GB2156775A

GB2156775A - Refuse collection vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2156775A
Application number: GB08409077A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Green
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-04-07
Filing date: 1984-04-07
Publication date: 1985-10-16
Also published as: GB2156775B; GB8409077D0

Abstract

A refuse collection vehicle has a bin carrier (13) for raising bins and tipping the contents thereof into a hopper defined by a body (10) of the vehicle. A movable barrier (15) is provided for blocking a lower part of a loading opening (12) when the bin carrier is raised. When the bin carrier is lowered, the barrier also is lowered automatically to improve access to the loading opening so that loading can be carried out manually. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Collection vehicle This invention relates to a collection vehicle comprising a body defining an opening through which material which is to be collected can be loaded into the vehicle body and a bin-carrier mounted for movement relative to the body between a lowered postion and a raised position to raise a bin from the ground and tip the contents of the bin through said opening into the vehicle body.

Vehicles of the kind described are commonly used for the collection of refuse.

It is desirable that the body of a collection vehicle of the kind described which is used for the collection of refuse, particularly domestic refuse, should be so arranged that refuse can be loaded into the vehicle body manually. To meet this requirement, it is desirable that the lower boundary of the loading opening should be fairly near the ground, preferably not more than one metre above the ground. When refuse is loaded into the vehicle by raising and tipping a bin containing the refuse, particularly a large bin, it is desirable that the lower boundary of the loading opening should be fairly high, otherwise refuse which is tipped from the bin may fall out of the vehicle body through the lower part of the loading opening.In an attempt to resolve the conflict between these requirements, collection vehicles of the kind described have been provided with a barrier hinged to the vehicle body near to the lower boundary of the loading opening so that the barrier can be raised into a position where it blocks the lower part of the loading opening and lowered into a position where it does not obstruct the loading opening.

In practice, it has been found that the hinged barrier does not prevent spillage through the lower part of the loading opening of refuse tipped from a bin into the vehicle body. It is intended by those who have supplied vehicles with the hinged barrier that the barrier should be raised and secured in its raised position prior to lifting of a bin on the bin carrier and tipping of that bin to empty the contents of the bin into the vehicle body, and that the barrier should be lowered before refuse is piaced manually into the vehicle body. For convenience, those who operate vehicles provided with the hinged barrier leave the barrier permanently in its lowered position.

It is an object of the present invention to ensure that a barrier provided for blocking the lower part of the loading opening of a collection vehicle of the kind described will block the lower part of the loading opening when it is necessary for the lower part of that opening to be blocked and will not block the lower part of the loading opening when refuse is being loaded manually into the vehicle body.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a collection vehicle comprising a body defining an opening through which material which is to be collected can be loaded into the body, a bin-carrier mounted for movement relative to the body from a lowered position to a raised position to tip the contents of a bin, when the bin is carried on the carrier, into the body through said opening, a barrier mounted for movement relative to the body between a first position in which the barrier blocks a lower part of the opening to prevent movement of refuse through the lower part of said opening and a second position in which the barrier does not prevent loading of refuse into the vehicle body through the lower part of said opening, and drive means for moving the carrier relative to the body between its lowered and raised positions and for moving the barrier between its first and second positions.

The arrangement may be such that, normally, when the carrier is moved between its lowered position and its raised position, the barrier is automatically moved between its second position and its first position or such that the barrier is necessarily moved between its second position and its first position whenever the carrier is moved between its lowered position and its raised position.

Movement of the barrier and of the carrier are preferably concurrent.

An example of a vehicle embodying the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates diagrammatically a rear part of the vehicle body, a bin-carrier, drive means and a barrier mounted thereon, the carrier being shown in a raised position and the barrier being shown also in a raised position.

The vehicle body 10 may be constructed and arranged in a manner known in refuse collection vehicles. At the rear of the body, there is defined between a roof of the body and,a rave rail 11 a loading opening 12 through which refuse can be introduced into the body. Below the opening 12, the body defines a hopper having a compaction device (not shown) for compacting refuse deposited in the hopper and driving that refuse into a further compartment of the body.

The vehicle includes a bin-carrier 1 3 which is mounted on the body 10 adjacent to the rear end thereof for pivoting about an axis 1 4 which is generally horizontal when the vehicle stands on horizontal ground. The carrier can pivot about the axis 1 4 between a lowered position indicated by a broken iine and a raised position indicated by a full line. The carrier is adapted to receive, when in its lowered position, a bin which stands on the ground behind the vehicle. Movement of the carrier from its lowered position to its raised position carries the bin upwardly and then tips the bin over the opening 1 2 so that the contents of the bin are discharged into the hopper.

There is also provided on the vehicle body a barrier 1 5 for preventing escape of refuse through a lower part of the opening 1 2 during tipping of the contents of a bin into the hopper. It will be understood that the hopper has a limited capacity and that there may be formed in the hopper a heap of refuse which reaches the level of the lower boundary of the opening 1 2. However, the highest part of that heap will lie in a central region of the hopper, not adjacent to side walls of the vehicle body 10.Thus, the barrier 1 5 is effective when in the raised position illustrated in the drawing, to prevent movement of refuse through the opening 12, notwithstanding that there are gaps 1 6 between side walls of the hopper 10 and the barrier 1 5. If required, the barrier could include elements to occupy these gaps.

Alternatively, the side walls of the vehicle 10 could be extended to avoid the gaps 1 6.

The barrier 1 5 is movable relative to the vehicle body 10 from the raised position indicated by full lines in the drawing to a lowered position indicated by broken lines in the drawing, in which the barrier lies substantially below the lower boundary of the opening 1 2 and therefore does not obstruct movement of refuse through the lower part of the opening.

The barrier includes a flanged plate 1 7 mounted for pivoting on the body 10 about a pivot axis 1 8 which is adjacent to one margin of the plate and lies just beneath the lower boundary of the opening 1 2. The barrier further comprises a pair of links 1 9 disposed at opposite sides of the vehicle and connected with the plate 1 7 for pivoting relative thereto about a common pivot axis 20 spaced from the axis 1 8. The links 1 9 are also connected with the bin-carrier 1 3 for pivoting relative thereto about a further common axis 21 which is spaced from the axis 14. The links 1 9 transmit movement from the bin-carrier to the plate 17.

The barrier 1 5 further comprises a second plate 22 which extends between and is secured to the links 1 9. The plate 22 extends substantially to the axis 20 but is spaced significantly from the axis 21 so that the plate 22 does not obstruct any part of the opening 1 2 when the barrier is in its lowered position and the axis 21 is still above the lower boundary of the opening 1 2.

The bin-carrier 1 3 may include a pair of arms 23 which, when engaged with a bin, are arranged with their lengths extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which can be folded to positions in which their lengths extend transversely of the vehicle. It will be noted that, when the barrier 1 5 and the bin-carrier 1 3 are both in their lowered positions, even with the arms 23 folded, the barrier does not project rearwardly from the vehicle body further than does the bin-carrier.

Thus, the barrier does not restrict approach to the rear of the vehicle body by a person wishing to load refuse manually into the body through the lower part of the opening 1 2.

Drive means is provided for moving the bincarrier 1 3 and the barrier 1 5 between their respective lowered and raised positions. In the example illustrated, the drive means includes a pair of piston and cylinder assemblies disposed one at each side of the vehicle, the cylinder of each assembly 24 being pivotally connected with the vehicle body 10 and the piston rod of each assembly being pivotally connected with the bin-carrier for movement relative thereto about a pivot axis 25. Each of the pivot axes hereinbefore mentioned is parallel to the axis 25.

When the units 24 are retracted, the bincarrier 1 3 and the barrier 1 5 are held in their respective lowered positions. When the units are extended, the bin-carrier is pivoted upwardly about the axis 24 and motion is transmitted from the units 24 through the bincarrier to the lins 1 9 of the barrier 1 5 to draw the plates 1 7 and 22 upwardly. It will be noted that movement of the barrier is substantially concurrent with movement of the bincarrier and necessarily accompanies movement of the bin-carrier whenever the bincarrier is pivoted between its lowered and raised positions.

If required, the connection between the links 1 9 and the bin-carrier 1 3 may be releasable so that the barrier can be held stationary whilst the bin-carrier is pivoted.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, 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

1. A collection vehicle comprising a body defining an opening through which material which is to be collected can be loaded into the vehicle body, a bin-carrier mounted for movement relative to the body from a lowered position to a raised position to tip the contents of a bin, when carried on the carrier, into the vehicle body through said opening, a barrier mounted for movement between a first position in which the barrier blocks a lower part of the opening to prevent movement of refuse through said lower part of the opening and a second position in which the barrier does not prevent loading of refuse into the vehicle body through the lower part of said opening, and drive means for moving the carrier relative to the body between its lowered and raised positions and for moving the barrier between its first and second positions.

2. A vehicle according to Claim 1 so arranged that the barrier is necessarily moved between its first and second positions whenever the carrier is moved between its raised and lowered positions.

3. A vehicle according to Claim 2 wherein movement of the barrier and movement of the bin-carrier are substantially concurrent.

4. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein the bin-carrier is arranged for transmitting motion from the drive means to the barrier.

5. A vehicle according to Claim 4 wherein the barrier includes a member pivotally connected with the vehicle body and a link pivotally connected with each of the bin-carrier and said member.

6. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein, when in its second position, the barrier does not protrude rearwardly from the vehicle body as far as does the bin-carrier when in its lowered position.

7. A vehicle according to any preceding claim wherein, when in its second position, the barrier lies at least mainly below said opening.

8. A vehicle according to Claim 7, as appendant to Claim 5, wherein the axis about which said link of the barrier pivots relative to the bin-carrier lies at a position which is above the level of the lower boundary of said opening when the bin-carrier occupies its lowered position and the barrier occupies its second position.

9. A method of preventing spillage of refuse from the lower part of a loading opening when the contents of a bin are tipped through an upper part of the loading opening into a body of a collection vehicle, wherein, during raising and tipping of the bin, a barrier is raised to block the lower part of the loading opening and wherein the barrier is lowered during lowering of the bin.

10. A collection vehicle according to Claim 1 having a barrier arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

11. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawing.