US2684771A - Refuse truck packer - Google Patents

Description

July 27, 1954 A. F. EHRENHAFT 2,684,771

REFUSE TRUCK PACKER Filed Sept. 29 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l I "(1 1 \vJI/IIIIIIIIIIIL" INVENTOR Alphons Ehrenhaft July 27, 1954 A. F. EHRENHAFT REFUSE TRUCK PACKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1949 Zhrenhaf TTORNEY A. F. EHRENHAFT 2,684,771

REFUSE TRUCK PACKER July 27, 1-954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 29 1949 Wm!!!WWWE A INVENTOR Alp/2on8 E E/Lz'enhaf'i BY 6 fi ATToRNEY Patented July 27, 1954 REFUSE TRUCK PACKER Alphons F. Ehrenhaft, New York, N. Y., assignor to Morse Boulger Destructor (30., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 29, 1949, Serial No. 118,582

2 Claims. (Cl. 214-83) This invention relates to a filling and compacting device, and more particularly to a refuse truck filling and compacting device.

It is an object of my invention to provide a rotary filler and compactor for loading truck bodies used for hauling refuse or the like, including a prime mover operated rotor, rotating within a hopper or like filling encasement and comprising a drum having radially eccentrically shiftable vanes or blades which moves the refuse and forces the load through the throat of a hopper into the truck body.

Load shifters or rotary pumps for semi-solids a known to me involving a drum having radially reciprocal blades or vanes including an eccentric movement of the blades radially to cyclically project the vanes or blades from a co-terminus peripheral, to a projecting position, with solids or semi-solids tend to involve a scooping action which makes the continuous uniform movement of the load entail the inconvenience of labor for constant supervision or scraping of the trailing side of the drum. Furthermore, the operation of a load shifter and packer in which eccentric projection and retraction of the blades is involved in connection with refuse having high abrasive action in accordance with designs known to me, involve an unusual expense in the burdensome dismantling of the assembly for replacement of worn parts and relieving the congestion of accumulated debris.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a refuse loader and packer in which the refuse or similar load from a hopper is compacted and shifted and forced into a receptacle or truck body by the rotation of a compacting drum having radially eccentrically shiftable blades, involving a simplified assembly where maximum efficiency and durability are secured, and low cost maintenance of such loading device featured.

Still more particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide, in combination, with a refuse truck, a hopper loader and compactor which shifts the refuse or like material fed into the hopper into the truck body by power transmission by an assembly which assures simplicity of installation and dismantling, while affording efficient coordination of the movement of the radial vanes cooperating with the drum, thereby providing for effective-compaction, self-cleansing and shifting of the material; rigidity of construction to withstand the shockof compacting a variety of refuse material encountered in loading the truck body; efficient blade motion, minimizing the scooping action and avoiding the need for shutdowns or non-use in scraping the drum of the debris or recycling the debris into the loading hopper; transmission of power to transmit the most effective torsional stress; ready variability in change of eccentricity of operating vanes to avoid jamming forces tending to stall the prime mover by loosening action manipulation during operation; simplicity of construction for assembly and dismantling for maintenance and repair, and affording the abiilty to lubricate the major parts during operation.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein, or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, of a blade assembly;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section like that taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, turned a quarter turn;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the control lever for shifting the angular position of the eccentric shaft;

Figure 7 i another embodiment of control lever.

The invention may be summarized as providing a rotary load shifter and packer of high mechanical advantage, which may be employed for moving, filling and compacting a wide variety of materials, from semi-solids to granular solids, such as experienced in handling refuse from households, such as garbage, ashes of the dry or slushy variety, and which is fed into a hopper at a loading end of a truck, to compact the same against the back pressure, gradually filling and shifting the load within the truck body. The feature of the invention includes a rotary packer having a rotary drum, through the periphery of which extend radially shifting vanes or blades to entrap and compact the load at the filling end and shift it inwardly and upwardly into the truck body without recycling the debris, the operation of the blades assuring efiicient thrust for compacting, minimizing scooping of the debris or load, tending to clog or require cleansing of the movable parts, and including constructional features wherein the rotor assembly may be quickly and efficiently assembled for installation or removed for replacement, with an arrangement of the power transmitting elements to secure maximum efficiency in the transmission of the power to the load, and further to permit a variant in the eccentric thrust of the movable vanes to avoid stalling and shut down during operation.

Making reference to the drawing, my invention is illustrated in connection with a refuse truck I having a tailgate whose casing I2 merges into a low level filling hopper l3, having a throat I4 coterminous with a chute l5 for filling refuse into the truck body onto the floor I6. The tailgate casing l2 includes a prime mover H, such as an hydraulic motor operating from an hydraulic pump as a source of power and which, through the gear l8, the chain drive l9, and the gear 2|), operates a rotary drum compactor 2| in the hopper l3, to move, compact and shift refuse or the like as loose solids and semi-solids from along the bottom wall 22, through the throat |4 along the chute |5, as previously described.

The gear 20 drives the drum assembly. The drum assembly includes a drum face 23 merging into an end flange 24, having a tubular extension trunnion 25 at the end 26, which may be suitably splined and keyed for positive drive with the gear 26. The drum flange 24 is formed with vane slots 21, merging into the peripheral slots 28, as outlined by the reinforcing ribs 29 and 30. The drum flange 24 is integral with the drum face segments 3|. These segments likewise include end ribs 32 and peripheral ribs 33, to strengthen the structure.

The drum end 34 is open and is formed with an end flange 35, forming a seat 36 for the removable flange 31. Bearings 38 receive the bolts 39, holding the removable flange 31 on the seat 36.

The flange 31, as does th flange 24, has a tubular trunnion 48. The trunnions 25 and 40, respectively, are formed with axial borings 4| and 42, supporting bearings 43 and 44. The bearings 43 and 44 rotationally support the trunnions 45 and 46 of the cam shaft 41. Eccentric radial arms 48 and 49 support the cross shaft 50.

Upon the cross shaft 50 there are mounted the blades or vanes 5|, which comprise blade sections 52 and 53 inwardly formed with extensions 54 and 55, joined to the connecting webs 56 and 51 which, in turn, support the complemental axial follower cams 58 of general sinusoidal contour and in bearing contact with the cross shaft 50 by the bolts 59 which connect split segments of the follower cams 58.

The webs 56 and 51 extend the blade segments 52 and 53 in relation to each other so that the working faces 66 and 6| are in diametrically aligned position with regard to the drum with which this assembly is to be combined, abrasion resisting inserts 62 being provided in the direction of the Working area shown by the arrow head 63, as will be explained hereafter.

Blade assemblies of the type described, alternated with the blade assemblies 520. and 53a, complete the couple of opposed blade elements with regard to the drum face with which these members are to be combined, it being understood that the webs 56a and 51a lie next to each other within the drum. The contour of the face of the cam 58 will be explained hereafter.

The blade assembly associated with the eccentric shaft 41 is inserted within the drum, to position the blades within the slots 21 and 28, whereupon the end flange 31 is bolted in position. The drum and blades, as a unit, are now assembled in the hopper. The tubular trunnions 25 and 46 support roller bearings 64, for support in the end hubs 65 and 66, the hub 65 being bolted to the side plate 61 formed with a block 68 by the bolts 69. The hub 66 is bolted to the cover plate 18, formed with a flange 1| for seating onto the side plate 12 of the hopper. Bolts 13 hold the cover to permit the drum assembly to be inserted or removed as a unit from the bearing of the hub 65. The cover plate 10 has extended from it a quadrant 14 for locking the manual control lever 15 by means of the turn bolt which may slide in the boring or other adjustable guide 16 formed on the quadrant 14. The lever 15 is keyed to the squared end 11 of the trunm'on of eccentric shaft 46.

In Figure '1 a variable adjustment of the angle of the eccentric shaft is further illustrated. The lever 15 is here provided with hand grip operated pawl adjustably engaging the handle with respect to the rack 16a on the quadrant 14a in various angular positions described.

With this assembly mounted upon the side plates 61 and 12 of the hopper, the operation of the packer assembly is effected by the gear 20 which is keyed by the spline 26a to the tubular trunnion 25, as previously described.

The arrangement of the assembly includes a centrally fed lubricating duct or oil line run ning centrally through the shaft 41 for feeding the lubricant to the bearings 43, 44 and the cam surfaces 58 through the cross shaft. Sealing of the cam surfaces 58 within the hopper may be effected by sealing rings 18 and 19 seated in the flanges 24 and 31, respectively, in contacting the plates 61 and cover plate 10, respectively.

It will be observed that from the construction described, the application of rotational force through the gear 26 to the tubular trunnion 25 will rotate the drum and carry the blades 52 with it relatively to the hubs 65 and 66, the point of rotation during operation being upon the bearing 64 which is axially aligned and supported on the shaft sections 45 and 46. The eccentric radial arms 48 and 49 remain stationary and provide an eccentricity equivalent to the axial displacement of the cross shaft 50 with regard to the axial line through the shaft sections 45 and 46.

The blades 52, 53, 52a, 53a being bolted together, form a rigid unit and these elements are subjected to the turning stress distributed over the entire blade by the entire drum. During rotation the webs 56 and 51 direct the cam 58 in contact with the shaft 50, to transmit the radial shifting movement to the blades, the contour of the cam being adjusted with regard to the wall 22 of the hopper to secure a radial shifting of the blade tips 86 to preserve a path of the blade tips in accordance with most efficient scraping operation at the maximum point of projection. Exact radially mounted working surfaces of blades is thus assured, eliminating any tendency for a scooping action or entrapping action to deposit the debris between the blade and the drum face after passing the point of maximum eccentricity, it being observed that the hopper wall 22 is preferably a convolute flaring at the mouth of the hopper and becomes more constricted as the wall approach is the lowermost point adjacent the drum periphery to compact as well as move the refuse in the hopper.

During operation the lever 15 may be adjusted angularly to position the leading point of maximum eccentricity in accordance with conditions of operation which may be encountered and to retract the point of maximum eccentricity,

should infrangible material be encountered tending to stall and disrupt operation or effect breakage. Likewise, clearances between the blade tip and the hopper wall 22 may be adjusted at the point of maximum eccentricity in accordance with the materials encountered. Thus projection as well as retraction of the blades in operation may be secured by the shifting of the lever 15 which, in turn, angularly shifts the segment 50 of the cam shaft about the segments 45 as the center. The cam surfaces, by the construction as provided, are kept relatively free from abrasion and are fully protected within the drum itself. In this respect the spring loaded baffle B may be omitted entirely by reason of the variable control afforded in the eccentric and the variable nature of the cam surface, notwithstanding the coupling of the blades to each other diametrically.

The transmission of motive power directly through the hubs 25 and 40 frees the shaft 51 from torsion during operation by the compacting force encountered in shifting and packing the refuse from the hopper through the throat thereof, into the body of the truck.

Lubrication of all bearing surfaces, including the cams 58, may be secured with simplicity centrally and exteriorly through the axial oil borings in the shaft 41 and the eccentric cross shaft.

Integrating the drum, the cam shaft and blades permits the drum and blade assembly to be removed as a unit merely by unbolting the cover plate and removing the bolt 13 after removing the drive gear 20. Likewise, after removing the plate "!0, the cam shaft 41 may be removed without disturbing the drum drive or drum by removing the flange 31, which involves merely removing the bolts 39.

By the construction as described, it will be observed that installation for assembly is simplified, as is the dismantling for maintenance and repair. Likewise, the path of eccentricity of the tips of the blades may be adjusted by the contour of the cam which, in its relation to the hopper, provides for efficient packing to minimize re-cycling of the debris which may cling to the drum.

It will be understood that, while not shown, scraper blades may be positioned on the trailing edge of the drum adjacent the point of maximum retraction of the blade tips and that the reduction in scooping action on the drum and avoidance of re-cycling reduce the work on the scraper.

A construction having a simple number of parts is thereby provided, having high compacting efliciency and involving low maintenance cost. A rolling pressure compacting as well as moving action is secured in the movement of the refuse from the mouth of the hopper beneath the drum and hopper bottom wall and into the truck body making for a dense highly compacted pay oad.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A loading and compacting rotor for a refuse truck or the like operating within a loading hopper comprising a drum, tubular trunnions for said drum, radial slots extending to the periphery of said drum, radial blades guided in said slots, a cam having a sinusoidal camming face, webs joining said cam to diametrically opposed blades mounted thereon and a cross shaft on which said cams are mounted and extension shafts for said cross shaft on which said tubular trunnions are mounted for rotation and eccentric adjustment for the point of maximum eccentricity.

2. A refuse truck or the like having, in combination, a loading hopper, the side walls of which rotatively mount a. compacting rotor, one of said side walls having a supporting bearing, a tubular trunnion extending from one end of said drum supported in said bearing, a cover member supported on the opposed wall of said hopper, said cover member carrying a bearing, said drum having a tubular trunnion extended and rotatively mounted in said bearing, radial guide slots in said drum, blade segments guided in said slots, a cam shaft supported in said trunnions and extending eccentrically, a cross shaft and cam followers connecting said blade segments to each other and to said cross shaft, said cover member being removably mounted on said hopper wall whereby the drum may be installed as a unit with said cover member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,363,716 Campbell Dec. 28, 1920 2,151,886 Barrett Mar. 28, 1939 2,280,272 Sullivan Apr. 21, 1942 2,413,935 Williams Jan. 7, 1947 2,458,023 Pike Jan. 4, 1949 2,509,388 Biszantz May 30, 1950 2,552,860 Oliver May 15, 1951 2,573,269 Miller Oct. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 46,003 France Dec. 3, 1935 (Addition to No. 790,709) 825,873 France Dec. 16, 1937

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