Automatic trash pickup machine

Abstract

An automatic trash pickup assembly which may be attached to a forward portion of a vehicle such as a trash truck for use in picking up and conveying to a rear portion of the truck, trash, refuse, and the like, which may be packed in any disposable container. An inclined elevating conveyor assembly is attached to the vehicle at one point through a ball and socket assembly and to the front of the vehicle by a sliding bar and sleeve. A fully floating reel is carried above the forward end of the conveyor and is structured to move up or down in response to the size of the trash encountered. A revolving underroller, having extending and retracting cleats, is affixed to the forward end of the conveyor and counterrotates with the floating reel. The conveyor assembly is laterally movable from a position extending directly in front of the vehicle to a position wherein the conveyor swings outboard of the vehicle to remove trash from the sidewalk or curb adjacent the roadway. The attachment of the conveyor assembly to the vehicle allows such sideways movement without subjecting the inclined conveyor assembly to twist or tilt. Further, apparatus is provided for automatically changing the elevation of the forward end of the conveyor in response to changes in height of the surface from which the trash is to be removed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.