Refuse collection vehicle with improved serviceability
AssigneeCon-Tech Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsGarwin McNeilus, Grant McNeilus, Brian Meldahl, Jay Attleson, Ryan Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A collection body is designed and coordinated so that equipment and frequently serviced components can be easily accessed by any operator while also staying away from lanes of traffic. The collection body is further designed so the main hopper is substantially rectangular, so that sidewalls are continuous and support operation of ejection pushers and related component. This configuration is also coordinated with the collection hopper and other collection mechanisms, so that overall coordination of all components is efficient and effective.
Claims16
A refuse collection body mountable to a truck chassis, comprising:
- a collection hopper positioned at a front end of the collection body;
- a main hopper positioned behind the collection hopper, the main hopper and the collection hopper sharing an intermediate wall having an opening therein configured to allow waste to be transferred from the collection hopper to the main hopper, the main hopper having substantially continuous sidewalls and being substantially rectangular in shape with a width that is substantially equal to a width of the collection hopper;
- a waste transfer mechanism configured to move waste from the collection hopper to the main hopper;
- an ejection system contained within the main hopper and configured to eject waste from the main hopper out of an opening in a rear end of the main hopper;
- a side loader positioned on a curb-side of the collection body and configured to retrieve a waste containers and deposit any contents of the waste container to the collection hopper;
- and
- a utility compartment positioned adjacent the main hopper on a curb side of the body and behind the side loader, the utility compartment configured to contain a plurality of hydraulic valves used for operation of the side loader and the waste transfer mechanism, wherein the utility compartment and the main hopper define an outer width for the refuse collection body, and wherein the collection hopper has a width less than the outer width of the refuse collection vehicle thereby allowing the side loader to be at least partially recessed within the defined outer width when in a retracted position.
A refuse collection body mountable on a truck chassis, comprising:
- a storage chamber mounted on a rear portion of the truck chassis configured to store collected refuse therein, the storage chamber having a rear opening configured to accommodate ejection of refuse and a collection opening positioned in a front wall thereof;
- a utility compartment positioned on a curb side of the storage chamber, wherein the storage chamber and the utility compartment define a width of the refuse collection body;
- a tailgate hingably connected to a rear portion of the storage chamber and configured to selectively cover the rear opening;
- a collection hopper mounted on the truck chassis at a position in front of the storage chamber and adjacent to the collection opening, the collection hopper having a width which is less than the width of the refuse collection body;
- a waste transfer system selectively operable to cause refuse to be transferred from the collection hopper to the storage chamber via the collection opening, wherein the waste transfer system further comprises a pusher mechanism movable from a stowed position toward a front portion of the collection hopper to an extended position toward a rear portion of the storage chamber;
- and
- a side loader positioned on a curb-side of the refuse collection body, adjacent to the collection hopper and in front of the utility compartment, the side loader configured to retrieve a waste container and deposit contents of the waste container to the collection hopper;
- wherein the collection hopper and the storage chamber have substantially the same width and wherein the collection opening spans substantially the entire width of the storage chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.