US2784853A

US2784853A - Self-loading truck

Info

Publication number: US2784853A
Application number: US398341A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel V Bowles
Original assignee: PHILLIP J GENTILE
Current assignee: PHILLIP J GENTILE
Priority date: 1953-12-15
Filing date: 1953-12-15
Publication date: 1957-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 1974-03-12

Description

March 12, 1957 s. v. BOWLES SELF-LOADING TRUCK Filed Dec. 15, 1953 INVENTOR. \SKIMUEL BMW-5 BY Q M' Maw 37 Jhorrt lillfllfl I n I l I n u u sELF-LoAorNG TRUCK Application December 15, 1953, Serial'No. 398,341

20 Claims. (Cl. 214-48) The present invention relates generally to power- .operated loaders, and more particularly to a power- ,operated loader which may be used in connection with trash and garbage collecting trucks.

The conventional method of collecting trash and similar material by house-to-house route trucks involves the problem of individually lifting a large number of household trash containers up to the height of the truck body Walls and emptying their contents into the truck. This procedure requires the trucks to be provided with platforms or other structures upon which a workman can stand while dumping the trash into the truck. The conventional method requires at least one man to stand on the aforementioned loading platform and another to pass up the trash containers. In carrying out the conventional method of trash collection, it often occurs that some of the contents of the trash containers is spilled along the street, thereby creating an unsightly and unsanitary condition.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide a power-operated loading device suitable for attachment to a conventional trash truck for lifting the contents of trash containers from the street level into the body of a high-walled dump truck.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the class described which incorporates means for distributing the material evenly within the body of the truck.

United States Patent It is a still further object of the invention to provide a device of the class described having hydraulic power cylinders which incorporate novel hydraulic shock absorbing means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a power-operated loading device which obviates and alleviates many difficulties encountered in the use of conventional manual loading procedure.

The foregoing and additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof, consid- I eration being given likewise to the attached drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation View of a trash truck equipped with a power-operated loading device constructed according to the present invention, said device being shown in full line in the trash-receiving position and in phantom line in an intermediate position during a loading cycle;

Figure 2 is a side elevation similar to Figure l, but with said device being shown in full line in a further intermediate position during the loading cycle and in phantom line at the limiting position of the loading cycle;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an axial section taken through a power cylinder employed said device; and,

Figure 5 is an enlarged portion indicated by the numetal 5 in Figure 4.

A conventional trash collecting truck is identified in 2,784,853 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 Too the drawings by the reference character 10. The truck 10 is equipped with a conventional high-walled dump body 11, pivotally mounted on the rear of the truck chassis, and having a hinged tailgate to permit dumping of the contents of the body. Uptilting of the body to dump the contents thereof is accomplished by the use of a hydraulic power cylinder of conventional design (not shown). The details of the truck 10 and body 11 except as hereinafter mentioned, are conventional and do not form a part of the present invention. For that reason such conventional details are not set forth at length herein.

The power-operated loading device embodying the present invention is identified in the drawings by the reference character 15, and comprises in general a pair of articulated longitudinally extending lifting arms 16 which are secured to each side of the truck frame at a pivot axis 17; a transversely extending, rectangular, trashreceiving bucket 18 carried on the forward ends of the arms 16; and, hydraulic,

power cylinders

19 and 20 to be hereinafter described in detail.

The lifting arms 16 each include a proximal or elevating section 21 and a distal or tilting section 22 joined together at a hinge joint or elbow pivot 23. To form the hinged joint 23 a proximal terminal portion of the distal section 22 underlies a distal terminal portion of the proximal section 21 and the sections are pivotally connected near the upper side of the arm about these terminal portions. The terminal portions of

sections

21 and 22 are formed with mating surfaces 24 whereby the two sections when extended to an aligned position such as shown in phantom line in Figure 1, lock together to form a single cantilever arm with the bucket 18 Supported on the outer end thereof.

When the lifting arms 16 are in their lowermost substantially horizontal position shown in. Figure 1, each distal section 22 is supported on the ends of the front bumper 25 of the truck 10 by a short angle section 26 welded to the inner surfaces of the distal section 22, as shown in Figure 3. It will also be apparent from Figure 3, that the

sections

21 and 22 of the arms 16 are of box beam construction. Rollers 27 are rotatably mounted at the front end of the bucket 18 adjacent the forward end of the arm 16. These rollers are adapted to roll up over a curb or other obstruction approached by the truck when the arms 16 are in the lowered position as shown in full line in Figure 1. When the rollers 27 encounter such an obstruction, the bucket 18 will be lifted slightly, pivoting the arms about the pivotal axis 17 to pass over such obstruction and thereby prevent damage to the device.

In general, the loading of material into the truck body 11 by the bucket 18 is accomplished by first filling the latter from trash containers when the bucket 18 is in the lowered position shown in Figure l. Thereafter the bucket is lifted upwardly over the cab of the truck 10 as shown by the progressive intermediate positions in Figures 1 and 2, respectively. When the arm reaches or approaches top dead center, or a vertical position such as shown approximately in Figure 2 at 29, the

arm sections

21 and 22 are buckled about the hinge joint 23 so as to swing the bucket 18 rearwardly, inverting the same and dumping the contents thereof into the-truck body 11.

The contents of the bucket 18 can be dumped into different portions of the body 11 by buckling the arm sections 21-452 at various positions of the loading cycle. For example, when the arm 16 is at the rear limit of its travel against abutments 30 formed in the body 11 and the arm sections 21 are thereafter buckled to dump the contents of the bucket into the bed 11, such contents will be dumped toward the rear of the truck body 11,

If, on the other hand the

sections

21 and 22 are buckled prior to the time the arm 16 reaches a top dead center position, the contents or the bucket 18 will be dumped toward the forward end of the truck body. Material which has already been dumped into the truck body 11 may be pushed toward the rear thereof by buckling the arm sections 2122 so as to lower the bucket into the position shown at 31 in Figure 2, and thereafter working the arms 16 back and forth about the pivot 17, as indicated by the double headed arrow 32.

The upswinging of each of the arms 16 is accomplished by means of a double-acting hydraulic power cylinder 19 (one of a pair), pivotally attached to the frame of the truck at 33. The power cylinder 19 is shown in detail in Figure 4, and it includes a piston 39 and forwardly extending connecting rod 34, the latter being pivotally connected to the outer end of a crank arm 35 integrally formed on the rear of the proximal arm section 21.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that by admitting pressurized hydraulic fluid at the outer end of each hydraulic cylinder 19 through a fluid connection 37 and releasing fluid through the rearward fluid connection 38, the piston 39 may be urged rearwardly in the cylinder 19. Such rearward movement of the piston 39 will pull inwardly on the connecting rod 34 and thus swing the arms 16 in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot 17. Conversely, the introduction of fluid under pressure through the fluid connection 38 near the rear end of the cylinder 19 forces the piston 39 and the connecting rod 34 outwardly or forwardly within the cylinder so as to swing the arms 16 clockwise from their rearmost position against the abutment 30 to their trash-receiving position shown in full line in Figure 1. It will be realized that during the swinging of the arms 16 between the limits of their pivotal motion, there is some rocking movement of the cylinder 19, and thus fluid delivered thereto is delivered through conventional flexible pressure conduits (not shown).

The buckling and straightening of the lifting arm sections 21-22 is accomplished in a manner similar to that described hereinabove by means of a power cylinder 20 pivotally connected to the proximal arm section 21 at 40 and having a connecting rod 41 pivotally connected to the underlying proximal terminal portion of the distal section 22. Thus, it will be seen that by admitting fluid under pressure to the inner end of the cylinder 20, the piston therein will be forced outwardly, buckling the arms as shown in Figure 2, and, conversely admitting fluid to the outer end of the cylinder 20 will cause the connecting rod thereof to retract into the cylinder thereby straightening the

arm sections

21 and 22.

Due to the substantial weight of the trash-receiving bucket 18, the movement of the lifting arms 16 to the limits of their motion would normally be expected to occasion considerable mechanical shock. Such mechanical shock, for example, would occur when the arms engage the abutment 30 as the upper limit of the loading cycle is reached, as shown in Figure 2.

The present invention includes means for cushioning such shock. To this end, both the

hydraulic cylinders

19 and 20 are preferably constructed with integral shock absorbing means illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Such shock absorbing means includes a pair of cup-

shaped elements

42 and 43 extending from the opposite sides of the piston 39, and

complemental plug members

44 and 45 ,formed as part of the closures for the ends of the cylinder 19. The

plug members

44 and 45 are adapted to enter the

cup members

42 and 43 as the piston 39 approaches the inner and outer limits of its travel in the cylinder 19. The diameter of the plug 44 approximates the internal diameter of the cup member 42, the clearance therebetween being on the order of ten to fifteen thousandths of an inch. Furthermore, each of

plug'members

44 and 45 or alternatively, each of the

cup members

42 and 43 may be of slinhtl) tapered confi uration whereby the clearance between the plug and cup members will become progressively reduced as either plug enters one or" the cups.

With this arrangement, as the piston 39 approaches either end of the cylinder 19 and the plug 44 enters the cup 42, for example, the hydraulic fluid trapped within the cup 42 can escape only through the relatively small annular space between the cup and plug. Consequently, the motion of the piston 39 within the cylinder 19 is cushioned or dampened thereby substantially eliminating any severe mechanical shocks at the limit of piston motion.

Sealing of the piston 39 relative to the walls of the cylinders 19 is accomplished with conventional leather piston cups 47 mounted in the usual manner.

I have found it convenient to assemble the main lifting cylinders 19 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The construction of the buckling cylinders 20 is similar to that or the main lifting cylinders. As can be seen in Figure 4, the inner cylinder head 50 is secured to the rear of the cylinder 19 as by welding 51, the integral plug member 45 being properly aligned within the cylinder 19 by a shoulder 52 closely fitting the inside diameter of the cylinder 19. The outer cylinder head 53 is removably secured to a flange 54 as by bolts 55, the flange 54 in turn being welded to the front of the cylinder 19 at 56. A conventional packing gland 57 encompasses the connecting rod 34. As with the rear cylinder head 50, the plug 44 is integrally joined to the outer cylinder head 53 by welding 58. Piston 39 and the sealing cup 47 are secured to the inner end of the connecting rod 44 by means of the

cup members

42 and 43, cup member 43 being threaded to the inner end of the connecting rod, and cup member 42 being seated against a shoulder 60 formed on said rod.

While the form and construction of the invention shown and described herein is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it will be realized that it is capable of considerable modification without departure from the spirit of the invention. For this reason I do not mean to be limited to the shown and described, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A self-loading truck comprising: a chassis; an open topped body mounted on said chassis; a pair of generally parallel arms mounted at their proximal ends on opposite sides of said chassis on a transverse pivot axis for swinging movement in unison between substantially horizontal and substantially vertical positions, said arms each having two sections hinged together at a point higher than a top-edge of said body when said arms are in said substantially vertical position, the distal sections of said arms being spaced apart less than the maximum internal width of said body; a bucket mounted between the distal ends of said distal sections and adapted to receive material when said arms are substantially horizontal whereby to elevate the same above said body when said arms are raised to said substantially vertical position; first double action power means to swing said arms about said pivot axis as aforesaid; and second double action power means to buckle said sections to dump the contents of said bucket into said body when said arms are in said vertical position and to tilt said distal sections generally downwardly from said hinged point to lower said bucket and distal sections into said body whereby material therein may be shifted longitudinally in said body by operating said first power means to reciprocally swing said arms while buckled as aforesaid.

2. A self-loading truck comprising: a chassis; an open top body mounted on said chassis and having lateral olfsets in the side walls thereof whereby to provide a major portion of said body of maximum width and a, minor portion of lesser width; a pair of generally parallel arms disposed on opposite sides of said chassis and mounted at their proximal ends on a transverse pivot axis on said chassis said axis being adjacent a lower edge of said minor portion, said arms normally projecting substantially horizontally away from said major body portion and being spaced apart more than the exterior width of said minor portion and less than the interior width of said major portion, each of said arms having a hinge joint intermediate its ends to divide the same into proximal and distal sections, the hinge joint being above the height of said body when said arms are swung about said pivot axis to a substantially vertical position; a bucket mounted between the distal ends of said arms and adapted to receive material when said arms are substantially horizontal to lift the same to a point over said body when said arms are swung upwardly as aforesaid; first double action power means to swing said arms between said substantially horizontal and vertical positions; and second power means to buckle said arms at said hinge joints to swing said bucket downwardly into said major body portion when said arms are in said vertical position whereby material in said bucket may be dumped into said body and shifted therein by reciprocally swinging said arms while buckled as aforesaid.

3. A self-loading truck comprising: a chassis; an open top body mounted on said chassis and having lateral offsets in the side walls thereof whereby to provide a major portion of said body of maximum width and a minor portion of lesser width; a pair of generally parallel arms disposed on opposite sides of said chassis and mounted at their proximal ends on a transverse pivot axis on said chassis said axis being adjacent said offsets, said arms normally projecting substantially horizontally away from said major body portion and being spaced apart more than the exterior width of said minor portion and less than the interior width of said major portion, each of said arms having a hinge joint intermediate its ends to divide the same into proximal and distal sections, the hinge joint being above the height of said body when said arms are swung about said pivot axis to an upstanding position with said proximal sections against said olfsets; a bucket mounted between the distal ends of said arms and adapted to receive material when said arms are substantially horizontal to lift the same to a point over said body when said arms are swung upwardly as aforesaid; first double acting power means to swing said arms between said substantially horizontal position and said upstanding position; and second power means to buckle said arms at said hinge joints to swing said bucket downwardly into said major body portion when said arms are in said upstanding position whereby material in said bucket may be dumped into said body and shifted therein by reciprocally swinging said arms while buckled as aforesaid.

.4. In a refuse collection truck, in combination; a truck including a chassis and an open top receptacle body mounted thereon; a pair of elevating arms pivoted to said chassis intermediate the forward and rear ends thereof for movement from lowered, substantially horizontal positions to upraised positions projecting substantially verticlally upwardly; a pair of tilting arms; a pair of elbow pivots connecting the forward ends of said elevating arms to the upper sides of said tilting arms adjacent the rear ends of the latter, with said rear ends projecting beneath the forward end portions of the elevating arms when the respective arms are in lowered positions; an elongated bucket extending transversely between the forward ends of said tilting arms and rigidly secured thereto, said bucket having a bottom and an open mouth, each disposed in a plane roughly parallel to the common plane of the longitudinal axes of said tilting arms, whereby, when said arms are moved to said upraised positions, said mouth will be in a position to commence the discharge of the contents of the bucket into the truck body; and servomotor means, acting between said elevating arms and said chassis, for raising said elevating arms to said upraisd positions; said elbow pivots providing for downward and rearward swinging movement of the tilting arms when the elevating arms are in said upraised positions and a pair of hydraulic cylinder and piston units each having the forward end thereof pivoted to a rear end of a respective tilting arm at a point offset downwardly and rearwardly from a respective elbow pivot in the lowered,

aligned positions of the arms, and having its rear end pivoted to a respective elevating arm so that said hydraulic units, by extension, when the arms are in said raised positions, may cause said tilting arms to tilt downwardly and rearwardly for dumping the contents of the bucket into the truck body.

5. A loading device to be used with a truck having an open-topped body of predetermined width and height, a chassis supporting said body and a front bumper, com prising: a pair of longitudinally forward extending lifting arms spaced apart less than said width, each arm including a proximal section and a distal section, the rear end of said proximal section being pivotally attached to the intermediate portion of said chassis, said proximal section being of such length as to extend above said body when raised to a vertical position; hinge joints pivotally interconnecting said section; mating surfaces formed on said sections adjacent said hinge joint for locking said sections together to form a forwardly extending cantilever arm when they are disposed in an axially aligned normal position; bracket means on said distal sections for engagement with said front bumper when said arms are substantially horizontal and in said normal position; a material-receiving bucket carried between the distal ends of said distal sections; a first hydraulic power cylinder interposed between said chassis and a crank arm secured to the rear end of each of said proximal sections for raising said arms from their normal position to a generally vertically extending position; and, a second hydraulic power cylinder interposed between said sections for buckling said distal section relative to said proximal section to dump material in said bucket into said body and to lower said bucket into said body to longitudinally shift material therein, each of said hydraulic power cylinders containing at least one pair of complemental cup and plug members carried respectively by a head of said cylinder and the piston therein, said complemental memhere being positioned and adapted to engage during a portion of the travel of said piston in said cylinder adjacent the limit of travel of said piston, whereby to dampen the motion of said piston during said portion of the travel.

6. A self loading truck comprising: a receptacle body of predetermined width and height, a pair of arms mounted on said truck for swinging movement in unison be tween generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, said arms being so mounted that they are positioned adjacent one end of said body when in said generally vertical position and said arms each having a proximal and distal section hingedly interconnected at a point which is above the highest point of the adjacent end of said body when said arms are in said generally vertical position, the distal sections of said arms being spaced apart less than the internal width of said body; a bucket carried between said distal sections; and power-operated means for raising said arms in unisonand thereafter causing the sections of said arms to buckle at said hinged connections to dump the contents of said bucket into said body and to tilt said distal sections generally downwardly from 'said hinged connections to lower said distal sections into said body whereby material contained in said body may be shifted therein.

7. A self-loading truck comprising: a receptacle body having a first portion and a second portion, said second portion being of lesser width than said first portion; a pair of arms mounted on said truck for swinging move ment in unison between generally horizontal and generalvertical positions, said arms each having a proximal and distal section hingedly interconnected at a point which is above the highest point of said body when said arms are in said generally vertical position, the distal sections of said arms being spaced apart less than the minimum internal width of said first portion but more than the maximum external width of said second portion; a bucket carried between said distal sections and adapted to receive material when said arms are generally horizontal whereby to elevate said material above said body when said arms are raised to said generally vertical position; and power-operated means for raising said arms section pivotally secured to said truck and a distal section pivotally connected to the end of said proximal section remote from said truck; a material-receiving bucket carried by the distal ends of said distal sections; and

powenoperated means for raising said sections in unison and thereafter causing said sections to buckle at the connection therebetween whereby material contained in said bucket will be dumped into said body, said power-operated means including fluid actuated power cylinders which contain a cornplemental' cup and plug member carried respectively by a head of said cylinder and the piston therein, said complemental members being positioned and adapted to engage during a portion of the travel of said piston in said cylinder adjacent the limit of travel of said piston, whereby to dampen the motion of said piston during said portion of the travel.

9. A self loading truck comprising: a receptacle body; a pair of parallel lifting arms, each having a proximal section pivotally connected to said truck and a distal section pivotally connected to the end of said proximal section remote from said truck; a material-receiving bucket carried by said distal'section; and power-operated means for raising said sections in unison and thereafter causing said sections to buckle at the connection therebetwecn whereby material contained in said bucket will be dumped into said body, said power-operated means including fluid actuated power cylinders each of which contain at least one pair of complemental cup and plug members adapted to dampen the motion of the piston during a portion of its travel.

10. A self-loading truck comprising; a receptacle body; a pair of generally parallel arms mounted at their proximal ends on said truck for swinging movement between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, said arms each having a proximal section and a distal section; a hinge joint connecting each distal section to a respective proximal section with a terminal portion of one of said sections extending under a terminal portion of the other section when said arms are generally horizontal, said terminal portions having mating surfaces which engage when said arms are in axial alignment to lock said joints against buckling in an upward direction but to allow buckling of said joints in a downward direction; a material bucket carried between said distal sections; and power operated means for raising said arms in unison and thereafter causing said sections to buckle at said hinge joints as aforesaid to dump material in said bucket into said body.

ll A self-loading truck comprising: a receptacle body of predetermined width and height; a pair of elevating arms mounted at their proximal ends on opposite sides of said truck for swinging movement between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions; a pair of tilting arms; a pair of elbow pivots connecting the distal ends of said fiidviiiii'lg arms to the upper sides of said tilting arms adjacent the proximal ends of the latter with a proximal terminal portion of said tilting arms underlying a distal terminal portion of said elevating arms when the respective arms are aligned in a generally horizontal position; a bucket carried between said tilting arms and adapted to receive material when said arms are generally horizontal whereby to elevate said material above said body when said arms areraised to said generally vertical position; a first pair of hydraulic power cylinders interposed between said truck and said elevating arms for raising said our said generally horizontal position to said verti- .rii position, and a second pair of hydraulic power cylinders interposed between said elevating arms and said tilting arms, each having one end thereof connected to the underlying proximal terminal portion of said tilting arms and having the other end connected to the elevating arms so that said second cylinders, by extension, when said elevating arms are in said generally vertical position cause buckling of said arms at said elbow pivots to dump mate rial in said bucket into said body, said hydraulic power cylinders containing at least one pair of complemental cup and plug members, said complemental members being positioned and adapted to engage during a portion of the travel. of a piston in said cylinder adjacent the limit of said travel of said piston whereby to dampen the motion of said piston during said portion of travel.

l 2. A self-loading truck comprising: a receptacle body; a pair of generally parallel arms mounted attheir proximal ends on said truck for swinging movement between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, said arms each having a proximal section and a distal section; a hinge joint pivotally connecting the respective proximal and distal sections of each of said arms and having mating surfaces disposed on overlapping portions of said sections adapted to engage when said sections are in axial alignment, thereby locking said joint against buckling in an upward direction when said arms are generally horizontal while allowing buckling in a downward direction; a materialreceiving bucket carried between said distal sections; power-operated means interposed between said truck and said proximal sections for raising said arms from said generally horizontal to said generally vertical position; and a pair of hydraulic power cylinders operatively associated with said proximal and distal sections for buckling said arms at said hinge joints to dump material in said bucket into said body when said arms are in said generally vertical position, said hydraulic power cylinders each containing at least one pair of cup and plug members adapted to dampen the motion of the piston during a portion of its travel.

1.3. A self-loading truck comprising: a receptacle body having a first portion and a second portion, said second portion being of lesser width than said first portion; a pair of generally parallel arms mounted on opposite sides of said truck for swinging movement in unison between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, said arms each having a proximal section and a distal section; hinge joints pivotally connecting the respective proximal and distal sections of each of said arms and having mating surfaces disposed on overlapping portions of said sections and adapted to engage when said sections are in axial alignment, thereby locking said joint against buckling in an upward direction when said arms are generally horizontal but allowing buckling of said joint in a downward direction; a material receiving bucket carried between said distal sections; and power-operated means for raising said sections in unison and thereafter causing said sections to buckle at said hinge joints whereby material contained in said bucket will be dumped into said body and said bucket and distal sections may be'lowered into the first portion of said body to shift the material therein.

14. A self-loading truck comprising: a receptacle body having a predetermined height and width; a pair of generally parallel arms mounted on said truck for swinging movement in unison between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, said arms being mounted so that they are positioned adjacent one end of said body when in'said generally vertical position and said arms each havinga proximal section and a distal section; a hinge joint pivotally connecting the sections of each of said arms and having mating surfaces disposed on overlapping portions of said sections and adapted to engage when said sections are in axial alignment thereby locking said joint against bucklingin an upward direction when said arms are generally horizontal but allowing buckling in a downward direction, said proximal sections being of such a length that said hinge'joints are disposed above the highest point on said adjacent end of said body when said arms positioned generally vertical and said distal sections being spaced apart less than the internal width of said body; a material-receiving bucket carried between said distal sections; and a power-operated means for raising said arms in unison and thereafter causing said sec tions to buckle at said hinge joints to dump material in the bucket into said body andto tilt said distal sections generally downwardly to lower said bucket and distal sections in said body to shift materials therein.

15. A loading device to be used with a truck having a receptacle bodyof predetermined width and height comprising: a pair of lifting arms spaced apart less than said width, each arm including a proximal section and a distal section, said proximal sections being pivotally attached to said truck and being of such length as to extend above said body height when raised to a vertical position; hinge joints pivotally interconnecting said section; a material-receiving bucket carried between the distal ends of said distal sections; a first pair of hydraulie power cylinders interposed between said truck and said proximal sections for raising said arms from a generally horizontally extending position to a generally vertically extending position; and a second pair of hydraulic power cylinders interposed between said proximal sections and said distal sections for buckling said sections at said hinge joints to dump material from said bucket into said body and to tilt said distal sections generally downwardly to lower said bucket into said body to longitudinally shift material therein, said hydraulic power cylinders each containing at least one pair of complemental cup and plug members, said complemental members being positioned and adapted to engage during a portion of the travel of the piston in said cylinder to dampen the motion of said piston during said portion of the travel.

16. In combination with a truck having a box-like receptacle body of predetermined width and height, a loading device comprising: a pair of elevating arms mounted at their proximal ends on opposite sides of said truck for swinging movement between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, said arms being mounted so as to be positioned adjacent one end of said body when in said vertical position; a pair of tilting arms spaced apart less than the internal width of said body; a pair of elbow pivots connecting the distal ends of said elevating arms with the upper sides of said tilting arms adjacent the proximal ends of the latter with a proximal terminal portion of said tilting arms underlying a distal terminal portion of said elevating arms when the respective arms are aligned in a generally horizontal position, said elevating arms being of such a length that said elbow pivots are disposed above the highest point on said adjacent end of said body when said arms are positioned generally vertical; a bucket carried between said tilting arms and adapted to receive material when said arms are general ly horizontal whereby to elevate said material above said body when said arms are raised in said generally vertical position; a first pair of hydraulic power cylinders interconnected between said truck and said elevating arms for raising said arms from said generally horizontal position to said generally vertical position; and a second pair of hydraulic power cylinders interconnected between 10 said elevating arms and said tilting arms, each having one end thereof connected to the underlying proximal terminal portion ofsaid tilting arms and having the other end connected to said elevating arms so that said second cylinders, by extension, when said elevating arms are in said generally vertical position cause buckling of said arms at said elbow pivots to dump material in said bucket into said body and to lower said bucket and tilting arms into said body whereby to longitudinally shift materials therein by reciprocally swinging said arms while buckled as aforesaid, said hydraulic power cylinders each containing one pair of complemental cup and plug members, said complemental members being positioned and adapted to engage during a portion of the travel of the piston in said cylinder adjacent the limit of travel of said piston whereby to dampen the motion of said piston during said portion of travel.

17. A self-loading truck comprising: a receptacle body having a major portion of maximum. width and a minor portion of minimum width; a pair of elevating arms mounted at their proximal ends on said truck for swinging movement between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions; a pair of tilting arms spaced apart less than the internal width of the major portion of said body and more than the width of said minor portion; a hinge joint connecting each tilting arm to a respective elevating arm with a terminal portion of one of said arms extending under a terminal portion of the other arm when said arms are generally horizontal, said terminal portions having mating surfaces which engage when said arms are in axial alignment and lock said joint against pivotal movement in one direction but allow pivotal movement in the opposite direction, said elevating arms being of such length that said hinge joints are disposed above the highest point of the end of said body nearest said arms when said arms are positioned generally vertical; a material-receiving bucket carried between said tilting arms; power operated means interconnected between said truck and said elevating arms for raising said arms from said generally horizontal position to said generally vertical position; and a pair of hydraulic power cylinders interposed between said elevating arms and said tilting arms such that said cylinders, by extension, cause buckling of the arms at said hinged joints to dump materials in said bucket into said body when said elevating arms are in said generally vertical position and totilt said tilting arms generally downwardly from said hinge joints to lower said tilting arms and bucket into the major portion of said body whereby to shift material therein by reciprocally swinging said arms while buckled as aforesaid, said hydraulic power cylinders each containing complemental cup and plug members to dampen the motion of the piston during a portion of its travel.

18. A self-loading truck comprising: a receptacle body of predetermined width and height; a pair of arms mounted on said truck for swinging movement between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, said arms being positioned adjacent one end of said body when in said vertical position and each having a proximal section and a distal section; a hinge joint pivotally connecting the sections of each of said arms and having mating surfaces disposed on overlapping. portions of said sections and adapted to engage when said sections are in axial alignment, thereby locking said joint against buckling in one direction but allowing buckling in the opposite direction, said proximal section being of such length that said hinge joints are disposed above the highest point of said adjacent end of said body when said arms are positioned generally vertical and said distal sections being spaced apart less than the internal width of said body; a material-receiving bucket carried between said tilting arms; power-operated means interconnected between said truck and said arms for raising said arms from said generally horizontal position to 's aid generally vertical position; and a pair of hydraulic Jopen top body mounted on said chassis and having lateral offsets in the side walls thereof whereby to provide a major portion of said body of maximum width and a minor portion of lesser width; a pair of generally parallel arms disposed on opposite sides of said chassis and mounted at their proximal ends on a transverse pivot axis on said chassis said axis being adjacent said minor portion, said arms normally projecting substantially horizontally away from said major body portion, each of said arms having a hinge joint intermediate its ends to divide the same into proximal and distal sections, said proximal sections being spaced apart more than the width of said minor portion and less than the width 'of said major portion; and said hinge joint being above the height of said body when said arms are swung about said pivot axis to an upstanding position with said proximal sections adjacent said offsets; a bucket mounted between the distal ends of said arms and adapted to receive material when said arms are substantially horizontal to lift the same to a point over said body when said arms are swung upwardly as aforesaid; first double acting power means to swing said arms between said suba 12 stantially horizontal position and said upstanding position; and second power means to buckle said arms at said hinge joints to swing said bucket downwardly into said major body portion when said arms are in said upstanding position whereby material in said bucket may be dumped into said body and compacted therein by said bucket when said arms are buckled as aforesaid.

20. A self-loading truck comprising; a receptacle body; a pair of generally parallel arms mounted at their proximal ends on said truck for swinging movement between generally horizontal and generally vertical positions, ,a distal member for each arm; a hinge joint connecting each distal member to the distal end of a respective arm with a terminal portion of each arm lapping a terminal portion of its respective distal member when said arms are generally horizontal, said terminal portions having mating surfaces which engage when said arms are generally horizontal to lock said joints against buckling in an upward direction but to allow buckling of said joints in a downward direction; a material bucket carried between said distal sections; and power operated means for raising said arms in unison and thereafter causing said members to buckle at said hinge joints as aforesaid to dump material in said bucket into said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,892,243 Lambert Dec. 27, 1932 2,441,591 Owen May 18, 1948 2,457,039 Graves et al. Dec. 21, 1948 2,564,250 Colfee Aug. 14, 1951 2,664,859 Green Jan. 5, 1954