GB2282123A - Gripping mechanism for handling a waste container - Google Patents

Abstract

A gripping mechanism for handling a waste container (8) comprises a support frame (15, Fig. 4); upwardly directed engagement means (18) carried by the support frame (15) and adapted to engage a recess of the container (8); means (1a) also carried by the support frame (15) to displace the engagement means (18) upwardly into an engagement position; abutment means (32) mounted on the support frame (15); and means (19, 19B, 22A, 19A, 22, 20, 21) to displace the engagement means (18) and/or engaged container beneath the abutment means (32) into a trapping position. Once a stop crank (21) hits a find stop (20) further movement of a link arm (22a), by cylinder (19) extension, causes the engagement means (18) to lift the container into a trapping position with abutment (32). Preferably the engagement means comprise teeth (18). <IMAGE>

Description

GRIPPING MECHANISM FOR HANDLING A WASTE CONTAINER The invention is concerned with a gripping mechanism for handling of a waste container such as Eurobins (Trade Mark), Wheelibins, etc.

In order to collect the waste from these containers, it is usual to employ a suitably equipped vehicle to carry out a "milk round, i.e. go to each container, lift it, tip it into the vehicle itself and return the empty container to its location. Current equipment uses, in addition to pivots, trolleys restricted in their movement by wheels constrained by rails or channels.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a gripping mechanism for handling a waste container comprising: (a) a support frame; (b) upwardly directed engagement means carried by the support frame and adapted to engage a recess of the container; (c) means also carried by the support frame to displace the engagement means upwardly into an engagement position; (d) abutment means mounted on the support frame; and (e) means to displace the engagement means and/or engaged container beneath the abutment means into a trapping position.

In my co-pending Patent Application number 9226402.7 (2262730) is described and claimed equipment for the handling of waste containers.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a truck in accordance with the second aspect provided with a gripping mechanism for handling a waste container; Figure 2 is a plan view of the handling cycle for a container, using the truck etc. of Figure 1, Figure 3 details the mechanism of the third aspect; and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the gripping mechanism.

In the example of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, the truck illustrated is provided with container handling equipment 10 at the front of a container box 5, that is, in a space which cannot normally be used for payloads, immediately behind the cab 1, where it is necessary to leave access to parts of the vehicle such as the gear change mechanism.

The equipment 10 is powered, in this example, by hydraulics derived from the truck power-take-off at the gearbox, with box tipping gearing 6.

The hydraulics are then used to power the motions required to handle the container, i.e.: 1. gripping the container 8 2. lifting it to above loading opening 4 in the vehicle box 5 3. tilting the container 8 so as to discharge it 4. returning the container 8 to the ground and releasing it.

A container handling mechanism 10 comprises a lifting arm 9 and pivotally supported on pivot pin 12 in turn supported from the chassis 2 near the centre line 11 of the truck, the pivot 12 being parallel to the centre line 11.

The arm 9 can be positioned either towards the left or the right of the truck. In the example illustrated the arm 9, and therefore the loading operations, will be carried out on the passenger side (i.e. the kerbside) of a right hand drive truck. Attached to the outer end of the arm 9, and running alongside the truck, is a transverse arm in the form of cantilever arm 13 to which is attached, coaxially, a rotary means in the form of a pivotal shaft 14. Affixed to this shaft 14 and, in its start and finishing positions, vertical to the ground is a container gripping mechanism in accordance with the invention in the form of a cantilever arm frame 15 which helps to support the container 8 when lifting and also carries the container gripping mechanism 16 which grips the container and under its upper rim 17 (Figure 3).A support frame 16 of the gripping mechanism comprises a series of upwardly directed rim engagement means in the form of hydraulically-powered inline plates 18 which, when made to rotate by hydraulic cylinders 19 (pivoted at 19B to link arm 22A) about pivot shaft 19A, can engage under the rim 17 and just lifts the container 8 and clamps it. The rotating movement of the plates 18 is limited by a rear stop 20 mounted on a pair of link arms 21 which carry the pivot shaft 19A which in turn carry the pivoting plates 18 via arm 22A.After the stop crank 22 reaches its rear stop 20, any additional extension by the cylinder 19 will cause the link arm 21 to rotate clockwise from the full line position illustrated in Figure 3 to the chain-dotted position, so as to impart a small horizontal movement (to the right) of the container 8 thus bringing it positively beneath abutment 32 of the gripping mechanism 16 and so holding it firmly.

Above the lifting arm 9 is a second pivoted arm 23, which forms part of the lid 33 which closes the top of the truck box 5. A hydraulic cylinder 25 is made to push this arm 23, and therefore the lid 33, upwards.

A connecting link 26 between the lid arm 23 and the lift arm 9 causes the lift arm 9 to lift also and at the end of its lifting movement the cantilever arm 13 which carries the frame 15 which carries the gripping means 16 and the container 8 is positioned just above the opening 4.

In this example the pivotal shaft 14 is connected to a pinion 27 at the lift arm end. A rack 28, coaxially mounted to the lift arm 9, and operated by a hydraulic cylinder 29, is engaged in the pinion 27 and when the hydraulic cylinder 29 is stroked, rotary motion is imparted to the pivotal shaft 14, gripping means 16 and container 8. A hydraulic cylinder acting on a crank could be used instead.

Thus, the container 8 is made to rotate sufficiently to discharge its contents. In order to achieve this, however, the container lid 24 must be opened and as this rotating motion commences, two stubs 7, which are mounted either side of the container lid 24, are prevented from rotating in a similar manner to the container 8 by two striker arms 30, one each side of the container 8. Thus, as the container 8 continues to revolve, the container lid 24 is prevented from doing so and therefore pivots about its lid pivot 31 on the container 8 and the container is opened.

The action of opening the container 8 is therefore a gradual one and not an abrupt one which would be the case if the lid opening stubs 7 came up to a sudden stop.

The whole of the cantilever arm assembly 13-16, when not in use, can be parked within the truck width 32 in the normally clear space available below the tipping truck box 5 and to the side of the vehicle chassis frame 2.

In addition to the equipment being able to be mounted either side of the vehicle, it could also be mounted at the rear. But in such a case, a small amount of payload space would be lost.

The tipping truck box 5 which carries the equipment can be tipped in the normal way i.e. with the body tipping gear 6 of a tipping truck and is thus able to discharge its load at the rear.

By incorporating front and rear tipping pivots which can be removed in turn, for example by means of a doubleacting hydraulic cylinder, the truck box 5 could also be tipped forward. This would enable the load to be packed to the front portion of the box, essential in the case of rearloading of a particularly long truck box.

With the advent of the increasing need to recycle material, particularly glass, plastics, paper, rags etc., the need for a multi-compartment collection vehicle becomes apparent.

This invention would be ideally suited to feed into two compartments by combining it with a method to deflect selected loads from one chamber to another or by moving the gripping and loading assembly from one position to another.

The cantilever arm could be replaced by a crossbeam which would be attached at each end to the ends of two pivotal arms located one each side of the vehicle at the rear.

If the vehicle body is divided longitudinally into two compartments, the container e.g. waste bin can be discharged into one of the two chambers simply by shuttling the gripping and tipping assembly across the crossbeam.

If this twin compartment system is then combined with an arrangement at the forward end of the truck container comprises of the cantilever arm system, combined with a movable deflection plate also feeding into two chambers, a four-compartment collection system would be achieved.

Discharging would be by tipping the vehicle body rearwards and firstly individually discharging the two rear chambers followed by the two front ones via the two empty rear ones.

Claims (8)

1. A gripping mechanism for handling a waste container comprising: - (a) a support frame; (b) upwardly directed engagement means carried by the support frame and adapted to engage a recess of the container; (c) means also carried by the support frame to displace the engagement means upwardly into an engagement position; (d) abutment means mounted on the support frame; and (e) means to displace the engagement means and/or engaged container beneath the abutment means into a trapping position.

2. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 1, comprising a main frame attached to the means attached to the cantilever arm, and power means to displace engagement means into engagement with a container.

3. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the power means comprises a ram.

4. A mechanism as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the engagement means comprises a pair of upwardly directed claws.

5. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the claws are carried on a sub-frame attached to the main frame.

6. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the sub-frame is pivotally attached to the main frame.

7. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein claws are carried on lever arms attached to the subframe with a displacement ram extending between the lever arm and the main frame.

8. A mechanism as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.