin is along a substantially vertical, rectilinear path and the attitudes of the bin and of the carrier are maintained constant by the tracks 31 and 32. When the lip of the bin reaches a level which is approximately the same as that of the lower boundary 20 of the loading opening, the cam follower 45 moves on to the ramp 47 and the retainer 40 is moved into its retaining position by the springs 43. As upward movement of the carrier continues, the upper rollers 27 are guided around the curved part of the track and forwardly towards the body 14. Whilst the lower rollers 28 are still in the rectilinear parts of the track, this forward movement of the upper rollers causes tipping of the carrier and bin through an angle which is typically a little less than 900.The retainer 40 tips with the carrier relative to the latches 48 so that the latches engage the retainer.

When the lower rollers 28 move into the curved parts of the inner track portions 34, tipping of the carrier and bin is further promoted and the projections on the lid of the bin are driven along the ramps 47 so that the lid of the bin is forced to open as the ramps are carried upwardly by the support 36. As the bin moves beyond a horizontal attitude, the contents of the bin fall into the body through the loading opening. The application of hydraulic fluid under pressure to the ramps 37 is then discontinued and the rams are permitted to retract. The bin and carrier descend under the action of gravity. The lid of the bin swings under the action of gravity relative to the body of the bin so that the projections on the lid run along the ramps 47 and the lid returns to its closed position. After the bin has resumed an upright attitude, the retainer 40 is moved to the releasing position by movement of the cam follower 45 over the ramp 47 and the bin is then placed on the ground.

It will be understood that the hoist may be used with bins which do not have lids and with bins, the lids of which do not have lateral projections for co-operation with the ramps 47. Furthermore, the carrier 19 may be adapted to support bins other than by means of an outwardly projecting lip.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (25)

CLAIMS:

1. A collection vehicle comprising a body with a loading opening and a hoist for raising a bin from the ground and tipping the contents of the bin into the body, wherein the hoist includes a carrier for the bin, a track defining a path along which the carrier can move relative to the body between lowered and raised positions and a motor for moving the carrier along the track.

2. A vehicle according to Claim I wherein the carrier is suspended from a support which is movable relative to the body and wherein the motor acts between the support and the body.

3. A vehicle according to Claim 2 wherein the support is connected with the body for pivoting relative thereto about a support axis.

4. A vehicle according to Claim 3 wherein the support axis is above the level of the loading opening.

5. A vehicle according to any one of Claims 2 to 4 wherein the hoist further comprises a link pivotally connected with the support and with the carrier at upper and lower link axes respectively.

6. A vehicle according to Claim 5 wherein, during at least a part of movement of the carrier from the lowered position to the raised position, the upper link axis moves rearwards relative to the body.

7. A vehicle according to any one of Claims 2 to 6 wherein the support defines an upper boundary of the loading opening.

8. A vehicle according to Claim 7 wherein the support partly closes the loading opening when the carrier is in the lowered position.

9. A vehicle according to any one of Claims I to 8 wherein the support has ramps for co-operation with projections from lids of bins for opening the lids when the carrier moves into the raised position.

10. A vehicle according to any one of Claims I to 9 wherein the track is formed to tip the carrier as the carrier approaches the raised position.

11. A vehicle according to Claim 10 wherein the carrier has upper and lower guide elements, both of which co-operate with the track to control the attitude of the carrier.

12. A vehicle according to Claim 11 wherein the track is formed to cooperate with the guide elements in such a manner that the carrier is tipped as it approaches the raised position.

13. A vehicle according to Claim 12 wherein the track has first and second portions defining divergent paths for the upper and lower guide elements.

14. A vehicle according to any one of Claims I to 13 having two tracks adjacent to opposite sides of the vehicle body and a single carrier guided by the two tracks.

15. A vehicle according to Claim 14 comprising a further motor, wherein said motors are disposed one adjacent to each side of the body and are arranged to operate in unison to raise and to tip the carrier.

16. A vehicle according to Claim 15 further comprising retaining means for retaining a bin on the carrier, wherein the retaining means is movable relative to the carrier in response to operation of said motors.

17. A vehicle according to Claim 16 wherein the retaining means is movable by a force derived from the action of gravity on the carrier, when movement of the carrier under the influence of gravity is permitted by said motors.

18. A collection vehicle comprising a body with a loading opening and a hoist for raising a bin from the ground and tipping contents of the bin into the body, wherein the hoist comprises a carrier with a row of formations for engaging a bin inside an external lip on a wall of the bin, the hoist comprises a retainer mounted for movement towards and away from said row between a retaining position and a releasing position, the hoist further comprises a latch for latching the retainer in the retaining position and wherein the latch is settable by gravity in latching and releasing positions during movement of the carrier.

19. A vehicle according to Claim 18 wherein the latch is connected with the carrier for pivoting relative thereto about a latch axis and wherein the carrier is tipped relative to the latch to discharge the contents of a bin, when supported on the carrier.

20. A vehicle according to Claim 19 having two independent latches for cooperation with a common retainer.

21. A vehicle according to any one of Claims 18 to 20 wherein the retainer is movable from the retaining position to the releasing position by a force derived from the action of gravity on the carrier.

22. A vehicle according to any one of Claims 18 to 21 further comprising a spring arranged for moving the retainer to the retaining position.

23. A method of raising and tipping a bin wherein a carrier is engaged with the bin in a manner to support the bin, the carrier is raised along a predetermined path, movement of an element of the carrier along said path is interupted by engagement of the element with an abutment and movement of a further part of the carrier and of the bin are continued so that the carrier and the bin are forced to tip relative to the abutment.

24. A collection vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

25. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein or in the accompanying drawing.