GB2077695A - Bin raising and tipping mechanisms - Google Patents

Abstract

A refuse collecting vehicle has a bin carrier (10) for lifting and tipping bins (B) to discharge their contents through an opening into a loading hopper (2). The bin carrier beam 12 is mounted by arms 14 on pivots (16) above the bottom of the opening but has an inoperative position in which it is disposed below the opening over at least a part of the width of the opening to allow free access for the manual discharge of bins. A further bin carrier for an alternative form of bin can be provided with an inoperative stowed position above the hopper opening such that either carrier can be employed, according to the bin to be tipped, or both can be stowed so as not to obstruct manual loading of the vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bin raising and tipping mechanisms This invention relates to refuse collecting vehicles provided with raising and tipping mechanisms for emptying containers such as refuse bins, hereinafter referred to simply as bins, into a receiving space within the vehicle.

Such mechanisms have not fully replaced manual loading methods, but they are necessary when very large bins are used. A problem can arise, however, in making a vehicle which is suitable for mixed operation, i.e. to provide a lifting and tipping mechanism which can operate with larger bins but which will allow adequate access to the receiving space when other bins are to be tipped manually, because if the mechanism causes any obstruction at all it will considerably increase the effort needed to load the vehicle manually.

There is only a limited freedom to modify the design to avoid this difficulty, however, since these loading and tipping mechanisms are intended to deal with standard forms of bin and already have many parameters of their form and disposition predetermined. An example is the mechanism required to handle DIN 30 700 bins, which comprises a pivoting arrangement having a pair of support arms which must be at a predetermined height to locate on spigots at the sides of the bin when it is brought up to the vehicle. The necessary height of the arms and their pivots is such that it would require considerable effort to lift bins manually over that level whilst standing on the ground in order to load the vehicle.

According to the present invention, there is provided a refuse collecting vehicle having a loading region provided with an entry opening adjacent which there is a bin carrier that is arranged to lift and tip bins to discharge their contents into the vehicle through said opening, pivot support means for the carrier being disposed above the bottom of the loading opening and at spaced positions laterally of the openingcoveniently adjacent opposite sides-and the carrier comprising a bin support arrangement mounted on said pivot support means and having an inoperative position in which it is arranged to be disposed below the loading opening over at least a part of the width of the opening.

An additional problem that arises with tipping mechanisms is that, because they are designed for a particular standard bin it is extremely difficult for the user to change over to another bin type without considerable disruption. Unless all the bins within the rounds of the vehicle are changed at the same time, it becomes necessary to make separate rounds in the same area in order to deal with the different types of bin. In the case of smaller bins that can be manually tipped, of course, the present invention provides the possibility of this alternative as a temporary expedient, but if the bins are too large to be lifted manually and during the changeover the two types, possibly of a similar large size, exist side-by-side, it can be seen that there will be much wasteful duplication of effort.

According to a preferred form of the invention, there is provided a refuse collecting vehicle having a loading region provided with an entry opening adjacent which there are disposed alternative first and second bin carriers arranged to lift and tip respective different types of bins to discharge their contents into the vehicle, the first bin carrier being provided with pivot support means disposed above the bottom of the loading opening and at spaced positions laterally of the opening, and said first carrier comprising a bin support arrangement mounted on said pivot support means and having an inoperative position in which it is arranged to be disposed below the loading opening over at least a part of the width of the opening, and the said second bin carrier being arranged on a mounting that is displaceable between a raised inoperative position clear of at least the lower region of said opening and the zone of operation of said first carrier, and a lowered operative position in which it can be used in place of said first carrier.

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figures 1 and 2 are side and rear views of the rear part of a refuse collecting vehicle according to the invention having rear loading means, in Fig. 1 the bin carrier of the loading means and associated bin being shown in both the lowered and fully tipped positions, and Figures 3 and 4 are outline illustrations of another vehicle according to the invention in two alternative operative states.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the refuse collecting vehicle has a receiving hopper 2 with a loading opening 4 at its rear face. A known form of packing mechanism (not shown) transfers the refuse from the hopper to a main load-carrying compartment (not shown) of the vehicle. Smaller bins can be manually emptied through the loading opening into the hopper and there is also a powered lifting and tipping mechanism for larger bins (illustrated in Fig. 1) of the standard DIN 30 700 type of 1.1 cbm capacity.

The mechanism comprises a carrier generally in the form of a rigid U-frame 10 that extends the entire width of the hopper opening and has at the ends of a horizontal main beam 1 2 two upright arms 14 through which the U-frame is pivotally mounted in coaxial brackets 1 6 at the sides of the hopper. Folding support arms 1 8 are mounted on pivot joints 20 on the main beam to be displaceable between the operative psoition shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and a retracted position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2 where they are folded pat against the beam 1 2.

The carrier is powered by a hydraulic ram 22 connected between the beam 1 2 and a fixed bracket 24 on the vehicle chassis, and the frame 10 functions in the manner of a crank for the pivoting movement of the support arms about the pivot brackets 16. A standard bin B is wheeled up to the vehicle and located between the extended arms 1 8 of the carrier, whereby engagement spigots 26 on opposite sides of the bin are located immediately adjacent the openings 28 in the hooked ends 30 of the arms. As the ram begins to extend, the hooked ends engage the spigots 26 and the support arms begin to lift the bin. As soon as steadying buffers 32, rigidly fixed to the beam 12, make contact with it, the bin begins to tilt as it is lifted.

During this movement the bin comes into the zone of action of a lid-displacement device 40 of the lifting and tipping mechanism for opening the bin.

This device comprises a bar 42 mounted on coaxial pivots 44 at opposite sides of the hopper opening 4 and some 2 meters above ground level so that it too does not obstruct the hopper opening. Two engagement arms 46 are fixed to the bar 42 to project rearwards from it and these are normally supported in the horizontal position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 by struts 48 fixed to the sides of the hopper to engage shorter arms 50 at the ends of the bar 42. As the bin approaches the device, laterally projecting pins 52 on the bin lid come into engagement with angled jaws 54 on the rear ends of the arms 46 and a force is exerted that begins to slide the lid open on its pivots with the bin body.In the fully tipped position reached when the ram is fully extended, as illustrated in Fig. 1 and lid has been swung back to open the bin interior fully and the arms 46 have been swung upwards on the pivots 44 to accommodate this movement.

Widen the movement of the ram is reversed, the lid is closed and the arms 46 returned by gravity. The bin disengages from the support arms 1 8 as its wheels touch the ground.

When the lifting and tipping mechanism is not being used and the support arms are folded to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2 there is then direct access to the hopper opening for emptying smaller bins manually, with no obstruction of the relatively low loading sill 60. This is achieved by the use of the crank-like bin carrier frame, even though for the relatively large standard bins used in this exemplification of the invention, the pivot centre is necessarily predetermined at a higher level. The arms themselves are pivoted to the bin on inclined axes, so that although when extended their hooked ends are above the level of the beam, they are kept well clear of the hopper sill when folded back.

It may be noted that the necessary lateral spacing between the arms to receive a bin is substantially less than the full width of the hopper, but by using the illustrated U-form carrier frame construction virtually the complete width of the hopper sill is directly accessible when bins are to be emptied manually.

In a modified arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 there is added to the vehicle a second ? lifting and tipping mechanism, which may for example deal with bins of another type than those for which the first mechanism is designed, e.g. having a round top unlike the DIN 30 700 bins. This second unit has a known type of mounting which, as described in our earlier UK patent application 16047/77, is displaceable to lift the bin to a stored position clear of at least the lower region of the hopper opening so that when not in use it will not interfere with the operation of the first lifting and tipping mechanism, and bins can also still be manually emptied despite the presence of both mechanisms.

Fig. 3 shows the lifting and tipping mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2 in a stored position I' and the second lifting and tipping mechanism in the operating position II. The bin carrier of this second mechanism is illustrated both in its lowered state (full lines) and its fully tipped state (broken lines). Fig. 4 shows the second mechanism in the stowed position II', raised above the hopper clear of the zone of action of the first mechanism which is in its operative position I, the bin carrier being shown in both the lowered and fully tipped states (full lines and broken lines respectively). The second lifting and tipping mechanism will not be further described here as its details are illustrated and described in our earlier patent application.

By the provision of this second mechanism, it is possible for a refuse collecting vehicle to deal in its rounds with different types of bin quite independently of each other since the two mechanisms are quite separate, and at the same time still leave the hopper opening clear for manual loading. While the arrangement may be used to provide respective power-operated mechanisms for bins of substantially different capacities, as might be ex- pected to be encountered in a collection round that includes both domestic and commercial users for example, it also can be employed for different bin types of similar capacities as might be expected if a change was planned from one standard bin type to another. In this latter case, by use of the present invention it is possible to avoid the complete re-equipment of the area being serviced with bins of the new standard type: both bin types can continue to be used sideby-side with each other while the earlier type is being gradually replaced by natural wastage.

Claims (9)

1. A refuse collecting vehicle having a loading region provided with an entry opening adjacent which there is a bin carrier that is arranged to lift and tip bins to discharge their contents into the vehicle through said opening, pivot support means for the carrier being disposed above the bottom of the entry opening and at spaced positions laterally of the opening, the carrier comprising a bin support arrangement mounted on said pivot support means and having an inoperative position in which it is arranged to be disposed below the entry opening over at least a part of the width of the opening.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, said pivot frame comprises side arms attached at their upper ends to the pivot support means, and a transverse member extending between said arms below the entry opening.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the bin carrier is driven by a fluid pressure ram connected to the transverse member.

4. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the carrier pivot support means are disposed adjacent opposite sides of the entry opening above the bottom of the opening.

5. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bin support arrangement comprises bin engagement means that extend away from the entry opening to be engageable with opposed lateral regions of a bin and that are collapsible to an inoperative state in which they lie close to the entry opening.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5 wherein the bin engagement means comprise a pair of spaced arms said arms are pivotable on inclined axes to bring their free ends to lowered positions below the entry opening when the engagement means are collapsed.

7. A vehicle according to any one of the receding claims wherein means are provided for displacing a lid of the bin being lifted and tipped to release the contents of the bin, said lid-displacement means extends-between pivots at opposite sides of an upper part of the loading region where it does not obstruct access to the entry opening.

8. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a further bin carrier is provided for lifting and tipping an alternative form of bin, said further carrier having an inoperative position above the hopper opening, the first bin carrier being collapsible to an inoperative position close to the vehicle body and the further bin carrier then being locatable in an operative position overlying the first bin carrier.

9. A refuse collecting vehicle constructed and arranged for use and operation substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.