GB2360511A

GB2360511A - Self emptying container

Info

Publication number: GB2360511A
Application number: GB0006784A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alexander Brian Sellers; Alan Kennedy
Original assignee: SELLERS ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: SELLERS ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 2000-03-22
Filing date: 2000-03-22
Publication date: 2001-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 2020-03-22
Also published as: GB2360511B; GB0006784D0

Abstract

A self emptying container comprises a hopper (11) mounted on a base (12). The hopper (10) is tiltable between a loading position and an emptying position. The base (12) comprises a latch member (21) having at one end, a spring loaded hooked latch (15) which serves to retain the hopper (11) in its loading position. The opposing end of the latch member (21) is pivotally mounted to a pressure actuated latch release mechanism which extends through the base (12) from beyond the front thereof to almost the rear thereof. When the front end (17) of the actuator mechanism is laterally abutted against the side (18) of a skip, the applied pressure pivots the latch member (21) thereby releasing the hopper (11) from the hooked latch (15) allowing it to tilt into the emptying position.

Description

2360511 Self-emptying container:

This invention relates to self-emptying containers which are used in industry for a variety of purposes from simple rubbish collection to the collection of material in bulk, such as waste paper, scrap metal, broken glass etc., which is usually taken by a fork lift truck or trolley for further processing.

A known type of container is a self dumping hopper which is mounted on a base so as to be pivotal between a normal upwardly open loading position and a tipped forward emptying position. The hopper has a bottom wall, which in the normal disposition of the hopper angles upwards and forwards. Therefore when the hopper is loaded it tends to over balance and tip forward. It is however, restrained by a latch which requires manual release. When the latch is released the hopper tips forward usually onto curved edges which roll along the base, into an emptying position. After emptying its contents it returns by gravity to its normal position.

A disadvantage of these containers is that the manually operated latch is often beyond the reach of the driver of the trolley or fork lift truck which is carrying the container. The driver therefore has to waste time by leaving the driving seat and often cannot reach the level of the container when it is elevated.

-2European patent specification no. EP 0 257 925 describes a self emptying container of the above type in which the latch is released by pressure applied to an elongate bar which projects below the base of the container. Therefore, when the container is positioned over, and lowered onto, the side edge of a skip in which its contents are to be dumped, pressure is applied to the elongate bar and the latch is released causing the container to tip and empty its contents into the skip. To allow clearance for the pressure actuatable bar when the container is not being emptied and is Just standing on the floor, a number of spaced apart feet are provided on the base of the container.

Such a container has to be positioned over the edge of the skip to allow emptying. In the case of a narrow skip this can sometimes result in the contents of the container emptying out over the opposite side of the skip, leading to extra labour to tidy up the spillage. In addition to this, it is unsuitable for use in areas of restricted height because of the requirement to raise the container to a sufficient height in order to lower it onto the side of a skip.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved self-emptying container which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a container comprising a hopper which is mounted on a base so as to be tiltable between a loading position and an emptying position, a latch mechanism including a latch member which is biassed to retain the hopper in its loading position and a pressure actuated release mechanism operable to release the latch member thereby allowing the hopper to move to its emptying position, characterised in that -3the pressure actuated release mechanism comprises an actuator member which extends beyond a front end of the base and is actuated by the application of a substantially lateral pressure.

In use, the container is tilted forward and manoeuvred into a position where the actuator member, which extends beyond the front end of the base, laterally abuts the substantially vertical side of a skip, thereby applying pressure to the actuator member and releasing the latch allowing the hopper to move into its emptying position.

Because the actuator member extends beyond the front of the base, the container can empty its contents from a position adjacent to, as opposed to over, the skip. Thereby reducing spillage of the contents over the opposing side of the skip, even if the skip is narrow. In addition to this, the elimination of the need to lift the container to a height so that it straddles over the side of the skip, allows the invention to be used where working height is limited and would prevent the use of other self-emptying containers.

The latch member is preferably hook shaped and biassed, using resilient means, so as to engage a latch pin which retains the hopper in its loading position and requires an opposing force, greater than the resistance of the resilient means, to disengage the latch member from the latch pin. The latch member preferably has a bevelled edge so that the latch pin is able to ride over, and engage the latch member hook on the return of the hopper to its loading position. In this respect, the latch pin will usually be provided on the hopper, the latch member on the base, but in some embodiments the position of these could be reversed.

-4A bumper, or a plurality of bumpers, may be attached to the extremity of the actuator member which extends beyond the front of the base, and used to facilitate the abutment of the actuator member against to the side of the skip.

The lateral pressure resulting from the abutment of the actuator member against the side of the skip is preferably transmitted to the latch member through a linkage. In this respect a pin provided on the latch member may be in slidable cooperation with a slot provided in the linkage.

Resilient means can be used to bias the actuator member to a position projecting beyond the front end of the base. This resilient means can also act to dampen the force which facilitates the operation of the latch member.

The latch member is preferably pivotally mounted onto the base so that the applied force, transmitted from the linkage to the latch member, results in the latch member pivoting so as to disengage from the latch pin, allowing the hopper to move to its emptying position, As is conventional, the hopper will usually have a bottom wall which, in its normal disposition, angles upwards and forwards. When the hopper is loaded and the container is tilted forward, the centre of gravity shifts forward and results in the hopper tending to tip into an emptying position. Once the hopper is empty and the container is tilted back to a substantially horizontal plane the centre of gravity shifts backwards, resulting in the hopper returning to its loading position.

-5In preferred embodiments, the hopper will be constructed so as to move from its loading position to its empting position and back again by virtue of a curved surface which projects from below the hopper rolling along the base of the container. Preferably the curved surface is provided by the curved edges of two plates which each project from opposing sides of the hopper.

Preferably the hopper is guided in its movement between the loading and emptying positions by at least one guide pin, located on the side of the hopper and in slidable cooperation with a slot which is located in a substantially upright plate which extends from the base. Conveniently respective substantially upright plates are located on opposing sides of the base.

For case of manoeuverability and emptying of the container the base is adapted so that the container can be lifted and moved by mechanical lift apparatus, such as a fork lift truck.

The present invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a self emptying container according to the present invention in a loading position., Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the self emptying container shown in Figure 1; Figures 3 to 5 are reduced scale views of the self emptying container shown in Figure 1, showing it in a sequence of stages of its emptying operation; -6Figure 6 is an enlarged elevation of the actuator and latch mechanisms of the self emptying container shown in the preceding figures; Figure 7 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 6; and Figure 8 is an enlarged elevation of the latch member retaining means shown at A in Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings a preferred practical embodiment (10) of the container of the invention comprises a hopper (11) mounted on a base (12) to be pivotal, in constant plane, between a normal loading position as shown in Figures 1 and 3 and a tipped forward emptying position, as shown in Figure 5. The hopper (11) has a bottom wall (13) which, in the normal disposition of the hopper, angles upwards and forwards. The hopper (11) also has a pair of plates (14), located on opposing sides of the hopper, which have curved edges (32) on which the hopper rolls along the base (12) as it tips between the loading and emptying positions.

The base (12) is adapted so as to allow mechanical lifting of the container, for example by fork lift truck. A pair of boxed channels (3 1) are provided and are suitably sized and spaced apart to accommodate the tines of a fork lift truck, as shown in Figure 2. A pair of retaining pins (39) are provided and stored in holders (40) attached to a pair of retaining plates (42). A retaining plate (42) extends from the rear of each side of the base (12) and is formed with a hole (41) for accepting a retaining pin (39). In use, the retaining pins (39) are withdrawn from the holders (40) and inserted through the holes (41) to project behind the heel of the fork tine, preventing the container (10) from moving forward when the tines are inclined.

When the hopper (11) requires emptying, the container is tilted forwards causing a shift in the hoppers (11) centre of gravity tending to make it tip forward to the emptying position, as shown in Figure 5. When empty, the container (10) is tilted back to a substantially horizontal position causing a shift in the hoppers (11) centre of gravity tending to make it tip back to its loading position as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

A latch member (21) is pivotally mounted to the base (12) via pin (23). It has a hooked latch portion (15) at its free end. A latch pin (24), mounted on the hopper (11) by a bracket (25), is engaged by the hooked latch (15) to lock the hopper (11) in its loading position, so that it cannot tip forward when filled, until the latch pin (24) is released.

Figure 8 shows a spring (26) attached to a retaining member (28) which extends substantially upright from the base (12). The opposing end of the spring (26) is attached to the latch member (2 1) through an eye (27), and provides means for biassing the latch member (2 1) to a position where the hook (15) engages the latch pin (24) in a locked position.

Figures 1, 6 and 7 show a pressure actuated latch release mechanism (16) which comprises an elongate actuator member (19) which extends through the base (12) from beyond the front thereof almost to the rear thereof A pair of bumpers are mounted onto the front of the member (19). The rear end of the actuator member (19) is connected to a pair of L-shaped linkages (29). A pin (22) rigidly connects the linkages, and extends through, in slidable cooperation, a slot formed in the latch member (21).

-8The actuator member (19) is biassed to extend beyond the front end of the base (12) by a spring (33) which is positioned between flanges (34), (35). The spring (33) also acts to dampen the force which is applied to the actuator member (19) via the bumpers (17). The front flange (34) is attached to the actuator member (19), its rear face abutting one end of the spring (33). The rear flange (35) is not attached to the actuator member (19). Its front face abuts the opposing end of the spring while its rear face abuts a cross member (43).

In use, the front flange (34) moves relative to the actuator member (19). The rear flange (35) is retained in position by its abutment against the cross member (43). When pressure is applied to the actuator member (19) the front flange (3 4) applies the pressure to the spring (3 3) which is compressed against the rear flange (3 5) to provide the bias.

When, in use, pressure is applied to the actuator member (19), by the abutment of the bumpers (17) against the side of a skip (18), the bias of the respective springs (33) (26) is overcome and the force is transmitted through the actuator member (19) to the linkages (29). The linkage pin (22) pivots the latch member (21) about the pin (23). If the applied force is sufficient, the pivotal motion of the latch member (2 1) releases it from the latch pin (24) allowing the hopper (11) to move from its loading position into its empting position, as shown in Figures 3 to 5.

A guide pin (3 6) extends below the hopper (13), between and beyond the plates (14). At its extremities, the guide pin (36) extends through and is in slidable cooperation with respective guide slots (37), which are provided in respective guide plates (38) mounted at each side of the base (12).

As the hopper (11) moves from its loading position to its emptying position and back to its loading position, it is guided by the guide pin (36) moving in slidable cooperation with the guide slots (37), so that the hopper moves along a substantially straight alignment between its loading and emptying positions.

A manually operable handle (30) is located on the latch member (21) and extends from the rear of the latch member (2 1) outwards and upwards to the rear of the container (10). The manually operable handle (30) is used to directly release the latch pin (24) from the hooked latch (15) on occasions when the pressure activated latch release mechanism (16) is unsuitable or is prevented from being used.

The handle (30) is pulled back and down, to overcome the resistance provided by the spring (26). This causes the pin (22) to travel along the latch member slot (20) to release the latch pin (24) from the hooked latch (15) The foregoing is illustrative and not limitative of the scope of the invention. Many variations in design detail are possible compared to this illustrated embodiment.

Claims

CLAIMS (1) A container comprising a hopper which is mounted on a base so

as to be tiltable between a loading position and an emptying position, a latch member which is biassed to retain the hopper in its loading position and a pressure actuated release mechanism operable to release the latch member thereby allowing the hopper to move to its emptying position, characterised in that the pressure actuated release mechanism comprises an actuator member which extends beyond a front end of the base and is actuated by the application of a substantially lateral pressure.

(2) A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein in that the latch member has a hooked end to engage a latch pin.

(3) A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the latch member is biassed by resilient means to a position to engage the latch pin.

(4) A container as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the latch member has a bevelled edge.

(5) A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the latch member is pivotally mounted to the base.

(6) A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the latch member is provided with a lever for manual release of the latch.

(7) A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the actuator member extends from beyond the front end of the base to a linkage, located at the rear of the base, for cooperation with the latch member.

(8) A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the linkage provides a pin for slidable cooperation with a slot, located on the latch member.

(9) A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the actuator member is biassed by resilient means to project beyond the front end of the base.

(10) A container as claimed in claims 1 to 8, wherein the actuator member incorporates resilient means to dampen the pressure applied to the latch member.

(11) A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the actuator member comprises at least one bumper mounted to its front end.

(12) A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hopper is guided, when moving between its loading position and its emptying position, by at least one guide pin in slidable cooperation with at least one slot.

(13) A container as claimed in claim 12, wherein the guide pin is located on the hopper and the guide slot is located in a substantially upright plate which extends from the base.

(14) A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base is adapted so the container can be lifted and moved by mechanical lift apparatus.

(15) A container as claimed in claim 14, wherein the base is adapted by incorporating at least one hollow sectional element which is accessible from the rear of the base.

(16) A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.