GB2404178A

GB2404178A - Systems and methods for mounting a rave or a bin hoist to a frame on a refuse collection vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2404178A
Application number: GB0316707A
Authority: GB
Inventors: T David Tkocz; Gordon Mclean
Original assignee: HEIL EUROP Ltd
Current assignee: HEIL EUROP Ltd
Priority date: 2003-07-16
Filing date: 2003-07-16
Publication date: 2005-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 2023-07-16
Also published as: GB2404178B; GB0316707D0

Abstract

A frame 24 on a refuse collection vehicle (RCV) 10 is provided with a vertical array of holes 30. The holes are grouped in sets 32 of (N-1) disposed at regular intervals along the height of the frame. The holes in each set are on an X millimetre pitch. A rave 22 is provided with a set of N regularly spaced holes 42 on a Y millimetre pitch, where (N-1)Y = (N-2)X. In accordance with the Vernier principle, the rave 22 can be secured to the frame 24 in (X-Y) millimetre intervals, by aligning a hole 42 on the rave with one of the holes 30 on the frame, and inserting a bolt though the aligned holes 54. An adapter plate 44a, 44b is provided for mounting a bin hoist to the frame 24. The adapter plate may also be provided with sets 48 of holes 46, such that the adapter plate can be secured to the frame 24 in accordance with the Vernier principle. By providing such a rave 22 and adapter plate 44a, 44b, a variety of different bin hoists may be secured to the frame 24 in a simple and flexible manner.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MOUNTING A RAVE TO A

FRAME ON A REFUSE COLLECTION VEHICLE

The invention relates to systems and methods for mounting a rave to a frame on a refuse collection vehicle.

Refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) of the type with which this invention is concerned comprise a chassis on which is mounted a cab and a body. The body, more specifically, comprises a hopper for receiving refuse material, and a mechanism for moving the refuse material from an opening at the rear of the vehicle, where the refuse material is deposited, into the hopper. The loading edge of the hopper is known as the rave.

In order to assist in the deposition of refuse material into the RCV, there is sometimes provided machinery to raise and tip bins into the opening. This machinery is known as a bin hoist. There are many different types of bin hoist.

It is important for the correct operation of any particular bin hoist that the rave is located at a specific height above ground level and that the hoist is secured accurately relative to the rave.

RCVs are provided with a mechanical interface to secure the bin hoist to the body.

This interface generally comprises a fixed frame structure that is bolted or welded to the body and to which the rave is welded in place. DIN standard fixing points are drilled into the fixed frame.

A significant drawback of the above approach is that it can only be carried out once the body has been mounted to the chassis. This is because it is essential first to measure the body and chassis combination to ensure, for example, that the rave is welded and the fixing points are drilled in the correct positions.

Another significant drawback of this approach is that it is difficult to replace one hoist with another of a different design. This is because of the variety of hoist designs and l l their different rave height and mounting requirements. If the rave has been welded and the fixing points have been drilled in accordance with one design, it may be necessary to re- weld the rave and re-drill the fixing points to accommodate the replacement hoist. In some cases, a complete re-structure of the frame is necessary.

One known solution is to provide the frame with a plurality of evenly spaced holes and to secure the rave to a selected hole or holes. However, this solution provides only a relatively course adjustment and has many redundant holes.

According to the invention, there is provided a system for mounting a rave to a frame on a refuse collection vehicle in a height-adjustable manner, wherein a selected one of the frame and the rave is provided with a first set of N holes on a Y millimetre pitch, and the other of the frame and the rave is provided with a second set of N-l holes on an X millimetre pitch, the system including a bolt for receipt in a selected pair of aligned holes such that the rave can be mounted to the frame in (X-Y) millimetre increments, in accordance with the Vernier principle, Y being less than X, and (N-l)Y = (N-2)X.

In this manner, the rave may be mounted to the frame in much finer increments than provided by a simple arrangement of evenly spaced mounting holes.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system further includes an adapter plate mounted to the frame and provided with means for mounting a bin hoist to the frame.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of mounting a rave to a refuse collection vehicle comprising the steps of: a. attaching a frame to the body of the vehicle; b. providing a selected one of the frame and the rave with a first set of N holes on a Y millimetre pitch; c. providing the other of the frame and the rave with a second set of N-l holes on an X millimetre pitch, X being greater than Y. and (N-l)Y = (N-2) X; d. mounting the frame and body to the vehicle chassis; l e. aligning a hole from the first set of holes with a hole from the second set of holes so that the rave is at a predetermined height above ground level; and f. securing the rave to the frame by inserting a bolt through the aligned holes.

S In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes the step of providing an adapter plate having means for mounting a bin hoist to the frame.

The system and method are suitable for use with any combination of bin hoist and chassis rail height without the need for welding or drilling. It is therefore possible to manufacture the parts to stock and to paint the vehicle prior to fitting them. This eliminates the requirement of returning the vehicle for re-painting after fitting Additionally, production flexibility is improved, since any hoist may be fitted to any vehicle at any time without penalty. Consequently, body, chassis and hoist combinations can be re-allocated at any time without penalty.

An exemplary system and method in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows, in cross-section, a side elevation of the rear end of a refuse collection vehicle fitted with the system of the present invention; and Figure 2 shows a rear elevation of the refuse collection vehicle of Figure 1.

In the Figures, there is shown the rear end of refuse collection vehicle (RCV) 10.

The RCV has a chassis 12 on which is mounted a body 16 and tailgate 14. Located within the body 16 is a mechanism 18 for moving the refuse material from an opening 20 at the rear of the vehicle, where the refuse material is deposited, into a hopper 17. A rave 22 defines a loading edge 23 of the opening 20.

A frame structure, shown generally at 24, is provided on the tailgate 14. The frame comprises a pair of vertically extending pillars 26a, 26b interconnected by horizontal cross-beams 28, 29. Each pillar 26a, 26b is provided with a plurality of holes 30 extending in a vertical array. The holes 30 are grouped in sets 32 of five disposed at regular intervals along the height of the pillar. The holes 30 in each set 32 are on an X millimetre pitch.

The purpose of these holes 30 will be described below.

The rave 22 comprises an outer rave plate 34 and an inner rave plate 35, shown most clearly in Figure 1. The outer and inner rave plates 34, 35 are secured to one another by a pair of bolts 36a, 36b. As seen most clearly in Figure 2, each of the outer and inner rave plates 34, 35 comprises a substantially rectangular planar section 38 from which depend two legs 40a, 40b. The legs 40a, 40b are disposed to be aligned with the respective pillars 26a, 26b. Each of the legs 40a, 40b is provided with six regularly spaced holes 42 on a Y millimetre pitch, where 5Y=4X, for a purpose to be described below.

It will be appreciated that the rave 22 may instead comprise a unitary piece.

An adapter plate 44a, 44b is associated with each pillar 26a, 26b. The adapter plate 44a, 44b comprises a substantially rectangular elongate planar member of a height less than that of the associated pillar 26a, 26b. The adapter plate 44a, 44b is provided with a plurality of holes 46 in a vertical array. The holes 46 are grouped in sets 48 of six disposed at regular intervals along the height of the adapter plate 44a, 44b. The holes 46 in each set 48 are on the same Y millimetre pitch as the holes 42 on the rave plate legs 40a, 40b.

The adapter plate may comprise two sub-plates 44a, 44b each associated with a respective pillar 26a, 26b or it may comprise a unitary piece (not shown).

The adapter plate 44a, 44b is also provided with means for mounting a bin hoist.

These means comprise flanges 50 projecting from a longitudinal edge of the adapter plate 44a, 44b towards the opening 20. Each flange 50 is provided with a first hole 51 and a second hole 52, for a purpose to be described below.

As explained in the introductory part of the description, it is important for the correct operation of any particular bin hoist that the rave 22 is located at a specified height above ground level 53. The rave 22 is secured to the frame 24 by aligning one of the holes 42 in a rave plate leg 40a with one of the holes 30 in the corresponding pillar 26a and inserting a bolt through the pair of aligned holes (shown at 54 in Figure 2). Another bolt is inserted through a corresponding aligned pair of holes 54 in the other leg 40b and the other corresponding pillar 26b. By virtue of the holes 32 in the pillars 26a, 26b being on an X millimetre pitch and the holes 42 in the rave plate legs 40a, 40b being on a Y millimetre pitch which is less than the X millimetre pitch, and where (N-l)Y = (N-2)X, the rave 22 may be mounted to the frame 24 in (X-Y) millimetre increments, in accordance with the Vernier principle. By way of example, if the holes 30 are on a 50 millimetre pitch and the holes 42 are on a 40 millimetre pitch, then mounting of the rave 22 can be adjusted in 10 millimetre increments.

The adapter plates 44a, 44b can be mounted to the associated pillars 26a, 26b in an analogous manner. A selected hole 46 from one of the sets of holes 48 in the adapter plate 44a, 44b is aligned with a selected hole 30 in one of the corresponding sets of holes 32 in the pillar 26a, 26b. An aligned pair of holes is shown at SS in Figure 2. A bolt is then inserted though the aligned holes SS to secure the adapter plate 44a, 44b to the frame 24.

IS Two other bolts may be inserted in the correspondingly aligned holes 55 of the other sets of holes 32, 48 to provide a more secure mounting. In this manner, the adapter plates 44a, 44b can be mounted in X-Y millimetre increments. Thus, the mounting means 50 can be adjusted in X-Y millimetre increments. The hoist can therefore be secured at the requisite height above the rave 22.

The centre to centre vertical spacing between the uppermost hole 30 of one of the sets 32 on the pillar 26a, 26b and the lowermost hole 30 of the next set 32 up is selected so as to provide continuous (X-Y) millimetre adjustability of the adapter plate 44a, 44b over the height of the pillar 26a, 26b, whilst keeping the number of holes 30 to a minimum.

Fewer holes 30 means more efficient production and fewer potential weakpoints in the pillar 26a, 26b.

The system can either be fitted during production of a new RCV 10 or it can be retro-fitted to an existing RCV 10.

A significant advantage of the system over the previous arrangements is the ease with which one type of bin hoist can be replaced by another.

An existing hoist is simply removed from the mounting points 50 on the adapter plate 44a, 44b. If the replacement hoist requires a different rave height, the securing bolts through the aligned holes 54 of the rave 22 and the frame 24 are simply removed. The rave 22 is then adjusted to the requisite height and the bolts are re-inserted to newly aligned (different) holes 54.

There are two industry standard (DIN) heights for the bin hoist mounting points above the rave loading edge 23. The first hole S1 on each flange 50 of the adapter plate 44a, 44b corresponds to the first such standard and the second hole 52 on each flange 50 corresponds to the second. By providing the adapter plate flanges 50 with both sets, if it not necessary to adjust the rave 22, then to switch from a hoist that requires one of the standard heights to another hoist that requires the other standard height, it is also not necessary to adjust the adapter plate 44a, 44b.

It is envisaged that the rave 22 and the adapter plate 44a, 44b may comprise a single unitary piece. In this case, the adjustability of the hoist above the rave 23 is provided solely by the different options that the mounting holes 51, 52 allow for. Since there are only two industry standard heights, this is not a disadvantage in the majority of cases.

It is also envisaged that the frame 24 need not comprise a pair of vertically extending pillars 26a, 26b. There may be just a single pillar, or there may be more than two pillars.

It is also envisaged that the pillars 26a, 26b, the adapted plates 44a, 44b and the rave plates 34,35 may be symmetrical about a number of axes so that a single common part may be used in a number of locations.

It is further envisaged that the adapter plates 44a, 44b may be fitted to either of the front and the rear of the pillars 26a, 26b, which are of a particular depth to accommodate hoists with different fore and aft offset requirements.

Throughout the description, the frame 24 is described as having sets of five holes on an X millimetre pitch, with the rave 22 and the adapter plate 44a, 44b having sets of six holes 42, 46 on a Y millimetre pitch. It is of course envisaged that the sets of holes could comprise any number of holes, provided that there are N holes on a Y millimetre pitch and N-1 holes on an X millimetre pitch, and (N-l)Y = (N-2)X. Equally, it is not necessary for the set(s) of N-1 holes to be provided on the frame 24; they could instead be provided on the rave 22 and the adapter plate 44a, 44b, with the set(s) of N holes being provided on the frame 24.

Claims

1. A system for mounting a rave to a frame on a refuse collection vehicle in a height adjustable manner, wherein a selected one of the frame and the rave is provided with a first set of N holes on a Y millimetre pitch, and the other of the frame and the rave is provided with a second set of N-1 holes on an X millimetre pitch, the system including a bolt for receipt in a selected pair of aligned holes such that the rave can be mounted to the frame in (X-Y) millimetre increments, in accordance with the Vernier principle, where Y is less than X, and (N-1)Y = (N-2)X.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an adapter plate mounted to the frame and provided with means for mounting a bin hoist to the frame.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the adapter plate is provided with at least one third set of holes corresponding to the first or second set of holes in the rave, the adapter plate being mounted to the rave and hence to the frame by means of the bolt.

4. A system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the frame is provided with a plurality of the other of the first or second sets of holes at a periodic spacing and the adapter plate is provided with a plurality of third sets of holes at the same periodic spacing, the system including a bolt for each of the third sets of holes so that a bolt can be received in an aligned pair of holes at each set to provide a plurality of points for securing the adapter plate to the frame.

5. A system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the periodic spacing is selected so as to provide continuous adjustability of the adapter plate and/or the rave in (X-Y) millimetre increments over the whole frame.

6. A system in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the frame comprises a pair of vertical pillars, each being provided with the first or second set of holes.

7. A system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the rave comprises at least one rave plate, the rave plate having two legs each in alignment with a respective one of the pillars and provided with the other of the first or second set of holes.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein there are two adapter plates, each associated with a respective leg of the rave plate and with the respective pillar.

9. A system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the rave plate and the adapter plate are integral.

10. A system in accordance with any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the means for mounting the hoist comprise flanges disposed at periodic vertical intervals, each flange being provided with a hole at a predetermined height above the rave.

IS

11. A system in accordance with claim 10, wherein each flange is provided with two holes, one corresponding to a first predetermined height, the other corresponding to a second predetermined height, the heights corresponding to industry standards.

12. A refuse collection vehicle including the system of any preceding claim.

13. A method of mounting a rave to a refuse collection vehicle comprising the steps of: a. attaching a frame to the body of the vehicle; b. providing a selected one of the frame and the rave with a first set of N holes on a Y millimetre pitch; c. providing the other of the frame and the rave with a second set of N-1 holes on an X millimetre pitch, X being greater than Y. and (N-I)Y = (N-2)X; d. mounting the frame and body to the vehicle chassis; e. aligning a hole from the first set of holes with a hole from the second set of holes so that the rave is at a predetermined height above ground level; and f. securing the rave to the frame by inserting a bolt through the aligned holes.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, further including the step of: g. providing an adapter plate having means for mounting a bin hoist to the frame.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, further including the steps of: h. providing the adapter plate with a third set of holes corresponding to the first or second set of holes in the rave; and i. securing the adapter plate to the rave and hence to the frame by means of a bolt.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, whereby the step of securing the adapter plate ensures that the hoist mounting means are spaced at a predetermined height above the rave.

17. A method for replacing a bin hoist on a refuse collection vehicle in accordance with claim 12 when dependent on claim 2, comprising the steps of: a. dismounting the hoist from the mounting means on the adapter plate; b. ascertaining the requisite replacement hoist rave height; c. adjusting the rave to the requisite height by removing the bolt, re- aligning the first and second sets of holes and re-inserting the bolt; d. ascertaining the requisite height from the rave to the hoist mounting means; and e. attaching the replacement hoist to the mounting means at the requisite height.

18. A system as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.