GB2265880A

GB2265880A - Waste container

Info

Publication number: GB2265880A
Application number: GB9309593A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Clement Lyon
Original assignee: Mjl Welding & Fabrication Limi
Current assignee: Mjl Welding & Fabrication Limi
Priority date: 1992-09-04
Filing date: 1993-05-10
Publication date: 1993-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-10
Also published as: GB2265880B; GB9309593D0

Abstract

A waste container includes a container body having a pair of opposed side walls, an elongate side pocket 20 located on the exterior of each of said opposed side walls for receiving a lifting arm 14, each pocket being open ended to define an insertion opening to enable the associated lifting arm to be slidably inserted into the pocket, the length of the pocket and its location on the side wall being such that the pocket extends along substantially the entire length of the associated lifting arm when fully inserted into the pocket. Preferably the arm is insertable from either end of the pocket and the pocket has an internal opening 40 for receiving a locking nose 15 on the arm 14. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a waste container and in particular a waste container for use with a front or rear end loading waste container vehicle.

A conventional front end loading waste container vehicle has a lifting frame attached to the vehicle which includes a pair of lifting arms which slidably engage into side pockets formed on the sides of a waste container. In conventional waste containers the side pockets are of a standard length, 660 mm, and are positioned inboard from the front of the container.

To empty a container into the vehicle, the vehicle is advanced towards the container with the lifting arms in a lower position so that the arms slidably enter into the side pockets. When fully inserted the lifting arms usually project through the side pockets and are then raised to engage the upper wall of the side pockets and thereby enable the container to be raised and tipped for emptying its contents into the vehicle.

After several emptying operations, the lifting arms tend to scratch the side surface of the container during insertion and removal from the side pockets. Generally such containers are made of steel and are painted.

Accordingly scratching of the side surfaces of the container causes removal of the paint and leads to localised corrosion of the metal. This renders the appearance of the container unsightly and is undesirable.

A general aim of the present invention is to provide a waste container of the type having side pockets for receiving the lifting arms of a front end or rear end loading vehicle which avoids or substantially reduces the above drawback.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a waste container including a container body having a pair of opposed side walls, an elongate side pocket located on the exterior of each of said opposed side walls for receiving a lifting arm, each pocket being open ended at one end to define an insertion opening to enable the associated lifting arm to be slidably inserted into the pocket, the length of the pocket and its location on the side wall being such that the pocket extends along substantially the entire length of the associated lifting arm when fully inserted into the pocket.

Preferably the length of the pocket is such that the pocket extends beyond the terminal end of the associated lifting arm when fully inserted into the pocket.

Preferably each pocket is located on its respective side wall such that its insertion opening is at or closely adjacent to a side edge of the associated side wall.

Preferably the pocket is provided with an internal opening for accommodating a locking nose provided on the lifting arm.

Various aspects of the present invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a front end loading vehicle shown lifting a container according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a front view of the container shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a more detailed perspective view of a side wall and side pocket of the container shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged part side view of a container according to a further embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 6 is a full side view of the container shown in Figure 5.

In Figure 1, there is shown a waste container emptying vehicle 10 having a container lifting frame 12 located at the front end loading vehicle.

The lifting frame 12 is conventional and includes a pair of lifting arms 14 (only one of which is visible in Figure 1) for engaging a waste container 16. The arms 14 are spaced apart to enable the arms 14 to be advanced when in the lower position LP to embrace either side of the waste container 16.

The container 16 includes a container body 18 of box-like form having opposed side walls 19 (only one of which is visible in Figure 1) and a front wall 21. A lifting arm receiving pocket 20 is located on the exterior of each side wall 19 so as to receive respective lifting arms 14 on advancement of the vehicle 10.

In Figure 1, at position l.P, the arms t4 are shown as being fully inserted into the respective pockets 20. The frame 12 is then raised to its upper position UP whereat the arms 20 are then pivoted by a ram 22 to tip the contents of the waste container 16 into the vehicle container 24.

As seen more clearly in Figure 4, each side pocket 20 is preferably formed from a U-shaped member 30 having an upper wall 31, a lower wall 32 and an intermediate sidewall 33. The member 30 is secured to the associated sidewall 19 so that together with the associated sidewall 19 it forms an elongate tunnel for reception of the respective lifting arm 14.

The member 30 has an open end 36 which defines an insertion opening for the lifting arm 14.

The opposite end 36 of the member 30 is shown open ended but, if desired, this may be closed by a plate.

The upper wall 31 is provided with an opening 40 to enable a projecting locking nose 15 formed on the lifting arm 14 to pass therethrough. The opening 40 is bounded on one side by a wall 41 which the nose 15 can engage during the emptying process to prevent the associated arm 14 retracting out of the pocket 20.

Preferably elongate members 60,61 are provided for covering the upper wall 31 and lower wall 32 respectively and extend the full length of member 30.

Strengthening plates 62 are preferably included between member 60, the upper wall 31 and sidewall 19 in order to provide added strength to member 30 for accommodating loads applied by the lifting arms 14 during the emptying process.

Preferably, as shown in Figure 4, a rigid elongate support member 70 may be provided above the member 30 with the member 60 being secured between members 70 and 30. Such an arrangement provides additional load bearing support for an arm 14.

A wear plate 75 is preferably provided on the front wall 21 to provide wear protection and additional strength against impacts/abrasion from the lifting frame 12 during the emptying process.

In accordance with the present invention, the length of the pocket 20 and its position on the container body 18 is such that when the arms 114 are fully inserted into the pockets for lifting of the container, the pocket projects beyond the termInal end of the respective lifting arm 14 Preferably as seen in Figures 1,2 and 4 the insertion opening is located at side edge 24 of the side wall 19 which is joined to the front wall 21. It will be appreciated however that it may be located slightly inboard of the side edge 24 so as to be adjacent thereto.

Accordingly any scratches on the exterior of the container body side walls 19 caused by an arm 14 during insertion and retraction of the arm 14 into a respective pocket 20 are located within the confines of the pocket 20 and are hidden from view by the member 30.

In addition, if the opening 40 is located internally of the pocket by for example, being covered by member 60, then any scratches on wall 19 caused by raising of the nose into the opening 40 are hidden from view by member 60.

In this respect it is envisaged that member 60 may need not extend along member 30 for its entire length but can be of sufficient length to enclose the opening 40 only.

In addition to the scratches being hidden from view, due to the imperforate nature of walls 33 and 60 the pocket 20 also defines a weather shield and so reduces the exposure of the scratched areas of the container to rain water.

Provision of a long pocket enables the entire length of the lifting arm to be used for raising a container and thereby provides greater stability of the container during the emptying process.

Preferably the container body 18 and members 30,60,61 and 70 are formed of steel and are joined to one another by welding.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 the container 16 may have a lid 80 and may be provided with wheels 81.

A further embodiment 100 is illustrated in Figure 5 wherein the same reference numerals have been adopted to indicate the same parts described in relation to the embodiment of Figures 2 to 4.

Embodiment 100 has side pockets 120 which extend across the entire width of the respective side wall 19. Each side pocket 120 has an insertion opening at each end to thereby enable the arms 14 to be inserted from either the front or rear end of the container.

Preferably the pocket 120 has a single internal opening 40 for accommodating the nose 15 of the lifting arm irrespective of which end opening of the pocket 120 it is inserted through. It will be appreciated however, that separate openings 40 may be provided for accommodating the nose 15 when inserted through different end openings.

The container of embodiment 100 possesses a pair of lids 180 hingeably secured to the front and rear walls 21,21' of the container by hinge connections 181. The front and rear walls 21,21' preferably have inwardly inclined upper portions 121 which assist emptying of the contents of the container when tipped.

It is therefore possible with the embodiment 100 for the container to be engaged and tipped for emptying by the vehicle approaching either the front or rear of the container.

It will be appreciated that the container of the present invention may also be used with rear end loading vehicles wherein the lifting frame 12 is located at the rear of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A waste container a waste container including a container body having a pair of opposed side walls, an elongate side pocket located on the exterior of each of said opposed side walls for receiving a lifting arm, each pocket being open ended at one end to define an insertion opening to enable the associated lifting arm to be slidably inserted into the pocket, the length of the pocket and its location on the side wall being such that the pocket extends along substantially the entire length of the associated lifting arm when fully inserted into the pocket.

2. A waste container according to claim 1 wherein the length of the pocket is such that the pocket extends beyond the terminal end of the associated lifting arm when fully inserted into the pocket.

3. A waste container according to claim 1 or 2 wherein each pocket is located on its respective side wall such that its insertion opening is at or closely adjacent to a side edge of the associated side wall.

4. A waste container according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the pocket is provided with an internal opening for accommodating a locking nose provided on the lifting arm.

5. A waste container according to any preceding claim wherein the pocket extends the full width of its respective side wall such that the lifting arm may be inserted from one or other end of the pocket for raising of the container.

6. A waste container according to any preceding claim wherein each pocket is formed from an elongate member of V-shaped cross-section secured to its respective side wall to define a tunnel having an upper and a lower wall.

7. A waste container according to claim 6 wherein said opening is formed in said upper wall.

8. A waste container according to claim 7 wherein the upper wall is covered by an elongate plate member which extends across said opening.

9. A waste container according to any preceding claim wherein the length of each pocket exceeds 660 mm.

10. A waste container substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any of Figures 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A waste container including a container body having a pair of opposed side walls and opposed front and rear walls, lifting arm accommodating pockets located on the side walls to enable insertion of a lifting arm from either the front or rear of the container for lifting and tipping of the container.